HELLO FROM Nicole Bowman

DESIGNER + MAKER + SCRUFFY GARDENER

Welcome to my Garden Studio, where I happily dig, snip, collect, scribble, and design with the seasons.

I focus on home gardens for living and real life, and happen to think gardens are for everyone, big and small; human or not.

Our natural world has a remarkable capacity to encourage, cheer, and bring joy and well-being, even within our smallest, most everyday routines and moments. I love making and designing in a way that celebrates that.

This is a micro operation, intentionally so. My ‘test’ garden is also our home, and the studio is my happy place. I garden and design with principles that are kind to everyone using the garden. You can learn more about my training and methods below.

From my Garden and Studio in Whanganui, I aim to offer simple and lovely ways to bring the benefits of the seasonal world into homes and daily rituals through botanical design, along with a dose of good, clean fun.

I do hope you enjoy what grows from the Garden Studio and get some great ideas about what can be done with a garden, get out there and maybe get a bit scruffy too.

Garden designer Whanganui- Palmerston North
A person sitting on a bench next to a wood fire stove in a garden with lush trees and flowering plants.

Ed. + Cred.

Post Graduate Diploma of Garden Design - British Academy of Garden Design

BA Sociology. (with Dist.) - Deakin University Australia

Sustainability in Architecture - Valencia Uni

Sustainable Land Management - Oregon State Uni (OSU)

Integrated Pest Management - OSU

HOW WE MANAGE THE GARDEN

  • We garden with a balance of beauty, practicality, and care for the wider environment.

    Our methods are guided by observation rather than rigid rules. We work with seasonal rhythms, soil health, and plant relationships to create gardens that feel alive, resilient, and deeply connected to place.

  • We prioritise:

    Soil-first gardening
    Healthy gardens begin below ground. We focus on building soil structure and microbial life through composting, mulching, and gentle, low-disturbance practices.

    Thoughtful inputs
    Where amendments or treatments are needed, we favour minimal, considered interventions. We lean towards natural, low-toxicity options and avoid unnecessary chemical use.

    Working with nature
    Rather than forcing outcomes, we design and maintain gardens that cooperate with natural processes: biodiversity, beneficial insects, and ecological balance.

    Seasonal awareness
    We embrace the natural ebb and flow of the garden. Periods of rest, growth, abundance, and decline are all part of a healthy landscape.

    Long-term resilience
    Our goal is not perfection, but gardens that age beautifully, adapt well, and require less intervention over time.

  • Although my practice is shaped and informed by organic and regenerative principles, specific techniques are always adapted to suit each site and context.

    My goal is is to garden with everyone in mind, big or tiny, and promote spaces that support the diversity and ecosystem as a whole.