Inspiration to design: Garden designer, Angie Tolley's SketchUp Story

Every garden tells a story, and behind every story is a passionate designer. In our latest customer feature, we're delighted to share the insights of award-winning garden designer, Angie Tolley. We'll delve into her background, discover how SketchUp streamlines her projects, and explore the sources of her creative inspiration.

The therapeutic and transformative power of gardening

Despite early discouragement from pursuing creative passions, I embarked on a demanding career as a social worker, driven by a desire to help others. However, the intense pressures of the job and the struggle to balance work and family life, coupled with the loss of my mother, led to a reconnection with a childhood love of gardening. This return to nature, particularly through allotment gardening, provided a vital outlet and sense of grounding, ultimately proving transformative during a significant mental health crisis in 2016.

The therapeutic power of gardening became a lifeline, sparking a profound passion that evolved into a successful garden maintenance business. Though physically demanding, this venture ignited a desire to explore garden design. Despite challenges with dyslexia, ADHD, and low confidence, I pursued this new direction, inspired by attending garden shows like RHS Chelsea. This culminated in a pivotal moment at the 2022 Gardeners' World Live show, where my "Anchor to a wild world" garden, designed without formal training, won a Gold award.

This achievement validated an innate desire and perhaps even a talent and solidified my commitment to garden design as a career. Overcoming initial self-doubt, I wanted a  formal qualification to further develop my knowledge and skills in the field of garden design, driven by a deep-seated love for nature and a desire to create inspiring spaces for others.

Why did you embark on studies in this field?

In 2022, facing the challenge of Fibromyalgia alongside a pre-existing spine injury, I discovered an unexpected opportunity for growth. While I had to step away from my garden maintenance business, I chose to view this transition as a chance to explore new passions when well enough. In 2023, I embarked on a journey of personal and professional development by enrolling at The National Design Academy. Balancing single motherhood and chronic health conditions, I successfully earned my diploma in early 2025. The flexibility of the course proved invaluable, allowing me to study at my own pace and prioritise my well-being. Achieving this qualification amidst significant health challenges is something I'm incredibly proud of.

Despite living with chronic pain, I maintain a proactive approach to my health and daily life. My ongoing investment in CPD courses through the SGD has empowered me with valuable knowledge and confidence. Learning CAD, though initially intimidating as a mature student, but I'm not a quitter and it proved to be an exciting and achievable milestone. I'm excited to apply my expanded skills and continue growing as a designer. 

What or who has inspired your practice? 

I’m greatly inspired by designers such as Cleve West, who believes in designing gardens that have as little impact on the environment as possible. He connects with clients who want to manage their gardens in a sustainable way, creating biodiverse spaces in which wildlife can flourish.  I helped plant one of Cleve’s gardens at Chelsea and he provided insightful information on our lifestyle choices and the planet we live.

I became vegan myself in 2023 and this very much inspires me in the way I work.  I like to encourage veganic gardening as much as possible and my lifestyle dictates this.  The clear link between our dietary choices and the earth we live in is as clear as night and day.  I felt that not to do as much as I could as a human in the way I lived, when being a garden designer seemed hypocritical.  We as designers have a huge responsibility to the earth and I handle that in a responsible and passionate way.

A core principle guiding my garden design and personal gardening is a deep commitment to biodiversity. Recognising the profound loss of biodiversity, I believe we bear a collective responsibility to reverse the damaging practices of the past. This organic approach to both personal and professional gardening profoundly shapes my creative process and the resulting garden designs.

My work is hugely based on the positive impact of green therapy.  I am passionate about creating sensory gardens for clients.  My children are neurodiverse and that along with my own life inspires me to create safe sensory havens for clients, who want both a calming haven and to reconnect with the natural world around them.

When did you first start using Sketchup?

I first dabbled in Sketchup in 2022 when I had no diploma and tried to teach myself.  It was very much a disaster!  I found the whole set up on my own overwhelming, with no training and left it alone until I felt the timing and support were more suited to my needs.

I then started using Sketchup properly in late 2024 when I attended some really great courses provided by garden designer and CAD tutor John Wood.  John’s way of teaching was so helpful in understanding the programs.  My dyslexia and ADHD are usually barriers to my learning, and John was able to tutor in a way so I could learn effectively and easily.

 

John explained CAD in such a way that it was no longer my arch nemesis, and now a faithful friend.  I honestly wouldn’t use any other source now for my learning.  I have only attended 18 hours worth of Sketchup and Layout Sessions and have made huge progress already.  I am also partaking in the Twinmotion and Morpholio Trace courses, which will only add to my skills and confidence.

So far, what are your favourite or most used features?

I love how Sketchup and Layout work seamlessly together.  They work in a very conventional way (relatable to the traditional pen and pencil drawing board days), with all the amazing technology available.

Concept garden construction and dimensions using LayOut

Cadsoft Solutions Limited's IT support is consistently helpful whenever needed. There have been some days where I've had an issue and I’ve wanted to cry at the computer.  A few minutes of knowledgeable IT support from them usually sorts the issue quickly and puts my mind at rest.

The ability to create scenes and use these scenes for a client portfolio in Layout is great. This is extremely user friendly.  Scenes can be altered in an instant and are great for communicating the feel of a garden as though the user is sat in it.

  

I initially found it highly frustrating that some of the plants I wanted weren’t in the Sketchup 3D Warehouse, so I admire the technology in making your very own Faceme component plant library.  This is essential in representing the garden design in its true form to the client.  Another of the skills learned from John Wood!

The possibilities of Sketchup are endless and the vast amount of plugins available for it only add to the ability to create high quality work for clients to see.

 

It’s brilliant (and rather dare I say it easy) to use Sketchup in conjunction with rendering programmes such as Twinmotion to create realistic videos to give the clients a really lifelike feel to their new garden potential.

The introduction of the new AI Diffusion easily helps convey a mood or a feel to the garden without hours of input! As someone who refused to be catapulted into the CAD world of design I can quite honestly say I’d be lost without such programmes now.

Further information

Follow Angie Tolley's projects @Greenretreatgardendesign

Follow John Wood's work and training programmes at create_visual_ipad

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