What Is A 'Knot Garden'?

The 'knot garden' is the English variation on the French 'parterre.'  The latter is a French word, which means 'on the ground,' and refers to a level ornamental flower bed that is enclosed by low hedges or bricks.  While parterres are simple, enclosed shapes, knot gardens use interlacing rows of hedges to create designs.

Knot gardens can be very complex and imaginative. They may use organic or geometric designs, such as Celtic symbols. Sometimes gardeners alternate the types of hedges use to create colour patterns within the border.  The hedges can become so imaginative that they practically overtake the flowerbeds they enclose!  

The flowerbeds, however, are an integral part of the design and can be filled with ornamental flowers, decorative gravel or glass pebbles. Flowers are usually grown from seedlings until they are fairly established before they are transplanted into a knot garden.  This produces a more immediate visual impact and also allows the gardener to use the flowers more effectively in the garden's design.  Knot gardens were very popular amongst the Victorians and continue to engage gardeners' creativity.