Traditional
Gardens With Grand Designs
If you're looking for some fresh inspiration, why not simply copy the best garden designers and take a lesson from some of Britain's grandest gardens. It might sound ambitious, but with care, patience and a bit of humour, you might end up squeezing some classic garden styles into the tiniest back yard.
The Chris Beardshaw Garden at Chelsea 2007 follows a trick used by many of the best show gardens - it looks for its inspiration to another great garden, in this case Hidcote Manor in Gloucestershire. The Daily Telegraph Garden too takes elements from another famous design; Karl Foerster's sunken garden in Potsdam-Bornim. But would you dare try the same in your own open space?
Is it really possible to cram giant hedges, ancient trees and vast flowerbeds into a garden little bigger than a pocket hankie? Of course not - the real aim is simply to "borrow" elements from the grandest, most stylish gardens and scale them down to fit your space. With imagination and humour the result can be well worth it. After all, it doesn't hurt to be ambitious...
This feature was published in May 2007.
Can it work on a smaller scale? Definitely, with paths and planting scaled exactly to match the size of the space. Also use plants in pots to frame a view through the garden and repetition or symmetrical planting designs to mirror the structures around the garden.
Tightly-shaped box or yew hedging can look stunning on any scale at all times of the year, so you won’t need a 600-year-old manor house to carry it off – this example is from the Fortnum and Mason Garden at Chelsea 2007. But as with the formal garden, hedging often looks at its best when planted in a regular pattern. Visit Crocus for a variety of box hedging.
Why not try the same yourself? A topiary peacock can look perfect poking its head through the flowers, even in an informal garden. Smaller, regular designs such as barley twists can set off a more formal structure. Or you could create a personal statement – by carving your lover's face in the front hedge, perhaps? For a ready-made design or some sharp shears, try The Topiary Shop.
Is it really possible to cram giant hedges, ancient trees and vast flowerbeds into a garden little bigger than a pocket hankie? Of course not - the real aim is simply to "borrow" elements from the grandest, most stylish gardens and scale them down to fit your space. With imagination and humour the result can be well worth it. After all, it doesn't hurt to be ambitious...
This feature was published in May 2007.
Straight and Narrow
You can't beat the fabulous gardens of Versailles, Sissinghurst and Chatsworth for their grand formal styles – sweeping avenues leading between rectangular parterres or tight hedges with sculpture and fabulous views. A prime example of this formal design transformed to the flower show is The Fortnum and Mason Garden at Chelsea 2007. Its designers, Robert Myers Associates, have used regular, extravagant planting and elaborate beehives as a repeating pattern.Can it work on a smaller scale? Definitely, with paths and planting scaled exactly to match the size of the space. Also use plants in pots to frame a view through the garden and repetition or symmetrical planting designs to mirror the structures around the garden.
Green Walls
Some of the best examples of hedging at its best are the great Tudor gardens such as Hampton Court Palace in West London and Haddon Hall in Derbyshire. Hedges can make or break a garden – they define its structure, can add formality or bring a sense of fun with a maze. They can also be used to add privacy or break up a long thin space – that typical British garden - into smaller enclosed segments.Tightly-shaped box or yew hedging can look stunning on any scale at all times of the year, so you won’t need a 600-year-old manor house to carry it off – this example is from the Fortnum and Mason Garden at Chelsea 2007. But as with the formal garden, hedging often looks at its best when planted in a regular pattern. Visit Crocus for a variety of box hedging.
Bird in the Bush
If you've ever been to Hidcote Manor in Gloucestershire, Levens Hall in Cumbria or Sissinghurst Gardens in Sussex, you will have noticed the wonderful topiary. Birds, pyramids, arches, spirals and cake stands can make you gasp or giggle. Lat year these stunning elephants were created by sculptor Topiary Joe to raise funds for elephant conservation.Why not try the same yourself? A topiary peacock can look perfect poking its head through the flowers, even in an informal garden. Smaller, regular designs such as barley twists can set off a more formal structure. Or you could create a personal statement – by carving your lover's face in the front hedge, perhaps? For a ready-made design or some sharp shears, try The Topiary Shop.
Our Programmes
In UKTV Gardens
Ask The Expert
| Celebrities
| Competitions
| Design Inspiration
| Design Your Garden
| Gardening Guides
| Grow Your Own
| Design Your Own
| Gardens News
| Lawns
| Message Boards
| Organic and Wildlife
| Paving and Decking
| Planting Up
| Plant Finder
| Plant of the Month
| Programmes
| Stockist Directory
| Sven’s Diary
| Water Features
