How to Design a Formal Garden with Ornamental Trees

Five ornamental trees for crisp formal garden design — hedges, features and symmetrical avenues.

baydesignficus hilliiformal gardenmagnolia teddy bearoliveornamental treespyrus bradford

Formal gardens depend on symmetry, dense evergreen mass and crisp lines. The wrong species ruins the geometry. The right ones clip into walls, balls and avenues that hold their shape year round.

This is a shortlist of five ornamental trees for designing a formal Australian garden.

The hedging workhorses

Bay and Ficus Hillii are the two formal hedging classics. Bay for slower more deliberate clipping. Ficus Hillii for faster results and bigger boundary walls. Both pleach into formal panels.

Formal magnolia in ornamental garden

The formal feature

Magnolia Teddy Bear holds compact upright pyramids with bronze leaf undersides. Plant in pairs to frame entrances. Olea europaea brings rounded Mediterranean form for central topiary balls.

Formal bay hedge in ornamental garden

The avenue tree

Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford' delivers the most reliably symmetrical form available, with white spring blossom and red autumn colour. Plant in matched pairs along the drive for the classic formal avenue.

Formal Ficus hedge in ornamental garden

Pairing the layers

Bay or Ficus Hillii as the formal boundary. Magnolia Teddy Bear or Olea Manzanillo balls as central features. Bradford Pear as avenue. That's a complete formal ornamental design.

FAQs

How often should I clip formal hedges?
Twice a year minimum. Bay slower, Ficus Hillii faster.

Can these be pleached?
Bay, Ficus Hillii and Magnolia Teddy Bear pleach well.

Will these handle 30°C and above?
All five thrive in Australian summers once established.

Compare at a glance

Cultivar	Height	Width	Form	Foliage	Best if you…
Laurus nobilis Bay Tree	4-8m (can be pruned to desired height)	2-4m	Upright columnar	Aromatic dark green leathery	Formal ornamental gardens needing clipped hedges and topiary balls.
Ficus microcarpa var. hillii Hill's Weeping Fig	3-15m (can be pruned to desired height)	2-8m	Columnar when hedged	Glossy dark green dense	Formal boundary hedges and pleached panels in ornamental gardens.
Magnolia grandiflora 'Teddy Bear' Teddy Bear Magnolia	4-6m	2-3m	Upright pyramidal	Glossy dark green, bronze underside	Formal pairs framing entrances and as ornamental features.
Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford' Bradford Pear	8-12m	5-7m	Symmetrical rounded	Glossy green, brilliant red and purple autumn	Formal avenue planting and ornamental streetscapes.
Olea europaea Olive Tree	4-8m (can be pruned to desired height)	3-5m	Rounded	Silver-green	Formal Mediterranean ornamental gardens with topiary.

1. Laurus nobilis (Bay Tree)

Classic formal hedging and topiary for sophisticated ornamental gardens.

Type: Evergreen tree
Height: 4-8m (can be pruned to desired height)
Width: 2-4m
Growth rate: Slow to moderate
Foliage: Aromatic dark green leathery
Form: Upright columnar
Conditions: Full sun to part shade
Maintenance: Low
Best for: Formal ornamental gardens needing clipped hedges and topiary balls.