What kind of garden do you have?

Interesting isn't it? I am the same In that When I see a garden that is very different from mine, I can often find it very appealing. But I don't think my style will change. My Mum, Oliveoil and I both have very different styles in gardening, but we both like each other's style. The only kind of garden I don't like is regimental! I love a good formal garden...Hampton court is stunning, but not at all 'regimental'.

New & novel is always alluring.

Yes, I like you, plan everything but, there is something to be said for your friend's style of planting.....she will always be satisfied with it, no doubt.Not, like us ,constantly looking at things from different angles and changing things. But, I'm still at the planning stages of my new garden for now, so, that is all to come.

Its good to be different! and brilliant that we can appreciate each others gardens, not good for the world if we all thought the same.
Nice to see different styles, I too appreciate some formality but not in my garden. lol
I love banks of flowers and different colours mingling, long borders with stunning colours. I have tried to have something in flower in the garden at most times of the year, that is what I set out to achieve and think there is only about December and January that does not have flowers. Mine is a Cottage Garden minus the vegetables so not truly a cottage garden. Although I do try to grow veggies in my old greenhouse space, but this year the battle with slugs and poor seed has beaten me. Still trying though. Whatever style everyone has hope you are able to get out there and enjoy!!!! :O)

Hi Linda, I don't really 'plan' my garden, it sort of evolves, if I see a plant and like it, I usually buy it, {provided it's hardy,} and then think about where I'm going to put it, then after a few years I get fed up with it, so sling it out, and get something else that takes my eye, and as my wife is now blind, I'm trying to get more plants with a strong scent, so that at least she can smell them, even though she can't see them any more, Derek.

I'm trying to split the garden into three different gardens, wild dell at the bottom, cottage in the middle and Mediterranean and veg plot up by the house. It is on going at the moment as we only moved in two years ago. I love all gardens we have joined the RHS so I'm looking forward to seeing lots more gardens in the future. It goes with out saying how wonderful it is to have a look at all the GOY gardens and different colour schemes.

We toured around our village open gardens a couple of weeks ago ... many different styles of planting were seen. I'm not a big fan of statuary and was surprised at how many gardens did have statues within! It certainly wouldn't do for us all to like the same things :o)

Most of my garden is trial and error and after many years I seem to have a cottage garden now, which I love.

I am a bit like you Oliveoil. I like large banks of colour and I plant a lot of cottage garden plants. Veg I grow in large planters and the greenhouse. My garden has a woodland planting area and lots of ferns that I adore. I like the unusual and I love the giants. I like hight and variety of form. Colour is important too. The tradition of herbaceous borders and rolling lawns I like too. If I want to grow plants that can't survive the Scottish winters I just dig them up and put them in the greenhouse. I fill every in of my garden so that weeds don't get a chance. Barbara does a lot of digging and weeding......I don't.

We all have a rough idea of how we would like our gardens to look eventually,but the enjoyment is trial and error..many of those in mine! but I wouldn't want it ever to be 'finished' How boring that would be,never to move a plant,to a better position,and move it again,if you aren't happy with the result..or something you really love,to be able to propagate and have several for free,or beg pieces from friends :o)..13 years later,I think I am getting it as I envisaged,but no doubt it will still change at some point..for better or worse ,who knows? and at the end of the day,it doesn't really matter,as long as YOU like it :o)

Barbara and I swop plants all the time ....I love it. I grow seeds all the time but that can cause problems. I have about twenty giant Scottish thistles. I also have rather a lot of Amy's blue Salvias. I have lived in this house for thirty-eight years and every year has a new excitement for me. There is always something new to grow and old friends to meet again. :0)

I only know if it's right when I see it so it takes years to get it right - haven't managed it yet! I have a really awful clash at the moment but can't do anything about it until autumn and by then will have forgotten...

Well it,s each to it,s own and what a boring world it would be if we all liked the same things I often love and admire a garden but when I come home and see mine I forget the other gardens I have seen and think oh mine is ok lots of different shades of green with some splash of colour ...

My garden is called Michaella...my personality is definitely shown in every part of it. Happy, impulsive and carefree :)))

I like a garden that is full as possible by high summer. I love your well filled tasteful garden Linda. I only have 40 width by fifty feet long and some of the length is patio, pathway and another small round patio. I too cannot stand a garden where 'even the weeds have to stand to attention' or are summarily dismissed on a daily basis, I don't have the energy at a few months off age 80. I like pathways, flights of steps, mature shrubs and trees in other peoples gardens too. Everyone is different.

The thing about gardeners is even if we only had a bucket to fill each one would be different and beautiful. :0)

It's nice to have a gardening friend.
I'm a buyer and shover ! :D

Barbara is a buyer and shover too Hywel. She has a wonderful garden. I have so little room left to plant that I am more considerate. I look for the unusual plants. I also use pots that I can winter in the greenhouse.

I think I would like the more Cottage garden aspect of a garden but I take a lot of interest in people's gardens, though living in a flat with only a balcony to garden on there's little I can take away to apply on it.

One of the things I've learnt gardening on a balcony almost all my life is to make use of pots for two or more plantings, which basically means underplanting my plants with bulbs, tubers & corms thus maximising the little space available.

I also garden on every available space, be it the walls, the railings or even the ceilings! Yes, even the ceilings! They hold up the hooks for my hanging baskets & the strings or wires from the railings up to the ceiling for annual plants like Sweetpeas or Morning Glory. If you wonder about the floor yes, that is also used, for bigger pots & troughs that can't go on the railings. There is even a big, round table that is mostly full of plants.

I would like to add that in fact I could say I also have a 'Goy inspired garden' as over the last few years I have planted many plants/cuttings/seed from Goyers as well as sent them also. Just today I received a lovely box of plants from Siris which I am just about to add to my garden.

What I love is putting together colours that complement each other . . . this year I'm loving purple with yellow and ice blue. But I also like all shades of pink (especially dark pink) against a background of very dark purple leaves (Cotinus; Anthriscus 'ravenswing'). Also, masses of white, plenty of benches, and informality!

I think the sharing of plants and seeds thro' GOY is just wonderful. Brian has given me great plants as have Karen and Kath. I am now growing seeds from the seeds Amy sent me.
Your colours sound beautiful Sheila, purple, yellow and ice blue. Colour combinations are like paintings to me and the colour balance is supported by the shape of leaves.
Your balcony sounds so good B. Who can complain about lack of space?

Thanks Linda - what a fascinating blog :)