Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts

The History of English Landscape Gardening


All landscape gardening essentially makes reference to the great English maestro "Capability" Browne's life work. Lancelot "Capability" Brown introduced a style of gardening in the 1750's which became known as "serpentine" gardens. Perhaps the best known example of this style is Hyde Park, in London, England, which although not actually designed by Capability Brown, was certainly influenced by his work. As the style caught on, it began to be known as "English Landscape Gardening", which in one form or another came to influence the grounds of every stately home in Britain.

Capability Brown's basic philosophy was that a park or estate should be a heightened reflection of the glories of nature. Plants and lawns should be arranged in a harmonious, natural setting. This was in direct opposition to the French style of garden, such as at Versailles, which aims to trammel nature into formal, abstract - and for Capability Brown ultimately sterile - formations.

The great master's influence is still strong today. The ideal of a garden is to bring out the best in nature and give it an idealised setting to shine. The "serpentine" which tended to form the backbone of the garden is a winding or naturally formed body of water or lawns. In Hyde Park, the artificial lake is actually called The Serpentine. Lancelot was born and grew up in Northumberland, in a labouring family, and his first work was as a gardener of an estate, where he was in charge of vegetables. This proved to be an invaluable early education into plants and how to take care of them.

In 1739 he moved to an estate in Walton, where he caught the eye of the owner of Stowe Park, in Buckinghamshire, one of the country's great estates. Here he learned the art of growing exotic fruit and vegetables and pleasure gardens. Lord Cobham, the estate owner, was very up-to-date both politically and socially and encouraged the introduction of all the latest techniques. Top names such as Vanbrugh, Bridgeman and William Kent had contributed to work on the grounds. Their influence was classical and they tended to include follies, or sham ruins and attempted to perfect nature. Large-scale landscaping was introduced, using water, trees and mossy caverns, to create a classical but natural effect.

Lancelot, undoubtedly influenced by this trend, moved it into another dimension by increasing the scale and taking the whole estate as a theme. The grounds became huge woods and lakes, more rivers were introduced and spectacular views brought right up to the doorstep of his client. Clever use of proportions and enhanced perspective gave the effect of rolling hills falling away from the main buildings.

This was a revolutionary approach and contrasted strongly with other styles of gardening of the times. Italian Renaissance, Tudor knot gardens and the French and Dutch influences, with formal fountains and canals, and constrained-looking, clipped evergreens and concentric circles, aimed to dominate nature, instead of working with it. You can visit http://www.best-landscape-design-ideas.com for more information about garden landscaping.

The ideals which Lancelot spent a lifetime developing have stayed with us until modern times. His influence has been so profound that his harmonious ideals are to this day those which the makers of gardens, no matter how big or small, adhere to. On a smaller scale, the owner of any garden or plot of land can take his basic tenets to create a harmonious space in which to relax and feel part of nature.

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How to Have an English Country Garden

Learn to Plant a Basic English Cottage Garden

In the days of old England, many of the workers in small villages were called peasants, and they owned small houses with very small gardens. These gardens would have to supply the family with all of their gardening needs. The kitchen garden would consist of vegetables and mixed fruits. In amongst this array of produce they would also grow flowers.

The most popular flowers would be hollyhocks, delphiniums, daisies and also an array of herbs - mint being one of the most popular.With their mystical charm and abundance of scents, English cottage gardens exhibited a style that evolved through the necessity of the times.

Many families would have gone hungry if they had not had the benefit of home-grown produce.

Unlike the peasant gardens, the gardens of the landowners, or gentry, were very formal with box hedges, straight lines, stone paths, and many with wonderful statues depicting the gods of ancient times.

They would also have fountains with water flowing into a lake or pond. They were considered by some to be classic with their order and discipline.

When the more romantic influence came into being, plants were considered to affect us emotionally, and the cottage garden was born out of this movement.

One of the most famous cottage gardens was designed by the French impressionist painter Claude Monet. The cottage gardens with their abundance of roses, growing over fences, and their vine-covered arbors with flowers climbing towards the sun are now emulated in North

Their informal style of tall wonderful perennials battling it out for space in the back of the borders, creating a profusion of textures and substance, and the smaller plants in the front of the borders determined to lift their heads to the sun, not to be outdone by their taller cousins, all this creates a palette of color, that would be very hard to outdo.

The other advantage to having this kind of garden is that it reduces the amount of weeds that grow, as the branching out of the plants hides the sun from getting through to the ground and therefore snuffs out the chances of weeds germinating.

To create a cottage garden, don't be afraid to plant seeds close together as this creates the effect you are looking for. Go for a variety of shapes. Plant feathery plants amidst spiky ones; use bold leaf plants with delicate ones. Put a sprawling plant next to an upright one.

The best rule of thumb is to plant tall at the back and short in the front of your borders.

In most cases, try to plant in odd numbers of three, five, etc and in very large borders try groupings of up to seven or nine of the same plant. This method gives depth and structure to your borders.

Also keep foliage in mind. Some gardeners say that foliage is more important than blooms, but the sight of colored blossoms nodding in the breeze and turning their faces up to the sun can be more satisfying.

In the end it all comes down to personal taste, but whether you like straight line gardening, formal gardening, or cottage gardening, get your hands dirty and have fun!
Ena Clewes is a speaker and freelance writer with a passion for gardening. You can visit Ena online to find out more about her gardening pursuits. http://www.tipsbymrsgreenthumbs.com
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My English Rose Garden Review


The David Austin family of roses is as renowned as the breeder himself.

David was fascinated by the old roses. He wanted to recreate the drama and majesty of roses by breeding roses that featured forgotten colors such as apricot, yellow and red. He would call this new line of fragrant ever-blooming roses, English roses.

Born out of this passion was the David Austin Roses nursery. The rose world embraced David's later signature collection which included Heritage, Mary Rose and the Graham Thomas. If you're ever in a nursery, note the roses you are drawn towards. Nine times out of ten they will be the English Rose family.

The flowers are gorgeous. The scents are mesmerizing. They are easy to care for with their charming and somewhat unorthodox growth. They've earned a reputation for sturdiness, can survive as climbers or shrubs in a variety of environments. Their increasing popularity can be attributed to the fact that they are very attractive in the garden, versatile and the fragrance is more intense than most any other rose.

With the advance of breeding techniques one of the missing ingredients has been fragrance. David's flowers are densely filled with petals, much like antique roses, and most possess a strong fragrance that hearkens back to old-fashioned tea roses. Yet their growth habits, health, and, most of all, their tendency to repeat bloom, are an improvement on their ancestors.

In fact, just this year the David Austin 'Graham Thomas' was selected for inclusion in the "Rose Hall of Fame". The World Federation of Rose Societies sponsors the "Rose Hall of Fame" and has over 40 member countries representing tens of thousands of rosarians.

