CMK- I'm still designing my garden, but I have a tendency to want to mirror reverse some of my beds....potager influence? :)

My little "fairy garden" has a path through the middle and the flowers seem to be mirroring each other. To keep things from looking too formal, I have used very informal flowers. I have roses, but they look more like wild roses or small fairy roses. The other flowers are coneflowers, butterfly bushes and lavender (of course). I'm also planning to add some tea herbs to this garden. Maybe lemon verbena opposite lemon balm...see what I mean? :)

I think your idea of using the fences and more classic european garden decorations are all good ones. Do you have any metal arches, those always look a little formal to me. I've read that grouping three of the same plants together in a cottage garden is supposed to bring some order to the garden. What kind of white fence do you have? I know you're trying to be more formal, but I love roses growing along a white fence. It's such a classic look. Rogue Valley Roses has a beautiful picture of a Lavender Lassie rose growing along a fence.

I agree that statuary and arches can bring formality to a garden. Also, hedges. And water features - big or small - can bring a bit of formality to a garden. Other elements are the oval, and straight lines.

My garden is a bit formal - designed that way. Here's a couple of pictures. The first has box hedges (not yet grown), and the second is my koi pond right after it was finished. (I did it myself - concrete and all, so please don't criticize!) It also has a hedge against the fence (the plants there are new and small). The first picture is in the front of my house; the second is in the back.

Glad you started this post. I love seeing pictures of everyone's cottage gardens, but wish those with a formal touch would surface more often. :)

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-holleygarden, I think your pond and garden look wonderful. The formal look goes well with your lovely brick home. I think that circular area with the armilary is very clever- I might have to come up with something similar. By the way, what is that beautiful burgundy rose (I think it is a rose anyway) by your window?

I do love the look of arches, but am not sure how I would pull it off without blocking the view of several nook gardens.

-LL, it is a vinyl fence. It is kind of glaring, so I have put trellis up at various places to 'break it up' a little. I do have 'Tamora' planted near it ;-)

Maybe an obelisk would look formal? I have been thinking about finding a small wrought-iron one...
CMK

I'm not sure if my garden qualifies as a cottage garden or not - I didn't really have that as a style in mind when I started - but then I didn't have anything else in particular in mind either! I have increasingly been drawn to a more formal look and, since the property/garden didn't lend itself to a lot of symmetry, I started focussing on things like edging, shaping the negative space and using paths more explicitly as part of the design.

In 2007, I put brick edging around a lot of the garden beds. This spring I reshaped the remaining bits of front lawn into a grassy path to sweep around the main bed. That entailed adding a very narrow bed that runs along the top of the ditch by the road. I brick-edged that too to match the existing beds. The brick edging highlights and adds definition to the path as well as to the main front bed. There is a small rose bed in the same area that had a grass path around it too but, if I had left the path at the back of it as grass, it would have distracted from the sweep of green around the main bed. So I replaced the grass at the back of the rose bed with pine bark mulch. You can see the mulch path meeting the grass sweep, on the left side of this picture and I think you can see that if that mulch was grass, the impact of the grass path would be minimal instead of something that makes a soothing and effective compliment to the main bed.

This view is looking at the grass path from the driveway, past the rose bed with the mulch path visible.
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The backyard garden is a shady woodland garden. In 2008 I decided to add more interest to it by reshaping the lawn into a somewhat formal rectangle with mulch paths that lead into the woodland areas. We find the contrast between fomality of the calm green geometric lawn and the wilder woodland plantings soothing. It also makes the lawn have a stronger presence because it's a very noticeable element on its own. The woodland areas also seem 'wilder' because of the contrast with the formality of the lawn.

Backyard lawn, looking south:

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Looking north:

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I'm not sure why so many people seem to shy away for the thought of introducing formal touches to the garden. We have introduced a number of them and think the garden is much better with them than without.

to add formality just add evergreen hedgings like boxwood or yews. Use box forms and also add topiaries. Use straight borders containging a variety of continouse blooms. It's really a form of English gardening made popular by Rosemary Verey (spell?)

CMK - the rose is 'Carefree Beauty'. The name sold me! lol It's really more of a hot pink than a burgandy.

Your idea of a wrought-iron obelisk is a good one. :)

woodyoak - you're right. People tend to shy away from 'formal', I guess thinking that they would be high maintenance, stuffy, or outdated. But I think they are easy (just clip the hedges once or twice a year), calming, interesting all year, and this style goes well with either traditional or contemporary homes.

