A cobbled pathway lined with forget-me-nots, a vine covered arch, a beautiful little arbor under the shade of a great big tree and of course the lingering fragrance of honeysuckle combined with jasmines, all remnants of a picture perfect English garden. Alas, we can’t all have gardens like that anymore, what with all the space restrictions. However, here’s a list of must-have English Garden flowers.
Forget-me-nots (Pot Marigold)
Whether you have an English country garden or an English cottage garden, irrespective of the size, it is bound to be incomplete without the traditional forget-me-nots. Legend has it that in the medieval times a knight and his lady were walking along a river, he bent down to pluck a bunch of flowers for her and accidentally slipped and fell into the river. As the strong currents were starting to carry him away he threw the bunch of flowers at his lady and shouted ‘forget-me-not.’ The flower has around it an air of tragic love and faithfulness and was often worn by lovers to express their faithfulness. This rather flat five petalled flower is grown in a variety of colors and is a very popular English garden plant. It would be a perfect choice to line your pathway, alternating colors as you went along. Spring is the perfect season for flowering forget-me-nots.
Day lilies
Contrary to the name they are not lilies at all, in the traditional sense. Day lilies are so named because the bloom only for a day, starting at sunrise and wither away by sunset. Though what makes them a good choice for an English garden flower is the fact that it blooms everyday and continues to do so throughout the summer. It is often called the flower of forgetfulness and is a hardy perennial suitable for cultivation in a hardy zone, USDA zone one through eleven. This makes them a very suitable flower for landscaping. They will be found in reds, oranges and yellows. Some are scented and some aren’t. Doubtlessly a fine addition to your English garden landscape.
Carnations
They have a rich tradition and have been growing in English gardens for over 1500 years now. Isn’t that reason enough to have these darling little things in your garden?? They can be grown in every possible color from the whites to the reds and even purples. Also they have endless symbolisms weaved around them right from purity and innocence to a mother’s love and even good luck. Carnations are traditionally worn at all examinations at the Oxford University, the white for the first examination, the red for the last and the pink for all those in between. The carnations require warmer climes to grow well but can be planted in a cooler climate as well as long as the soil is well drained. They grow to be as tall as 60 cm. Carnations are sure to add a breath of ‘fresh air’ to your garden.
You may also want to line the borders of your garden with the heart shaped little ‘Bleeding hearts’ and those beautiful English roses which are a perfect blend of modern and old-fashioned roses. And don’t forget the traditional English daisies and marigolds around your English garden furniture.
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