You haven't experienced a rose until you've seen, grown and cultivated a David Austin rose garden. You'll marvel over the depth of beauty, blossom formations and the seemingly impossibly fragrance coming from what appears to be fine crumpled silk. Words don't do these roses justice.

Although I'll try to describe my David Austin collection, but I am sure words will not do. After my first experience with these roses I decided to dump (not literally), my other roses and focus exclusively on developing my own exclusive David Austin rose garden.

Whether you choose organic or inorganic, climbers or bushes, the best advice I can give you about growing David Austin roses is to get one of each, care for them per your experience and and watch for the ones that respond. Then play them up all over the garden.

Here are some of the varieties I've come to enjoy and grow with a high level of success:

(1) Abraham Darby grows tall and blooms in the old fashioned peach pink blooms. The flowers are strong, firm and fruity, and will dance in your garden as a free standing shrub or a trained climber over almost any pattern.

(2) Shropshire Lad boosts glossy wax-like leaves, a healthy stalk and grows as a massive shrub. Coming in a light, fragrant soft peachy pink, this beauty starts out with cup shaped flowers that morph into perfect rosettes.

(3) Ambridge Rose has that old fashioned look with pink and apricot blooms that form on a three to four and half foot wide bush. Like all roses in the Austin family it is nearly always disease free and boasts an alluring light fragrance from flowers that have well over 100 petals.

4) Brother Cadfael actually looks like a peony. The flowers are clear pink, huge and round as a globe. The hardiness of the plant supports a massive shrub and everything from the leaves, to the blooms to the stalks are all in proportion. If you've every smelled the Old Bourbon Roses, then get ready for this fragrance which is times two.

(5) Charlotte is soft. It has a medium yellow flower with distinct cup shaped blooms. It loves winter weather, stands strong against the north wind and has got to be the truest representation of the yellow English rose.

(6) Christopher Marlowe is compact, taunt, free-flowering and ideal if you enjoy container gardening. Mine is in the bedroom and emits light scents of lavender.

7) Cottage rose is medium height. It features the warm, old fashioned pink blossoms you see in the the 1940's movies. Like nearly all the Austin breeds you get excellent disease resistance and 100 plus petals that give off the signature light rose scent.

(8) Crocus start out with rosette shaped flowers whose petals flex at full bloom. Its free flowering nature comes in a soft pinkish apricot changing to a pale cream at the edge of the outer petal. It's extremely robust, with arching stems, culminating in large clustered blooms. The rose tea smell is ever present.

(9) Eglantyne flowers as petals that turn up at the edges making them look like shallow spacers filled with small free standing petals. The flowers are quite large and of exquisite formation - the petals turning up at the edges to form a shallow saucer filled with small petals. There exacting formation is truly reminiscent of the traditional English rose.

There you have it. My David Austin rose collection. It is the most stunning garden plot on my property and I would advise and dare any rosarian to out class me on this one. If you don't have David Austin roses in your garden, please get some now. You haven't truly experienced rose gardening until you do.

Tim McMillan is a rose gardening enthusiast and chief editor of Rose Gardening News. For more great 
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English Cottage Gardens


When we plant our cottage garden we can use an English cottage garden theme of old or we can create our own with numerous ideas. Most English cottage gardens are small and in a confined space and every inch of space has something planted on it, this is the best way to keep away the weeds.

Some of these gardens can be vegetable gardens with flowers planted here and there. We can plant tall flowers in the back of the garden with the vegetables growing in the middle and the shorter flowers in the front of the garden. Some cottage gardens are made up of flowers and flowering evergreen plants, this way when the regular flowers die out we still have a garden of evergreen plants or shrubs.

Maybe we can even try a succulent garden as part of our cottage garden. This way we would be water wise at the same time, as these plants retain their own water and don't require much maintenance. This garden is probably best suited in a very dry climate, but could also be planted in the sunniest part of any garden.

An unusual cottage garden could be an island garden with stepping stones, or small pebbles going completely around it. This garden has the tall flowers or even tall vegetables in the center of the garden and the smaller ones encircling the perimeter. This island cottage garden can be round, square or rectangle; if it were a diamond or triangle shape it would be difficult to maintain the corners.

In the days of old, in Europe, many people did not have the money to purchase the plants that they wanted to grow in their gardens. Most people had family, friends and neighbors who were willing to share the crops and clippings from their gardens for the well being of others. Most of the clippings and seeds from fruits and vegetables were acquired in this manner. Hence, the name cottage garden came about, the sharing of one cottage plantings to another. In this way many of the plants, fruits and vegetables lived for many centuries and were enjoyed by many people.

Many English cottage gardens were grown in very small plots of land and many plants and vegetables need room to spread. Since there wasn't very much room, some were planted and trained to grow on fences and up homemade trellises, this left more room for them to spread out. The gardens that we have today have a lot more room, but we can still train our plants and vegetables to grow up trellises, even an arch to provide a beautiful entrance to our garden. Growing vegetables up on a trellis will give us more room in the garden to plant and enjoy more vegetables.

Another area of your cottage garden can be with trees, either deciduous or evergreen, fruit or non-fruit bearing, with a small sitting area in the middle for relaxing, just enjoying your garden or reading a book. These are only just a few the ideas that can we can incorporate into an English cottage garden.

Barbara Volkov and her husband are happily retired and enjoying a lot of gardening in a small backyard. I have several articles pertaining to the garden and its many accessories. Come and visit us at http://www.gardenersgardensupplies.com/ for more interesting ideas and ways to plant.
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Creating an English Country Garden


Many people have dreams of having an English country garden of their own. Traditional English gardens are known around the world for their beauty and tranquility. It is no wonder so many people are drawn to create one of their own. Making a true English country garden of your own is far from a simple task, however. In fact, it is quite challenging in many ways. However, the work that it requires is well worth it for the end result: a garden that appeals to all facets of human senses.

A traditional English country garden is, when you get down to it, a work of art. And, like any work of art, your garden should express a part of the artist who crafted it. How you choose the plants in your garden, how you arrange them, how you care for them, all these elements should be meant to show the world a part of who you are. This means that your garden should be unique, an extension of your personality and your creativity. Making these choices is, in many cases, a part of the process that is nearly as difficult as laying out and keeping up the garden itself.


Fortunately, there are a number of things that will help you with these decisions. First of all, there are a many books in which you can find ideas and advice on your English country garden. These books will be able to give you lists of which trees, shrubs, and flowers are traditionally included in your garden, as well as when to plant them and when they will bloom, as well as pointers on how to arrange them. This may seem like a hindrance to your creative influence in the entire process, but in the end it will enable you to make some of the important choices while not having to worry about every mundane detail of the process.

