CV Sharon Cooke, Garden Design Tutor
Professional Experience
2008 – Owner – Garden Wall Designs.
Garden Design Private tutor/lecturer delivering and developing courses relating to Garden Design.
Temporary 'covering' Landscape Design tutor at SJP Polytechnic.
Working on designs, as well as design and build, for private clients and home refurbishments including plastering and rendering services.
Providing planting schemes for clients, taking into
account their needs and preferences and the constraints and opportunities of the site.
2002 – 2008 UK - Self-employed Garden Designer.
Working on designs, as well as design and build, for private clients.
Providing drawings on a freelance basis for a local hard- landscaper.
Providing planting schemes for clients, taking into
account their needs and preferences and the constraints and opportunities of the site.
Project managing from survey, setting out, building and planting.
2000 – 2002 UK - Barclays Bank - Treasury Sales.
Working with a small team providing foreign exchange and interest rates, as well as supplying market information for corporate customers.
Dealing with customer queries regarding deals and payments.
Liaising with other areas of the bank, ensuring all queries are dealt with efficiently.
Meeting customers, and other bank officials to discuss particular requirements.
1985 – 1997 UK - Barclays Bank - Various.
Various positions within an international department, including FX settlements clerk, FX Dealers assistant and FX and money market dealer for both personal and business, culminating with a role as a foreign exchange dealer liaising with corporate businesses.
1984 – 1985 UK - Department of Health and Social Security
Providing general office assistance to clerical officers.
Sorting the post.
Sending out visit notifications to claimants.
Filing.
2008 – Owner – Garden Wall Designs.
Garden Design Private tutor/lecturer delivering and developing courses relating to Garden Design.
Temporary 'covering' Landscape Design tutor at SJP Polytechnic.
Working on designs, as well as design and build, for private clients and home refurbishments including plastering and rendering services.
Providing planting schemes for clients, taking into
account their needs and preferences and the constraints and opportunities of the site.
2002 – 2008 UK - Self-employed Garden Designer.
Working on designs, as well as design and build, for private clients.
Providing drawings on a freelance basis for a local hard- landscaper.
Providing planting schemes for clients, taking into
account their needs and preferences and the constraints and opportunities of the site.
Project managing from survey, setting out, building and planting.
2000 – 2002 UK - Barclays Bank - Treasury Sales.
Working with a small team providing foreign exchange and interest rates, as well as supplying market information for corporate customers.
Dealing with customer queries regarding deals and payments.
Liaising with other areas of the bank, ensuring all queries are dealt with efficiently.
Meeting customers, and other bank officials to discuss particular requirements.
1985 – 1997 UK - Barclays Bank - Various.
Various positions within an international department, including FX settlements clerk, FX Dealers assistant and FX and money market dealer for both personal and business, culminating with a role as a foreign exchange dealer liaising with corporate businesses.
1984 – 1985 UK - Department of Health and Social Security
Providing general office assistance to clerical officers.
Sorting the post.
Sending out visit notifications to claimants.
Filing.
Education
2010 Certificate Landscape Gardening – University of the West Indies.
2008 – 2009 Certificate Principles of Landscape Design – Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic.
Certificate Garden and Plant Care - Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic.
2004 – 2005 Post Graduate Diploma Garden Design – University of Wales.
Diploma Garden Design - Inchbald School of Design.
2002 – 2003 City & Guilds Garden Design – Capel Manor College
City & Guilds Hard Landscape and Garden Construction – Capel Manor College.
2001 – 2002 OCN Certificate Foundation in Garden Design – Capel Manor College.
1997 – 2000 BA (Hons) Politics – University of London.
1988 – 1989 A level Economics – Private study.
1987 – 1988 BTEC National Certificate Business Studies – Waltham Forest College.
1981 – 1983 O levels including Mathematics and English (eight in total) – Leyton Senior High School for Girls.
2010 Certificate Landscape Gardening – University of the West Indies.
2008 – 2009 Certificate Principles of Landscape Design – Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic.
Certificate Garden and Plant Care - Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic.
2004 – 2005 Post Graduate Diploma Garden Design – University of Wales.
Diploma Garden Design - Inchbald School of Design.
2002 – 2003 City & Guilds Garden Design – Capel Manor College
City & Guilds Hard Landscape and Garden Construction – Capel Manor College.
2001 – 2002 OCN Certificate Foundation in Garden Design – Capel Manor College.
1997 – 2000 BA (Hons) Politics – University of London.
1988 – 1989 A level Economics – Private study.
1987 – 1988 BTEC National Certificate Business Studies – Waltham Forest College.
1981 – 1983 O levels including Mathematics and English (eight in total) – Leyton Senior High School for Girls.
Having worked in corporate banking, Ms Cooke achieved her degree in politics before retraining as a garden designer. She completed her post graduate diploma in garden design from the University of Wales while studying at the prestigious Inchbald School of Design in London. Ms Cooke worked as a self-employed garden designer and consultant in and around London, before coming to Barbados in 2008. She founded Garden Wall Designs in 2009.
From where it all started to now. Sharon Cooke retrained as a
garden designer following a career in banking and a degree in politics. Her
garden in east London, above left, started her passion. This has led her to
Barbados where many of her gardens are designed not only to be great to look at,
but are full of edible herbs, fruit and vegetables as shown in the concept image.
Garden Wall Designs is now at Andromeda Botanic Gardens, Barbados