English Gardens

A careful balance of color spring through fall, and a few structural features can be used to create this style of garden in our own backyards. The idea was to create areas within the landscape that, when viewed from inside the house, offer a beautiful arrangement of structure and color.

Elements of the Garden

Typically, a formal English garden is separated into very distinct areas that are connected by gravel or brick paths to create the overall layout.

Each area may include additional features – arbors, fountains , border plantings and topiaries among the most common. Include gazing balls that reflect the areas and places to sit and enjoy the many views.

Privacy is provided by stone or brick walls surrounding the garden, with meticulously trimmed hedges separating the various areas or rooms. And to tie it all together, beautiful, lush green lawns flow throughout the entire scheme.

Plantings for English Gardens

The key to planting the garden is providing color throughout the seasons. Perennials provide the majority of color with bulbs like tulips and various annuals filling in small areas for seasonal color.

Carefully trimmed hedges line borders within the landscape and enclose such focal points as a rose or flowering dogwood tree, bird bath or fountain.

Beds of colorful flowers such as columbine , bleeding heart and forget-me-not may surround a pond or fountain; while alyssum may encircle a statue in another area.

Well maintained topiaries and covered trellises are other focal points in defined areas of the garden. Create clusters of plantings that, in time, will spread and blend together to cover the bed completely.

Knot gardens are sometimes included in the design, and include a selection of herbs that are carefully trimmed to maintain a uniform size.

Rose gardens surrounded by walls or stones are another feature in more formal English gardens.

English gardens are not low maintenance. Careful planning of space and selection of focal points and plantings for each room is needed to create a smooth transition between spaces.

This is one garden style that requires time and thought to be successful. By taking the time to plan the layout of your site and placement of each element, you can have a beautiful English garden in your backyard.