Till and Wild is a partnership between husband and wife, Phil Cormie and Gabrielle Laidlaw, who met while living in Edinburgh. Together they combine their professional and creative strengths and share a boundless enthusiasm for horticulture.
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Phil CormiePhil grew up in the north east of England in a home that backed onto a deciduous woodland which became his playground. His dad was a keen allotment gardener and he encouraged Phil to get his hands dirty growing vegetables and flowers.
A childhood spent outdoors led to the pursuit of a career in the natural environment. He initially completed a horticulture course at Newcastle College which was the gateway to the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh for a BSc in Horticulture with Plantsmanship. Here emerged a thorough understanding of planting design, skilled horticultural techniques and plant husbandry as well as consciousness of Scottish ecological and environmental issues. On completion of his studies in Edinburgh, Phil began working at the Himalayan Garden in North Yorkshire where he was employed to lead and oversee the creation of an ambitious woodland garden. This project took the garden from 22 acres to 45 acres with an aim to transform ecologically barren coniferous plantation into a beautiful and naturally diverse space. |
Gabrielle LaidlawGabrielle grew up near Nairn, in the Scottish Highlands with an abundance of wild places on the doorstep. She was green fingered from the beginning and won Nairnshire Young Gardener of the Year with the space she designed to encourage biodiversity. As a member of the local children’s nature group, The Cawdor Hoglets, Gabrielle learned about the local flora and fauna and this fostered a passion for the vital need to protect the natural environment in all its beautiful complexity.
Gabrielle left the Highlands to study Art History at the University of St Andrews. Her degree encouraged an ability to analyse and implement composition, form and colour in the garden. These skills were further enhanced by completion of an NC in Practical Photography at Edinburgh College, focusing specifically on interior and garden photography. When planning any alteration or new planting scheme, Gabrielle views the garden as if through the lens of a camera. Gabrielle later relocated to North Yorkshire with Phil and it was here that she rekindled her earlier love of horticulture working in the plant nursery and grounds of the Himalayan Garden near Ripon. |