Skip to main content

Our Tutors

Carolyn Willitts FLI

Carolyn has a unique background, uniting commercial landscape architecture practise with Carolyn’s previous role as a theatre designer, creating a fresh approach to landscape design.

Neil Lucas MCIHort

Neil is one of the UK’s leading ornamental grass specialist, owner of Knoll Gardens and awarded of ten consecutive Gold Medals at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Neil teaches on our Planting Design Diploma.

Jo Thompson MSGD FLI

Jo is one of the leading Garden Designers in the UK. She has won multiple awards for both show gardens and real gardens and published a number of books about garden design. Her design practice is based on a firm belief in the power of customer service combined with inspirational design.

Tom Massey

Tom Massey is an award winning garden designer with a specialist background in CAD and Animation. He has achieved considerable success at both UK and Singapore garden shows since graduating from LCGD in 2016.

Tony Kirkham

Tony is the recently retired head of the Arboretum at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Tony is a tutor on our Planting Design Diploma and has often led additional graduate and CPD days for us.

Sarah Wilson

Sarah is a Garden Designer and Horticulturist specialising in low-impact vegan gardening.
She is host of the Roots & All podcast which won garden broadcast of the year in 2019.

Professor Nigel Dunnet B.Sc PhD

Professor of Planting Design and Vegetation Technology at University of Sheffield and well-known author. Nigel is a lecturer on our Planting Design Diploma.

Kate Gould

Kate is a leading garden designer with over 20 years experience and a three times Best in Show winner at Chelsea. Her company specialises in city gardens from design to completion with in house construction as well as design. Kate’s planting design knowledge is of great benefit on the Planting Design Diploma.

Gavin McWilliam

Gavin McWilliam is a Chelsea gold medal winning garden designer and chartered landscape architect. His studio creates exciting and atmospheric contemporary gardens and landscapes both nationally and internationally. Alongside Andrew Wilson he has won over 35 awards in the past 10 years including gold and best in show at the Singapore Garden festival.

Amanda Patton

Amanda is a well-known garden designer and illustrator bringing her considerable plant skills to the Planting Design Diploma.

Richard Wilford

Richard is a horticulturist and head of Garden Design at RBG Kew.
He is the designer of the Great Broad Walk Borders, the longest double herbacious borders in world.
Richard teaches on our Planting Design Diploma.

Adam Frost

Adam is a garden designer and television presenter. Adam has collaborated with a range of designers and architects – including Sir Terence Conran, David Stevens, Dan Pearson and Julian Dowle. His extensive knowledge of landscape and design supports the studio teaching at the college.

Fiona Silk

Fiona is a practising garden designer with extensive presentation experience that is used to support student development of CAD skills.

Graham Bodle

Graham Bodle is a well-known nurseryman and designer who has won many awards including twice winning Best in Show at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Graham teaches on our Planting Design Diploma.

James Aldridge

James is a garden designer and plant expert whose practice works on a wide range of projects both in the UK and internationally. His horticultural background helps support students on both Diploma programmes.

Marion Mako

Marion is a freelance Garden Historian (MA Garden History, Bristol) and planting designer. She has written and co-authored six books and lectures widely, as well as leading garden tours. Marion teaches our module on Historic Planting Design.

Richard Curle

Richard is the Managing Director of Landscape Associates, a leading landscaper based in London. Richard’s ethos and passion for constructing gardens has driven the company to earn industry recognition and a reputation for professionalism and outstanding quality. In January 2017 Richard graduated from studying his RHS Master of Horticulture.

Professor James Hitchmough B.Sc PhD

Head of Department, Department of Landscape, University of Sheffield and author. James is a lecturer on our Garden Design Diploma.

Paul Hensey FSGD MCIHort

Paul is a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers and a member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture. He is well-known for his technical books on landscape construction and is a senior tutor on our Construction Design Certificate.

Harry Holding

Since graduating from LCGD in 2019, Harry has won awards at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show as well as from House & Garden, the SGD and other industry bodies. His designs are plant-driven and ecologically minded and he brings an environmentally sensitive ethos to his tutoring at LCGD.

Colm Joseph

Colm is an RHS Chelsea medal-winning designer who trained at the London College of Garden Design, graduating as the highest achieving student in the history of the college. He has since been named a Rising Star of garden design by House & Garden and runs his own successful design studio, Colm Joseph Gardens.

Rachel Reynolds

Rachel graduated from the London College of Garden Design in 2016 with a Distinction and Top Student 2016. She was also a Society of Garden Designers Awards Finalist for her student commercial project in the same year. Since leaving college Rachel has been commissioned by Dulwich College to design a Memorial Garden, for which she was awarded the SGD Fresh Designer 2019 Award.

Adam White FLI

Adam is a Fellow and the 43rd President of the ‘Royal Chartered’ Landscape Institute.
Member of the Garden Media Guild and design member of BALI.

David Watterston

David Watterston, member of the Chartered Institute of Civil Engineering Surveyors, the Institute of Directors and a past Affiliate member of the Royal Institute of British Architects David has worked extensively in Africa, the Middle East, UK and Ireland.

Joe Perkins

Joe has 25 years of design experience, 10 years as the manager of a respected landscape construction company and 15 years of involvement in planning and delivering gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show and other RHS shows. Most recently he achieved 2 gold medals for his designs at the Chelsea Flower Show and the award for Horticultural Excellence at the Shenzhen Flower Show in 2023.

Ed Belderbos

Ed Belderbos trained as a landscape architect at Manchester and established @BelderbosLandscapes in London in 2004. Based in Wimbledon, the company operates throughout London and the Home Counties and designs, builds and maintains both residential and commercial landscapes.

Dan Flynn

Dan Flynn has worked in the landscape profession for many years. Having sold his company Gardenlink in 2022 he is now a landscape consultant which includes working with the next generation of designers.

Mima Taylor

Mima Taylor is a lecturer and landscape consultant.
She advises architects and other clients on plants and vegetation choices snd has been developing courses in sustainable landscapes and design for a number of years.
Her practical and academic background make her lectures accessible to beginners and experts alike.

Chris Hudson

Previously an electrician, Chris had been installing outdoor lighting for prestigious landscape gardening companies for 8 years.
He is the founder and managing director of Hudson Lighting Ltd.

Mark Mullany

Mark is an expert in Vectorworks CAD and has been a Vectorworks Trainer for over 10 years.
He has a background in Architecture and is an author of training materials for this specialist software package.
He teaches Vectorworks on our Garden Design Diploma.

Jake Chambers

Jake has worked as Head Gardener on private estates and as a Landscape Contractor supplying both Garden Design & Construction services.
He is a CAD specialist teaches Vectorworks on our Garden Design Diploma.