| In strict terms, a formal garden is one that is entirely | | | | into contemporary garden designs to create a sense |
| symmetrical, with one side mirrored by the other in a | | | | of grace, formality, and ordered tranquillity. Even in a |
| highly planned geometric pattern. Although there are | | | | relatively small area, the careful consideration to |
| many gardens of which this is true, formal gardens | | | | proportion, scale, balance, and harmony seen in |
| have now also come to signify a design that is laid | | | | classical gardens may be reproduced to create a |
| out with a degree of geometry and regularity, and | | | | simple, effective design. |
| with stylised planting - not necessarily with mirror | | | | Knot Gardens |
| images. | | | | Knot gardens were particularly popular in the 16th |
| From the simplicity of a lawn punctuated by a single | | | | century, and took the form of abstract patterns and |
| island bed to the complexity of an intricate knot | | | | interlacing bands containing coloured plants, sands or |
| garden, many types of formal garden may be | | | | gravels, marked out and framed by low hedges. |
| planned. However simple they may be, formal designs | | | | They were grown with a variety or aromatic plants |
| are typically ordered and elegant, well proportioned | | | | and culinary herbs, such as Germander, marjoram, |
| and balanced, and often strongly symmetrical or | | | | thyme, southernwood, lemon balm, hyssop, |
| patterned. | | | | costmary, acanthus, mallow, chamomile, rosemary, |
| Features typically include straight paths, closely mown | | | | Calendulas, Violas and Santolina. Most knot gardens |
| lawns, borders defined by low hedges or edging | | | | had edges made from Box (Buxus sempervirens), |
| plants, neatly clipped hedges or topiary, framed | | | | whose foliage has a sweet smell when bruised. |
| vistas and focal points, formal bedding in blocks of | | | | The patterns often took their inspiration from the |
| strong colour, and, on occasion, knot gardens and | | | | knots and strapwork patterns of English Elizabethan |
| parterres. | | | | and Tudor plaster ceiling decorations and needlework. |
| Formal gardens require very regular and precise | | | | So that this intricate detail can be truly appreciated, |
| maintenance and are usually very labour-intensive. | | | | knot gardens are often best viewed from above, |
| The more regular the design, the more any slight | | | | and they should be designed so that can be seen |
| flaws will stand out. | | | | easily from a house window or raised terrace. |
| The Principles of the Formal Garden Style | | | | Given the right setting and a well-drained, level site, |
| Many historic gardens were formal in design, and | | | | knot gardens are not difficult to create and are |
| geometry has been used in garden styles from the | | | | straightforward to maintain. The patterns should be |
| very earliest times. Persian and Egyptian gardens | | | | kept simple; this will ensure a pleasing design, and |
| relied on a formal structure of hard landscape, often | | | | ensure that maintenance will not be too |
| within a courtyard, in which planting, pergolas and | | | | time-consuming. |
| water features would be laid out in a symmetrical | | | | Some suitable plants for the hedges include cotton |
| pattern. The great Moorish gardens were largely | | | | lavender (Santolina chamaecyparissus) and dwarf box |
| formal, as were the sumptuous gardens of | | | | (Teucrium chamaedrys). If you decide to use plants |
| Renaissance Italy. | | | | rather than coloured sand or gravel to fill in the areas |
| These gardens echoed the architectural styles of the | | | | between the hedges, choose those that are in |
| day, and were designed to supply a strong visual | | | | keeping with the character and scale of the design; |
| connection between garden and house. In fact, any | | | | as a rule, low-growing plants are suitable, although |
| garden should do just that, but a formal style | | | | more unusual plantings, for example, succulents such |
| typically relies more heavily on the adjoining building | | | | as houseleeks (Sempervivum), may also he |
| for its inspiration. If the architecture of the house is | | | | considered. |
| classical, then formality in the garden should reflect | | | | Do bear in mind that any weeds that appear on the |
| this with features such as stone or gravel paths, | | | | gravel surfaces should be removed by hand, as |
| parterres, stone paving, balustrading, formal pools, | | | | weedkillers could damage the shallow-rooting hedges. |
| clipped hedging and framed views. | | | | Parterres |
| Of course, a building does not need to be classical to | | | | A parterre is a formal garden construction on a level |
| have an adjoining formal garden, but it does need to | | | | surface consisting of planting beds edged in stone or |
| be a building with some character of its own. In this | | | | tightly clipped hedging and gravel paths, arranged to |
| way, a formal garden could suit a Georgian house or | | | | form a pleasing pattern. Often confused with knot |
| a Victorian villa, but it could also suit a modern | | | | gardens, parterres are larger in scale, and consist of |
| architect-designed building, reflecting the regularity of | | | | ambitious and complicated designs, with flowering, |
| the house and providing a harmonious link between | | | | scroll-like patterns or symbolic themes. |
| the inside and outside. However, a formal garden is | | | | The pattern outlines are typically formed from low |
| less likely to work well with a pre-war semi or a | | | | hedges of box, with the area in between the hedges |
| developer's house on a modern estate. These tend | | | | filled with dense, colourful bedding plants, gravels of |
| not to have a balanced facade or strong layout, so | | | | different hues or plants with muted pastel shades. |
| an asymmetrical design would probably look, and | | | | There may also be evergreen shrubs trimmed into |
| certainly feel, more comfortable in these cases. | | | | precise globes or pyramids, and other clipped, formal |
