Samantha Willis Garden Design

Samantha Willis Garden Design

Landscaping idea for Front Driveway

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Garden design and landscaping front driveway in Bicester
Removing the broken tarmac and creating a more interesting driveway with fan paving in Bicester

Adding evergreen hedging to frame the garden

Kept existing pebbles to add a pebble garden for added interest

Garden Design for a New Build

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Garden created for new house

The Garden was a New Build just lawn on two levels. It was designed to created privacy, a connected garden and enjoyment.
The existing fencing was amended to create a less industrial looking fence blocking the garden view from the house.

We added seating areas to avoiding being overlooked.

The raised beds were created to bring the levels together as the garden was disjointed.

The garden shed provides easy access to your tools at garden level.

This garden was a mixture of shady and sunny areas and we therefore created planting plans to cope with those.

Garden Design New Build

Garden Design and build in Oxfordshire

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Garden design with entrance to garden steps and topiary

Garden design and build in Oxfordshire

This garden was created from a sloping lawn into a family garden.

A level lawn area was created for family games.
A slope was partially kept to enable water games or rolling down
Steps leading up to the lawn and a retaining wall enabled levels to be played with.

Borders were designed and planted with herbs and roses to create the english country garden feel

The patio around the house was created for family meals. The steps into the garden provide a seating area with box hedging framing the garden and providing seclusion.

The Topiary balls prevent the cars parking too close to the front door.

Tree Planting in Winter

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The benefits of planting trees for gardens

The Benefits

Trees provide benefits to us and the environment. We receive shade from the sun and shelter from the rain and they provide shelter and food for wildlife for birds, mammals, butterflies, moths and insects. They also absorb Co2

Trees for Gardens

There are trees for every garden so explore the right tree for your garden. Ask you’re local nursery for some advice. Here are a few ideas from me:-
The Prunus amanogawa is a small upright cherry perfect for a small garden. Birds can happily come and sit on the branches, you can admire the beautiful pink blossoms and the autumn colour. This tree will not dominate your garden.
Pryus chanticleer is an upright tree with lovely white blossoms in the Spring. Use this tree for a medium sized garden
Amelanchier lamerckii is one of my favourites it has lovely white blossoms, black berries that are unseen but the birds suddenly come in June to eat them and the autumn colour is lovely. For a garden with limited space this is a lovely tree to possess.
The Magnolia x soulangeana is a beautiful tree with it’s saucer shaped large blooms in the Spring but this tree will grow so find a spot that will enable it to come to its full glory

When considering a tree

When thinking about what tree you’d like in your garden consider a few questions, do you want it to keep it’s leave in the winter, attract wildlife with flowers or fruit?

Winter is a good time to plant trees as the decidous ones (lose leaves in winter) can be planted bare root as they are dormant (sort of sleeping). Bare root trees, come with no soil or pot and are literally bare root. So the added advantage is they are cheaper.

Good luck

Spring Flowering Bulbs

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Spring Flowering Bulbs

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

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Lavender in frost

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

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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

Water Feature

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.

Plant of the Month

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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

RHS Chelsea

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Chelsea Flower Show May 2018

This year was another inspiring year for people and Garden Designers.  As a Garden Designer in Oxford I was impressed by the amazing diversity of gardens this year which was thoroughly enjoyable. Equally the flowers in the gardens this year were a great selection of plants and pallets.

VTP Capital Garden

I would not normally like a concrete garden and it is not often required for garden designers in Oxford but smooth concrete was greatly admired in the VTB Capital Garden – Spirit of Cornwall. Whilst not a traditional garden for this time of year with the Rhododendrons and Magnollias or even granite it did portray Cornwall.  As a Cornish person I was quizzed by my friends before I knew the story of the garden as to it’s location and I did guess correctly.

The lush sub tropical planting is an element of Cornwall and it was depicting the Hepworth Garden.  The metal path leading from one concrete seating platform to the pavilion was inspired and reflects the sound wave of music.  This was a beautiful garden where less certainly is more.

Skin Deep

I also loved Skin Deep Garden.  Each concrete block was designed to represent people with various skin conditions.  The more you looked at the blocks the more you noticed different textures, with the added influence of the sun and the shadows of the plants dancing on the blocks this garden was a constant source of wonder.  Whilst quite structured this garden was surprisingly relaxing, inviting you to sit on the blocks and enjoy the plants that were billowing around the blocks.  But there is no sitting in the gardens at Chelsea no matter how inviting.  So well cone Robert Barker for the design.

Garden Designer in Oxford

If you too are inspired for Chelsea and need a little help from a garden designer in Oxford please don’t hesitate to give me a call Samantha Willis 0771 858 6105

Beth Chatto

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Beth Chatto – someone I admired

It is with great sadness that I heard that Beth Chatto has passed away.  She was an incredible lady, an inspiration to many garden designers.  I myself have her book The Shade Garden and also the Dry Garden. My books are  greatly thumbed through, a must have for garden designers.

I had the pleasure of walking around one of Beth Chatto’s  show gardens.  It was designed to demonstate a low water usage garden for The Prince of Wales Start Garden Party in 2010, encouraging sustainability.  It was an enormous treat for me to walk around such an inspiring garden.

I also treasure a hand written note I received form Beth Chatto.  She encouraged us garden designers and plant enthusiasts.

I have not made it to Beth Chatto’s gardens yet but as a garden designer in Oxford I have to make the journey.  I recently purchased some plants from the nursery to add to the shade garden I created recently so if you are looking for inspiration go to their nursery and plant something to remember a great lady of horticulture.

 

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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