The Best Flowers for Creating a Victorian-Style Garden

A Victorian-style garden evokes a sense of romanticism, elegance, and careful design, often showcasing lush, colorful, and highly fragrant blooms. Inspired by the extravagant tastes of the Victorian era, these gardens are characterized by intricate patterns, winding paths, ornate structures, and a wide array of plants that reflect the period’s fascination with nature and horticulture. To achieve a Victorian garden aesthetic, selecting the right flowers is crucial. Below is a list of some of the best flowers for creating a Victorian-style garden, capturing both the charm and the elaborate nature of that era.

1. Roses

Roses are quintessential to any Victorian garden. During the Victorian era, roses symbolized beauty, love, and sometimes mystery, making them a favorite choice among gardeners. These flowers often appear in a variety of colors, including deep reds, whites, pinks, and even yellow. For a true Victorian feel, opt for varieties like English Roses and Old-Fashioned Roses, which have a rich fragrance and lush, full blooms. Climbing roses are also a great addition, perfect for trellises or archways, which were common in Victorian gardens.

2. Peonies

Peonies were highly regarded during the Victorian period for their large, ruffled blossoms and luxurious, often fragrant flowers. These plants thrive in well-drained soil and make an excellent choice for a garden in need of visual impact. Peonies are often planted in borders or used as focal points, thanks to their beautiful, rounded blooms in shades of pink, red, and white. Their stately appearance fits seamlessly into the formality of Victorian garden designs.

3. Lavender

Lavender adds a fragrant and visually appealing element to Victorian gardens. With its lovely purple hues and calming scent, lavender was a favorite in Victorian times not only for its aesthetic value but also for its use in medicinal and aromatic purposes. It pairs wonderfully with roses and other cottage-style flowers, making it a versatile and classic choice. Planting lavender along paths or in a sunny corner enhances the romantic and serene atmosphere of the garden.

4. Delphiniums

Delphiniums, with their towering spikes of blue, purple, pink, or white flowers, are another Victorian-era favorite. Known for their impressive height and bold color, delphiniums make an excellent choice for the back of a flower bed or as a striking focal point in a formal garden. Their dramatic presence perfectly suits the grandeur and attention to detail of Victorian gardens. These flowers also attract pollinators, adding life and movement to your garden.

5. Sweet Peas

Sweet peas, with their delicate blooms and intoxicating fragrance, were a must-have in Victorian gardens. These climbing plants were often seen growing on trellises or fences, adding vertical interest and a lovely scent to the garden. Sweet peas come in an array of colors, from soft pastels to more vibrant shades. Their association with the Victorian era also ties into the notion of love, making them a fitting flower for romantic, intimate spaces.

6. Foxgloves

Foxgloves are tall, tubular flowers that make a bold statement in Victorian gardens. Known for their unique appearance and ability to thrive in shaded areas, foxgloves were often planted at the edges of garden paths or as a backdrop to shorter flowers. Their vibrant blooms, which can range from purple to pink, white, and yellow, provide a striking contrast to the softer pastels of other plants. Given their height and architectural form, foxgloves are an ideal choice for creating drama in your garden.

7. Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas were beloved by Victorians for their lush, globe-like flower heads and their ability to produce flowers in varying shades depending on the soil’s acidity. The large blooms of hydrangeas bring a sense of opulence to a Victorian garden, with colors ranging from soft pinks and blues to bold purples and whites. These flowers can be used as hedges or as central features in garden beds. Their long-lasting blooms also make them perfect for the refined aesthetic of a Victorian-style garden.

8. Violets

Violets are a charming and quintessentially Victorian flower, often associated with modesty and modest elegance. Their small, delicate blooms in shades of purple, white, and yellow are ideal for filling in gaps between larger flowers or for creating ground cover in shaded areas. Violets were widely appreciated during the Victorian era for their fragrance, and they were often used in perfumes or as symbols of love and modesty. Their humble nature contrasts beautifully with the grandeur of other blooms in a Victorian garden.

9. Clematis

Clematis, with its showy, star-like blooms, was another popular choice during the Victorian period. These climbing plants can be trained over arbors, trellises, or fences, creating vertical interest and enhancing the structure of the garden. Available in a range of colors from deep purples and reds to whites and pinks, clematis flowers add a layer of elegance and variety to a Victorian garden. Its ability to cascade over structures makes it a perfect plant for creating a sense of depth and movement.

10. Primroses

Primroses are among the earliest flowers to bloom in the spring, making them a welcome addition to a Victorian garden. These low-growing plants produce delicate, bright-colored flowers in shades of yellow, purple, pink, and white. The Victorian love for early spring flowers meant that primroses were often used in the creation of garden borders or as ground cover beneath taller plants. Their soft, pastel hues add a gentle charm to any garden design.

11. Anemones

Anemones, also known as windflowers, were another staple in Victorian gardens. Their simple yet striking flowers come in a variety of colors, including red, purple, white, and blue. Anemones are perfect for creating a naturalistic feel in the garden, and they often bloom in the spring or early summer, filling the garden with vibrant hues. The soft, cup-shaped blooms of the anemone add elegance and a touch of whimsy to the overall design.

12. Pansies

Pansies are another classic Victorian flower, prized for their large, brightly colored blooms that often resemble faces. These flowers thrive in cooler weather and offer a wide range of colors, from soft pastels to bold, vivid hues. Pansies were a favorite among Victorians for their cheerful appearance and for the symbolism they carried. Often used in beds, borders, or containers, pansies create an instant pop of color and are perfect for adding visual interest and depth to the garden.

13. Bergenia

Bergenia, commonly known as “elephant’s ears,” is a perennial plant that was popular in Victorian gardens for its large, glossy leaves and clusters of pink, white, or red flowers. Known for its ability to thrive in shade, it was often used in shaded areas or as ground cover in more formal garden designs. The bold foliage and early spring flowers make bergenia a timeless addition to a Victorian-style garden.

14. Lupins

Lupins are known for their striking spires of flowers that come in colors like purple, pink, red, and white. These perennial flowers were a staple in Victorian gardens, particularly for their ability to create vertical drama and their vivid, attractive blooms. Lupins are best planted in sunny areas and often serve as the centerpiece of flower beds or borders, where their tall spikes can be admired.

15. Wallflowers

Wallflowers, often used to add a touch of brightness to the edges of paths or garden walls, were another favorite flower of the Victorian period. Known for their sweet fragrance and vibrant colors, wallflowers come in shades of yellow, purple, and orange. They thrive in full sun and add an aromatic touch to any Victorian garden, often growing in clusters and spreading across borders or walls, enhancing the overall visual appeal of the garden.

Conclusion

A Victorian garden thrives on variety, symmetry, and the ability to blend color, fragrance, and form into a harmonious design. By selecting flowers that embody the essence of the Victorian era—such as roses, lavender, delphiniums, and sweet peas—you can create a space that feels timeless and romantic. Incorporating these blooms into your garden design will not only evoke the splendor of Victorian gardens but will also give you a lush, colorful space that invites beauty, relaxation, and charm.