Earl Grey tea among the sweet blooming roses or lounging in the shade on a hidden garden bench – these scenes are what make the English garden so special and so loved around the world. Keep reading to learn more about the elements of an English garden so you can enjoy this garden too.

For many, a dream garden is one that is quintessentially English in design: that perfect combination of manicured lawns and over-flowing flower beds, trimmed topiary and box hedges. Kitchen gardens are abundant with fresh produce, winding garden paths lead to summer houses or a decorative garden bench and shaded spots for summer dining can be found under trees or pretty pergolas.

English Garden Essentials

Absolutely love this English Garden idea from HomeSense with their wrought iron cafe furniture set, cushions and tableware – perfect for small spaces / gardens.

In town, the English garden may be small but it is elegant and uniformed, providing a spot of serenity amidst the bustle of city life.

English Garden Essentials

When designing an English garden of your own, think perennials and annuals, herbs and vegetables, roses, shrubs and grass.

How to Create an Easy English Garden

English Garden

1. Start small. “Don’t create a monster that you don’t have time to feed regularly,” Trout says. “Keep your cottage garden small, and most of all, fun.” Over time, as your confidence grows, increase the size.

2. Invest in soil. “Starting with good, rich, organic soil where plants will thrive with a minimum of watering and fertilizing cuts the work from the start,” Trout says. He also recommends doing a soil test to learn the type of soil you have. Add organic matter yearly, either by purchasing compost or making your own.

3. Position plants carefully. Much work in a garden comes from not having the right plant in the right place. As you gain gardening experience, you can push the envelope, Trout says. “But the healthiest plants — ones that need less care — are those that are in ideal conditions,” he adds.

4. Select sturdy beauties. “Choose high-performance, almost bulletproof plants,” Trout says. “There is no absolutely right way or wrong way to create a cottage garden, so choose what you love.”

Some of Trout’s favorite plants include spring-flowering bulbs, purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), wild indigo (Baptisia australis), ‘Stella d’Oro’ or ‘Happy Returns’ daylily (Hemerocallis), New England aster (Aster novae-angliae ‘Alma Potschke’), and Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Blue Spire’).

For foliage interest, try lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis), lambs’ ears (Stachys byzantina ‘Helene Von Stein’), or blue fescue (Festuca glauca). Avoid high-maintenance roses. Trout suggests growing tough, disease-resistant Knock Out shrub roses, Meidiland landscape roses, ‘Betty Prior’ (a floribunda rose), or the old-fashioned climber ‘Blaze’.

5. Cover soil. “Mulching helps maintain soil moisture levels and prevents weeds from growing,” Trout says. “As organic mulch (bark, compost, or leaf mold) breaks down, it improves soil. Mulch also gives the garden a neater, more unified look.”

6. Make it automatic. Trade dragging a hose around for hands-free watering. “I like drip hoses, as it’s easy to put the water exactly where you want it — and not on the foliage or flowers,” Trout says. “It’s also more environmentally correct: Less water evaporates into the air.”

 

English Garden

English Garden

I live on the gorgeous countryside of Hertfordshire, surrounded by enchanting woods, a river and a canal with houseboats passing by every so often.

FURNITURE

Kennet Reclining 4 Seater Polytex Dining Set by Hectare™

HAMMOCK

Tortola Steel Hammock Stand with Carry Bag

Tortola Ivory Outdoor Garden Double Hammock

Dining Al Fresco

English Garden

HomeSense’s Dining Al Fresco Range

SOLAR FAIRY LIGHTS

English Garden

Solar String Lights 240 Warm White PowerBee Endurance ®