Knot garden

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Knot Garden at St Fagans museum of country life, south Wales

A knot garden is a garden style that was popularized in 16th century England [1]: 60–61  and is now considered an element of the formal English garden. A knot garden consists of a variety of aromatic and culinary herbs, or low hedges such as box, planted in lines to create an intertwining pattern that is set within a square frame and laid on a level substrate. The spaces between these lines are often filled with stone, gravel, sand or flowering plants. Traditional plants used in knot gardens include germander, marjoram, thyme, southernwood, lemon balm, hyssop, costmary, acanthus, mallow, chamomile, rosemary, calendula, viola and santolina.

Most knot gardens now have edges made from box (Buxus sempervirens), which is easily cut into dense miniature hedges, and stays green during winters when not all of the "filling" plants are visible or attractive. However, the original designs of knot gardens did not use low box hedges until the late 17th century[1]: 60–61 

Historically, knot gardens were located close to English manor houses so that the inhabitants and guests would have a bird's eye view of the intricate designs from the upper story windows[1]: 31  . Most gardens were composed of square compartments set within frames. A small garden might consist of one compartment, while large gardens might contain six or eight compartments. The interior knot pattern could be composed of bands of plants in contrasting colours which are hedged to look like they weave over and under each other. In which case, the knot is referred to as "closed". When knots have bands of plants that do not appear to be interlacing, they are referred to as "open" [2].  

Characteristics[edit]

Knot gardens were based on Renaissance designs that were used in forms of indoor decoration such as textiles, carpets, wall coverings and cushions.[3] They are often designed to be viewed from above and encompass an interlocking or intertwining pattern using clipped common box, Buxus sempervirens.[4]

Unlike like French parterres, knot gardens are usually small and of varying heights where hedges form junctions to indicate the crossing or knotting of 'threads.'[clarification needed][5]

Examples[edit]

The Knot Garden at the Red Lodge Museum, Bristol.

Knot gardens were first established in England in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Some early knot gardens have been covered over by lawn or other landscaping, but the original traces are still visible as undulations in the present day landscape. An example of this phenomenon is the early 17th-century garden of Muchalls Castle in Scotland.

Knot gardens have become established in many temperate formal gardens throughout the world, including:

A knot garden is featured in Shakespeare's play Love's Labour's Lost.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Whalley, Robin; Jennings, Anne (1998). Knot Gardens and Parterres: The History of the Knot Garden and How to Make One Today. London: Barn Elms Publishing. ISBN 1 899531 041.
  2. ^ Swanson, Faith; Rady, Virginia (1984). Herb Garden Design. Hanover: University Press of New England. p. 84. ISBN 0-87451-296-4.
  3. ^ "The knot garden". National Trust. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
  4. ^ Coffey, Sally (2015-04-21). "The Tudors and their gardens". Britain Magazine | The official magazine of Visit Britain | Best of British History, Royal Family,Travel and Culture. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
  5. ^ "Design: Tudor garden style". The English Garden. 2014-11-04. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
  6. ^ "Traditional Design Stands Test of Time". Cityofdunedin.com. 12 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  7. ^ "A Landmark for the 21st century". Astley Castle. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  8. ^ Gloucestershire: the Cotswolds, The Buildings of England edited by Nikolaus Pevsner, 2nd ed. (1979) ISBN 0-14-071040-X, pp.96-100
  9. ^ "The Knot Garden". Helmingham Hall. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  10. ^ Fedden, Robin; Joekes, Rosemary (1984). The National Trust Guide. The National Trust. pp. 155, 257. ISBN 978-0-224-01946-0.
  11. ^ "The Red Lodge Museum". Culture 24. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Visit the Castle Gardens". Sudeley Castle & Gardens. Retrieved 20 June 2020.

External links[edit]