For gardeners across the globe, English gardens are renowned. Their reputation for being the most romantic, beautifully planted and idyllic spaces a gardener could hope for has spread far and wide. But how do you define a quintessentially English garden? Say the words and the mind immediately conjures up certain images: arbours and pergolas dripping with rambling roses; herbaceous borders with sky-blue spires of delphiniums, York-stone paving and clipped yew hedges. There are some features that no self-respecting English garden should be without, the essential elements that make the country’s gardens so iconic – here are our must-haves for that dreamy English garden look.
Victorian glass cloche
The glass cloche has been gracing English gardens for hundreds of years. There is something defiant about them in the kitchen garden. Yes, in terms of protecting a large number of plants from frost or pests, there are more efficient and cost-effective products. But few enhance the look of the kitchen garden in the way that a glass cloche can. To treat a prized squash or tender young lettuce plant to a cosy, glazed home all of its own when nights are still cold, is surely the gardener’s prerogative. It is an indulgence made all the sweeter when it comes to harvesting the plant in late summer.
Whether it is a dome-shaped bell cloche or a lantern cloche with small individual panes of glass, antique examples can be expensive, made from beautiful old glass with its wonderful lustre and characterful flaws: tiny bubbles or not quite perfect symmetry. Excellent reproductions are available however, so everyone’s vegetable plot can evoke the glorious era of Victorian kitchen gardening. Try Waitrose or Access Garden Products for new cloches; scour eBay and antiques fairs for originals.
2. A summerhouse
Despite Noël Coward’s famous line about ‘mad dogs and Englishmen’, a summerhouse in which to sit and contemplate has long been a bastion of the English garden. The trick is undoubtedly positioning it in the most advantageous place. Those wishing for a fix of hot sun would surely site a summerhouse in a south-facing spot – a perfect position for the addition of a scrambling Clematis or some climbing roses. While a west-facing spot can treat the gardener to a well-earned rest gazing at a fine sunset after asummer’s day in the garden. If you can’t decide, build your summerhouse onto a rotating base, an ingenious mechanism that allows the summerhouse to revolve so its occupants can follow the sun or enjoy different views. Try Scotts of Thrapston or Stan Fairbrother.
3. Clipped box balls
So many of the country’s gardeners rely on the old faithful evergreen Buxus sempervirens (common box) to provide shape, structure and form to the gardens they tend. Of all the shapes that box is cunningly clipped into, the box ball has sailed through changing fashions and styles to remain a much loved component of the English garden. Sitting comfortably in both a classic cottage garden or a contemporary urban design, it provides the English gardener with so much: a stately entrance to the house, a solid structure to offer hope in the midst of winter, and a subject to be therapeutically and satisfyingly clipped into shape with topiary shears, when light pottering is sought on an early summer’s day. Try Hedges Direct or Practicality Brown.
4. Rhubarb forcer
Nothing adds a touch of charm to the vegetable patch like a terracotta rhubarb forcer. A staple of the Victorian kitchen garden, they proved invaluable for head gardeners, striving to provide fresh produce for the ‘big house’ before spring arrived. Providing the kitchen with a valuable early, sweet crop of this curious dessert vegetable, a rhubarb forcer is as practical as it is decorative. And when left to mingle among the abundance of leafy crops in summer, it adds character and style at an idyllic time of year for the English vegetable garden. Try Whichford Pottery or Harrod Horticultural.
5. An old-fashioned rose
An English garden is definitely poorer if bereft of a blossom-strewn rose groaning under the weight of sweetly-scented flowers. An authentically vintage and long-lasting display of these summer favourites can be achieved by growing some of the repeat-flowering old roses. These include the delightful soft pink ruffled blooms of 19th century rose ‘Jacques Cartier’ and the neat yet fulsome, strongly fragranced flowers of the delightful rich red ‘Rose de Rescht’, which dates back to 1840.
To grow either of these roses is like making room for an exquisite timepiece, the plants the equivalent of a treasured antique, yet each will burst with life and freshness every summer. Try David Austin Roses or Peter Beales Roses (classicroses.co.uk).
6. A classic greenhouse
Wherever possible, room should be found for a tasteful greenhouse. Its warm protection will stretch the seasons, allowing a wide range of edible crops and ornamentals to be grown, and it can present the perfect tableau for creating wonderful displays under glass. Chosen carefully, it can become the garden’s stylish focal point as much as an essential working space. Pick a style that complements the garden, whether that’s minimalist with fuss-free expanses of glass, or more ornate with details such as decorative finials. Try Alitex or Hartley Botanic.
A water feature or fountain
The melodic tinkle of water instantly gives a garden a languid feel, cooling down a hot midsummer’s day and supplying a decorative focal point. Install a fountain or raised pond at an axis in the garden’s layout for visual impact and a strong draw. Or use calm, still water to create a mood of reflection, in part of the garden that acts as an antidote to busy borders and flowery indulgence. Try Haddonstone for stone fountains or David Harber for classic and more contemporary water features in materials such as mirrored stainless steel.
8. A manicured lawn
Nothing sets off borders full of flowers better than a velvet carpet of lush green lawn. Nor is there a better setting for an elegant picnic, sumptuous afternoon tea, or lively cocktails conjuring a mood of Brideshead Revisited or a Merchant Ivory film. A close cut creates an even surface, preferably with stripes – a cylinder mower with a rear roller is the essential piece of kit to achieve this. Try Hayter or Atco for the ultimate fine finish.
