A Country Garden in the City

Bringing Old-Fashioned Garden Style to the Concrete Jungle

Jul 20, 2009

A country garden of one's own will ease the stress of living in the concrete jungle. There are lots of ways to bring that relaxed style into a small city space.

Country gardens are all about color, scent and masses of flowers. Every plant seems to grow at once. Pink roses ramble through white picket fences. Hollyhocks rise above the larkspur and Shasta daisies. Bright purple clematis shines on rustic arbors. And the city gardener can bring that charm into her own garden simply by adding a few fixtures and a variety of the fauna and flora often found in the country.

Flowers

Country gardens often have a hodge-podge collection of flowers, but those flowers are planted en mass for the best show. They are the main features in those gardens. Some flowers most often found in country gardens include hollyhocks, larkspur, cosmos, delphiniums and violets. All are easy care-free plants.

For the best show, long wide borders are created, known as perennial or herbaceous borders. The layouts often look unplanned in country gardens, yet they always have the appearance of perfection. Taller plants like hollyhocks and delphiniums should be kept at the back of the border. Hollyhocks do tend to get messy near their base, so the gardener may want to camouflage them with bushier plants like peonies or Shasta daisies.

Shrubs and Trees

In spring there may be numerous shrubs and trees in flower, like the flowering crab, lilac, honeysuckle, dogwood and cherry. A garden bordered and canopied with flowering shrubs and trees exemplifies the country garden.

Bare Spots

Every garden has bare spots or areas the gardener doesn't know what to do with. A small section of lawn could be turned into a wildflower garden. Wildflower seeds can be ordered in bulk from many online seedsmen. Wildflower gardens need to be kept in check and it's best to stay away from plants that spread too easily.

Fencing and Hedging

Country gardens often have no fencing at all, but when they do, it might be white-painted pickets or cedar rails. Hedges are also common ways to enclose country gardens. For easy hedging, cedar, privet and shrub roses work well. The rugosa roses need very little care, other than cutting away the dead wood each spring. Cedar and privet will need annual trimming for neat boxy shaping.

Garden Structures and a Hard Surface

The loveliest country gardens have structures like rustic arbors that are covered with roses or flowering vines. Gazebos make a nice addition, as do garden sheds with a lean-to greenhouse attached to one end. Hard surfaces could be a stone terrace with low-growing herbs poking up through the cracks. For a less formal surface, consider flagstone paths rather than cement squares.

Happy Accidents

Gardeners on country plots let the plants do as they please. If a stray seed from the lavender border plants itself firmly among the roses, they let it remain there. These are the happy accidents of gardening. Gardeners should allow it and treasure these unexpected acts of nature.

Garden Ornaments

The ornaments add the finishing touch. In the country, one might see an old wooden wheelbarrow planted to the brim with pansies. An apple pickers ladder rests against the trunk of a tree. Cement birdbaths sit in the middle of a lawn and the trees are full of bird houses.

The copyright of the article A Country Garden in the City in Flower Gardens is owned by Lorraine Syratt. Permission to republish A Country Garden in the City in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.