| A feeling of formality may be achieved by creating | | | | shapes in box or yew. A parterre should always be in |
| classicism and symmetry in simple ways: by planting | | | | scale with the size of the house or adjacent terrace. |
| two or a number of symmetrically placed trees; by | | | | Parterres became very popular in the Victorian and |
| placing pots or urns on either side of a gateway; or | | | | Edwardian periods, especially in public gardens and |
| perhaps by positioning clipped shrubs to flank a front | | | | parks, where they were transformed into |
| door. | | | | extravagant bedding schemes and complex floral |
| Such a strictly architectural style requires that plants | | | | displays. |
| be used to emphasise and embellish rather than | | | | Topiary |
| dominate. Hedging, which can be close clipped, is the | | | | Topiary is the art of creating sculptures in the |
| often one of the most important features of the | | | | medium of clipped shrubs and sub-shrubs. The word |
| formal garden. Many hedges are made from clipped | | | | derives from the Latin word for an ornamental |
| and severely restricted trees, for example, limes can | | | | landscape gardener: topiarius. For over 2,000 years, |
| be 'pleached' to make a narrow hedge on clear | | | | the art and craft of topiary has been practised in |
| trunks or 'stilts'. Fruit trees, carefully pruned for the | | | | gardens; with time, patience, and suitable plants, |
| purpose, can also be used to form linear barriers, and | | | | "living sculptures" can be produced. |
| window-like holes can be even be carved into these | | | | Topiary is often used in formal gardens to add |
| hedges to create clairvoyees. | | | | shape, height, and sculptural interest; well-clipped |
| Formal gardens rely heavily on surfaces for much of | | | | pyramids, columns or spirals are used to emphasise |
| their impact, and the lawn is important for this | | | | the proportion and symmetry of a design. A single |
| reason. Colours are often muted in the formal | | | | piece of topiary can provide a strong focal point, |
| garden, with green predominating, and the lawn acts | | | | whilst several clipped trees or shrubs can supply the |
| as a subtle foil to other shades of green, such as the | | | | garden with a design cornerstone. |
| black-green of yew. | | | | Simple, geometric shapes such as cones or spheres |
| Strictly speaking, plants should not be allowed to spill | | | | are usually the best forms of topiary for a formal or |
| over on to hedges and paths, or otherwise break up | | | | classical garden, although more whimsical styles such |
| the strict architectural lines of the garden. However, | | | | as animals, birds, or objects (such as chess pieces) |
| some gardeners bend the rules and plant informally | | | | can add a lively and witty touch. These more |
| within the formal framework. This often involves | | | | elaborate forms may be suitable in both formal and |
| planting drifts of flowers in the borders, and using a | | | | informal gardens, depending on the style, but would |
| larger range of plant material than would be strictly | | | | be out of place in a wild or naturalistic garden setting. |
| appropriate for the traditional formal garden. This | | | | Slow-growing, dense evergreen plants are the best |
| method of planting undoubtedly softens the impact | | | | sources for topiary, such as cultivars of box (Buxus |
| of the formal lines, but that loss is often | | | | sempervirens), bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), yew (Taxus |
| compensated by the splendour of the plants. | | | | spp.), myrtle (Eugenia spp., Myrtus spp.), holly (Ilex |
| Classical Gardens | | | | spp.) and privet (Ligustrum spp.). Ivies (Hedera) may |
| The formal gardens of ancient Rome and Greece | | | | also be clipped and trained over frames to form |
| were the inspiration for the impressive palatial and | | | | various shapes. |
| villa gardens of France and Italy in the 17th and 18th | | | | Sunken Gardens |
| centuries. The essential qualities of these classical | | | | Changes of level, even relatively small ones, can |
| gardens are their strong symmetrical and architectural | | | | provide interesting features in a garden. A |
| designs, which closely follow the scale and proportion | | | | well-planned sunken garden can add a feeling of |
| of the building that they adjoin. | | | | adventure and space, as well as bringing another |
| Italianate gardens are often set on elevated sites, | | | | dimension to the design. |
| with terraced gardens and flights of steps leading to | | | | Traditional sunken gardens were usually rectangular or |
| long, shaded walks, cascades, fountains and canals. | | | | square, enclosed by walls, and bordered by paved |
| The cooling effects of water and avenues or | | | | paths or raised grass so that they could be seen |
| canopies of trees are all part of the pleasures of | | | | from above. The layout was typically simple and |
| these gardens, especially in the hot, Mediterranean | | | | geometrical, with flowerbeds divided by a |
| climate. | | | | symmetrical framework of walkways and paths, |
| The terraces might contain parterre designs with | | | | perhaps with a central sculptural feature, such as a |
| symmetrically positioned topiary pyramids or obelisks | | | | sundial or fountain. |
| and box-lined scrolls of flowerbeds. Other typical | | | | As they are lower than the rest of the garden, |
| features include balustrades, statuary, and | | | | sunken gardens are often secluded and sheltered, |
| well-proportioned vases or urns for ornamental plants. | | | | with a secret, sanctuary-like quality that is particularly |
| Colour is generally limited to the dark green of the | | | | restful and appealing. Formal bedding, herbs, and |
| plants, the pale colours of the stone and gravel, and | | | | roses lend themselves particularly well for use in |
| the white waters. | | | | sunken gardens. |
| Many of these classical features may be integrated | | | | |