That all said, there are indeed specific, documented, "named" garden styles. They break down into two main categories: formal style with symmetrical, straight lines, geometric shapes and clipped, well manicured plants and informal style, characterized by a lack of symmetry, flowing lines, curves and natural-looking plant forms.
Many design styles have their roots in a particular historic period, where certain features or types of plants became so standard that a name was given to that style. For example, the classical Italian Renaissance gardens were designed as a "sequence of geometric divisions linked by a common axis", completely dictated by symmetry and proportion. In the Classic style, shrubbery and plants are meticulously clipped and "tamed", design elements, whether plant materials or structures, are often repeated to create perfect balance and water is contained in formal pools or fountains. This style is impressive, elegant, even imposing, and always looks uncluttered and precise.
Using this style in a container garden would involve stone or ceramic pots or urns symmetrically placed for balance, more shrubbery (like boxwood or yew) than flowering plants and perhaps a classical statue or fountain.
Another popular and well-known garden design style is the Victorian, which draws heavily on the classical models, but evolved to add more color, informality and whimsy. The English cottage garden style, descended from the Victorian, is still today one of the best-loved garden designs. With its small scale intimacy and lush, colorful plantings tumbling over each other, this style is well-suited to urban courtyards and decks.
Go To Page: 1 2
