The York Guardian

This style is definitely not for everyone, but for some people it is the most desired type of garden. Formal gardens have clean lines that define areas of hardscape and softscape and have a relatively simple colour palette. This style of garden has visible structure - - or garden bones - in all seasons from the entryway to the garden beds.

Order in the garden

Everything has a proper place in a formal garden. Evergreen hedges are almost always used to define spaces and create a visible structure within the garden. These vegetative fences, tall or small, keep the garden organized by subdividing it into compartments that are proportionate to one another.

Linear pathways of square cut flagstone (or formal-looking interlocking pavers) connect the spaces and direct the movement. Clean straight lines and 90-degree angles are common elements in a formal garden.

A balancing act

Symmetry, asymmetry and balance create a pleasing arrangement of shapes that is restful on the eye.

The layout of the garden will often be guided by a central axis, which creates a serene and harmonious environment where one side is balanced by the other.

For example, an allee of ornamental pear trees (Pyrus calleryana spp.) may be used in this style of garden to achieve a state of balance. A bird's eye view of a formal garden may have one side of the garden mirroring the other side or proportionate with the same visual weight on either side. Not only is a formal garden orderly, but it is harmonious. There will be lots of repetition and similar shapes (usually square or rectangular) throughout entire garden.

Keep it simple

A monochromatic colour scheme in relation to garden design means that white is the primary colour in a background of green or grey-green foliage.

This is the easiest way to achieve simplicity in a formal garden. Simple is better.

Limit the colour palette to three colours maximum: white, grey and green. The use of one, maybe two materials for a linear path is enough: flagstone and granite.

The idea of minimalism refers to simplifying all the desired components in the garden, especially the shapes and materials. A large rectangular lawn area creates an expanse of a single colour and opens the garden for a larger view. This expanse of lawn or any green carpet created by a ground cover is important for a formal garden.

Gardens are personal, private spaces so the style that you select relates to your preferences and lifestyle. Most often people who prefer a formal French garden desire order and simplicity in their outdoor space.

Marilyn Pomer is a landscape designer for Greenescape Designs Inc. If you have any questions or comments please e-mail Marilyn at marilyn@greenescape.ca