Gardens by Design - Meet Ben our Designer

Gardens by Design - Meet Ben our Designer

Alison Durnford's picture
Posted May 15th, 2015
by Alison Durnford

We have a great team of people here at Clifton Nurseries and we’d like you to meet them!

Ben Lowry, our Designer, took a few minutes out from his busy day to discuss his exciting role and the garden design services offered by Clifton Nurseries. In addition to his garden design qualifications and experience, Ben has also worked in garden construction, so knows exactly what’s involved in seeing designs through to reality.

Ben Lowry

What is your role at Clifton Nurseries?

As one of the Garden Designers for Clifton Nurseries, I work closely with the Landscaping services and the Plant Nurseries to offer a range of integrated services – all of which combine to provide our customers with the garden of their dreams and to make the whole process a pleasurable, stress-free and seamless experience.

What inspired you to become a designer?

I’ve always had a creative streak and love being in and around gardens. As a child I drove my parents mad by continually pestering them to make changes in our family garden to try out some of my ideas!

Why do I need a designer?

If you’re building a house you’d employ somebody with design experience – the garden’s the same. Our gardens are far more than just the patch of earth outside our homes – they are a reflection of each of us, of our individual tastes and styles, and we all put something of ourselves into the garden.

As a designer I can help you achieve your aspirations. I can help you determine what you want from your garden, tie together all of your ideas into an overall scheme, and work with you on achieving your dreams. Here at Clifton Nurseries we see the development of the garden as an exciting journey together – but a journey in which you as the client are always in the driving seat!

How does the design process work?

We're serious about getting it right and serious about making your garden dream a reality.

Ben Lowry

To ensure that you get the garden you deserve we go through a series of stages, each stage focused on determining and defining the design. Clearly the most important person in the process is you – so we’ll involve you at every stage and incorporate changes and feedback along the way.

I want a one-stop shop for design, plants and garden construction – can you provide that?

YES! That’s one of the many benefits of using our services. We can supply a comprehensive service from start to finish, overseeing all stages of the project – while obviously consulting and liaising with you at all stages along the way. We can design your garden, source the materials for it, provide the plants and then construct the garden, all to the best standards and with quality products.

I want advice on just one corner of my garden – can you offer that?

Most definitely! We take partial designs through exactly the same process as full designs and can help with a range of projects including blending a neglected corner in with the rest of the garden, designing a new feature in the garden such as perhaps an outdoor kitchen, or redesigning a border.

What does your own garden look like?

It’s a shambles! We’ve just moved house and taken over a garden with grass up to our knees and broken fence panels – but it’s great to have a blank canvas and I’m relishing the challenge of turning it into my dream garden (once we’ve finished unpacking all the boxes inside!).

Which garden do you get most inspiration from and why?

It used to be Hidcote Manor – the well-known Arts and Crafts garden in the Cotswolds. Despite essentially being a traditional garden, it’s also in keeping with today’s fashions and trends – definitely a garden with something for everyone.

But now that our new Clifton Nurseries Show Garden is completed onsite at Clifton Surrey in Weybridge, I think it's definitely true to say that I have another favourite garden!

The Etoile Showcase Garden

How can we contact you?

Refer to our Contact page for a variety of ways of getting in touch. We look forward to hearing from you!  

About the author

With a background in both technical writing and horticulture, Ali Durnford enjoys combining her writing skills with her passion for plants and everything garden-related.