Samantha Willis Garden Design

Samantha Willis Garden Design

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Garden Design Oxford

September 15, 2024 by Samantha Willis

Garden Design Oxford

Experienced garden designer working in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. With a passion for plants and gardens from design to insullation.

We help you achieve the garden of your dreams; creating a family garden, a garden to entertain friends, building a garden for an office space that doesn’t mean you’re staring at the office all the time, a garden for a plant lover.

Country House in Chilterns

Garden designed for new pool house

Contact us for an informal chat

Filed Under: Garden Design

Garden in Autumn

August 21, 2024 by Samantha Willis

Gardens in Autumn

Autumn always offers a flashy show of colour before we settle into a quiet winter in a garden. This is the time to note what flowers you like and place your orders for next year.

Fushias for some Autumn Colour
Fuschias that remind me of ballet dancers add a flash of colour to the garden, some with dainty little dancers from Swan Lake whereas others come from the step sisters of sleeping beauty such as Fuschia ‘Delicate White’ or Brash and Blousy such as Fuschia ‘Hardy’

Dahlias for Autumn Gardens
Dahlias come into their own at this time of year you can have the beautify pale colours such as Dahlia ‘Cafe Au Lait’ or the lovely elegant Bishop of Auckland with its beautiful single petalled flower in velvet red. If however you want to embrace the a full blast of colour before winter go mad with Dahlia Neon Splendor Dahlia Neon Splendour you’ll see a number of other plants at this site.

If you want some garden inspiration and need help we can design your whole garden or borders. Please contact us for gardens in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Warwickshire.

Purchasing Fuschias at LockyerFuschias as well as other nurseries
Purchase Dahlias through a number of nurseries
J Parkers
Sarah Raven

Filed Under: Garden Design

Paving for Gardens

May 13, 2024 by Samantha Willis

Paving for Gardens

Paving is something that garden designers need to consider as well as plants, aspect, soil and more.

Type of Paving
There is natural stone, porcelain and concrete and others.

What colour should I choose
Have a look at the colours you already have in the garden. You want to work with the existing landscape and house. For example I used a pale grey for the garden in Henley to pick up on the flint walls already in the garden.
Grey was also used for the Pergola to create a contrast against the Cotswold stone.
For the house in Bicester I chose a warmer colour to go against the red brick

Type of Paving
A riven sandstone or limestone paving slab with mixed sizes fits well with a country style garden.
While a smooth finish is better with clean lines of a new build contemporary garden

Just a few thoughts for you on your paving options. To give you a few more paving ideas for your Garden Design have a look at the following Paving Types

If you need some help with your garden design in Oxfordshire please don’t hesitate to contact me.Contact 0771 858 6105

Garden in Bicester
Town Garden
Garden Designed in Henley
Finished Garden in Cheltenham
Town House in Cheltenham

Show Garden Malvern
Pergola in Cotswolds

Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Garden Design, Garden Design Cotswolds, Garden Design Oxfordshire

Garden Arbour

April 30, 2024 by Samantha Willis

Garden Arbour

Looking for an interesting area in your garden, a little feature. Why not try a garden arbour.
This can be an excluded seated area or simply a garden feature as we’ve created.

We revisited a garden I designed a few years ago in Cheltenham and have added this arbour

Garden Arbour

Garden Feature

We puchsed this one from Agriframes

If your looking for Garden inspiration in Oxfordshire or Gloucestershire why not give us a call.

Contact 0771 858 6105

Filed Under: Garden Design

Plant of the Month

April 14, 2024 by Samantha Willis

Plant of the Month for April

I always enjoy the bright colours that start to appear after winter and one of the firstthe herbaceous flows is Bleeding Heart ‘Lamprocapnos spectabilis’

This plant enjoys a shady spot in the garden. It grows to about 1m high, clump forming and adds a lovely bright pink.

There is Dicentra ‘Cupid’ which is a soft pale pink that will brighted up any slightly shaded area or the Dicentra ‘Alba’ a white unlike the bright pink

When it has finished flowering its feathery leaf adds a lovely shape to the garden border.
An ideal shady border plant.

Bleeding Heart

If you need some garden inspiration for your borders please contact Contact 0771 858 6105

Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Garden Design, GardenDesign, LandscapeDesign, Oxford

Garden inspiration for Easter

March 25, 2024 by Samantha Willis

Garden Inspiration for Easter

Spring brings us the odd warm day and with it of delicous scents when we walk around the garden and often from unsung heros.

Daphne Aumarginata

Spring flower from Daphne Aumarginata


These plants are our evergreen heros providing us colour throught the winter. Then in the Spring food for insects and lovely aromas.

Daphe aumarginata has small lovely pink flowers and a delicious perfumed scent. It is relatively easy to grow liking a sheltered spot. If you can plant it close to your house to enjoy the early Spring scent you’re in for a treat. The shrub grows to approx 1.5 tall by 1.5 wide.

The easiest daphne with the strongest, lily-like fragrance from blue-pink waxy flowers. One bush in afternoon sun will fragrance an entire area in late spring
Val Bourne – Garden Writer
Thankyou Crosus for the quote and you can find them at Crocus too. Crocus

Osmanthus hetrophyllus is a large evergreen shrub with dark holly like leaves and tiny white flowers that have a heavently scent. I do have this one in my garden and enjoy picking the odd sprig for a vase.

Berberis darwinii can be a large shrub but is used as a hedging plant. It has tiny holly shaped dark green leaves, smaller that the Osmanthus and very prickly. It has clusters of tiny orange flowers. Be careful not to plant it near Spring flowering shrubs that can clash. Burncoose Nursery supplies this Burnoose Nursery

Looking for more garden inspiration in Oxford and surrounding counties please contact us

Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Adderbury, Banbury, Chipping Norton, Deddington, Garden Borders, Garden Design, Oxford

Plant of the Month

March 15, 2024 by Samantha Willis

Plant of the Month

There are a number of beautiful plants coming into flower in March removing the gloom from the winter days.

