Plantsmanship

Colin Elliott is, above all things, a Plantsman.

Plants are crucial for life on this planet, storing Carbon, emitting Oxygen and moderating the earth's temperature and climate. Plants are also the life-blood of any landscape, providing the essential link with nature within the constructed and ordered space we call a garden.

The best estimate we have of the number of known plant species is around 400,000. Not all of them are particularly garden-worthy and many of them will not grow in our climate (depending, of course, on where you garden). Certainly 10,000 are suitable in various garden situations and the latest encyclopaedia from the Royal Horticultural Society lists 15,500.

Gardens designed by the Garden-Design Co. have plants at the heart of them. Our knowledge of a wide range of suitable species and cultivars ensures appropriate plants are used, working with nature rather than fighting with it. Sometimes we have to travel widely to locate the plants we need, when not available from local growers. We select plants carefully to ensure they have the best chance of thriving when introduced into a new garden.

We can create schemes which are in harmony with your home and the wider landscape beyond, or challenge the senses with dramatic contrasts of form and colour. We understand that your garden and the plants within it are on a journey through time. We design our planting to present an immediate effect, but with an enduring landscape in mind.