Ornate box hedging, Hatfield House, Hertfodshire, Sunken Knot garden detail with labyrinth Low boxwood hedging

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A knot garden is a garden of very formal design in a square frame, consisting of a variety of aromatic plants and culinary herbs including germander, marjoram, thyme, southernwood, lemon balm, hyssop, costmary, acanthus, mallow, chamomile, rosemary, Calendulas, Violas and Santolina. Most knot gardens now have edges made from box (Buxus sempervirens), whose leaves have a sweet smell when bruised. The paths in between are usually laid with fine gravel. However, the original designs of knot gardens did not have the low box hedges, and knot gardens with such hedges might more accurately be called parterres. Most Renaissance knot gardens were composed of square compartments. A small garden might consist of one compartment, while large gardens might contain six or eight compartments The Gardens, covering 42 acres (170,000 m²), date from the early 17th century, and were laid out by John Tradescant the elder.

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Size: 5616px × 3684px
Photo credit: © Scenics & Science / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: box, boxwood, buxus, detail, garden, harlandii, hatfield, hedging, hertfodshire, house, jacobean, knot, labyrinth, microphylla, ornate, sempervirens, sunken