There is no clear definition for any one style and every style is open to interpretation by gardeners everywhere. Even the same style can be identified differently between continents. A cottage garden style in the United Kingdom (UK) can be very different from the cottage garden in Russia.
Similarly in any country there may be different styles according to the natural environment in which they are built. For example in the UK there is a ‘seaside garden’ and a ‘woodland garden’, while in the USA, they have East Coast, West Coast, Southern and Prairie styles and in Africa they have the tropical garden style or their individualistic desert style which is derived from the beaten red earth, native pots and tough desert plants.
Whatever may be the garden style it is closely linked to what is available in any particular locality. Tall buildings around a garden give an enclosed impression and different gardeners may tackle the same situation differently. Some may try to create a more ‘open’ outlook, while others create an enclosed garden style. Colours appearing fantastic under strong sunlight do not have the same effect under a cloudy sky.
The following are some normal garden styles:
1. Cottage Garden:
The cottage garden design is based on an informal abundance of flowers. Traditionally, such profusion of planting completely surrounded a small cottage in the country. The term reminds different images depending upon each ones national viewpoint. The cottage garden style is difficult to define because it can be different things to different people.
For some the romantic cottage garden style includes a small cottage in the country, mixing up roses over an arch and a winding path into the woods beyond. For others there must be a profusion of informal, mixed planting, wild flowers and a vegetable patch at the bottom.
A cottage garden design style needs more control and work than other. There should be a relaxed, informal planting with the emphasis on dense planting and permanent borders. It requires a strong theme and a strong framework. The colours of plants should reflect and harmonise with local colours. Sometimes the cottage garden style may look haphazard and incoherent because many gardeners plant anything as long as the planting is dense and full of variety.
The ‘natural look’ can easily eliminate the essential tasks of weeding and pruning which are necessary in a cottage garden. The ‘natural look’ can work well for a few years before nature reclaims her own, and as the natural look garden loses its direction it becomes lost in a haphazard mix of general untidiness and complacency.
The original cottage gardens were created by working-class country people who spend many hours maintaining their plot in order to feed themselves and provide their plants over many hours and this style requires a keen and enthusiastic gardener to maintain it.
The garden design style at Winsford Walled Garden in London, UK draws heavily from the cottage garden style. Its magnificent Victorian garden walls are decorated with sub-tropical climbers. There is a hidden world of protective shrubs and unusual perennials among sublime hard landscaping like the circular brick patio with the brick pathway. There are great columns up to 6 inches thick rising from the ground.
Once in a while one of the twelve coniferous steeples will burst the planting heading skywards. A 5ft wide winding path runs through it like a country stream opening new vistas at every turn. Some borders are up to 30ft deep. All of them are mixed and packed with unusual herbaceous perennials and shrubs.
The general theme of individual spaces running through the gardens is both harmonious and practical because there are no distinct hedges creating definitive garden rooms. These spaces are like the pages of a book, moving from one garden section to another. Visitors can view the individual spaces and can easily imagine the same in their own plot.
Some guidelines for creating an interesting ‘Cottage garden’ are given below:
1. Have a patio made out of a mixture of materials laid in a random pattern. Use recycled or salvaged materials to achieve an instant worn look.
2. Make sure lawn fits into the cottage garden picture. Leave grass a little longer and allow flowers to remain. Go for a wild flower meadow look with minimal mowing control.
3. Try to make arches supporting climbing plants look as rustic as possible. Use rustic treated posts for real authenticity.
4. Recycled beams and timbers are good for cottage garden. Make simple arches, panels for dividing areas, border edges and plant supports out of woven willow or dogwoods.
5. Choose garden seats and other furniture in rustic looking timber.
6. Make water features such as pools useful to dip watering cans.
7. Make compost bins look like bee hives. Cordon off utility areas using hurdles.
8. Try using half barrels, terracotta pots or old crockery for planted containers. Old baskets to cover plastic pots.
9. Grow fruit and vegetable crops amongst ornamental plants.
10. Pack plants close together to keep down weeds.
11. Include low growing plants at the front of borders to grow over the edge of paving and hide edges.
12. Grow climbing and scrambling plants through hedges, shrubs and trees.
13. Plant topiary shapes using faster growing plants for quick results.
2. Arid Garden:
The arid garden style could well become increasingly practical as the threat of global warming continues to affect us all. The dry garden does not have to be desert looking. It can be vibrant and colourful. The dry arid garden is a style of gardening in areas which are short of rainfall.
There are many styles to choose, which have evolved over the years. The dry garden style designer can use the garden styles of more southerly gardens as a starting point and move them north adapting them to fit the new location. Inspiration for dry or arid garden style can be drawn from the garden styles of Mexico, Spain, North Africa, the Mediterranean and Arabia.
The main focus of these garden styles is the courtyard, a space at the back, front or even side of a home can be used for these type of gardens. These types of gardens create a sanctuary away from the blazing heat of the sun and the bustling traffic beyond. Vibrant colours are often used in these gardens to offset the bright sun light.
