©Scape Design
Scape design

MOnaco
Scape Design was founded by James Basson (BA Hons Garden Design, MSGD, FFP) and Helen Basson (BA joint Hons French and Classical Civilistion, DEUG, CERT Landscape Archaeology).
After establishing a reputation for community and Hospital gardens in London, James and Helen moved to the South of France and set up Scape Design sarl in 2000 in order to pursue their passion for creating sustainable landscapes and planting design for private clients.
Strong advocates of dry gardens, they are renowned for raising awareness on the importance of working with locally sourced plants and traditional materials, using no irrigation and keeping maintenance to a minimum. They are inspired by the natural landscape and the lessons that can be learnt by the interaction of plants with hard surfaces in the wild and applied into a domestic context. Gold medal winners at Chelsea, Singapore, Japan, China, Philadelphia, Moscow, France, Sicily and of the Victoires de Paysage and SGD Grand Awards.

James Hitchmough and Nigel Dunnet on planting design and Christopher Bradley-Hole on structure/architecture.
Derek Jarman -Prospect Cottage, Beth Chatto and Olivier Filippis gardens.
SELECTED PROJECTS
St. Remy de Provence
This property in St Remy de Provence is a contemporary take on a rich agricultural history. The beds are laid out in the pattern of the surrounding field system whilst the raised canals take their inspiration from the agricultural canals that irrigate the farms in the area. There are 4 separate circuits to ensure water is continually flowing, the canals pass through the traditional stone wall and enter an old stone basin, marrying the old and new. A large water reservoir is installed under the garden to ensure that the heavy seasonal rainfall is recuperated and used to refill evaporation loss from the canal system. There is a unity of material in using the compacted gravel of the paths in loose form for the mulch in the planted areas. The steel is a common agricultural material used in an innovative manner. The planting is in blocks of one species (as happens in the fields), it uses several aromatic plants that can be used for the kitchen in proximity, giving scent and the practical culinary use. Grasses create movement that complements the water and reflect giving a soothing atmosphere in the peak of summer heat. Almond trees are placed on a grid across the garden to create volume and shade. The property is a stunning old Provençal bastide that will be open to the public as ‘Le Potager de Mas Vieux’ offering artisanal food, drink and crafts.