Title: Creativity Thrives in Commerce
Creativity can thrive in even the most innocuous of commercial settings. Collaborating with our commercial partner Downs Solicitors we have been developing ideas and a strategy for them to better take ownership of their social and environmental impact on their clients and the wider community. Starting with 300m2 of outdoor space we have begun to transform the listed historic garden back to its former glory alongside collating historical archives of their presence in Dorking and Surrey through the last 190 years, cementing their commitment to Arts, Heritage, and Environment as part of the Better Business Act Initiative.Rachel Newson and Dawn Mitchell have worked collaboratively on this project.
Location: Dorking, UK
Creative Experience
Creativity is central to my life, work, and this project. It runs through the gardens I design, through the people enjoying them, and the plants and wildlife that thrive within the ecosystems created. Creativity is a reciprocal force in the self-sustainable gardens I nurture and create, giving beauty, joy, and a connection to nature. Witnessing the gardens; yearly growth and the beauty that unfolds through nature's influence is a constant source of inspiration, perpetuating this creative cycle. As a busy Garden Designer accustomed to working within budget constraints, this project has provided a welcome opportunity to reconnect with producing hand-drawn designs whilst pushing me to embrace the challenges of using digital tools to convey my vision and creative style. In researching the garden’s history I have found inspiration in the depiction of plants and gardens of the past and have enjoyed working creatively with this rich historical content.
Biography and links
Rachel Newson, a horticulturally trained Gardener and Garden Designer, uses nature as her canvas, working with the land, soil, plants, and the elements to craft beautiful spaces. Nature's rhythms guide her, from blooming flowers to changing leaves, and she orchestrates a symphony of plants to tell a story, merging nature's creativity with her own. Rachel holds a BA Hons in Design Art and Art History and is an RHS Qualified Gardener, she is passionate, fascinated, and inspired by plants, nature, and the living world.