Plants for a Formal Garden
Formal gardens have lots of geometric shapes and hard lines, with the framework of the garden often being clipped into neat topiary. To soften the overall effect, you also need to include a layer of plants that help add colour and seasonal variation.
By type
Facing
How much sun
Special conditions
Soil type
Flowering month
Flower colour
Evergreen / deciduous
Fragrance
Attractive to wildlife
Quick growing
Eventual size
Special features
- Architectural silhouettes (12)
- Autumn foliage colour (8)
- Berries or fruit (18)
- Coloured leaves (4)
- Deciduous (2)
- Easy to grow (6)
- Evergreen / semi evergreen (67)
- Fast growing (2)
- Flowering (122)
- Long flowering (24)
- Low maintenance (35)
- Makes a good hedge or screen (29)
- Non poisonous (70)
- Plants that are native (10)
- Plants that don't need pruning (1)
- Plants that help filter noise (16)
- Plants that show resistance to deer and rabbits (73)
- Plants that will cope with the odd football (27)
- Plants to deter vandals and burglars (17)
- Resistant to diseases (26)
- Stylish in the border (3)
- Suitable for containers (24)
- Suitable for hanging baskets (2)
- Tough plants that are harder to kill (17)
- Winter colour (48)
Sowing month inside or protected
Plant Seasons
Hardy
Leaf colour
Ground cover
Position
Shape
Soil moisture
Used at Chelsea
- 2002 - HRH The Prince of Wales - Laurent-Perrier (3)
- 2003 - Tom Stuart-Smith - Laurent-Perrier (4)
- 2004 - Sir Terrance Conran - Laurent-Perrier (2)
- 2005 - Tom Stuart-Smith - Laurent-Perrier (5)
- 2006 - Tom Stuart-Smith - Laurent-Perrier (5)
- 2007 - Jinny Blom - Laurent-Perrier (7)
- 2008 - Arabella Lennox-Boyd - Daily Telegraph (6)
- 2008 - Tom Stuart-Smith - Laurent-Perrier (11)
- 2009 - Luciano Guibbilei - Laurent-Perrier (10)
- 2009 - Ulf Nordfjell - Daily Telegraph (15)
- 2010 - Andy Sturgeon - Daily Telegraph (5)
- 2010 - Tom Stuart-Smith - Laurent-Perrier (9)
- 2011 - Cleve West - Daily Telegraph (9)
- 2011 - Luciano Guibbilei - Laurent-Perrier (6)
- 2012 - Arne Maynard - Laurent-Perrier (7)
- 2012 - Sarah Price - Daily Telegraph (3)
- 2013 - Christopher Bradley-Hole - Daily Telegraph (8)
- 2013 - Ulf Nordfjell - Laurent-Perrier (4)
- 2014 - Luciano Guibbilei - Laurent-Perrier (3)
- 2014 - Tommaso del Buono - Daily Telegraph (3)
- 2015 - Marcus Barnett - Daily Telegraph (2)
- 2016 - Jekka McVicar - St John's Hospice (2)
- 2018 Tom Stuart-Smith - Garfield Weston Foundation (13)
Seed planting guidelines
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
£14.99
£11.99
rosemary
£12.99
Liriope muscari
£11.99
£8.99
Ligustrum ovalifolium
£12.99
£9.99
Prunus laurocerasus 'Rotundifolia'
£12.99
£9.99
Prunus lusitanica
£14.99
Taxus baccata
£12.99
Iris 'White Swirl'
£11.99
£9.99
Laurus nobilis
£59.99
Laurus nobilis
£89.99
Iris chrysographes black-flowered
£11.99
£9.99
Iris 'Mer du Sud'
£12.99
Iris 'Black Swan'
£12.99
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
£7.99
£5.99
Taxus baccata
£5.99
Iris 'Kent Pride'
£12.99
Iris 'Arpege'
£12.99
£9.99
Iris 'Black Watch'
£12.99
£9.99
Fagus sylvatica
£134.97
£89.98
Ligustrum ovalifolium
£119.97
£79.98
Laurus nobilis
£249.99
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