3. Fern Garden:
No plant gives a greater feeling of cooling and calmness than the fern. Ferns have a tranquil aura. They provide great diversity and form. They can comfortably grow and excel in locations where normal sun needing plants do not grow. During the 19th century, Victorian fern gardens were often tucked away beneath the shade of mature trees.
By the 1870’s the increase of fern nurseries and the demand for ferns was having a serious impact upon the available national natural stock. There are approximately 12,000 species of fern around the world today. They grow naturally in forest, the banks of waterways, upon walls and mountainside. In fact they grow naturally anywhere.
Ferns can grow anywhere provided they have unrestricted access to moisture during their growing season. If an individual fern is short of the essential moisture, it can quickly dehydrate. To create any fern garden-
(a) Provide the moisture in the first place,
(b) Provide sufficient shade to reduce the evaporation of that moisture to a minimum.
Ferns prefer humus rich compost to retain the moisture. At the same time they prefer free-draining compost that enables air to reach the roots and prevent rotting. Identify the existing conditions of the proposed fern garden and then the ferns suitable to those conditions.
Find out whether the proposed fernery contains acid, neutral or alkaline soil because it affects the growth of ferns. Majority of ferns prefer slightly acidic soil. An ideal soil composition consists of 20% clay, 30% grit and 50% sand. This provides the best balance of anchorage, moisture retention and free draining soil.
Avoid planting ferns in the winter. Ferns prefer rainwater wherever possible. Fern care is easy and mainly involves removing damaged leaves and any debris littering the crown. Ferns do not require any supplemental feeding.
4. Herb & Kitchen Garden:
Herbs are undemanding plants. The herb garden design style is an easy one. All herbs need a bit of sunshine. It is necessary to bed their roots in some well-drained soil, which need not be nutritious. Herb gardens were the first ever gardens. Herb gardens are simple areas within easy reach of the kitchen for the benefit of the household. It was the same during the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans and it remains the same today.
The traditional herb garden is an arrangement of small, regular beds in a geometric shape. Square, diamond and triangular shapes are frequently used. The French Parterre is a level garden, usually rectangular and divided easily into ornamental beds. Modern formal herb garden is normally based on a single focal point.
It may be a statue, bird bath or a sundial. Herbs need protection from the winds because of their warm climate origins. Neat box hedging has become an essential part of every herb garden design. Each bed can be filled with all types of herbs or small quantities of vegetables. Herbs can be divided into different groups such as those for flavoring, garnishing, and sweet smelling or medicinal. Anyone can grow herbs in a plot size of six square feet and provides fresh produce throughout the summer.
Garlic (Allium sativum) is one of the most widely grown herbs in the garden. The apparent odour and taste of fresh basil (Ocimum basilicum) makes any good salad a great salad. Although very tender, basil can be started under cover and transferred outside for the summer. The delicious leaves and young stalks of lovage (Levisticum officinale) are slightly nutty to taste and make a good herb for the pot.
Even the roots can be stripped to add flavour to casseroles. Oregano or pot marjoram (Origanum vulgare) is another Mediterranean region native. It’s fresh leaves are used as ingredients to French and especially Italian cooking. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is another fragrant herb which is synonymous with Pizza.
Thyme is low growing and looks like a rich colourful carpet when in flower. Fresh mint (Mentha spicata) makes a refreshing drink at any time. It will take over if planted in open ground. Plant any mint (i.e. peppermint, spearmint) in a pot in order to restrict its root growth. Sage (Salvia officinalis) is another mediterranean aromatic herb, which is very useful in the kitchen. It is often used in association with onion for flavouring meats, especially pork and poultry.
5. Rock Garden:
A rock garden features extensive use of rocks or stones along with native plants. Rock garden plants tend to be small because many of the species are naturally small to avoid covering up the rocks. They can be grown in troughs and containers or in the ground. The plants prefer well-drained soil and less water.
The usual form of a rock garden is a pile of rocks, large and small, aesthetically arranged with small gaps in between, where the plants are rooted. Some rock gardens may also incorporate bonsai. Many rock gardens are designed and built to look like natural outcrops of bedrock. Stones are aligned to suggest a bedding plane and plants are often used to conceal the joints between the stones. This type of rockery was popular in Victorian times.
6. Roof Garden:
Gardening areas are rarely found in cities, which is one of the main reasons that rooftop and balcony gardens have become so popular. Many of the same design considerations apply to these gardens even though roof gardens are often more exposed to the sun and wind than patios. Low-maintenance design and planting is often the highest design priority.
The weight of containers is also important, if there are weight restrictions. Plastic or fibre-glass containers are preferable than terracotta or stone. Lightweight materials should be used in place of heavy paving slabs for additional flooring area. Provide shelter for plants and people with sturdy trellis screens to withstand strong winds. Any windbreaks must be securely fixed for safety reasons.
Balconies are often more sheltered than roof gardens. They are frequently shaded from above. The available space may be best used by growing climbers and by fixing sturdy brackets and shelves to the house wall to support troughs and pots of trailing plants. Temperatures will be approximately 5°C higher than the air temperature at ground level. Roof garden plants need to be tolerant of high levels of sun, wind and drought.