There are a few general guidelines that can help when you are planning your English country garden. The first thing you need to realize is that in order to make yourself a proper garden you are going to need a significant amount of space. Traditional English gardens are a good bit more than a few flowers in a bed. You will be using trees, shrubs, and flowers of all different varieties, so you will definitely want to be sure you have enough space before you find yourself in over your head.

Another important thing to remember is that your English country garden has to feel like a single unit. You will have different plants throughout the garden, but they should all have a sense of unity to them. This is accomplished, in many ways, similarly to the methods used in home decor. You should establish themes in your color by choosing plants that compliment each other. This also applies to the shape and structure of the plants, as sticking a handful of tiny plants among a bunch of larger ones will cause the small plants to be lost.

 Today more than ever people are looking to lend their homes a country touch by adding sizeable pieces such as rustic furniture or smaller touches such as rustic lighting to their rooms. Stop by our site today to receive many free rustic design tips.
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Creating Your Very Own English Herb Garden


To create your Very Own English Herb Garden, you must first take a look at the two types of gardens that you can create. The simpler of the two is the Cottage Herb Garden. This Garden is a very useful addition to your house if you cook a lot of meals at home, and have time to grow your own fresh ingredients. The more expensive, time consuming and difficult of the two is the Formal English Herb Garden. This garden requires much more space, and a much larger budget, but the end results are breath taking if done correctly. They intertwine form with function by not only giving you fresh Herbs at your disposal but also giving you an artistically symmetrical botanical Eden to cherish and enjoy.

The best location for an English Cottage Garden would preferably be touching the side of the house directly to either the left or right of the kitchen door. This location is perfect for the cook to effortlessly get needed Herbs and vegetables by going out of the kitchen door and retrieving needed ingredients whenever necessary. Traditional English Cottage Gardens have more then just Herbs, they also contained vegetables and Spices. These Gardens were made for harvesting fresh ingredients for the daily preparations of meals. These Cottage Gardens not only make fresh home grown produce to be readily available, but it also saved the owners large amounts of money. Buying produce can put a hefty dent in your wallet, and being able to grow your own produce lets you avoid all of the poisonous pesticides and herbicides that are sprayed on all produce that is grown in bulk. This is a fantastic way to have easy access to cheap, fresh, and healthy ingredients.

When creating your Formal English Herb Garden, you must possess a creative spark that allows you to view the end result so you know what to work towards. If you are not apt to creative design, you can hire a designer to create a gorgeous, symmetrical landscape that you can then fill with the English Garden of your dreams. These Formal English Gardens are usually located as a centerpiece to your yard, and usually cover a large piece of land. Although this is the more expensive route to take, the character and beauty these gardens bring to a home is in valuable. Not to mention the fact that having Herbs ready to be picked whenever needed can improve your health, and in turn improve your lifestyle.

As in all gardening expenditures, having a green thumb is very helpful. Looking after your English Herb Garden can become very tiresome at times, but can also provide fun and enjoyment to others. Sprouting consists of placing seeds in Peat Pellets for around a week or until a 1 to 1.5 inch or 25 to 40mm sprout appears. Once the Herb/Vegetable has sprouted, it is time to plant it into the ground, peat pellet and all. Be sure to leave a minimum of 50% of the sprout sticking straight out of the ground. Be sure to provide enough spacing so that each Herb/Vegetable does no touch one another. A great natural pesticide is onions, whether it is growing in a perimeter around your garden, or even sprinkling minced onions around your garden randomly. Onions repulse almost all insects and can help keep your garden pest free. Herbs only need light watering so be sure to separate your herbs from your vegetables mostly due to the fact that vegetables need an abundance of water in its flowering stages. One thing that is also very important is keeping small animals out of your garden. Depending on the area in which you live whether it is deep in the city, or out in the rural countryside, pests can ruin any garden. There are many ways too keep these pests out of your garden. The two most effective ways are an ordinary wooden fence with a gate, which can be anywhere from 3-4' or 900 to 1200mm in height depending on abundance of specific species. Or a cheaper yet still effective way is to wrap fishing line around your perimeter at random heights. This nearly invisible barrier will stop almost all domestic animals including dogs and cats, and will also keep out deer. After your English Herb Garden is finished, you can relax in the spring shade and enjoy the wonderful fragrances and awe inspiring sites of a Botanical Eden made specifically for you.

Tony is an Herb Garden enthusiast. To find out more about creating your very own Herb Garden visit http://www.GardeningWithHerbs.com. Please feel free to browse the site for more vital information, hints and tips. http://www.GardeningWithHerbs.com/english-herb-garden. You can sign up to The Ultimate Gardening With Herbs Mini-course and receive a FREE Report.
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Traditional English Landscape Gardens Included Wall Fountains


The traditional English landscape garden had lots of wall fountains and is thought to be a type of garden that was developed in 18th-century England, originating as a revolt against the architectural garden, which relied on rectilinear patterns, sculpture, and the unnatural shaping of trees. The revolutionary character of the English garden lay in the fact that, whereas gardens had formerly asserted man's control over nature, in the new style, man's work was regarded as most successful when it was indistinguishable from nature's. In the architectural garden the eye had been directed along artificial, linear vistas that implied man's continued control of the surrounding countryside, but in the English garden, a more natural, irregular formality was achieved in landscapes consisting of expanses of grass, clumps of trees, wall water fountains and irregularly shaped bodies of water.

English Gardens Change From Formal to Natural With the Addition of Wall Water Fountains

In the 16th century the English philosopher Francis Bacon was outspokenly critical of the artificiality of "knot gardens." He was supported in the early 18th century by Joseph Addison and Alexander Pope, who argued that trees should be allowed to grow into natural shapes; by the artist William Hogarth, who pointed out the beauty of a wavy line; and by a new attitude that nature was good. As the factotum of the Whig aristocracy, William Kent was responsible for beginning the wholesale transformation of the old formal parterres into the new fashion. The classic example of the transformation was at Stowe in Buckinghamshire, which included wall water fountains was where the greatest of England's formal gardens was developed by stages turned into a landscaped park under the influence of Kent and then of Lancelot Brown.

It is no stretch of the imagination to say that England has produced the most famous landscape gardens in the world. It has been said that gardens are to the English what cuisine is to the French. The English love their wall water fountains with incredible designs.

What Makes an English Landscape Garden Grow so Well?

There are many factors that differentiate English landscape gardens from American ones. The most obvious difference is the English climate. It offers ideal growing conditions for many plants because it lacks harsh extremes of temperature and provides necessary moisture throughout the growing season--conditions few areas in the United States can claim. Too many warm, sunny days in a row may be great for the gardener's disposition, but plants conditioned to moist, overcast days quickly begin to show signs of stress. The reverse also poses a problem: A string of rainy days may be great for the plants but can make it impossible to do much in the garden except hand weed. Wind also contributes to the look of English landscape gardens. The clipped yew hedges that serve as a background for seemingly endless borders were grown primarily to shelter plants. The wall water fountains are usually turned off and pipes drained during the winter months.

