Scabiousa 'Beaujolais Bonnets'
I've been thinking about garden design a lot lately. One of the secrets to a cohesive design is to repeat plants or elements. I have trouble with repetition. I just don't seem to be able to restrain myself to use the same plant all over the garden, when there are so many fantastic plants out there that I could be growing.
These two above are reversed in order. On the left is June, on the right is May.
from left: midsummer, September, October
Then there is the current advice to plant in large sweeps of a single plant. Here at Squirrelhaven, we call that the lawn. The only sweeping I do is with a broom. The thing is, the large sweep looks terrific during its season of interest, but what happens when it's out of bloom? Usually, it's a big blob of yawn. (Plus there's that monoculture concern.) I can see how a large sweep of some sort of ornamental grass could work if it were interplanted with spring-flowering bulbs. But even then, grass, grass & grass just doesn't attract the pollinators like blooms, blooms & more blooms. Mixing it up means I always have something interesting going on, even if it's not a wide sweep of it. Gertrude Jekyll may have advocated large drifts of a single plant, but she also had borders that were just for spring interest, and others that were for fall interest. I don't have that much land, and all of it is fairly visible from the house. It's got to look interesting all the time.
Here is the Hellebore bed from March through October.
above left, just after clearing the old foliage, above right, April
above left, just after clearing the old foliage, above right, April
These two above are reversed in order. On the left is June, on the right is May.
from left: midsummer, September, October
Would I be happier if I had a more limited palette of plants? And which ones should I cut out? There's only one Actaea simplex 'James Compton' in there, but I'd hate to be without it because of its wonderful scent.
But instead of only one, there should be at least three of them. I tried that in another part of the garden, but only one bloomed, and then dwindled, while the other two have never bloomed. This is the place where I have got a thriving plant that has bloomed for several years now. But clearly, there isn't room for three of them there, unless I remove something else. I feel like Mozart, being told there are too many notes.
But instead of only one, there should be at least three of them. I tried that in another part of the garden, but only one bloomed, and then dwindled, while the other two have never bloomed. This is the place where I have got a thriving plant that has bloomed for several years now. But clearly, there isn't room for three of them there, unless I remove something else. I feel like Mozart, being told there are too many notes.
I garden in reality, a plot of earth that has too many thirsty tree roots, on a slope that drains too quickly. In the shade, these are very challenging conditions. The intensity and quality of the light varies greatly within just a small area. I can't just draw a design that looks great on paper, it has to function in my garden, with plants that don't always behave as expected. Designers would probably advise me to stop fighting the conditions and simply mass pots, or put in hardscaping. Never! (Where would I store all these containers over the winter, or am I to be limited to plants hardy in Zone 3*?) I think I've found a solution I can live with, which I will describe in a later post.
*To survive, perennials in containers that will remain outside all winter, must be hardy to at least two Zones colder than the Zone of the garden.
29 comments:
So you don't do many annuals? I see what you are saying and your backyard looks beautiful. Healthy. You could have some hanging basket color of sweeping consistency and vines that changed color through the season like that Fenway Park that Helen raves about.
You can also add out of season color with colored pots in the same color and then bird bath same color and some of your welded pieces--etc...Doesn't always have to be plant material to create the sweeping color. even a fence can do it. or a bench. A statue....love your arbor.
So I would just trim up what you have and add some wow annuals that give you a lot of bang for the buck.
It sounds like to me you're happy with what you've got (and it is lovely) so the heck with what others say, do what you love. I'm looking forward to hearing what your solution is though.
Maybe it's the time of year, MMD, but I have been doing the same kind of soul searching. Maybe it's looking at the magazines and books that show those sweeps of one plant. But dang it, we like to collect plants, always bringing home something new, one of it, then searching for a spot where it will grow. That is so not design. What is the answer? I look to you. :-)
Frances
I have been struggling with some of these same issues for a couple of years now. I am very interesting in your solution. Thanks for the perennial container tips!
interested!
