The difference between French garden and English garden

The arrival of spring is an excellent excuse for anyone who wants to invest in a beautiful garden. Two of the most famous – and charming – styles of gardening are the French garden and the English garden. Despite being equally elegant, the two types are very different in terms of technique and also in the plants grown. Architect and landscaper Erica Ochoa explains the particularities of each model and gives tips for those who want to have one at home.

french garden
According to Erica, the French garden emerged with the Renaissance style of the 17th century, a time when gardens began to assume the role of complementing monumental architecture, always using accessories such as fountains, lakes, fountains, statues and pergolas in their structure. “A fundamental characteristic of the French garden is topiary, which is the sculptural pruning of vegetation. Straight lines, symmetry, perspective and organization are also some fundamental points of this style”, explains the landscape designer.

Although the French style is characteristic of monumentality, Erica believes that the model can be adapted for small spaces. “We can use some of his ideas, like symmetry and topography, and characterize a small area as a French garden”, she guarantees.

plant suggestions
Thuias, roses and topiaries with boxwood, viburnum or myrtle.*

english garden
Erica says that the English garden emerged after the French and overthrew the parameters of the Renaissance style. His gardens are more romantic and do not want to interfere with nature, preserving the meandering and free development of species. “Their forms are free and the species develop naturally, without pruning, forming colorful massifs with varied flowers or isolated groups of trees or shrubs, without symmetry or order”, says Erica.

plant suggestions
Any species (non-tropical) that can develop naturally, without pruning, such as trees in general, geraniums, jasmine, lavender, daisies and agapanthus.*

*Due to the great diversity of climate in Brazil, the landscaper suggests paying attention to the adaptation of each species when choosing the plants and flowers that will make up your garden.

Erica Ochoa – Landscape Architecture

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