There are two main styles of gardening: regular and landscape. The main signs regular style: Tracks are parallel or perpendicular to each other, sometimes along the diagonal of a quadrilateral or in a regular circle, or rays from the composition center. Trees are planted in such a way as to form clear and at the same time symmetrical compositions, their crowns are neatly formed, shrubs are cut to fit some geometric shape or planted in trimmed hedges, flower beds, reservoirs and lawns have the correct geometric shape, symmetry reigns in everything about the center of the house, entrance gates, etc. Boring? Too formal and outdated? Not at all, although it might seem that way at first glance. The atmosphere of such a garden is always sublime and solemn, and even a small garden in a regular style makes a strong impression. A garden in a regular style requires very careful maintenance, since the natural growth of plants has to be constantly restrained, but there are much fewer unpleasant surprises for the owner. The "insolent" linden will not obscure the view of the beloved lake, and the spruce will not "crawl" with its paws on the shortest path to the gazebo.
People who are accustomed to living in a big city and feel uncomfortable in the bosom of nature are much more comfortable seeing the correct lines around them and the order that is obvious even at first glance. At the same time, all possible benefits are a pleasant green color for the eyes, air ionized by plants, the scent of flowers, the murmur of fountains, birdsong, fluttering butterflies, as well as such a rare state for a city dweller as solitude (and tall, clipped walls that completely protect from the outside world are typical reception of the regular style) - presented in full. Nature in a regular garden is completely subordinated to the genius of man, "who cognized the highest harmony with algebra." More precisely - geometry, because the regular style can also be called "the art of garden architecture."
The French kings, those very numerous Louis, spent most of their lives precisely among the polished luxury of the famous regular Versailles, which to this day is one of the standards of landscape art. That is why a regular garden is often called French.
The regular garden will be the perfect continuation of the luxurious mansion. The predictability and laconicism of the lines are perfectly combined with the luxury of the decor. So if you are a solid and respectable person, and perfect order reigns on your desktop or in your apartment, any violation of which puts you out of balance, then a regular style of gardening is what you need.
Quite different principles in landscape style garden design. The paths run in smooth lines in the most unpredictable directions, there are practically no straight lines. Ponds and flower beds have natural outlines, trees and shrubs grow as they please. This style is characterized by the desire to only slightly "ennoble" living nature. The main thing is the impression of naturalness and "naturalness". Symmetry gives way to harmony and balance of all elements of garden design.
The main problem of the landscape style is the measure. The ratio of indoor and outdoor space, decorativeness and functionality, color accents and monochrome. If you go too far, the feeling of harmony is lost in the lovingly created garden.
The ancestors of the landscape style, oddly enough, are the pedantic British, therefore, if the paths in the park do not follow the shortest path - in a straight line, but invite you to take a walk and spend a little more time interacting with nature, then most likely in front of you is a typical English garden.
One of the main advantages of the landscape style is the visual expansion of the garden due to the intricate pattern of paths along which you can walk for a long time without getting tired of the monotony of the surrounding landscape. A landscaped garden is much less time consuming to set up and maintain. And all the disadvantages - uneven terrain, asymmetrical plot, not too impressive manor house - can be turned into advantages if you approach the creation of a project individually.
What should you choose? It's simple. In the 21st century, as a rule, all stylistic devices are not used in their pure form. Eclecticism and a combination of seemingly incongruous is not always a bad thing. Nothing prevents to make the entrance area of the estate regular, in order to create the impression of splendor, and to plan the rear part of the site in a landscape style, so that there is an opportunity to "rest the soul" from the big city. Straight lines of paths can lead to the main objects - a bathhouse, a garage, a guest house, but at the same time, nothing prevents you from arranging winding walking paths in order to admire the secluded corners of the garden. The front flower garden under the living room windows is often designed in strict symmetrical forms, and in the back of the garden there is a mixborder of wildflowers and fragrant herbs. It is only desirable that both styles are not mixed, but used to design different functional areas of the site ("front area", "utility" area, "recreation area", etc.).
