Places to see Snowdrops

January 25, 2017 by Samantha Willis

Places to see Snowdrops near Oxford

I’m a garden designer in Oxford so here are some tips for viewing in and around Oxford but check out the website for other gardens near you.

Waterperry Gardens – Oxford
Welford Park – Newbury
Colesbourne Park – Cheltenham
Rodmarton Manor – Cirencester
Stars and Snowdrops – near Banbury

The last one is a little gem I discovered with my children

How to look at snowdrops

A carpet of Snowdrops ‘Galanthus‘ is quite breathtaking but take time to bend down and admire the little flowers. Colesbourne Park grows about 250 varieties and has a lovely raised area to admire some of their varieties.

Buying and planting snowdrops

When snowdrops are ”in the green’ i.e. with leaves is the best time to plant snowdrops so take advantage of the various sales of these snowdrop collectors and enjoy your own little patch next year, planting them in a shady little corner.

Garden designer in Oxford

January 24, 2017 by Samantha Willis

As a garden designer in Oxford encouraging the next generation to garden is important to me. What better way to inspire enthusiasm than actually providing the right garden tools for children. You wouldn’t ask a child to play cricket with a tennis racket.

Plastic Tools

Garden tools for children are really important to nurture their enthusiasm in the garden. When they’re very little plastic tools and a wheel barrow are great to get the children out. Little children love discovering insects, making a mess and generally having fun. Hopefully not eating too much mud!

Children’s Garden Tools

When children are a little older a plastic spade just doesn’t work. I decided to get some decent tools and wasn’t disappointed. Burgonandball offer the perfect mini version of a spade, a fork, hand trowel and hand fork. They are beautifully crafted and a pleasure to work with. You will often see me pinching them.

With these mini scaled tools children can happily be part of the growing season. They’ll be digging the allotment, discovering the potatoes and trampling over the lettuces!

Bulldog Tools also offer the above and other tools such as a hoe which is very useful for keeping the weeds at bay

Samantha Willis is garden designer who’s designed vegetable gardens and gardens, if you’d like some help with your garden so you too can be out inspiring you’re family please get in touch.

Christmas Rose a gift idea

December 2, 2016 by Samantha Willis

Christmas Rose a gift idea

As a garden designer in Oxford creating all round colour is imperative to me. One plant that I particularly like is the Helleborus niger. This perenial plant is evergreen, and has beautiful white flowers in the winter. It’s flower resembles the rose hence it’s name.

There are many Helleborus but the niger is the Christmas rose, so a lovely Christmas idea for someone to give in a pot or for a shady spot in their garden.

Story of the Christmas Rose

The story of the flower is that it was created when a little girl, Madelon visited Christ’s birth place in Bethlehem and was sad as she saw the kings and the shepherds bringing gifts to the little boy. As her tears fell to the ground so the Helleborus niger grew.

There are many other Hellebore varieties providing pale pint to deep purple flowers such as the Black Swan from thomas morgan, they will flower from January to May so a great addition to the garden. If you’re adding them to a slighly woodland area they will self seed and assuming you don’t weed the area too much produce a lovely display in a few years.

Some history for the Christmas Rose

Apparently the Christmas Rose is a toxic plant but never fear as it is rather disgusting to taste, so I’m told it is quickly spat out. In medieval times it was known for it’s healing properties as well as it’s poisonous ones. It is said that the leaves were crushed and fed to Alexander the Great but no one really knows the cause of his death.

That said this plant is a beautiful plant that brightens up shady areas and whilst it has poisonous properties it also has healing properties, so I’d consider this plant as a lovely Christmas gift.

Shrubs as Xmas Gifts

November 30, 2016 by Samantha Willis

Shrubs as Xmas Gifts

People are often lost for ideas for xmas gifts , as a garden designer near Oxford I always find a keen gardener is always happy to receive a plant. What better present than something to enjoy on the crisp cold days of winter. So I’d recommend going out and purchasing a shrub to add some delicious scents in the winter gardens.

