The ‘WOW’ of the Detail in Design
Welcome to the Simon Scott Landscaping Garden ‘WOW’ List. We’ve had a few Garden ‘WOW’s’ since our last posting, in this post we’re excited to share our current favourite with you. Our recently completed Sussex Nature Garden was named in honour of our clients’ deep love of the natural world and their desire to create a space where wildlife could truly thrive. Designed by Bo Cook Landscape and Garden Design, the project beautifully balances structure and softness, with multiple areas dedicated to both function and biodiversity. Although the planting is still establishing, the garden is already looking wonderful, and the strength of the design shines through. This post highlights just some of the beautiful materials and thoughtful design details that make this project so special.
Simon Scott Landscaping is a small, friendly team who work from project to project. We don’t offer in-house design, instead we focus on building professionally designed gardens. The knowledge, creativity, and precision that garden designers bring to their work is vital in the creation of stunning landscapes that fit the brief of clients. Whether we are recommended by a designer or recommending designers ourselves, we approach each project with care, craftsmanship and close attention to detail. From the moment we break ground to the final clean down, our team is on site throughout. I’m not on the tools so for me, visiting site and seeing a build come to life is always a joy—and this one is full of ‘WOW’ moments worth celebrating. The initial phase has now wrapped up, and here are some of my highlights so far.
Outdoor Kitchen and Entertaining Terrace
A beautifully designed oak pergola, with beams supplied by Round Wood of Mayfield, creates a shaded focal point over the outdoor kitchen and dining area. Soon to be covered in beautiful climbers. This connects seamlessly to an elegant entertaining terrace laid with Kota Brown limestone paving from London Stone. Surrounded by the woodlands beyond, the warm, earthy tones of the stone and the simplicity of the layout bring a refined, contemporary calm to this social space.
Vande Moortel Clay Paver Areas
Belgian-made Vande Moortel clay pavers elevate this garden’s pathways and retaining wall with their soft tones and exceptional character. These pavers offer rich variation and texture. Their linear format and unique finish bring a timeless elegance, creating lines that contrast beautifully with planting and structure alike. They also work brilliantly with the red brick of the property. An excellent choice.
Raised Kitchen Garden
This productive corner features raised oak beds, perfect for homegrown fruit and vegetables, complemented by a beautiful Gabriel Ash Greenhouse, where more exotic produce can be nurtured. Wayfarer Breedon gravel paths provide warmth and texture underfoot, while Durlston feature stepping stones from Allgreen flat stepping stones were laid into the gravel producing an interesting threshold feature. With views over the pond, it’s a space that blends practicality with rural charm. A simple table and chairs are placed for time to pause and possible nibble some fresh as can be bounty.
Wildlife Pond and Decking Area
A reimagined wildlife pond is now a true focal point of the garden just below the raised kitchen garden. Surrounded by wildflower turf from Wildflower Lawns and Meadows and edged with Allgreen Durlston feature stones. The stones are softened beautifully with perennials and the pond has marginal planting of oxygenating species. Raised oak decking from Round Wood of Mayfield offers a place to pause and enjoy the rich habitat, already home to king dragonflies and a newly hatched brood of moorhen chicks—a tranquil haven for nature.
Feature Stones in Planting and Hardscape
Strategically placed feature stones within planting beds and as part of the hardscape serve both aesthetic and ecological purposes. Near water, they offer shade and shelter for frogs and other small wildlife, while also visually anchoring the planting design. Nestled among perennials or edging a pond, these stones create sculptural contrast and natural rhythm, enriching the garden’s textural and environmental diversity.
Shaded Garden
These pictures, although full of deceiving light, show the cooler, shadier side of the garden where a lush planting scheme thrives beneath dappled light, with layered textures and carefully chosen shade-tolerant species. Vande Moortel clay pavers lead you through this restful space. Feature trees supplied by Griffin Nurseries were selected brilliantly and are already looking wonderful owning their place in this space. Modern metal seating invite quiet contemplation. The interplay of soft foliage and hard landscape creates a serene garden space of elegance. We can’t wait for the planting to establish here. The birdsong from the surrounding woods is so joyful. What a space.
