The Enduring Allure of Formal Gardens

In a world that often favours spontaneity and wild beauty, there’s something quietly powerful about a garden that leans into structure and symmetry. Formal gardens — with their crisp lines, geometric layouts and sense of timeless elegance — offer a kind of outdoor architecture that never falls out of favour. Whether you’re working with a country estate or an urban plot, this classical approach can lend a sense of order, refinement and serenity to any landscape.

What Defines a Formal Garden?

At its heart, a formal garden is all about balance. Traditionally, this means axial symmetry, repeated patterns and clear geometry — think clipped hedges, gravel paths, parterre beds, topiary, and neatly framed vistas. But formality doesn’t necessarily mean rigidity. A well-designed formal garden manages to feel both controlled and welcoming, offering spaces that are simultaneously precise and soulful.

Typically, the design is anchored by a central axis — often aligned with a key view or architectural feature — with paths and planting radiating out in mirrored harmony. Evergreen structure provides year-round definition, while seasonal planting adds punctuation and softness.

Why Choose Formality?

1. Harmony with Architecture

Formal gardens are especially effective when paired with classical or contemporary buildings where structure and proportion are already celebrated. The repetition of forms and the framing of views can extend the architectural language of the house into the landscape, creating a seamless relationship between inside and out.

2. Strong Year-Round Framework

Because formal gardens rely so heavily on evergreen shapes — yew, box, holly, hornbeam — they tend to look striking even in the depths of winter. Seasonal change comes in with restraint: bulbs threading through box parterre, alliums lifting above clipped hedges, roses spilling over walls in summer.

3. A Sense of Ceremony

There’s something about a formal garden that invites contemplation and occasion. Whether it’s a central rill drawing the eye, a sunken lawn for summer gatherings, or a series of garden rooms revealed in sequence, the structure of a formal layout provides clarity — and a little drama.

Modern Takes on Tradition

While many formal gardens draw on historic precedents — think Versailles, Sissinghurst’s white garden, or Hidcote’s garden rooms — modern interpretations often play with form in looser, more relaxed ways.

We’re seeing:

• Asymmetric echoes: layouts that nod to symmetry without being slavish.
• Contemporary materials: Corten steel edging, sawn limestone paths, or minimalist water features.
• Naturalistic planting within structure: swathes of grasses and perennials allowed to move within a clipped framework, softening and enlivening the grid.

This balance between precision and abundance allows a formal garden to feel deeply modern while still rooted in tradition.

Designing Your Own

If you’re considering a formal garden for your property, here are a few guiding principles:

• Start with structure: define the bones first — paths, walls, hedges, edges. Everything else builds from there.
• Choose your materials carefully: the palette should reflect your architecture and setting. Simplicity wins.
• Layer in planting: evergreen first, then bulbs, perennials and seasonal interest. Use repetition to reinforce rhythm.
• Frame the views: always be thinking about sightlines, focal points and arrival moments.
• Keep it legible: formal gardens thrive on clarity. Avoid clutter, but don’t fear character.

A Final Word

Formal gardens may seem like a nod to the past, but in truth, they’re remarkably timeless. When well-executed, they offer a deeply satisfying blend of structure and beauty — a visual calmness that feels increasingly valuable in our ever-changing world. Whether you’re restoring a Georgian manor or crafting a new-build courtyard, formality might just be the most contemporary choice of all.

CGLA are an award winning team of Garden Designers, Landscape Architects, Landscapers and Garden Maintenance Operatives working in Buckinghamshire, London and the South East, as well as on prestigious design projects across the UK and abroad. We are currently working in Oman, Jersey and France, and welcome enquires for design, landscaping or garden maintenance. Contact us here