Formal Gardens

The formal garden has its origins deep in history; it can be traced back to the confines of the ancient Roman villa, the monasteries of the first century and later medieval gardens. The formal garden came into its own during the 15th century, the commencement of the European Renaissance, which followed into Britain during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Renaissance mathematicians and scholars studied the rules of mathematics and linear perspectives derived from classical sources. The Renaissance garden involved the manipulation of space, thus creating divine order and a space were nature and art could coexist. It comprised of a distinctive geometric composition based around a central axis, leading from the centre of the house. This axis was then intersected by a number of cross axis. This provided symmetry which resulted in a number of rooms and ascending and descending terraces. The Renaissance gardens were designed for pleasure and amusement as well as function. A perfect example can be seen at Villa D’Este, Tivoli Italy, design for Cardinal d’Este by Pirro Ligorio from 1559.

Key components of the formal garden include water, terraces, box hedging, topiary, arbours, statues, formal patterns, rows of Laurel, Cedar or Juniper, attention to the straightness of the rows and exactness of spacing. The Villa Gamberaia, Settignano Italy (1700s), much loved by many architects, demonstrates an early twentieth century water garden beautifully executed following the classical Renaissance rules of design.

The designer Eileen is happy to take design commissions for clients requiring the formality of a Renaissance style garden. Equally if a ‘softer’ formality is required aspects of the formal garden can be incorporated into your garden design achieving an individual and contemporary garden regardless of its size.