Here are ten essential plants that will bring the charm of an English garden to your landscape, regardless of its size:

Hydrangeas are essential for adding volume and romance to an English garden. Their rounded or conical blooms transition through seasons, with fading flowers adding winter interest and food for wildlife. Pair them with roses and peonies for a dreamy layered look.

Climbing roses draping over trellises and archways create classic English charm, while bushy shrub roses fill borders with fragrance and color. Pair deep-hued roses with pale lavender for a high-contrast, painterly effect.

Delphiniums add towering drama to garden beds, reaching for the sky in shades of blue, white, and purple. Stake them well and allow some to seed in autumn, providing food for birds while creating a natural, slightly unkempt look.

While English gardens celebrate free-flowing plantings, boxwood offers a gentle structure. Use it to define garden rooms' edge paths or enclose a small potager (kitchen garden).

A Victorian-era favorite, peonies produce sumptuous, ruffled blooms that look best when allowed to spill into pathways and borders. Their dramatic blossoms pair well with foxgloves, delphiniums, and climbing roses.

For a non-toxic alternative: try Hollyhock (Alcea rosea), which offers a similar height and old-world charm, attracting pollinators while adding drama to cottage-style borders.

Lamb's ear is a texture lover's dream, with soft, silver-green foliage contrasting beautifully against vivid blossoms. It thrives in sun-drenched, dry areas and adds a touch of softness to stone paths and garden edges.

Lavender's fragrant, purple spikes are as practical as they are beautiful. They attract pollinators and repel pests. Let spent blooms remain into autumn to feed birds and provide winter interest.

Alternative to Wisteria: For a more manageable climber, consider Clematis (Clematis spp.), which produces large, colorful blooms throughout the growing season.

An excellent way to achieve this is by incorporating stone steps with plantings between the rocks, letting creeping thyme, fleabane, or small ferns nestle into the crevices.

This technique adds a new dimension to your garden, making it feel more expansive and interesting.

Straight, formal walkways feel too rigid for an English garden. Instead, opt for winding gravel paths lined with lavender or creeping thyme, inviting curiosity and exploration.

Densely packed flower beds with layered heights create a painterly effect. Mix perennials and self-seeding annuals for a look that evolves naturally each year.

Deeply saturated blooms, such as crimson roses and royal blue delphiniums, pop against soft pastels, such as creamy hydrangeas or blush peonies, adding depth and visual drama.

Instead of a perfectly manicured lawn, consider leaving sections unmowed. Known in England as 'rough grass,' these areas are filled with thick wild grasses that suppress weeds while allowing wildflowers to spread naturally. This creates a haven for pollinators and small wildlife.

In autumn, resist cutting everything back—dried seed heads of plants like delphiniums and lavender provide food for birds while creating winter interest and contributing to the garden's romantic, slightly untamed aesthetic.

A garden is not just for admiring from afar—it's for lingering. Place a wrought-iron bench beneath a climbing rose; tuck a rustic wooden chair into a shaded nook; or let a well-worn stone urn anchor a flower bed.

To give your garden "historic" character, consider adding vintage garden heirlooms—from weathered pots and antique tools to handmade birdhouses and rustic garden accents. These small details help create a garden that feels like it's always been there.