But it is not only what the English plant that makes their English landscape gardens so characteristic, it's where and how they plant. If there is a bit of bare dirt somewhere and a way to coax something to grow in it, count the space filled. Blank walls are strung with wire and every imaginable vine or shrub trained to grow up them. The wall fountains serve as a focal point for the overall design. Fruit trees and hedges serve as living trellises for clematis, roses, and other climbers. Plants are grown over, under, around, and through each other, creeping out onto gravel and stone paths and softening the hard lines of terraces and steps. Once garden space runs out, attention is turned to any object that will serve as a pot. Old horse tanks, bicycle baskets, kitchen sinks, and the occasional rusted teakettle can become home to some gem bought or "pinched" during a weekend garden visit.

Even the lawns in English landscape gardens are gardened by mowing different areas at varying heights and intervals. These areas, known as "rough-mown turf," not only provide an opportunity to experiment with line, pattern, and texture but also host naturalized plantings of bulbs and meadow plants. In addition, they serve as transitions between highly maintained areas of the English landscape garden and abutting naturalized areas, such as woodland or cropland.

Another aspect of English landscape gardening is the absence of power tools. Initially, it may seem quaint to learn to garden the old-fashioned way, all the time believing that it was simply because the rototiller may be broken. Rototillers are actually available but are seldom used because the action of the tines creates a hardpan that impedes drainage beneath the fluffed soil. In addition, the planting density is often so high that a tiller would damage the roots of nearby plants and destroy hidden bulbs. Tractors and wagons for transporting heavy materials are available also, but because most of the lawns are soft and impressionable, wheelbarrows are preferred--though they often are rusted out or plagued with a low or flat tire.

Give a man a bag full of seeds or a bucket of bulbs and he will plant them in a straight row every single time. Nature does not do this. Flowers and trees grow naturally in a random pattern, almost as if Mother Nature, herself has tossed the seeds and plants to land where they may. This philosophy is the entire basis for an English landscape garden and the wall water fountain is merely icing on the cake.

Elizabeth Jean is a writer, gardening enthusiast and frequent contributor to Garden-Fountains.com, a premier water feature web site where you can find a beautiful collection of indoor and outdoor fountains, waterfalls and garden statuary.

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A Typical English Garden


Your garden might cover many acres with a stately home in the middle of it, or it may be no bigger than the smallest room in that grand house. In either case, it is your garden to change, care for and use as a refuge from a world filled with many stress factors.

You will never learn everything that there is to learn about gardening, but you can become an expert gardener. I am going to attempt to set out the fundamental principles in my articles. Becoming an expert calls for mixing the knowledge that you can gain from reading books with a great deal of careful observation and practical experience.

For most people the aim is to create a good example of the typical British garden - the lawn, Roses and flower beds which make up such a distinctive feature of our urban scenery. Beloved by foreigners, but not part of our ancient heritage.

A great deal has been written about gardening on the grand scale. Britain, often thought of as the country which gave gardening to the world actually went to the continent to learn how to do it. So our early gardens which stretched around the 17th century mansions were in fact copies of the highly formal European style. In the 18th century we stopped copying. We invented the Landscape Garden - rolling parkland, artificial lakes, trees on top of man-made hills. Capability Brown, William Kent and the other architects of this naturalism made England the most respected gardening nation on earth.

It was all on the grand scale. Around ordinary homes these changes in fashion meant very little, the Cottage Garden remained an untidy but useful jumble of vegetables, herbs and sweet-smelling flowers. Then came the Industrial Revolution. Whilst the cottage and its garden slept on, there appeared a new phenomenon - the villa of the middle classes and the terrace house of the mill worker. The villa owners turned to Mr & Mrs Loudon for guidance, and it was these two tireless journalists who popularised the Victorian Villa Garden - lawns, geometric flower beds, shrubberies, annual bedding and so on. Later designers such as Gertrude Jekyll softened the line a little with herbaceous borders. From these Victorians the home garden of today has arisen, and it continues to develop. Nowadays, we happily mix Roses, shrubs, perennials and bulbs in the same bed in a way which would have horrified the rule-book writers of 50 years ago. Perhaps the only rule is to remember the words of Gertrude Jekyll: "A garden is for its owners pleasure."

There are Six main elements to every garden. These are: soil, climate and weather, plants, water gardening, greenhouse gardening and non-living features. I will write about each of these elements in my up and coming articles. I hope that you read them because I find gardening such a relaxing hobby, you don't have to be an expert to enable you to create a wonderful garden that you enjoy sitting in and relaxing. Gardening is something which you should enjoy doing and at the same time get a lot of pleasure from. Happy Gardening.

A great amount of my time is spent in my garden, but I am getting older and things are getting harder to do. I have decided to use a company called Gardener London. So far, they've given me all the help and advice that I have requested.

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Orangeries Allow You to Enjoy Your English Garden 365 Days a Year


So far this summer the weather in the UK has been far from predictable. We have had days of glorious sun shine and days of not so glorious rain. Nothing new there then I hear you say. It really is a favourite topic of conversation in the UK go into any pub, hairdressers or supermarket and you are bound to hear someone talking about the English weather. And more often than not they are probably moaning about it. However if we did not get all the rain that we get here in the UK we would probably moan even more. The UK is famous for its lush green landscape which we Brits rightly so are very proud of and nowhere more than in our own back gardens. The English climate means that we can grow some fantastic plants which our neighbours on the continent could only ever dream of growing. Meaning that with a little bit of effort our gardens can be truly spectacular. The problem is that in that due to the climate in the UK getting out into the garden to enjoy it is not always possible. That is unless you have a conservatory or orangery on your home which will allow you to enjoy your garden from the comfort of the inside of your home.

If you want a traditional look then a Victorian or Edwardian style conservatory could be great for your home. However if you are looking for a more contemporary modern look for your home then a orangery could be the answer for you. An orangery offers you the best of both worlds the roof offers you the light and airy feel of a conservatory the double glazing offers you stunning views of your garden and beyond, whilst the brick or stone built columns offer the substantial feel of an extension and help to tie your orangery in to the rest of your home.

By fitting an orangery with the latest in UPVC double glazing means that not only will your orangery be more efficient as less heat will escape therefore reducing your carbon footprint and your gas and electricity bills. Double glazing will also help to keep outside noises out so that you can enjoy the views without having to listen to local traffic and your neighbours. UPVC double glazing can also help you to give your orangery a truly individual look. The UPVC frames themselves can be customised you can choose from a variety of different colours including brilliant white, wood effect or solid colours such as green or black. Then there is the double glazing itself you can pick to have either plain glass or stained glass and lead to really customise your orangery.