I love all of the pics!!! They show wonderful combinations of plants, paths, stone, etc. CMK - we need to see your garden, to understand why you need the feel for formality!! The very description of the Cottage Garden is a hodge-podge of flowers and veg, grown with no formality, only convenience. Hence paths, orders of tallest at back, etc. Holleygarden, come to my house, please!!!! I love the look you have created, and it is a wonderful combo of the styles. You have a very good eye.
Woodyoak - I love what you have done. I might get rid of some of the straight edges - you would still have a formal look, but it would soften everything. K', and I need to know 2 things: what is that purple flowering shrub, and is that a pupper I see - what's her/his name??

Nancy.

Ok Nancy, here is a pic ;-) Sorry, this is from spring. I still haven't gotten summer pics loaded yet! One may think that my middle name starts with 'M', but really it is 'P' for Procrastinaion, lol.

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There are a lot of bare spots in this area (the year before there was an apple tree here), but I planted a few things there this summer. This is the area I was thinking of placing an obelisk.
CMK

CMK - I think what it needs is some height, and a focal point. An obelisk would accomplish both of those. It could be any style, really, and I think it would look good.

But this thread has got me wondering. You are all wonderful people, but I really thought the Cottage Garden Forum for also for those that tended to lean toward formal gardens. Don't know where I read that as I can't seem to find it now.

So, which forum is best for someone like me whose garden is obviously not a "cottage garden" style of hodge-podge with no formality?

Not that you will get rid of me - I truly do think this is one of the nicest forums. Just wondering where the "Formal Gardening" Forum is?

midnightsmum - No, I wouldn't get rid of the straight edges - they're what makes the back lawn so effective at being a very visible feature. I used to have a more 'natural' edge but didn't like the fact that the lawn was just leftover space. By shaping the lawn -the 'negative' space - it became positive space - a feature that draws your eyes and a calm visual (and physical) resting space that puts the rest of the garden into perspective.

I assume the purple shrub you're referring to is in the second picture...? That's the Chinese wisteria that we're growing as a tree/bush. If you look at the first picture, it's the bush on the far left - that picture was taken in mid-late July and, if you look closely, you can see a few of the flowers produced in its second bloom that happens in July if you keep pruning the new growth.

The pupper is Misty. She's a rescued Lhasa Apso, now 11 years old. She's a bit temperamental but as cute as all get out!

CMK - what is the tall green growth at the back, left side? A vine of some sort? Is there an arbour or support of some sort there - it sort of looks like there is... It looks like something that could be pruned into an archway/doorway that would be an intriguing feature to lead the eye through and beyond the garden....

The only formality in my garden, is when the older neighbors stop by and I respond, yes ma'am and no, sir.

Thanks holleygarden. I will be on the lookout for an obelisk come spring.

-woodyoak, those are Elm trees, I think some call them 'Wall of China' lol! They are monsters. Whack em' back and they grow again. The tops are kept pruned because of the power lines, but the bottom parts are kept full so that there is privacy from the alley and neighbors.

-Tom, lol!
CMK

Holleygarden- You know, I just looked and I don't see much for formal gardens either. There seem to be gardens for specific types of flowers, like roses, that may or may not be formal designs. The only formal style I've seen is in the potager forum and that's not always formal, either.

I've read that cottage garden style is more informal and a reaction to the formal gardens that were popular at the time. The curved paths and seemingly random layout is supposed to be the opposite of the straight paths and often rectangular beds of the more traditional style.

I would like to find a happy medium, myself. I asked about French gardens not too long ago and Ianna had some great suggestions. It would be nice to see some classic garden designs on one of the forums. In the potager forum, boxwood edging the beds seems more formal, while lavender seems more casual, at least to me. I think the plants you choose determine how "formal" the bed will be, even if the design is more balanced and traditional.

CMK - Ah! The dreaded Chinese Elms! :-) Are they a hedge along the property line? Is there any space behind them and/or is there space between between the trunks at the left end to prune them to make an arch, either with a path leading to other things or to put a bench beneath an arbour-like cut-out in the hedge? Sort of like this...:
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I'm thinking it would make a reasonable substitute for the clipped hornbeam hedges in English gardens... A clipped hedge would introduce a formal element, as well a height, to the very nice garden you have. Since you have to keep those elms under control anyway, might as well make use of them as a feature! Something to think about....

Formal garden design is frequently discussed on the Landscape Design forum, often with accompanying illustrations. It is sometimes considered a less popular garden style now, simply because it doesn't fit most folks' lifestyle or the way they use their gardens. And it needs to have a basis in the architectural style of the home as well - very symmetrical, formal architectural styles lend themselves more easily to a formal landscape, compared to say a ranch style home or a bungalow or cottagey Cape Cod style.

