17 English Garden Ideas

English gardens, with their foxgloves, fragrant roses and other lovely plants, can transform outdoor spaces. Find inspiration for a traditional or cottage-style design with these 17 English garden ideas.

By: Lynn Coulter

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Design a Traditional or Cottage-Style English Garden

English gardens, which originated in the early 18th century, usually have a lush, full cottage-style look or a more formal, traditional style. For a traditional English garden, think trimmed hedges, manicured lawns and structures like arbors or fountains. For cottage style, imagine beds and borders overflowing with perennials and annuals. It's not hard to create your own English garden. Start with plants recommended for your hardiness zone and growing conditions, such as full sun or shade.

Also See: 25 Classic Cottage Garden Flowers

Plant Roses

Roses are practically a must-have for English gardens. Step back and look at your whole garden space before you plant, says Stephen Parnham, head gardener at England's David Austin Roses. To add interest and depth, he suggest layering a rambling rose behind a border of shrub roses. For cottage garden style, line a path or flank an entrance with climbing or rambling roses, or train the roses up and over a house or porch. Use roses with clipped hedges and a manicured green lawn for a formal, traditional look.

Also See: 15 Easy Roses That Are Not Knock Out Roses

Mix Annuals and Perennials

English gardens often mix annuals and perennials of different sizes, shapes and colors to echo the plants you'd see growing in the English countryside. Popular choices for cottage style gardens include lady's mangle, foxgloves, pinks (Dianthus), peonies, hollyhocks, phlox, delphiniums, lavender, herbs, primroses and hydrangeas. Include plants that bloom at different times, so you'll have something in flower throughout the growing season.

Learn More: What’s the Difference Between an Annual and a Perennial?

Formal English Garden Ideas

For an elegant, formal English garden, consider using a statue like the one shown here, located at Historic New England's Hamilton House. A statue works as a focal point when it draws your eye and leads you into the surrounding garden. You could also use a large urn, container plant, an inviting sitting area, garden shed, water feature or showy plant like a flowering tree. Don't be afraid to use something whimsical, like a cute animal statue, in a cottage garden.

Let Deep Colors Inspire You

Wondering what colors to use in your English garden? Richard Stubbs, rose consultant for David Austin Roses, says, "Take inspiration from sparkling crown jewels and gemstones by planting alluring deep-pink ruby reds, violet-purple shades of amethyst and the scarlet tones of garnet. Set these rosy gems within a mixed border to create a rich and regal focal point or add brilliance and sparkle to even the simplest garden to create a sense of ceremony and formality." These crimson 'Darcey Bussell' roses mingle with sedum 'Purple Emperor', Salvia nemerosa 'Caradonna,' catmint 'Six Hills Giant, Great Burnet (Sanguisorba) 'Tanna' and ornamental grasses.

Consider Plants in Soft Shades

Want more English garden ideas? Try soft pink and blue pastel flowers, like these fragrant pinks (Dianthus) and lavender, and plant them in drifts, beds and borders. When grown almost shoulder-to-shoulder, they give an English garden a lush, romantic feel. Other lovely flowers for a cottage English garden include sweet peas, columbines and larkspurs. Think about the colors that go together on a color wheel to find complementary shades.

Use One Color Family

If you're not a fan of mixed colors, design a monochromatic English garden, like the famous white garden at England's Sissinghurst Castle. For a similar look, Katie Tamony, chief marketing officer and trend spotter at Monrovia, says, "Use white-blooming plants like 'Summerlasting Coconut' crape myrtle and plants with gray, green or silver foliage." If you stick to just one color family, keep your garden interesting by varying the sizes, textures and kinds of your plants. Shown here: 'Thalia', a pure white narcissus.

Combine Informal, Native and Stately Plants

Another popular English garden idea: Plant native or wildflowery-looking plants with more formal and stately-looking ones like roses. This 'Roald Dahl' rose with pale apricot blooms is surrounded by a drift of hardy blue geraniums. 'Roald Dahl' is an English shrub rose recommended for USDA Gardening Zones 5-11. At just four feet tall and wide, it's a good companion for shorter flowers. If you're shopping for hardy blue geraniums, make sure the variety you choose is hardy in your garden zone.

Add Hedges and Paths

English gardens often use neatly trimmed hedges and paths combined with borders and beds of bulbs and other flowers. While straight lines create a traditional English garden look, curving and wandering paths are better suited for cottage gardens. Connected paths let visitors admire the plants up close and often lead to a garden shed, large urn or other focal point. Bulbs like daffodils, grape hyacinths and iris (which can be planted as bulbs, rhizomes or roots) add spring color to the garden. Autumn-flowering crocuses keep the show going in fall.

