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Garden Types & Styles

Basic Types & Garden Styles (Adelaide)

2 Basic Types & 5 Popular Garden Styles Adelaide Residents Choose.

For many people, understandably, trying to put into words what type or style of garden you’re after is difficult. This page will hopefully make that task easier by explaining what the basic types of garden design are with the more commonly chosen styles Adelaide home owners choose when looking at renovating their outdoor living areas.

When looking at garden types, there are 2 basic layouts or designs.

Formal Garden Design

Structured garden designs that are geometrically ordered are considered formal. Typically, Mediterranean and Resort Style gardens are more formal in their design layout.

The layout could be square or rectangular, with paths and garden beds forming right angles. The layout could also be circular, or triangular.

The elements and plants mirror the formal style by having or are shaped with the same geometry. In formal rectangular shaped gardens, hedges are pruned to mimic the planter boxes with sharp edges.

Round fountains, water features and plants shaped into a ball are often placed within gardens having a circular layout.

Modern designs, especially with small garden spaces tend to be more structured where size can be controlled better. Small pebbles and pavers will make the space look bigger.

Informal Garden Design

Gardens that don’t have any strict geometric shape are considered informal.
That doesn’t mean they lack structured planning, they just don’t resemble a recognisable shape.

They’re more free flowing with rambling paths instead of being straight, or perfectly circular.

Australian, bush and resort or tropical styles are typically examples of an informal garden design, particularly on larger acreage sized blocks, tending to follow the contours of the natural landscape.

Now that we’ve covered the 2 basic types of garden design, let’s look at the 5 most popular garden styles Adelaide residents select.

Australian Garden Style

Australian garden style is often thought of as native gardens using trees, shrubs and plants that are indigenous or native to Australia, or as the case for us, Adelaide, South Australia. Many people think having gardens planted out with native plants means they don’t have to be cared for, after all they don’t get cared for in nature, right? Wrong. All plants need to be looked after, especially when they’re young. All plants need water and will grow better if they are placed with good soil conditions and pruned to encourage new growth and flowers. Having said that, native plants to Adelaide regions are more drought tolerant and have the ability to handle Adelaide’s hot, dry Summers. Depending on which part of Adelaide you reside, along the coast or up within the hills, there are specific plants to suit the look of Australian style gardens. Living Pictures By Tony Stanton are very experienced with Australian garden styles with Native Garden Designs featuring local plants. They attract a variety of birds and other wildlife, different varieties flower at different times of the year and there’s many different shapes of foliage and coloured flowers to choose from. Design styles may be informal or formal, but most often use curved lines to mimic the natural landscape of the land. Consider incorporating feature rocks, gravel, pebbles and local stone, billabong-style ponds also look part of the overall style instead of placing pre-fabricated concrete water features or fountains. Fire pits within an area the family or friends can come together are also included frequently with the Aussie style makeover. If you’re thinking an Australian or native garden design is what you’d like for your garden makeover, Tony can design a transformation knowing what native plants will work best taking into account what sized space you have available.

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Natural Garden Style

Following on from using natives, natural style gardens include coastal and bush gardens. Similar to Australian style gardens they often contain native plants combined with some exotic species, selected for their aesthetic input into garden bed displays as well as their ability to grow in Adelaide conditions. Typically informal in design and harmonising with the surrounding landscape, a natural garden style uses curved lines to replicate nature and are inspired by local bush or coastal colours. Often plantings include grasses mixed with exotics such as succulents, wildflowers, proteas and picking flowers great to put in a vase. Consider using natural stone paving and walls, exposed hardwood timbers, decking, shade sails and market umbrellas in neutral colours. Adding elements to match the location can be both attractive to look at and fun for the kids to play on too. During the concept design session from Living Pictures By Tony Stanton, discuss your ideas for a more natural garden style, or take advantage of Tony’s expertise as one of the most experienced landscape designers in Adelaide to create a natural style garden taking your unique situation and space into account.

Resort Or Tropical Garden Style

Resort style gardens are very popular across Adelaide, inspired by tropical garden styles characteristic of Bali or Thailand. When looking at a back garden makeover, many people that have been to tropical islands like to include elements they’ve seen and enjoyed. Even if you haven’t ventured overseas, re-creating that postcard picture is the dream garden for many.

Emphasising relaxation, resort or tropical garden styles Adelaide residents select often has flowing lines, lounges, bamboo, rattan or timber furniture, market umbrellas, barbecue and entertainment areas. For Adelaide’s hot Summers, shade, water features, pools and spas all cool things down. Consider using design elements such as paving, decking, boardwalks and ropes, pebbling and stone slabs. Typical plantings are close together and include foliage plants, palm trees and bromeliads.

Designing tropical or resort style gardens is a specialty of Living Pictures By Tony Stanton, who’ve helped many clients, even with small gardens or courtyards achieve the goal of having their own tropical paradise.

Mediterranean Garden Style

Mediterranean style gardens depict many of the popular Mediterranean regions from Spain, southern France, Italy and Greece, and are inspired by the lifestyle and culture. Popular with many that have lived in those countries, having a piece of their history or ancestry is important. Similar in climate, this style of garden has been designed for many clients across Adelaide. Provincial style gardens are informal, rustic, and have an aged-farmhouse look using natural stone paving and lime-washed walls. Shaded outdoor areas with pergolas and climbing plants are ideal for alfresco dining. Olive trees and home-grown fruit and vegetables along with picking flowers are characteristic of a Mediterranean Garden Style.

A formal Italian style may include wall-mounted water features, courtyards and piazzas using cobblestone paving, pebbling, mosaics and tiling. Needless to say, custom pizza ovens are a very popular feature.

If re-creating a piece of the Mediterranean is what you’re after for your new back garden makeover, Living Pictures By Tony Stanton will happily customise the design to suit your garden’s area and family requirements.

Are You Ready For A New Garden Style?

Have something in mind, Ask Tony for plans.

After completion of both your hardscape construction plans and softscape design plans, you’ll also have a good idea of what the costs will be to transform your current garden into the dream outdoor oasis you’re after.

Whether you’d like a formal or informal design, whether you have a small or large front garden to renovate, a courtyard garden to update or large backyard you’d like to transform, you can trust Tony Stanton to come up with innovative garden design solutions to match your lifestyle.

English Garden Style

English style gardens are often confused with cottage gardens, but that’s only one example of quite a few themes within what can be considered an English garden style. Many of the colonial and Georgian architecture style homes across Adelaide, particularly throughout the inner Southern and Eastern suburbs have formal gardens with design principles based on square, rectangular and circular shapes in paths and lawns. The use of axes and symmetry is strong with neat gardens featuring clipped hedges, topiary, coppiced and espaliered trees. There’s a greater emphasis on foliage than flowering plants. Paved areas incorporating urns and fountains are common with a formal English Garden Style. Moving back to the English Cottage Garden Style, they’re examples of informal gardens using curved lines and create elements of curiosity. There is more emphasis on colour and fragrance with flowers, herbs, fruit trees, vegetable gardens and lawns. Arbours and pergolas are popular and attractive features, with white being the predominant colour. While the above list comprises the 5 most popular garden styles Adelaide residents select, there are others not mentioned, but what you may prefer when deciding on your new landscape design.