Interview with Alexandra Noble

With a background in architecture and horticulture, Alexandra delves into the essence of what a garden can be. Her innovative approach challenges conventional views of garden design, skill-fully blending minimalism and maximalism using bold structural lines and vibrant, flower-filled plantings.

About You

Can you tell us a little bit more about you and how your career started?

Sure! I graduated from my Master’s in Architecture in 2014 and during this degree I discovered a passion for landscape, gardens and urban design. That interest led me to pursue opportunities in landscape architecture where I was fortunate to secure a position at Scape Design Associates. After gaining valuable experience there, I joined a garden design practice, which further solidified my love for creating outdoor spaces. In 2017, I took the step of establishing Alexandra Noble Design and in April, I’ll be celebrating 8 years of running the business – the time has truly flown by!

How has your background in architecture and horticulture shaped your work today?

Studying Architecture gave me a great foundation in understanding space and proportion. When designing a garden, I’ll always consider how it is working from plan, elevational and sectional view – an approach we were taught in the early days of the degree.

I studied for an RHS Level 2 Horticulture at Capel Manor in Regents Park and this gave a great grounding in soil science and plant specification

How do you make the most of your London terrace garden - tell us more about that space?

I have been gardening an approx. 5 x 3 m terrace for 2 years now and relishing the challenge of gardening in pots. I’ve included lots of edibles for example a small fig tree, wild strawberries and edible blooms such as English marigolds, nasturtiums and cornflowers.The aim is for the space to feel full of plants! I acquired a beautiful cherry last year – Prunus ‘Kojo-no-mai’ so am hugely looking forward to that flowering in spring.

About Your Garden Style & Design

How would you describe your personal garden design style?

My design philosophy centres on simplicity—I favour clean layouts coupled with a restrained palette of materials. The designs often incorporate either structured grids or flowing curves, depending on the desired atmosphere. An element of whimsicality is usually introduced through the planting palette with the intention being to soften the composition and evoke a sense of ephemerality.

How do you approach a totally new design or garden?

For every new project, I will meet the client in person on site to talk through their vision and practical requirements for the space. Following this, a topographical survey is commissioned and I will use that as the basis for developing the design via overlay sketches on tracing paper before drawing up on the computer to double check measurements. Often the layout might derive from practical aspects such as where the sun falls in the evening or a desire for privacy from overlooking windows

How would you recommend incorporating structures into smaller spaced gardens?

When incorporating structures into smaller gardens, it is essential to consider the space as a cohesive whole. Think about how any new structure will interact with existing elements—will it complement or clash with the current materials and style? Proportion is key in smaller spaces so carefully check the dimensions of the structure to ensure it will fit the intended location without overwhelming the garden.

Garden Advice & Design

What advice would you give to a garden designer starting out?

If you are just starting out as a garden designer, I would recommend gaining industry experience working at a landscape architecture or garden design practice. This will give you invaluable exposure to live projects from concept to completion and is also a great opportunity to further develop drafting and rendering skills.

How do you make the most of urban gardens and smaller spaces in the city?

With small spaces such as balconies, look for practical pieces such as benches with built-in storage or foldable furniture that can be easily tucked away to create space when not in use.

Also consider growing climbing plants up vertical elements such as walls or railings to allow for additional growing space and a greater sense of verdancy.

What Agriframes products would you recommend for small space gardening and how would you use them?

The Runner Bean Tower would be a great border addition to add vertical interest if wall space is limited. I like the idea of planting sweet peas at the base (I would do one or two plants at the base of each pole) and allow the plants to grow up and completely cover the support. Cultivars such as ‘April in Paris’ and ‘Dragonfly’ are brilliantly fragrant.

Another product I am drawn to is the Fruit Tree Arch. I can imagine a series of arches along a curved path with a different climbing rose covering each one. Again, I would go for highly scented cultivars so their different fragrances may be savoured whilst walking down the path. Rose cultivars I love are ‘Mme. Alfred Carrière’, ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ and ‘The Generous Gardener’.