work songs: garden designer nina baxter
For many people, a successful career in the arts and media might sound pretty aspirational. but for some people it's just a jumping-off point.
Beckenham-born Nina Baxter originally wanted to act, but soon shifted her focus behind the scenes. After university she worked in theatres in Florence and London – I first met her when she was a Press Officer at Shakespeare’s Globe, marshalling hordes of theatre critics and photographers with aplomb, and organising interviews with actors like Sir Mark Rylance, then the Artistic Director. Hugely capable and sharp as a tack, it was no surprise to anyone when she landed an impressive job heading up the PR team at the Millennium Commission, the lottery distributor responsible for funding schemes from the Eden Project to Tate Modern. So far so impressive, but Baxter hankered after something else.
‘I wanted to do something more creative,’ she says simply. ‘And I always felt I wanted to start my own business.’ When the Millennium Commission inevitably shut up shop, Baxter invested her redundancy payment retraining in horticulture and garden design.
‘I was lucky in that while I was training I was able to keep doing freelance communications work to pay the bills. I then started designing and building gardens for friends and relatives.’
As with many people who make a move into self-employment, there was a definite leap of faith moment.
‘I remember when I got my first proper commission. It felt unreal, like I was a fraud who would get found out,’ she recalls. ‘And I clearly remember the last piece of work I did in freelance comms – a launch event for the Fashion and Textile Museum. I left the event thinking “this is it”. It felt like jumping off a cliff – scary but exhilarating and liberating at the same time.’
Thirteen years on, with her own established business which she runs with husband Matthew (and enough word-of-mouth recommendations that she rarely needs to do any marketing), Baxter’s still pinching herself. She’s designed and brought to life countless gardens, helped to plant gold medal-winning gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and even been invited to audition for a presenting spot on Gardener’s World.
Work-wise too, there’s no shortage of variety. ‘Some days I might work until nine at night to get a presentation finished, or be designing at weekends; but other times I might decide to take an afternoon off and go and visit a garden,’ Baxter says. ‘If I’m not at the “drawing board” (which is now mainly a computer) then I’m meeting new clients, carrying out visits to oversee projects, doing site surveys, sourcing plants, or doing my accounts. I also now tutor at the London College of Garden Design, which I’m really enjoying.’
It all seems a far cry from drawing up communications strategies and schmoozing journalists, but actually, Baxter says, she still uses the skills from her previous career. ‘You can be a great garden designer, but you won’t be successful if you can’t get commissions or communicate your ideas to clients. It’s not just selling yourself as a business, but selling each individual design and trying to bring it to life. From clients to landscapers to electricians to students, creating rapport is hugely important.’
And building show gardens also reminds her of working in theatre. ‘In a way, it’s a lot like being in a play,’ she smiles. ‘Incredibly hard work to create the garden, and then show-time when people come to see it.’
It’s not difficult to see how satisfying a life it can be. ‘There are days when I’m working in a garden, placing plants in the sunshine, and I think there can be no better job. The best part is seeing the finished product, when we’ve taken an overgrown mess and turned it into a haven of beauty and tranquility that the client loves.’
And Baxter is laid back about making what might seem a radical career change. ‘Today second careers are very much the norm,’ she shrugs. ‘I’ve got lots of friends on their second or even third career, who are very happy and successful.’ Her advice to anyone contemplating the leap is practical: ‘Make sure you really understand the industry you’re getting into, and that you’re prepared to deal with the tough parts as well as the good bits. A support network is so important. Get as much help and advice as you can when you’re starting out, and do as much training as you can afford. Most importantly, never undersell or undervalue yourself.’
August 2017