English Garden Design

Designing an English Garden is always a creative, fun experience.

I work closely with each client to arrive at a shared vision of an English Garden that matches the family's property and lifestyle.

Although garden styles may differ and each garden is unique, I typically try to include:

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a mix of flower types (often roses and scented plants such as lavender and thyme to wake the senses.)

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plants that bloom at varied times so that something is in bloom during each season

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climbing plants to cover walls, arches and trellises

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plants with a variety of heights and colors (to add interest and help attract butterflies and wildlife)

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shrubs and perennials to brighten the garden during dull periods

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dense planting to help to discourage the growth of weeds

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one or more water features, such as a fountain or small pond to add a peaceful aura to the garden

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garden statuary and accents

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benches where one can sit and enjoy the lovely surroundings.

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"Where you tend a rose, my lad, a thistle cannot grow."

Choosing Plants for a Formal English Garden

Although there are so many plants to choose form, I typically recommend a variety of annuals, perennials and bulbs that lend an air of cultivated formality to the landscape.

Organized around a focal point or along a well-thought-out line, I often use these plants to help create the perfect effect for a formal English garden:

Ageratum, Floss Flower -- This annual comes in white, pink, and lavender-blue (a rare color for annuals).

Anemone, Japanese -- This showy perennial can reach up to four or five feet high.

Balloon Flower -- Named for its shape when closed, this perennial grows well in borders or along garden edges.

Bugleweed -- This flower adds a splash of intense color and excels at keeping weeds at bay in a garden.

Columbine -- if you want to attract hummingbirds, this flower should be incorporated into your garden.

Coneflower, Purple -- This flower, which grows wild in the Midwest and South, has petals that grown downward.

Coreopsis -- This annual is shaped like a daisy but features warm golden, brown, and red colors.

Daylily -- One stalk can give rise to numerous blooms that open and die within a single day.

Dusty Miller -- A silvery plant, it leaves the impression of beautiful beds of coral.

Feverfew -- This lovely plant is a member of the sunflower family and has reputed medicinal uses.

Forget-Me-Not -- A small flower, best used in large quantities for an effect, blooms in the spring.

Gaura -- This tall flower develops clusters of muted pink or white blossoms.

Geranium, Crane's Bill -- Along a border or in a rock garden, the geranium will flourish.

Iris -- Returning year after year, the iris comes in a wide range of colors.

Lupine -- This tall flower comes in annual and perennial varieties, depending on the climate.

Pansy, Viola -- Producing flowers continuously, it blooms during cooler months.

Perennial Pea, Sweet Pea -- A lovely flower that grows easily in any good garden soil.

Rudbeckia -- Daisy-like, the black-eyed Susan is the best known of this type of flower.

Snapdragon -- Known for its blooms, which can be snapped open like a puppet, this flower also comes in open-faced varieties.

Sundrop, Evening Primrose -- Common in gardens from the past, this flower grows quite well in poor soil and holds up well to drought.

Sweet Rocket -- This bushy flower is incredibly fragrant.

Sweet William -- This two-tone flower has fringed petals and grows easily, escaping gardens to grow in the wild.

Tulip -- Actually native to the Middle East, this flower is one of the most popular of spring.

Verbena -- This lovely flower is loved by gardeners because it grows well where other flowers will not.