You can even choose the materials which are used to build the pillars which hold up your orangery. You can chose between stone or brick. On the inside you can either leave the stone or brick work exposed or you may prefer to have it plastered so that it is more in keeping with the rest of your home.
An orangery would be a great addition to any home and UPVC double glazing would allow it to be used 365 day a year meaning you can enjoy your garden what have the weather and learn to love the changes in the UK climate.

For more information on Orangeries and Double Glazing please visit our website or call into your local show room.
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Garlic in an English Garden

By Michael H. Thompson

In days gone by folk used treacle as a blood-cleanser, which sounds both yummy and useless at the same time, but if you couldn't afford treacle then you used garlic which came to be known as 'poor-mans-treacle' and also 'gypsies onions'. Romany families would forage in the spring hedgerow for ramsons or wild garlic, using both the bulb and leaf to flavour their stews and for healing.

The best time for planting garlic is in October or November but if - perish the thought - you forget, then a planting in February will work as well. The method is gorgeously simple. First I loosen the soil, and using a no-dig raised bed method pays dividends, a light forking over is all that is needed. Then I take a bulb of garlic and break it into its separate cloves. Using a dibber, or more likely a strong finger, I make a hole and pop a clove in tip uppermost until it's just buried. Textbooks prescribe spacing them 15cm apart in rows 30cm apart but in practice I plant them in much more of a cavalier fashion. A smidgeon of bone-meal and a bucket of rough compost on top for good luck and my work is done. It's not long before green shoots will appear, which is a refreshing sight during the winter months, and come spring the y will romp away to maturity.

As time goes by, I'll hand-weed and water if it's really dry in the spring but otherwise they look after themselves. Garlic can be affected by a disease called leek rust but we have well-drained soil, especially in the raised bed and we have no problem on that score. I'll harvest the garlic sometime in July, leaving them to dry on the surface or in the greenhouse if wet. A few good bulbs are set aside for next year, stored in a dry cool place, hopefully carefully labelled. The rest are tied up in a sort of plait, not quite as neat as you see on French markets but never mind, and then left to hang from the beam of the potting shed to spread their earthy fragrance.

I used to plant garlic brought back from summer holidays in France with reasonable success, indeed any old supermarket garlic can be used. If you get into the habit of keeping a few good bulbs aside for planting the following year then your initial investment will pay dividends. Most garden centres keep a few varieties in stock. Keen growers distinguish between two types of garlic: the hard-neck bulb such as 'purple Moldovan' that has large bulbs which are great for roasting but not so good for storing, and the soft-neck bulb such as the 'Solent Wight' which is smaller but stores well.

Not so long ago, many treated garlic with an air of suspicion but tastes have changed, our cuisine is more international than ever, and garlic is an essential ingredient in so many recipes. It is also considered the king of healing plants, and has been treasured down through the centuries for its naturally anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties, being used to combat cancer, heart disease and major infections. The least experienced of gardeners, with perhaps just a pot or two for a garden, can grow garlic with confidence and enjoy a flavoursome harvest.

Michael Thompson is a professional gardener living in Dorset in southern England. He writes a weekly journal that is found on http://www.englishrosegarden.co.uk of his experiences of working on a traditional English country estate. His writings are woven with wise gardening advice, beautiful photos, whimsical philosophies and observations from nature.

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The English Garden Rose - A Cottage Garden Favorite

By Keith Berwick 
 
Traditionally, roses have been an important component of the English garden. They have always been found alongside the other long-established cottage garden favorites such as the lupins, potentillas, hollyhocks and geraniums.

The new breed of 'English Garden Roses' produced by David Austin roses, in the UK, although not recognized as a new class of rose, has taken the established rose-growing world by storm. These most recent of introductions are, in fact, a hybrid, developed by crossing the 'Old Garden Roses' with the more modern Hybrid Tea and floribunda roses.

The developer, David Austin, set out to produce roses that were reminiscent of those grown during Victorian times. Roses that had the appeal and majesty of a bygone age. A time when roses were bred to embrace that now, all-too-often, forgotten charm of fragrance. So many roses, in recent years, have been bred for their visual appeal alone, with fragrance a forgotten quality.

Modern gardeners have long been asking growers to return to developing roses which are once again perfumed. How much romance has been lost from a rose with no perfume? You place it to your nose and instead of a heady fragrance - nothing! No bouquet, no heady scent, nothing. A rose without a perfume is a mockery, a parody of itself.

These new English roses have blooms that are, in shape, reminiscent of the classic gallica and damask roses but are able to flower repeatedly for a longer period, during the summer, with the added benefit of a much wider, more contemporary range of colors. They are a summer bloomer, usually between June and September. The variations in coloring are greatly reminiscent of the old garden roses of the past.

These roses may be grown as a large, well-rounded bush or as a superb hunker down climber and they work very well alongside peonies and may indeed work where peonies will not. They have a larger head, more petals and a lot more fragrance than your typical rose.

When these roses were initially trialed, in some of the warmer states of the USA, they were found to grow considerably taller than when planted in the cooler climes of the UK. That has proven to be a bonus for Americans because they now have an even more versatile rose.

Austin's roses have for the most part achieved what they set out to do. They've succeeded in creating roses with the old fashioned qualities of a heady perfume, and Rosa gallica style flowers with the modern traits of repeat flowering and more up-to-date colors. But it has come at a price.

These roses have not been blessed with the disease resistance and inherent hardiness of their Old Garden Rose parents. Many of them are prone to the same ailments that badly affect the modern hybrid tea and floribunda roses. Another potential drawback for this type of rose is their lack of hardiness in zones north of Zone 5, in the USA.
 
Regardless of these shortcomings, these roses have been taken to the heart by the rose buying public and many other rose growers are making them available too through an international licensing scheme.

Keith Berwick is a rose growing enthusiast who has been growing roses both professionally and for pleasure for over 40 years and enjoys helping others to get started in this rewarding hobby. For more great information on the English garden rose, visit http://www.rosecaretoptips.com.
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English Garden Rose


There are more than sixty varieties of the English Rose. They span nearly every color in the rainbow and are among the most coveted roses by rosarians.

It would be difficult to cover every variety of English Roses in this piece, but I will highlight some of my favorites, giving a few details here and there. It should be enough to whet your appetite English Roses.

But first, a bit of history.

David Austin of Shropshire, England is renowned for producing a style of rose in the genre of hybrid teas, Noisettes, Portland Damasks and Hybrid Perpetuals. His goal was to breed these new roses to exploit the best qualities of modern shrubs and Old Garden Roses (OGRs).

