How to create a private romantic garden

Gardeners are a diverse, passion-driven crowd encompassing all age groups. Some brazen in their approach, utilizing bold colours or rare plants to stake their claim in the world.

Then there are the romantics among us, those who celebrate life and love with sentimentality, passion and zeal.

Romantics are often accused of seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses. They may, arguably, have the best view of all.

Let’s look at how to design a garden that satisfies the spirit of the romantic.

1. Create a private entrance

The romantic garden is not open to everyone. Unlike the garden of the extrovert, which is visible to passer-by’s, the entrance to the romantic garden is solid and private.

The gate comes with a lock. Softening this hardscape with delicate vines or softly textured plants gives a subtle hint of what is to come while establishing boundaries.

2. Choose your plant palette

Plant choices can make or break a mood, and this is especially true in the garden of the romantic. In this garden, marigolds and petunias give way to solitary roses, spires of salvia and foxglove, and patches of lavender and rosemary.

The rose, more than any other flower, embodies the spirit of romance. Its fleshy, softly textured petals stand in stark contrast to its thorny stems. Fragrance is released as its petals unfold.

Early risers can savour the drops of morning dew on its petals.

3. Layer your plants

Layering will give this garden depth and interest, not unlike weaving a tapestry. Consider varying heights, textures and visual weights when it comes to choosing plants.

Plants with an open form, such as this tall verbena act as a sheer lacy curtain, adding depth and drama to a planting scheme.

4. Use pastels

Soft pastel colours are just the thing to round out the planting scheme in this type of garden. They become subtle supporting actors in the overall theme of the garden in a way that bold reds and oranges could never do.

Accenting them with some pops of chartreuse injects just the right amount of understated drama.

5. Don’t forget intoxicating fragrance

A patch of fragrant rosemary or lavender, a trio of gardenias or a trellis covered in heirloom roses all prime the senses to experience the fullness the garden offers those who venture there.

6. Consider the use of candles

What better way to foster a romantic mood than by the use of candles? Their soft, mellow flickering light illustrates the ebb and flow of romance that satisfies the spirit of this gardener.

Real candles (carefully attended, of course) add the most romantic vibe, but LED and battery-operated ones could work as well. Additionally, subtle background lighting by means of soft accent lights will complete the mood.

7. Allow for impromptu vignettes

Romantics are generally spontaneous people who enjoy thoughtful surprises. An impromptu lunch served on a portable table with good-quality table linens, flatware and candles may be just the thing to set the tone for an afternoon.

Make sure to pick a single scent to mark its territory in the garden. Too many competing scents can be undesirable.

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This article via Houzz does not constitute advice; readers should seek independent and personalised counsel from a trusted adviser that specialises in property, a tax accountant and property design specialist.