A successful landscape needs a garden style which appeals to you, and this is often linked to the house design. It can also be influenced by the kind of plants you like, or by your garden site and its climate.
There is a variety of garden styles, from formal to cottage garden, each with its own atmosphere and character. A predominantly natural or wild garden might look best in the country, or, alternatively, it could turn a town garden into a green oasis and bird sanctuary. A Mediterranean courtyard style would suit a small garden or echo Spanish-style architecture. You may like a formal garden for its symmetry, or an oriental garden for its serenity. Read the rest of this entry »
Fabric designs over the centuries have mostly derived their inspiration from nature and in particular from plants and flowers. It is no different today: the largest choice in wallpapers and fabrics is still in the floral ranges. Even the occasional abstract design is more often than not based on natural forms. We all love flowers and therefore use them as decoration wherever possible. The choice is immense now and there is every style of design available from very smart, small- scale, all-over flower patterns to great splashy chintzes smothered with full-blown summer garden flowers, ideal for curtains. Read the rest of this entry »
A formal pattern suggests symmetry in which one side or part of a garden or design is identical to the other. While this is not always strictly true, we tend to think of a formal design as one that is built up from geometric elements rather than free-form shapes, displaying a strong degree of visual control and stability.
As far as pools are concerned, the geometry can be square, rectangular, circular, triangular or even a combination of these elements. Formal ponds are usually surrounded by a coping of some kind, even if they are set within an area of soft landscaping in the form of lawn or planting. They may form a set-piece within the larger setting of a courtyard, sunken garden or parterre, and will associate particularly well with decorative features such as statuary, topiary or regularly placed urns and ornaments. Read the rest of this entry »