He succeeded with the English Rose only to the point that each variety is somewhat climate specific and fraught with complexities. If you enjoy experimenting then this is the rose for you. The rewards for your efforts are fragrance beyond your wildest imagination. Most modern roses are lacking in this area but the English Roses are exceptionally fragrant. The shrubs are huge on most of them, so plan your garden accordingly.

Here is a list of a few varieties I have tried. Some worked out and I keep them around, while others required too much trouble for the end result. And some are just on my list at the moment:

o Abraham Darby
o Gertrude Jekyll
o St. Swithun
o Graham Thomas
o John Clare
o Teasing Georgia
o Country Living
o Mayor of Casterbridge
o Tradescant
o William Shakespeare
o Fair Bianca
o William Shakespeare 2000

Abraham Darby is my all-time favorite and in my opinion one of the nicest English Roses I've had the pleasure of cultivating. Its deep apricot color and peachy strong fruity scent are very nice. It is a cross between the Yellow Cushion, a floribunda and the Aloha, a climber. My Abraham Darby on average blooms perfectly every season and the scent is just titillating. Disease is nearly never a problem and the height of 5 feet or more is obtained quickly, giving it the ability to be easily trained as a climber.

The blooms appear in small clusters of three to five and occasionally I get a huge bloom at the single end of a shoot. The clusters vary colors from a uniform apricot tone to a soft pink with a soft yellow interior, giving an overall peach appearance.

The fragrance is incredibly strong and rather fruity, reminiscent of the traditional old rose scent. This is one of the nicest apricot English roses I've had the pleasure of enjoying.

A couple other favorites I have in the garden include the Ambridge Rose Apricot Pink Blend. This rose has particularly large cup shaped blooms that fade from medium apricot to near white with age. It makes a great cut flower. The lineage of the Ambridge Rose is 'Charles Austin' crossed with a seedling.

The Light Pink Moderate Cottage Rose is sweet with a faint medicinal scent. My Cottage Rose is grows fairly dense shade sporting flowers with a thick cluster of pink petals measuring four inches across. Although reaching a height of six feet, my Cottage Rose is a little spindly. The parents of Cottage Rose include Wife of Bath and Mary Rose.

Fair Bianca' intoxicating fragrance is a real garden charmer. This nice-looking rose forms a very nice rounded shrub and adapts well to a large pot. The blooms are creamy white with a hint of pink on the outer petals. The scent is somewhat spicy. I would describe it a little on the piney side and certainly is a scent that you'll need to experience to see if you like it.

'Gertrude Jekyll' is a cross between David Austin's Portland Rose 'Comte de Chambord' and his pink Wife of Bath. This English rose is very beautiful when you find the location and conditions it requires. So in order to get twenty or more blooms like I did, after moving it three times, either prune new growth to 1/2 length, or peg the tips of the long canes to the ground. This helps encourage more blooms. The exquisite scent it produces is so compelling that this is one of the few roses actually used in perfumes.

These are just a few of my show pieces. In the future I will be trying some of the other popular and intriguing roses such as the Glamis Castle (Pure White), Golden Celebration (Deep Golden Yellow), the much acclaimed Graham Thomas (Butter Yellow Tea Rose), L. D. Braithwaite (Deep Red Moderate), Lilac Rose (Mauve), Lilian Austin (Orange Blend), Lilian Austin (Ausmound) Medium Pink, Pat Austin (Coppery Orange), Sharifa Asma (Blush Pink), Tamora (Soft Apricot Blend), and The Prince (Deep Crimson).

I've got my work planned for a couple of years, but then that's what we rosarians do, right?

Tim McMillan is a rose gardening enthusiast and chief editor of Rose Gardening News. For more great information on Rose Bush Care, visit http://www.rosegardeningnews.com
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The English Garden Rose - A Modern Antique!

The English Garden Rose - A Modern Antique!

David Austin, during his early adulthood in a farm in County Shropshire, England, came across a book on antique roses by George Bunyard which inspired him to combine the old garden rose with the modern floribundas and hybrid teas to create the beautiful and yet resilient English Garden Rose in the 1960s. Since then more than 200 types of this variety have been created and newer roses are being created even now.

The English Garden Rose, also known as David Austin Rose, is created by collecting the pollen from one variety and pollinating another variety. It is tested for several years before the initial 200 examples are whittled down to 5 perfect examples of a new type. Although this variety has not been officially acknowledged as a new species, it is referred to as such by gardeners all over the world.

It is famous for it's moderate to low maintenance and easy adaptability to various climate and soil conditions. If you are looking for a rose that is not only extraordinarily beautiful but also exceptionally resilient, you need search no more as the English Garden Rose is made just for you.

Crown Princess Margareta is named after a grand-daughter of Queen Victoria, who was a talented landscape gardener known for her Swedish Summer Palace of Sofiero in Helsingbong. This beautiful apricot-orange colored rose is grown as a medium shrub or short climber. It is a repeat bloomer and exudes an intense fruity scent. It is well suited for back of borders and can handle rigorous conditions. It is 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide.

Teasing Georgia grows rampantly and can be trained as a climber. It is a repeat bloomer and displays an abundant array of blooms. It is very hardy and has a medium to strong tea rose fragrance. This rose won the Henry Elland Medal in the RNRS trials held in 2000 for the best scented variety. The blooms are bright yellow with the outer petals turning paler yellow. It grows to a height of six to eight feet.

Abraham Darby is a small climber with moderate resistance to diseases although it is susceptible and sometimes even prone to rust. Created in 1985, it has grown in popularity because of it's peach colored six inch wide blooms. In warm climates, the blooms are usually lighter apricot pink while in colder climates, it is a rich peachy pink. It starts blooming rather late in spring but goes on to repeatedly bloom until late fall. It grows well to a maximum height of ten feet in Zones 5-9.

Tamara is more suited for gardens in a warm climate zone. It does not grow at all in Zone 5. It is famous for it's lush red tinted peach colored buds that turn into honey and pink blooms with an intoxicating myrrh fragrance. It starts flowering late in spring and goes on well into fall. The semi-glossy foliage offers a delightful background to these attractive blooms. It is best suited for Zones 6-10.

You cannot go wrong with the English Garden Rose so go ahead and decorate your borders and hedges with these elegant beauties and watch your garden take on an old world charm.

Anthony Glover is a rose gardening enthusiast and one of his favourite plants is the English garden rose. With his friend James Kelly he has set up a website dedicated to rose planting and other helpful tips for the rose gardener.
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Top 10 Best English Garden Roses


An English garden rose is a hybrid rose cross-bred rose combining the richness of old English roses and English roses with the hardiness of modern varieties. In 1969, rose enthusiast David Austin crossed Gallicas and Floribundas, Damasks and Hybrid Teas, Bourbons and Modern Climbers, and more. They were called Austin roses, later becoming known as English roses.

