Emily Kaye

My name is Emily and I am a Garden Designer here at Bestall & Co. I started in October 2022, coming from the industry having previously worked as a Garden Designer. 

I grew up in a family of gardeners, where we were always outdoors and the garden was the most important part of the house. I grew up barefoot, picking flowers, growing food and making dens. Working in horticulture is the next best thing to being seven years old.  

My favourite thing about garden design is the potential to create a space that changes the way people live. The modern world is so fast paced, but when you are in a beautiful garden, all of that drifts into the background. As well as being a garden designer, I am a yoga and mindfulness teacher. In many ways these seemingly quite different roles have the same aim – to encourage people to slow down and connect with nature. Gardens are a sanctuary and being able to design beautiful spaces that give people a space to retreat from the world or to host friends and family is so rewarding. 

I love that garden design is so multifaceted – it’s about plants, construction, there are overlaps with interiors… The process of designing a garden is endlessly varied and it always keeps you on your toes. It’s an amazing form of design because rather than creating more ‘stuff’, we are creating a greener world, which is better for the planet and better for us.  

When I’m not at work I’ll be busy with some kind of project, whether it’s sewing, ceramics or woodwork. Otherwise I’ll be off exploring in my little campervan, climbing, hiking, wild swimming… 

I think I would quite like life on a desert island – peace and quiet, the ocean and a bit of sunshine. If I could take three things, I’d take a knife, a piano and a sketchbook. 

If money was no object I’d buy a rundown old farm, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, and spend my time making a beautiful garden and pottering around.