Envisage's Landscape Architect Charlie Hartigan has been listed as one of Pro Landscaper’s "30 under 30" winners for 2019 in recognition of her work in the horticultural and landscape industry.
The annual "30 under 30" award was launched in 2015 as a way of recognising the work that young people are contributing to the horticulture and landscape sectors.
The events headline sponsor was GreenTech in celebration of their 25th anniversary, and the industry-recognised award is supported by the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), the Society of Garden Design (SGD), the Landscape Institute (LI), and the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL). The award was part of the much larger FutureScapes trade exhibition held at Sandown Park Racecourse, and was followed by further industry awards, a debate, and dinner.
29 year-old Charlie has been working full-time with Envisage for just over a year, following a successful few years teaching onto the Landscape Architecture course at the University of Gloucestershire, and having worked part-time for Envisage during her student days. Charlie is one of Envisage's lead designers and now manages a portfolio of clients whilst undertaking marketing and promotional work for the company, and also completing design and marketing work for Envisage's sister-company Hardy Eucalyptus (a brand name of Grafton Nursery).
The awards panel said that this year's competition received the highest number of nominations to date, leaving the judges with the difficult task of whittling down the "Class of 2019" to the 30 strongest candidates. Applications are portfolio-based, and participants must have been under 30 years of age on the 1st January 2019.
Here are some extracts from Charlie's winning entry:
Q:
What personal accomplishments and contributions have you made in your industry?
A:
- Finalist for RHS Young Designer of the Year. I designed and built a garden at RHS Tatton Park 2019 that won a Silver-Gilt medal and the Peoples Choice Award. The garden, called ‘1 in 10’, raised awareness of Endometriosis, a condition that affects approximately 1 in 10 women in the UK. See our blog post.
- With Grafton nursery, I jointly hold 23 Floral Marquee medals and a Trophy for the exhibition of Eucalyptus, including an RHS Chelsea Gold (2019). I help design, build and run the stands.
- Awarded the Bodfan Gruffydd Postgraduate prize at University, 2015
- Awarded the Regional Student in Property Award for the South West 2012, and the National Student in Property award 2013, by the Association of Women in Property; I was honoured to be the first Landscape Architect to win the National.
- Contributions: Responsible for business development including branding, running the websites, and marketing campaigns for both Envisage Gardens and Hardy Eucalyptus.
Q:
Why should young people enter your industry. Why do you believe other young individuals should be encouraged to join our industry and what made you take up a career in the sector.
A:
I enjoyed STEAM subjects at school and stumbled into a Biology degree as I understand the systems of the natural world, but it lacked the creative elements that I craved. I was drawn to Landscape Architecture because I see it as the perfect blend of ‘art’ and ‘science’, and a way to serve the community and the planet. This industry has the potential to be anything you want it to be; I have found myself using a computer as much as I spend roaming around outdoors; reading maps, reading history, studying art, or calculating complicated mathematics; ‘playing’ with survey equipment, test tubes and chemicals on site surveys; planting trees, building walls, building models out of wood and glue; painting with a brush and Photoshop; using 3D printing technology; exploring a virtual reality landscape proposal through a head-set, and watching student art-house-style films. It has been everything, and there is so much more to discover.
Q:
What is your ultimate career goal? Explain what career goals you hope to achieve within the landscaping industry.
A:
In no particular order:
- To continue learning.
- To achieve an RHS Gold Medal for a show garden design and build.
- To design a meaningful garden for the Main Avenue at Chelsea.
- To contribute to the future of my industry by supporting educational outreach programs e.g. working with my company to inspire children/school-leavers to choose a one of the many career paths that are available in this diverse field.
- To make charitable work part of my every-day. I believe in the power of ‘nature’ and aim to reach a point where I can devote time and resources to supporting/providing a service to people who would benefit from access to horticulture/wildlife/the perceived natural landscape, with the hope of improve the lives of those who need it the most.
Ultimate goal: to have a lasting positive impact on the environment and community through the medium of landscape design.