From public promenades to scandalous smooches, gardens and parks play a significant role in Shondaland’s series Bridgerton on Netflix.
Not only do these locations offer a backdrop for intimate moments and gossip, they also bring viewers into the Regency Era with their unique visuals.
The Bridgerton story (as laid out in the novels by Julia Quinn) takes place from 1813–1827, overlapping with the Regency Era which spanned from 1811-1820. The Regency era itself was a subperiod of the Georgian era which took place from 1714–1837 and stretched across the lives of five kings – four of whom were named George (including Queen Charlotte’s King George III).
Around the Bridgerton timeframe, two somewhat opposing landscaping and gardening philosophies emerged. One aspired to blend into nature while the other wanted to stand out, and oddly enough they often mixed together during the Regency era.
The Picturesque Style
The picturesque or transition style began slightly before Bridgerton’s Regency era, starting more in the 1790s. But this style of landscaping was trendy during the Georgian era and can be spotted in the show.
In the book English Garden Design, English garden historian and landscape architect, Tom Turner, describes the style as picturesque with a foreground, middleground, and background all working to create a larger picture.
This style focused on creating a landscape that would draw the eye from the terraces right outside the home, to a transitional space like a park, to the background which could be a mountain range, river, or forest in the distance.
“As a park is an appendage of the house, it follows that it should participate of its neatness, and elegance. Nature, in all her great walks of landscape, observes this accommodating rule. She seldom passes abruptly from one mode of scenery to another; but generally connects different species of landscape by some third species, which participates of both.”
William Gilpin, Remarks on Forest Scenery (1791)
Large open spaces with scenic views, water features like ponds and rivers, and architecture are all incorporated in this style.
Humphrey Repton is one of the most notable designers to utilize this style at the time. He prepared around 400 landscape designs throughout the country including designs for castles, cottages, and abbeys.
The Picturesque Style in Bridgerton
(Right) A screenshot from Bridgerton Season 1 shows the Featheringtons at Painshill Park. Netflix.
The picturesque style shows up in Bridgerton occasionally, serving as the backdrop to the ton’s promenades and picnics.
The show uses Painshill Park in Surrey as a representation of a London park. It is here members of the ton socialize, take part in light outdoor recreation, and exchange gossip.
Painshill Park makes an appearance in other historical pieces like Dorian Gray, as well as more modern stories like Black Mirror.
The Gardenesque Style
If you asked a Bridgerton fan to describe a Regency Era garden, they’d likely describe something more in line with the Italian or gardenesque style. While present in the Regency era, it was more popular in the 1830s than the 1820s when Bridgerton takes place.
Where the picturesque style focused on gradually blending with nature, the gardenesque style wanted to stand out from nature.
In English Garden Design, Turner shares how J.C. Loudon came across this style while traveling throughout Europe and later developed the gardenesque style.
“Any creation, to be recognized as a work of art, must be such as can never be mistaken for a work of nature.”
– J. C. Loudon
Did you know? Loudon is credited with popularizing the term and concept of an Arboretum.
Geometric or abstract shapes often served as a base for the garden’s design, creating a clear distinction from the natural backdrop. Victorian planting would later develop and encouraged the use of non-native plants to further that distinction.
In his book, Georgian Gardens, botanist David C. Stuart shares how this style of gardening was popular not only in private gardens, but also in semi-public gardens and pleasure gardens which charge for admission.
Boxwoods and evergreens helped create the sharp geometric shapes in these gardens and bright blooms brought some color to “the season”. Many of these trends continued into the Victorian Era.
Gardenesque Style in Bridgerton
The distinct geometric patterns, evergreens, and colorful blooms of the gardenesque style are very present in the Bridgerton series. The tell-tale boxwoods, topiaries, and vibrant flowers show up at balls, garden parties, and clandestine meetings.
Wrest Park is often used for filming Bridgerton with its 90 acres of French, Dutch, Italian and English style gardens. The historic property represents Aubrey Hall gardens, the country retreat of the Bridgerton family.
Bridgerton-esque locations at the Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden was established in 1859, roughly 30 years after the Regency era and Bridgerton’s timeframe. There is some evidence that the Garden’s founder read and appreciated Loudon’s work which had some influence on the earlier designs of the Garden.
Visitors can still spot a lot of picturesque-style and gardenesque-style influence across the 79 acres. After all, these trends did make their way to the United States and have some influence on landscaping design even today.
The Doris Waters Harris Lichtenstein Victorian District
The Victorian district definitely feels the most like it could be used as a Bridgerton backdrop. The Kresko Family Victorian Garden, Kaeser Memorial Maze, Pincushion Garden all embody the geometrical obsession so prevalent in the gardenesque style.
The Ruth Palmer Blanke Boxwood Garden
The Boxwood Garden is designed to display our outstanding collection of boxwood, which were a staple of the Regency era.
With the unique shapes of neatly trimmed hedges, a handsome open brick courtyard, and pavilion overlooking the garden, we can easily imagine a couple Bridgerton mamas plotting a romantic scheme on here.
The Anne and John Lehmann Rose Garden
There is plenty of open space to promenade and enjoy historic rose species in the Lehmann Rose Garden.
The three levels showcase several water features of aromatic flowering plants including our “Old Garden” Roses developed before the 20th century.
During the Whitaker Music Festival, this is also a popular space for picnicking.
The Knolls
This picturesque landscape provides a scenic vista between the Milles Sculpture Garden and Mausoleum Garden. The Knolls feature slightly undulating topography and artfully-placed clumps of trees and shrubs.
An aerial view of the Knolls area of the Garden demonstrates the picturesque landscaping style that highlight open spaces and blending into nature. Cassidy Moody/ Missouri Botanical Garden.
Created in 1914, this section of the Garden is an example of Repton’s picturesque style impacting landscape and garden designs for decades.
It is a wonderful spot for visitors seeking a solitary, simple setting.
Jessika Eidson | Public Information Officer & unapologetic Bridgerton fan
Thanks to Rebecca Benson of the Peter H. Raven Library for her research assistance on Regency Era gardening and landscaping trends. Thanks to the Peter H. Raven Library for providing access to its rare book collection for this piece.
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