Mr. Paul Smither was born in Berkshire, the United Kingdom.  He learnt horticulture and garden designing at Wisley Garden of the Royal Horticultural Society (UK) and the Longwood Gardens (USA).

Since the establishment of the Garden Rooms in Mitaka City, Tokyo, Japan in 1997, Mr. Smither has designed and constructed gardens at private houses, commercial facilities, and public spaces.  Also, he serves as garden designer, consultant and lecturer.

In 2000, he won the RHS Premier Award (Presentation Garden, the 1^st Gardening Show, Tokyo). 

In 2003, he designed an English style natural garden, “Seasons,” in Takarazuka Garden Fields in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.  He implemented a chemical-free method in the city garden and suggested an environmentally-conscious natural gardening.

In 2004, “Natural Garden Senryu” was founded in Mitsuke City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan.  This park designed based on a breakthrough idea provides spaces where people of all generations can share good times in a natural setting.

The “Picturesque Garden” designed by Mr. Smither in 2009 was opened in Karuizawa Picture Book Museum, Nagano Prefecture, Japan in 2010.

In 2013, he designed and audited the Koyamaike Natural Garden, the main garden of the 30^th National Urban Greening Fair in Tottori which was held in autumn 2013. 

He has been engaged in gardening at Moeginomura Garden, Kiyosato, Yamanashi Prefecture since 2012.  His gardening method living in harmony with nature of Yatsugatake attracts increasing attention.

Mr. Smither, a garden designer working in Japan with a love for Japan’s plants and nature, is now a driving force for making a new natural gardening style through advocating a garden style where humans and nature can interact.  Especially, his method of using native grasses including Japanese silver grass and plantain lily is highly evaluated.  Also, he has made biodiverse environments through carrying out a chemical-free method.  He has created original spaces by using plants and materials indigenous to the respective regions.

Mr. Smither’s major books include: Paul Smither no Shizen-ryu Niwazukuri (in Japanese, Paul Smither’s Natural Gardening), Paul Smither no Osusume no Hana Guide (in Japanese, Paul Smither’s Flower Guide, Kodansha Ltd.), Paul Smither no Natural garden (in Japanese, Paul Smither’s Natural Gardening), Machi no Nakani Shiki wo Tsukuru (in Japanese, Making Seasons in the City), Hikage de Yokatta! (in Japanese, A Shady Area is A Good Area), Paul Smither no Garden Kouza, Erabu Koto Kara Ueru Made (in Japanese, Paul Smither’s Gardening Lecture from Choosing to Planting, Takarajimasya Inc.), Organic de Kokomade Dekiru! (in Japanese, We Can Do by Organic, Hankyu Communications Co., Ltd.), Natural na Niwazukuri (in Japanese, Natural Gardening, Shufunotomo Co., Ltd.), and Natural Garden wo Tsukuro! Jimoto no Sozai de Utsukushii Fukei wo (in Japanese, Let’s Make a Beautiful Natural Garden Using Regional Materials).  He also published a series of DVDs entitled “Shiki no Garden Seikatsu, Paul Ryu Engei Technique (in Japanese, Four Seasons’Gerden Life – Paul Style Gardening Technique), 4-volume, BS Fuji.

Garden Rooms http://www.gardenrooms.jp/