Small Shrubs for Xmas Gifts

The Christmas box, Sarcocca confusa, is a great evergreen shrub, at this time of year. It should be planted by a door to benefit from the delicious sweet scent, this can be bought in any local nursery or online. They are very slow growing so I’d recommend a 2Ltr pot. These are great shade loving plants.

Skimmia’s are rather spectacular with their bright red berries, Skimmia japonica subsp. reevesiana is a good one as it is hermaphrodite, so it will produce flowers and berries without another plant needed.

All local nurseries such as Bunkers Hill near Kidlington will sell these or purchase them on line through crocus.co.uk for your xmas gifts

Large Shrubs for Xmas Gifts

If your friend has a little more space in their garden consider Daphne bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont‘ or ‘Dawn’ as an Xmas gift Charles Lamont has pale pink flowers while Dawn has bright pink flowers they both fade to white. These are deciduous upright shrubs that are worthy of placing in a large garden.

A delicious scent in the garden is Chimonanthus praecox, commonly known as wintersweet. This plant is really unremarkable in the summer months and to be honest in the winter as well, except the scent will stop you in your track. Dantily perched on the stems are waxy yellow flowers with maroon insides, a tiny beautiful flower. These are best trained on a south facing wall, although you can grow these as shrubs.

I have used these shrubs in my garden designs so if you want some inspiration for your garden please contact Samantha Willis garden design.

Plants for Spring

March 4, 2016 by Samantha Willis

Spring Colour inspired by the Oscars

Oscar dresses are mirroring the English Spring colour this year with yellows, red and peach and the softer tones. So whilst we might not have the occasion to wear an Oscar dress, we can all have the joy of the colour in our garden with some Plants for the Spring. I’ve reviewed the dresses

Plants for Spring

The beautiful dress designed by Stella McCartney and worn by Olivia Munn reminded me of the colour of Geum ‘Dolly North’ which I like planting with Euphorbia martinii. The Euphorbia’s little

Lamprocapos previously Dicentra Spectabilis Valentine, well known for it’s drooping heart shaped flowers, this is a lovely red colour with slightly dark stems. This is perfect for a shady spot but if you have a sunny area that could do with a lovely splash of red try, Pulsatilla vulgaris ‘Rode Klokke’. Pulsatilla’s not only have large flowers but when the flower dies they have a wonderful silvery seedheads that you just want to touch.

Alicia Vikander wore a dusty yellow Louis Vuitton, if you’d like a little spring yellow in your garden, Doronicum x excelsum ‘Harpur Crewe’ is a lovely bright yellow flower that will brighten up any shady or semi shady spot in the spring time. Prumulas vulgaris, whilst the common primrose I adore them, they soft yellow 5 petalled flower with it’s darker yellow centre cheer up any spring morning.

For a lovely deep blue not quite as dark as Brie Larsons’ but beautiful non the less try Omphalodes Cappadocia ‘Cherry Ingram’ another shade loving plant but plant in in a shady corner and add some lime green with ferns to the area such as Dryopteris cycadina.

For those that prefer softer tones, the Tulip Angelique is one of my favourites and if you find some, you can always place them in your garden in pots and remember to buy the bulbs them later in the year. Pulmonaria ‘Sissinghurst White’ is a lovely spreading ground cover plant, plant that with some Hosta ‘Sum and Substance’.

Christmas Flowers and Shrubs for Gifts

November 24, 2015 by Samantha Willis

Christmas Flower and Shrubs Gift Ideas for Gardeners

If you’re looking for Christmas ideas for gardeners in my opinion there is nothing as lovely as some Christmas flowers as a gift , the delicate flower and scent of the Paper White daffodils or the red trumpets of the Amaryllis standing to attention in their pots all add some festive cheer to the place. I grew up in Cornwall and being given a bunch of Cornish narcissus is a genuine delight, Fentongollan Flower Farm offer a postal service as well as a lovely on-line Christmas shop of goodies.

But whilst you can enjoy these flowers in the house there are an array of shrubs and plants that provide delicious scents as you walk around the garden and would make a lovely present for a gardener.

