dan pearson OBE | MSGD | Hon FRIBA | RDI
Portrait: Emli Bendixen
Dan Pearson is a British landscape designer, horticulturalist, writer and gardener.
His work is characterised by an innate sensitivity to place, an intuitive and light-handed approach to design, bold and painterly naturalistic plantings and deep-rooted horticultural knowledge.
Dan trained in horticulture at RHS Gardens’ Wisley, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Jerusalem Botanical Gardens and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He has been practising as a landscape and garden designer since 1987.
He is a member of the Society of Garden Designers (MSGD), an honorary fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (Hon FRIBA) and a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI). Since 2014 he has been a Garden Advisor to the National Trust at Sissinghurst Castle.
In 2013 Dan was the subject of an exhibition at The Garden Museum, London, Green Fuse: The Work of Dan Pearson.
Dan has designed a number of award-winning show gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show. His 2015 show garden for Chatsworth and Laurent Perrier was awarded a Gold Medal and Best Show Garden.
Dan lectures and broadcasts regularly and has written a number of books. For over 20 years he wrote a weekly newspaper gardening column, most recently for The Observer. He now writes his own weekly blog, Dig Delve.
In 2022 he was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours.
Timeline
2022
Awarded an OBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours
2021
Landscape masterplan for Blantyre, a historic property and hotel in the Berkshires, USA with Michael Imber Architects and Ken Fulk
2021
Masterplan for a historic family property in Wales
2021
A Oxfordshire garden for an actor and interior designer
2021
A London garden for a fashion designer with David Kohn Architects
2021
An Arts & Crafts house in London with William Smalley Architects
2021
A London garden for an artist with Takeshi Hayatsu Architects
2021
The first Liberty Woodland School in London
2020
An equestrian estate in Connecticut with Olson Kundig Architects
2020
A 65 hectare estate and winery in Tuscany
2020
Rewilding project on a 400 acre estate in Hampshire with Adam Architects
2020
Tokachi Millennium Forest: Pioneering a New Way of Gardening with Nature published by Filbert Press
2019
Appointed by The Wellcome Trust for the Pelham Street site with 6a Architects
2019
A temporary planting installation in Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross for Argent
2019
A new rural house in the Highlands of Scotland with 6a Architects
2019
Masterplan and garden design for an historic Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll property in East Sussex
2018
A second Aman resort, Aman Mangyun, in Yunnan, China
2018
Collaborates with Publica on an urban greening strategy for Lambeth Green in London
2018
Redesign of the Delos garden at Sissinghurst
2018
Collaborates with Thomas Doxiadis on an artists' retreat on a Cycladic island, Greece
2018
A planted high rise building in Melbourne, Australia with 6a Architects
2017
New designs for Jack Pond at Chatsworth
2017
Natural Selection: A Year in the Garden, a collection of Dan's newspaper articles for The Observer, is published
2017
New plantings for Belsay Hall, Northumberland
2016
A new masterplan vision for Dartington Hall in Devon
2015
A masterplan for a private Greek island
2015
A wildflower parterre inspired by a William Morris design for ‘The Arts and Crafts House: Then and Now’, an exhibition at Compton Verney
2015
A new library at Lambeth Palace with Wright & Wright Architects
2015
Chatsworth Laurent Perrier Garden wins Gold Medal and Best Show Garden at Chelsea Flower Show
2015
A new hillside house in Merano, Italy designed by John Pawson
2014
Gardens for photographer, Juergen Teller's, new studio designed by 6a Architects
2014
Appointed a Garden Advisor to Sissinghurst Castle by the National Trust
2014
A major residential commission at Woodside, San Francisco with Olson Kundig Architects
2014
Landscape design for the new extension to The Garden Museum, London
2014
The Trout Stream at Chatsworth for the Duke & Duchess of Devonshire
