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Formal vs informal
Formal gardens are full of straight lines and informal ones are full of curves.
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Formal planting
Formal planting is a bit like a military parade - there is a definite structure to it. Think of a vegetable plot - it's all serried ranks; or bedding schemes where each plant covers a specific area and is part of a large plan, or large geometrically shaped blocks of ground cover.
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 Informal planting
Informal planting is softer and more relaxed. The planting is organised and co-ordinated, but the effect is more an attempt to imitate how it's done in nature, perhaps using flowing drifts of plants, bulbs poking up through the lawns, wildflower meadows and bog gardens.
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| Traditional herbaceous border
The large and spectacular type of thing you see in large country house gardens. Often backed by a yew hedge or high stone wall and packed with summer-flowering perennials.
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To make an impact, herbaceous borders must be at least 1.2m (3.9ft) wide. They are high maintenance - weeding, staking, deadheading, dividing, and so on - and, come winter, all that’s left is bare soil.
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A more modern approach is to use herbaceous plants in an island bed so that you can view them from all sides. Tallest plants are in the middle and island shapes are normally informal to suit the informal drifts of the plants. Beds should be wide enough apart to allow the grass to act as a backdrop.
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