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| Anne Hathaway's Cottage Garden by Richard Peat CC BY-SA 2 |
In his collected works Shakespeare refers to over two hundred species
of plants, with twenty-nine scenes taking place in gardens or in orchards.
Shakespeare’s references to flowers and plants not only gave his plays a
sense of place, like the Arden forest in As You Like It, the fairy forest of A Midsummer Night’s Dream or the rugged Scottish landscape of Macbeth. They also served as extended metaphors for human emotions and the human condition.
There are two traditional styles of English garden that would be good to emulate, the cottage garden and the landscaped formal garden. The cottage garden was primarily functional, providing for the needs of the small household. It contained flowers, plants and vegetables that would be used for cooking, cleaning and medicine. As space was limited, things were planted very close together in a somewhat haphazard manner, with different varieties of plants and vegetables growing together. An example of a cottage garden can be seen at Anne Hathaway's Cottage in Stratford Upon Avon.
The formal garden is characterised by symmetry and order, with pruned topiary and geometric designs. For more detailed information about formal gardens have a look at my post on Elizabethan Gardens. In its simplest form however, the formal Elizabethan garden consisted of symmetrical rectangular flower beds, that were boxed in with shrubs and surrounded by small paths. The intricately designed edging was known as knots. Knot gardens were divided into sections, with each section often containing a different ornament such as an urn, a sundial or a water feature.
To honour the talents of the Bard
why not create a Shakespeare inspired garden. Here are a few ideas on the how to do so.
Designs for a Shakespeare Garden
There are two traditional styles of English garden that would be good to emulate, the cottage garden and the landscaped formal garden. The cottage garden was primarily functional, providing for the needs of the small household. It contained flowers, plants and vegetables that would be used for cooking, cleaning and medicine. As space was limited, things were planted very close together in a somewhat haphazard manner, with different varieties of plants and vegetables growing together. An example of a cottage garden can be seen at Anne Hathaway's Cottage in Stratford Upon Avon.
The formal garden is characterised by symmetry and order, with pruned topiary and geometric designs. For more detailed information about formal gardens have a look at my post on Elizabethan Gardens. In its simplest form however, the formal Elizabethan garden consisted of symmetrical rectangular flower beds, that were boxed in with shrubs and surrounded by small paths. The intricately designed edging was known as knots. Knot gardens were divided into sections, with each section often containing a different ornament such as an urn, a sundial or a water feature.
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| A Sixteenth Century Knot Garden |
How to Create a Knot Garden
- Before you start, make a list of the plants you wish to include. It helps to choose plants that require the same conditions and care, and grow to similar heights. A herb garden is perfect for this.
- Herbs to include are Lavender, Thyme, Rosemary and Savory, with Boxwood placed around the outer edges. It is best to buy herbs partly grown in pots or containers and then transfer them.
- Draw out your knot design on paper, a simple design works best for a small space.
- Prepare the ground for planting. Clear the space, remove weeds, turn over the soil and rake over.
- Next mark out your design on the ground using a tape measure. You can mark out the design with wooden stakes and string or use spray paint or even flour. Alternatively you could use wooden raised beds to create the shape.
- Begin at the corners and place your plants in the ground following the lines. Take into account the potential breadth of the herbs when leaving spaces between each plant. Six inches to a foot should be about right.
- As the plants grow remember to keep them neatly trimmed.
A list of things you may need
Another addition to your Shakespeare garden could be what Shakespeare referred to as a “pleached bower”, a decorative archway canopied with Roses, Sweetbriar and Honeysuckle, mentioned in Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
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| A simple "pleached bower" |
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| Garden Arch available on Amazon |
Shakespeare Plants and Flowers
For a Shakespeare garden pick plants that are referred to in Shakespeare's plays and poems. Throughout this blog you will find lots of information on the the many different plants and flowers mentioned. Beside each plant place a label or plaque with a quotation, you can make your own labels using small pieces of wood, just make sure that whatever you are writing with or on is waterproof.
The most complicated design I have seen for a Shakespeare garden is the plan for the Colorado Shakespeare Garden in Boulder. Not only do they plan on creating a knot garden they also plan on having individual sections dedicated to each play. This is also something you can do at home, especially if you have a favourite play or a favourite character, like A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet or Ophelia.
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| Stone Skull for a Hamlet Garden |