of the gardens described here so far, besides my own side yard, dlk's seems the most formal...although I don't know if that pathway is straight or not.
I don't think how you trim your plants has much to do with whether a garden is formal. Some, but it is not the primary thing. Look at the second link on the beginning post again...in the upper left corner of the page that the web site opens to, there is the plan view of the garden layout of Villa Gamberaia near Florence, Italy. This is an strong example of a formal garden - you see a basic spine to the layout, and intersecting paths at, in that case, right angles.
Neko's back yard looks more like the english garden landscapes of Capability Brown....even if he (she?) trims the plants carefully...
Here's a link for Lancelot (Capability) Brown...
http://www.britainexpress.com/History/bio/brown.htm
there are probably a lot of links, I just went and grabbed one near the top of the list on Google.
ossobuco.
I would have to agree that for the most part my garden areas are more on the side of formal then not. However, I add some piece of art to each of my garden areas, of which some are whimsical. In a way, this alone takes away from the fomality of the area in my opinion. Some areas have bird feeders or metal art, etc. In one garden I have a red hand chair for fun affect. I don't always believe in doing things the supposedly "correct" way. I do whatever feels right for my own liking.
How's your Corgi?
After reviewing a coffeetable book "The Classic Garden" and the illustrations in osso's initial link, I have a clearer idea as to the extreme carried in Formal gardening. Count me in,then, as in the Informal caucus. If I were in zone 6 or 7,my backyard would be fully established by now.
Shrubbery is discouragingly slow to respond. I hear the term Cottage Garden from visitors,but I feel that there is more to a garden than flowers. Even so, transforming a bare earth subdivision lot into a garden makes for pleasant occupation therapy.
This all gets more complicated, in that there are zen gardens where one discovers the path (as I understand it) but ...there are some typical gardens of different types.
I did study garden history at some length before I forgot most of it, and all that helps me is to know that we need to look for links that show examples of different kinds of gardens.
One of my primers in school was a book by Geoffrey Jellicoe titled Landscape of Man. Mine was a paperback that got really worn as I pored over it....
If you wish to order a book, consider our A2K link to Amazon. If you choose to, use the link on either Portal or Control Panel and it will help able2know.
DLK, that sounds great to me. A formal garden can be deadly. Riffing off of it, with various surprises is a good idea. In fact, most sort of formal gardens splay off of it. I just brought this up to illustrate the spine that many gardens are organized on.
Many are not, and that makes for more questions and responses.
I added a few more links for types of gardens at the first post above.
A blue needled
Scotch Pine after ten years since setting out is shown in my latest photo. Hope to achieve a cloudbank formation with around four maybe five leaders. Needs a few more years, though. A 6' yew hedge will grow under it.
Oh! A yew hedge!
I had never seen them before, living as I did for decades in southern California. I see individual Yews planted around my new home town...but sadly, in funny places, that is, right nigh on the front doorstep. What I think of as Extremely Large Foundation Planting. A few feet out, at least, would have been better...but, I love them anyway. There is one set of yews down the street that on occasion have a reaching of nasturtiums grazing up through the heights...very nice, to me.
A whole hedge would be wonderful.
Hmm, Filoli. I think there is a nice yew framed garden there...
I have yews on just one side of the yard. Lilacs are on the other side.
In the middle of the yard is an apple tree pruned to a fare thee well. (See photo for a good view of the branch and flowering twig
development)
The cover of the current issue of Fine Gardening shows what I hope the backyard will resemble.
Pruning to establish a form for a
flowering crab similar to the apple tree, is shown in my today's pictures. An oriole can be seen in the
apple tree.
Have to run now, but looking forward to looking tomorrow...
The pictures that I've posted today give an over view of the backyard during the past year.
Spring,
summer,
late summer,
autumn, and
winter .
My treatment of a 30(est.) year old
silver maple which was outgrowing its space is shown in today's photo. The major cutting back was done three years ago,and some thinning out and trimback will be done come May. The desired tapered profile is already discernible. The drastic pruning has not affected its vigor,and by keeping the branches from reaching out ,ice storm damage can be avoided.
Neko, can you give a link for the site when you mention pictures? I know you mentioned it a while back, but it is much easier for people to find pictures and participate if there's a link. How to do links is described in the General category (See the Forum Index) under the title Forum Help...I think.
It might even tell there how to move and include a picture from that site to a post here.
The backyard is well underway to becoming a structured garden,as my previous pictures have attempted to show. The front,however,remains mainly a botanical setting ,with assorted seasonal perennials and bulbs comprising a ground cover. Wild strawberries,moneywort,violets,and lily-of-the-valley take over after the spring ephemerals. A few hostas also grace the scene. Streetside spring, summer, autumn,and winter views are shown today. What isn't shown is a tartarian honeysuckle hedge taking form on the right-hand side against the picket fence.
spring
autumn
winter
[
summer
In one of his paintings (can't remember the title) Monet featured a lovely stand of white crinoline lilies. Crinolines can't survive here,but I hope to get a stand of
white martagon lilies established,along with native turk's cap (L. superbum) in a sunny spot in the border out back.
Thank you for mastering how to put pictures right in the post, and how to link, Neko...lovwly lilies, lovely trillium.
Today's pictures of the frontyard just about completes the overview of my pocket paradise-in-the-making :.
spring ,
summer , and
winter views shows the front as viewed from the living room. A row of pines screens out the scene across the street.
I follow the adage: If you have weeds, there aren't enough plants
