How to Create the Perfect Formal Garden 🌿✨ | Love Your Garden | FULL EPISODE

Added: 2026-05-14

[00:00:01]Graceful lines and classic understated features, nothing says style and sophistication quite like a well-planted formal garden.

[00:00:12]So join me and add a touch of class to your outdoor space.

[00:00:28]Whether you dream of a flower-filled country plot, a cool urban retreat, or a romantic escape among the roses, here on Love Your Garden, we show you how to make that dream reality.

[00:00:45]Whether you're a novice or an expert, we'll show you how to make the most of whatever space you've got.

[00:00:53]This week, we show you how to create the perfect formal garden. Get that fab.

[00:00:58]Leticia Mcloff reveals how elegant formality can transform the smallest space.

[00:01:03]>> Cuz I'm telling you, size doesn't matter.

[00:01:07]>> Matt James immerses himself in the gentle sound of water.

[00:01:11]>> There is nothing more mesmerizing than having water in your garden.

[00:01:16]and I'll reveal how these amazing formal features can transform the look of your garden.

[00:01:30]>> Welcome to Swansea, home of Dylan Thomas, Katherine Zeta Jones, and row upon row of ordinary terrace houses.

[00:01:38]This isn't the first place you'd look for an elegant and sophisticated formal garden, but behind these rows of houses, you'll find something rather unexpected.

[00:01:51]>> This is no millionaire's show home. It's an ordinary Welsh terrace house. But the garden, well, that's something else.

[00:02:03]This long, thin garden has been divided into a series of elegantly designed rooms, all with stunning formal features.

[00:02:13]In one room, we find symmetrical lines of striking identical plants framing a crisp pathway.

[00:02:22]In another, dramatically clipped hedges rub shoulders with iron and stone sculpture.

[00:02:30]Further along, delicate white and purple flowers stand out against gray walls and dark wood. It's elegant, refined, and seriously sophisticated.

[00:02:43]Now, this garden might look daunting, but creating a formal garden can be as simple as you like.

[00:02:54]The first rule in creating a formal garden is that less is more. In this garden, only a few varieties of plant are used in each area.

[00:03:06]People think that formal gardening is really complicated. It's quite the reverse. It's very simple. Here, just three types of plant are used. A wall of U and in front of them, two rows of blue leaf hostas. They're planted in tubs, six aside. And then in front of them at either side, a golden box bush. Easy.

[00:03:33]Applying this simple principle along pathways and either side of entrances gives the garden an ordered, elegant look.

[00:03:45]But here you'll also find dramatic standalone features. Humble hedges have been transformed into pieces of living art using a rather nifty technique.

[00:03:57]It's called cloud pruning. You can do it with lots of different evergreens. This happens to be box. Lots of the inside foliage has been taken off to reveal these stems at top which are these lollipops of growth underplanted here with skimia another evergreen and shown off brilliantly against this gray painted wall. It might be rather daunting this but you can do it on a much smaller scale.

[00:04:27]You need a shrub like this. This is a kind of evergreen privet which produces shoots right at the top of these long stems here. And then it's a matter of trimming around them and cutting away the surrounding foliage so that you reveal these long stems and take the surrounding growth backwards until eventually it looks like this.

[00:04:52]Now, how do you clip it?

[00:04:55]No, that's a little too drastic. These are fine for the body of the shrub if you like. Just clipping towards that older growth. You can clip box in May or June. If you only want to clip once a year and you've got you do it at the end of summer, September, October, then it stays looking crisp right the way through the year. But these little growths up here, get yourself a pair of sheep shears, topiary shears they call them. Now take each of these little potential orbs and very gently trim them. And you can do this several times in a season until you produce this.

[00:05:36]Three or four years later, this is what you will have produced. A wedding cake with a candalabra on the top. And it is wonderfully tactile. Ain't that fab?

[00:05:55]These precise lines and geometrical shapes are a clue to the occupation of this garden's owner, Tony Riddler.

[00:06:03]If you were to try and guess the occupation of a man who had a garden like this, most people would either say it's a military man is the army like straight lines or indeed the job you have, which is graphic designer. How does that inform what you do?

[00:06:16]>> It's an extension, I suppose, of the office. It's I'm just doing it in 3D rather than 2D. So, I'm playing with shapes and sizes and structure and form.

[00:06:25]>> So, that experience must be hugely useful.

[00:06:27]>> It's useful, but it's different. And I still make huge blunders.

[00:06:32]>> But this amazing garden isn't just about angles and lines. In a moment, I'll show you how Tony's cleverly added color to his garden.

[00:06:41]But first, Leticia Mccloff looks at how a small formal feature can transform the front of your house.

[00:06:56]Even if you've only got the tiniest balcony or a window box, you can still get this formal look because I'm telling you, size doesn't matter.

[00:07:05]I'm going to transform the front of my house with a simple and sophisticated window box design. I love to use plastic for window boxes because it retains moisture, which helps me because I'm very bad at remembering to water. And they're really, really deep as well, which means that I can give my evergreen plants the most lovely life possible.

