the Pest House was my first garden restoration project, deep down in the wilds of West Susex in the U.K. I started the project when I was 17. Built on a Wild flower reserve its 10 acres were a haven for wildlife and it served as an early inspiration for the ecologica system.

The property was originally built in the 17 hundreds to vaccinate children against incurable diseases, such as tuberculosis and typhoid. That is of course not to mention the plague.

The project was very much a challenge, in that, a rather sad and desolate atmosphere had to be transformed into a paradise weekend retreat from the city of London for a homosexual couple. Comprising of acres of fine lawn, English wild flower meadows, orchards, vegetable garden and even an old vineyard it was a quintessentially English estate.

I worked on the project with the Architect Giles Newby-Vincent and it proved to be a wonderfully stimulating first private project.