Top 10 Best Landscaping Companies in East Devon

Landscaping in a Landscape-Rich District

East Devon is defined by its scenery. The Jurassic Coast, the Blackdown Hills National Landscape, the Otter and Axe valleys and the Pebblebed Heaths establish a high visual standard against which gardens are inevitably judged. Landscaping here is rarely about imposing a design on a blank site; it is usually about responding to a slope, a view, a prevailing wind and a soil type that will not be argued with.

Three physical realities recur. Gradient is the first, since much of the district sits on undulating terrain requiring terracing, retaining structures and careful level design. Soil is the second, with heavy clay in the valleys, free-draining sand and gravel on the pebblebed heaths, and greensand on the escarpments, each demanding different planting and drainage strategies. Exposure is the third, with coastal gardens contending with salt-laden south-westerlies that scorch unsuitable planting within a single season.

Hard and Soft Landscaping Explained

Hard landscaping covers the constructed elements: patios and terraces, paths and driveways, retaining walls, steps, decking, pergolas, fencing, water features, drainage and lighting. It is essentially small-scale construction and requires proper foundations, falls, drainage and, for retaining structures over a certain height, engineering input.

Soft landscaping covers the living elements: turf and wildflower meadow, trees and hedging, shrub and herbaceous planting, ground preparation and soil improvement. Good soft landscaping depends on understanding mature plant sizes, soil chemistry and microclimate rather than simply arranging attractive specimens.

The best schemes integrate both from the outset. Retrofitting drainage or lighting after planting is disruptive and expensive, so a coherent design sequence saves considerable cost.

Ten Landscaping Companies Serving East Devon

Devon Garden Design & Build offers full design-and-construct services, producing planting plans and hard landscaping under one contract.

Otter Valley Landscapes covers Ottery St Mary and Honiton with patios, walling, planting and ongoing garden maintenance.

Coastal Garden Specialists concentrates on exposed seafront and clifftop gardens, specifying salt-tolerant planting and wind-resistant structures.

Blackdown Hills Landscaping works on rural and larger country properties, including orchards, wildflower meadows and native hedging.

Exmouth Paving & Driveways specialises in hard landscaping: block paving, resin bound surfaces, natural stone and permeable driveway systems.

Sidmouth Garden Services provides design-led planting schemes and maintenance for period property gardens along the coast.

Axe Valley Groundworks & Landscaping handles terracing, retaining walls, land drainage and access tracks on sloping sites.

Cranbrook Landscape Contractors serves newer housing with turfing, fencing, patios and complete garden creation from builder-finish plots.

East Devon Tree & Hedge Care focuses on arboriculture, hedge laying, tree surgery and mature tree management.

Seaton Sustainable Gardens specialises in low-input, wildlife-friendly design including rain gardens, native planting and reduced-mowing lawns.

Drainage and Slope Management

Water is the most common cause of landscaping failure in East Devon. Clay soils in the Otter and Axe valleys hold water, producing waterlogged lawns in winter and cracked, compacted ground in summer. Sloping sites channel surface water rapidly, causing erosion and, in extreme cases, undermining paving or structures.

Effective responses include land drainage using perforated pipe in gravel-filled trenches, permeable paving that allows infiltration rather than concentrating runoff, rain gardens and swales that hold and slowly release water, soil improvement with organic matter and grit to improve structure, and level changes designed to move water deliberately rather than accidentally.

Retaining walls warrant particular care. Anything retaining significant height requires proper foundation, drainage behind the wall and, in many cases, structural design. Failed retaining walls are among the most expensive landscaping problems to remedy, and they usually fail because water pressure behind them was never addressed.

Planting for Coastal and Exposed Sites

Coastal gardens in East Devon require honest plant selection. Salt-laden wind desiccates foliage, and many popular garden plants simply will not persist. Species that perform reliably include escallonia, griselinia, hebe, olearia, elaeagnus, tamarisk, sea buckthorn, thrift, red valerian, eryngium and ornamental grasses such as festuca and stipa.

Shelter is as important as species choice. A well-positioned windbreak hedge, permeable rather than solid so wind is filtered rather than deflected turbulently, transforms what can be grown behind it. Establishing shelter first and ornamental planting second is a sequence that repeatedly proves itself on exposed sites.

Inland, the priority shifts to soil. Clay benefits from organic matter and raised planting, while the free-draining pebblebed soils near Woodbury and Budleigh require moisture retention and suit Mediterranean and heathland planting palettes.

Planning, Regulations and Trees

Most domestic landscaping does not require planning permission, but exceptions matter. Front garden paving exceeding five square metres requires permission unless it is permeable or drains to a soakaway. Decking and raised platforms above a certain height, and structures near boundaries, can require consent. Fences and walls have height limits, lower adjacent to highways.

Trees are a frequent complication. Many mature trees in East Devon are protected by Tree Preservation Orders, and all trees within conservation areas are subject to notification requirements. Works to protected trees without consent can result in prosecution, so verification with the district council before pruning or felling is essential.

In the Blackdown Hills National Landscape and near the Jurassic Coast, visual impact carries additional weight, and schemes involving substantial engineering or highly visible structures benefit from early planning advice.

Budgeting and Maintenance

Hard landscaping dominates most garden budgets, typically accounting for the majority of cost on a full redesign. Natural stone, bespoke walling, level changes and drainage are the principal drivers. Soft landscaping is comparatively economical, though mature specimen trees and instant hedging are exceptions.

Phasing is a practical approach. Completing structural elements, drainage, hard surfaces and shelter planting in the first phase, then adding ornamental planting over subsequent seasons, spreads cost while ensuring the expensive and disruptive work is done once.

Maintenance should be designed in rather than discovered later. Extensive formal hedging, high-maintenance lawns and elaborate borders demand regular attention, and a garden designed beyond the owner's available time deteriorates quickly. Discussing realistic maintenance capacity with the designer produces far more satisfying long-term results.

Final Thoughts

Landscaping in East Devon succeeds when it works with the site rather than against it. Address drainage and levels properly before considering surfaces, establish shelter before ornamental planting on exposed ground, verify tree protection and paving regulations early, and be realistic about ongoing maintenance. Choose a contractor whose portfolio includes comparable slopes, soils and exposure, and the garden will improve rather than struggle with each passing year.