Biography
Annika Zetterman is one of the most prominent garden designers in Sweden. Her distinct gardens are characterised by a Nordic simplicity, functionality and delicacy. With sensitivity to natural materials and a life-long love of the Nordic flora, her creations has thought and meaning, with the natural landscape as an integral. Annika’s gardens have an outstanding quality, where the enchanting Nordic light makes them captivating.
Annika holds a B.Sc. in media engineering, LTH, Sweden and was working in creative industries before gaining a Diploma in Garden Design at the English Gardening School, London, UK 2006. Prior training also include Fine Art studies, both in the UK and in the USA, as drawing comes naturally to her. In 2010 she moved back to her home town, Stockholm, to set up her garden design studio.
Recently, Annika was awarded Silver Gilt for the ‘New Nordic Notes’ show garden at Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2024. She won a Silver Award in the Large Residential Design category in 2020, by the APLD International Landscape Design Awards program, in the USA. Annika is the author of the bestselling book ‘New Nordic Garden, Scandinavian Landscape Design’ (publisher Thames & Hudson) with prints 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2023.
Annika was teaching garden design in Stockholm 2010-17 and has lectured on the subject both in Sweden and abroad. Her projects have been featured in books and publications nationally as well as internationally, such as The Financial Times, The Telegraph and Better Homes and Gardens.
Show Garden and Awards
’New Nordic Notes’ show garden, created by design duo Annika Zetterman and Kajsa Björne has been awarded Silver Gilt at Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show 2024. The show is the largest garden design event in the southern hemisphere, attracting over 100,000 visitors every year.
New Nordic Notes show garden is a celebration and inspiration of the Nordics. It motivates to continue storytelling and to create meaningful design expressions, to stay curious to materials and to appreciate nature, despite living in Australia or in the Nordics. There is a particular word in Swedish, ‘smultronställe’. Literally, it translates to a place in the wild where an abundance of wild strawberries grows. Figuratively, it means a pleasant place where to escape from everyday life, with sentimental and personal value.
“- We decided at an early stage to create a garden as a place free from stress, a place to relax and reflect, not to be dictated where to stand or sit. As an anecdote to ‘smultronställe’ we added strawberries in the planting beds, a variety with red flowers, much appreciated by visitors.”
Annika was rewarded a Silver Award in 2020 by the APLD International Landscape Design Awards program, in the USA. The program honours excellence in landscape design by recognizing individual landscape designers and their projects. Projects are judged on the basis of difficulty, craftsmanship, attention to detail and execution, with judging criteria on project creativity, technical merit, plant design and overall design.
Zetterman Garden Design
Zetterman Garden Design creates inspiring gardens
with integrity and quality, balancing the character of the landscape. Every garden
is unique and tells its own story, a story with deep connection to the local
site and to the Nordics. Annika treat each garden as a celebration, to be
designed with respect, resilience and dignity.
Apart from listening to and observing the
landscape, Annika truly enjoys creative conversations with architects and
clients, creating and crafting gardens with meaningful expressions for real
people. Gardens, according to Annika, should be a natural part of a home in which
people feel a belonging to the land.
Zetterman Garden Design is truly grateful to
design gardens in some of the most beautiful and complex sites in the Nordics. Working
with sometimes harsh environments and distinct seasonal changes, Annika has a
sensitive eye and approach to how gardens and landscapes changes over time, the
complexity of seasonal impact, knowing how to create long lasting beauty. She
possesses a strong commitment to design sustainable gardens, to maximize biodiversity
and to sustain wildlife.
Selected Press
Nordics
Rum & Ute
Connoisseur
Allt om Trädgård
Trädgårdsliv
Terassi
Lifestyle Home & Country
Australia
Home Beautiful
Outdoor Living
Gardening Australia
United Kingdom
The Financial Times
The Telegraph
Ideal Home
Sunday Express
United States
Better Homes and Gardens
Traditonal Home
Gardenista