Tailored design, timeless enjoyment
Garden Design
We believe your garden is more than just an outdoor space – it’s an extension of your lifestyle and a source of everyday joy.
Specialising in contemporary garden design and bespoke landscaping, we create beautiful, functional environments that elevate the way you live.
Our designs are always client-led: we take inspiration from you — how you live, relax, and entertain — to shape an outdoor space that enhances your wellbeing and brings lasting enjoyment. From sleek garden rooms and tranquil retreats to vibrant entertaining areas, every design is crafted with purpose: to inspire, to restore, and to enrich daily life.
Whether you’re seeking a stylish extension of your home or a complete transformation of your outdoor space, we’re here to help you live your best life, outside.
More About Us
Services
We offer a range of services, from small individual projects to full garden renovation, including garden design, construction and ongoing maintenance.
- A free initial garden consultation
- A range of tailored design packages to suit your budget and space
- Planting design for borders of any size
- Full landscaping and bespoke garden builds, delivered by our skilled team of craftsmen, masons, and carpenters
Portfolio
View some of our completed projects and hear what our customers have to say about us. Visit our Portfolio page to see our full collection.
Japanese Inspired
The garden was completed in December 2025 and we are waiting for spring and summer 2026 to take our final pictures. This garden was once a very simple garden. It had a large perfect lawn that had striped mowed into it. A large white porcelain patio and a far reaching view over rolling hills. This
Contemporary Bungalow Wrap-Around Garden
A terraced multi-functional garden with floating steps, hot-tub and decking. This garden has been designed with the family in mind, as well the client’s wish to entertain. This is an intersting space because the garden is right next door to the pavement so planting that will create privacy without making the garden feel too enclosed
St Ives Retreat
A sophisticated, quiet garden, nestled behind a row of Victorian captain houses, away from the hustle and bustle of St. Ives town.
Alford & Sowter have transformed our garden from one with only lawn and a boring patio to a beautiful, interesting garden which will give us all year round enjoyment. Christine and Scott were a pleasure to get to know; they had great ideas and were always amenable to our ideas or changes. They have an amazing team they can call on, James for the woodwork & Harry for installing the patio. They are all hard working and showed a real desire to give us the garden we wanted.
Christine Alford and Scott Sowter are professional and fun. They are very talented and gave us a garden to be so proud of. We have sat in it almost every day in the summer months and if the days are dry and the weather not too cold, we sit and have a coffee now (end of October). Christine and Scott will listen to your requirements and deliver what you want – highly recommend them and their team.
A couple of weeks ago we shared some images of a front garden and drive, and so, here is the back; wild, natural, playful, and simple.
The clients’ new home has balconies and a roof terrace so they already have lots of outside space to enjoy.
The garden then, is a place to feel connected to nature, submersed in plants.
The garden; a landscape. The planting; South African inspired.
There will be bolders and mounds for the young children to traverse over – a natural interactive play ground.
We can’t wait to get started on this one later in the spring. Will update you as we go if you would like to follow the journey and see the space transform.
Today I had the pleasure to catch up with Luke Coleman a designer both Scott and I admire, particularly for the garden that won him the Young Designer of the Year Award last year.
We caught up and chatted about sand planting, gardening and gardeners, and his perseverance in securing his funding to make Drakkas Drift possible.
This is part of a monthly series of interviews we are going to do where we get to catch up with people in the industry who we respect and who are doing wonderful things.
We want to share the knowledge and celebrate other people in the industry, because that is how we roll.
https://www.alfordandsowter.co.uk/news/
Hello everyone – here is a little v-log entry from Scott who is today at the Mixtow Pill – a garden at the end of a creek there.
This is a special garden for Scott. Often when he goes to work there it feels more of a place to unwind and down- down regulate – despite the hard work he does there – because it is so beautiful.
This morning this sun was out, and there was birdsong. In life we have to take the rough with the smooth and the dry days and sunshine feel all that more special after a very wet and stormy winter.
#cornwallgardendesign #landscapingcornwall #cornwallgardens #gratitude #gardening
We think Euphorbia wulfenii, Pittosporum ‘Golf Ball’ and Sessleria autumnalis are a great trio.
They are all small growing evergreens so great for creating the structure in a smaller garden.
Sometimes, when you love plants as much as we do, it’s easy to get carried away and pack the beds full of variety. However, scaling it back and repetition of a few key plants can be really effective.
#cornwallgardendesign #cornwalllandscaping #cornwallgardens
Today Scott and I had a tour of Holman’s test mine as we begin to do some preliminary research into a an exciting new project that is in the early stages of planning.
Hey guys! Scott is showing you around one of our long term garden projects near Fowey.
Scott has personally been involved with developing this garden for quite a few years now. It’s a gradual and gentle process of managing and developing this garden.
Him and the clients have big plans for the garden this year so we thought we would bring you along the journey and Scott will give you regular updates with what is taking place there.
We hope you enjoy.
#landscapingcornwall #cornwalllandscaping #cornwallgardendesign #cornwallhome #cornwallgardens #cornwalllife #cornwallliving #gardeningcornwall
Here we have a very simple garden solution for a young couple who have just had their cottage renovated and who do not have a huge budget but are still looking for some possible solutions for them to enjoy their garden this spring and summer.
#landscapingcornwall #gardendesigncornwall #outdoorliving #cornwalllife #cornwallliving #moderncottage #moderncottagestyle #lowcostgardening
Driveways can be trickey spaces to plan and layout.
When we were in the front garden we didn’t believe we could be able to fit three cars in the space with room for each of them to come in and out without the need to move cars around.
Once we drew the space out we were able to play around with different orientations and have been able to produce a layout that fits the cars in as well as turning the area into a garden.
The client is South African so it is a joy to bring in South African styling and plants into this scheme.
We now begin to work on the back.
#landscapecornwall #gardendesigncornwall #southafricangardens #cooldriveways #cornwallliving #beachlifecornwall #cornwallarchitecture
