Garden needs continuity
My husband has built a cute fenced-in area for my garden; a place where I can be creative and plant or take out whatever I want (he's so sweet). While I love the plant material in my garden, I think the space overall lacks continuity. One mistake I think I've made is only buying 1 of each thing. I might have 2 of the same plant right next to each other for more impact, but I know that repeating certain plants around the garden provides cohesiveness. Any suggestions for ways in which to create continuity in a relatively small garden space?
I think you pretty much answered your own question. 
Plant your 'backbone' before you add your ornaments or at least that is how I think of it.
Pick a plant that is bold in foliage not necessarily flowering, evergreen is best as it will be the structure for all year round then start adding the next level repeating in 3s or5s. Either aim for one amazing show of colour in a particular season or colour of some sort all year round. Try to tie flowering periods together with something like mass planting of just one or two types of bulbs.
Cover your fence in the same climber all the way round.
I picture a living room when doing a small garden. The grass and general greenery is the wallpaper, the structural/backbone plants are the big pieces of furniture and the rest are ornaments.
The climbers could be a patterned wallpaper!
Plant your 'backbone' before you add your ornaments or at least that is how I think of it.
Pick a plant that is bold in foliage not necessarily flowering, evergreen is best as it will be the structure for all year round then start adding the next level repeating in 3s or5s. Either aim for one amazing show of colour in a particular season or colour of some sort all year round. Try to tie flowering periods together with something like mass planting of just one or two types of bulbs.
Cover your fence in the same climber all the way round.
I picture a living room when doing a small garden. The grass and general greenery is the wallpaper, the structural/backbone plants are the big pieces of furniture and the rest are ornaments.
The climbers could be a patterned wallpaper!
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JPlovesflowers
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:36 pm
- Location: Northwest Arkansas
My husband is very anal (sp?) and so has to have absolute balance. This actually works very well most of the time outside as well as inside with just a few exceptions. We have also learned to do everything in odd numbers...3's, 5's, 7's, etc. which works the same in home decor. I have also learned through much reading and research and many mistakes that it is good to have large amounts of color instead of breaking up several different colors. Although I have done both and enjoyed them just because of the color. Hope this helps. I think the most important thing is to have what you love because it will make you happy.
Ditto JP!
Last year we ripped out some rather pathetic rhododendrons in front of our house and had a professional landscaper build a couple of retaining walls and put in new plantings. She is a firm believer of planting in 3s. Basically, stick to odd numbers depending on the size of the plants.
You might want to think about establishing a focal point for your garden. (a shrub, ornamental grasses, statuary, birdbath, bench etc.)
I love throwing together color combinations. I see a lot of yellow/purple or orange/purple now at garden centers. In the Fall I love yellow, oranges and reds. Variations on a color like pinks or purples could be fun.
And don't forget about non-flowering plants. Coleus come in an amazing array of colors that you could experiment with. And you might want to complement some of that color with greenery. I especially love lemony-lime leaf variagations that really pop.
Don't forget ground cover! Some low growing ground cover can be used as a border to define spaces.
Above all, experiment and have fun!
Chris McN
Last year we ripped out some rather pathetic rhododendrons in front of our house and had a professional landscaper build a couple of retaining walls and put in new plantings. She is a firm believer of planting in 3s. Basically, stick to odd numbers depending on the size of the plants.
You might want to think about establishing a focal point for your garden. (a shrub, ornamental grasses, statuary, birdbath, bench etc.)
I love throwing together color combinations. I see a lot of yellow/purple or orange/purple now at garden centers. In the Fall I love yellow, oranges and reds. Variations on a color like pinks or purples could be fun.
And don't forget about non-flowering plants. Coleus come in an amazing array of colors that you could experiment with. And you might want to complement some of that color with greenery. I especially love lemony-lime leaf variagations that really pop.
Don't forget ground cover! Some low growing ground cover can be used as a border to define spaces.
Above all, experiment and have fun!
