GARDEN IDEAS
English Gardens
English gardens are infamous. I was born and brought up in England but never really appreciated the beauty of it's gardens. However, after returning to my home country after 12 years away, I now see the attraction....
Knot gardens were first established in England in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. and beautiful gardens - not necessarily knot gardens (!) - have been a big part of English life for hundreds of years
Why are English Gardens so stunning?
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Maybe it's the rain, maybe it's geographic location or maybe it's just that us Brits are incredibly creative! :-)
Whatever it is, English gardens really are superb. Okay the odd garden may grow old washing machines and car engines, but on the whole these are rare. Every garden, worldwide, has it's own personality and character and some even have a theme running through the whole area.
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The secret is to work with what you have and always tweak and improve. If you're starting your garden from scratch (English style or not), consider:
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*climbing plants to cover ugly fencing or boring brick walls
*ground cover plants to contain weeds and bring lots of colour,
*wild flower patches to encourage bees, butterflies and pollination.
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I must quickly make a plea for the bees! I planted some bee bombs last year and they were so successful, I'm definitely doing it again this year. The bees loved the flowers :-)
Beebombs - Native Wildflower Seedballs - At Amazon (UK)
Libraries are full of garden books and the newsagents shelves are stacked with gardening magazines. Nobody has to be an expert to start their own garden.
The wonderful thing about gardening is that however expert you are, there is always something else, something more to learn.
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There's no limit to this extraordinary hobby. Check out fruit, vegetable and herb growing possibilities to keep your family healthy.
Traditional gardens have changed over the years. Back in Victorian times, only just over a century ago, England's manor houses were fully equipped with orange groves and other exotic greenhouse plants. With an army of gardeners needed to maintain these huge greenhouses, the costs soon became far too high to justify.
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The Lost Gardens of Heligan:
Definitely a 'must-visit' if you are in Cornwall. Heligan estate covers around 200 acres and is one of the most mysterious estates in England. Heligan history is worth a peep. Have a look at the varied and wonderful heritage plants and the scenes you can discover at Heligan. The jungle is 5 degrees warmer and boasts giant rhubarb plants, a banana plantation and tunnels of towering bamboo.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan.. well worth a visit.
Scaled down and in proportion to the average household, a small garden can provide a crop of fruit, some solid vegetables, and a wonderful environment for your family.
Even if you don't have a garden or backyard or even a balcony, you can still benefit from fresh herbs and flowers - use a windowbox or just grow plants that like an indoor environment.
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Getting in touch with nature is good for the soul - get it any way you can! Inspiration and creative ideas are lurking round every corner.
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Whether you want to follow the style of 'english gardens' or create your own dream paradise - the tools, plants and equipment are available to do it - if you're so inclined!
To help keep you motivated and focused on your project, make a rough plan before you start.
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Get hold of as many catalogues and garden books you can lay your hands on and absorb ideas, colour schemes and themes, after that you are only limited by your imagination. :-)
Happy Gardening!
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