Materials, accessories, and, of course, appropriate plant life are all important aspects of a romantic cottage style garden design that brings elegance and beauty to your outdoor space, as well as your home. Natural, twisting walkways, edged with flourishing plants and shaded by majestic trees, thriving lawns for relaxing and playing, and traditional county cottage style accessories create a simple outdoor living area full of beauty that complements your home.
Building English Garden Paths
Garden
Secluded walkways with graceful curves and abundant, free-flowing plant life are the foundation to creating a genuine English landscape design. Garden paths meander through the landscape, allowing peaceful enjoyment of nature's pleasures. The materials used to build the walkways are the key to a romantic, English atmosphere.
These materials and design tips are perfect for your English garden style outdoor living area:
- Natural materials, like gravel and bark, make beautiful paths with a simplistic look. These materials are inexpensive and relatively low-maintenance.
- Stylish brick or stone pavers are a more luxurious option, lending an element of charm and grace to your outdoor design.
- Combine stone, gravel, and brick materials for a more genuine English garden landscape design.
- Avoid formal angles and conservative patterns, integrating soft lines and curving designs that suggest romance instead.
The Charm of English Garden Accessories
Your quaint English garden should be a relaxing and tranquil place that allows you to enjoy the beauty of fine outdoor living. The garden accessories you choose are an important influence on the overall atmosphere and theme of your outdoor space. Select decor that complements the free-flowing, natural uniqueness of the English countryside.
Green lawns with picturesque views of the most beautiful aspects of your design are made functional with wooden garden furniture, like teak, that has an antique, aged appearance. Romantic benches or intimate cottage style outdoor furniture, along with quaint arbors and fragrantly adorned trellises, create the appeal of the country without detracting from the modern beauty of your home. Gazebos, quaint foot bridges, and rustic fences can also add the charm of your country style garden.
Wildlife's Role in the English Garden
Traditional English gardens were abundant with a variety of insects, birds, and other wildlife that only complements the natural beauty of this landscape style. Garden accessories, like water gardens and rustic bird baths or feeders, are one way to attract a number of species to your outdoor living space.
Certain plants and ground coverings are known to attract wildlife like butterflies and hummingbirds. Plant fragrant lavender, clover, and small bushes with bright colored berries throughout the garden. Undisturbed grasslands and natural rock arrangements are also inviting to area wildlife.
English Garden Plants
The country garden style is characterized by a lavish array of flowers, shrubs, and vines in a rainbow of vibrant hues, complemented by majestic, curving trees providing relaxing shade from the afternoon sun.
Select a variety of country garden plants for your design, including blooms that provide color in each season. Some flowers and shrubs to consider are:
- Traditional country rose bushes, aromatic honeysuckles, foxglove and primroses, and the native, graceful lily of the valley are excellent plants for shady areas.
- Potted herb gardens and planters filled with cornflowers, violas, and petunias can tolerate the tranquil shade of your English garden as well.
- Native flowers, peonies, easy to care for geraniums, and fragrantly luxurious sweet peas are other suggestions.
English garden landscape designs provide unique outdoor living areas with a fun and whimsical atmosphere. A landscape design plan that blends the style of your home into the simple, natural charm of your outdoor space can be perfected with the assistance of a professional landscape architect or garden designer. Your design firm can also offer advice on the best country garden style for you and your home.
English Garden Landscape Design - The Mystery and Romance of a Secret Garden
Allen Quay is a professional landscape designer in the Southern California area and specializes in custom high-end landscape designs. You can find more valuable landscape design tips and information on Allen's website, the Landscape Design Advisor: http://www.landscape-design-advisor.com