As a small Christmas flower you cannot ignore Hellebores, the Hellebores niger or Christmas rose will be coming into flower just around Christmas, usually beginning of January. It is called the Christmas rose as it is said it grew where a young girl’s tears fell as she didn’t have a present to give baby Jesus. Other Hellebores with their dark green leaf and droopy flower add an interest to the garden if you manage to have time and look at the flower they can be quite intricate.

Deciduous Shrubs

These shrubs will give you Christmas flowers but these shrubs are more renowned for their garden scent.

Viburnum bodatense New Dawn has pink fragrant flowers from November to March. it’s a dense medium sized shrub and a delight to walk past on a cold winters day.

Hamemelis x intermedia ‘Diane’ this witch hazel has lovely coppery red flowers which I prefer to the Hamemelis mollis with it’s yellow flowers.

Chimonanthus praecox (Winter sweet) really doesn’t look much in the winter but as it is a large shrubs it is usually at the back of the border being unnoticed but the scent will make you stop in your tracks. The delicious sweet spicy scent that oozes from this plant is intoxicating. The flowers when you take the time to look at them are beautiful. This is one of my garden musts for a large garden and a perfect present for Christmas.

Evergreen Shrubs as Christmas Flowers

If you’re looking for Evergreen Christmas flowers there are a number of shrubs but these are two that I like.

Skimmia’s are a lovely, ‘Rubella’ is probably the variety that you will see in shops with it’s tight red buds and dark leaves creating a perfect Christmas colour. These plants are great for shady areas when you decide to plant them out.

Sarcocca confusa, the Christmas box. This plant has the lovely dark leaf of the common box but in winter if you plant it by your door and brush past it it will have a delicious scent.

If you’re planning to buy a plant for a Christmas present check the pot sizes, ideally 2L or more. With the internet it is easy to order online you can do this from nurseries or from retailers have a look at the RHS for some inspiration.

If you’d like some winter colour in your garden and need some help from a garden designer contact Samantha Willis 0771 858 6105

Chelsea Flower Show 2015

May 23, 2015 by Samantha Willis

There was a vibrancy at RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year with is dazzling array of colours in every garden. The Homebase garden had the Geum as it’s hero, Totally Tangerine and Lady Marmalade brightened up a day threatening rain.

The Sentabale garden is a delight with it’s lush planting, and pathways that lead you to the little door that will give hope to so many in Lesotho when they step through the door of their building. If you look closely the poppy from Lesotho did come out too, a lovely little orange.

The Telegraph gardens blocks of colour looked so simple, just three plants you think when you look in a block and then you see more and more plants in the same block.

The Laurent-Perrier Chatsworth Garden was beautiful, it is true most of us couldn’t have it in our garden but it just looked right in that corner of Chelsea, surely it was permanent. Iris x robusta Dark Aura was striking with it’s lovely dark stem and a lovely white flower that sprung from the garden was Paradisea lusitanica

The Lysimachia atropurpurea’Beaujolais’ appeared on a number of gardens, the M&G garden has a lovely Gypsophelia, elegans ‘Covent Garden.

The Dark Matter garden is inspiring and I walked away for the first time in my life knowing what Dark Matter was. Science with horticulture united in a seemingly simplistic way with the rusted steel rods and vibrant lime greens, oranges and yellows. Those steel rods are not just bent any old way though they are worked out to a mm of where the scientists say it should be. I didn’t know that any school could sign up to use the the observatory’s did you? Check out National Schools Observatory

The Artisan Garden were increadible their imagination in such a small place, the Breast Cancer Haven garden was stunning and I really did want to jump onto the woven oak leaf and relax under the canopy of leaves. The Old Forge for Motor Neurone Disease Assoc was stunning too and a major accomplishment for a young female designer

Today is the last day and as usual these masterpieces will be dismantled some to be built in permanent homes so if you haven’t managed to get there enjoy the BBC programmes and book for next year in December.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2015

May 8, 2015 by Samantha Willis

This year, the designers battled their way through the wind and the rain ready for the opening day of the RHS Malvern Spring Festival which was fantastic. Whilst I felt the disappointment of not doing a garden design this year, it was lovely to have the time to admire the show and catch up with friends and colleagues.

