What makes for an outstanding garden? Are there common attributes ? What are the contributing factors ? These are questions i have been pondering for decades.

There are many interesting gardens, both famous and less publicised, formal and informal, floriferous or not, large or small scale, that are not quite in the very top league. Only a handful of gardens go right to the top of the thousands of manicured landscapes in Britain.

What sets apart a ‘Great Garden’ ? Beauty is a subjective attribute, everyone has their version – but a ‘Great Garden’ is piece of Art in the same way as any great composition, universally appreciated.

For me, a piece of Art has the quality of opening my feelings.
A Great Garden makes me feel something. It’s a different reaction than one of an intellectual recognition.

Which factors play a role in creating that very special feeling, an atmosphere, that set one garden apart from others ? I suspect these factors vary slightly person to person, but my hypothesis is that there are a few common characteristics. And I would like to explore them with you.

If this tree (see picture) was in a garden, it would fit the scale of a Great Garden. No need to plant anything further. The single specimen Caledonian pine is magnificent and fits into the landscape naturally. The way the tree nestles in the landscape is a key to one of the attributes of a Great Garden. A Great Garden relates to the surrounding landscape, as though the landscape is seen through the focus of a lens.

The wonderful garden (also pictured) at Caerhays ebbs and flows into the surrounding hills. The winding paths softly transect the slopes, taking advantage of the opening views across the bay. It’s a good example of how a garden can blend at its perimeter into the surrounding landscape.

You can click here to find out more about Sculpted Landscapes in central Scotland and learn about our approach to creating outstanding gardens.