The repetition of evergreens in this border provides order, while giving it a pleasing rhythm and visual cadence.
Build a Better Border
I had to chuckle when Rosemary Alexander, founder and principal of
the English Gardening School at the Chelsea Physic Garden in London,
pointed to a hodgepodge border and called it a "dog's dish." Projected
onto a big screen at a horticulture symposium recently, at nearby Smith College. The offending garden
displayed a chaotic jumble of plants in every hue of the rainbow.
It was no laughing matter, however, when I returned home and began to think about my own
garden in similar disarray. Overgrown plants had splayed and sprawled,
garden thugs had crowed out polite neighbors, and the once harmonizing
color scheme had been run amok with impulse plant purchases.
Like most gardeners, I find my enthusiasm for new plants always
challenges my desire for cohesive design. Yet, like any other task,
creating a stunning border isn't difficult if you keep a few principles
in mind.
In the next few days, I plan to dig out the flower border around my
front porch, amend the soil, and replant the garden -- balancing
elements of order and contrast -- for a more successful outcome.
One of the best ways to establish order is with color. My experience
has taught me three easy color combinations, and the advantages of each.
Monochomatic schemes, created with tints and shades of the same color,
will unify a space and give a small area more impact. Analogous
schemes, such as "hot" combinations of red, orange, and yellow, and
"cool" combinations of purple and blue, create a mood of excitement or
serenity. Contrasting schemes of colors opposite one another on the
color wheel, such as purple and yellow, lend drama, especially when
used in conjunction with a focal point.
Order in the border can also be created with "bones," or structural
plants that give shape to the garden. As a general rule, a quarter of
the plants should maintain their form throughout the year. Shrubs and
small trees do this best, and can also be useful in carrying out color
schemes. Remember, flowers are fleeting.
Accent plants, with foliage or flowers that are larger or darker in
color, also create order by giving the eye a place to rest. For
additional punch, clustered several plants together, then repeat the
clusters to give the border pleasing rhythm and visual cadence.
Contrast, on the other hand, keeps things interesting. A border of
bigleaf hydrangeas would be spectacular when it bloomed in May, but
dull as dishwater the rest of the year. Selecting plants with different
forms, textures, and bloom times will ensure year-round beauty.
Look for some plants that are tall and erect, some that are round or
weeping, and some that hug the ground. Then layer the plants, arranging
them by height, with the lowest in front and the tallest in back. But,
be sure and make an exception or two, introducing an element of
surprise and breaking the monotony of pattern.
Too often, borders are filled with plants with small or medium textured
foliage. For extra zing, add plants with big leaves, such as cannas or
caladiums.
Another common mistake is to focus on a single season, usually summer.
Allow the border to evolve with plants that bloom throughout the year,
from spring bulbs to fall grasses. Add to longevity of the display by
choosing plants with multi-season interest whenever possible.
What does this mean in my own garden?
I'll be reviving and refining a hot pink and bold yellow color scheme,
accented with burgundy and chartreuse foliage. In time, the variegated
leaves of canna will tower over rounded mounds of multi-hued lantana
and clumps of pink cone flowers, while golden creeping oregano and 'Ace
of Spades' potato vine creep over the ground.
Flanked by evergreen shrubs, spring-flowering daffodils will give way
to crinum lilies and summer perennials. Late season interest will
created by burgundy spears of New Zealand flax mixing among colorful
sun coleus, and the vibrant blooms of dahlias and salvias.
And all those extra plants? They'll either find a more appropriate home
in the garden, or be potted and sold at the Ware Garden Club spring
plant sale.
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