Alphabetical Plant Listing

Garden Types / Formal Garden


Refine By

thumb grid img

Formal Garden

Add a dramatic sense of scale and proportion to your garden!

Formal gardens are often characterized by well-defined structure and geometry as a reflection of man’s influence on nature. Organized around a central axis or pathway, formal garden designs focus on symmetry and easily recognizable ground patterns. Often, this axis features a sculpture or decorative ornament for effect and a focal point. The material's palette is generally kept to a minimum, with gravel and regular paving stones. The main planting features consist of lawns and hedges, the latter being used to define space, edge borders, or create parterres. Adding height, pleached trees may be introduced to create ordered avenues while decorative borders may be planted to soften the garden’s rigorous geometry.

Formal Garden Guides


Filters

Season of Interest
Exposure
Hardiness
Climate-Zones
Tolerance
Attracts
Maintenance
Water-Needs
Color
Plant-Types
Plant-Family
Plant-Characteristics
Average-Height
Average-Spread
Soil-Type
Soil-Drainage
Soil-pH
Planting Place
Regions
article image

Allium 'Ambassador' (Ornamental Onion)

Award-winner Allium 'Ambassador' is one of the tallest and most architectural onions with its large globe-shaped inflorescence, 8 in. across (20 cm), densely packed with hundreds of small, star-shaped purple flowers. Blooming for up to 5 weeks from late spring to early summer, this spectacular bulbous perennial enjoys one of the longest blooming seasons.

Read More
article image

Allium 'Firmament' (Ornamental Onion)

Regarded by some as one of the very best, Allium 'Firmament' is a rather unusual Allium. Instead of having round flowerheads, it is only two-thirds of the sphere, about 4-5 in. wide (10-12 cm). It is packed with star-shaped, dark silvery purple flowers, each flower being comprised of dark purple florets adorned with shimmering silver anthers.

Read More
article image

Allium 'Gladiator' (Ornamental Onion)

ward-winner Allium 'Gladiator' is one of the tallest and most architectural onions. Its inflorescence consists of dozens of small star-shaped reddish-purple flowers forming a 6 inches across (15 cm) globe-shaped cluster. Blooming from late spring to early summer, this spectacular bulbous perennial enjoys long-lasting blooms and remains ornamental in the garden well into summer.

Read More
article image

Allium 'Globemaster' (Ornamental Onion)

Boasting the biggest flower heads, multiple award-winner Allium 'Globemaster' is a striking ornamental onion with huge inflorescences packed with dozens of small star-shaped violet flowers forming a 10-inch wide (25 cm) globe-shaped cluster! Blooming in late spring to early summer, this spectacular bulbous perennial enjoys long-lasting blooms, and its seed heads are ornamental, persisting for weeks after the flower has passed.

Read More
article image

Allium 'His Excellency' (Ornamental Onion)

Tall and majestic, Allium 'His Excellency' is a most architectural flowering onion with its large globe-shaped inflorescence, 5 in. across (12 cm), densely packed with hundreds of small, star-shaped violet-blue flowers. Blooming for weeks in late spring to early summer, this spectacular bulbous perennial remains ornamental in the garden well into summer. Planted in groups, it makes a terrific focal point within the border.

Read More
article image

Allium 'Mont Blanc' (Ornamental Onion)

Tall and white, as suggested by its name, Allium 'Mont Blanc' is a splendid beauty with 4-inch wide (10 cm) umbels of pure-white flowers atop sturdy, upright stems. The foliage of basal, semi-erect strap-shaped grayish-green leaves is also quite ornamental. Blooming in late spring to early summer, this spectacular bulbous perennial enjoys long-lasting blooms and remains ornamental in the garden well into summer.

Read More
article image

Allium 'Mount Everest' (Ornamental Onion)

Award-winning Allium 'Mount Everest' is a splendid beauty with 6-inch wide (15 cm) umbels of pure-white flowers atop sturdy, upright stems. The foliage of basal, semi-erect strap-shaped grayish-green leaves is also quite ornamental. Blooming in late spring to early summer, this spectacular bulbous perennial enjoys long-lasting blooms and remains ornamental in the garden well into summer.

Read More
article image

Allium 'Round and Purple' (Ornamental Onion)

Giant Allium 'Round and Purple' is a spectacular addition to the garden with its star-shaped lavender flowers forming a 6-inch wide (15 cm) globe-shaped cluster. These are probably the biggest flower heads of all Alliums. Blooming in late spring to early summer, this striking bulbous perennial enjoys long-lasting blooms and remains ornamental in the garden well into summer.

Read More
article image

Allium giganteum (Ornamental Onion)

Perhaps the tallest of the ornamental onions, Allium giganteum is a bold and striking addition to the garden with its star-shaped, tiny lilac-purple flowers forming a 5-6 in. wide (12-15 cm) globe-shaped cluster. Blooming in late spring to early summer, this Giant Allium enjoys long-lasting blooms and remains ornamental in the garden well into summer.

Read More
article image

Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation' (Ornamental Onion)

A favorite of many gardeners, multiple award-winner Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation' is a striking ornamental onion with perfectly round flowerheads, 3 in. wide (8 cm), packed with dozens of small, star-shaped, rich violet-lilac flowers. They are borne atop sturdy stalks, which arise from a group of 6 to 8 handsome, blue-green leaves. Blooming in late spring to early summer, this spectacular Allium enjoys long-lasting blooms and makes outstanding cut flowers that will last for 2 weeks.

Read More
article image

Buxus 'Green Velvet' (Boxwood)

Buxus 'Green Velvet' (Boxwood) is a compact, broad-mounded, evergreen shrub with a lush foliage of opposite, glossy, dark green leaves. The foliage retains its excellent dark green color throughout the winter.

Read More
article image

Buxus microphylla 'Faulkner' (Small-Leaved Boxwood)

Award-winning Buxus microphylla 'Faulkner' (Small-Leaved Boxwood) is a dense, compact, evergreen shrub with a lush foliage of small, rounded, dark bluish green, glossy leaves. The foliage retains its rich color most of the year, becoming bronze-tinged in cold winter weather.

Read More
article image

Buxus microphylla var. japonica 'Green Beauty' (Japanese Boxwood)

Buxus microphylla var. japonica 'Green Beauty' (Japanese Boxwood) is a dense and compact evergreen shrub with a lush foliage of small, glossy, lance-shaped, dark green leaves. The foliage retains its rich color most of the year, becoming bronze-tinged in cold winter weather.

Read More
article image

Buxus sempervirens 'Blauer Heinz' (Boxwood)

Compact, Buxus sempervirens 'Blauer Heinz' (Boxwood) is a small, slow-growing, broadleaf evergreen shrub with a soft and lush foliage of ovate, fairly glossy, blue-green leaves.

Read More
article image

Buxus sempervirens 'Dee Runk' (Boxwood)

Naturally architectural, Buxus sempervirens 'Dee Runk' (Boxwood) is a broadleaf evergreen shrub of elegant columnar habit with a soft and lush foliage of ovate, lustrous leaves. Its deep green foliage has shown good resistance to boxwood blight.

Read More

Refine By

Find your Hardiness Zone

Find your Climate Zone

Find your Heat Zone

Join Gardenia.net

Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

Join now and start creating your dream garden!

Create a New Collection

Optional. For your reference.


Move Selected Plants to a Different Collection


Delete Collection

This field is required.

Rename Collection

This field is required.