There are many types of gardens. Flower, herb, vegetable and a combination of all are your basic gardens. Then you have garden styles. Below are the basic categories.
Cottage gardens
Cottage gardens mix annuals and perennials, bulbs and dwarf shrubs to create an inviting garden. The mix of formal and informal gardens is often used which creates the need for more layouts and planning of the garden.
Most cottage gardens use a pathway or stepping-stones for the traffic areas to enable you to walk through the garden. The path is often a focal point to the garden and gives a welcoming feel and personality to the garden area. This garden style looks like its low maintenance but often takes more time that you expect.
Formal gardens
Formal gardens are based on order, disciplined neatness and straight lines. It takes a lot of time and planning for the formal garden to work. The use of crisp lines and shapes such as rectangles, squares and circles are the basis of the garden with shapes and garden beds repeated for form and structure. Paving or walkways are often used and help give the gardens more structure and a feel or grandeur.
If you are laying out your own gardens For marking out a square bed in a formal setting, place a square piece of cardboard or tile in position and stretch two strings diagonally across it and outward from a peg at each corner. For circles and circular shapes, tie two pegs to a piece of string, one peg gets planted in the center of the circle and draw around with the other peg for half-moons, full circles etc.
I love the look of a formal garden but I am not sure if it would fir into my yard or life style. I think this is one garden I should just go and visit.
Informal gardens
Informal gardens are more playful. They use flowing borders and a wider use of foliage and flowers incorporated in the layout and design. This style requires careful planning. Its very easy to end up with planting that are too busy and don’t work together.
You need to consider balance, continuity, color, harmony, rhythm and overall unity of the plants and shrubs selected. An informal garden has the look of a carefree garden but they will require quite a bit of attention to keep them in control.
Theme Gardens
Theme gardens can be a mix of all of the above gardens. They are usually a smaller garden and more of an accent garden. They can be a permanent garden or changed every year or so. Them gardens give you more of a chance to experiment with different flowers and plants and breaking garden rules.
Unconventional shapes
Unconventional shape gardens lend their selves to small spaces and difficult to plant areas. Combining different shapes like circles and lines, triangles with squares, rectangles and free flowing design makes it easier to work with these areas. A good example for unconventional shapes would be working with steep slopes and banks.
When you add a new garden to your yard or property you always need to take into consideration your house and the landscaping already present. The next important decision is how much time and money you want to invest.
And the bottom line is always to enjoy your garden.
Leave a Reply