The English garden design, often referred to as the English landscape garden, is celebrated for its emphasis on natural beauty, romantic wildness, and a deliberate departure from the formal, geometric styles that preceded it. Originating in the 18th century as a reaction against the structured French formal gardens, the English garden style revolutionized landscape architecture by embracing nature’s inherent irregularity and creating spaces that feel organic, pastoral, and serene. This design philosophy profoundly influenced garden design not just in England, but across Europe and beyond.
Curving Pathways and Sweeping Lawns: Unlike the strict, straight paths of formal gardens, English gardens use meandering, serpentine paths that wind through expansive, undulating lawns. These sweeping curves create a natural flow that encourages exploration and discovery, guiding visitors through different vistas and experiences.
Naturalistic Planting and Woodlands: Planting in the English garden is designed to mimic nature, with an emphasis on native species, informal groupings of trees, and dense shrubberies. Wooded groves and copses are often integrated into the landscape, offering shaded areas and creating depth and variety within the garden. Key plants include native oaks, beeches, elms, and wildflower meadows.
Lakes, Streams, and Water Features: Water plays an integral role in English garden design, but in a way that appears natural rather than ornamental. Lakes and ponds are irregularly shaped, with soft edges that blend seamlessly into the surrounding greenery. Streams and rivers meander through the garden, often crossed by small, rustic bridges, further enhancing the romantic, pastoral atmosphere.
Follies and Classical Structures: A hallmark of the English garden is the inclusion of decorative architectural features, or “follies.” These can take the form of classical temples, Gothic ruins, pagodas, or rustic cottages, placed strategically to serve as focal points or to surprise and delight visitors. These structures reflect the 18th-century fascination with classical antiquity and the picturesque.
Views and Vistas: English gardens are carefully designed to create “natural” yet highly curated views. These vistas often open up unexpectedly through groves of trees or over hills, revealing distant lakes, meadows, or architectural elements. The use of borrowed scenery (shakkei)—where the surrounding landscape beyond the garden is integrated into the visual experience—is also common.
Ha-Ha Walls: The English garden often features a ha-ha, a sunken wall or ditch that allows for uninterrupted views of the landscape while keeping livestock out of the formal garden area. This invisible boundary between the garden and the surrounding countryside enhances the sense of seamless connection with nature.
The English landscape garden emerged in the early 18th century as a response to the rigid formality of the French Baroque style, which had dominated European garden design. Instead of imposing strict geometrical order on nature, the English garden sought to celebrate and idealize natural landscapes, drawing inspiration from pastoral paintings, literature, and the philosophy of the Sublime and the Picturesque.
The philosophy behind English garden design is deeply influenced by the writings of poets and thinkers such as Alexander Pope, who championed the idea that gardens should imitate nature. The works of landscape painters like Claude Lorrain and Nicolas Poussin, who depicted idyllic rural scenes, also had a significant impact on the aesthetics of English gardens. By creating landscapes that echoed the beauty of these pastoral scenes, garden designers could evoke feelings of harmony, nostalgia, and romanticism.
Often referred to as "England's greatest gardener," Lancelot "Capability" Brown is one of the most influential figures in the history of English garden design. He is credited with transforming the English landscape by developing the quintessential style of the English landscape garden, which emphasized naturalistic planting, sweeping lawns, and smooth transitions between the garden and the wider landscape.
Blenheim Palace (Oxfordshire): One of Brown’s most famous projects, Blenheim Palace features vast rolling lawns, serpentine lakes, and clumps of trees arranged to create a naturalistic yet grand setting.
Stowe (Buckinghamshire): Brown worked at Stowe in the early stages of his career, where he helped transform the garden’s rigid Baroque layout into a more naturalistic landscape, featuring curving lakes and scenic vistas.
Chatsworth (Derbyshire): Brown reshaped the grounds of Chatsworth, creating sweeping parklands, gently sloping lawns, and the famous Serpentine River that winds through the estate.
William Kent was another pioneering figure in the development of the English garden style. A painter, architect, and landscape designer, Kent played a key role in introducing the concept of the picturesque into garden design, blending art, architecture, and nature into a seamless whole.
Rousham House (Oxfordshire): Rousham is one of Kent’s most well-preserved gardens and is a quintessential example of the early English landscape style. The garden features classical temples, meandering paths, and artfully composed views that evoke a sense of timelessness.
