Wide Open Spaces: Country Gardens Fit to Inspire

Designers luxuriate in the opportunities provided by an expansive country space. Here, we share two takes on the country garden, one space where paths lead you though an admirable array of nature's wildest looking beauties and another where plants line the perimeter of a large stepped play lawn.

Garden Meadows

This garden's drama is achieved by mixing formal elements, such as golden gravel paths which follow strong, straight lines, with drifts of grasses and perennial flowers.

Designer and author-photographer Oudolf says:
"The garden at Scampston covers about four acres and sits within protective walls. It used to be a working garden, but my clients wanted to create a contemporary space rather than a reconstruction."

"I worked with the large scale of the garden to create something of interest to the visiting public, so not all of the planting is typical of what I do. I aimed to link the past with the present by using formal elements, such as hedges and clipped specimens, between more relaxed perennials."

"I am influenced by contemporary architecture, art, and nature; and I think that, at Scampston, there is interest in both the planting and the strong design."

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - Garden Design © 2009 Dorling Kindersley Limited

Key Ingredients

Summerwine Yarrow (image 1); Western coneflower (image 2); Beebalm (image 3); Hardy Jerusalem sage (image 4)

Meadow Mates

Pale purple coneflower (image 1); Alpine betony (image 2); Red switch grass (image 3); May night sage (image 4)