Ula Maria
A childhood spent in rural Lithuania inspired Ula Maria‘s deep connection with nature, and led to an award-winning career in garden and landscape design. Prior to this, Maria attended the School of Fine Arts in Lithuania before moving permanently to the UK in 2008. While studying for both a BA and MA in Landscape Architecture at Birmingham City University, Maria won the Landscape Institute’s John Knight award for both her undergraduate and postgraduate submissions.
She then went on to scoop the RHS Young Designer of the Year in 2017. After that, Maria gained experience working for a number of landscape practices, including Tom Stuart-Smith, and then established her own firm – with an aim to create emotive spaces that foster a deeper connection with nature through sensory experience. Maria has since returned to Birmingham City University where she is a visiting tutor, and in 2020 published a book, Green, celebrating the merits of the smaller urban garden.
