Jo came to Corpus from University College London to study for a PhD in Modern Languages (Italian). Upon arrival at Leckhampton she recalls being surrounded by people whose research was central to who they were. “I was so pleased to be living and studying with such passionate people in beautiful surroundings. Leckhampton felt like Corpus’ country house.”

Jo matriculated during the time of Fellow Oliver Rackham and recollects being amazed and intrigued by the historical ecologist. “I was in awe of his huge knowledge and understanding of the landscape. He was fascinating and inspirational, the way he had dedicated his life to something that I had taken for granted up until then. I still regularly reach for his books which sit on my desk.”

On completing her studies at Corpus, Jo went on to teach in a primary school in London for five years before starting her own family. She then leant into her passion for art, architecture and history of art, which had run through her undergraduate and postgraduate studies of French and Italian, and undertook a diploma in garden design at the English Gardening School.

Jo’s career has gone from strength to strength, establishing and growing her own garden design business, teaching at the London College of Garden Design, mentoring aspiring gardeners and she has now written two books with a third commission underway. Her 2022 study on colour, The Gardener’s Palette, was named by The Sunday Times in its top gardening books of the year.

Jo has been awarded four Gold and five Silver Gilt medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and in 2017 she won the People’s Choice award at the first RHS Chatsworth Flower Show. She is also a member of the RHS Gardens Committee and Garden Advisor for RHS Rosemoor, an RHS judge, as well as being a member of the RHS Show Gardens Selection Panel.

In recent years, Jo has expanded her design studio to five staff, intentionally keeping a small team so she can remain hands on with their projects, which can take them all over the world, from stately homes to Roman roof terraces. Jo is particularly proud of their latest commission, winning a competition to work alongside landscape architecture firm Gustafson Porter + Bowman on the replanting of London’s Highgate Cemetery.

Reflecting on her time at Corpus, Jo recalls “I never tired of exploring the gardens at Leckhampton. And, although I hadn't had any formal landscape training at that point, I think that was a big part of the inspiration for what I did later.

“I also have Corpus to thank for my determination and confidence when speaking to people in different, and sometimes difficult, situations. I always feel comfortable to join a discussion and I believe a lot of that comes from the time spent in small group supervisions at Corpus.

“One of the great takeaways from my Corpus days is the people I shared my time with and remain great friends with over 30 years later. Among them were Simon Guest, now a Fellow at Trinity Hall, Helen Lay, Steve Roberts, Rupert Sydenham and Patrick Towell”