We create inspiring spaces for children and adults to live, work, learn and play.
Our inclusive approach means that everyone learns about the importance of sustainability and engages with nature through the success of our designs.
Our Services
PRIVATE GARDENS
Schools / Commercial
Maintenance
Our Beginning
Footprint Gardens took root in 2018 to serve the local community with inspiring spaces. Grounded upon ecologically sensitive and inclusive principles and with a passion for sustainability and education, our founder Tom Walmsley expanded from private and commercial gardens towards schools to ensure positive impact upon future generations. Having established himself as a landscape architect in Norfolk and Suffolk since 2006, Tom’s architectural background and experience have enabled him to traverse most garden designs, big or small.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
— Nelson Mandela
Our Schools Mission
Footprint Gardens aims to provide children and adults with inspiring and accessible areas to interact and learn about nature. Given the trend for outdoor classrooms, we work with natural and local materials to ensure spaces are designed ecologically sensitive and responsibly. We have a duty to minimise our footprint so that future generations enjoy the freedom of nature we have today. By encouraging teachers to collaborate on playground design, we ensure our spaces are loved and lived in by those that manage and understand them most.
Our Team
With over 15 years of experience in landscape architecture and gardening, our founder Tom Walmsley believes there is a more sustainable future for garden and space design. Having lead site builds on private and commercial projects, Tom weaves his architectural experience with a practical hands-on approach to ensure projects are completed promptly and to an extremely high quality. For larger construction-based projects, Footprint Gardens manage a network of suppliers and skilled craftsmen to ensure complex designs are executed to precision. With a dedicated team for maintenance projects, we ensure gardens stay neat and tidy all year-round.
the making of a garden
What people say about us
“I spend a lot of time planning and advising on both indoor and outdoor learning environments in schools. Early Excellence is often able to help schools save vast amounts of money on expensive outdoor equipment, surfacing and structures investing rather in quality resources and furniture. But we are not landscape designers and so it is refreshing to find someone who understands our principles and what young children most need in an outdoor learning space to support their learning and development. Tom has been able to translate pedagogy and principles into reality in a number of schools I have worked with and I am pleased to be able to recommend his work. He has been flexible and responsive as he creates bespoke layouts and natural experiences. The schools speak highly of him and I now refer local schools to him for that special Tom approach.”
“Tom is a passionate, highly skilled gardener and talented garden designer. The ideas he offers to his clients are based upon his appreciation of their personal tastes and of what will work in the setting of this particular garden. He understands the need for value for money. He is loyal, considerate, conscientious and enthusiastic, and it’s a pleasure to work with Tom and his team.”
Get Involved
Our volunteer program was created to enable workplaces to engage in school projects and benefit from team wellbeing practices outdoors. This allows our message to touch more people, raising more awareness for sustainability and environmentalism. We accept volunteers regardless of skill level and we’ll teach you everything you need to know.
News / Blog