This is great, and exactly the same stuff I've been struggling with, especially after joining the ranks of the garden bloggers and reading about what everyone else is doing (or says I *should* be doing!). But my lot is 37.5 feet wide and I preserve a lot of space for the dogs, so I don't have room for sweeps of single varieties, lovely as they would be. Plus, I'm a compulsive collector, and a cheapskate! I'll spend $15 to try out a new perennial but $45 for three that might not survive? No way. As it turns out, though, I do have a fair number of coneflowers that serve as a unifying look in summer. That was purely accidental because they reseed like crazy, but I'll happily take credit for it!
Can't wait to hear what you have to say next.
I think the purpose of a garden is to please its owner, and design rules are good if you're looking for guidance. But if you already have plenty of constraints, then don't worry about the rules too much. After studying landscape design in college, I felt a bit superior to the humble gardeners who didn't have a clue about unity or rhythm. But now that I have my own garden, I understand that experimenting, learning by trial and error, and finding a place for all those plants I love is more fun for me than planting a perfectly arranged landscape. Maybe landscape designs are best for non-gardeners who don't enjoy the process.
Oh yes, MMD, you took the words right out of my mouth. I love plants and I love lots of plants and I want to have them and cherish them in my garden. But I do crave more unity, and that means a more limited palette. I'm waiting to see which desire wins out. I have a feeling that I'll eventually fall on the side of variety - there are so many wonderful plants and I want them all!
MMD, I love large sweeps, ie the ornamental grasses, but as you say, you must have the space to do that. My guess is that you have that same kind of continuation pattern in your garden with color and textures so that your eye is directed from one area of the garden to the next. The wonderful part is that it's your garden and you have created it according to your likes. ;) Your May photo looks beautiful. Happy gardening, Diana
I understand and share your dilemma. I'll look forward to hearing your ideas. The one thing I know from looking at mine in the aftermath of the big chill is that it needs more plants for structure and winter interest. But if I do that, I'll use up the room for all the flowers I can't live without ...
I also share your dilemma. I am a compulsive plant grower and collector but I do sometimes feel there is a lack of cohesion in my borders but if I go for swathes or repeats I will have to reduce what I grow
A great post MMD. I especially enjoyed the photo of your hellebore bed at the different stages of the year. You seem to have colour and interest in there throughout the seasons whether it's in ones, twos or threes :) Look forward to hearing about your solution in a future post.
Your garden is so beautiful
a loved space...it shows
what more could the earth ask of us
I agreee with the mass plantings..leaves a big hole...
garden with your heart..that's what I say
..but no garden club would have me..so don't listen to me!
I totally appreciate your perspective~~I love plants, especially natives and when I find another one (or two or three) that can stand up to my garden's growing conditions I have to have them. It does make for an interesting collect in the wildflower beds...The Susans' bed is another thing altogether...I've tried to make sure there is plenty of earlier and later blooming plants to fill in when they are gone.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas.
gail
#1...be happy in your garden. I firmly believe that you should do what makes you happy. If you are a collector collect. You aren't making a living doing this. Just enjoy it for goodness sakes. If one had acerage then you do mass plantings. I don't think a small space should be limited with few plants. Nope. Not my style anyway. I think your garden is lovely, well maintained and just right for you.
There isn't one right way to garden, or to design a garden. There are fads in gardening, like everything else. And I think there is more than one way to achieve unity in a garden.
Do what works. Great sweeps of one plant in the manner of Van Sweden, need to be done in gardens that have great sweeps of space. Every idea doesn't work in every garden, but it makes for great hype in the media.
Your garden looks beautiful.
You said it so well and I am right on board. Who can plant in sweeps? Design? Yeah, right, plants don't read designs. So many good plants who can stick with a few? Your gardens look wonderful!
I think we were all inspired by the Lurie Garden this spring with its waves of purple salvia. But I haven't seen it in other seasons, so I wonder how dramatic its design is at other times. I have so, so much to learn about design, but I say forget what the experts say! I was so impressed with your garden last May--it's beautiful, and that is all that matters.
