The English garden seduces all nature lovers to whom they wish to reserve a place of choice. In this type of wild-looking garden, where the pseudo-romantic clutter is still a little organized, there is no question of the hand of man dominating nature. At most it accompanies it to sublimate it. It is therefore the complete opposite of the French garden where control is absolute. Let’s discover the specificities of the English garden and see which plants are best suited to this bucolic and poetic environment, as well as the maintenance to be expected.
The concept of the English garden
In an English garden, also called english garden or landscaped garden, everything must have a natural appearance, and the visitor should not be able to imagine that the plants have been planted there and the paths drawn beforehand. However, plants and shrubs are judiciously chosen as are the architectural elements, and the sinuosity of the paths is skilfully thought out. But the result is breathtaking : the English garden is picturesque, enchanting, where each point of view is enhanced. It is an artistic masterpiece in the heart of which the gaze escapes, clouded by so much beauty. The English garden gives the feeling that time has stopped, it upsets the soul, soothes and delights all at the same time. It is an invitation to stroll.
Behind this landscaped garden, perfectly organized like a painter’s painting, hide precise design rulesto know :
- The harmony between colors, structures, plant materials and natural materials,
- The search for balance between the different volumes,
- The succession of various points of view,
- The presence of winding paths from which you can admire each point of view from a subtly placed bench,
- The miniaturization of scopes,
- Obtaining a depth effect,
- The enhancement of the house in its splendid setting.
To create an English garden, it is necessary to respect certain codes in order to create a landscape, changing with the light and the seasons as if it were constantly reinvented. The ideal is, as far as possible, that we find there:
- A pretty lawn, some areas of which take on the appearance of a natural meadow,
- Des mixed-borders,
- Winding and irregular paths,
- paving stones,
- Rocks,
- A profusion of ornamental plants in beds, borders, groups, even in hedges or even isolated,
- stone walls,
- Benches of contemplation, in wood, in stone,
- elevations,
- A vegetated wooden arcade,
- a gazebo,
- terraces and duckboards,
- A basin, a pond, or even an artificial river.
Creating an English garden is a real work of art. It is not enough to juxtapose plants of all kinds and different decorative elements to achieve this tour de force. It has deep meaning and its design is precision work. It is necessary to select materials such as slate, wood, stone… in short, anything that brings a touch of authenticity.
Recommended plants in an English garden
At a time artist painting and landscape, the English garden is a evocation of ideal nature full of sweetness. Certain plants are particularly symbolic of the landscaped garden. The essentials are:
- climbing rose,
- bush rose,
- perennial geranium,
- Read the dolphin
- black mullein,
- Lavender,
- peony,
- The gypsophile,
- L’astrance,
- passionflower,
- clematis,
- Honeysuckle,
- the bignone,
- Ferns,
- I panic them,
- You blink,
- The many hostas,
- The phlox,
- Le plumbago,
- the astilbe,
- the bellflower,
- the anemone,
- lady’s mantle,
- The hortensia,
- Le tulipier,
- camellia,
- The Lilac,
- winter jasmine,
- The four-season mimosa,
- The Apple tree,
- Different Dogwoods,
- aromatic plants,
- Semi-aquatic plants to install near the water feature,
- Shrubs for hedges to create plant partitions…
All the art consists in using the abundant plants and to create delightful monochromes by putting delicacy in the spotlight. Powdery colors, natural shades, pastel colors are essential for the landscaped garden to take on a poetic accent. We also play on Heights of the different plants, the subtle tones of the decorative foliageplain or variegated, marbled, coloured, silver or gold, not to mention the importance of volumes.
Of course, the seasonality has its place in this natural setting, which is why the plants are also chosen according to their flowering period (which is quite the opposite in a French garden). In this way, we introduce into this painting the sweet, powerful or delicate scents of flowers and aromatics that a walk along the winding paths will allow you to discover with happiness. Add a few fruit trees and this poetic decor becomes an absolutely perfect garden of the senses…
Essential care for an English garden
It is thanks to a skilful and mastered layout that one can give birth to the most sumptuous of English gardens where nature is sublimated. It is the result of extreme meticulousness on the part of its creator but make no mistake about it, under its wild appearance, it needs just as rigorous maintenance, namely:
- The mowing of lawns and natural grassland, as often as possible,
- The removal of wilted flowers as you go, which represents a daily occupation for a good part of the year because the English garden has a lot of flowering plants,
- The removal of dry, damaged, stained or dead leaves,
- The cut climbing plants to promote their flowering but also their growth, to eliminate dead wood, misdirected branches and quite simply to make them even more beautiful,
- The size of trees and shrubs to be carried out on a case-by-case basis, depending on the season, either in autumn or in spring, and sometimes for certain species during the summer if the size is not too severe,
- L’watering the frequency of which varies considerably depending on the region in which the English garden is set up, the weather conditions, the plants, the presence of mulch or not,
- The mulch that is recommended to limit watering,
- The weedingalso time-consuming, but the frequency can be reduced thanks to the different mulches because they limit the development of weeds,
- Fertilization, to be carried out according to the needs of the plants, to boost the production of flowers, fruits, and to have even more spectacular decorative foliage plants,
- Regular monitoring of all plants in order to react quickly in the event of an infestation of parasites or if one of them suffers from a fungal disease or others,
- Maintenance of the pond and aquatic hideouts,
- Cleaning of decorative elements such as the bridge, statues, benches, etc.
Devoting time to creating an English garden and then caring for it is a immense source of pleasure. The gardener also draws one great pride and his daily efforts are rewarded. He can evolve in a fabulous universe, devote himself happily to contemplation and rejoice in the work accomplished. But if you do not have enough time to maintain your English garden, you should not hesitate to contact a professional. Thanks to an online comparator, it is easy to obtain several quotes from landscapers.