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Elements of English Garden Design

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A characteristic of an English garden is the mixture of plants, perennials, herbs, roses and climbers. All these plants are planted in a relaxed style, with added formality through small box hedges.

The number of colors and the kinds of blooms is dependent on what you want and prefer. But perennials like Phlox, Hibiscus, Hydrangea, Bee Balm, Lupine, and Veronica are some of the more common kinds of flowering plants that you really would like to include in the garden. Asiatic lilies and lupine curve are also good additions to your collection.

Mixing them with pansies, cosmos, and marigolds would be very interesting and can actually be good for the overall look of your garden. Herbs, fruits, and vegetables are, believe it or not, are as much part of an English garden as those precious perennials. Bulbs such as daffodils, snowdrops and bluebells are also recommended.

Regardless of the size, the lawn is another distinctive element of English garden designs. The grass on it depends on personal preference and how free your schedule is for mowing it.

Lawns should be in circular, curved, or smoothed shapes. Rectangle and square shapes are not totally avoided for English garden designs but were things of the past, often the style adopted during the Middle ages. From here you can see that dramatic shapes are important for this garden style.

Just like lawns, English pathways are winding and flowing. Some make single paths while other makes several linking ones. Just adopt what’s generally comfortable for you and your garden.  Materials used for paths include pavers, bricks, gravel or combinations. Planting small pants beside the path can be quite pretty.

You often see English gardens with various flowering climbers planted on fences or trees. Some even create gondolas, or archways along the path and let the plants to the work.

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