2013
A second Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre in Manchester with Foster & Partners
2013
A new garden for ceramicist, Edmund de Waal and Sue Chandler
2013
Planting designer for the Garden Bridge, designed by Thomas Heatherwick
2013
Garden design for San Francisco residence of Jony and Heather Ive
2013
Green Fuse: The Work of Dan Pearson, an exhibition at The Garden Museum, London
2013
Masterplan for Robin Hill, Connecticut
2012
Masterplan for a new Aman resort, Aman Yangyun, in Shanghai, China
2012
Works with Zaha Hadid Architects to seat a new residence in the forest outside Moscow, Russia
2011
Home Ground: Sanctuary in The City, a book about Dan's own garden in Peckham, London is published
2011
Handyside Gardens, the first planted space at the new King's Cross development
2010
Landscape masterplan for Hawaiian property of Jony and Heather Ive
2011
New terrace design for the RIBA headquarters in London
2009
Spirit: Garden Inspiration, a book about influences on Dan's design work, is published
2006
Masterplan for a Heritage Lottery fund application for Lowther Castle
2006
Elected a Tree Ambassador by The Tree Council
2006
Appointed weekly gardening columnist for The Observer
2005
Landscape design for the first Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre in west London
2005
Roof terrace for the new Evelina Children's Hospital, London
2005
A new Winter Garden at Battersea Park, London
2005
Masterplan for Park City, Hamadayama, a new residential development in Tokyo, Japan
2004
A new London garden for Sir Paul Smith and Pauline Denyer
2004
Merrill Lynch Show Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show wins a Silver Gilt Medal
2003
Appointed weekly gardening columnist for The Telegraph
2002
Collaborates on a masterplan for the Tokachi Millennium Forest in Hokkaido, Japan
2001
The Garden: A Year at Home Farm, a 6 part TV series presented by Dan is broadcast on BBC 2. An accompanying book of the same name is also published
2001
A new design for the walled garden at Broughton Hall
2000
A new garden at Sir Paul Smith and Pauline Denyer's Italian residence
2000
A series of roof gardens for the new Roppongi Hills development in Tokyo, Japan
1999
Planting designs for the Millennium Dome at Greenwich, London
1998
The Essential Garden Book, co-written with Sir Terence Conran, is published
1997
Conceives, writes and presents Dan Pearson: Routes Around the World, a TV series for Channel 4
1997
A new masterplan for Althorp House following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
1996
Presents a second series of Garden Doctors
1996
A show garden created for The Evening Standard at the Chelsea Flower Show wins a Gold Medal
1995
Presents Garden Doctors, a television series for Channel 4
1995
Commissioned to design a series of new gardens at Armscote Manor, Warwickshire
1994
Appointed weekly gardening columnist for The Sunday Times
1994
A show garden created for the Chelsea Flower Show wins a Silver Gilt Medal
1993
Commissioned to produce designs for Torrecchia Vecchia, a ruined medieval village in Italy
1993
A show garden created for the Chelsea Flower Show wins a Silver Gilt Medal
1992
A show garden created for the Chelsea Flower Show wins a Silver Medal
1990
Commissions for Liz Tilberis and Jasper Conran
1989
Creates a new garden at Priscilla and Antonio Carluccio's Hampshire cottage
1989
Appointed in house garden designer at The Conran Shop
1989
Starts practising as a garden designer
1988
A one year student placement at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens
1987
Frances Mossman invites Dan to create a series of experimental naturalistic gardens at Home Farm in Northamptonshire
1986
Scholarship to the Valley of Flowers, Uttar Pradesh, India
1984
Continues his studies in horticulture at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
1983
One year work placement at Edinburgh Botanic Garden, Scotland with an AGS Scholarship to Picos de Europa, Northern Spain
1981
Meets Frances Mossman and designs her first London garden
1980
Commences the study of horticulture at the RHS Garden’s Wisley
1976
Creates his first flower borders at his parents home in Hampshire, England
1964
Born in Windsor, England