15 Best English Garden Ideas to Transform Your Backyard Into a Charming Oasis
Here's how to create the English-style garden of your dreams.
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If you love the look and feel of an English garden, you're not alone. The combo of neatly trimmed hedges, intimate little paths, and lush flower beds can make a space look and feel like a hidden little nook of luxury. If you're looking for fresh landscaping ideas for your space, it's worth taking a page or two from this iconic style to make your yard into the English garden of your dreams.
Of course, if you're planning on changing things up in your yard, you might be wondering: What is an English garden, anyway? Here's what you should know: The term isn't easily defined, but it generally refers to a romantic, sweeping landscape design in which the land overflows with plants and lush flowers in an organic-looking sort of way. First developed in 18th-century England, it is thought that the English garden was initially intended to go against the "architectural gardens" of the time, which were far more rigid in structure, pattern, and shaping.
The trick to recreating the style at home: Combine tradition and elegance with a sense of whimsy. Opt for meandering paths, meadow-like florals, twisting ivy, friendly iron gates, and other fairytale-inspired features you'd expect to see in an old-fashioned house in the British countryside. Here are more than a dozen tips and tricks for getting the ideal effect. Looking for more? Check out our big backyard ideas, our small backyard ideas, and some recommended types of flowers all to help your garden grow. Let's get planting!
Aim for plenty of variety.
Tall plants, short plants, pink flowers, white flowers—all of these things can be placed next to one another in an English garden. Of course, you'll have to make some adjustments to ensure that all of your plants have access to sunlight and aren't too crowded, but in general, it's best not to overthink a garden like this one and instead to opt for a free-flowing plan.
Meandering paths are a lovely touch.
At first glance, a garden path might seem like too much work. But actually, it couldn't be simpler to source and lay the right one for your garden—and the payoff is big. Not only will you give yourself an easy route in and out of the space, but you'll also be afforded the luxury of watering your plants without having to step into tall grasses or get your shoes muddy. It's a win-win!
Add a gate.
There are few things more magical in an English garden than a simple gateway. They're easy enough to purchase and install, and the visual impact is huge. Don't have a wall into which to install your new structure? You can also buy stand-alone designs that can be surrounded by simple bushes and vines.
Think vertically too.
It's not just about what's on the ground! Be sure to think about the "y-axis" of your space as well. Consider adding a trellis or simply twisting ivy, draping wisteria, and high-flying vines around a shed or other already-existing structure.
Incorporate seating.
English gardens are meant to be enjoyed and savored, which is why they often include benches. What better way to sit and take in all the beauty around you? Wooden, stone, and metal structures all work beautifully in these spaces.
Create lush and full garden beds for a cottage look.
Plant of variety of flowers—roses, lavender, delphinium, and other colorful options—close together to replicate garden you'd find in the countryside. A dense and rich garden with plenty of character is what you're after.
Keep hedges well trimmed.
Large, well-trimmed bushes work well for dividing spaces, creating paths, acting as walls, and even for separating various parts of the garden. This will give you even more areas to fill with plants to enjoy. If you like, you can even create separate areas for entertaining friends and family.
Use unique shapes and clean lines.
English gardens aren't just floral masterpieces, they're incredibly architectural, as well. Map out your garden with plenty of squares and circles to create a sense of busy space.
Add roses everywhere.
When it comes to gardening, nothing's more English than a fragrant rose bush.
Make a bold statement by planting in profusion.
Avoid the temptation to snap up every variety that catches your eye. You can achieve a lavish look like this with just two types of climbing rose: 'William Baffin' and 'New Dawn.' The bottom line: You only need to plant a few kinds of things, but do it in big sweeps.
Embrace high-contrast combos.
While citrus-hued daylilies are already pretty splashy on their own, buck conventional wisdom by pairing them with alliums in equally assertive but seemingly contradictory shades of purple—to brilliant result. Color is particularly important where you don't have structure.
Define a garden with horticulture and structure.
The couple who own the garden pictured initially installed one of these quaint shelters to attract bluebirds, only to see it occupied by swallows. So they tried another...and another...and wound up with an unintended benefit: The line of roosts provides the suggestion of a garden wall.
Furniture doesn't have to blend into the background.
Instead of the usual grays, greens, and blacks, choose hot, bold hues for outdoor chairs. The result: a stunning focal point that draws attention to the view beyond.
Don't forget the view from inside.
Does your bedroom overlook an arbor? Try planting a trumpet vine at each of an arbor structure's six posts. It will look like the vines are floating in the air from a second-story window, plus they bloom from July to the first frost.
Sun and shade can get along just fine.
Embrace an area with a collision of light and shadows to create a cozy dining area. Hydrangea petiolaris thrives in the shade provided by a north-facing potting shed wall, while desert agaves soak up the bright daytime light.
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