With a Bachelor of Commerce, Deb’s first career was in the advertising industry as a ‘suit’ straddling the economic demands of clients with the creative needs of her creative teams. In order to gain future flexibility by being self-employed and better able to accommodate the demands of motherhood, she decided to change careers and study for a Diploma of Landscape Design at Unitec. In 2003 she caught the eye of the producers of My House My Castle and was recruited to present a 10 week episode feature which involved turning what was essentially a backyard bog on Herald Island into a Jungle Oasis, complete with pool and Fijian bure. Besides presenting each episode alongside the late Cocksy, Deb also designed the garden, got the plans through council, and oversaw and was involved in the construction and planting of the garden. The concept for the entire garden was her idea and since completion it has been used by the new owners as a wedding venue.

Her career jettisoned from there into designing multiple gardens with an eye to the sub-tropical. She loves the textures and colours provided by the plants in this palette, together with the constancy of evergreens. Deb is inspired by urban works and plantings but prefers residential design work. Deb has been on the National Executive of the Garden Design Society of New Zealand for over 13 years, and is now Joint-Chairperson of the Auckland Garden DesignFest.