In Horticulture, What is a Walled Garden?

A walled garden is a formal style of garden surrounded by high walls. The walled garden is one of the oldest styles of garden in the world, dating back to ancient Persian times, though the style became incredibly popular in Victorian era England. In literature, walled gardens are often symbols for secrets or ambiguous situations. The traditional practical reason behind a walled garden is debated by horticultural experts. It is commonly claimed that the walls protect plants from inclement weather, particularly in England. However, this is dismissed by some experts for several reasons. First, a wall can only offer protection for a distance twice its height, suggesting that a square walled garden could only be four times as wide as its walls are high. This is rarely the case, even in Queen Victoria’s garden at Windsor Castle, which had 9 ft (2.7 m) walls and a 32 acre span. Additionally, as the style originated in warm climates, it is unlikely their original purpose was to protect from ...  more