Tips For Formal Garden Design

One of the best ways to create a cohesive garden that hangs together well is to consider sticking to a particular theme or idea which will underpin the overall design and inform garden features and planting. One popular idea for gardens is the formal theme. In formal garden designs, planting and other features will be ordered and regimented, though a formal structure does not mean that you cannot have more informal drifts of planting between regimented lines and within formal patterns. Here are some tips for formal garden design:

Create Straight Lines

Straight lines often underpin a formal garden design and help to give it its underlying structure. Create straight lines with the garden boundaries – with walls or fencing – and with paths and edging for beds, borders and seating areas.

Look For and Value Symmetry

Symmetry can also help to give gardens a more formal structure and feel. A central path with balanced planting on either side can help to give symmetry to your garden, as can square beds and patios. A centrally placed tree or water features could also help balance a formal garden.

Incorporate Patterns From Nature

Nature is full of patterns that can serve as inspiration for a formal garden. Spirals, branching patterns, the way water flows through a landscape... formally recreating natural patterns can be a great way to add formal structure to your garden.

Stick To A Particular Colour Palette

If you try to incorporate too many different colours into your garden, whether through planting or with other elements, it can look too busy and informal. If you want a more formal feel, less is more when it comes to colour palette. Stick to a few different colours in order to give a more regimented and formal vibe.

Add Formal Garden Features

Formal gardens are not all about the planting. They also often include other features like a formal outside dining space, a fountain or water feature, or regimented decks or patios. Planting schemes will usually be arrayed around these formal garden features.