knot Gardens

A knot garden is a garden within which plants are trained to grow in very intricate patterns that resemble embroidery patterns or knots. This type of gardening became popular during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, when the English gentry wore garments that were richly adorned with intricately woven embroidery. To reflect the formality and symmetry of the English estates, the first knot gardens were shaped like perfect squares.

Because knot gardens were originally intended to be viewed from ground level as people strolled through the landscape, gardeners avoided using traditional hedgerows to define the geometric proportions of these gardens, because this would create obstructions that would obscure visibility. Instead, they would create square sections of land out of sand or gravel, then plant slow-growing plants so close together they would mesh and intertwine—creating a knotted appearance around which other species could then be introduced.

Originally, knot gardens in England consisted mostly of herbs and small, flowering plants. Almost any kind of herb or flower may have been used at this time provided it created an aroma equivalent to its visual aesthetic. Everything was constantly trimmed to keep the vegetation low-enough to the ground that every element could be clearly seen. Normally too, English gardeners would design these landscapes with entrances and exits that would allow people to stroll right only inches away from the heavy concentrations of lush and fragrant vegetation.

Over the centuries, the basic concept of the knot garden has remained relatively unchanged. However, the Renaissance insistence of the geometry of the perfect square, as well as the aversion to any type of hedging, has given way to a new, more practical aesthetic. This is particularly true in the world of residential landscaping. In most instances, a knot garden on a typical Houston property is one of many unique elements all interrelated to the same comprehensive landscaping plan. As such, knot gardens often intersect with other features on the landscape. You commonly see them around patio areas, along stone walls, and around fountains and sculptures.

Because a modern knot garden is more often a landscaping element rather than the featured center point of a landscape, its shape will often follow whatever earthwork, water feature, or decorative element it is meant to compliment. For example, a knot garden planted that is planted along a stone wall to add a complimentary, organic element to its structure would be rather narrow and rectangular instead of a perfect square. More than likely, too, it would have more flowers than herbs to give the entire scene a splash of many colors, and it would further deviate from the Renaissance by framing the flowers in row of boxwoods trimmed to grow very low to the ground.

Another popular use of the knot garden is to accent statuary or fountains in the center of the yard. Again, the strict linearity of the Old World style gives way to the 20th century aesthetic principle of form following function. Abstract sculptures in contemporary landscapes may use a combination of alternating circular, square, and rectangular trainings to command one’s attention toward the subject in abrupt, incremental steps. Fountains often look much better when surrounded by a circular knot garden as opposed to a rectangular or square one.

Ultimately, however, the shape and contents of such a garden depend greatly on the surroundings at hand and the preferences of the homeowner.