Marian Boswall and Roger Platts: Kent based garden experts

Two garden designers I particularly admire for their ability to blend the romantic softness of the English style with considered form are both based here in Kent. Marian Boswall and Roger Platts also share a desire to create sustainable designs that work with nature and encourage biodiversity.

A pretty combination by Marian using roses, salvias and grasses. 'We are all looking to tread more lightly on the planet, yet still have the joy of surrounding ourselves with cultivated plants for the beauty they bring us and to support a wide range of wildlife. ‘Greater awareness of our ecological impact means that the best of the old ways are coming back on trend, with a gentler approach to gardening being celebrated. Being kind to ourselves and to our natural surroundings means planning gardens for the long term,’ comments historic garden specialist, landscape architect and horticulturalist, Marian Boswall. With a well-deserved reputation for creating simply beautiful landscapes and gardens using a thoughtful, contextual design approach, Marian and her studio of landscape architects work with the land, local people and local materials to discover and develop each project, whether historic estates, private gardens or regenerative landscapes. She describes her style as having ‘the rigorous approach and structure of a landscape architects’ training, softened with the abundance of a plant lovers’ palette, and balanced with an ability to listen deeply and get things done’. Respect for ecology, history and the future inform her designs, with kindness a deeply embedded ethos.

Marian Boswall has a well-deserved reputation for creating beautiful gardens.Marian spent some of her childhood in Italy and it was a natural progression to read Italian and French at Oxford. Then, after a career as an international management consultant, she returned to her inner passion, one first sparked by gardening as a small child with her grandmother, retraining in Garden History, Advanced Horticulture and Garden Design at Hadlow College. She then studied Landscape Design at Greenwich University, going on to take a Masters in Landscape Architecture and setting up her practice in a studio at her home in 2004. The culmination of her past experiences has resulted in a wonderful sense of balance between hard and soft landscaping, an effortless elegance and a considered use of focal points that draw you through the landscapes she creates. Every design I’ve seen of Marian’s work beautifully reflects her philosophy and passion for creating harmony, working with the setting and respecting the ecology of the land. As well as designing, Marian writes and speaks on regenerative design, is a Fellow of the Landscape Institute and also of the Society of Garden Designers, co-founder of the Sustainable Landscape Foundation, and her book Sustainable Gardens was shortlisted for Garden Book of the Year in 2022. Look out for her latest book The Kindest Garden – a practical guide to regenerative design, which comes out early next year.

Roger's gold-medal-winning garden from Chelsea. Multi-award-winning, highly respected garden designer, horticulturalist, lecturer at The English Garden School and RHS judge Roger Platts also feels that concern for the environment is essential when designing a garden. As with Marian, a love of horticulture since childhood was the impetus for Roger to take on formal training, work experience in nurseries and then set up his own business in 1989 in Edenbridge. His plantsman’s approach is one of layering, from the tree canopy down to the groundcovers, ensuring the palette is appropriate for the site and sits well in the environment. ‘My gardens are very plant-based but attention to the design layout and quality of construction is essential,’ he explains. Known primarily for his traditional English style he also enjoys adding a contemporary touch where appropriate. Roger was a natural choice to design the M&G garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show’s centenary, adding an eighth gold to his tally of Chelsea and Hampton Court medals. A true passion and honed knowledge of plants allows designs that look good year round for maximum impact. ‘I love growing plants and putting them together so they grow well and look right together. However successful you may be with plant combinations and cultivation, if the supporting layout and structure are not in balance with the surroundings, the garden will never feel quite right,’ adds Roger.

Roger Platts is a highly respected plantsman. Projects range from a blank canvas to tweaking existing gardens, for new builds to historic settings, with the aim that people will feel good in the finished space. ‘When working with clients it is so important to listen carefully and to observe the surroundings both in and around the existing garden. I like to ensure we end up with the result they are looking for – or, even better, a result beyond their expectations,’ he adds. I was privileged to visit Roger’s own garden -started from a bare field in 1996, it reveals some of his signature techniques for creating a seamless, classic English country style. ‘I like to combine generous planting and traditional concepts to create gardens that can be enjoyed from both within the space and looking at from inside the home,’ he explains. It is important to get the shape of the garden and the soil conditions right before placing the plants appropriately. To give a natural look, shrubs are not planted too densely, allowing for drifts of perennials underneath. Lawns are edged in blocks of ground-cover plants to give continuity and softened definition. Colours are orchestrated harmoniously with brighter tones in a seating area by the house, pastels and silvers in the woodland area and autumnal tones of bronzes and oranges splashed with blue and purple in a long border. Roses abound, climbers and vine entwine, little nooks entice to sit awhile, and the garden then melds naturally into an atmospheric meadow alive with bees and butterflies.

For both of these accomplished designers, nature and a gentle touch are thoughtfully combined.

To know

• Marian Boswall Landscape Architects, Staplehurst, TN12 0DN

marianboswall.com

• Roger Platts Garden Design, Edenbridge, TN8 5NH

.rogerplatts.co.uk

Get the lookA delightful spot to sit in Marian's own garden. Marian’s tips

• Native hedging is good to encourage wildlife

• Include lots of nectar flowers for bees, such as alliums, foxgloves and poppies

• Don’t be too tidy, allow some self-seeding

• Put in good structure and soften the edges with planting that billows over

• Mix planting schemes up a bit, for example in a border of pink and blue add a splash of yellow

Marian combines landscaping with plant infill in balance. • Use the lay of the land for drainage and shelter

• Grow more trees and shrubs, to lock up carbon

• Use local, natural, up-cycled materials produced by craftspeople from the area

• Work with the land gently, respect its history and what is indigenous to the site

Pergolas entwined with roses in the design by Roger. Roger’s tips

• Decide your requirements for the garden and your budget

• Understand your micro-climates and soils

• Start from the house or largest structure and work outwards from there

• Keep the layout simple for a traditional look

• Good ground preparation is essential

• Select appropriate plants to the location, from trees and shrubs, to infill and groundcovers

Late season perennials meld to the field beyond in Roger's garden. • Try to use local materials, in keeping with the house and surroundings

• Mix deciduous with evergreen for year-round interest

• Plant in drifts

• A naturalistic style needs generous planting

• Pergolas add form, structure and height into which planting can naturally flourish. They can be used to create a secluded area or even to hide an unsightly boundary.