A roof garden needs careful thought. Take specialist advice before starting work. One advantage of roof gardens is that they always have wide views. This also means that the garden will be windier than at ground level, and will face greater extremes of temperature. Check planning or conservation area controls do not apply to the proposed new roof garden.
The structural strength of the roof must be surveyed. It must be capable of supporting the additional weight of the garden. While planning the roof garden access will be restricted. Everything in the rooftop garden must be brought up through a living area into the garden. Safety is an important consideration. Every feature must be securely and safely fitted. Containers should not be placed where there is danger of them being blown away.
Always consider reducing the weight when choosing materials. Timber and plastic are useful for screens and other structures. Canvas awnings provide good instant shaded spaces. Decking is a good choice for seating areas. Fibreglass artificial rocks look realistic and light for making natural features. Galvanised metal may be used for containers and raised beds. Beds and containers should be lined and given adequate base drainage before filling with a lightweight-planting medium.
7. Japanese Garden:
The Japanese garden style is a highly controlled style of garden design, which strives to be a symbolic representation of nature itself. People appreciate the calming influence when gazing upon a Japanese garden style scene. The inherent simplicity of the Japanese garden style is not its only advantage, it is a garden style that can fit in to any suburban space and does not require a great amount of regular garden maintenance – like weeding.
It is a garden style, which if it is to be truly authentic needs to build according to strict rules. The great Japanese gardens have evolved over a great length of time with the traditional Japanese religion of Shinto having a strong influence. These factors are rarely appreciated by western gardeners who wish to build a Japanese style garden.
History and politics influenced the Japanese garden. The ancient Asuka period (552-644A.D.) had gardens with Chinese symbolism. Prior to this, the people believed that the landscape was filled with spirits or ‘kami’ mountains, commonly represented in the garden, were the dwelling place of the kami, (sacred mountains are conical in shape; hence Mt. Fuji is most sacred).
Stones were also the home of the kami. During Nara period (645-782 A.D.), Buddhism arrived in japan. This brought about the depiction of human elements in the garden. The Heian period (784-1183 A.D.) gardens were revered as paradise and flowers were introduced into the garden.
The kimono also started having flower prints. During this period, Saku teiki wrote a book on gardening describing how to use stone, water, trees, etc. He gives 138 ways to place stones in the garden. This Gardening Manual is supposed to be the oldest one in world history of landscape. During the Kamakura period (1183 to 1333 A.D.), Zen buddhism emphasized contemplation and meditation. The golden pavilion at Kinkakuji and the Moss Garden at saihoji, where more than 50 species of moss were grown, are two examples of garden from this period.
During the Muromachi period (1394-1572 A.D.) the famous Ryoan-ji temple Garden was built and the emergence of abstraction is seen. The religion of Japan had emphasized on the elements of the universe. The primitive Japanese worshipped the sun, the moon, the mountains, the stones, etc.
In Japan, the garden is always nature oriented, e.g. bonsai is a garden in miniature; bonseki is a landscape in miniature; ikebana, etc. During Momoyama period (1573-1602 A.D.), evergreens and their shaping were introduced into the garden and Azaleas was a common plant. Stone lanterns were another element from this period. During Edo period (1605-1867 A.D.) the Katsura Imperial Villa was built and is a good example of a water garden.
The raked gravel in Japanese style gardens symbolises the movement of water amidst rock islands. The movement of the wavy gravel counters the dramatic still and calm of the carefully placed rock Timber beams creating a footpath on stilts can symbolise a great journey over many difficulties. Bamboo is often used in Japanese style garden design.
Large canes are both dramatic and last many years and can be used as low fences beside footpaths and gravel features. Water is a popular feature of so many Japanese garden style designs, barely moving, it’s often used for reflective effect-both visually and mentally.
There are many Japanese lantern designs each with a particular significance. Pedestal Lanterns or Rankei, should be used adjacent to water so the lantern itself can extend over water for its reflective beauty. Pagoda lanterns or Kasuga, are majestic and should dominate the area.
There are three basic Japanese garden styles:
a. Tsukiyama Gardens (Hill Gardens):
Ponds, streams, hills, stones, trees, flowers, bridges and paths are used to create a miniature reproduction of natural scenery which is often a famous landscape in China or Japan. The name Tsukiyama refers to the creation of artificial hills. Tsukiyama gardens vary in size and in the way they are viewed. Smaller gardens are usually enjoyed from a single viewpoint, such as the veranda of a temple, while many larger gardens are best experienced by following a circular scrolling path.
b. Karesansui Gardens (Dry Gardens):
Karesansui gardens reproduce natural landscapes in a more abstract way by using stones, gravel, sand and sometimes a few patches of moss for representing mountains, islands, boats, seas and rivers. Karesansui gardens are strongly influenced by Zen Buddhism and used for meditation.
c. Chaniwa Gardens (Tea Gardens):
Chaniwa gardens are built for the tea ceremony. They contain a tea house where the actual ceremony is held and are designed in aesthetic simplicity according to the concepts of sado (tea ceremony). Chaniwa gardens typically feature stepping stones that lead towards the tea house, stone lanterns and a stone basin (tsukubai), where guests purify themselves before participating in the ceremony.