My name is Lee Atkinson and I founded Creating Eden as a family run landscaping business based in Ceres, Fife.  Creating Eden has gained a reputation, based on customer feedback, for professionalism, politeness, reliability, attention to detail and a commitment to completing all projects to the highest possible standards.  In fact I pride myself in being a perfectionist and I know that if I am happy with the finished article then the client will be. I provide the full range of hard landscaping tasks (see services list below).  Some clients already have an idea of how they want their garden to look, whereas other clients are completely open to ideas and suggestions. I am equally happy in building a garden to the clients own design and ideas, to come up with my own ideas, advice and suggestions or more often than not a combination of the clients and my own ideas. Pivotal to success is two way communication between client and contractor and mutual respect for each other in order to achieve the best possible outcome based upon a list of requirements in conjunction with a given budget.  

Gold Medal Tatton Park 2009

In the early part of 2009 Sheena Seeks of Green Phoenix Design, Edinburgh contacted Colin McBeath of Quercus Garden Plants, Springfield asking him to recommend a landscape gardener to build an RHS show garden.  Colin, who would provide the majority of the plants, recommended myself and the team was formed.  In early July we drove down to Tatton Park with the aim of building a show garden from scratch in 3 days.  We all worked together and helped each other out – I was principally in charge of building the garden to Sheena’s design whereas Colin was in charge of the planting scheme.  The build and planting all went to plan and when the garden was judged by the RHS panel Sheena was awarded a gold medal.

The award winning team, with the Gold Medal, left to right; Lee Atkinson, Sheena Seeks and Colin McBeath

In addition to many highly satisfied private clients throughout Fife, Creating Eden have also undertaken contract work with commercial clients such as:

• Madras College, St. Andrews
• Ladybank Primary School, Ladybank
• Pfaudler Balfour, Leven
• Quercus Garden Plants
• Green Pheonix Design, Edinburgh

Designing a garden

I think that it is very important to listen carefully to a clients list of requirements and factor in such considerations as the setting of the garden within the natural landscape, the character of the house, how much time the clients have for tending the garden, what the garden is to be used for and an approximate budget.  The garden should be seen as an extension of the house and to make the most of a valuable outside space throughout the year.  As a bare minimum when building a garden to my own design I always give clients a sketch of the garden with explanatory notes so the clients knows exactly what they are getting for their money and how the finished garden will look at completion. Of course gardens evolve over time and sometimes it takes a year or two for lawns/plants/shrubs/trees to settle and mature.