‘The Wild Ones’
Our Team
Live Wild & Grow was founded in 2005 with a clear focus, to create beautifully designed gardens that work in harmony with their surroundings. What began as a more traditional approach quickly evolved. We saw first hand that gardens forced against nature don’t last.
Today, our work is rooted in a more natural, regenerative way of gardening, creating spaces that support wildlife, require less intervention and offer lasting structure and beauty throughout the year.
Behind every project is a highly skilled and dedicated team. With over 20 years of horticultural experience, we bring together design insight, technical expertise and a genuine understanding of how gardens grow and evolve. Each member of the team plays a key role in delivering and maintaining our work to the highest standard.
We couldn’t bring our clients’ visions to life without them.
James Spencer - Founder
Key Skills:
Design: Expert in designing gardens that respond to aspect, local microclimate and the surrounding landscape, with extensive knowledge of landscaping materials, construction techniques and planting combinations to create spaces that are both beautiful and built to thrive.
Landscaping: Skilled in bespoke landscaping and problem solving, with a practical approach to building unique outdoor features and spaces.
Horticulture: Known as the ‘Alan Titchmarsh’ of Nidderdale, with extensive horticultural expertise and a strong eye for layered planting schemes that bring year round interest, texture and natural colour palettes, carefully designed to work with light, seasonality and the surrounding landscape.
James Kelly - Maintenance Manager
Key Skills:
Maintenance Manager: Oversees the ongoing care and presentation of all our maintenance customers.
Mowing: Experienced in creating clean, well cared for lawns with careful attention to finish, stripe and overall lawn health.
Hedge Cutting: Skilled in precise hedge cutting and shaping, maintaining structure, balance and a tidy appearance across the garden.
Border Management: Knowledgeable in plant care, pruning and seasonal border maintenance to keep planting schemes healthy and thriving.
Darrell Robinson
Key Skills:
Paving: Highly skilled in precision paving, creating clean, durable finishes with a strong attention to detail and craftsmanship.
Rendering: Experienced in high quality rendering, delivering smooth, long lasting finishes that complement the overall garden design.
Turfing: Knowledgeable in ground preparation and turf laying, ensuring healthy, well established lawns with a natural finish.
Sett Work: Skilled in traditional and contemporary sett work, carefully laying stone surfaces with accuracy, balance and durability.
Leon Milner
Key Skills:
Paving: Exceptionally skilled in paving, with a sharp eye for detail and a consistently high standard of finish across patios, pathways and stonework.
Hedge Cutting: Confident in maintaining hedges of all shapes and sizes, keeping gardens looking sharp, structured and well cared for.
Pointing: Experienced in neat, reliable pointing work that enhances both the appearance and lifespan of stone and paved surfaces.
Garden Maintenance: Takes pride in keeping outdoor spaces tidy, healthy and running smoothly through regular upkeep and seasonal care.
Edward Swainston
Key Skills:
Garden Maintenance: Reliable and hardworking, with a hands on approach to keeping gardens tidy, healthy and well presented throughout the year.
Hedge Cutting: Confident in trimming and maintaining hedges to keep outdoor spaces neat, structured and cared for.
Fitting Ceiling Lightbulbs: Always happy to lend a hand, known for helping older customers with the small jobs that make a big difference.
Benjamin Larkins
Key Skills:
Hedge Cutting: Skilled in shaping and maintaining hedges with a tidy, consistent finish and strong attention to detail.
Top Bagger of Cuttings: Fast, efficient and never afraid of the messy jobs, keeping sites clean, organised and running smoothly.
Garden Illustrations: Talented at creating hand drawn garden illustrations that help bring ideas and layouts to life visually.
