‘I turned my love for gardens into a business’
Jeni Cairns, 41, lives in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, with her husband Brian and two children, Cameron, 19, and Indiana, 14. She runs a garden design business.
‘I’ve loved the outdoors for as long as I can remember. I grew up on my family farm and, as a young girl, I was never more content than when I was out and about, barefoot on the grass. This passion for nature, which was instilled in me from an early age, has led me to where I am now.
Before setting up Juniper Garden Designs, I spent my time trying to juggle my work at the pizza takeaway shop – which Brian runs in the nearby village – with raising our two young children. It left me little time to be creative, which, having studied fine art at university, meant I felt a bit unfulfilled. It all changed in 2008 when we bought my grandparents’ farm cottage, which had a quarter-acre garden attached to it. When we moved in, I wandered outside, smiling at the Wendy house I used to love. Looking around, I knew exactly how I wanted the garden to look – but lacked the horticultural skills to make it happen.
I decided to take matters into my own hands and found a distance-learning course in garden design that I could fit around my commitments. The KLC School of Design diploma had no set time limit for its completion, so I was able to follow the tasks at my own pace; and the fees could be paid in monthly instalments. I loved the challenge of learning everything from surveying and costing to creating planting plans. I was finally able to let my creativity flow again!
LUCKY BREAK
My big break came a year later. I came first in the student category in a Landmark Trust competition to create a formal garden. It was such a buzz! I used my £2,000 winnings to build a show garden at the Harrogate Flower Show in 2011 and learnt that show gardens offer a wonderful shop window for my work.
I set up a website and private commissions began to trickle in. A design plan costs around £500-£600, but it depends on the client. My turnover is variable, but last year it was £56,000.
I’m passionate about the environment, so an ecological, wildlife-friendly thread runs through my work – my trademark is getting inventive with everyday materials: a drain cover becomes a stepping stone, for example, or a set of animal feeders can be used to make a water feature.
The Wendy house at the bottom of the garden used to be where I played as a young girl – now it’s where I store the tools I use for my job. I’m over the moon that I’ve been able to turn my love for gardens into a business. More than anything, I feel so lucky that I get to spend so much time out in the open, breathing in the fresh air and immersing myself in nature – and I get to call it work.’ • Visit juniperhousegardendesign.com