But you can introduce more formal elements into any landscape if you do so carefully. Hardscape is one way - the more planned, paved surfaces, the less informal or cottagey a garden will look, so replace a portion of grassed or mulched pathways with something more permanent. And the use of clean, geometric shapes rather than loose, organic curves or amorphous shapes. It doesn't have to be straight lines, just something that offers a recognizable, defined shape, like a circular paved seating area surrounded by loosely planted beds.

Defining edges will help, also. This can be as simple as bordering beds with pavers, cobbles or bricks or edging them with a uniform, low growing border -- a mini hedge. And creating focal points that define an axis will add a touch of formality by drawing the eye to a specific point, rather than letting it wander throughout the garden as is so common with many cottage style gardens. An oblelisk, tuteur, birdbath or a carefully chosen and placed piece of yard art will work for this purpose. Or a very distinct specimen planting, like a small Japanese maple, dwarf conifer or small ornamental flowering tree.

And some formal garden design elements work just as well in a cottage style garden as they do in a more formal setting - a knot or herb garden for example. I've seen these used to great effect in a cottage style garden - the herbs define the beds in a more or less formalized manner (a circle, square, diamond pattern, etc.) but they are filled in with a profusion of whatever the gardener feels like planting.....roses, assorted perennials, annuals, a mixture, etc.

-woodyoak, your telling me! Geez are those things rampant...Thanks for the illustration. Lol, I see you found 'the hole' in the hedge from my over zealous pruning job last year. I do try to keep the tops of the trees an even height so it looks like a formal clipped hedge. I like the look of them that way since they rather resemble a classic English hedge, as you mentioned. That is a very nice idea about making an arch, but I am not sure I want to do that because I have a bad feeling the neighbors (not to mention all of the cars and people that go by in the alley) would use it as a sort of peep-hole. 8-)

-gardengal, thank you for the ideas. I don't think I have ever seen your garden before- what style is it? I am sure it is lovely whatever the style.
CMK

Wow, what beautiful pictures! You have all done so much with your gardens, I'm really inspired. I'm just trying to plan a few small areas for next year.

CMK- I love Tamora...I got one at Fred Meyer last year :) It's supposed to be peach/apricot, but mine is more pink with a peach hue. It's a pretty rose.

CMK - you're right....you have never seen pictures of my garden because I don't own a camera :-( And now I no longer own the garden that I started and worked for almost 25 years. Since the house was a Cape Cod style, the garden was pretty informal in style. I'm not sure how close it came to a cottage style but it was best described as a collection of mixed borders - trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, bulbs and groundcovers all growing in close proximity.

My new garden - only 2 months in my possession - can best be described as borderline woodland. It is tiny compared to my previous garden, located in a very rural area and backs up to a natural greenbelt. And it has a lot of native conifers growing on it, as well as associated undergrowth. It's going to take some time before it gets whipped into shape as a cultivated shade garden :-) And maybe Santa will bring me a proper camera for Christmas so I can record it for posterity!

CMK,

I think what you are trying to achieve is not in the realm of formality but you needed something simply to complete the picture, to provide your garden structure. It's about contrasts. The idea of an obelisk or anything clean, solid and tall is a good if not an excellent idea. It provides contrast to the informality of a cottage garden. An Obelisk maybe a wooden structure, a fountain structure or an evergreen (yews, holly) clipped into shape. I would suggest perhaps not just one obelisk but make it 2 or 3. If wooden, choose a colour that stands out against the greenery. I've seen blues, purples, reds used for such structures.

Holleygarden - you might find that true formal gardens fall under several styles... French, English, Italian and Japanese. It's up to you to decide where you wish to go. Formal gardens are simple, well structured, compartmentalized and require a great deal of maintenance which I hope you understand and realize. It's because of its use of clipped hedges and topiaries that often require I'm afraid the Landscape Design forum is filled with topics not necessarily relating to this one issue which is really called Classical Gardening, so good luck on your quest.

Ianna

-gardengal, well as soon as you get a camera I would love to see pics. That is to bad you had to leave your other garden behind. But I am sure the people/person who lives there now is enjoying it. No doubt that was one of the main attractions about it! But at the same time that must be so exciting to have a blank canvas to work with! Oh, that must be wonderful to live next to a greenbelt. I adore woodland areas, especially those on your side of the state.

LL, that is where I got my Tamora too ;-) Do you find it gets BS (black spot that is, lol!) frequently? Mine does, but it has such a large flushes of bloom and rebloom that I can't help but love it.
CMK

No, my Tamora never had any blackspot. In fact, she was the best rose I had this summer with all the heat :)

My mom got one last year and the neighbor watered it with her sprinkler a few times and it got a little black around the buds (but hers is in shade half the day, mine is in the sun until late afternoon). Once the neighbor quit watering it for her, her Tamora has done much better. I don't think roses like getting their leaves wet, but I'm still pretty new to all this.