Chris McN-
MaineDesigner
- Green Thumb
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- Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:17 am
- Location: Midcoast Maine, Zone 5b
There is nothing wrong with the odd numbers guideline but it certainly isn't written in stone. Three of W, three of X, three of Y and three of Z can easily look just as stiff and artificial as groups of two or four. The "right" number depends far more on the gestalt of the entire design and the structure of the individual plants than any formula. While groups of two or four usually do look a bit artificial with greater massing (often a good idea anyway) the even/odd divide soon becomes invisible. The same can be said of "the taller plants go in the back" guideline - a rule made to be broken.
Thank you, MainDesigner! I love that school of thought. I guess I do have a focal point, and it's a corkscrew willow tree right in the middle of the garden. Everything is planted all around, though my walk space is closing in somewhat as I can't help but add a few more things here and there. It's a long, rectangular sized space, planted with lots of purple, blues, red, pinks, yellow and only a couple white.
My plan is to keep the corkscrew tree very controlled. I know they get around 30 feet high, but I want to keep it as a focal point and raise the canopy as much as possible as it grows.
A lot of time, I just plant 1 of something, mainly because my garden is small. I do take the "planting in 3s" into consideration, but most of the time I buy and plant what I have room for.
My plan is to keep the corkscrew tree very controlled. I know they get around 30 feet high, but I want to keep it as a focal point and raise the canopy as much as possible as it grows.
A lot of time, I just plant 1 of something, mainly because my garden is small. I do take the "planting in 3s" into consideration, but most of the time I buy and plant what I have room for.
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NewjerseyTea
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- Location: Piedmont Area, Northern NJ
Hi Gardenmom,
A unifying color (besides the green of leaves) goes a long way to help pull the eye along. Purple is my unifying color until I reach the back shade woodland garden where green and white are dominant. I have a number of distinct small garden rooms divided by types of plants. The front and street gardens are native prairie type gardens with grasses that start with more conventional sweeps of yellow and white daffs under planted with small purple bulbs followed by purple iris. Later in the season purple asters and salvias are evident. The next is an herb garden that includes a lavender hedge and purple columbine and Siberian iris. The transitional part shade garden includes lighter lavender flowers, creeping phlox and wood phlox. The back shade gardens are full of ferns and white flowers with variegated green and white foliage plants.
I certainly have other colors in each garden room but the purple or white hold the flowers together visually. The front gardens are very vibrant with gold and red accents while the back gardens are more pink ,white and rose.
A unifying color (besides the green of leaves) goes a long way to help pull the eye along. Purple is my unifying color until I reach the back shade woodland garden where green and white are dominant. I have a number of distinct small garden rooms divided by types of plants. The front and street gardens are native prairie type gardens with grasses that start with more conventional sweeps of yellow and white daffs under planted with small purple bulbs followed by purple iris. Later in the season purple asters and salvias are evident. The next is an herb garden that includes a lavender hedge and purple columbine and Siberian iris. The transitional part shade garden includes lighter lavender flowers, creeping phlox and wood phlox. The back shade gardens are full of ferns and white flowers with variegated green and white foliage plants.
I certainly have other colors in each garden room but the purple or white hold the flowers together visually. The front gardens are very vibrant with gold and red accents while the back gardens are more pink ,white and rose.
NewJersey suggested what I was going to! A unifying color helps a lot. I tend to stick with blues and purples and white in my backyard, and in my front, red and yellow. I have lots of variety in the back, the front is more plain with the plants being mostly the same (Japanese maple, golden oregano, burgundy loropetalum, red verbena, etc.)
The back is all over the place, and everything blooms at different times so there's always something purple or blue blooming away. There are two yellow plants in there that I sometimes debate on - I have a marigold border that could be switched out for something else, and a patch of black-eyed Susans in the wildflower area.
The back is all over the place, and everything blooms at different times so there's always something purple or blue blooming away. There are two yellow plants in there that I sometimes debate on - I have a marigold border that could be switched out for something else, and a patch of black-eyed Susans in the wildflower area.