L’Occitane Garden

With the help of award-winning garden designer, James Basson, we are transported to Provence where the brand was created by Olivier Baussan. At 23 years of age, he found a discarded old steam distiller and started producing essential oils from wild rosemary and lavender, which he sold at open- air local markets. The garden presents the edge of a lavender field and looks out onto the rolling hills and stunted woodland of Provence. The plain beyond the garden represents local agriculture with the almond trees typical of this area. A gentle stream runs from a stone hut through the middle of the garden before disappearing under a dry stone bridge. Scent and colour play an important part and add to the sensorial atmosphere of this garden.

Garden Designer, James Basson who has won awards at RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court shows, as well as a Gold medal and a ‘Flowers and Peace’ award at the Gardening World Cup, will be designing the L’Occitane garden. Modelled around Basson’s first-hand experiences in Provence where he has a home, the garden will bring together over 250 different plant varieties specific to the region, with all additional materials also native to the area.

“The garden is inspired by the landscape where L’Occitane founder Olivier Baussan grew up. It includes aspects from the open river plane though to stunted woodland, where the agricultural lavender fields and almond groves coexist with a beautiful natural landscape where hot summers and scarce water leave their imprint.” James Basson

Plant List:

Arbutus unedo	Lonicera etrusca 'Superba'	Centaurea scabiosa
Buxus sempervirens	Calamintha grandiflora	Hyssopus officinalis
Viburnum opulus	Santolina chamaecyparissus	Viola riviniana
Thymus vulgaris	Colutea arborescens	Primula vulgaris
Allium flavum	Juglans regia	Achillea millefolium
Cotinus coggygria	Asplenium trichomanes	Allium sphaerocephalon
Polygonatum odoratum	Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii	Helleborus foetidus
Pinus sylvestris	Acer campestre	Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'
Allium schoenoprasum	Lathyrus latifolius	Quercus robur
Origanum vulgare	Quercus ilex	Viburnum lantana
Hypericum perforatum	Sambucus nigra	Lavandula x intermedia 'Alba'
Juniperus communis	Lathyrus latifolius 'Rosa Perle'	Lathyrus vernus
Centaurea montana	Rosa arvensis	Scabiosa columbaria
Lavandula angustifolia	Catananche caerulea 'Major'	Lotus hirsutus
Jasione montana	Centaurea montana 'Gold Bullion'	Euphorbia cyparissias
Poa pratensis	Thymus Coccineus Group	Helianthemum 'Ben Fhada'
Satureja montana	Crataegus monogyna	Arum maculatum
Stachys officinalis	Silene vulgaris	Anthyllis vulneraria
Daucus carota	Galium verum	Sanguisorba minor
Plantago lanceolata	Potentilla neumanniana 'Nana'	Rosmarinus officinalis
Prunus dulcis	Ornithogalum umbellatum	Medicago arborea
Laserpitium siler	Carlina acaulis	Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum
Teucrium chamaedrys	Hedera helix	Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta 'Blue Cloud'
Melica ciliata	Salvia sclarea	Campanula persicifolia
Tragopogon porrifolius	Isatis tinctoria	Jasione laevis
Thymus pseudolanuginosus	Thalictrum minus 'Adiantifolium'	Digitalis lutea
Pistacia chinensis	Saxifraga cuneifolia	Rosa spinosissima
Deschampsia cespitosa	Stipa pennata	Cornus mas
Filipendula vulgaris	Acer monspessulanum	Luzula sylvatica
Anthericum liliago	Pulmonaria longifolia 'Ankum'	Melittis melissophyllum 'Royal Velvet Distinction'
Agrimonia eupatoria	Campanula rotundifolia	Sedum sexangulare
Polypodium cambricum 'Richard Kayse'	Polypodium cambricum 'Cristatum'	Ribes uva-crispa 'Hinnonmaki Rod'
Euphorbia 'Grey Hedgehog'	Achillea tomentosa 'Goldie'	Amelanchier spicata
Scabiosa atropurpurea	Anthyllis montana 'Rubra'	Centaurea jacea
Dianthus anatolicus	Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii 'John Tomlison'	Serratula seoanei
Rosa 'Macrantha'	Euphorbia nicaeensis	Helichrysum stoechas
Campanula trachelium 'Bernice'	Helianthemum nummularium	Sedum album subsp. teretifolium var. micranthum 'Chloroticum'
Sedum sediforme	Gladiolus italicus	Stipa capillata
Linum 'Gemmell's Hybrid'	Linaria vulgaris	Quercus pubescens