How to create Formal and Informal Garden designs

How are the rough design layouts coming along? Don't worry, I'm not expecting you to have finished them already. This is (yet another) important stage so take as long a time as you need to do them justice. This is my favourite part of the design process because you can just "go for it" and see what happens.

Anyway, I thought I'd give you a heads up on some of the different themes and styles that you can focus your garden design on. As there are quite a few to mention, I'll go through them over the next couple of days so that you can have time to consider them all properly. The list is by no means exhaustive and you may already have your own theme that you want to explore. That's good - keep going with it!

For everyone else, here are a few to whet your appetites and get those creative juices flowing even more!

Formal Gardens

Formal gardens are generally created using a combination of geometric shapes and straight lines. They can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.

Formal gardens have a sense of order and appear to be straightforward and logical. (note the word "appear"!) This is particularly evident if the design is symmetrical. Formal gardens have a controlling effect on its visitors, directing them to follow certain paths. French formal gardens such as Versailles rely on strong ground pattern and structural hedging to provide their distinctive shape. These formal gardens are arranged around an axis, or a series of axes and they incorporate framed views or focal points.

Asymmetrical formal gardens are generally more interesting, intriguing and unpredictable. Getting the balance right in an asymmetrical garden is the key to their success, using areas of "mass" and "void", and the size and shape of the different areas to counterbalance each other.

Typically formal gardens use evergreen plants such as topiary and clipped hedges as the primary planting. The structure and architecture of the plants contributing to the overall formality of the design.

Informal Gardens

In the 18th century Britain rebelled against the rigidity of formal garden design and began to create more informal gardens, reflecting the surrounding landscapes and opening up the boundaries using curvaceous lines and soft contours. Back then they created open spaces within their boundaries and encouraged livestock to graze. Now I'm not suggesting you borrow the local farmers sheep here, but you get the gist of an informal garden - keep it simple and free-flowing.

The informal garden has a natural, wilder feel and there are no limitations in its design. It has a more relaxed feel than a formally designed garden and encourages visitors to roam freely around it. Informal gardens can link very nicely to surrounding countryside or they provide a sanctuary in town environments.

Informal gardens work best when loose materials are used such as gravel that easily form free- flowing shapes and curves. Harder landscaping materials such as paving can be used in an informal setting but will need to be positioned in an informal manner.

Planting in an informal garden should also be relaxed, and they should be encouraged to flow over paths to "soften" the design. They can also be planted in drifts rather than tight blocks allowing them to merge together. It's all about creating soft lines in an informal garden, so throw out your rulers for this design! Avoid using rigid, architectural plants such as the topiary and clipped hedges from the formal designs. Instead opt for less rigid plants, and allow shrubs to have the space to grow to their natural shapes and sizes. Bamboos and grasses are perfect for an informal garden as they create movement and generally have soft forms.

Informal gardens tend to require a higher amount of maintenance than a formal one, so you will need to consider how much time you can devote to looking after your creation. It may be that you have your heart set on an informal design but cannot devote much time to it. In this case you will need to be very careful with your selection of plants so as to create an informal look but with minimum maintenance requirements.

If you want to include water to your design then make it "fit" with your chosen design. Creating a rigid, square water feature raised with bricks would be inappropriate for an informal design. the design would need to reflect nature as much as possible, copying the size and shapes of streams, ponds, lakes and rivers in exact proportions.

Take a look at how nature creates its gardens. Head off into the countryside the next sunny day you have available and study the contours of the land, how the streams curve and how the plants grow. This will give you a greater understanding of how nature works and help you create a great informal design.

You can, of course, combine the two themes together if your garden has enough room to accommodate them both. You may decide that close to the house requires a formal setting whilst as you move to the further boundaries you can allow for a more informal, relaxed design. The choice is, as always, totally yours.