What is an Informal garden?

Informal Gardens are probably the most common garden style. An informal garden is less restrictive than, say a formal garden in its design symmetry. Informal gardening can free you from restrictions such as having any detailed horticultural or design knowledge.

Thus allowing you to 'have a go' at gardening when you first start out, which is exactly what you should be doing, and I wholeheartedly support gardeners getting started with any form of gardening. Let's delve into informal garden design styles.

Informal Garden Design Guide

1. Why informal gardens are great for beginners
2. How to create an informal garden
3. Examples of Informal Gardens
4. Who do informal gardens appeal to?
5. Water features in informal gardens
6. Benefits & Drawbacks of Informal Gardens
7. Are informal gardens hard to maintain?
8. The pitfalls of informal gardens

1. Why Informal Garden Designs are Great for Beginners

Informal gardens are fantastic for beginners as they allow the most variety and freedom when it comes to desgning a successful garden. Informal styles allow you to see what shapes and forms you like, develop planting schemes, seeing what works and what doesn't without too many rules. An informal garden should be relaxed and free-form. 

Some claim informal garden design provides more freedom for boundaries and allows planting to provide the structure rather than hard landscaping. They can also be thought of as 'more natural' looking.

However, an informal garden design is not to be mistaken for disjointed gardens, borders that are pieced together slapdash or features that appear completely at random in gardens. These are issues we aim to avoid as garden designers. Often iterating that informal does not mean lazy!

The informal garden design takes just as much time and consideration as a formal garden in its planning. It's about planning, cohesion, balance, scale, proportion and the right plants and features in the correct place. It's effortless-looking but carefully executed.

When looking at the UK's neighbouring gardens, you may recognise informal garden designs quite easily. Informal simply means that the garden follows much looser lines, and curves and usually takes its design from the lay of the land.

You may follow the curves of your land boundary, driveway, house walls, a stream, set of trees or where the sun casts its warming rays. You may see mixed borders with drifts of beautiful plants, maybe grasses that are left to set seed and dry out over the winter. A far cry from the order and razor precision of a formal garden.

Informal gardens break free from the rules of formal gardens and allow a diverse style to explode. The sky is the limit!

2. How to create an informal garden

When it comes to creating an informal garden some conditions will help you achieve that light and carefree garden style.

• Mixing numerous colours and palettes
• Use more natural materials rather than, hard geometric landscaping
• Follow fluid curves and softer lines
• Allow a larger mix of planting and variety
• Loose, relaxed feel
• Asymmetry
• A mix of cohesive materials

3. Examples of Famous Informal Gardens

There are plenty of examples of informal gardens that you can visit to truly get a feel for how they look. Informal doesn't mean haphazard or messy. Have a look at the 10 famous informal gardens below whether in person or on Google to get a good idea of this design style.

1. Hidcote Manor Garden (England) - Designed by Lawrence Johnston, this garden features a series of outdoor "rooms" with a variety of planting styles, from cottage garden to exotic.
2. Great Dixter Gardens (England) - Created by Christopher Lloyd, these gardens are known for their exuberant and informal planting schemes, with bold colours and unconventional combinations.
3. Bodnant Garden (Wales) - Situated in Conwy Valley, this garden is famous for its informal woodland garden, rhododendrons, and laburnum arch.
4. Tresco Abbey Garden (Isles of Scilly, UK) - Located on the island of Tresco, this garden features a diverse collection of plants from around the world, set in a naturalistic and informal setting.
5. Kiftsgate Court Gardens (England) - Known for its wild and informal style, with cascading roses, herbaceous borders, and stunning views over the Cotswolds.
6. Sissinghurst Castle Gardens (England) - Created by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson, these gardens are famous for their informal planting style and romantic atmosphere.
7. Heligan Gardens (England) - Rediscovered in the 1990s, these gardens feature a mix of formal and informal elements, including a jungle, walled gardens, and pleasure grounds.
8. Gravetye Manor Gardens (England) - Once the home of renowned gardener William Robinson, these gardens are known for their naturalistic and informal planting schemes.
9. The Lost Gardens of Heligan (England) - Located in Cornwall, these gardens feature a mix of formal and informal areas, including walled gardens, pleasure grounds, and a jungle.
10. Beth Chatto Gardens (England) - Designed by plantswoman Beth Chatto, these gardens are renowned for their naturalistic and informal planting style, emphasizing the use of drought-tolerant and wildlife-friendly plants.

4. Who do informal gardens appeal to?

Informal gardens would appeal to people less concerned with control and more in tune with letting nature find its own way. Informal garden styles such as the cottage garden or, say meadow planting will allow plants to mingle and grow together. Informal gardens are relaxed, naturalistic and more mellow than their structured formal garden counterparts!

Whilst shapes may be used, they are not necessarily symmetrical or balanced on any axis, i.e. formal gardens sometimes could be folded in half and matched up.

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Key parts of an Informal Garden:

informal gardens are more relaxed and less intentional at first glance. This, however, does not make them easier to plan or maintain! Here are some general assumptions that may suggest a more informal style is for you.

