How to make a garden look older – 11 ways to create the illusion of a bygone era and add heritage charm to your yard

Discovering how to make a garden look older in style can transform how you use and enjoy your outside space. Whether you are looking to create a reassuring sense of heritage, establish a design and planting scheme that’s sympathetic to a period home or simply prefer a classic look, the creative possibilities are endless.

As when walking around any long-established period garden, the true charm lies in the gentle layering of time worn surfaces, fine craftsmanship and taking time to soak up the mature plants and exquisite features whether they are a Victorian style glasshouse, an heirloom rose or antique fountain. Replicating this slow and mindful experience plus drawing from the rich history of garden design has proved a hugely popular concept with today’s professional landscape architects and garden designers.

There are many ways to introduce a period or heritage feel into your yard, without it feeling out of place or superficial. These enticing garden ideas vary in ambition from carefully honing a few key details – such as distressing the surface of new planters or inviting moss and lichen to take hold – to embarking on larger structural projects, employing thoughtfully sourced, reclaimed materials or historically-informed garden features.

11 ways to make a garden look older in style

‘The utmost thing to remember about heritage gardens is that they are all focused on the pace at which you experience the garden,’ says Stacilyn Feldman, Principal of OEHME, Van Sweden. ‘Everything should be done at a lovely, slow pace which allows you to enjoy the careful color pairings, the fragrance and the texture of the plantings.’

If you wish to introduce some heritage charm and maturity to your yard, then take inspiration from these garden design experts. From the smallest detail to large scale garden redesigns, there are enticing design ideas for every yard.

Embrace symmetry for instant grandeur

Give any yard instant gravitas, and a dash of period charm with a symmetrical layout. A simple way to introduce formality and bygone elegance, this design principal can be as quick and easy as positioning a matching pair of urn shaped planters either side of a door or gate way, or as intricate as planting and maintaining a full-on parterre.

Popular in 16^th century Europe, these elegant gardens featured an intricate framework of low clipped hedging containing softer, airy planting. Gravel paths typically threw each design into relief while key points of the design – corners and the beginning of paths - were marked with taller topiary.

Replicate elements of this garden style in an area of your yard, preferably where it can be appreciated from the house, especially upper storey viewpoints. Evergreen Yew, close growing Lonicera nitidaI and Ilex crenata are all resilient hedging choices for cooler climates and only need clipping once or twice a year. You can find more terrace ideas here.

Introduce some glasshouse glamour

The mere sight of a whitewashed glasshouse with its fancy finials and finely worked rails is enough to shout heritage gardening. An iconic sight in both stately homes and their walled kitchen gardens, these elegant, glazed structures embody timeworn elegance of past generations.

'Heritage gardens are thoughtfully designed, with careful consideration given to their defining features,' says Creative Director of Alitex Nelly Hall. 'Take an Edwardian garden, for example, its beauty lies in symmetry, structured layouts, and the connection between built elements and nature.

'Formal pathways, classical urns, and parterre-style planting are hallmark features of a period-inspired space. A traditional glasshouse naturally complements this aesthetic, serving as both an architectural focal point and a practical working space.'

Today many historical glasshouse designs are being carefully replicated and adapted for modern lifestyles, but without losing any of their characteristics. Doubling as productive growing spaces, a protective home for raising exotic plants or nurturing a prized plant collection they can also be used for entertaining, dining or a peaceful retreat.

'Choosing the right materials and finishes is essential for achieving a romantic, heritage aesthetic. A soft ivory or white finish is a classic choice, reminiscent of glasshouses found in stately homes. Thoughtful details such as cresting, decorative spandrels, and gently curved eaves, display the craftsmanship of a traditional design,' Nelly continues.

Nelly Hall

Nelly Hall is the Brand Director at Alitex, the renowned British aluminium greenhouse specialist. With a deep passion for design and horticulture, she champions the craftsmanship and structural intricacies of greenhouses. Since launching the first National Trust Collection of greenhouses in 2004, Nelly has played a key role in expanding the collection to 8 designs, establishing a growing overseas market, and securing a prestigious endorsement from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Under Nelly’s leadership, Alitex continues to invest in research and development, driving innovation in both the functionality and sustainability of its greenhouses.

Fall for timeworn pathways

With their rich patina, gently undulating and pitted surfaces not to mention the occasional patch of tactile moss or lichen, long established garden paths and terraces have a unique beauty.

Often constructed from handmade clay bricks, roughly hewn flagstones, smooth cobbles or neat setts, these surfaces are subtle shaped through years of weather and wear. Bringing just a little of this charm into your yard will conjure up a feel of permanency, plus give your plants a naturally aged backdrop.

The easiest way to do this is by using reclaimed hard landscaping materials. Online directories including salvoweb.com list reliable reclamation sources in your area, while specialist companies such as historicalbricks.com can help source specific salvaged materials such as reclaimed European cobblestones.

