Gardens formal and informal

Press, 23 October 1980, Page 12

Gardens formal and informal

Gardens— and, in fact, -other landscapes — can be .grouped as formal or informal, an aspect of design which many people do not fully understand . when attempting to lay out their gardens. Which one you choose may well depend on the ' topography of the site, its ■ surroundings, on the style

of house and your own tastes.

Some people — and for that matter houses — are more comfortable with a formal garden; others have a strong preference for the opposite. Neither is better than the other; and, indeed, it is possible to finish up with a combination of both in a garden.

What, then, is the difference between the two?

The strictly formal garden is based upon definite geometrical forms — rectangular, circular, triangular, etc. The formal garden is strongly balanced, having a symmetrical layout. That is to say, a garden or a space within a garden is equally balanced each side of an imaginary

centre line or vertical axis. We have a “mirror image” of the other half of the garden. Everything on one side of that imaginary centre line is repeated exactly on the other side. The formal garden is most definitely a man-made garden, and they are most appropriate to some older homes. In garden history, the formal

LANDSCAPING YOUR HOME Gilbert Brakey

garden reached its peak in France at Versailles dur-' ing the seventeenth century, A formal garden layout can be used to create the feeling of stability, stateliness and dignity that goes with old houses. Symmetry tends • to emphasise the centre, creating a logical focal point for some object you may want to use, such as a sculpture or a water feature. Basically the formal garden is simple and very easy to handle. With care it can be subtle and imaginative. The informal garden, on the other hand, is natural and without the neatness and precise lines that are required in a formal garden. The informal garden is asymmetrical in design; and with modern gardens the trend is toward the informal. Informal gardens fit with the more easy style of living, where the garden is being used for recreation, dining and relaxation. The Australians turned to their native setting and have embraced the native bush for a natural style of garden. In New Zealand there appears to be a slower movement toward this end, although there is a tremendous garden potential here for native bush plants and bush settings whether natural or created. The informal garden is interestingly different from the formal garden as it, arouses curiosity, suggests movement and has a strong dynamic quality. It is less obvious than formal balance and subject to no particular formula; consequently it allows full freedom and flexibility in design as well as producing beauty and individual i ty. Informality can be used to create a spacious effect in a small garden not possible with a formal design. However, although an informal garden does not appear balanced it still should be. Certainly it is not a haphazard arrangement of plants and structures. An informal design is a little like two children on a see-saw. If a heavier child sits closer into the pivoting point, or fulcrum, then a lighter child they can achieve a balanced position. A similar principle can be used to balance objects visually in an asymmetrical or informal layout. An informal style is more suited to present life-style and, in many ways, also much easier to maintain. It must, however, be suited to the house and its surroundings. Otherwise the more formal approach should be used.