Artisan Garden – Since 2006
Director: Simon Paquier BE (Mech); PDC; Cert App. Organic Hort; Cert Hort L4
"Rhythm and Grace out do Bustle and Haste"
This story begins in the year 2006 when Simon decided to launch his own garden design and maintenance service in Wellington called Artisan Garden (An artisan is a person engaged in or occupied by the practice of a craft, who may through experience and talent reach the expressive levels of an artist using his hands, mind and heart in his work and what he creates), reflecting that gardening is his art-form as well as hinting at his distant french roots.
Although he qualified as a mechanical engineer in 1997, Simon eventually discovered that working and designing with living things was his real passion. So after several years of learning and gaining experience in various sustainable land management aspects Artisan Garden came into existence. Since then a solid base of regular clients has been set as well as many other satisfied customers.
The future looks a healthy shade of green.
Artisan Garden – Philosophies
Garden design, creation and care is our specialty but overall our concern is with living sustainably within the means of the world, i.e. one and all being at peace.
Rather than being a busi-ness, we operate as an effective-ness where time is art, work is love and beautiful creations are the outcome.
"hear the hum and chirp of bees and birds instead of the drone and screech of machinery"
Nevertheless money is a reality for us all so we work efficiently, effectively and quietly using quality hand tools, charging according to the service delivered within your agreed budget.
So any work we do for your garden is done with respect to the bigger picture.
Permaculture design is our guiding structure for sustainable thinking – to us, in a nutshell, permaculture design is a set of established design principles utilised to design then construct sustainable human systems to operate harmoniously within nature – be it a farm, or a factory, or even a fashion label, its applicable to all.
Under that broad umbrella of permaculture design come more specific philosophies of how to go about things.
Organic, or as we like to think of it, Biologic Gardening principles guide us in caring for the land. To us acting bio-logically and biodynamically means promoting healthy, living soil which in turn promotes healthy flora and fauna living on the soil.
Terraquaculture principles guide our methods of watershed management whereby we see diversely vegetated land as a dynamic sponge store for water, trees root networks being of especial importance in pumping groundwater uphill, promoting stabilised water supplies to cope with weather variations.
Ecology principles guide our approach to plant selection and combination, as well as our attitude to so called weeds and pests. Diversity and complexity breeds strong, resilient, abundant life in natural systems – we attempt to mimic this in our designs.
Artisan Garden – Design Ethos
For us a good design is one that fulfills desired outcomes. As with gardening, we prefer to do the design work by hand with pencil and paper. As far as we're concerned a slick 3D digital model or even a precisely laid out CAD plan does not automatically equal a good design – the keys are sound ideas presented with clarity and novelty.
Our design approach is more simplified, fluid, raw, and open to interpretation like a clay model moulded loosely to the intended shape. The bulk necessities are worked out, then once we commence work we tune in to the nuances of the site and client needs that bring out the details of the final outcome – the design adapts to fit nature.
Director: Simon Paquier BE (Mech); PDC; Cert App. Organic Hort; Cert Hort L4
"Rhythm and Grace out do Bustle and Haste"
This story begins in the year 2006 when Simon decided to launch his own garden design and maintenance service in Wellington called Artisan Garden (An artisan is a person engaged in or occupied by the practice of a craft, who may through experience and talent reach the expressive levels of an artist using his hands, mind and heart in his work and what he creates), reflecting that gardening is his art-form as well as hinting at his distant french roots.
Although he qualified as a mechanical engineer in 1997, Simon eventually discovered that working and designing with living things was his real passion. So after several years of learning and gaining experience in various sustainable land management aspects Artisan Garden came into existence. Since then a solid base of regular clients has been set as well as many other satisfied customers.
The future looks a healthy shade of green.
Artisan Garden – Philosophies
Garden design, creation and care is our specialty but overall our concern is with living sustainably within the means of the world, i.e. one and all being at peace.
Rather than being a busi-ness, we operate as an effective-ness where time is art, work is love and beautiful creations are the outcome.
"hear the hum and chirp of bees and birds instead of the drone and screech of machinery"
Nevertheless money is a reality for us all so we work efficiently, effectively and quietly using quality hand tools, charging according to the service delivered within your agreed budget.
So any work we do for your garden is done with respect to the bigger picture.
Permaculture design is our guiding structure for sustainable thinking – to us, in a nutshell, permaculture design is a set of established design principles utilised to design then construct sustainable human systems to operate harmoniously within nature – be it a farm, or a factory, or even a fashion label, its applicable to all.
Under that broad umbrella of permaculture design come more specific philosophies of how to go about things.
Organic, or as we like to think of it, Biologic Gardening principles guide us in caring for the land. To us acting bio-logically and biodynamically means promoting healthy, living soil which in turn promotes healthy flora and fauna living on the soil.
Terraquaculture principles guide our methods of watershed management whereby we see diversely vegetated land as a dynamic sponge store for water, trees root networks being of especial importance in pumping groundwater uphill, promoting stabilised water supplies to cope with weather variations.
Ecology principles guide our approach to plant selection and combination, as well as our attitude to so called weeds and pests. Diversity and complexity breeds strong, resilient, abundant life in natural systems – we attempt to mimic this in our designs.
Artisan Garden – Design Ethos
For us a good design is one that fulfills desired outcomes. As with gardening, we prefer to do the design work by hand with pencil and paper. As far as we're concerned a slick 3D digital model or even a precisely laid out CAD plan does not automatically equal a good design – the keys are sound ideas presented with clarity and novelty.
Our design approach is more simplified, fluid, raw, and open to interpretation like a clay model moulded loosely to the intended shape. The bulk necessities are worked out, then once we commence work we tune in to the nuances of the site and client needs that bring out the details of the final outcome – the design adapts to fit nature.
