In this article we will discuss how to design a strictly formal garden on a large, rectangular area. Designing formal garden needs a little bit of hard work on your behalf. You have to keep all the main points and area in mind while designing a layout. It is said that formality and symmetry go hand in hand, therefore it is vital for you to set up a central axis around which borders and features would be arranged. It is often observed that the main viewing position in the house rarely central to the lawn. Usually a good deal of work is done on the left side of the axis and the right hand boundary is at an odd angle.

The patio should be set up in a symmetrical layout as far as it reaches to a curved step down onto a garden. There are so many things and factors which hinder your way to build a perfectly symmetrical patio. You can make use of two narrow raised beds along the edge of the patio to get a formal layout of the patio, but remember they may not be firmly symmetrical. The width of the beds along with other things around them should be around 400 mm (16 inches).

The steps like all other layouts are flush with the lawn along its entire length and this would extend to a path running out to a fountain and circular pool. To achieve the formality, the either side of the path is set with lavender hedge. The path can be extended to the farthest end up to the seat or you can end it at the pond, all depends on your design and choices. Two beds approaches the house long the paving area from the end of the garden. They are idea for herbaceous flowers or bush roses. To achieve the formality, you need to plan your planting such a way that they will present and image of each other.

For winter season, you can maintain the formal spirit of your garden by introducing some evergreen shrubs in your garden. It is a great idea to include an evergreen shrub in the center of the bed; a tall, narrow conifer will certainly look more effective. The best place to plant the shrubs is on the back of the seat. Herbaceous flowers and roses on either side of the seat will emphasize the colorful scheme and provide scent for those sitting nearby.

What you need to do is to emphasize the clever selection of the plants for your garden to give it a formal touch. The left hand side of the house contains a significant pergola underneath which is a passage to garden. The paving under the pergola leads you to the utility area and further extended towards a small kitchen garden. Soft fruits and vegetables should be grown in this small kitchen garden, and the two sections of the garden are separated by a formal hedge. Though, both the sections of the garden have an easy access.

The left and the right hand corners of the garden can be used for storing compost and garden rubbish.