MARRYING TRADITION AND MODERNITY
Garden designer Richard Miers explains how the traditional concept of a parterre can be reinterpreted for a modern garden with a sense of balance and proportion
THE HUMAN EYE LOVES REPETITION and this is what keeps the parterre style so timeless and a feature of gardens the world over. Traditionally the shapes were formal, but as gardening styles have evolved to become more informal, abstract, geometric shapes can work well – these look just as attractive and give a more classical contemporary feel to the design.
TAKE INSPIRATION FROM AROUND to create a parterre in seamless harmony with its surroundings. It is usually sited close to the house, so an obvious steer comes from the property itself – ensuring the two are intrinsically linked is paramount. However, inspiration can also come from unexpected sources – for example, the parterre I designed at Stanhoe Hall in Norfolk was inspired by an Italianate gate on the property.
THINK OUTSIDE OF THE ‘BOX’ when it comes to the choice of border planting. Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Tom thumb’, which has deep purple leaves contrasting with light green fresh growth, will give a slightly edgier and darker look to a parterre. There is a range of euonymus to try, such as ‘Jean Hugues’, which is an excellent variety for low hedging, and as well as the evergreens, I also like to use flowering hedges to give the eye something different to rest on. Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’ or ‘Hidcote’ are both excellent varieties and also fill the air with heady scent.
DON’T BE A SLAVE TO HISTORICAL STYLE but introduce elements to a parterre that traditionally wouldn’t have been there. Strictly, parterres tended to be symmetrical on one axis with hedging in an intricate pattern coming up through gravel and maybe the odd tulip planted within. However, you can add herbaceous plants so there is something happening all year round, from hellebores to roses, geraniums, asters, and repeat flowering summer and autumn bulbs, such as Lilium regale and Nerine bowdenii ‘Alba’. Keeping the layout elegant but simple, it is possible to achieve a beautifully structured parterre without spending hours maintaining it.