The hedges themselves can be made up of a variety of plants, usually two or more, and originally were planted with woody herbs. In the 17th century the malleable box hedge became the norm. Some knot gardens fill the spaces between the hedges with colourful and fragrant plants - colouring in between the black lines as in a colouring book. Others fill the compartments with coloured gravel or stones.

 

Knot gardens began to be a feature of English gardens in the mid-15th century when the stability of the nation was reflected in the increasing confidence of domestic architecture. People had the time, money and security to make their gardens a haven for relaxation. Knot gardens, mazes and labyrinths were intellectual puzzles to amuse the viewer.

 

Knots had both a practical and symbolic purpose in Tudor England - they were used for everything from fashion to farming. Decorative designs incorporating knot patterns could be found on textiles, woodwork and in the garden. Knots represented the tying together of disparate elements, unity and strength. You can see how a knot could come to symbolise a marriage. Many of the designs for knot gardens have this symbolic element.

 

As the fashion for formal gardens faded with the Landscape movement of the 18th century, knot gardens also fell out of favour. It was up to the Victorians to revive their fortunes, and they loved to fill the compartments with banks of colourful bedding plants. 

 
You can visit knot gardens at many places around England, as well as at the Museum of Garden History in London. Some fine examples can be found at Barnsley House, near Cirencester; Little Moreton Hall in Cheshire; Dalemain, near Penrith, and Yalding Gardens in Kent.