We have several garden beds at our home which are unstructured and have a natural feel, but I am interested in designing a little 'more formal, but not stodgy' garden that will be next to a patio we are building.
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| Our 'Bird Garden' with Buckminster & The General |
I stumbled across the concept of a quilt garden - a popular attraction of Indiana's Amish country Heritage Trail. I love the symmetry of the flowers and bright colors in these beautiful gardens. As I was looking for inspiration, I decided to capture a few of my favorites in a blog post to share. I also delved into some other symmetrical styles, the knot and parterre garden, which I've also included.
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| Heritage Trail Quilt Garden (image via Visit Indiana) |
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| Heritage Trail Quilt Garden (image via Travel Indiana) |
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| Menno-Hof Quilt Garden in Fall (image via My Amish Indiana) |
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| Elkhart County 4-H Quilt Garden (image via Hoosier Gardener) |
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| Petunia Quilt Garden (image via Amish Country) |
I also remembered some beautiful gardens we have visited in the past which also featured organized plots of color. As I began looking back in time, the concept of sectional gardens has been around for centuries. In 27 BC, Vitruvius, a Roman author and designer, included concepts for garden spaces to be both functional, practical and pleasing to the eye. In the early-mid 16th century, compartimens or knot gardens were planted showcasing shaped herbs in interlacing designs interspersed with sand or flowers.
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| A Victorian Knot Garden (image via Helmingham Hall) |
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| Contemporary Knot Garden (image via The Garden Club of America) |
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| Contemporary Knot Garden (image via The Oregonian) |
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| Bamsley House Knot Garden (image via Albert Winkler) |
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| Victorian Knot Garden (image via Willowbrook Park) |
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| Herb Knot Garden (image via Kevin McManus) |
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| Circle Knot Garden (image via Proven Winners) |
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| Chateau du Lude Knot Garden (image via French Gardens) |
The parterre was developed by Claude Mollet in the late 16th century taking compartimens to a new level by utilizing other types of plants and creating more intricate patterns at French chateaus including Fontainebleau and Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Since that time, parterres have fallen in and out of fashion. Parterres are designed with pathways between sections of gardens which pool plants together in distinct plots.
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| A Victorian Parterre (Image via Helmingham Hall) |
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| A Victorian Parterre (image via Design Ties) |
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| Modern Parterre by Jarrod Baumann (image via MB Maher) |
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| Vegetable Parterre (image via Home Life Australia) |
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| French Parterre with Lavender (image via Cheap Floors) |
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| Domaine de Villarcreaux (image via The Garden Wanderer) |
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| Modern Parterre Garden (image via Schmechtig Landscapes) |
With all of these beautiful ideas of and inspired by traditional garden styles, I'm definitely inspired to start poring through gardening catalogs to choose plants and begin laying out a plan for our 'more formal, but not stodgy' garden. But first, I'm ready for a tall glass of sweet tea and a retreat to the back porch for a break!
Happy Gardening,
Chris
