Meet_the garden designer & engineer
Sarah Cotterill - founder of Wild Atlantic Gardens, Prof. in Civil Engineering UCD
How did you begin in garden design?
It started as a creative outlet. I was working full-time in academia lecturing in civil engineering and I think I reached a point where I needed something more tangible, something where I could see the results more quickly. Research can take years to come to life. Designing gardens, on the other hand, can move from drawing to build within a much shorter window. My partner’s brother opened a coffee shop on the west coast — a converted, derelict filling station — and asked me to help soften it with planting. From there, more projects came in through word of mouth and Instagram.
One of the first significant steps was designing a resilient planting pocket for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival last year, where I was fortunate to win a Silver Medal. That project was a pivotal moment because it combined my design work with my academic focus on resilience and sustainable water management. It also gave me the chance to be mentored by Tom Massey, one of the UK’s leading designers and author of Resilient Garden.
The Hampton Court project was all about creating a small, resilient garden space that could withstand challenging conditions — something that aligns perfectly with the research I do at UCD around flood management, climate resilience, and sustainable water use. Wild Atlantic Gardens is still a side project, but it’s one that’s grown beautifully.
Sarah on site creating her resilient pocket raingarden for RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival … that won a Silver Medal!
Tell us a little about your work as an engineer - and a garden designer?
It’s actually very aligned. My research is all about sustainable water management and climate resilience - how we can live with water, especially in a changing climate.
People think, oh it rains all the time in Ireland, why would we worry about water? But water doesn’t always fall where it’s needed, or in the quality that we need it.
Through my research, I work on projects that co-design green infrastructure with local communities - things like rain gardens and permeable spaces that help manage water naturally. Wild Atlantic Gardens is an extension of that - creating outdoor spaces that are not just beautiful, but resilient and suited to Ireland’s wild, coastal weather.
I work on projects that co-design green infrastructure with local communities, like rain gardens …
— One supported by Creative Ireland the Paradise Garden, Ballina went on to win a New European Bauhaus Award, a first for an Irish project
And you were selected for Bloom this year?
Yes! I entered Bord Bia Bloom through the Cultivating Talent competition, which is designed for first-time Bloom designers. I was sponsored by Westland Horticulture and mentored by the amazing Nicola Haines, who is so thoughtful in her sustainable approach.
My garden was designed to thrive in the wet and wild climate typical of the West of Ireland, working with nature rather than against it. Building it was full-on; I took annual leave from UCD to make it happen. What I loved about Bloom was the collaborative atmosphere. I was surrounded by designers like Alan Rudden and Leonie Cornelius, who were all so supportive and generous with their advice. It’s intense - you meet the judges, who tell you what they don’t like, and then the public, who tell you what they do like, all on the same day. But I left with three more ideas for show gardens. I think it’s true what they say - once you do Bloom, you catch the bug.
After the show, my garden didn’t just disappear. Many of the plants and the sculptural bench found a new home in a sensory park in Ballina for people with neurodivergent needs. That was really important to me - that the garden would have a life after the event.
So what does a work life day look like now?
There’s no typical day! I spend Monday to Friday working full-time at UCD - a mix of research, administration, leadership roles, lots of writing, supervision, and project management. Then evenings, weekends and holidays are when I work on Wild Atlantic Gardens.
I’m currently working on several projects that are actually funded through Creative Ireland’s Climate Action Fund, which is quite unusual for an engineer. These projects are all about community co-design and green infrastructure - focusing on how we can bring people into the process of shaping the spaces they live in, especially when it comes to nature-based solutions. One of these was the Paradise Garden in Ballina, which went on to win a New European Bauhaus Award - the first ever for an Irish project. That was a really proud moment for everyone involved.
And when you’re not in work mode?
Getting outside is key for me. I love walking in Belleek Woods in Ballina - as soon as I step into the woods, I feel all the tension drop away. I get the same feeling walking the beaches around the west coast. That ruggedness of nature is where I feel most at home. I also love swimming - but I’m pregnant at the moment and am really missing that cold water hit! I was a boxer for about 12 years, but these days it’s more about hiking, sketching, and spending time in the garden. I also love travelling and visiting other gardens - there’s so much inspiration in seeing how other people use plants, structure, and colour.
Who is inspiring you these days?
I’m really drawn to people who are thoughtful in their work. My friend in Mayo, Willow and Wild Farm, grows all her flowers herself and focuses on dried flowers and sustainable growing. I love her work - it’s beautiful and really considered.
Nicola Haines, who mentored me at Bloom, is a huge inspiration too. Her gardens always carry a message - they’re not just aesthetic, they solve problems and have purpose. I’m forever inspired by garden designers like Piet Oudolf and the new perennial movement - that soft, billowy naturalistic planting that moves with the wind. It feels really suited to Ireland’s rugged climate. I went on a bit of a garden pilgrimage in July - to Hunting Brook, June Blake’s garden, and Patthana Garden in Wicklow. Each one is special for different reasons - botanical treasures, architectural interest, or the way they use color and texture.
And is there a favourite way to wear your Overall?
It’s very well-worn, very well-loved, always in the garden! I love that I can reverse it - I’ll wear it front-facing if I’m planting or digging to protect my clothes, or open and reversed for lighter work on warmer days. I have the tobacco twill and I’m obsessed with it, but I’ve definitely got my eye on the khaki one as a second. It’s so practical - I love the pocket space, the fitted sleeves that work with gloves, and just how functional it is for proper, muddy work. Between my Blundstones and my Abito overall, that’s my work uniform sorted.
Between my Blundstones and my Abito Overall, that’s my work uniform sorted.
— Sarah Cotterill, engineer and founder Wild Atlantic Gardens
Photos all thanks to Wild Atlantic Gardens
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Over the last two years we have enjoyed watching so many people wearing their Abito overalls - for everything from pottery and gardening to cooking, writing, and partying. So we are sharing their work life stories, inspirations and musings each month in this Journal, in the hope that you will be inspired by meeting them and enjoy their musings too.
Thanks so much Sarah, loved meeting you at Bloom. And thank you for reading.
Catherine & Eve Anne