We take a holistic approach to garden and landscape design
We design gardens that are rooted in place, yet have a distinct atmosphere. Sustainability, a practical ethos, and attention to detail underpin each of our landscape designs. We forge links with interiors, architecture, and the landscape, using local and natural materials from the South West.
Our team of garden and landscape designers develop ideas closely with our clients, carefully considering individual needs and aspirations. We regularly collaborate with architects, craftspersons, and other creatives. We practise throughout Devon and Cornwall from our studio in Truro.
Our design team
Matt James
Practising for over 25 years, Matt has won awards in both the UK and US, recently sharing a Gold Medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2018 for his work with the National Dahlia Collection. In 2011 and 2021 he mentored the eventual winners of the RHS Young Designer of the Year competition, building the gardens which both won Gold. The author of several books, notably The Urban Gardener and How to Plant a Garden for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), Matt has also written about garden design across specialist and mainstream press including The Daily Telegraph and The Garden. TV credits include Channel 4’s The City Gardener, ITV’s Love your Garden and BBC 2’s Great British Garden Revival. After five years teaching at Falmouth University, Matt created, then led, the award-winning landscape design degrees at Cornwall’s Eden Project until 2021. In 2023 Matt was appointed the Senior Examiner for the prestigious RHS Master of Horticulture (MHort) programme.
Polly Cook
Following an initial background in project management and marketing, Polly’s passion for horticulture began when she volunteered as a gardener for the National Trust – after relocating to Cornwall in 2011. That spark prompted her to return to full-time education, gaining a 1st class degree in garden and landscape design three years later. Following her graduation, Polly established a private practice and taught computer aided design on the Eden Project’s degree-level courses. She joined forces with Matt in 2018, establishing James+Cook as one of the South West’s leading garden design studios. Polly shared the award for Best Construction in Show at Tatton Park in 2021 for her contribution to On Tropic.
Claudia Pugh
Originally from the South Downs, Claudia moved to Cornwall in 2019 to study for a BSc (Hons) Horticulture degree, specialising in landscape and garden design. Alongside her studies she worked part time at James+Cook, accepting a full-time position in the spring of 2022. With a background in sculpture, electronics, and computer science, Claudia has both a meticulous eye for detail and a flair for digital design. As a landscape technician she looks after the studio’s technical drawings, and helps to communicate proposals at all stages of the design process.