Your garden always looks fabulous to me, Barbara. I read what the designers recommend, and that's fine for those who have infinite amounts of time, space, money, and help. We make our gardens happy and lovely, and they work for us. I LOVE the line about the expanse of one type of plant being the lawn. Same here. So we'll just encourage each other...
I'm relatively new to gardening, and still find myself taking great pleasure in each individual flower I manage to grow, almost like children! So I can relate to your problem with repetition and sweeps. Each to their own in their own garden.
OK, here's my opinion: one doesn't need a sweep of anything, or even 3 of anything. There are so many different ways to design an appealing garden that the possibilities are infinite.
I think the only rule in gardening is to plant what makes the gardener happy!
btw your garden looks beautiful.
Your garden is beautiful. You love it. Ergo, it is designed perfectly no matter what the "pundits" say. You have to find a style that works for you and for your space.
As far as the repetition and large sweeps of plants, that works great in an arboretum or on an estate. If you have limited space, and you love lots of variety, then you should have variety. Truly, if you go out in nature and look at the woods, Mother nature loves variety and mixes things up quite eclectically.
Those designers have spent too much time in school learning theory, and they typically work for people who have buckets of money and a staff to take care of whatever the designer planted for them. I take their advice with a couple of large grains of salt. Actually, I take their advice when it suits my style and ignore the rest!
I'll be interested to see what your solution is in the future post.
Your garden is lovely, and it looks sweeping and cohesive. However, I look forward to the post about design. I have the same trouble because I like so many different plants.~~Dee
Ah yes, we are two of a kind. I simply cannot plant wide swaths of the same flower when there are so many choices out there! I agree that a big patch of purple coneflowers would look great, but only for a few weeks. What then? I'm a designers nightmare.
We have to garden with what we have, and sometimes that doesn't conform to official "recommendations." Your entire back garden is beautiful, so who cares if you're not "massing" or "sweeping"? Go with what works!
I agree with other commenters - your photos are lovely and your garden looks quite pulled together to me. I'm a garden designer by trade, and notice that folks often tend towards a fairly strict interpretation of design principles. I'm also a master gardener and when I design for other MGs typically they are looking for a way to reconcile a chaotic plant collection with a calmer, more overall welcoming space.
You don't have to interpret repetition as repeating the same plants - you can repeat flower color, foliage color, create a rhythm via plant scale...there are lots of ways to achieve this.. This takes more skill than just repeating a simple palette, but is much more rewarding for the plant lover who wants tons of plants AND a beautiful garden. If I'm judging your garden right, repetition is less important for you anyway as you appear to have a large lawn acting as a unifier.
As far as massing & planting in drifts goes, my advice is to save that for the more distant parts of the garden where smaller plants are overwhelmed, and focus your onesies on the parts of the garden where you and your visitors spend most of your time, so their upclose beauty can be admired.
Not that you asked for advice, but as VW will tell you, I can't resist a design post. Looking forward to seeing what solutions you come up with.
I very much agree with your post - RESIST all pressure to make 'sweeps' of plants. Don't forget that Mrs Geekle never actually did any gardening herself but merely directed the staff to undertake her instructions. She also lived in a privileged society where they would spend a 'season' in town or go abroad so having gardens dedicated to a particular time of year was all well and good. The english passion for Rhododendrons and Azeleas is partly to do with the gardeners at big houses needing to provide a splash of colour at that time of year when people usually went 'down' to the country. Personally I cannot imagine anything more pleasing than the daily discovery of different plants blooming and growing. Too many 'hard' features are exactly that - hard and unchanging. So no monocultures for me either! Y
Anna - that's where I'm heading, color as a unifier in the garden. I use annuals more in the sunny garden, but there aren't that many annuals that do well in shade, and Impatiens don't like my dry soil.
VW - your words bring me great comfort.
Susan Morrison - Thanks for the advice. I may not have asked directly, but I'm always looking for suggestions and ways to improve that I might not have thought about. And yes, the lawn serves the function of smooth calm to balance the chaos of the beds.
Yvonne - the daily discoveries, especially in spring, are one of my favorite things about the garden.
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