Oxshott is a village in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, between Esher and Leatherhead, with open heath and woodland right on its doorstep. CJ Landscapes works with homeowners here to design, build and look after gardens that sit comfortably against that green backdrop.
Many homes in the village are large detached houses on generous plots, so one garden is often several spaces in one: a terrace by the house, an open lawn, planted borders and a wilder area at the far boundary. We plan the whole plot together, so each part leads naturally into the next.
Oxshott Heath is an open stretch of heather covered sandy heath, managed by Elmbridge Council, and Prince's Coverts is a large Crown Estate woodland beside the village. If your garden backs onto open heath or woodland, the boundary matters as much as the terrace.
We usually soften the far end of the garden rather than wall it off. Native hedging, loose groups of trees and a mown path through longer grass let the garden fade into the view while still marking where your land ends. Closer to the house, the planting and paving can become more ordered.
Heathland ground is usually light, sandy and free draining. It warms up quickly in spring but dries out fast in summer, and it tends to be acidic, which suits heathers, birch, pine and many woodland shrubs. Where a garden sits under tall trees, the light is often dappled for much of the day.
Our garden planting starts with what the soil and the light will support. That might mean ferns, woodland perennials and shade tolerant shrubs under the canopy, with sun loving plants kept for the open parts of the plot. Adding organic matter helps new plants settle in, and a good layer of mulch cuts down on summer watering.
Choosing plants that suit the site from the start means fewer losses later. It also helps the bees, birds and insects that already move between the heath and local gardens, which is the thinking behind our biodiversity led approach.
Our garden designers look at how you want to use the space before drawing anything. On a larger Oxshott plot that might mean a sheltered terrace for dining, a lawn for the children, a kitchen garden or a quiet seat looking out towards the trees.
Those ideas then become a 100% bespoke design that sets out levels, paving, planting, lighting and water. Because our own team builds what is drawn, every design is planned with the build in mind from day one.
Good lighting lets you enjoy the garden on autumn and winter evenings and helps you move safely along paths, steps and driveways after dark. We plan the lighting with the rest of the design, so cables go in before the paving and planting.
Where a garden borders the heath or the woods, we keep lights low, warm and pointing down, and we leave the boundary trees unlit. That keeps the night view towards the woods dark and is kinder to bats and other wildlife feeding along the edge. Timers and separate zones mean the lights are only on when you want them. Our outdoor lighting page explains more.
Our in house landscape construction team handles the groundwork, levels, drainage, paving and walling that hold a garden together. Sandy ground drains more freely than heavy clay, but water can still gather at the foot of a slope or beside the house, so we check levels carefully before anything is laid.
On light soil, an irrigation system can carry new planting through its first dry summers without daily hand watering. A garden water feature or a small wildlife pond can bring sound and movement to a quiet corner, and it gives birds and insects somewhere to drink.
A big garden needs steady attention all year. Our dedicated maintenance team can look after lawns, hedges, borders and the wilder areas on a planned monthly programme, with checks on irrigation, lighting and water features as part of each visit. We can also take on gardens built by another contractor.
For larger houses and their grounds, our grounds maintenance and estate management service sets out how we care for the whole site.
Gardens beside woodland come with their own practical points. Leaves from boundary trees fall into borders and ponds each autumn, tree roots compete with new planting for water, and wildlife from the woods may wander in. We take all of this into account at the design stage, so the finished garden is easier to live with.
What we think about on a woodland edge plot:
Most projects begin with a visit to see the garden, talk through your plans and look at the soil, light and boundaries. From there our designers prepare a scheme, and once you are happy with it our team builds the garden and plants it.
When the work is finished we can stay on to look after it, so the garden keeps growing in the way it was designed to.
Yes. We plan the boundary so the garden blends into the heath or woodland, with native hedging, trees and softer planting at the far end and more structured areas near the house.
Plants that like light, acidic, free draining ground usually do best, such as heathers, birch, pine and many woodland shrubs. We check the soil and light in each garden before choosing what to plant.
We keep lighting low, warm and pointing downwards, and we avoid lighting trees on the boundary. This helps limit the effect on bats and other wildlife that use the woodland edge at night.
Yes. We offer planned monthly maintenance, and for larger houses and grounds our grounds maintenance and estate management service covers the whole site.
Call us on 01276 582095 or 07717 058646, or send a message through our contact page, for a free, no obligation quote.
