Xa Tollemache

Spear’s Review 

Xa Tollemache began her career by learning the ropes at Helmingham Hall, Suffolk, under the guidance of head gardener Roy Balaam. Since then, she has gone on to become a household name in landscape and garden design. 

She tells Spear’s that it has been a long but beautiful and rewarding journey since she set up her own business in 1996. Winning Gold at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show the year after launch put her ‘on a platform and got my name out there’, she says.

Over the last 30 years, Tollemache has worked on a variety of different projects for private clients and specialises in large country estates. Notable commissions include the Millennium Garden at Castle Hill in Devon and the borders at Dunbeath Castle in Scotland. While predominately working in the UK, she has also undertaken jobs in America, France and Denmark. 

Tollemache sat on the council of the RHS for a decade and frequently judges at their shows.