English gardens are known for their gorgeous beauty and slightly wild, untamed aesthetic. In actuality, the rustic profusion of blooms and grasses are carefully selected and painstakingly cultivated to present a spread that is both relaxing and pleasing to the eye. No matter what style of garden you're wanting to install, you can learn a lot from the strategies and advice of English garden experts. Explore these 5 growing tips from English gardeners.
- Start Small and Take Your Time
English gardens are known for being very lush and full, with a broad variety of plants all in close proximity to each other. This glorious abundance of plants and blooms doesn't happen all at once. It occurs over time, with careful planning and slow cultivation, so don't feel pressured! Start slowly, working on the area closest to the house first. Create a plan for that immediate zone and gradually work outward as you have the budget and the vision for the rest of the garden area.
- Use Ground Cover Plants
Ample ground cover is the key to a beautiful English garden. Choose ground-hugging plants with pretty foliage that grow quickly and conceal the earth, and if possible, select varieties with tiny, attractive blooms that will add beauty without detracting from the larger, showier plants. Ground cover plants are generally low-maintenance and often lower-cost, and if you use them to hide every bit of visible earth between your shrubs, grasses, and other plants, you'll get that lovely lush look that English gardens typically have.
- Incorporate Native Plants
You might be tempted to select plants that British gardeners would use, but that could be a mistake. English gardens often incorporate local or native plants, and you should do the same for your garden. Use local shrubs, grasses, and florals that thrive in your climate zone. Not only will they thrive more readily, but they'll be more environmentally friendly and reduce the dangers inherent in introducing exotic species into a local ecosystem.
- Plant Roses
Rosebushes can be difficult to properly cultivate, so some gardeners avoid them. However, if you're trying for the English garden look, select a few hardy varieties of rosebush to install. Roses can't thrive in heavy clay soil or very sandy soil, so you can enrich the soil with compost, or perhaps purchase fresh, rich loam from Kurtz Bros., Inc. Select an area of the lawn or garden that gets several hours of full sunlight each day and research pruning methods for the variety of rose that you choose. Kurtz Bros. also provides an entire rose garden kit to help you get started.
- Add Texture and Shapes
Neatly trimmed hedges, climbing vines, potted plants, and boxy shrubs create a visually varied experience. You can also incorporate clusters of tall grasses, plants with huge leaves, feathery ferns, and twisty vines to provide a collection of unique textures. Shape, texture, architectural variety, and spatial separation with hedges and paths are all hallmarks of a successful English garden.
Whether you're looking for garden tools, grass seed, fertilizer, mulch, decorative stone, or other supplies for your garden, you can find it all on the Kurtz Bros., Inc. website. You can also call our helpful landscaping experts anytime to ask questions or place orders for your lawn care needs.