About Us

Gardens have for centuries and across cultures been recognised for their unique therapeutic powers, but designing gardens specifically for people affected by traumatic brain injury is a specialist skill.

Independent Gardening Ltd (affectionately known as IG) is a new, growing, independent offshoot of The Down to Earth Partners Ltd, a landscaping company set up in 2003.  My name is Dorinda Wolfe Murray and I was fortunate enough to design our first garden for a traumatically brain injured (TBI) client in 2005. It features on this website as The Southampton Garden.  The personal rewards and the difference the garden made to the life of our client made me determined to design and build more gardens to assist with the rehabilition of people affected by brain injury.  This work now encompasses autism, cerebral palsy, PTSD, and other disabilities.  Being selfish, I have to admit that the personal rewards are massive.  It is always a privilege to take a garden and with the clients vision transform it into their own personal dream. 

When asked what do I do, I say that I am a problem solver.  And it gives me a great deal of pleasure.  I love being able to get out into my garden, and the view from my window is as important as the inside of my house.  It is no different for those suffering from neural disabilities.  It sometimes just takes a little longer and little more patience to discover what is required.  And of course some of the requests are different, but the outcome is not.  The garden is there to be enjoyed - in whatever format.  My job is to ensure that the garden is not forgotten about, and that it makes your life as enjoyable as possible.  After all it is your garden and you are the person who looks at it, walks in it, lives in it.

I hope this website gives you an idea of what we can do, and how we can assist.  Please don't hesitate to contact me - the joy of email is that it can be sent anytime of day or night, and it will be answered. I look forward to hearing from you

Dorinda Wolfe Murray