Paths made from loose aggregates also have a bygone era charm and are often considerably easier and cheaper to work into a new garden design. ‘There’s something to a good “crunch” of a loose stone beneath your feet,’ says Stacilyn Feldman.

‘Heritage gardens encourage you to slow down and savour each moment of the garden. A loose stone is softer on your footbed and has a little give, like wet sand, which slows the cadence of your footsteps. The pleasurable, rhythmic sound made by footsteps in a loose stone pathway adds to the experience.’

The trick is to opt for a subtle shade of stone, to avoid the newly laid area visually jarring with its surroundings and to encourage leafy ground cover to softly blur the edges. Landscape rock and pea gravel, in Arizona a soft grey from Walmart is an attractive but soft neutral shade.

Stacilyn Feldman

Stacilyn Feldman is a Principal at Oehme, van Sweden in Washington, DC. She has designed, managed, and shepherded over a decade’s worth of the firm’s landmark projects including green roofs, urban development, botanic gardens, and residential estates. Stacilyn holds a Bachelors of Landscape Architecture from The Pennsylvania State University.

Showcase weathered walls with classic blooms

Naturally weathered stone or brick walls make an unrivalled backdrop for climbing roses, vines and fan trained fruit trees. Whether you are lucky enough to have long standing boundaries already surrounding your plot or if you have taken care to construct new from salvaged materials, training a flowering plant up and across the surface will always enrich the result.

There are plenty of plant training systems to consider from a grid of tensioned wires – fixed into the surface with a series of metal eyes and wire tensioners – to more decorative timber and fine wire trellis panels. Try the iMeshbean 20 Pack Wall Wire Trellis Kit from Walmart that comes with 98ft stainless steel cable.

When it comes to pairing blooms and surfaces, soft mellow shades of apricot, pink and vanilla, frequently found in old fashioned roses, always work well with pale stone. Accentuate the deep tones found naturally in clay bricks with strong pinks and deep burgundy flowers, clematis and chocolate vine are strong contenders here.

‘Creating a heritage look in your yard is about blending timeless elements of traditional gardens with a sense of nostalgia,’ says Liam Beddall, senior rose consultant at David Austin Roses. ‘Roses, particularly heritage or old-fashioned varieties, have been cherished for centuries.

Heritage roses are the cornerstone of heritage-style gardens, prized for their wonderful fragrance, they also have a more natural, textured appearance compared to modern hybrid varieties, contributing to an authentic historical feel.’

Beside training climbers and rambling plants encouraging plants to grow within the wall’s natural cracks and crags is another nifty way to create the illusion of age. Tumbling creeping jenny – Lysimachia, the wiry maidenhair vine Muehlenbeckia complexa and ethereal Mexican fleabane available from Southern Seeds are all suitable depending on your climate.

Liam Beddall

Liam Beddall, senior rose consultant at David Austin Roses, leads a team providing expert guidance to garden designers, landscapers, and horticultural professionals on incorporating roses into private and public gardens. With an RHS Level 2 qualification and a passion for companion planting, he combines technical knowledge and design expertise to promote biodiversity and thriving garden schemes.

Cherish the splendor of mature trees

Majestic trees are an obvious sign of a well-established garden, a clear reminder of having witnessed many passing years and generations, they can become dearly cherished sentinels of individual plots.

If you are lucky enough to have one or several mature trees in your yard, its worth investing the time in looking after them, not only making sure that they have the breathing space and root spread they need but also to call in tree surgeons to keep them in good shape.

If your garden is lacking these gorgeous statements, don’t despair, knowing how to choose a tree and investing in a mature container grown specimen is easier than you think. Transforming your space immediately, it will add height, form, cast shade and provide shelter no matter which variety you go for.

Depending on where you site it – in the ground or an oversized planter – you can create a stunning focal point that can be dramatically lit at night, enhanced by underplanting with flowering bulbs, tactile ground cover or even frame a favorite bench or eating area.

Knowing how and when to plant trees, plus the tree mistakes to avoid is key to getting good results, along with thorough preparation. Large and unwieldy to manoeuvre, this is definitely a job for two or three people. Take time to decide on your ideal position, assessing the area the tree and its roots will take up when fully grown, plus the shade it will cast.

Once settled, dig a hole the same depth as the rootball, and twice the width. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole, remove any stones before removing the tree from its container. Gently free its outer roots, before lowering it into the planting hole. Ensure the top of the rootball is level with the surrounding soil, and that the tree is vertical, before backfilling. Stake the main trunk to secure and water thoroughly. Try the easy to fit Dewitt Tree Support Stake Kit from Nature Hills.

Tips to mellow wooden furniture

Elegantly crafted timber seating has long played an important role in historical gardens. Providing a place to sit and linger, surrounded by seasonal blooms, they are an invaluable feature not only to experience and enjoy but as shapely focal point too.

There are plenty of historically inspired garden designs that are still replicated today. From the graceful, curved back of a Lutyens bench to the distinctive silhouette of an Adirondack chair, there are plenty of options out there. We like the look of these traditional benches from Walmart.

