The Garden Design
Sam Ovens Landscapes is a local award winning landscape designer based in Looe. Sam specialises in the creation of outdoor spaces that are memorable and inspirational. Sam Ovens Landscapes aims to create timeless spaces with personality, spaces that look beautiful all year round and change with the seasons, not static spaces, but spaces that move and change and develop, spaces which need to be experienced rather than just seen.
We are probably one of Sams smallest clients - but also one of his most unique. Its not often that people leave room in their budget for garden design, but Ash and I feel the setting of a house is just as important as the house itself. Sam was excited to take us on - mostly because it will be our forever home. Its not commercial, its not for show, and its not even a holiday home. It really needs to be both inspiring and functional.
Our (vague) brief: We are happy to have a fairly large lawn area for our son to play in, but would really like to have some 'floral feature' areas too, especially at the bottom of the garden. We have noted a few plants/shrubs/flowers that we like, but really this is a new area to us and value some experience and advice. We appreciate how very important the setting of a house is - and we really want to get it right from the start!
Bullet Points
(I do love a list!)
- veggie patch / herb garden - perhaps within courtyard from kitchen
- wooden climbing frame
- sun lounger (hot tub?) area near to current palm tree location (best view)
- we have x3 old large coppers we might like to make a feature of - planting? fire pit?
- we have an old granite trough we would like to use/feature
- bbq area - perhaps use red bricks from bungalow to make oven etc
- vintage row boat sand pit (see update!)
- shed for tools etc - positioning?
- clothes line
- personalised bar location? at bottom or courtyard or under pergola?
- chicken area? bees?
Oh Pinterest, what would we do without you? #inspiration
On September 3rd 2018 we met up with Sam at the Duchy Of Cornwall Nursery to discuss the plans. Sam had initially said he might have two or three designs for us, but when we met he just had the one. He said the more he played around with it, the more he realised that there was just one that worked the best. We are still toying with the pond idea (we might lose it because of Ernie, I don’t want to have to worry about him playing in the garden with his friends while I’m in the house) plus we live so close to the sea, we can live without water in the garden. I do love the idea though! There is a natural tree! (if we ever find one) climbing frame / slide area for Ernie, plus a sandpit boat. An wild flower meadow and fruit orchid. Some raised oak beds for a veg/herb garden and a feature stone wall with informal planting, keeping it relaxed & playful with a mix of traditional and contemporary elements.
