Garden Designer in Cornwall
Beautiful and Immersive Planting Design - Underpinned by Exemplary Horticultural Expertise - and Meticulous Attention to Detail.
Juniper Gardens provides specialist garden design and planting design services in Cornwall, creating timeless gardens that respond sensitively to site, climate and client vision. Our work is grounded in deep horticultural expertise and long-term sustainability, ensuring gardens mature beautifully over decades.
Garden Design Services
Juniper Gardens offers a specialist garden design service focused on planting design, rooted in extensive local knowledge of Cornwall’s unique maritime climate. We understand which plants truly thrive in coastal, woodland and exposed Cornish sites and work closely with trusted local nurseries to source resilient, high-quality plants.
Our planting designs range from contemporary perennial planting schemes to sensitive woodland and coastal gardens, always considering soil, aspect and long-term sustainability. As the climate continues to change, we prioritise climate-resilient plant choices, particularly for trees and structural planting intended to last for generations.
We also design planting schemes for private gardens, holiday home gardens in Cornwall , and larger landscapes requiring a refined and professional planting strategy.
Planting Design Services
If you are looking to enhance an existing garden or completely re-plant your outdoor space, Juniper Gardens offers a bespoke planting design service as part of a considered garden design approach.
This may include:
A detailed planting plan
Plant sourcing through trusted local nurseries
Professional planting if required
Each scheme is tailored to your garden’s conditions and your long-term vision, creating planting that feels natural, cohesive and carefully resolved.
Our design philosophy is rooted in long-standing horticultural theory and practice, including ideas around aesthetics, ecology and cultural identity discussed in our article on the benefits of horticulture.
You can explore examples of our garden design and planting projects in Cornwall at the bottom of this page.
The Cornwall Plantsman
Juniper Gardens is led by Jodi Dickinson, Cornwall garden designer and horticulturist, with over eighteen years’ experience in horticulture, garden design and landscape management across Cornwall.
His career includes the role of Head Gardener at the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, Tate St Ives, and he holds the RHS Master of Horticulture with distinction.
This depth of experience ensures planting designs that are both aesthetically refined and horticulturally sound.
This design work reflects the wider philosophy of Juniper Gardens, a professional gardener in Cornwall, where planting, maintenance and long-term landscape care are considered as one.
testimonials
Local Knowledge
Jodi has extensive local plant knowledge across Cornwall’s diverse microclimates, from sheltered estuary gardens in Feock to town gardens in Truro and exposed coastal roof terraces in St Ives.
This first-hand experience is combined with a strong belief that gardens should enhance wellbeing, reflect the owner’s individual style, and respond sensitively to their surroundings. Whether contemporary, town or classic in feel, each planting design is thoughtfully composed and elegantly bespoke.
Design Philosophy
Our planting designs are influenced by contemporary perennial planting, Japanese gardens, coastal landscapes and climate-adapted planting. A minimalist attention to detail combined with sustainable plant choices creates planting schemes that feel calm, timeless and resilient—gardens designed for Cornwall’s changing climate. My approach to planting and composition is explored further in Artistic Garden Design.
Contemporary garden design has been shaped by designers such as Piet Oudolf and Nigel Dunnett, who advocate a more ecological and sustainable approach to planting. This style favours resilient perennials and grasses selected for their suitability to local climatic conditions, their value to wildlife and their ability to coexist as balanced plant communities requiring minimal ongoing maintenance.
Plants such as Echinacea purpurea and Echinops bannaticus, alongside ornamental grasses, are often left standing through winter to provide structure, seasonal beauty and valuable food for birds. At Juniper Gardens, we embrace this naturalistic approach, creating gardens that work in harmony with their environment and actively support local wildlife.
For clients seeking biodiversity-focused planting, we also offer ecological and wildlife gardening services in Cornwall.
Our Approach
We believe sustainability should be a core value in garden design. Gardens should enhance biodiversity, contribute to local ecologies, and provide joy and wonderment for many years to come.
Through thoughtful planting design, we aim to create spaces that support wellbeing and future generations. With extensive horticultural knowledge, we design, develop and maintain gardens that clients love and cherish. For larger estates and commercial landscapes, we provide commercial garden development and management services.
profile
process
Projects
The Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden
Naturalistic wildlife friendly garden
Tate St Ives coastal roof garden
Town courtyard garden
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is planting design and how is it different from garden design?
Planting design focuses specifically on which plants go where — their combinations, positioning, and seasonal interest — rather than hard landscaping or structural elements. While we use the term garden design in page titles to reflect what people search for, Juniper Gardens specialises in bespoke planting plans that sit within a broader garden design approach tailored to your space, style and climate conditions.
What does a planting design include?
Our planting designs typically include a detailed plant layout, species selection, seasonal structure advice, and, if needed, plant sourcing and professional planting. Each plan is bespoke to your garden, taking into account soil, aspect, microclimate and long-term resilience.
Will you source and plant the plants for me?
Yes — we can source the plants through trusted local growers and deliver and plant them for you if you wish. We often find plants at better prices than typical retail because of our industry connections.
How do you choose plants for a Cornish garden?
We draw on deep local knowledge of Cornwall’s varied microclimates — from estuary gardens in Feock to town gardens in Truro and exposed coastal sites in St Ives — to recommend plants that will thrive in your specific setting. We also prioritise resilient, climate-adapted planting that supports wildlife and requires minimal maintenance over time.
Can I see examples of your planting design work?
Yes — our project gallery includes naturalistic perennial borders, coastal perennial plantings and minimalist garden schemes that show how planting design can transform outdoor spaces across Cornwall.
How long does a planting design project take?
Timelines vary depending on the size of your garden and the level of detail required. After an initial consultation, we’ll provide a schedule so you know what to expect at each stage of the planting design process.
What is the first step to getting a planting design from Juniper Gardens?
Start with a consultation where we discuss your garden, preferences, site conditions and goals. From there we can agree the scope of your bespoke planting plan and next steps.