[00:07:26]So, marry gold's on and they stop me getting dirty fingernails which I think is deeply unsexy.

[00:07:35]I'm using crocs which are just broken up pieces of polyyrene and then the compost here is a mixture of a lone based compost and ordinary Pete free multi-purpose. But I'm also adding some slowrelease granular feed and some water retaining crystals. The trick with all containers is to water them. And that is it.

[00:08:03]And then in it goes.

[00:08:06]Just halfway up, leaving enough room for me to plant.

[00:08:10]First in a single box bush to add a bit of structure. So I'm going to plant it at the same level as it was in its plastic pot. Just musing up the roots a little bit.

[00:08:24]Just letting them know that it's okay to spread out.

[00:08:27]Next, some small leaved ivies to overflow and soften the hard edges of the containers.

[00:08:35]Just going to squid it the other one in the corner.

[00:08:39]And finally, some white violets to twinkle like stars above the evergreens.

[00:08:45]I like to squeeze two plants into a bottomless pot. Of course, you don't at all have to do this funny little bottomless pot thing, but the reason I do it is because I get bored very easily. And this way, if they're in little pots, I can just whip them out and replace them with something else on a mere whim.

[00:09:07]I think that's about it. So, the final thing to do is give it a really good watering.

[00:09:16]Now for the best bit, window dressing.

[00:09:25]In true formal style, the design is repeated in all the boxes. The cascading ivy softens the look and adds depth.

[00:09:38]I don't know about you, but I think these window boxes make my house look incredibly elegant.

[00:09:56]Whether it's a front or a back garden, another way to get the formal look is through the subtle use of color. It's a rule that Tony swears by. Why do you think the sparing use of color in the garden is effective?

[00:10:11]>> That's easy. Because it's all green.

[00:10:13]It's neutral. So, a tiny bit of color here and there just wows everybody.

[00:10:20]>> Tony carefully places individual colored plants against painted walls, dark wood or green box.

[00:10:29]Look at these lime green shuttlecock ferns with that crimson thistle in front of them against this gray wall. But if you change the color of the wall, then the effect is completely different.

[00:10:44]There's black. It's almost plants against shadow.

[00:10:50]>> But as soon as you go for different colored backgrounds, everything changes.

[00:11:02]The point is, if you're only going to have one or two colored plants in your garden, put them against a background that really makes them sing out.

[00:11:13]Nestled in the heart of Swansea, behind a row of modest terrace houses, sits Tony Riddler's extraordinary formal garden.

[00:11:21]>> What would you say were the most challenging things about this kind of gardening?

[00:11:25]>> The maintenance, I suppose.

[00:11:26]>> Talk about a rod for your own back. Who Who does the clipping?

[00:11:28]>> Me.

[00:11:29]>> Just you.

[00:11:30]>> I wanted a high maintenance garden. I I enjoy the working. It's the process. I like my own company.

[00:11:36]>> So, what about any problem areas?

[00:11:38]>> The top garden has always been a bit of a problem. It's always been a home for all the odds and ends. So, it's got a mishmash of planting. Some fresh ideas would be useful because it's sensible and straightforward, but I need a bit of sparkle. You've come to the right man for no sensibleness and all sparkle.

[00:11:59]>> Well, this is the bit that Tonyy's talking about. Gray boarded wall at the back with a square painted on it. And it's this great long strip in front. I'm not doing it all, but I think it'll give him that bit of sparkle in the middle here.

[00:12:14]The important thing always is to choose the right plant for the right place.

[00:12:18]Now, this is not Devon Cornwall or the dry south of England where I could think of using cabbage palms or artisia with its fluffy aromatic foliage and convolvorum.

[00:12:31]Mainly these gray leaf plants like this are Mediterranean. They like it warm.

[00:12:35]They like it dry. They like it well drained. It's not many of those things here, but if you do want to use grain, I think that might be quite fun in this garden. Lamb's ears, old stackis, this thing here. Just look at that. The leaves are almost like felt and go with what works. He fares extremely well here, Tony, with hostas. I just want to use them slightly differently because right in the center of this arrangement over here, want a drop of water.

[00:13:03]First, I'm leveling the site and putting in my central feature, half a beer barrel.

[00:13:11]Then preparing the soil for the hostas.

[00:13:15]This is just the kind of earth that hostas love. Moisture retaining. Any plant that's got really luscious, juicy leaves, generally speaking, grows in luscious, juicy soil.

[00:13:28]And in they go. Remembering that every plant has a front and a back.

[00:13:35]Yep, that's frontish.

[00:13:40]Just filling around it. Now, what I'm trying to do here is sort of reflect that painted square on the wall with a contained pattern down here on the floor. It won't be absolutely square, but it will sort of nudge in its direction, if you see what I mean.

[00:14:00]Next in are my silvery gray lamb's ears.

[00:14:04]And finally, I'm trimming the existing box to reflect that painted square.

[00:14:10]This is a quick and easy way to turn an empty bed into a formal feature. Just a simple planting scheme based around a reflective pool. I just hope Tony likes it.