In this article, we will outline the top ten best English roses to guide you in choosing the rose varieties you want to grow in your own garden. Here they are:

1. Mary Rose. It's not hard to see why many people like this hard shrub which produces full bloom deep 
pink roses and a light old rose scent with hints of honey and almond. Mary Rose is not vulnerable to the winter cold and fungal diseases. It has even a good growth rate during the summer.

2. Graham Thomas. Introduced to the English rosarian world in 1983, this butter-colored rose is the most popular English rose there is. Nothing else---not even the Hybrid Teas---can match its rich yellowness, which later on becomes paler. Its growth is upright and bushy and its slender stems may need stalking for support. In 2000, the Graham Thomas won the James Mason Award at the Royal National Rose Society. This disease-resistant rose has a strong tea fragrance typical of its color group, with a hint of violet. In warmer climates, Graham Thomas is also grown as a climber, but is said to have fewer blooms.

3. The Mayflower. This deep rose pink bloom is purely old English rose in characteristic, but it has virtually zero susceptibility to rust, blackspot and mildew. While it rarely produces a huge bunch of roses at any time, the Mayflower never runs out of flowers. Growth is full and twiggy with a little less of matt green foliage than other roses.

4. Wild Edric. This shrub rose will survive under extreme weather conditions, making it a popular among beginners. It starts as a pointed pink-and-purple bud that opens into semi-double petals of deep pink with shades of mauve and purple. Interestingly, its petals have a classic old rose fragrance with cucumber and watercress overtones while its stamens smell of pure clove.

5. Heritage. David Austin himself called this the "most beautiful English garden rose," and it's not hard to see why. With a delicate shell-pink hue that almost fades to white at the edges, the petals perfectly cup around the center. The heritage rose grows to become a well-formed bush. Its plant has little thorns and blooms repeatedly throughout the year. It has a lovely scent, with mixed tones of honey, fruit and carnation and a classic old rose background.

6. Grace. This apricot-colored rose has petals cupped to form a perfect rosette. It's a perfect English garden rose because it blends attractively with flowers of other colors, emits a warm and sensuous scent, and produces rich, full blooms all throughout the year.

7. Abraham Darby. A strong, vigorous plant found excellent for growing arches. Imagine adorning your front doors with an arc of these large peach-apricot flowers that turn light pink at the edges and its glossy, green leaves. Abraham Darby is a disease-resistant vine that emits a strong fruity scent.

8. Claire Austin. This is the only white rose that made it to this list, not surprisingly, because of its beauty and its hardiness under different kinds of conditions and against plant diseases. The petals are large and creamy white formed in perfect concentric circles and sporting a scent similar to a mix of vanilla, heliotrope and meadowsweet.

9. Gertrude Jekyll. Known to have the timeless scent of the old English rose, Gertrude Jekyll won the James Mason Award in 2002. It has, much like its Portland rose parent, a rich pink color and very thorny canes that should be pruned regularly for repeated flowering.

10. Evelyn. This shrub produces gigantic blooms literally the size of saucers, and such magnificent blooms they are. The petals are peach with tinges of pink and yellow around the edges. Evelyn has an old rose fragrance and a slight fruity scent that reminds you of apricots and peaches.

Now that you have gone through our list of top ten best English roses, we hope it is now easier for you to make your selections for your future rose garden. We'd like to see those lush blooms glowing radiantly soon. Happy planting!

Catherine Martin comes from a long line of passionate rose lovers, growers and enthusiasts. As an author, she is committed to demystifying the common rose, so that all who wish to can grow them easily. For more great information on the best English garden Rose [http://www.rosegardeningexpert.com/best-english-rose/], visit [http://www.rosegardeningexpert.com].
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The English Garden


The earliest 'English' garden that we know of was planted by the Romans in the 1st century AD at the Roman Palace at Fishbourne in the English county of Sussex. It has been reconstructed in part and is still considered to be sophisticated, even today, with it's symmetrical formal planting of low box hedges, gravel walkways and high hedges with small niches for holding urns, statues and garden benches. The garden near the house is green, landscaped and leads down to the waterside and there is also a separate Kitchen garden for the supply of fruit and vegetables. The Romans are also thought to have brought roses to Britain.

Nothing is known about Anglo-Saxon gardens. Possibly because the warlike Anglo-Saxons were too busy else where.

In Medieval times the greatest gardens in England belonged to the monasteries, particularly those of the 
Benedictines, who did not live off the charity of the local people. They tried to be self-sufficient and were primarily devoted to their own needs, creating fish ponds, grape arbors, kitchen gardens for vegetables, herb gardens for medicines and a patch devoted to flowers for the altar. Gardening to them was never seen as manual labor but as an activity to 'calm troubled souls', as it for many today. Even Medieval castles sometimes made room for small 'Courtyard' gardens with raised beds and turf seats for the ladies to sit, sew and admire the view.

In the late Medieval period, castles gave way to fortified manors and the garden became a simple green space surrounded by fences or hedges on which games of bowls and tennis were played. Then came the Tudors who were influenced by the Italian garden style. They loved proportion and harmony of line and for the first time since the Romans, statues and sundials became popular. The Elizabethan Age (mid to late 16th Century) was famous for its Knot gardens; intricate patterns of small box hedges filled with flowers, herbs and shrubs. The most famous of these is at Hampton Court Palace, the famously haunted Thames-side home to many English and British monarchs from Henry VIII onwards.

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth, the Seventeenth Century saw the Stuarts Kings (and Queens) following the French style of formal garden. Broad avenues swept away from the house with ornamental arrangements of flower beds at either side. The mania for bulbs reached its peak in 1637, when a single bulb would change hands for ten times the annual salary of a skilled artisan, the most prized bulbs being those of the multi-colored tulip. Water features also became popular around this time.

In the 18th century formality gave way to a far more natural look around the stately homes of England. Paths curved and wandered, lines were no longer straight, ponds lost their geometric shapes and became elegant lakes, trees were planted in clusters and the garden opened up, landscape gardening had arrived. The most famous landscape gardener of that time and a name that everyone knows, was Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, who's nickname came from his habit of telling prospective clients that their gardens had 'Great Capabilities'. He designed over 170 gardens surrounding the greatest country houses and estates in Britain and many of them can still be seen today. He was at one point accused of 'encouraging his wealthy clients to tear out their splendid formal gardens and replace them with his facile compositions of grass, tree clumps and shapeless pools and lakes'. Russel Page, who was a contemporary of Brown's and who's garden design was much more formal, once said that 'he hoped he died before Capability Brown so that he could see heaven before it was improved'.

