Want to Frolic in the 'Bridgerton' Gardens? Us Too
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Dearest gentle readers, are you in need of a private place for a secret tryst? Or do you fancy a promenade around the perennial border? If Bridgerton's garden scenes make you swoon, you can enhance your own home with Regency-era garden elements that add up to the dreamiest outdoor space ever.
Even if you don't have a Regency-era manse with a huge back yard, you can include small touches to capture the essence of a Bridgerton garden. "Romantic garden design is trending," says landscape designer Kat Aul Cervoni, founder of Staghorn NYC and The Cultivation by Kat. "Grand gardens like the ones featured in the series offer the lure of nostalgia and a feeling of timelessness."
The series has filmed in stunning historic landmarks such as Painshill Park, Hatfield Park, and Stowe Gardens. While these gardens weren’t necessarily created during the brief Regency era (1811 to 1820) of the show's time period, they're an essential backdrop to the drama of the series.
In fact, gardens always have been a place where the action occurs. "Even with Jane Austen, much of the plot comes along in the garden, not sitting around in the stuffy old house having tea," says garden historian Jenny Rose Carey, author of The Ultimate Flower Gardener's Guide and former senior director of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Meadowbrook Farm. "During this era, gardens became more of a place for the ladies to take the air or go for a stroll. There was a growing appreciation for being outdoors."
Ahead, here's how to add lovely Bridgerton-esque features to your own garden.
For more Bridgerton inspo:
• A Definitive Guide to Bridgerton's Opulent Filming Locations
• Ruggable's New Bridgerton Collection Takes Regencycore to the Next Level
• All the Decor Your Home Needs If You Love Bridgerton
Invent Garden “Rooms”
While you may not be able to construct a walled garden like those found next to historic English manors, you can partition your garden to make a space feel more private.
To do so, simply choose a corner of your yard, then plant several trees and shrubs in a C-shape, including various heights, to create a secluded nook, says Cervoni. Tuck in a bench or bistro table to make the most use of the space. Now it's the perfect spot for a tête-à-tête or naughty rendezvous.
Include Climbing Plants
Many Bridgerton garden scenes showcase lush wisteria draped over arches—even though wisteria likely was introduced to English gardens later than the series' time frame. (Beauty trumps historical accuracy on this show!) If wisteria is not your thing, you can create the same flowing aesthetic by planting other easy-to-grow climbing plants such as clematis, honeysuckle or a rambling rose, says Cervoni. Added bonus: these plants are better-behaved and require less maintenance than wisteria.
Use Arbors and Arches
Of course, climbing plants need vertical support. While we'd like a cast of strapping Bridgerton brothers to hold up the plants in our yard, an easier fix is to add an arbor or arch as a focal point, or as a place to sit beneath, says Carey.
If you don't have room for a large structure, you can approximate the look with a small trellis, tuteur, or obelisk placed in a strategic spot in the garden.
Create Walking Paths
Meandering paths provided a place for the ladies (and gentlemen) to stroll and speak privately, outside of the eavesdropping range of the servants and nosy, poison-pen-wielding fellow members of the gentry, says Carey.
Historically, these paths would be graveled walks, which are made of packed down stone similar to pea gravel. If that's too messy for you, lay a walkway of irregularly-shaped stepping stones instead, even working in a few decorative ones if the spirit moves you.
Pull Up a Bench
Benches tucked in remote corners gave the ladies a place to sit and chat in private, to rendezvous with a lover, or to rest after a strenuous walk (in a corset, no less).
Bring one into your modern garden so you can have a discussion out of the prying earshot of others, while also giving yourself the opportunity to admire views of the plants, suggests Cervoni.
Incorporate Hedges and Shrubbery
Historically, hedges were used to delineate the boundaries of a garden and to keep livestock in or out, says Carey. Although it's unlikely you'll need to contain sheep or cows, a living fence of evergreens, such as boxwood or dwarf yews, adds year-round color and a nod to the ancient hedgerows of English gardens.
Feature Cottage Garden Plants
Plant lush cottage garden borders, including classic English favorites such as foxgloves, hollyhocks, pinks, forget me nots, columbines, daisies, irises, and pansies. Add fragrant flowers such as peonies, lavender, and lilac to bring another layer of enjoyment to the space, says Carey.
Incorporate Classical Accents
Many English gardens contain features inspired by travels to Italy and France. These European jaunts were taken by aristocratic English young men (and sometimes ladies) during the Grand Tour, a multi-year journey that was meant to complete their education. No room for a faux temple? A large urn-shaped planter can become a focal point when overflowing with lush flowers and foliage draping over the edges.
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