Have you always wanted one of those charming English cottage gardens that positively reek of charm and will provide you with armloads of flowers all season long? Well, even if you’ve never traveled in England, you can create an English garden in your own front or back yard.
By Esmee McCornall
A major part of the enduring appeal of English gardens is their profusion of flowering plants in a relatively small area. They feel rich and appear natural, as if all those gorgeous blossoms simply grew on their own without human intervention of any kind. English gardens carry many of the elements of the woodland, with flowers of all heights, colors and shapes.
In reality, though, English gardens are carefully planned and plotted on paper before the actual planting begins. Here are the steps you need to take to recreate their artless grace in your own yard:
Choose three or four main colors that harmonize well with each other to for all the flowers you will plant to create a feeling of harmony and continuity. Choose plants with different shades of these colors: Red and light pink roses, deep blue and lavender delphiniums, and deep pink and cream foxgloves, for example.
English gardens require a structure in order to appear free flowing and natural: Plant flowers in groups without making those groups symmetrical. Allow the shape of the flowers, size of the leaves and the texture of the plants to dictate the plantings.
The borders in English gardens are usually at least three feet wide, and curved rather than straight. Designing your flowerbeds allows opportunities for viewers to discover surprising combinations of plants that work beautifully together.
Garden structures—trellises covered with clematis, pergolas with seating areas, fences that support tall plants and clinging vines, arbors stuffed with climbing roses—are central to English garden design, which also usually includes whimsical elements such as antique watering cans or broken statuary.
If your English garden will include potted plants, make sure your keep pots the same color; pots can be different sizes and shapes, but sharing the same color makes them a foundation for your plants.
If most of your English garden plants are perennials, add new, changing, or continuous color with annuals. Violas, pansies, Johnny jump-ups, and dianthus (pinks) are commonly used in English gardens. Cut your English garden flowers, too: cutting encourages more blooms.
English gardens are one of the prettiest displays when they are in full bloom, and there is nothing more intoxicating than a yard full of fragrant roses. One of the nicest things about an English garden is that you can feasibly plan it out and then take two or three years to implement your full plan. Take your time, have a great time and happy gardening!
By Esmee McCornall
A major part of the enduring appeal of English gardens is their profusion of flowering plants in a relatively small area. They feel rich and appear natural, as if all those gorgeous blossoms simply grew on their own without human intervention of any kind. English gardens carry many of the elements of the woodland, with flowers of all heights, colors and shapes.
In reality, though, English gardens are carefully planned and plotted on paper before the actual planting begins. Here are the steps you need to take to recreate their artless grace in your own yard:
Choose three or four main colors that harmonize well with each other to for all the flowers you will plant to create a feeling of harmony and continuity. Choose plants with different shades of these colors: Red and light pink roses, deep blue and lavender delphiniums, and deep pink and cream foxgloves, for example.
English gardens require a structure in order to appear free flowing and natural: Plant flowers in groups without making those groups symmetrical. Allow the shape of the flowers, size of the leaves and the texture of the plants to dictate the plantings.
The borders in English gardens are usually at least three feet wide, and curved rather than straight. Designing your flowerbeds allows opportunities for viewers to discover surprising combinations of plants that work beautifully together.
Garden structures—trellises covered with clematis, pergolas with seating areas, fences that support tall plants and clinging vines, arbors stuffed with climbing roses—are central to English garden design, which also usually includes whimsical elements such as antique watering cans or broken statuary.
If your English garden will include potted plants, make sure your keep pots the same color; pots can be different sizes and shapes, but sharing the same color makes them a foundation for your plants.
If most of your English garden plants are perennials, add new, changing, or continuous color with annuals. Violas, pansies, Johnny jump-ups, and dianthus (pinks) are commonly used in English gardens. Cut your English garden flowers, too: cutting encourages more blooms.
English gardens are one of the prettiest displays when they are in full bloom, and there is nothing more intoxicating than a yard full of fragrant roses. One of the nicest things about an English garden is that you can feasibly plan it out and then take two or three years to implement your full plan. Take your time, have a great time and happy gardening!
How to Design an English Garden
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* Garden design pitfalls
* How (an what!) to plan
* How to prepare for Success
* Choosing the Right flowers
* An introduction to Organic
Gardening and much more!
* How (an what!) to plan
* How to prepare for Success
* Choosing the Right flowers
* An introduction to Organic
Gardening and much more!
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