Also See: 40 Ideas for Creating the Perfect Pathway in Your Yard

Include Seating

Don't forget to add chairs or a bench to your traditional or cottage English garden so you can sit and enjoy its colors and fragrances. This bench overlooks a mixed border where plants grown in multiples add a touch of formality while providing a big impact. Monrovia's Katie Tamony recommends evergreens like boxwoods, which can be shaped into various forms. "Topiaries in globes, pyramids and spiral can lend an air of elegance."

English Garden Ideas for Containers

"English gardens call for attractive hedges," says Kip McConnell, director of Southern Living Plant Collection. If space is tight, grow compact boxwoods in containers. "The tiny emerald green leaves of this 'Baby Gem Boxwood' ... offer year-round color. Try potting it in pairs that flank a pathway, line an entryway, or plant in a neat row for a stunning effect in the landscape." 'Baby Gem' grows in full sun to part shade in Zones 5a to 9b.

English Garden Ideas for Shrubs

While traditional English gardens feature pruned boxwoods in the form of hedges or topiaries, other shrubs are also lovely and useful. Try Monrovia shrub roses like 'Grace N' Grit ' or compact hydrangeas from the 'Seaside Serenade' series. For best results, plant the shrubs in groups of three. Edible plants with shrub-like forms, such as Monrovia's 'Carmine Red Dwarf Cherry' or 'Raspberry Shortcake' Raspberry, also work well in cottage gardens and offer a bonus: tasty fruits to cook into jams and pies.

Use a Water Feature

Many English gardens include a water feature. If you're not lucky enough to have a natural pond or small stream, it's easy to install a fountain, birdbath or other water feature. These brightly colored perennials, which include pink coneflowers, orange lilies and yellow daisies, overlook a quiet river. They're planted in layers to give the garden an informal look.

Make Raised Beds

If your native soil is poor, consider building raised beds for your English garden. When filled with good soil and amendments, they'll let water drain easily and encourage plants to develop strong root systems. Add paths between them so you can reach the beds. Meandering paths are a feature of cottage-style English gardens, while paths with straight lines and angles have a more traditional look. Hold down weeds and keep your paths dry by topping them with pebbles or flagstones, or use materials like bricks that match your home.

English Garden Ideas for Hardscapes

Use an arbor, pergola or trellis to add structure to your garden. They're also ideal for growing climbing plants like clematis, wisteria, climbing roses, trumpet vines and climbing hydrangeas. Consider honeysuckle to invite hummingbirds to visit your garden. White picket fences are perfect for cottage English gardens and make a good backdrop for your flower beds.

Also See: Turn a Picket Fence Panel Into a Gorgeous Garden Gate

English Garden Ideas for Herbs

Herbs are often grown in English cottage gardens. Lavandula angustifolia, an herb also known as English lavender, is hardy in USDA Zones 5-9. There are more than 450 varieties; choose one recommended for your area to grow in a mass planting or along the edge of a path, border or wall. Other herbs to use in your design include sweet basil, chives, chamomile, lemon balm and sage. If space allows, tuck in some vegetables. Combine your edibles with brightly colored flowers, like these Petite Knock Out roses.

Grow Hedges for Walls and Outdoor Rooms

Neatly pruned hedges can create garden rooms or walls in English gardens, like the ones shown here at Historic New England's Hamilton House. Geometrical hedges can also be used to screen a view, provide privacy or help block unwanted noise. Keep the lawn manicured for a traditional appearance. For a casual cottage look, let your shrubbery grow more naturally and avoid clipping it into hard shapes. Add native plants and trees or, if you have enough space, plant one or more espaliered fruit trees.

17 English Garden Ideas

Related To:

Shop This Look

Design a Traditional or Cottage-Style English Garden

Plant Roses

Mix Annuals and Perennials

Formal English Garden Ideas

Let Deep Colors Inspire You

Consider Plants in Soft Shades

Use One Color Family

Combine Informal, Native and Stately Plants

Add Hedges and Paths

Include Seating

English Garden Ideas for Containers

English Garden Ideas for Shrubs

Use a Water Feature

Make Raised Beds

English Garden Ideas for Hardscapes

English Garden Ideas for Herbs

Grow Hedges for Walls and Outdoor Rooms

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