I think Ianna is right, two or three obelisks would look great. Your garden is so pretty, a little height would give it even more interest...and more room for plants on the obelisks :)

My Tamora does get a little shade. That is likely the reason. It is amazing to me how certain roses do so well in shade and others are so intolerant of even a couple of hours of it.

That is a nice idea of multiple structures ianna. Lol, I have no clue where a second or thrid one would go though, as it is getting chucked full in there. The only way I could do it would be to make the garden bigger. That always seems to be the answer for everything doesn't it? #1 make a bigger garden #2 buy more plants. Anything that lets me have more plants is a winner ;-)
CMK

Since the buyers were intending the property for rental purposes, I either gave away or sold most of the plants in the old garden. Except for those that were too large or that I intended to take with me :-) Oh there's still lots of stuff left but nothing like it was.......way too many plants and too complicated a garden for a rental property! Oddly, the buyers changed their minds, did a few half-hearted improvements and put the house back on the market, where it still sits today. No attention and no watering took place this summer, one of the hottest and driest on record in my area. Good thing all the very best plants were removed, as even some of the larger trees were looking very stressed the last time I saw it.

And although I left that property without knowing exactly where I was going to settle, the bulk of the plants I transported with me (an entire rental truck full, btw) are most suited to a shadier rather than sunny garden! They are going to fit into the new place very nicely, thank you very much. Now how did I know that ahead of time?????

CMK, it's a given then. Make your garden bigger. I was just thinking that one obelisk alone would not be enough to impact your yard. It takes 3 at least. You can cut out the shape of an obelisk and plot it out against your photo and see for yourself. The structures needn't be all the same size. Just the same shape & colour.

What a fun job you will have this winter. Hmmm shall you start collecting seeds now? It's the perfect time to begin wintersowing.

holleygarden, I LOVE your pond - beautiful!

I agree with ianna, I don't think you're desirous of formality in your garden beds as much as you're looking for structure. The eye doesn't rest anywhere; there's no contrast. gardengal put it into words so much better than I could, about the usefulness of appropriate hardscape. Our urban lot was broken up by a lot of existing concrete, all of which was straight, hard lines.

The few areas that weren't connected to one another, we used gently curving lines to make the areas 'flow' into one another. Although I know most pros loathe concrete blocks, they worked best for us as most of it was DIY. We have a sloping property, and the blocks enabled us to create clean-edged lines that were then softened with plants. Even the most rectangular beds are softened with overspilling plants without obliterating the basic structure.

For example, I thought I'd have a terrible time with this shaded area. Houses are close together here (10' apart) and we had to put in a French drain on this side due to moisture problems in the basement. Here's an early photo: the LH side walkway and house is our neighbor's; you can see the gravel-topped French drain on the RH next to our house. My DH has already installed horizontal concrete block steps to hold the slope (it was all clay, slowly sliding down the hillside with every rainy winter) and log edging next to the French drain to hold compost which was brought in for planting:
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It has turned into my favorite garden bed, and I actually think it's because the limitations imposed by the hardscape give the bed a structure that it would otherwise lack:
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We created this short path to connect two rectangular concrete pads. Although we really like the texture of the gravel and rip-rap edging, I don't much like the constant upkeep needed as the weed seeds love gravel. But it's an example of creating structure appropriate to the plants around it, without a lot of formality.

Please tell me what size are those round stepping stones and if you made them yourself or purchased them that way? Found some 12 in. round stepping stone molds at cheapseeds.com and other websites. Those look more like 14 or 16 in. What are the engravings in them?

CMK- How steep is your garden? Could you put a gravel path up to a bench, maybe? That could be another focal point. Also, do you have many five foot tall plants in front of the trees, or is the peony the tallest? Maybe an alba rose :) or some smaller shrubs would look nice. If you like shrubs, Lowe's had some holly blooming that was really cute for the holidays. It's good down to zone 4 and mom got two and put them on either side of her swing. She wanted to be able to reach them easily to keep them from getting too big.

Mom (my garden guru) always says to put plenty of seating areas in any garden, so you have views from different directions and focal points at the same time. She has a small yard, but about five little seating areas (a swing, a wooden bench painted white, small metal table with two chairs--two different areas, and now she's planning a new rustic bench). She has a cottage garden but it seems to be set up almost in rooms, with each room changing a little and having another seating area. It's nice and there's always someplace to set your trowel, your drink or yourself :)

pippi21, the stepping stones are a set of 3, 12" resin. They show the head of the dragon, the middle body, and the tail. I purchased four sets many years ago, so I don't think they're available any longer. The swirls are water; in Chinese mythology dragons are always associated with water.
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