Typical Colonial Landscaping

Dooryard Gardens

• The first seeds that came over with the Pilgrims were planted in dooryard gardens. The Plymouth gardens resembled English cottage gardens, with raised rectangular or square beds arranged around compacted earth or stone walkways. Modest and pragmatic, plantings were intended for food, medicine or clothing, but abundant colorful flowers were included. These gardens were located near the door for convenient access and fenced in with rough wood or stone to keep out livestock.

Formal Colonial Landscapes

• As New England flourished, colonial gardens became more ornamental and showy. Williamsburg, the capitol and social center of Virginia, is synonymous with this period of colonial landscapes, but the typical garden of the period was not as ornate. Inspired by the Dutch and Flemish gardens, they were organized in parterres, raised geometric beds with walkways between them, as were dooryard gardens. Boxwood hedges were a significant part in the Williamsburg gardens, used as fences and walls or cut into topiary shapes that became focal points.

Colonial Landscaping Characteristics

• Most colonial gardens were improvised according to the needs of the household, with design elements adapted from the home countries of the early settlers. Certain design elements were repeated in the households, such as the front yard enclosed with hedging or fencing. Symmetrical layout with strong geometric lines is another important characteristic, embodied in raised beds that kept soil warm in the harsh northeastern climates. Each bed was accessible from the walkway. The cottage-type plantings mixed herbs, vegetables and flowers, creating an exuberant effect.

Adapting the Colonial Landscape

• The diverse nature of colonial landscaping defies a simple definition, but it lends itself to adaptation in the modern landscape. For lawn-free zones, or edible landscapes, the colonial style holds particular value. Organize geometrically shaped planting beds around a strong walkway layout, with the walkway constructed with gravel, stone or brick. Colonial planting can mean to plant according to your own taste and convenience. Incorporate a focal point, such as a bench, water feature or specimen tree, and plant trees and shrubs with formal symmetry.