Garden Design: Find Your Style

Think about your style. Look at your wardrobe, the interior of you home, the type of art you like. Is it bright, flamboyant, and colorful? Subdued? Curvaceous? Linear? Casual? Elegant? Formal? If you’re not sure about your design style, ask your friends and family. It’s surprising how easily they can describe your style!

Style can, and should, be translated to your garden. We generally feel more comfortable in spaces that reflect who we are, that reflect our style.

However, do take a cue from the style of your home when designing your garden. If it’s a formal Colonial, a Japanese zen garden might look out of place, as would a formal garden surrounding a cottage-style house. The area directly around the home should reflect the home’s style so that it feels like the house “fits” into the surrounding garden.

A garden doesn’t need to be all the same style (although it’s definitely easier to design a garden with one unifying style). As you move farther away from the house, the garden’s style can slowly shift. Don’t make any dramatic changes as you move from one style to another, keep everything in proportion, and include a few unifying plants, objects, or materials in all styles. I’ll be talking more about this in upcoming Garden Design posts.

Above all, be true to yourself.  Your garden is yours – it’s not for the neighbors, the potential next buyers of your home, or the local garden club ‘gurus’. Go with a style that makes you happy. And remember that nothing is irreversible. As your style evolves over time, so will your garden. Part of the joy of gardening is constantly ‘tweaking’ your garden

Happy gardening,

Monica

P.S. Get here from a link from a friend, or Twitter? This design tip is part of an ongoing series on the essential concepts of garden design, without the fancy Latin names and eye-glazing theoretical background. Learn more about it and sign up here.

P.P.S. Got a design question I haven’t answered yet?  Just leave a comment and you might see your answer in an upcoming Garden Design post!