English-style garden: creating a British courtyard

An English garden feels natural: flowers seem to grow of their own accord, roses climb the walls of an old house and a path leads to a cosy bench. Even a small courtyard can be styled this way. Here is how the English landscape and cottage gardens differ, which plants to choose and how to create a British courtyard atmosphere at home.

Garden plants: potted plants and spray roses.

View full-size photo

Two faces of the English garden

• The landscape park emerged in 18th-century England as a reaction to rigid formal gardens: rolling ground, lakes, groups of trees and sweeping lawns. Its best-known designer was Lancelot “Capability” Brown.
• The cottage garden is small, cosy and densely planted, with flowers, herbs and fruit mixed together by the house.

Which plants to choose

• Roses — shrub and climbing roses with scent and old-fashioned flower shapes.
• Clematis — on arches and fences, paired with roses.
• Perennials — delphiniums, peonies, lavender, catmint, hardy geraniums, hollyhocks.
• Foxgloves — striking spires, but every part is poisonous; bear this in mind with children and pets.

For clematis care see Clematis care, and for a bed that blooms all season see Continuous-bloom flower bed.

View full-size photo

A British courtyard in a small space

• Use the walls: climbers and wall planters.
• A brick or gravel path sets the style instantly.
• Pots of different sizes with herbs and flowers create layers.
• A bench under a rose arch is the heart of the garden.

Cottage garden: 7 rules

• Dense planting with no bare soil.
• A mix of flowers, herbs, shrub roses and even vegetables.
• Tall plants at the back, low ones at the front, but no strict geometry.
• Winding gravel or paved paths softened by plants at the edges.
• A bench, an arch with climbers or an old fence as a backdrop.
• Self-seeding — let foxgloves, poppies and forget-me-nots spread on their own.
• Bloom from spring to autumn thanks to plants with different flowering times.

FAQ

Does an English garden suit Ukraine’s climate?

Yes, with hardy roses and perennials — but summers here are hotter and drier than in England, so you will need to water.

Is it hard to maintain?

A cottage garden needs regular attention: tying in, deadheading and dividing perennials.

Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

About the author →