I’m a writer and garden designer, focussing mainly on the things I love – gardens, houses, architecture,  design, the environment, people and places. 

One of the things I enjoy most in my role as gardens editor of Your Home & Garden magazine is designing gardens for my readers and I also carry out private garden design commissions.

Most of my writing work to date has been published in magazines such as Your Home & Garden, Home NZ, Next, New Zealand Gardener, Architecture NZ (past editor) and Landscape New Zealand. I’ve also done work for NZ Listener, Vogue Living and Pro-Design and was a regular garden columnist for The Herald on Sunday.

I’ve written three garden books, the most recent Big Ideas for Small Gardens and Contemporary Gardens of New Zealand both published by Penguin. I’m also now writing for an on-line site devoted to house and garden ideas called Houzz.com/au

More about me...

In my spare time I am a passionate gardener who tries to be as organic and sustainable as possible. I’m currently in the throes of creating a new garden on Waiheke Island, in Auckland’s beautiful Hauraki Gulf most of it from plants I have propagated myself. I also paint in oils, mainly portraits and figurative work. I love to cycle, practice yoga and pilates, walk, read, watch good films, go sailing with my family, eat nice food and cuddle my cat Mia.

Visit my blog for more talk about gardens, art, the environment and other issues I feel strongly about.

Client Review

Carol is an incredibly knowledgeable and passionate landscape designer with a wide repertoire.  Her list of accomplishments is staggering.  We met Carol about 12 years ago when she designed our garden in Herne Bay for us - an awkward shaped site which is now an inner city sanctuary that we continually get compliments on.  Then we enlisted her assistance with our garden in Omaha as we didn't have a clue what would grow in the coastal setting.  Thanks to Carol, we again a lovely garden we can relax and entertain in.  Carol is kind, passionate about what she does, and accessible (only a phone call or email away to solve a new problem or idea I've come up with). She always listens to what 'visions' the client has, incorporating those into what will work at the site,  coming up with often genius ideas for how to transform a site into a garden the client will love.  Carol's knowledge inspired me to complete some garden design training at UNITEC, but she's my go to person for all things garden related.   

Jennifer Pilkington, Auckland