Enclosed Garden Plans
Enclosed gardens can be enchanting oases, separated from the rest of the world. They may be made as formal gardens, with geometric designs that reflect the right lines of the borders, or as casual cottage-style gardens, a riot of personal favorite plants included only by their borders. Either style can generate a wonderful garden.
The Paradise Garden
1 classic design for a square plot is the heaven garden, which originated from the Middle East, traveled to medieval monasteries, and is widely used for both city and country gardens today. Produce two paths that cross in the midst of a square plot and then split it into four quarters. Put some formal element — an urn, a fountain, a potted tree, a sundial — in the middle where the paths cross. Plant the four quarters with the same plants with four different schemes, as you please. You can fill them with lights, herbs, flowers, wildflowers, grass or tiny trees, depending on lighting conditions. You can hedge them or not. It is possible to add benches along the paths. The possibilities of expanding on this easy, elegant design are endless.
The Checkerboard
A more modern design is to produce a checkerboard, alternating squares for plantings with squares of strong paving or gravel. You can fill each planting square with a different plant, whether herbs, flowers, ground covers, or smaller trees or shrubs. The powerful structure of the checkerboard unifies the design no matter how different the plants really are. This garden is really a snap to look after: it is simple to plant and easy to grass; the paved squares are comfortable to stand on while working. Any plant you do not need to remain can be swapped out following year without bothering any of the others. The paved squares are also a great deal of fun for children — and adults — to leap about on.
The Sundial Garden
Plant a round garden, split it into segments just like a pie and then fill each section with a different plant. Some people choose a motif for the entire garden, with each section representing a different month of the year or planet in the solar system based on personal preference or the standard lore of crops. Or, choose plants to stimulate all these senses: vibrant plants for the eyes, rustling plants for the ears, fragrant ones for the nose, fuzzy ones for touching and creamy ones for eating. Pay attention to which regions of the garden receive sunlight and colour, and allow the lighting conditions to suggest what to plant in each section.
The Cottage Garden
A cottage garden is an “anything goes” design where plants are tucked in everywhere they match, without regard to symmetry. The haphazard design is part of the garden charm. Plantings are generally personal favorites, with flowers, shrubs and edible crops mingled randomly. Plants are permitted to sow themselves in which they please throughout the lawn, rather than being confined to particular beds. Start by choosing what you most want to develop, whether it’s favorite flowers, berries or herbs to make tea. Find these plants in which they will receive the lighting conditions that they prefer, whether sunlight or shade. Then allow the garden to evolve over time as you develop new preferences and find out what works best. The borders that form the enclosed garden provide this patchwork of plants its structure. Meandering paths will aid in both tending to and enjoying the garden.