Creating a Garden in Cheltenham

January 4, 2022 by Samantha Willis

This garden had retaining walls and a beautiful aspect but it needed some design to turn a space into a garden

I softened the garden and added interest by adding borders infront of the retaining wall. The view over the hills is so beautiful we didn’t want to ruin the view.
The client wanted to enjoy some fresh vegetables so we created a vegetable area and greenhouse.
Where there were seperate seating areas dotted around the garden we created paths to given the garden a flow.

If you’d like you’re garden designed please contact me by filling in the form or contact me 0771 858 6105
Contact 0771 858 6105

: Garden laid to lawn before design

: Garden before Garden Design with retaining walls

: Seating area put in part of lawn

: Garden trellis too constraining in Garden

: Garden steps

: Garden trellis creating cosy seating area

: Garden design in Cheltenham

: Retaining wall and borders

: Paths to and garden borders

: Garden design bringing seating area into garden

: Garden view to the hills beyond

: Garden borders

: Seating area and view of garden

: Greenhouse and vegetable beds

: Garden steps

: Border design by retaining wall

: Garden path and borders

: Seating area hard to mow around

Garden Design Town Garden in Henley

November 16, 2021 by Samantha Willis

From a building plot to a Town Garden [Read more…]

Garden design for outdoor living area including Oak Pergola

September 22, 2021 by Samantha Willis

Garden designfor creating an outdoor living area for dining or relaxing including Oak Pergola.

The existing old barn walls feature for this outdoor living area, providing interest and shelter. The inner curved wall was kept to create a little bar area.
The oak pergola worked in harmony with the house.
The garden lighting is subtle uplighing the old wall using Collingwood Lighting
Garden Design and Landscaping near Chipping Norton

: Oak Pergola Cotswolds

: Old Barn before garden build

: Work started on landscaping the area for the garden

: Taking the old barn apart in Cotswold Garden

: Building the oak Pergola

: Landscaping in all weathers. Raindrop splashes looked gorgeous

: Old Barn before landscaping

: After garden design old Shed wall used for feature in garden

: Garden room with old barn features

: Oak Pergola blending into garden

: Using old shed wall for bar with Pergola

: Pergola in Cotswolds

: Garden room in Cotswold providing a seculded seating area

: Oak Posts for Pergola

: Collingwood spotlights

Country House in Chilterns Garden Designed with Pool and Yoga Room

August 25, 2021 by Samantha Willis

The Pool build provided the excuse to design and landscape the garden for this Country House in the Chilterns

: Garden Before landscaping and Pool House

: Garden designed for new pool house

: Landscaped garden to lead to new pool room

: Redesigned patio and borders by house in Chilterns

: Garden relandscaped in Chiltern

: Garden Design and landscaping

. Providing the Client a place for her work and relaxation

I was lucky to work with the amazing team to develop a beautiful new lancscaped garden that complemented the new building and existing house.

Naming just a few
architect,
the natural pool company
project management

Country House garden designed near Chipping Norton

April 9, 2020 by Samantha Willis

Working with the builders while the house was renovated to design and build a Country House Garden near Chipping Norton

: building site

: Building Raised Beds

: Garden Designed and Build in the Cotswoldson large country garden

: Plants arrived from Nursery

: Garden Designed near Chipping Norton prepared and ready for lawn

: Box Balls and little feature

: Pleached Hedging

: View of path from top window

: Grass Growing final step to the garden design in the Cotswolds

: From building site to complete garden

Spring Flowering Bulbs

September 7, 2019 by Samantha Willis

Catalogues have been dropping on my doorstep for a few months now and I’ve been enjoying browsing the options. If you haven’t yet ordered your Spring flowering bulbs get on with it, planting bulbs is between October and November. Bulbs need the nice cold weather to get them started.

Bulbs in winter
It is the cold winter that is needed to stimulate stem growth, a temperature of 10c or below is required. Ideally these bulbs need at least 10 weeks.

Planting your Spring Flowering Bulbs
Follow the instructions on the package for your bulbs for planting but the majority of bulbs need 3 times the depth of the bulb for planting. I often plant my bulbs in amongst the herbaceous border then when the flowers have died back the new herbaceous growth hides the leaves.

This is a great trick for the big Alliums as their leaves are ungainly when they are in flower.

One of my favourite little Spring flowering bulbs is Scilla siberica, this dainty bulb produces a lovely blue flower that reaches 10cms high or if you prefer you can have the the Scilla siberica Alba for a white flower head. I also always have a Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrop) in my garden, it’s always a pleasure to see them.

J Parkers and Sarah Raven for lots of inspiration

A company have know for years is Fentongollan Flower Farm in Cornwall, fondly known as the Fentongollan finishing school for those of us that wanted summer jobs. Many of us spent a convivial summer on the flower farm in the bulb sorting and packaging sheds. After a few weeks we were all able to identify different daffodil bulbs.

