Isabelle has always had a great love for plants and flowers. After a career in the pharmacology industry in France, she moved to London, where she spent three years at the Royal Horticultural Society studying for her diploma. In 2012, she set up her consultancy Les Pouces Verts, (The Green Thumbs).
She describes her approach to gardening as ‘soft’ landscaping, often promoting the best of what already grows well in a garden before considering whether to strip plants out or start from scratch. Her scientific training is also a prominent feature of her gardening style and has encouraged her to look at garden management in all its details – the pH of the soil, the variations in sunlight, the volumes of rainfall and how much water the soil retains.
For clients who want to learn how to look after a garden themselves Isabelle will guide them through the entire process, from how to take care of their flowers and plants, to when and how to prune trees and the best tools to use. One of her recommendations to new gardeners is to invest in a reliable pair of secateurs: the Felco brand is a good one.
Isabelle’s support doesn’t stop there. She provides a complete inventory and plan of your garden containing sketches, ideas, planting options (including where to buy them) and will follow your progress month by month. Her services, including consultancy, garden assessments and coaching are already used by some of our clients.
To commission Isabelle is therefore not just a matter of asking a gardener to trim the hedges or weed your flower beds but the opportunity to acquire a passion for gardening and to truly understand the rhythms and cycles that dictate the health and wellbeing of your plants.
When asked what the most rewarding part of her job is, she answers without hesitation: to see her clients take ownership of their gardens. Marie, who is new to gardening looks forward to taking ownership herself.
For more information visit www.les-pouces-verts.com