When we bought our new build house in Claygate it came with a typical developer garden, paved area with sandstone circle, log retaining wall, small steps leading to a patch of lawn and 3 trees planted along one boundary. We had no privacy from neighbours and the trees, which were planted on the wrong side of the garden, obscured the best views.
Our brief was to create a garden with different areas that suited the site, sunny by the house and shaded by large neighbouring trees at the bottom. We wanted a pond/water feature and needed privacy as well as screening. Selina listened to our needs and our ideas for terracing the site with Corten steel. She incorporated these in a unique design which gives us distinct areas with a variety of trees and feels right for us and our garden. Now two years old our new garden has filled out considerably. It’s been such a bonus during the lockdown restrictions.
We love the woodland inspired area, bench seating space and smart Corten terraces with planting beds. The planting and water feature brings so much wildlife into the garden. We now have mature trees that provide screening and enhance the view to neighbouring trees beyond. We have a lovely terrace to relax on and the wide, easy rise stairs are a feature of the view from the house as well as a comfortable route for us to access the whole garden.
Selina suggested we redesign the front garden and although not originally in our plans, it is a brilliant transformation which removed awkward levels, gave us a new entrance for our house, more practical parking area and soft planting for each season.
We are so pleased with the garden transformation. We bought the house because of the garden location by the river and Selina has done a fantastic job of ensuring the house and garden feel more connected with the river. We can now fully appreciate the location both when in the garden and views from the house.
The garden has transformed already in the first year beyond our expectation and we have thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the plants come out at differing times. There always seems to be something new starting to flourish. I love its changing nature as it makes it so much more interesting. We have undertaken a large house renovation project too but it has been the garden transformation that has given us the most pleasure and no doubt will do for years to come.
Contemporary Town House Garden
Choosing Selina to design my garden was one of my best ever decisions. I am completely thrilled and cannot recommend her and Sacha highly enough. Selina understood my wants and needs before they had even properly formed in my mind. Her professionalism, creativity and attention to detail are truly impressive. Her constant but gentle oversight of the excellent gardening team was very reassuring. The whole process has been a pleasure and utterly painless – no doubt due to Selina’s professionalism. Instead of a “back yard” I now sit in a contemporary woodland oasis. Thank you Selina – we are so grateful.
Selina designed our garden for us which got installed late last year – it was previously a “newbuild” garden i.e. mainly grass and no design to speak of. I have waited until now to write this review so we could see how the garden developed through spring. It is amazing. Different plants have come into flower as the months have gone by including some meadowland features. It is only late May and so we are looking forward to seeing changes through the rest of the year. Clever stuff. It has completely transformed our enjoyment and use of the garden. In case you are contemplating a garden re-design we would highly recommend Selina and Design for All Seasons.
Selina did a great job designing both our front and back garden in Esher. She certainly knows her plants! I feel that we were really listed to and she took on board how we use the garden as a family and considered this in her plans. I would highly recommend her.
Selina Botham is a sensitive and talented garden designer with a real passion for her work. She designed a stunning garden for our home which will be a source of joy for many years to come. Her attention to detail regarding the selection of plants is second to none, and she rejects any that are not of the highest quality. Her plans and drawings are excellent and the beautiful watercolours are an accurate representation of the finished garden. She is both artistic in her planting design and technically competent in her landscaping. One thing of note is her desire to implement environmentally sensitive schemes for the benefit of wildlife.
Selina is fabulous, has amazing ideas, great knowledge and really listens to what you want. Although our garden was completed almost 11 years ago it has survived through all the extreme weather conditions we have had and still looks fabulous. Highly recommend Selina.
Selina was extremely professional. She listened carefully to my ideas, we discussed her ideas and we worked well together to come up with the final brief. The work was carried out professionally and in a timely manner and Selina was happy to discuss progress with me throughout the process. I would thoroughly recommend Design for All Seasons.
Selina carefully listened and absorbed our aspirations for a complete overhaul of our rather plain garden. Using her creative flair, she then came up with a design that exceeded our expectations but which nevertheless adhered to the core principles that we had set out. The final design, after a few adjustments, was radical but not outlandish and deliverable within our budget.
Selina continued to help with the selection of landscapers and regularly supervised the work being carried out to ensure that it kept to the brief, whilst also being flexible to accommodate the suggestions of both ourselves and the landscapers as the work progressed.
Subsequently, she has been available for advice and further suggestions as the garden has developed. The final design has been widely praised by friends and has led to a couple of further referrals.
We first met Selina while visiting a beautiful garden for the annual ‘National Garden Scheme Open Day’ and decided there and then to invite her to look at our rather bland garden. She took into account the orientation of the garden, the best places for seating areas, and types of trees and plants that would suit our soil. A lovely watercolour painted plan was produced to show what the final garden would look like, which incorporated our own ideas too. A selection of landscape building teams she has worked with was offered to us, and we chose a wonderful team of friendly, hardworking and professional builders who did excavations, drainage, ornamental wall building, top soiling and planting to achieve a truly beautiful garden. We now open it to the public at our annual village open day in June, much to the delight of our visitors. Throughout the process, Selina kept us up to date on progress, budget and any slight alterations to the plans, all of which we had the final say on. She provided us with an electrician to give stunning night lights throughout the garden, an artist to do some wood sculpting and a metal worker to make a bespoke water spout for the water feature. All of our plants thrived, making it look like a well established garden with its first year. We would highly recommend Designs for All Seasons to anyone who wishes to improve their garden, whatever the size, as Selina and her team have truly transformed ours from a blank canvas into a masterpiece!
When I sat down with Selina, we were able to discuss priorities, a private garden,and one which created a sense of exploration for my young grandchildren, a restful outlook to enhance my work as a complimentary therapist, and a wide terrace for al fresco dining. Situated in a semi rural location, My dream was of an English country garden, and Selina created just that for me!
The outcome has been an intimate and characterful garden, full of country elements and a complete and successful transformation, thanks to Selina’s inspiration!
The Mistral Garden is now a space worthy of its purpose. For many of the families we support the first time they will spend time in the garden is when their child is laying at rest in the Mistral Suite, so this is a space that will always be associated with the last time they will have physically seen their child. It has been hugely beneficial having a private outside space for families to spend time in that will allow them to breathe, think, listen, remember and just be, at a time so unimaginable to most of us.
Selina is a professional designer who takes a careful and proactive approach to the implementation of her designs. From a contractors perspective she is easy to work with, direct and pragmatic.
A pleasure to work with Selina and her team to construct a garden for her client, good communication and clear documentation ensured that the clients expectations were met and our team could build the design with ease.
As a Lighting Designer, I designed the exterior lighting to complement the garden design by Selina Botham of Designs for all Seasons & then my company, Ornamental Garden Lighting Limited, supplied & installed all the fittings. Selina was very professional throughout what was an extremely complex landscaping and lighting job and testament to her project management of the entire job was a truly delighted client and a finished garden to be proud of.