Green

Ula Maria, winner of RHS Young Designer of the Year, will help you transform your available outdoor space with simple, stylish solutions that don't require major structural changes or big budgets.

'Spending so much time outdoors in my childhood made me think of a garden as a natural extension of my home - an inseparable part of everyday life. It wasn't until I moved into a rented property in the city that I felt an undeniable urge to make the most of the little exterior space that we had and re-evaluate it. In time, creating outdoor spaces that people truly care for, no matter how small or large, became much more rewarding than perfecting any indoor space. Many say that a home is a true reflection of self, but I believe it is the garden, where personalities and relationships with our surroundings truly blossom.' - Ula Maria

In Green, Ula Maria takes a completely fresh look at creating a garden in whatever outdoor space is available - be it a roof terrace, balcony, small back yard or patio. Perfect for first-time gardeners, the book approaches creating a garden as if decorating a room - exploring how to work with scale, colour and texture, to choosing the plants that will thrive in an urban space. At the heart of the book are 22 genuinely small and innovative gardens with a dazzling range of ideas to copy - from a small backyard garden using reclaimed timber, evergreens and grasses to a rental rooftop terrace in the heart of the city where a cottage-style garden has been created in simple containers.

Using low-maintenance plants and affordable furniture, lighting and containers, Green offers simple solutions that don't involve major structural work but will quickly result in a stylish and hugely rewarding urban sanctuary. The book was shot by award-winning photographer, Jason Ingram.

About the Author

Ula Maria is an award-winning garden designer, landscape architect and illustrator. Ula attended the School of Fine Arts in Lithuania before moving to England permanently in 2008. She studied a BA and MA in Landscape Architecture at Birmingham City University, where she was awarded the Landscape Institute's John Knight award for both her undergraduate and postgraduate projects.

Since graduating, Ula has worked for a number of landscape practices (including that of Tom Stuart-Smith) prior to entering and winning the 'RHS Young Designer of the Year' competition where she received a gold medal for her garden 'Studio Unwired' in 2017. Since then, Ula has established her own practice and won 'Best in Lifestyle category' award for her 'Style and Design garden' at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show. Ula is also a visiting tutor at Birmingham City University and an author of the latest 'Design' series in Gardens Illustrated magazine.

Ula has a deep connection with nature originating from her childhood spent in rural Lithuanian landscapes, collecting berries and swimming in the river Ula with its banks dotted with coniferous forests, thick woods, and high sandy cliffs. She seeks to create meaningful designs with a sensitive approach to an existing space. Her particular interest is in creating emotive garden spaces that evoke innate connections to nature through memories, senses and experiences.