Planting and soft landscaping

Planting designed for the soil and the setting

Planting is what turns hard landscaping into a garden. We design and plant schemes that suit the soil, the aspect and the setting, and that are planted to establish and grow into themselves, not just to look full on the day we hand over. Good planting is the difference between a garden that gets better every year and one that struggles and gaps.

Planting to the soil you actually have

Plants thrive or sulk depending on the ground they go into. The heavy Oxford clay of the vale around Chippenham holds water and feeds hungry, structural planting once it is opened up and improved. The free-draining limestone of the Cotswolds suits a different, more drought-tolerant palette. We read the soil and the aspect, prepare the ground properly, and choose planting that wants to grow where you are putting it rather than fighting the conditions.

A scheme with structure and succession

A good scheme is designed, not bought in a trolley dash. We plan for structure through the year, evergreen bones, seasonal succession so there is always something doing its job, and a balance of height, texture and colour that suits the style of the garden and the house. Whether you want a relaxed cottage feel, a clean contemporary scheme or a productive kitchen garden, the planting is composed to read as a whole.

Prepared and planted to establish

The groundwork matters here too. We improve and prepare the soil, plant correctly for the season and the species, and set the scheme up to root in and establish. Planting done in a rush into poor ground is wasted money; planting into prepared ground, at the right time, in the right way, pays back for years.

Designed into the garden as a whole

Because we design and build as one firm, the planting is drawn into the scheme alongside the hard landscaping and the levels, so the beds, the soil depth and the drainage are all there to receive it. The garden is designed as one thing, not assembled in parts.

Talk to us about planting

Tell us the feel you want and how you use the garden, and we will design planting to suit your soil and setting. Arrange a consultation to start.

• 01

  Ponds and water features

  Wildlife ponds, koi ponds, pondless waterfalls and natural swimming ponds, built as living ecosystems.

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• 02

  Garden design and build

  One firm to design your garden and build it, from survey and drawings through to the finished space.

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• 03

  Walling

  Dry-stone and Cotswold-stone walling, garden walls and retaining walls, built in the local stone.

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Source: Gardenscape. Figures as of 2026-06-02.

• What grows well on clay soil?

  More than people think, once the ground is opened up and improved. Heavy Oxford clay holds water and suits structural, hungry planting. We prepare the soil properly and choose a palette that wants to grow in it rather than fighting the conditions.

• How do you stop new planting from dying off?

  Preparation and timing. We improve the soil, plant at the right time for the species, and plant correctly so the scheme roots in and establishes. Planting rushed into poor ground is the usual reason new schemes fail.

• Can you design a low-maintenance planting scheme?

  Yes. Choosing the right plants for the soil and aspect, and designing for structure and succession, gives you a scheme that largely looks after itself rather than one that needs constant rescuing.

• Do you plant for year-round interest?

  Yes. A good scheme has evergreen structure for the bones of the garden and seasonal succession so there is always something doing its job, balanced for height, texture and colour to suit the house and the style.

• Can planting be part of a wider garden project?

  Yes, and it works best that way. Because we design and build as one firm, the planting is drawn in alongside the hard landscaping and levels, so the beds, soil depth and drainage are all ready to receive it.