Chiswick House (London): Kent collaborated on the design of Chiswick House’s garden, introducing Palladian architectural elements and creating informal landscapes that incorporated classical themes and natural beauty.
Humphry Repton is often regarded as the successor to Capability Brown, though he introduced a more nuanced approach to English garden design. Repton's work was characterized by a balance between naturalism and formality, often incorporating structured garden elements like terraces and flower gardens within the larger, more natural landscape.
Woburn Abbey (Bedfordshire): Repton’s work at Woburn Abbey illustrates his ability to blend formal gardens with naturalistic parkland, creating a series of interconnected spaces that reflect both order and romantic beauty.
Sheringham Park (Norfolk): This project showcases Repton’s skill in enhancing the natural contours of the landscape, creating a scenic garden that integrates seamlessly with the surrounding countryside, offering panoramic views of the Norfolk coast.
Although coming from a later period, Gertrude Jekyll was a pivotal figure in the Arts and Crafts movement and became one of the most important garden designers of her time. She is best known for her approach to color and planting schemes, which emphasized natural beauty and harmonious arrangements of perennials and herbaceous plants.
Munstead Wood (Surrey): Jekyll’s own home and garden, Munstead Wood, is an exemplary showcase of her signature style, with richly planted borders, a carefully curated palette of colors, and a strong connection between the house and garden.
Hestercombe Gardens (Somerset): Collaborating with architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, Jekyll designed the garden at Hestercombe, blending her lush, informal planting with Lutyens’ formal structural elements to create a harmonious and balanced space.
English garden design has had a lasting impact on landscape architecture across the world, influencing garden styles in Europe, North America, and beyond. The emphasis on natural beauty, freedom from rigid structure, and the romantic ideal of the pastoral landscape continues to shape modern garden design.
The philosophy of creating spaces that evoke harmony between humans and nature has ensured that English gardens remain some of the most beloved and iconic landscapes. The works of designers like Capability Brown, William Kent, and Humphry Repton laid the foundations for this enduring style, which still captivates and inspires garden enthusiasts today.
The tradition of English garden design, with its romantic wildness and natural beauty, continues to inspire modern garden designers who blend historical principles with contemporary innovation. A number of renowned living designers have carried forward the legacy of the classic English garden, while adding their own signature styles. These designers maintain the core elements of the English landscape garden—naturalistic planting, sweeping lawns, and harmony with nature—while often incorporating sustainable practices and more modern artistic expressions.
One of the most respected and influential contemporary garden designers, Tom Stuart-Smith has built a reputation for blending traditional English garden elements with modern sensibilities. His designs emphasize naturalistic planting, a strong sense of place, and ecological balance, making his gardens appear as though they have evolved naturally within their landscapes. Stuart-Smith is known for his masterful use of structure, texture, and color, with his projects often featuring expansive meadows, wildflower plantings, and striking contrasts between formal and informal elements.
The Garden at Broughton Grange (Oxfordshire, UK): This ambitious project is a modern take on the English landscape garden, with sweeping terraces, meadows, and a striking walled garden. Stuart-Smith designed it to blend with the surrounding countryside, incorporating native plant species to create a seamless connection between the garden and the natural landscape.
Chatsworth Garden (Derbyshire, UK): At the famous Chatsworth House, Stuart-Smith designed a contemporary garden that draws from the estate’s historic grandeur, incorporating wild meadows and naturalistic plantings while maintaining harmony with the formal architecture.
King’s Cross Gasholder Park (London, UK): In this urban renewal project, Stuart-Smith transformed a former industrial site into a green oasis. The design features layered plantings that echo the English tradition of soft, natural landscapes in an urban setting.
Stuart-Smith’s work is defined by a sensitive approach to plantings, where the gardens seem to blend into their surroundings. His gardens are often wild, yet ordered, with swaths of herbaceous perennials, grasses, and meadows that shift with the seasons. He carefully balances structure and spontaneity, creating spaces that feel timeless and deeply connected to nature.
Sarah Price is a rising star in the world of garden design, known for her painterly approach to planting and her deep knowledge of natural landscapes. Her work is often described as “wild yet elegant,” drawing heavily from the English garden tradition of naturalistic planting, but with a modern, minimalist twist. Price’s designs typically feature drought-tolerant species, prairie-style plantings, and an emphasis on sustainability, making her one of the leading voices in environmentally conscious garden design.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gardens (UK): Price has won multiple gold medals at the prestigious RHS Chelsea Flower Show, including for her 2012 Daily Telegraph garden, which showcased a minimalist, naturalistic design. She used a palette of soft grasses, perennials, and wildflowers, creating a dreamy, textured landscape that was both contemporary and rooted in the English tradition.
Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses (London, UK): This urban project emphasizes the use of native plants, wildflowers, and sustainability. Price designed the space to be educational, demonstrating how urban environments can be transformed with naturalistic plantings that encourage biodiversity.
Durham University’s Biodiversity Garden (UK): Price designed this innovative garden to support local wildlife and promote biodiversity, while creating a beautiful, restful space for students and staff. The design incorporates naturalistic planting that reflects the surrounding countryside.
Sarah Price’s gardens often feel like living paintings, with a focus on texture, color, and atmosphere. She embraces native plants and ecological principles, ensuring her gardens are both beautiful and resilient. Price has an intuitive ability to create spaces that feel alive, with plants that blend effortlessly into their surroundings while providing habitats for wildlife.
Dan Pearson is a landscape designer who specializes in creating naturalistic, immersive landscapes that connect deeply with their environment. His designs are renowned for their subtlety and sensitivity, often blending wild landscapes with elements of formal English garden tradition. Pearson’s work is heavily influenced by a respect for ecology and the natural world, and his gardens are known for their ability to harmonize with the seasons, creating spaces that evolve organically over time.
Home Farm (Hampshire, UK): Pearson transformed the grounds of Home Farm into a naturalistic paradise, blending the existing woodland with a variety of meadows and native plantings. The design emphasizes biodiversity and sustainability, with informal paths winding through the landscape, giving the sense of a wild, rural retreat.
Tokachi Millennium Forest (Hokkaido, Japan): Although outside the UK, this remarkable project blends the aesthetics of the English landscape garden with the principles of Japanese gardening. Pearson worked with local experts to create a forested park that enhances the natural environment, using native species and designing for the long-term sustainability of the landscape.
Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre (London, UK): Pearson designed the garden at this cancer care center to be a restorative, healing space. The plantings are naturalistic, with a mixture of grasses, perennials, and trees providing a calming and serene atmosphere for visitors.
Dan Pearson’s gardens have a deep connection to the environment, often appearing as if they have always been part of the landscape. His designs embrace the wild, natural beauty of the English countryside, with an emphasis on ecological planting that supports biodiversity. Pearson’s work often feels immersive and tranquil, inviting contemplation and connection with the natural world.
Though Piet Oudolf is Dutch, his influence on English garden design is undeniable, and his work fits within the tradition of naturalistic, meadow-style planting that has become increasingly popular in modern English gardens. Oudolf is a leading figure in the New Perennial Movement, which prioritizes long-lasting, resilient plantings with a focus on grasses, perennials, and seasonal change. His gardens often incorporate vast sweeps of plants that are selected for their structure and beauty in every season, including when they are in decay.
Hauser & Wirth Somerset (UK): This is one of Oudolf’s most significant projects in the UK. It features expansive meadows and naturalistic plantings, echoing the surrounding English countryside. The garden emphasizes texture and movement, with a blend of grasses and hardy perennials that change with the seasons.
Scampston Hall (Yorkshire, UK): Oudolf designed the walled garden at Scampston Hall, where he introduced large, geometric planting areas filled with perennials and grasses. His design combines the formality of a traditional walled garden with the wild beauty of naturalistic planting, creating a unique and contemporary twist on the English garden.
RHS Wisley Garden (Surrey, UK): Oudolf contributed to the design of the Glasshouse Borders at Wisley, one of England’s premier horticultural institutions. His planting schemes demonstrate how contemporary naturalistic design can complement the traditional English landscape garden.
Oudolf’s work is defined by an emphasis on perennial plants that create a sense of movement and change throughout the year. His gardens are designed to look beautiful not only in peak bloom, but also in the fall and winter, when the structure and texture of plants create striking compositions. His approach has had a profound impact on modern English garden design, particularly in the use of grasses and perennials to achieve a wilder, more natural aesthetic.
These living garden designers—Tom Stuart-Smith, Sarah Price, Dan Pearson, and Piet Oudolf—are at the forefront of modern English garden design. Each of them brings a unique interpretation to the traditional English landscape garden, blending romantic naturalism with modern ecological awareness. Their work celebrates the beauty of nature, while embracing sustainability and biodiversity, ensuring that English garden design continues to evolve while remaining deeply rooted in its historical tradition of romantic wildness and natural beauty.