There are a number of tricks to age and weather a new bench, including sanding down corners, arm rests and seat edges for a naturally worn look, applying a timber stain to key areas before rubbing areas of it away to layering contrasting paint colours that can be scratched into with sandpaper or a wire brush.

Repeatedly knocking the timber with a bag of loose nails or screws will create a worn, dented surface, adding to the illusion of years of wear and tear.

Leaving timber furniture to weather and silver naturally, will take time and it is possible to encourage lichen and algae to take hold too. Thriving in typically damp, wooded areas, if you place your furniture nearby chances are that these fascinating growths will naturally take hold of the surface. There’s much discussion of painting the surface with yogurt to accelerate the process but professional opinion and success rate is divided.

Nurture heirloom plant varieties

Selecting and growing heirloom varieties of fruit, veg and flowers is an effective and fascinating way to bring some instant old-fashioned charm into your yard.

Depending on your plot’s aspect, climate, soil along with your own personal preference you can discover attractive and often unusual plants to grow, often with their own intriguing backstory too.

Roses are a classic choice for gardeners seeking vintage elegance, and many of the older varieties have a delightful fragrance too. Liam Beddall, rose consultant at David Austing roses suggests to, ‘Opt for varieties like the Constance Spry, which is an English rose, old-fashioned roses like the Mme Hardy or climbing roses such as Etoile de Hollande for height and abundance.’

Aster, calendula, poppies and salvia are all classic cottage garden flowers that have been grown for generations. With many heirloom varieties to choose from you can be guaranteed of a spectacular show. We love Burpee's selection of cosmos seeds for its varied color palette.

Curate long herbaceous borders

Borrow from some of the great English period gardens and introduce a deep herbaceous border or two into your yard. Perfect for edging a lawn, terrace or driveway the densely planted borders offer a successional display of blooms from spring through to fall.

‘Great perennial borders are a key element of heritage gardens and playing with scale, color and texture will keep your eye moving and guide you along the way,’ says Stacilyn Feldman Principal OEHME, van Sweden. ‘Soft, breezy textures of plants (Gaura, lavender, Salvia) should billow over structural bones of the garden, such as Boxwood hedges or Yews.

These “bones” should be clean, crisp and symmetrical. Consider the scale and size of your plants. Play with the abnormal and otherworldly forms of tall-flowered plants (Allium, Anemone) against large, leafed beauties (Rodgersia, Fatsia, Rhododendron).’

Showcase ornamental focal points

No heritage garden would be complete without an array of carefully chosen features or antiquities. Placed at strategic points around the garden, where borders, hedges, pathways and paving all amplify their presence, they hint at past travels and generations and underline a garden’s individual appeal.

Tiered stone fountains, pairs of urns on top of stone plinths and stone cast balustrading all add a timeless feel and can be sourced through salvage yards or bought new as cast or composite stone.

Larger plots can benefit from more majestic features such as follies, gazebos, arbours and pergolas. Position them where they can be most obviously appreciated – at the end of symmetrical long borders, on the top of a hill or framed by mature trees.

Positioning historically inspired garden structures so they are reflected in water is another much practised landscaping tip. Reminiscent of the 18^th century landscape movement in Europe, popularised by Capability Brown, it’s a simple way to create year-round grandeur.

Cultivate a mixed shrub border

Although often overlooked today as simply a backdrop to more showy annuals and perennials, shrubs were seen as the backbone of many historical gardens. Popular in the 18^th and 19^th centuries where borders and small areas within a garden were solely devoted to shrubs, these areas often included intertwining pathways to encourage admirers to get up close and personal with these often newly discovered and imported plants.

Bring a touch of vintage glamour to your patch by planning your own shrubbery. Go for a mix of deciduous and evergreen varieties for a year-round display or opt for maximum impact by dedicating a border to a single group of plants.

Acers and maples with their spectacular fall foliage look striking gathered together, while a spring flowering collection of azaleas and rhododendrons put on an electrifying show.

Introduce seasonal highlights

There’s nothing new about creating a seasonal standout moment in your garden. Garden designers and landscape architects have been practising this for centuries and witnessing these features in full blooms proves a truly memorable experience.

From long pergolas covered with cascades of golden laburnum or dreamy violet wisteria, or a vast floral carpet of crocus or snowdrops, they not only impress but improve year upon year. We really like the look of this Blue Moon Wisteria Vine from Nature Hills.

‘Treillage, arbors and gazebos add height and clean lines against the billowy plant forms,’ says Stacilyn. ‘Take these structures to the next level by climbing clematis or Roses on them. Incorporating benches into the structures adds an additional element of surprise and a chance to slow down.’ Check out our best climbing plants for more inspiration.

If you love the idea of creating a garden that’s steeped in rich detail, looks well established and that encourages you to linger, then take a close look at the design ideas behind the Bridgerton garden and peek inside the British royal family’s most beautiful gardens.