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Garden Styles

There are many different garden styles. Professional designers broadly follow these styles according to the style of the house, the climate and surrounding landscape, and the client's preferences.

Formal Gardens
This is an enduring classical style, which is well suited to urban areas and large period-style homes. The gardens are characterised by strong geometrical arrangement and symmetrical balance between the elements. Artificial surfaces such as paving and gravel are prominent, and attention is paid to fine details and finishes (e.g. stone is cut with straight square edges rather than in rough form, joints in brick walls are raked).
Spaces and forms are controlled: shrubs are clipped rather than left to ramble. Colours are generally subdued although strong colours may be used as a contrast.

Garden accessories tend to be classical although modern outdoor artworks are also popular.

Informal Gardens

Most modern suburban gardens fall into this category. They lack the strict regimentation of design shown by formal gardens. The design is asymmetrical and shapes and forms are controlled to a much lesser degree. There is much less fine detail and colours and contrasts can be great or subdued.

Cottage Gardens
Cottage gardens originated in 17th and 18th century England as practical, productive gardens around cottages in the English country. The plantings were a diverse mixture of colours and textures. Cottage gardens today are more diverse, but tend to share characteristics with the original cottage gardens. Plantings are a mixture of ornamental and useful plantings. Abundance is the main criteria, with densely planted beds of colourful annuals, herbaceous perennials and shrubs.

The spaces are generally small in scale, with a focus on curving lines. Plants are left to ramble and self-seed. Hard surfaces are kept to a minimum and are generally made from natural materials. Colours generally harmonise, although flower colours are often in contrasting shades.

Garden accessories are rustic, in keeping with the nostalgic cottage style. Features such as weather vanes, arches, gazebos and sundials that were often seen in the 18th century are appropriate in modern cottage gardens.

Natural Gardens
Natural gardens attempt to reproduce natural landscapes in a garden setting. Woodland gardens, bush gardens, bog gardens and meadow plantings are examples of different types of natural gardens suited to different types of climates and soils.

The main characteristic of natural gardens is the use of native plants in a ‘natural' setting. Hard surfaces and accessories are made from natural materials such as timber and rock. Lines and forms tend to be free-flowing.

Oriental Gardens
Oriental gardens attempt to reflect nature, but in a more orderly and artistic way. The images created are intended to be like a painting or other work of art, with a focus on beauty and meaning that is perhaps in some ways beyond nature. They usually reflect a philosophy, and are designed as a place for contemplation - as such, they are largely free of distractions caused by excessive contrasts in texture or colour.

Balance is asymmetrical rather than symmetrical. Ponds, streams and other water features are common - these fit very well with the natural theme. Rocks (seen as pieces of natural sculpture) and stepping stones are also commonly used. Plants are not a significant component, although those used are carefully selected to harmonise with the landscape.

Mediterranean Gardens
This popular style is characterised by an outdoor ‘courtyard' style of living and is perfectly suited to gardens throughout the world that experience warm to hot, dry summers and mild winters. This style is also finding favour in cooler regions, where people seek to create low-maintenance gardens that evoke sunnier climates.

The style is characterised by large areas of hard surfaces (wall and paving) in natural colours (sandstone, ochre), with small splashes of bright contrasting colours. Light, shade and water are important elements, with vine-clad pergolas providing relief from overhead sun.

Plants are secondary features and are colourful, hardy and architectural (eg. yuccas, clipped bay trees), often grown in terracotta pots or other containers rather than garden beds.

Balinese Gardens

A relatively new garden style, Balinese-style gardens are becoming increasingly popular in temperate, sub-tropical and tropical regions. The main characteristic is abundant tropical plantings with a focus on foliage textures and colours, rather than flowers. Plantings are tired, with palms and trees providing a canopy for the shrubs, groundcovers, epiphytes and climbers growing below. The interplay between light and shade is also important.

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