Gothic gardening may bring thoughts of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Victorian novels, but Gothic garden design simply follows the architectural style predominant in Western Europe  during the twelve and thirteen centuries. The Victorians loved the Gothic style and revived it. It is this Victorian Gothic revival style that we are most familiar with and that we can use to our advantage to create gardens of mystery and serenity. For many years I have had a fascination with black flowers and I have build up quite a collection of beautiful and sometimes rare black flowers. Here are some of my favourites.

• Black calla Lily (Zanthedescia iliotiana ‘Sprengil’) – Part of the Arum lilly genus, this beautiful challise shaped flower is popular as an indoor plant but will grow equally well in your garden.
• Black Petunia (Petunia x hybrid ‘Black Velvet) – The velvet textured black petals of this is an exotic addition to your Gothic garden.
• Black Pansy (Viola x wittrockiana) – Black Pansies and Violas are widely available. Perhaps the best thing about pansies is that, under the right conditions, notably fairly cool temperatures, moist soil and decent light, they’ll bloom from early autumn until early summer. 
• Black Anthirium (Anthurium watermaliense) – Glossy dark green leaves and spectacular deep red flowers make this plant a great indoor addition. Even though they are slightly cold sensitive, they will do well on shaded patios and protected shady garden areas.
• Black Bat Flower (Tacca chantrieri) – This rare exquisite plant with large bat shaped flowers are found in the forests of South-East Asia. A few years back I manage to source to seeds of which one germinated after six months. I have been keeping it indoors in a high light area and a few months back I had my first flower. It was definitely worth the wait.

A Gothic garden might not be everybody’s cup of tea but elements of Gothic style can effectively be used to create secret corners and special places in your garden, displaying those hidden and often rare gems.