gardens for people... gardens by people...
gardens and people...
Bella D'Arcy
Background
Bella D’Arcy spent twenty-five years in the arts, after training as a singer and obtaining a degree in music, being variously a performer, director, teacher/lecturer in theatre arts and theatre history, project manager in community arts, arts administrator and scriptwriter.
In her fifties, following several years at Essex County Council she re-trained as a garden designer gaining BSc Hons at Writtle. Her design work was largely with schools and disability and community groups as designer, project manager, teacher and writer.
Awards
Bella has won several awards for her designs and projects including:
- Gold Medal and Best in Show at the London Garden Show 2001
- as designer of the Echo Garden Chelmsford which won the ILAM Open Space Management Award 2004
- as designer for Elements Garden at Boleyn Park Chelmsford which was Highly Commended for ILAM in 2005
- Essex Environmental Trust Community Open Space Award for Red House Sensory Garden in 2004
- Her work was featured in the Garden Design Journal Review 2005 and 2007.
Contributions
Bella has had articles published in the Cottage Gardens magazine, Garden Design Journal, Historic Gardens Review, the Essex Magazine and the Essex Gardener.
She was a member of the Council of the Essex Gardens Trust as their Publicity Officer for three years and Chair of the Gardens of Easton Lodge Preservation Trust until January 2009. Her design of art pieces and her garden design for the trade stand at Chelsea in 2007 and Hampton Court 2007/08 won Privett International Certificates for Outstanding Presentation. Bella has been a guest lecturer at Writtle College on marketing and art in design.
Current Projects
Due to arthritis, Bella has been unable to continue a practical design career, and has now set up as a publisher of garden writing in print and on this website.