1. Sweeping planting in drifts that blend together
2. In keeping with nature as it follows the natural lines and topography of a garden
3. Natural materials blending with the planting and surroundings
4. Letting the garden evolve over time.
5. For people who like a 'laid back style', if it is not done today, there is always tomorrow!

5. Water features in informal gardens

Water features are common in informal gardens, especially natural or wildlife ponds. Using soft curves and natural materials, a natural water feature can become the garden's focal point. Attracting wildlife and visitors alike.

However, a badly finished or awkwardly edged informal pond can look disastrous and make your natural garden look awkward and man-made. Below is a video of getting the perfect natural finish when fitting a pond or water feature in your informal garden.

6. Benefits & Drawbacks of Informal Gardens

Informal gardens offer a more relaxed and naturalistic approach to landscaping, but they also come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages:

Benefits of Informal Styles

1. Low Maintenance: Informal gardens often require less maintenance compared to formal gardens with structured designs and precise layouts. The naturalistic planting style can thrive with minimal intervention.
2. Biodiversity: Informal gardens tend to attract a diverse range of wildlife, including birds, bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects. The variety of plants and habitats provides food and shelter for different species.
3. Flexibility: Informal gardens allow for greater creativity and flexibility in design. Gardeners can experiment with various plant combinations, textures, and colours, creating a more personalized and unique landscape.
4. Natural Beauty: Informal gardens have a charming and rustic appeal, evoking a sense of tranquillity and serenity. They often mimic the beauty of natural landscapes, such as meadows, woodlands, or cottage gardens.
5. Adaptability: Informal gardens are well-suited to a wide range of climates, soil types, and environmental conditions. They can be adapted to suit both sunny and shady areas, as well as wet or dry soils.

Drawbacks of Informal Gardens

1. Lack of Structure: Informal gardens may lack the formal structure and symmetry found in traditional garden designs. Some gardeners prefer the neatness and orderliness of formal layouts.
2. Weed Management: The relaxed planting style of informal gardens can sometimes lead to weed problems. Without defined borders or boundaries, invasive plants may encroach on desired areas.
3. Space Requirements: Informal gardens often require more space to achieve their full effect. The naturalistic planting schemes and meandering pathways may not be suitable for small or compact gardens.
4. Seasonal Changes: Informal gardens may look less manicured and polished during certain seasons, especially in winter when herbaceous plants die back and deciduous trees lose their leaves.
5. Limited Formality: For some gardeners, the informality of informal gardens may not suit their preferences or lifestyle. They may prefer the structured layout and formal elegance of traditional garden styles.

Informal gardens offer a beautiful and harmonious alternative to formal designs, emphasizing the beauty of nature and providing a habitat for wildlife. However, they require thoughtful planning and management to maintain their natural charm while minimizing potential drawbacks.

7. Are informal gardens hard to maintain?

Just like any garden, the maintenance depends on the plants and design. If you are looking for a cottage garden full of summer blooms, then yes, there will be a high level of maintenance to deadhead and propagate seed flowers ready for the summer.

However, an informal garden with areas of slow-growing evergreens and shrubs can be relatively maintenance-free. I usually plan informal gardens to be a mix of year-round colour with minimal pruning.

The risk with an informal garden that is improperly planned is that the 'pick and mix' planting usually seen when people add little by little to their garden is that the plants all flower at different times, and you end up in a constant cycle of maintenance.  It is important to ensure in an informal garden that the ultimate height and growing speed are carefully considered.  

What may start out as a delightful small perennial may suddenly take over a small border! A garden design that's carefully considered avoids this pick-and-mix garden giving it a year-round structure which is suited to your level of involvement!

Planning your garden in advance not only saves time but money at the nursery or garden centre when choosing your plants. It stops you from making impulse purchases that don't fit your planting scheme or stand out for all the wrong reasons.

8. The Pitfall of Informal Gardens

This is also sometimes the undoing of a garden; without structure, intention and planning, an informal garden can become a catch-all term for 'free for all' or 'messy garden'.

I knew a neighbour once who used to wax lyrical about their 'informal country cottage style' garden. Upon friendly inspection, there was a mix of dried annuals from last year, perennial weeds, pick-and-mix shrubs and an oddly shaped border. Now, this may be the look you are going for. The chances are it's not.

The above garden is a good example of a slightly confused informal garden. You have a mix of perennial shrubs, hedging, and then some brilliant but bonkers clipped box animals in the centre. Don't get me wrong it's fun, but it's not necessarily cohesive.

Summary

If you want an informal natural look, there are plenty of ways you can achieve a real wow factor without the chaos of the previous example. Looking to nature to see how plants propagate or blend in the wild is usually a great place for a meadow or prairie border. As a final thought, the video below shows how a formal structure such as a circular lawn can be paired up with a relaxed informal planting scheme on the Overlooked back garden.

Fancy having your own informal garden?  Get in touch with Garden Ninja over my garden design services.

Why not Tweet, Facebook or Instagram me with your pictures? You can also follow me on Youtube where I’ve got plenty of garden guide vlogs.

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