Last updated on December 2nd, 2011
What’s your gardening personality? Are you drawn to formal, casual, or “eclectic” plantings? Perhaps you will tell us in our on-line poll. Either select your preferred garden style from the list that follows, or be a free spirit, and make up your own category.
Formal – I’m drawn to the straight lines and geometric shapes that define a formal garden. I adore such features as classical fountains, and clipped edgings of boxwood and yew.
Cottage – A garden that is bountifully planted with both ornamental and edible plants really turns me on, as do white picket fences, and roses that clamour over walls and arches.
Wild – I prefer a garden that looks like Nature intended (and I’ll work like a fiend to achieve this effect). I find that weedy things like goldenrod and false-bamboo (see photo above) have definite ornamental value.
Eclectic – My ideal garden is a whimsical one, where “anything goes.” Providing there exists a unifying theme, such as the color blue, even cement rabbits and ceramic birds are not off limits.
Which style best describes your own garden — or the garden you aspire to have?
(And, a hat-tip to my friend Despina, who suggested this on-line poll!)
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
My gardening personality? I have several, and thus I'm schizophrenic. The gardens I've created on this property encompass all of the above styles, from the formal Boxwood Garden to the wild Woodland patch.
Gardenlady says
Whether I've achieved the look or not, I aspire to have a cottage garden. I love to see flowers everywhere, even in vegetable plots.
Gregory says
I'm with Gardenlady. Although I don't have a garden here in NYC, I love the romance of a cottage garden. Right down to the white, picket fence.
Samantha says
Well, I'm more drawn to formal gardens. I find they are easier to maintain. Trim the yews once or twice each summer, and that's about it.
despina says
I am Goth Gothic. We have a modern Gothic Stick Style house that is very moody. We want our garden to be a little wild and a little different, Victorian with a goth twist.
We are planting many alliums and would love to have bat fowers if the climate permits.
we want colorful strange twisty vines and we were even briefly considering Wolfsbane.
Judy says
If I had a green thumb I would grow a garden something out of the Secret Garden — with lots of ivy, hedges, roses and of course, stone statues — maybe even a few garden gnomes here and there. And of course a chair or bench for reading or writing. What does that make me, Kevin??
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Despina – Goth Gothic – excellent category! And what appropriate plants you want to set the mood. I love Bat Flowers. Don't worry about climate with these. You can grow them in 10-inch clay pots outdoors in summer, and let them rest indoors in winter.
Judy – I think that makes you a Frances Hodgson Burnett-gardener! I aspire to have a walled garden, too.
Joan says
I love reading others' ideas. For myself, I live in the wild mountains of far western NC, am striving to invite nature back to our yard which was stripped bare by the previous owner/builder in fear of copperheads. I go to native plant conferences to learn about special good plants, dig things out of the woods and sometimes they grow and sometimes they don't. But after a wet spring and summer, we've had a mighty bloom and growth spurt of native plants including sourwood, red maple, black gum (we need trees, trees!), so native all the way, with edibles interspersed throughout since a real garden is now too much work.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Joan – it sounds like you are creating a wonderful, native garden for your property. Trees are so important for ground that has been stripped — they produce life-sustaining leafmold. Kudos to you.
Mary Frances says
Hi, I live in Ireland -the emerald isle! We built our house in a field last year and it's still a field! I would just like a garden – any kind of garden, so we are about to clear the grass and weeds and begin the long process of creating a garden. But, of course while you may begin a garden, you never finish as there is always just one more plant you want to grow!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Mary – welcome! And how lucky you are to live in such a climate as Ireland's, where a garden — any kind of a garden — will thrive!
I hope to “see” you around here often!
Louise says
Cottage eclectic. I have plants chosen because they are beautiful and poison. But I also focus on a pollinating garden with waves of rudbeckia, monarda, coneflowers, perennial Oxe eye sunflower, liatris.
I try to combine colors so complementary colors are in bloom in areas through the spring to fall.
The front walk is phlox in shades of pink, purple and white with pink roses. That’s the cottage part.