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Jennifer Lauruol (MA Comparative Literary Theory & Translation Studies 1991-94) has had a radical change of career since she Warwick. Now she is self-employed as a garden designer and landscaper, having trained with the Pickard School of Garden Design in Bristol in 2000. Jennifer has three grown children, two with disabilities. Because of her experience of their needs, she now specialises in building sensory gardens for people with disabilities, visual impairment or other difficulties.
Jennifer designs gardens using the Permaculture model that imitates the layers of a natural ecosystem, like the native British woodland habitat. The layers of planting create a permanent, relatively low-maintenance surrounding into which she places shrubs and climbers for scent, texture, sound and bright colours. Some gardens also exist to provide horticultural therapy for people, so she plans areas which can be intensely cultivated amongst permanent planting to create a year-round mood of peace and healing.
Bringing nature to daily lives
She is also very keen to establish numerous habitats in each garden to attract and nurture many kinds of wildlife, in particular birds. Many people with disabilities face barriers to spending time in nature, particularly the wilderness. Jennifer feels it is important to bring nature to the people where they live their daily lives, by creating a safe, multi-sensory environment for learning and for relaxation.
Inspiration from Warwick
Some recent gardens she has designed include the Jubilee Sensory Garden and Rose Walk at Wynne Gardens in Old Colwyn, north Wales which was formally opened and dedicated in July. It includes a crescent-shaped raised border, constructed of local stone, which is planted with a selection of flowering shrubs, ornamental varieties of native species, and herbs. At one end of the border is a raised fountain with bubbling boulders, where people can feel the movement and enjoy the interaction with water. In front of the crescent is a series of seats, which face southwards to a bed of strongly-scented, magenta rugosa roses. These are underplanted with native English lavender. Nearby is the Rose Walk, a long wooden pergola covered with climbing roses, honeysuckle and clematis, with rosemary and thyme along the path. Jennifer was inspired to create this feature remembering the Wisteria Walk in bloom on the Warwick campus every May and June.
From bomb crater to wildlife garden
Another recent project is a wildlife Peace Garden that she designed and built for Amnesty International bookshop in Bristol. The site behind the shop was formerly a derelict and asbestos-contaminated World War II bomb crater. With the help of local volunteers, and working closely with a friend, they removed several tonnes of rubble and discarded junk and built retaining walls from oak railway sleepers. After shifting three tonnes of topsoil, borders were created planted with native trees--wild crab, rowan and hazel--and ornamental shrubs attractive to birds. These included guelder rose, cotoneaster and a hedge of species roses to provide autumn hips.
Jennifer remarried last October and now lives in the Lake District with her mountaineer-cyclist husband Richard. In June they completed an Atlantic to Mediterranean traverse of the Pyrenees by bicycle. She welcomes contact from Warwick alumni, either for gardens, cycling and other outdoor pursuits. Email:
jennifer@lauruol.fsworld.co.uk..
Photographs and more information about Jennifer's work is on the next page.
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