The style of a garden is largely responsible for its atmosphere, whether it is neat and geometric, relaxed and informal, busy and colourful, or still and discreet. The choice of style is often influenced by other gar¬dens that have been seen and admired. Try to be open-minded about the styles Read more...
From time to time most gardeners long for an all-green garden. It is a longing for clarity and simplicity, for a rest from the business of gardening. The in¬spiration may be found in a formal garden: picture a white-painted weatherboard house with a long veran¬dah overlooking still trees and Read more...
The interiors of Victorian houses were known for their fussiness and crowding detail; so it was with the gardens of the high Victorian period. Labour was cheap and numerous gardeners could be employed, removing worries about whether a garden style might be labour intensive or not. The period was Read more...
Despite the vituperations of those who regarded topiary as “pastry cooks’ gardening”, it has always had a loving following somewhere. Whatever topiary might do for the style of a garden, there is always pleasure to be taken in the sheer craftsmanship of creating and maintaining Read more...
It is ironic to think that every historical garden style was once the latest thing, fresh and exciting. But what makes a garden modern today? Certainly not the plants themselves, for the world contains no more un¬explored continents to offer us startling new introduc¬tions as it did during the Read more...
There is a far wider choice of plants for cool, moist, woodland-type shade than for the dense dry kind, but in both cases the same planting principles apply. Since shady areas are usually sheltered from the wind, plants with large, soft leaves can be selected, with special attention to Read more...
A good parterre is about as stylized a piece of garden¬ing as you will ever find. It turns the surface of the gar¬den into a picture, a pattern complete in itself. In principle it is one of the simplest of garden styles, however complex the geometry of the pattern itself may actually Read more...
These have become popular in recent years in the wake of such famous examples as the white garden at Sissinghurst. They represent an extremely disci¬plined form of gardening in that the gardener has to work with a very limited palette. This can have its advantages: the emphasis is thrown back on Read more...
Texture works with shape and color in a garden to create movement and harmony for the eye. In contrast with themselves and each other, these three elements produce a constantly changing variety of in¬terest, bringing the detail of the garden to life. The greater the range of textures, the Read more...
When planning your garden, once you have accepted the size of the site, begin by considering these four factors: shape, topography, division and ambience.
Shape – This influences design considerably. Few plots are symmetrical but that really does not matter. Indeed, an L-shape or a Read more...