The Villaggio garden deserves the best in show, the attention to detail was incredible, the water feature was carefully considered as in Andalusia the village fountain is fed from the mountain, so when it rains it gushes and the fountain is full but in the summer it is a little trickle. With the whitewashed walls, mature olive trees and red geraniums I was on holiday.

The Floral Marquees was bustling and I couldn’t resist taking home a fern from Bowdens, Matteucia struthiopteris Jumbo, it’s lime green colour and the anticipated height of 5-8ft. The collection of plants all gathered in one area is the equivalent of a sweet shop treat for children for me, a complete delight. The skill these nursery men have producing top quality plants for the show is astounding.

I also walked out with armfuls of Clematis from the 3 Shires Garden Centre, great quality and great prices and if you need supports you can find these too.

Of course there is not only the plants but the lectures, Raymond Blanc was his usual enthusiastic self and an inspiration to us all advising us to go for taste not looks with apples, Snow White chose the red shiny apple and look what happened to her! Ok well yes she did get the handsome prince in the end but that is not the point.

This year was a treat.

Winter Colour

January 1, 2015 by Samantha Willis

Colour in the Garden

The Hellebores are great little flowers that are often hidden by their leaves and their drooping flowers. Look underneath and you find this wonderful flower from the white Christmas Rose Helleborus niger to the deep dark Helleborus x hybridus ‘Blue Lady’. The Christmas Rose flowers around Christmas time and then you can have flowers right through to March/April.

These plants are easy to look after and grow well in shady conditions. Ideally plant the paler flowers in the shadier spots to light up the darker corners. The darker flowers need to be seen and they won’t be stuck in a shady corner, so semi shade for them.

Another great little winter plant is the Cyclamen hederifolium, these hardy plants make lovely swathes of colour. If you plant them in semi-shade in a humus rich location that will not dry out in the summer they will thrive. I tend to plant mine underneath Cornus or Hydrangeas where they will get the shade in the summer to protect them.

If you’re wanting something a little more blousy and in your face the Bergenia cordifolia or Elephants Ears. This plant has wavy leaves that are about 30cms long with stems of 60cms with sprays of pink flowers. They are again an easy plant to grow and unlike the two above enjoy sunshine or semi shade. There are many varities, if you prefer white flowers Bergenia ‘Bressingham White‘ or purple leaves try B. cordifolia ‘Purpurea

Or a Bergenia that many plantsmen rate is the one raised by Eric Smith of ‘The Plantsmen’.

“Undoubtedly the best for winter effect; large, rounded, crinkled leaves have polished bronze-tinted surfaces while backs, caught in low sunlight, glow rich carmine-red. 46 cm.” BethChatto.co.uk

Lighting your garden

December 18, 2014 by Samantha Willis

Lighting your Garden

If you’re thinking of lighting your garden consider two things firstly there is the health and safety issue; can you actually get down steps or along your path and to a front door? Can you insert the keys in the lock without cursing that you can’t see a thing? Do you need lights for security reasons?

Once you’ve considered the functional aspects there is the aesthetics of lights. At this time of year lighting can really bring a little warmth and emphasises st ructure from lighting the path to focusing on key features. So whilst you may not want to sit out and enjoy your garden in mid winter you can still admire aspects of it and then in the summer you get to sit out and enjoy it.

Up-lighting trees is a beautiful feature, emphasizing the shape and texture in the winter where their branches reach into the darkness and in the summer evening it highlights the leaves gently dancing in the breeze. If you want to see a fantastic display of illuminated trees prior to Christmas visit Westonbirt Arboretum if you live near by.

Spot lighting some small shubs such as Cornus with it’s bold red or yellow stems adds some colour to the garden or focusing on statues where you can either throw light on the item or place the lighting behind it giving intrigue.

Lighting can give a magical element to the garden and enable you to focus on a particular object, in one garden we’ve used LED lights behind a water feature enabling it to float along the patio in the evening, where in the daylight it is a bold stone trough.

So now is the time to have a look at your garden, what would you like to see illuminated at this time of year? If you were looking out of your window what would you like to see?