I love the Camellias, many areas in Oxford do not have the ericaceous soil for Camellias but you can still enjoy them in a pot. Northamptonshire has places of acidic soil and are therefore perfect for planting these plants.

Image of white flowering Camellia Shrub

Camellia japonica ‘Jovey Carlyon’

The Camellias come in all sorts of colours and sizes from single flowers to double blooms.
One I discovered the other day was Camellia japnoica ‘Jovey Carlyon’ with its double white flower. Burncoose nursery in Cornwall supplies this plant Burncose nursery

Camellia japnica ‘Adelina Patti’ is a stunning single flower with soft pink veined petals and framed with white edging. If you want to find out more about it have a look at Burncose Nusery Burncose nursery

Camellia williamsii hybrid Anticipation is a beautiful red double flower and whilst it can grow to 4m hight it is also good one for container planting Ashwood nurseries can supply this plant

Planting Camellias

When planting your Camellia it needs neutral to acidic soil remember to plant them in a sheltered position so late frosts don’t get the flowers.

They enjoy being in dappled shade with their roots kept damp. When not in flower their dark green glossy leaf adds an excellent backdrop to other shrubs in the garden border

If you’re going to plant them in a pot remember its ericaceous compost you need and then a regular feed to keep the soil neutral.

If you’re looking for a little more garden inspiration for your garden as summer approaches please call for an informal chat to discuss your garden design needs

Contact Contact 0771 858 6105

Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Banbury, Chipping Norton, Deddington, Garden Borders, Garden Design, Oxfordshire, Woodstock

How Do I Find A Garden Designer

March 8, 2024 by Samantha Willis

A Herbaceous Border

How Do I Find A Garden Designer

Spring is nearly here and warmer days are approaching. With warmer days comes the desire to be outside in the garden.
If you’ve just moved into a new build house you are probably looking at a lawn and a fence or wall.

The lawn may seem a little daunting where do you start to create a garden. To a garden designer it’s a blank canvas, an opportunity to help you get the garden you want.

How Do You Find A Garden Designer

Look at their website, do you like their images.
Garden Designers all have styles whether is it a small courtyard garden or large country garden we have our stamp.
Have an informal meeting, do you like the designer? It is a partnership to achieve your garden.
Ask about the pricing structure of the garden designer
In some cases you may need a Landscaper not garden designer
Also some landscapers will deliver design services.

Look for a designer with history, with awards.

The Society of Garden designers can help you find a designer or the association of professional landscapers.Society of Garden Designers

I’m a garden designer in Deddington and work in the surounding areas; Adderbury, Bicester, Banbury, Chipping Norton, Woodstock and more.

If you’re looking for a garden designer in Oxfordshire please call. Contact 0771 858 6105 and lets create your garden to enjoy this summer.

Filed Under: Garden Design, Highlights Tagged With: Adderbury, Chipping Norton, Garden Design, Woodstock

Plant of the Month

February 18, 2024 by Samantha Willis

Plants for Shade Garden

Plant of the Month

If your looking for garden inspiration try the Hellebore lenten. Aptly named the Lenten Rose as they flower round Easter time.
Now don’t go out and buy the Helleborus niger as that one actually flowers around Christmas time and if you were given one at Christmas go and plant it. It will be happy in the garden.

The Helleborus foetidus is one that is perfect for a woodland garden but pay attention to its name. It is not called foetidus because it smells gorgeous, it actually means ‘bad-smelling’. Some say the smell is a cabbage like smell, maybe not what you want close to your house.

Helleborus lenten
If you have a shady corner or semi shade this is the perfect location for your Hellebores. They come in all colours from white, pink to deep burgundy.
They are great for the pollinators as there are so few flowering plants at this time of year and as they are rich in nectar they are good for hungry bees.

You will find them in most nurseries near you and if not try Crocus

If you would ike some help with your border design in Oxfordshire please contact us.

Filed Under: Garden Design, Highlights

New Build Garden Design Ideas

February 15, 2024 by Samantha Willis

New Build Garden

New Build Garden Design Ideas

Spring is arriving and thoughts of sitting in the garden are getting closer. Your garden may not be that inspiring if it is a New Build.
The green lawn is not that interesting. How to make your garden more inspiring might seem daunting.

Take some time to look at the garden now and consider what you want.

What is the aspect of your garden. Where are the sunny locations in your garden. Remember plants like certain conditions choose plants to fit the location for example Lavender plants are not shade loving.

Designing your Garden Borders think about what colours you like, what will the plants look like in the winter.

Are you a chef and want herbs in the garden? If you want herbs that you might not find in your local garden centre try Jekka’s. A nursery that provides herbs, seeds and masterclasses

Is there a space you need for vegetables
Think about the quality of the soil if you’re having problems digging into the soil you’ll need raised beds. Don’t want those carrots growing all crooked!

The quality of your soil will probably be poor as must developers scrape off the topsoil and sell it. Gardeners World gives great details on how to improve your soil.

As a garden designer in Oxford serving surrounding counties from Henley to Cheltenham we can create your garden. If you need help designing borders for your garden please contact us

Filed Under: Garden Design

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About

My love for gardening started with my Nan where she nurtured her Cornish garden often rising at 5 to set to before the heat of the summer… MORE

How does it work?

My practice is based in Oxford. I work with small professional teams to develop everything from the tiniest urban hideaway to large country gardens... MORE

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