a. Of or relating to the Goths or their language, Germanic; Teutonic. b. Of or relating to the Middle Ages; medieval. c. Of or relating to an architectural style prevalent in western Europe from the 12th through the 15th century and characterized by pointed arches, rib vaulting, and a developing emphasis on verticality and the impression of height. d. Of or relating to an architectural style derived from medieval Gothic. e. Of or relating to painting, sculpture, or other art forms prevalent in northern Europe from the 12th through the 15th century. f. Of or relating to a style of fiction that emphasizes the grotesque, mysterious, and desolate. g. Barbarous; crude. So, from that definition we understand that the gothic style originated in the middle or medieval ages (the 12th to 15th century in Europe). Arches, vaulted ceilings (with buttressed supports) characterized the period, with an emphasis on height and open spaces. The Middle Ages was also popular for decadence in materials such a rich colors (reds and greens) and also materials (sumptuous velvets and brocade stitching). Gothic style also relates to interesting shapes, and one of the most gothic type plants is the gothic iris. So that is a must have in a gothic themed garden. The last definition is that of the grotesque, mysterious and desolate, which is probably what most people think of when they hear the word gothic-cemeteries, and grotesque statues such as gargoyles. Though you don’t have to have tombstones in your garden to make it gothic, a statue such as a gargoyle would compliment a gothic themed garden perfectly. In my opinion, the gothic style is anything but barbarous and crude, I believe it to be elegant and eye catching. Some features necessary in a gothic garden. Since the people of the gothic period were so obsessed with structure and architecture, that should be incorporated into the garden first and foremost, with structural plants-such as the stately white irises as stated before. A large clump of irises positioned in front of a dark brick or cement support wall would certainly stand out. Maybe have an outdoor light focused on the irises and other stately plants so they can be illuminated in the evening. I would also look for plants that have dark, rich colors-like dark reds or purples, that you can find in certain types of plants such as variegated formiums (large spiky plants not unlike yuccas). Another great structural plant that will give a moody, aged and certainly gothic atmosphere to a garden is ivy. You could have ivy growing up a crumbling wall with perhaps arches incorporated in the wall itself -or in the very least 'tremp l'oeil' arches which in french means 'trick of the eye'. Basically, taking an ordinary wall, and hiring a special artist to paint realistic archways that look out onto, lets say, a medieval landscape. Other gothic structural items for a garden would be wrought iron. Maybe have a wrought iron gate as an entry to your garden, or a wrought iron fence with bold curls and spikes which would make a statement in any garden. I would also try to incorporate some kind of height in the garden-as I said before-perhaps with crumbling walls, or maybe a stately water fountain as a focal point in your garden. If you can't afford splash out on a 8 foot giant water fountain, a simple one would do just as well, just to incorporate the trickling sound of water that can be heard throughout the garden, and give a peaceful, 'back to nature' atmosphere. We don’t want the garden to be cluttered with too many gothic features however, as openness itself was a feature of the Gothic period. If you don’t want your garden to be surrounded by something like wrought iron fencing that won't give you much privacy or security, you could incorporate wrought iron arches into the garden which would give a gothic feel, as well as height. Perhaps use the arches for the ivy to climb up and over as well. There are certain types of ivy that turn a rich, bright red in the fall, that would add color and an old, neglected and ancient feel (and a gothic one at that) to your garden all year round. As said before, structure was important in the gothic period, so you could incorporate structure into your lawn (or whatever materials you have on the ground). You could make a curved pathway out of pebbles to your seating area that could be placed on a circular stone paved area, and perhaps have a circular or curved lawn area, with plants around the edges to soften the design. You can't have a garden without a place to sit, relax and have a drink! So for a table and chairs set, I would recommend high backed chairs (for that stately, medieval feel) wrought iron again if you can find them, with a simple grey or white table with wrought iron legs. I don't think any gothic garden would be complete without the colors black and grey splattered throughout. Whether it is a simple black wrought iron bench, or perhaps a concrete seating area in one corner of your garden, or arbor painted black at the back and center of your yard. I wouldn’t go overboard with the black, as this is still a garden, not solitary confinement. You do want color in a garden as well, just perhaps darker shades such as blues and purples and dark reds and greens. Make room for shade loving plants under trees, and introduce scented plants such as lavender and geranium, that also bring more color to the garden. And of course the white lily, would be a stark contrast in all the gothic gloom. A couple of wall sconces, that you can fix to the side of a shed that could either be electrical or a torch style with actual flames would be a great accessory to your completed garden. So let’s recap, with our Gothic Garden Shopping List. Some items you might want to invest in. Wrought Iron either for arches, arbor/sitting area as in a bench, a wrought iron gate, or perhaps section of fencing. Structural plants such as large red formiums (that are red and green combined), different varieties of ivy's, large leafed, low growing plants, irises. Dark colored plants- purples, blues, reds, and greens. Maybe even different textured plants such as the soft and silvery leafed 'Lamb's Ears', or other such silver leafed plants that add a unique color not often seen in many gardens. Don't forget scented plants as well! Astilbies and geraniums are nice scented plants, and roses are quite gothic as well, which of course, come in rich reds and have a lovely scent. Remember to get a variety of plants that bring color to the garden all year round, and they don't all have to be flowering plants either. Height features- fountains or statues (gargoyles or dragons are good for this). Get a bricklayer to make an old crumbling brick wall. Wrought iron arches- are nice for all climbing plants, not just ivy. Or arbors. Check out your local garden centers, and stone reclamation centers for statues. Sound: During the 12th to 15th century, people obviously were not as technological as they are today so it was a very nature based society, and this is where a water fountain comes in to add that ‘back to nature’ feel. It could be a gothic wall fountain such as a Lions Head that spouts water into a basin below it. It doesn’t have to be very big either. $50 should buy you a decent sized fountain in a variety of styles. Structural overall area: if you can’t incorporate arches all over the place, incorporate curves such as curved pebbled pathways and lawn areas. Soften the borders with plants to your liking. Sitting area: you could go for a concrete or cement table and chair set, as that is very gothic, but I don’t think it would be too comfortable. I'd invest in tall wrought iron chairs, and perhaps get a rich dark red (and water resistant!) cushions to go over top. Comfy, luxurious and practical all in one. And don't forget a circular paved area for your table and chairs to sit on! Accessories: Wall sconces I think are a must as they are a unique feature to most gardens, not just gothic ones. You could also think about getting a rich colored awning, so that you can entertain underneath it, until all hours of the night, with your wall torches happily burning away. Other types of accessories are pots. Large (either real or fake concrete), dark or light grey in colour with perhaps a Celtic design would be great to plant some of the large structural plants, to use as a focal point in the corner of a deck or some other area. A further accessory may be a medieval type wall hanging (something that is weather resistant, perhaps some kind of metal)to spice up a bare shed or garage wall. The wall hanging could portray some medieval scene from history, or some gothic building or figure. You can check online for things of this sort if you are having trouble finding anything in garden shops. And voila! You have a gothic garden all your own to enjoy.
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