With the Victorian era the pendulum swung again to massed beds of exotic colored flowers, intricate designs and greenhouses. They also brought 'culture to the masses' with public parks and beautifully laid out gardens.
The 'English garden' many strive to achieve is usually modeled after the gardens of the early 20th century designed by Gertrude Jeckyll, many were created to surround the beautiful 'cottages' designed by her friend the celebrated architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens. Gertrude Jeckyll designed over 400 gardens, using color and texture in a new way, but these were not small, intimate spaces the title 'cottage garden' implies. True cottage gardens were tiny spaces devoted to the kitchen, filled with fruit, vegetables and herbs which frequently had to co-exist with some form of livestock. Flowers were something of an afterthought, but as it became less and less necessary to grow our own food, flowers took over, so now for most people the garden is an area purely designed for pleasure.

Today, we all have the opportunity to build a garden, whether it's on an apartment balcony, several acres surrounding our home, or just a small back yard. New varieties of old plants allow us to build idealized English gardens in smaller spaces, so that any garden can be a riot of color, texture and fragrance, a safe haven from the cares of a troubled world.

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The Utilitarian Charm of English Garden Design for Cottages

The Utilitarian Charm of English Garden Design for Cottages

The English cottage garden is a style that is in re-discovery today. As in every successful revival, the new version improves on tradition with new insights and ideas. The English garden designed after the cottage style has been around for as long as there have been cottages in England. Of course, up until relatively recently, they weren't considered a style of English garden design at all. It's just that their beauty caught on with the gardening writers of the country after a while. People began to notice that the traditional English garden design used in poor cottages across the country really possessed a lot of excellent gardening know-how and aesthetics to hand down.

To look at the traditional English garden design for cottages, one thing is clear. The humble gardener always fills every space available in his garden with every useful plant he can get his hands on. The most useful kitchen garden plants are the ones that come first - fruit, vegetables and herbs. If blooming plants are found clinging to all kinds of places in an oddly recognizable way in the traditional English cottage, it's because these enter the garden in a supporting role - flowers and all of the herbs are always brought in as a way to fight pests with. And sometimes, to help supply the family medicine cabinet.Yarrow, for instance can help fight a fever.

The traditional English garden design in cottages was one of a recognizable kind of chaos. Rambling roses 
would be all over the house, cabbages, Larkspur, gooseberries and poppies would always line all the garden paths, and hollyhocks would go along the boundary walls. The cottage garden was always so full of color and so delightful that there was a charm there in the way everything seemed to be on top of everything else. It was the very image of domestic bliss, and it's a style that's in revival all over North America now. To do the same for your own home and garden, here's what you need to do - leave out all decorative plants, and instead, decorate with useful plants.

Begin your English garden design with an apple tree instead of the flowering crab. And plant it in a flower bed surrounded by flowers rather than out on its own. Plant those flowerbeds densely with kitchen herbs alongside of the flowers. Cabbages, carrots and other vegetables can be quite beautiful and they shouldn't be considered alien to the theme of the garden. In an English cottage garden design, they are the theme. Give them the most prominent placing, and raise sunflowers and runner beans up their stalks. You could have a tidy layout even if you do choose an English cottage garden. The basic theme is to fill every available space and to not judge plants for being what they are. You can plant marigolds to keep rodents away, and you can plant garlic right alongside a flower bed to keep insects off. It's all about utilitarianism and how we can't judge nature.

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English Garden Landscape Design - The Mystery and Romance of a Secret Garden

English Garden Landscape Design - The Mystery and Romance of a Secret Garden

Materials, accessories, and, of course, appropriate plant life are all important aspects of a romantic cottage style garden design that brings elegance and beauty to your outdoor space, as well as your home. Natural, twisting walkways, edged with flourishing plants and shaded by majestic trees, thriving lawns for relaxing and playing, and traditional county cottage style accessories create a simple outdoor living area full of beauty that complements your home.

Building English Garden Paths

Secluded walkways with graceful curves and abundant, free-flowing plant life are the foundation to creating a genuine English landscape design. Garden paths meander through the landscape, allowing peaceful enjoyment of nature's pleasures. The materials used to build the walkways are the key to a romantic, English atmosphere.

These materials and design tips are perfect for your English garden style outdoor living area:
  • Natural materials, like gravel and bark, make beautiful paths with a simplistic look. These materials are inexpensive and relatively low-maintenance.
  • Stylish brick or stone pavers are a more luxurious option, lending an element of charm and grace to your outdoor design.
  • Combine stone, gravel, and brick materials for a more genuine English garden landscape design.
  • Avoid formal angles and conservative patterns, integrating soft lines and curving designs that suggest romance instead.

The Charm of English Garden Accessories

Your quaint English garden should be a relaxing and tranquil place that allows you to enjoy the beauty of fine outdoor living. The garden accessories you choose are an important influence on the overall atmosphere and theme of your outdoor space. Select decor that complements the free-flowing, natural uniqueness of the English countryside.

Green lawns with picturesque views of the most beautiful aspects of your design are made functional with wooden garden furniture, like teak, that has an antique, aged appearance. Romantic benches or intimate cottage style outdoor furniture, along with quaint arbors and fragrantly adorned trellises, create the appeal of the country without detracting from the modern beauty of your home. Gazebos, quaint foot bridges, and rustic fences can also add the charm of your country style garden.

Wildlife's Role in the English Garden

Traditional English gardens were abundant with a variety of insects, birds, and other wildlife that only complements the natural beauty of this landscape style. Garden accessories, like water gardens and rustic bird baths or feeders, are one way to attract a number of species to your outdoor living space.

Certain plants and ground coverings are known to attract wildlife like butterflies and hummingbirds. Plant fragrant lavender, clover, and small bushes with bright colored berries throughout the garden. Undisturbed grasslands and natural rock arrangements are also inviting to area wildlife.

English Garden Plants

The country garden style is characterized by a lavish array of flowers, shrubs, and vines in a rainbow of vibrant hues, complemented by majestic, curving trees providing relaxing shade from the afternoon sun.

Select a variety of country garden plants for your design, including blooms that provide color in each season. Some flowers and shrubs to consider are:
  • Traditional country rose bushes, aromatic honeysuckles, foxglove and primroses, and the native, graceful lily of the valley are excellent plants for shady areas.
  • Potted herb gardens and planters filled with cornflowers, violas, and petunias can tolerate the tranquil shade of your English garden as well.
  • Native flowers, peonies, easy to care for geraniums, and fragrantly luxurious sweet peas are other suggestions.
English garden landscape designs provide unique outdoor living areas with a fun and whimsical atmosphere. A landscape design plan that blends the style of your home into the simple, natural charm of your outdoor space can be perfected with the assistance of a professional landscape architect or garden designer. Your design firm can also offer advice on the best country garden style for you and your home.

Allen Quay is a professional landscape designer in the Southern California area and specializes in custom high-end landscape designs. You can find more valuable landscape design tips and information on Allen's website, the Landscape Design Advisor: http://www.landscape-design-advisor.com


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