9. Lutyens bench
Every garden needs spots where the gardener can sit and admire the view and an elegant bench is the English garden seat of choice. Instantly recognisable for their curvy back and scroll-shaped arms, a Lutyens bench has a timeless style that has lasted since English architect Sir Edwin Lutyens came up with the original design in the 19th century. They are beautiful enough to act as a focal point in their own right. Try Andrew Crace or find Barlow Tyrie’s Lutyens benches in garden centres.
10. A sundial or armillary sphere
They may not be used to tell the time any more, but a sundial is still a timeless accessory, immediately giving a garden a sense of the past. Use them as a focal point at the end of a vista, or let one emerge from planting. Surround it with a circular area of paving that emphasises the dial’s circular face or armillary sphere’s globe. Stud the paving with aromatic thyme or let Alchemilla mollis self-seed in the cracks to create a pretty centrepiece. Try Border Sundials for handmade sundials that can be personalised with your own engraving and statuesque armillary spheres or David Harber.
11. Lead planters
Little has the quality and permanence of a lead planter, an investment that will last forever. A pair of square lead planters, either side of a door orpath, complete with an equally resplendent plant– standard bay, olive or Portuguese laurel trees perhaps – is stage-set dressing that is hard to beat. Try Redfields for a wide-choice of lead planters made in Hampshire, or Garden Requisites for similar-looking zinc-galvanised steel.
12. An arch or pergola
Pergolas or archways dripping with flowers are such an essential feature, some English gardens have become famous for their examples – the Laburnum arches at Bodnant Gardens and Barnsley House for example. Bodnant’s golden-flowered tunnel is 55m long, but even in the smallest garden a single arch can create the same magic without the need for acres of space. Just add climbers: roses are the classic choice, Clematis have blowsy appeal. Try Vitis ‘Brant’ for autumn colour or ring the changes with a different annual climber each year. Buy for sturdiness – once it and a climbing plant is in place, toppling is the last thing you want. Try Leander for rose arches in rusted iron or Agriframes for a wide range of shapes.
13. Terracotta pots
Terracotta pots can’t be bettered – even though their colour is distinctive, it seems to go with every plant combination a container gardener can dream up. And, as long as they are good quality, they won’t be damaged by frost, making long-lasting decorative additions for terrace or patio. Try Italian Terrace for containers with classic style or Whichford Pottery for embellished extravagance.
14. A croquet set
Does anything sound as English as the thwock of wooden mallet on ball on a summer’s day? Although croquet was introduced to the UK from France in the 19th century, its hoops and colourful balls are such a familiar sight in an English country garden they’re as much a part of its fabric as a cricket green in a traditional English village. A level area of mown lawn is all you need; traditionally a croquet court measures 17.5m by 14m although its size isn’t set in stone, and the measurements are easily adapted to fit smaller spaces. Try Jaques of London or the Croquet Association’s shop. The Association’s website is also the place to go if you need to mug up on the game’s rules.
15. Classic paving
England’s beautiful, mature gardens often contain wonderful examples of York-stone paving (sandstone quarried in the UK). It was the material of choice for noteworthy garden designers such as Sir Edwin Lutyens, and can be found in iconic gardens he produced the blueprints for, such as Great Dixter or Hestercombe. In shades of soft buff and grey, it complements planting and existing architecture and has been used for centuries across the country. Reclaimed York-stone is highly sought after, thanks to its time-worn, weathered appearance; newly quarried York-stone is equally beautiful though, with a sparkle on its sawn surfaces that brings areas of paving to life. Try London Stone or CED Stone.
16. Statuary and sculpture
The icing on the cake when the rest of the garden has taken shape, a statue or sculpture turns a space from mere garden to art gallery. A carefully sited sculpture or piece of statuary can truly enhance outdoor space, adding character that subtly alters in different lights, weather conditions or seasons. Bronze oozes quality (try Avant-Garden); stainless steel, aluminium and glass are often used for sculptures with a more contemporary look. Stone is a timeless choice, whether it is real or cast. Try Chilstone or Coade for cast stone sculpture with fine details and excellent durability.
17. An obelisk
Obelisks can transform a border – a sea of flowering perennials of similar heights cries out for dramatic punctuation, which is where an obelisk comes into its own. Position one mid-border or towards the end of a stretch of planting to draw the eye, and it will supply a visual bullet point to ensurethere is no monotony. They work as well left bare as they do hosting climbing plants. Try Wooden Garden Obelisk or Agriframes for metal and wire options.
18. A beautiful gate
If a garden is divided into separate areas, the doorways and entrances that link one to another should be as carefully considered as the rooms themselves. Matching paintwork on wooden gates throughout a garden lends cohesion; bespoke metal gates can become a talking point. Try Grange Fencing for well-built wooden and metal gates or Cotswold Decorative Ironworkers for bespoke and made to order gates worthy of a stately home.
19. The perfect parasol
Shelter the terrace or set up a parasol on the lawn to recline at leisure, shaded from the sun. Avoid replicating a pub beer garden by choosing pretty shades and parasols in soft, muted colours. For serious shade, upgrade to a tent – use the cool space below to relax and enjoy the garden, set up a dining table or use it for parties. Try the Raj Tent Club for a range of parasols and tents or Indian Ocean for larger designs, with cantilever and central poles.
20. A relaxing recliner
Evoking the opulence of a bygone age of ocean liners, a steamer chair is a great choice for stretching out and relaxing, when all the gardening is done. Search for an antique one or buy a new model from John Lewis. Oak always sits well in an English garden. For a new take on a steamer chair, look for a curvaceous lounger. Try Gaze Burvill.