It is no exaggeration to say that John Brookes transformed 20th-century garden design, not only in his native Britain but throughout the world. He fundamentally changed the way people think about their gardens, always emphasizing the importance of reconciling nature and the character of a landscape with the needs and visions of the people living in it. Over the last 50 years he has designed and taught in the US, Canada, South America, Russia, Japan, Iran, Kashmir, and all over Europe—always consulting the vernacular of an area, its materials and how they are used, as well as its plants. Here, John Brookes tells his story and reflects on how his thinking about garden design, and design generally, has developed.

John Brookes designed the College Green Garden at Westminster Abbey, the English Walled Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Barakura English Garden in Tateshina, Japan, the Zespol Palace Park in Kikole, Poland, and many more. His books include The Small Garden and John Brookes Garden Masterclass. He has been awarded an MBE for garden design and services to horticulture, the Award of Distinction of the American Association of Professional Landscape Designers, the Garden Writers’ Association of America Award of Excellence, the Quill and Trowel Award of Excellence, the Hutchinson Medal of the Horticultural Society of Chicago, and countless other awards.