Many people have dreams of having an English country garden of their own. Traditional English gardens are known around the world for their beauty and tranquility. It is no wonder so many people are drawn to create one of their own. Making a true English country garden of your own is far from a simple task, however. In fact, it is quite challenging in many ways. However, the work that it requires is well worth it for the end result: a garden that appeals to all facets of human senses.

A traditional English country garden is, when you get down to it, a work of art. And, like any work of art, your garden should express a part of the artist who crafted it. How you choose the plants in your garden, how you arrange them, how you care for them, all these elements should be meant to show the world a part of who you are. This means that your garden should be unique, an extension of your personality and your creativity. Making these choices is, in many cases, a part of the process that is nearly as difficult as laying out and keeping up the garden itself.

Fortunately, there are a number of things that will help you with these decisions. First of all, there are a many books in which you can find ideas and advice on your English country garden. These books will be able to give you lists of which trees, shrubs, and flowers are traditionally included in your garden, as well as when to plant them and when they will bloom, as well as pointers on how to arrange them. This may seem like a hindrance to your creative influence in the entire process, but in the end it will enable you to make some of the important choices while not having to worry about every mundane detail of the process.

There are a few general guidelines that can help when you are planning your English country garden. The first thing you need to realize is that in order to make yourself a proper garden you are going to need a significant amount of space. Traditional English gardens are a good bit more than a few flowers in a bed. You will be using trees, shrubs, and flowers of all different varieties, so you will definitely want to be sure you have enough space before you find yourself in over your head.

Another important thing to remember is that your English country garden has to feel like a single unit. You will have different plants throughout the garden, but they should all have a sense of unity to them. This is accomplished, in many ways, similarly to the methods used in home decor. You should establish themes in your color by choosing plants that compliment each other. This also applies to the shape and structure of the plants, as sticking a handful of tiny plants among a bunch of larger ones will cause the small plants to be lost.

Copyright Jared Winston, 2006. All Rights Reserved.