This garden is characterised by open lawns and groups of trees, expanses of water, winding paths and herbaceous borders, to name but a few of the most important elements. Roses, hydrangeas and hostas are amongst the best known plants used in this type of garden. The style originated in the 18th century as a counter reaction to dominance of the 17th century French garden with its formal geometric layout.
English gardens by Terza Natura
Below are examples of my own work inspired by the English garden.
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English gardens in their heyday
Garden designers of recent centuries were inspired by the works of landscape artists
Claude Lorrain and Nicolas Poussin, who painted idyllic Italian landscapes with temples in the lyric, romantic style of 17th century neoclassicism. (Clip: Stourhead Garden)
The English garden was equally influenced by the Far East. Missionaries, explorers and seafarers returned to Europe, especially England, with the first descriptions of Far-Eastern landscapes and palaces with their gardens. These are the origins of the Anglo-Chinese garden.
English gardens today
Today, the English landscape garden is the concept at the root of most Central and North European gardens; put simply, a lawn around the house, with herbaceous borders forming the boundaries and hedges providing privacy. The water supply is critical for a lawn. In Southern Europe and other dry lands, this irrigation would need to be artificially supplied. Consequently terraced gardens using stone or terracotta are more prevalent.
