Victoria Stanton
Victoria Stanton graduated from London College of Garden Design with Distinction and noted recognition from course leader, Andrew Wilson and guest judge, Tom Massey.
Victoria is passionate about creating uplifting gardens that champion sustainable principles, promote biodiversity and climate resilience and offer a deeper connection with the natural world for all ages. She works from her Surrey studio both on projects for her own business, Victoria Sprout, and as a freelance designer. Through social media, Victoria aims to educate and encourage a love of eco-friendly gardening to a wide audience.
From small courtyards to family gardens and re-wilding projects, Victoria is available to work throughout Surrey, Hampshire, London and beyond.
Victoria is incredibly enthusiastic and loves to design.
Sprout (verb) to start to grow.
Biography:
Victoria has always been a cheerleader for high impact independent brands. She has previously worked in communication roles in both the hairdressing and weddings industries, helping achieve award wins and national and international recognition. Since 2017, Victoria has simultaneously focussed on family and a career change and attained various relevant qualifications including an RHS Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture, passing with Distinction.
Instagram – @sprout.surrey
With a focus on eco-restoration, the principles of soundscaping were used to direct the approach to this design, resulting in a reintroduction of a bio-diverse heathland, a new living pool, forest-school inspired play and restorative forest bathing, set in 8 acres.
In 1966, Peckham based artist Tom Phillips CBA RA set himself a task: to find a second-hand book for threepence and alter every page by painting, collage and cut-up techniques to create an entirely new version. The work spanned a number of decades and was titled ‘A Humument’. This garden in Peckham has been designed as an extension of Phillips’ work.
Key to the design are the curved, undulating shapes that wind their way up five terraces; the first with primary access to the garden from the basement kitchen, the second with a dining table for entertaining, the third for productive growing, fourth for a ‘meadow’, evening sun and a recessed open fire and the fifth for a workshop which overlooks the garden. To apply further artistry into the garden, the shapes and terraces are accentuated with a ‘dry stone’ wall.
Colourful, hardy perennials, fruit trees, a mini ‘meadow’, log piles and water encourage pollinators and help to support biodiversity.
Re-used Yorkstone slabs paired with locally sourced semi-porous self-binda gravel to infill gaps and the upper terraces help reduce waste and add visible modernity to the hard landscaping.
The dry-stone wall is to be made of building rubble – a contemporary take on a traditional stone wall which not only provides ecological habitats and additional seating, but reuses a waste material in a skilled, beautiful form.
Rain water is channelled in the dry-stone wall and stored in custom dip-tanks, using the topography of the site to advantage.
