In Episode 2, we discover that in the English landscape garden geometric structures, alleys, and parterres near the house were eliminated and replaced with rolling lawns and extensive views out to isolated groups of trees, making the landscape seem even larger as designers sought to create an ideal landscape out of the English countryside. Artificial lakes, dams and canals transformed streams or springs into the illusion that a river flowed through the garden.

The formality of neat structured lines returned to Victorian gardens but were supplanted again in the 20th with gardeners such as Gertrude Jekyll, Vita Sackville-West and Christopher Lloyd providing the inspiration for many English gardens today.

Now in the 21st Century the self-sustaining philosophy of the new perennial garden has taken centre stage in many of the country’s showpiece gardens.

Credits

To enjoy the gardens featured in A Short History of the English Garden – please explore the gardens and links below:

Chastleton House
Castle Howard
Chiswick House
Dalston Eastern Curve Garden
Fishborne Palace Gardens
Forde Abbey
Fountains Abbey
Great Dixter
Hampton Court Palace
Ham House
Hestercombe Gardens
Historic Royal Palaces
Hauser & Wirth
Kenilworth Castle
Kensington Gardens
Montacute House
Petworth Park
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Royal Botanic Gardens – Kew Gardens
Sissinghurst
Sky Garden
Stourhead
Stowe
The Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation Charity
The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
The Singapore Botanic Gardens
Witley Court