Knotty Gardening

Above: Photo © Museum of Garden History.

In the sixteenth century knot gardens became very fashionable at grand country houses.

They were square gardens planted out in a series of geometric, symmetrical patterns.

They were very formal. Sometimes they were planted with labyrinths or mazes too.

They were designed to show that the Tudors had control over nature.

The picture above is of the knot garden at the Museum of Garden History in Lambeth.

Why don't you get in the Tudor spirit and create a knot garden of your own - in miniature?

You will need:

A large tray. Some thin card. Some soil. A packet of cress seeds. Paper and pencil.

• Spread damp soil onto the tray, patting it down so that it's firm.
• Plan a simple knot pattern on a piece of paper.
• When you're happy with your design, copy it onto the card
• Cut out the hedges carefully, leaving the card to be the pathways. (This is the tricky bit, so try to keep it simple!)
• Now lay your card template on top of the soil, press it down and plant the cress seeds all over the rest of the tray.
• Once your cress has started growing, lift the card carefully off and watch your knot garden appear!