Emma Clark designs gardens with a fundamentally spiritual and holistic outlook, undertaking them for private clients and public institutions, both in the U.K. and abroad. She specialises mainly in Islamic gardens, focusing on contemporary interpretations of traditional principles with naturalistic planting schemes and sustainability at the heart of her practice.
She is Senior Tutor on the post-graduate Traditional Arts Programme at The King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, London (See ‘Lectures/Teaching’)
Emma has published four books: The Art of the Islamic Garden; ‘Underneath Which Rivers Flow’, The Symbolism of the Islamic Garden; and two children’s books, Mehmet the Conqueror and Sinan the Architect. (See ‘Publications’)
LECTURES 2021-2024: Emma continues to lecture regularly on various aspects of the Islamic garden: the Shaykh Zayed Mosque Abu Dhabi 2018; Konya, Turkey 2018; Brunei Darassalaam University 2018; Richmond, London 2019, Bradford Literary Festival 2019; Glasgow Sufi Festival 2019; Schumacher College, 2019 and 2020, collaborated with Satish Kumar; The Prince’s Foundation 2020; The Aga Khan Foundation, 2021; Leighton House 2021; Malaysia 2024; Lisbon 2024; The King’s Foundation 2024;
NB She was interviewed about the Cambridge Mosque garden (see below) for Gardeners’ Question Time (GQT, BBC Radio 4), July 4th, 2020
GARDEN DESIGN: In association with renowned, Somerset-based, landscape Studio, Urquhart and Hunt, Emma designed the Islamic Garden and the Community Garden at the new Cambridge Mosque. The Mosque was designed by Marks-Barfield Architects (designers of the Millennium Wheel) and was formally opened in December 2019. Pictures to come.
Emma continues designing gardens including an exciting Community project in Whyteleafe, Surry – a 12-acre site which will incorporate a woodland area, a meadow, naturalistic sustainable planting as well as a smaller more formal chahar-bagh garden
Emma was a specialist Islamic consultant on a visit to the Alhambra with a group of American garden enthusiasts led by Amanda Patton Landscape Designer (2019) and continues to act as consultant on a variety of landscape projects.
You may still be able to find Emma on ‘Monty Don’s Paradise Gardens‘ first shown on BBC2 Jan 19th and 26th 2018.
SACRED GARDENS WORKSHOPS: After the success of her fourth workshop on Sacred Gardens, together with her two associates, Adam Hunt and Tom Bree, June 16th -17th, 2018, at the beautiful Chalice Well Gardens in Glastonbury, a fifth is being planned. Watch this space! (See also Sacred Gardens, May 9th-11th 2014 )