[00:14:24]A water feature can be subtle, but it can also be the ultimate showoff statement. Matt James reveals how to find the perfect design for your garden.

[00:14:42]If you're feeling the heat this summer, then it's time to head for the water.

[00:14:46]There is nothing more captivating, nothing more mesmerizing than having water in your garden. I'm going to show you how different water features work in different gardens. From bubbling fountains to cascading waterfalls, there's a way to enjoy water in any size garden. In cottage or traditional designs, where you might use a gorgeous piece of slate like this or a bubbling milstone, the plants around the feature are just as important. They allow it to stand out whilst at the same time helping to soften and and make it look just so beautifully natural.

[00:15:20]accomplished here by the ferns and the hella and the sound of running water is instantly soothing. If you live in a city can also help mask urban noise.

[00:15:33]In contemporary gardens, water features are usually positioned as very strong focal points to grab the eye or it's all about reflection as we've got here. Now, if you are looking to use water for its reflective qualities, you need to make sure that the water is well cleaned and of course that you've got a dark material in the bottom so that you really get the effect.

[00:15:55]When it comes to a natural feature, a wildlife pond or pool like this is well within the scope of the gifted garden.

[00:16:02]Now, it's not difficult really to dig out a line with a butile liner or of course could be claylined if you have that kind of soil. And this is great not only for attracting birds and mammals to your garden, but of course it's good for keeping fish, too.

[00:16:17]You don't want to position your pool directly underneath tall trees where the leaves might foul the water, but nor do you want to position it right out in the open where the sun might encourage algaal growth. So, a semi-shaded spot is best. Even young families can enjoy one with the right precautions. If you've got children and you're worried about water and safety, don't because you could, of course, just install a water grill like this over your pond. You thought I was going to go in, didn't you?

[00:16:49]There's a water feature for any garden, and I'm going to show you how easy it is to build one.

[00:16:56]A hassle-free installation. Look for a feature where the pump, all the electrics, and the reservoir are self-contained.

[00:17:05]Let me show you how you install it.

[00:17:09]First, dig out the hole and protect the electric cable by feeding it through some plastic pipe. Add sand underneath and level.

[00:17:18]Now, pop in your feature and double check it's level.

[00:17:23]Then, back fill with sand.

[00:17:26]Connect the pipe and fill with water.

[00:17:33]I told you it wouldn't take long. These kits are a dodle. This took about what, 3 hours. The bold shape contrasts wonderfully with the frothy grasses there and these oxide daisies. And if you've got a small garden where every single thing counts is that it's a feature which looks as good when it's off as well as when it's on.

[00:18:00]Back in our dream formal garden, it's time to reveal my own water feature to Tony.

[00:18:05]>> Hey, I love the big foliage. It looks grand.

[00:18:08]>> Oh, bless your heart.

[00:18:10]>> No, it's really lovely. It's a good contrast with the box, isn't it?

[00:18:12]>> Well, I've been a bit sneaky as well because I just clipped that bit of box behind it flat >> to mirror that square on the wall.

[00:18:19]>> Yeah, it's a good idea.

[00:18:20]>> And as ever, when you plant stuff, it it all goes flop. And then, of course, tomorrow morning, it'll all be sitting up straight.

[00:18:25]>> No, it's fine. It's fine.

[00:18:26]>> Are you really? Yeah, I'm pleased. Yes.

[00:18:28]I would never put the box with a with a big foliage. You know, it's good to see a different tack on things >> and a pool of water in the middle to give you a bit of reflection.

[00:18:34]>> Bit of reflection. Yes, because I have to say, Tony, you are not short of water. It's wet down here.

[00:18:40]>> It's very wet down here. But she Thank you so much for your hospitality.

[00:18:45]>> And the finishing touch to seal in the moisture and show off the plants, a 3-in layer of bark mulch makes the design look even better.

[00:18:56]This garden really shows that when it comes to classy formal design, less is definitely more. So, here are some fantastic ideas on how you can get the look.

[00:19:12]I love the way Tony's used large hosters in half barrels to border his pathways, but here are two alternatives that would suit a smaller garden. These formal box cones in black plastic cubes are simple and elegant.

[00:19:30]But a more economical and colorful option are these Mexican orange blossoms displayed in square terra cotta pots.

[00:19:40]Tony's created instant dramatic structure in his garden by placing standalone metal obelisks in among his curved hedges.

[00:19:49]But if you want a cheaper option, this curved design looks especially good when dressed with climbing roses.

[00:19:57]And last but not least, you can't ignore Tony's cloudp pruned masterpiece. It looks a million dollars, and to buy it would cost you thousands. Less extravagant, but still eye-catching is this sculptured U tree. One either side of a door would create a dramatic entrance.

[00:20:17]But the cheapest option is to prune a bush yourself. Take an unclipped box and place this topiary frame over the top.

[00:20:24]Then just pretend you're Edward Scissor Hands.

[00:20:29]For more information on tips and ideas from the show, go to our website www.itv.com/loyougarden.

[00:20:41]So there you are. some interesting and achievable ways of helping you to love your garden. Till the next time, bye-bye.