Beautify your Garden the English way

“In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.”– Abram L. Urban A home flower garden is above all a place to create and dream. It is also a place to play, to work hard, and to rest, thinking about what human beings and nature can create by working together. Creative gardening is really not as hard as many people think. It does not take a lot to create a beautiful garden that can add to the value and beauty of your home. All you need is the right information and a little familiarity with traditional garden concepts. Armed with these, you can creatively adapt and vary the ideas to suit your personal needs and taste as well as reflect contemporary trends. No matter the size of the garden plot you have to work with, your time and budget constraints, or your personality, you can design an English garden that allows you to expressive your creativity, to get closer to nature, and to further enjoy being human. Planning and setting up a garden may initially seem like a daunting task, but learning a few basics will set you firmly on the path to joy and beauty. English gardens are some of the most popular around the world. The ability to adapt them to suit just about any kind of space gives them an advantage over other garden styles. Dating back to the 16th Century, English gardens have evolved full circle, transforming time and again to reflect changing cultural values and fashion. Modern English gardens have maintained much of their original character, evidenced by the use of certain elements that give them a beautiful look and feel. They combine an appealing visual blend of natural and groomed beauty embodied in these characteristic elements. Incorporated into a garden design, they enhance your garden concept and give it an English punch. English gardens have distinct forms defined by paths and plant arrangement. The form can be either formal or informal. Straight lines, geometrical forms and, more often than not, symmetry, characterize formal gardens. Informal gardens, on the other hand, are curvy and incorporate round forms that tend to look more natural. Used in a formal context, paths are direct and straightforward. Otherwise, they meander and give the viewer time to contemplate the garden. Pergolas and arches are often added and draped with climbers to add a bit of mystery. Plants form the strongest elements in an English garden. The gardens are characterised by a huge assortment of plants that give them a natural look despite appearing to be well groomed and manicured. Topiary, trimmed hedges and clipped pot plants add a touch of formality. Colour schemes are particularly important. Plants of different colour and textures are incorporated, as are fruits and vegetables. The lawn is part and parcel of the English garden. It should accentuate the flowers and not dominate them. Lawns form a template upon which the garden is embedded. It connects different parts of the garden to form a coherent whole. Remember to round the corners of the lawn to add a touch of the natural. Any English garden worth its name must have climbers. Traditionally grown over an arbour attached to the house, climbers, quite literally, tie the house to the garden. Climbers are also planted over other garden structures like pergolas, trellises, arches, statues and borders to give them that touch of nature within manmade order. Borders in English gardens overflow with plants. When planting borders for English gardens, place the plants randomly and avoid straight lines. Even for formal gardens, let the plants overflow beyond the straight line to make the garden appear less structured. Mass groups of three, five or seven plants to further strengthen the idea of nature in formality. dedantos2002@yahoo.com