When thinking of style in the garden, it helps to think in terms of informality versus formality. One of the main reasons many people create gardens is to create some degree of organization (formal) out of the organic (informal) world. Most people like to garden somewhere in the middle of the two extreme sides but today we are going to talk about the two different design factors working in everyone's garden.
Formal Design
Some of the earliest records of garden designs come from ancient Egypt (in about 2200 B.C.). These gardens were laid out in long straight lines, often following roads or building structures. The ancient Greeks and then the Romans followed in their footsteps years later adding slight stylistic twist to their own gardens.
Much later, the Renaissance brought a whole new revived look to the formal gardens. These formal gardens have been around for thousands of years and are still scattered through a lot of historically wealthy areas of Europe.
The key to formal design within the garden is to have a since of symmetry. What appears on the left side of the garden is met with a similar since on the right, sometimes identical. Right angle structures (eg. rectangles and triangles) are found often in formal gardens as they produce a more intentional feeling to otherwise chaotic tendencies of nature. A central piece that stands out as a focal point is also another common feature found in formal design gardens.
Informal Design
Informal gardens can technically be classified as the oldest type garden as they tend to model the normal patterns of nature. These gardens are also much more practical for people that don't have as much time to dedicate to the garden because the goal is mostly to let nature do as nature does.
Informal gardens are often characterized by a lack of symmetry and by flowing lines, curves, and natural-looking plant forms. Beds and walkways are often curved to flow through the space naturally. While symmetry is not as big of a concern, informal gardens still tend to have balance within them. Plants may often be layered by heights for this purpose and also the purpose of allowing sun to reach more plants.
Conclusion
Weather you are a bit of a neat freak or more of the winging it type, there is a garden style for you. These two garden types are on either end of the spectrum and chances are the best garden type for you will lie somewhere in between. Whatever makes you happy and is practical for the amount of time you have should be the type you choose. If you have any questions or ideas, drop them below and I will be covering more garden design topics soon!
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