At its most basic, the formal garden involves a central axis such as a broad expanse of lawn, a pathway, or a door, with identical plantings bordering the axis. This simple concept has been taken to elaborate extremes in the perennial borders found on magnificent estates in England. However, the results are no less spectacular on a small scale. This type of herb-garden has evolved over time from the monastery and manor household gardens of the Middle Ages. Even though herb gardens traditionally have been formal in style, informal gardens are more easily adaptable to the style of modern homes.
Cottage gardens are the most elemental example of an informal garden.
In a cottage garden, all kinds of plants fill the space in a riot of growth. More often, today's informal gardens are tidy borders or beds with curving edges and paths offset by lawn. Theme Gardens Theme gardens provide an outlet for special interests such as growing Chinese herbs, tropical herbs, herbs for a Roman cook might have used, herbs for liqueurs, herbs for magic, herbs based on Culpepper's astrological signs, herbs associated with fairies, herbs for specific ailments, native North American herbs, a particular herb family or genus, biblical herbs, herbs from the works of Chaucer or Shakespeare, or herbs that attract bees and butterflies. Container Gardening Growing herbs in containers is not new. Records show that ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians grew bay, myrtle, and other herbs in clay pots, and the moors of southern Spain used potted herbs lavishly in their courtyards.