The English country garden style is one of the most iconic styles of gardening in the world. Beautiful flowers, plenty of natural wildlife buzzing around, a wonderful fragrance and a place to relax and unwind.
English country garden style is one of the most iconic styles of gardening in the world. Beautiful flowers, plenty of natural wildlife buzzing around, a wonderful fragrance and a place to relax and unwind, conjuring up images of romantic novels from years gone by. Is it any wonder that gardeners all over the world try to recreate this?
It's not as difficult as you might think to create your own English country garden, and we're going to hopefully give you plenty of inspiration in this blog, as we run through some of our favourite country garden ideas. We'll look at different styles and methods to create this beautiful, lush gardening style at your home.
1. The cottage garden style
What a place to start - the quintessentially British cottage garden. This style garden was given justified prominence by Vita Sackville-West in her poem 'The Garden', in 1915, which opens:
"We had a garden on a hill,
We planted rose and daffodil,
Flowers that English poets sing,
And hoped for glory in the Spring"
This was an ode to her garden at Sissinghurst Castle, now run by the National Trust (have a visit if you're looking for more garden inspiration). The key feature of the cottage garden there (there are many different sections) is an abundance of planting, with tulips, euphorbias and wallflowers offering a brilliant combination of red and green colours that line the pathways. These are great plants for your English garden, and the perfect place to start your plans.
Plant Suggestion: Lavender, Peonies, Hollyhock
2. The colour theory
Gertrude Jekyll was a genius. She was the creator of The Colour Theory which combined the English country garden with the Impressionist movement in art. It was all about how different plants, with different colours, were planted next to each other depending on where they came on the colour wheel. Reds next to purples, yellows next to oranges, blues with greens. One colour leading to the next.
This colourful mix would give gardens depth, texture and interest. All the flowers had a purpose, and it has become a key element of the English garden style. If you're into gardening, then embrace the colour theory.
Plant Suggestion: Depends on the colour, but try Marigold, Hibiscus, Rose, Bluebell
3. The rose garden
If you're after that classic English country garden look, then you're going to need some roses. Nothing heralds the coming of beautifully warm weather like the first glimpse of roses in the early Summer. The brilliant thing about a rose garden is that roses are so versatile - you can use whatever colours you want, they can be in a patio container or as a shrub, climber or rambler in deep borders. They provide beautiful cut flowers, and they attract all kinds of busy little pollinators. Whatever garden style you're after, roses can play an integral part.
Plant Suggestion: Err...roses?
4. Garden rooms
A common element in a lot of country gardens is the idea of garden rooms. This is when you section off different parts of your garden, usually with a little fence or hedging, and then have a different style or focus for each one. While this technique has often been found in larger, more formal gardens, it can work really well on smaller gardens too, actually making your garden feel bigger as you move from 'room' to 'room'.
Plant Suggestion: Buxus Sempervirens
5. Straight line pathways
Another common feature in formal country gardens is the idea of straight paths. Take the Burton Agnes Hall in Yorkshire - there you'll find a walled garden with more than 3000 paths in the most satisfying patterns. All immaculate straight lines, going up and down, from side to side and diagonally.
These straight lines create a sense of order and neatness to a garden. You can also use them to separate the different garden rooms, or differentiate between different plants - so you could have a kitchen garden, then a path, then your spring bulbs, then a path, then some tropical plants - you get the idea. Paths can be gravel, reclaimed stone, brick - use materials that fit in with your overall style.
Plant Suggestion: Different combinations, whatever you want, all neatly separated by straight lines
6. Water features
As an island, water has always played a significant part in British history, so it's no surprise to see that water features are so prominent in British garden ideas. How you incorporate water into your garden can differ depending on what sort of look you are going for - a water rill would work great alongside your straight line paths. A little pond can bring all kinds of nature to your garden. An ornate bird bath can bring an element of style and class, as well as many visiting birds.
The sound of gently running water, no matter what form it takes, will always create a feeling of tranquillity.
Plant Suggestion: Achilleas work wonderfully next to water
7. The kitchen garden
Growing vegetables in gardens has been a huge part of British life for hundreds of years. Our climate, for all its faults, gives us a long growing season, so we can be reaping the rewards of our hard work all year round. Maybe it comes from a desire to become self-sufficient, but there are few more satisfying things than eating a meal using ingredients that you have grown yourself.
So a vegetable garden patch is a key element to any English country garden. They take a bit of planning to really make the most of your space - plant a diverse selection of veg, and make sure you include some classics, like carrots, peas, potatoes and onions.
Plant Suggestion: Your favourite veg!
8. Green, green and more green
We love our 'green and pleasant land' in this country. As any head gardener will tell you, one of the main things you have to do to please a British crowd is to have plenty of green. A beautifully manicured lawn, plenty of herbaceous borders, evergreens everywhere, grass pathways, as well as green creepers and climbers up the walls. Whatever your English cottage garden plans, include plenty of green!
Plant Suggestion: Pick your favourite Evergreen Plants
9. A centrepiece
A centrepiece isn't just for a grand estate - any garden, no matter what size, could benefit from having a focal point to draw the attention of visitors. These can range from the classic stone statues, of things like angels or cherubs, or they could be more modern, like a garden sphere. It doesn't have to be something big and expensive, though - it could be a well-placed bench, or a small flower display, full of colour. Think about what is important to you in your garden, and make a feature of it.
10. Plenty of seating
An English country garden isn't complete without somewhere to sit and relax. Ultimately, that's what all this hard work is for - having a beautiful setting for you to rest and enjoy. It's a place to unwind with friends and family, or even just have five minutes of peace, connecting with nature, by yourself.
Think about how you want to spend time in your garden, and create the seating to get the most out of it. Stone benches will add to the aesthetic of a country garden, large tables and bistro chairs will allow you to entertain more people, while still keeping that naturalistic feel. Find the seating that is practical as well as attractive.
Plant Suggestion: Lavender, Hydrangers, Patio Trees
Create your perfect English country garden with us
We hope that we have given you plenty of inspiration for your own garden plans. We want to help you even further though - have a look through the huge selection of popular plants at Gardeners Dream and start selecting the plants that are going to transform your outdoor space. We have everything you need to create your dream English countryside garden.