So enjoy the catalogue trawl, the planting and then sit back and enjoy the winter waiting for your Spring Flowers.

How to protect your plants in the snow and frosts

February 1, 2019 by Samantha Willis

How to protect your plants in the snow and frosts

Frosts
Frosts can harm plants and the more Mediterranean plants are not terribly keen on frosts but they do survive, although you may loose some. If you’re particularly worried cover them with horticultural fleece this can be found in most nurseries. There are also pull over jackets that you can use on your Olive Trees and Bay Trees.

The biggest problem with frosts is plants in pots as these plants roots are above ground and will also be freezing, they are not able to snuggle their toes into the earth and carry on snoozing until the warmer weather. So wrap up your pots, bubble wrap and hessian are a great way to add a little protection to you plants roots.

Snow
So today we have the added interest of snow. Whilst the first flush of snow is beautiful you may notice your evergreen trees and shrubs and bowing with the weight of the plants. As the branches will be frozen and brittle give them a hand and remove some of the snow. Simply wrap up warm and go out with a broom and just gently shake off the snow. The plants will leap back into shape unburdened from the snow and you wont get any disappointing snaps from a beloved shrub or tree.

Sculpture for Ponds

February 1, 2019 by Samantha Willis

Sculptures for Ponds

Choosing the right garden sculpture for your pond or water feature.

There are a number of things to consider before you purchase your garden sculpture for your pond, too big and it can dominate the garden, too small and it’s lost.

A large pond for a large fountain to ensure you don’t get a soaking on a windy day. It’s fun to watch our children running through water fountains on hot sunny days but this is possibly not the gauntlet you want to run each day in your own garden!

Sound of Water in the Garden

Sound is very important, do you want to hide the sound of traffic or aeroplanes? It doesn’t take much to muffle sounds or rather distract the ear with an alternative sound.

In this particular garden the Client wanted a garden sculpture that they could enjoy from all angles naturally around the garden and also from the house. We chose copper as we wanted to reflect on a sculpture the client had had in a previous garden.

Plants in my pond

There are plants that don’t like to be disturbed by too much moving water such as the Water Lily so chosing your water feature is so important.

The garden sculpture was commissioned from Gary Pickles

Gary Pickles Metallic Garden blog

Copper Water Feature

The morning glory sculpture is delightful as it catches the sunlight and it is a pleasure to sit by the pond and watch the water delicately tumbling from the flowers and leaves.

Town Garden in Cheltenham

September 25, 2018 by Samantha Willis

Garden designed and landscaped for town house in Cheltenham

Garden was previously laid to lawn with a few borders
This was turned into a garden with different areas to sit and enjoy the sunshine from morning to evening sun.

The steps wide steps lead into the garden creating a feature by themselves. The pond attracts wildlife and is a lovely site from the house and the garden adding the sound of trickling water.

Existing garden features such as the Rachel Duckerwire sculptor was incorporated into the new design.
Also designed and created a beautiful wall sculptor with Jenny PickfordJenny Pickford

: Garden before design

: Town House in Cheltenham

: Fossil Setts

: Gary Pickles of Metallic Gardens

: Morning Sun seating area

: Posh Shed Company

: Jenny Pickford Celtic Screen

: Alleyway before

: Alleyway after

: Oxford Planters

: Garden in Winter

Plant of the Month

May 28, 2018 by Samantha Willis

A plant of the Month
As a garden designer ensuring a garden has all year round interest so important. One shrub that is one of my plants of the month for a country garden is the Philadelphus. The ones I have in my garden are just coming into blossom. I know I’m in for a treat for the next few months.

The Philadelphus comes in many varities and if you have the space for one to grow I would strongly recommend ‘Virginal’ this will grow to 2.5m high smothered in double pure white flowers in June and July. When you catch the white flowers on a hot summers day gleam with a freshness against an azure blue sky it is something to behold. Not only that but the plant has a beautiful orange scent, hence the name Mock Orange.

If you are lacking in space the Philadelphus ‘Belle Etoile’ has a single flower with a great scent and only reaches 1.2m in height or even smaller is the ‘Manteau d’Hermine which reaches .75m in height. I have one that has a clipped box hedge in front of it, the dark leaf of the box contrasts with the fresh vibrant leaf of the Philadelphus. If you’re looking for a bit of interest later in the year you can plant a later flowering Clematis such as Taylors Clematis Margaret Hunt can then twist and curl over the shrub giving an extra interest to the garden.

Aspect
The Philadelphus likes sun or partial shade

Nurseries
This is a plant that is easily sourced from nurseries, I’m sure your local nursery will have a Philadelphus for your needs but if not try Crocus

If you’re looking for all year round interest in your garden and need some inspiration contact Samantha Willis Garden Designer in Oxford

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