The Ultimate Guide to Garden Design Styles
Gardens are exciting places to be. They affect our sense of wellbeing and provide somewhere to relax or to garden (if we don’t want an ultra low maintenance space). They are vitally important spaces for biodiversity and the garden habitat can be incredibly diverse. They can also be where art and nature bisect as we create an evolving space that will never be static but which can express who we are.
When it comes to designing our own gardens a key question is - what style do we want our garden to have?
This is influenced by many things. The most important is our memories of gardens we have seen and experienced in the past, but playing alongside this are questions of culture, our perceptions of good taste, and zeitgeist fashions that come and go. Of course gardens are not like internal decor and fashion is very hard to apply due to the 4 dimensional nature of the garden - plants grow, change, and move over time meaning a garden can never simply be static (and nor should it be).
This guide links to more detailed pages about specific garden styles for when you want to explore in idea in greater detail (see the links below) but is itself a resource providing a summary of some of the garden design styles available. We will be adding to this over time and so the library of garden styles will continue to. The question though is where to start…
The ‘language’ of garden design styles has developed over time but for those who have not been immersed in gardening the names commonly applied to styles, and what they actually represent in practice, are not always obvious. For example modern gardens and contemporary gardens are frequently confused - but only because some garden designers (and all garden historians) will perceive contemporary gardens to be ‘of the now’ and modern gardens to be a twentieth century style based on geometry, grids, and a mostly stark aesthetic…but if you want a modern garden you may not want it to be so simple and restrained. Therefore whether you want something traditional (in keeping with the house and your neighbours perhaps but distinct from a high maintenance cottage garden), something contemporary (perhaps in keeping with the style of your interior decor), or a garden fit for its location - such as a country garden, urban garden, rooftop garden, or a narrow garden for example - understanding your options is essential in forming an idea of what you might like - and being able to explain these clearly is certainly advantageous when meeting with a garden designer.
You may not have a clear idea of what you want though - which is absolutely fine - and you can investigate further through the links below, as well as through books, photos, magazine articles, and Google.
However if you know what you want our expert guides can help to refine your vision - always remembering that we are never constrained by what others have done when it comes to design (although the right plant in the right place and their needs do act as limiting factors as plants each have their own specific requirements for survival).
So what are the different garden design styles you might want to explore?
Haddon Studio are experts in the creation of gardens for a net gain in biodiversity; our expert guide helps you to understand some of the actions you can take to create a space for wildlife…
Contemporary garden designs are of their time and reflect the style - in this case designs that are clean, crisp and geometrically inspired…
Traditional English country gardens are famed throughout the world and are gardens where the plants tend to take centre stage; they may include a variety of features from meadows and orchards to terraces and rose gardens…
Urban gardens tend to look inward and often need to screen views into the garden from neighbouring properties; how you structure the garden, and how you plant it, can make all of the differences in creating an oasis of calm in the city…
Sloping gardens are a challenge both in terms of design and budget - as retaining walls will frequently be needed and these are often an significant element of the overall cost; choosing the right structures and integrating them carefully is essential…
No-one asks for a high maintenance garden but what can be done to minimise the tasks in a garden from the outset…
Small garden design is its own specific skill as a small garden often needs to achieve everything a larger garden does in terms of how it will be used; understanding your space and what is possible is essential for a successful design…
Often excluded in gardening discussions, the medium sized garden is neither small nor set within rolling acres; with scope for a range of different uses how you integrate seating, planting and lawn can make all of the difference…
Often found in urban settings, but not exclusively so, the narrow garden is a challenge to create a space that does not simply feel like a corridor down to a fence at the end; thinking about arranging the space into a series of rooms can help to create a stunning garden…
Front gardens need to be sensitively designed in relation to complimenting the house but also with considerations such as drainage and parking; making sure they are fit for purpose without resorting to paving them over needs careful consideration…
Gravel gardens are not always a low maintenance option and work best where the soil is gravelly to begin with; creating and integrating a successful gravel garden can be a fantastic addition to your outdoor space…
We are also planning new garden design style guides which will follow over the next few months - from traditional rose gardens to tropical paradises…[coming soon]