About Giovanni Porfido

Based in the UK for more than two decades Giovanni Porfido is an independent Italian garden designer living in London.  He works on a variety of projects: from urban gardens to larger landscaping schemes. Giovanni’s approach to garden design brings together different traditions of gardening, from the naturalistic to the more formal. His inspiration draws upon the style of English and Italian gardens as much as from the best examples of gardens from around the world. He offers a full range of design options, construction management, planting services, and maintenance. Giovanni employs qualified craftsmen and technicians to provide clients with the highest standards of service.

‘I love my job: it allows me to draw upon my passion for, and knowledge of, nature and the visual to create living works of art. For me, gardens are like paintings or sculptures — a complex synergy of colours, volumes, and textures. Yet they are never static: they change and evolve every day, season, and year. Therefore, not only do they need to be well designed and planned for from the start, they also need to be nurtured and cared for with sensitivity and thoughtfulness. I feel truly privileged to be able to discuss the needs of clients and to create outdoor spaces which simultaneously look beautiful and fulfil their practical functions. I approach each new project with an open mind and try to discover unique aesthetic and technical solutions. I also experiment and innovate in the choice of plants and materials to find the most sustainable and environmentally effective answers to any design challenge. I believe in the importance of working in close dialogue with my clients, listening to their needs and respecting their tastes. I aim to create gardens that are well integrated with the interiors of their homes and lifestyles; creating gardens which they can fully claim ownership of and that look effortlessly theirs.’

Before embracing his longstanding passion for garden design, Giovanni (BA, MA, PhD) was a lecturer in Sociology at Birmingham University, where he taught and published in the field of Visual Cultures. He then studied Landscape Architecture at Greenwich University and Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art. He is actively involved with the Edible Living: Community Food Growing project in Lambeth, south London.