Curriculum Vitae, 2008

Activities

Principal of The English Gardening School, the internationally-respected school at the historic Chelsea Physic Garden in London, and a doyenne in the world of Garden Design, Rosemary Alexander combines teaching and giving masterclasses worldwide with maintaining her own much photographed garden, open regularly to visitors from many parts of the world. She has also written many books on the subject.

Born and brought up in Scotland, then trained as a landscape architect, Rosemary was the first woman to be elected a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers. She has also contributed to radio and television. For eleven years she was tenant of the National Trust property, Stoneacre, near Maidstone, Kent where she transformed the gardens. She now lives in Hampshire, where in six years she has created a new garden, already much photographed and the subject of many magazine articles.

A practical and ‘hands on’ gardener, she spends much time travelling, leading tours to various private gardens abroad, lecturing worldwide and teaching garden design in Russia, where The English Gardening School has a satellite branch.

Recently she has judged at the Chicago Flower Show, spoken at the Philadelpia Flower Show, and is a judge at the world renowned Chelsea Flower Show. In 2006 she lectured in Budapest, San Francisco, Seattle and Toronto and also toured the USA with Horticulture Magazine. In 2007 she is lecturing and giving masterclasses in the USA, Moscow and South Africa.

Her book The Essential Garden Design Workbook (Timber Press 2004) was awarded one of eight Silver Awards by the Garden Writers Association of America and also their Bronze Award for achievement. It has also been translated into seven foreign languages. In 2005, two further books by Rosemary were published – A handbook for Garden Designers (Cassells/Octopus) and The Garden Makers Manual (Conran Octopus). Her latest book is The Essential Garden Maintenance Workbook (Timber Press) which was shortlisted as Practical Book of the Year by the Garden Writers Guild.

Publications by Rosemary Alexander

• Landscape By Design with Tony Aldous (Heinemann, 1979)
• The English Gardening School with Anthony du Gard Pasley (Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1987)
• A handbook for Garden Designers (Ward Lock, 1994 - revised as a new book in 2005)
• The Essential Garden Design Workbook (Timber Press 2004)
• The Garden Makers Manual (Conran Octopus 2005)
• The Essential Garden Maintenance Workbook (Timber Press 2006)

Rosemary has also written various magazine articles and reference papers, and has devised the following Correspondence Courses:

• Garden Design (1996)
• Terraced Town & Village Gardens (1999)
• Practical Horticulture (2001)

Recent lecture tours have taken her to Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North America, Russia and Europe

Background

Interests: Gardening, travel, opera, fishing, food and wine

Place of Birth: Bridge of Allan, Scotland

Educated: Beacon School, Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, Scotland and Le Grand Verger, Switzerland

Examinations: GCE - English, French, Latin, History and Geography
Higher Scottish Certificate – English, History and French

For further information see 'Alexander, Rosemary Anne' in Who’s Who (1998 Edition) and The English Gardening School website.

Top | 2008 © Rosemary Alexander

Experience

• 1975-1979 Landscape architecture assistant Brian Clouston & Partners, The Strand, London W1. Undertook a 3-year course in Landscape Architecture, Hammersmith (now University of Greenwich).
• 1979-1983 Garden Design private practice and Course Director in Garden Design at Inchbald School of Design, 7 Eaton Gate, London SW1.
• 1983-present Founder and Principal of The English Gardening School - lecturer, broadcaster, designer, author and gardener.
• 1989-2000 Tenant and gardener National Trust property Stoneacre, Otham, near Maidstone, Kent ME15 8RS.
• 2000-present Home, studio and garden near Petersfield in Hampshire.