Happy St. George’s Day! In honour of the patron saint of England we’re asking, what is a typical English garden?
First type of garden you might think of are the ones seen in countless costume dramas over the years. Counterpart to the stately home and generally consisting of straight lawns, ponds, and the odd architectural feature this type of garden was designed to be an idealised version of nature. Inspired by Italian art and architecture, this is a traditional style designed to impress.
On the opposite end is the wild, country-style garden with plants creeping along cobblestones and snuggled next to cottages. These are a symbol of rural life, when plants were used in cooking and medicine. They are as the name suggests more common in the country where there is plenty of room for plants to grow and soil is rich with nutrition.
But what of modern England? These days it’s pretty hard to find room for a mausoleum or a river bridge in your garden unless you’re a fictional character in an Austen novel. And a wild garden is all well and good if you’ve got the time and energy to tame it back from encroaching on your lawn. Now you’ll more commonly find gazebos, decking and climbing frames in gardens. Inspiration is taken from across the globe and we all live in awe of the power of the mighty barbecue.
You’ll be extremely shocked to know that lifestyles have changed dramatically since the eighteenth century. More people work and own property, but simply do not have the time, space or money to create specialist gardens. We all know a person who treats their lawn like a member of the family, or is particularly protective of a certain rosebush, but the majority of us prefer a low-maintenance, functional garden. The rise of artificial lawn is evidence of the pride we still have as a country for our lawns, but also the desire for it to be something to use and not just admire.
Let us know on facebook or twitter what you think is the typical English garden, whether it exists and what you consider yours.
