Whether or not you
have a shade problem, there are some basic gardening tips that should be applied to every
garden or landscape design.
Purpose
Garden planning is like structural
design in that one of the first things that needs to be defined is the purpose of each
area. Think of areas in your garden as outdoor rooms. You may have a play area, eating
area, cut flower bed, public garden/entranceway etc… This approach also helps break
what would otherwise seem as an insurmountable gardening project into manageable pieces.
Each year you can start and possibly even finish another "room" of your garden.
The purpose of the garden
area probably will greatly influence the type of plants and hardscaping (gravel, fences,
...) you install. For example, it isn’t wise to plant a thorny plant in a
children’s play area. However, the same plant may be perfect as a barrier around an
area you don’t want people or animals to cross.
When defining the purpose of the area you are
about to landscape consider both the practical and emotional aspects. For example, your
practical purpose may be to stop erosion on a hillside. However, the emotional purpose of
your design may be to attract birds and have plenty of flowers for cutting.
Sometimes it is not always realistic to completely
fulfill both practical and emotional goals. However, if both goals are well understood a
reasonable compromise usually can be achieved. For example, it isn’t realistic to
grow tropical plants in an outdoor garden in the New York City area. However, by using
plants such as Yucca and Indian bean tree (Catalpa), a garden with a tropical feel may be
created.
Theme
Your garden, just like your
house, should have a theme. That isn’t to say that every room in your house or garden
should be identical. Most people would find this boring. However, there should be several
features that are common throughout your house or garden that provide a sense of unity.
For example, if part of your garden gets full sun and another gets partial shade you could
select a few varieties of plants to use throughout your yard that do well in both sun and
part shade, such as: Japanese Silver Grass (Miscanthus sinensis), some varieties of maple
trees (Japanese maple - Acer palmatum, Japanese maple - Acer japonicum Aconitifolium,
coralbark maple - Acer palmatum sango-kaku, paperbark maple - Acer griseum, snakebark
maple - Acer capillipes), and the shrub potentilla. By changing the plants surrounding
your common theme plants you can create different affects and moods in different parts of
your garden.
Your garden’s style should be complimentary
to your house. If you have a contemporary house, your garden shouldn’t be Victorian.
Contemporary houses generally look best with naturalistic gardens. Traditional houses are
well suited to formal garden plans and traditional English perennial gardens.
Oriental style gardens are becoming very popular.
However, it is very difficult for most Americans to create an authentic oriental garden
plan, as many elements of an oriental garden are based on oriental rituals, customs and
history. While you may want your garden to have an oriental influence, I wouldn’t
recommend trying to create an authentic oriental garden, unless you are willing to hire a
landscaper who specializes in this area.
You should also be consistent with the garden
style you select. Don’t make one of your garden rooms oriental, another Victorian and
another naturalistic. Having so many dramatically different styles will give the
impression you don’t know what you like. By changing colors and textures it is
possible to create different moods in your garden, yet still maintain a consistent style.
Structure
Trees and shrubs, in
addition to hardscaping, provide structure to a garden; much the way bones provide animals
structure and form. A large tree trunk or natural rock outcropping visually anchors a
garden and provides a sense of permanence. As the seasons change and the perennial plants
transform, the garden structure (the tree trunk and rocks) remain relatively undaunted.
Nature teaches us that a garden with structure
also has a sense of height and depth, i.e., layers. A forest has layers, the tall oaks
(Quercus) and tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera) provide the canopy or the tallest
layer. Shorter trees such as dogwoods (Cornus) grow under them. Shrubs such as
Rhododendrons grow under the short trees. Grasses and ferns grow under the shrubs. Finally
the remaining soil is covered with mosses and trailing vines and ground cover plants. Even
in a field of wild flowers, the plants have different heights.
Garden structure, or the lack of it, is most
evident in winter, when the eye isn’t as distracted by foliage, flowers and fruits.
The skeleton of the garden is revealed, providing winter interest and beauty. The trunks
and limbs of trees stand like sculpture, contrasting with the fluid motion of the dried
perennials and decorative grasses blowing in the winter wind.
Some gardeners mistakenly believe a garden must be
composed mostly of evergreens to have winter interest. While there are many lovely
evergreen plants, a garden composed entirely of evergreens may look plastic or fake. A
combination of evergreens and deciduous plants frequently is more pleasing. Evergreens
provide the perfect backdrop to show off interesting bark textures and colors, such as
that of paperbark maple (Acer griseum) or red twigged dogwood (Cornus alba). The renowned
landscapers James van Sweden and Wolfgang Oehme typically recommend no more than one-third
of the plants in a landscape design be evergreen.
Contrast
Many people think of
contrast in terms of contrasting color. However, contrast goes far beyond color. It also
applies to the size and shape of flowers, foliage, bark textures, stones and hardscaping.
The most pleasing gardens have a variety of
complementing contrasts. For example, fine cut foliage may be placed next to large bold
leaves, emphasizing their difference. The flat flower heads of yarrow (Achillea)
accentuate spike-shaped flowers, such as red-hot-poker (Kniphofia). Tall, straight, wispy
grasses look dramatic against a background of jagged bare rocks. The old saying,
"Opposites attract" is very true when designing a garden.
One of the best ways to determine if your garden
has good contrast is to take a picture of it using black and white film. In a black and
white picture you are not distracted by color, therefore textural differences are more
noticeable. If your garden looks like a sea of non-distinguishable gray, then you probably
need to add some contrasting shapes to your design.
When selecting plants for your garden consider the
structure and characteristics of the entire plant, not just its’ flowers. Flowers
only last on a plant for a few weeks. The plant’s foliage, its’ trunk and stems
and, its' dried seedpods last through the seasons. Attempt to select a variety of plants
with varying attractive features that transcend the seasons.
Color
Color is very personal
thing. What one person loves another hates. However, there are several rules of thumb
regarding color:
Bright or hot colors (e.g., red, yellow, orange)
make objects look closer. They also tend to create a bright and happy atmosphere.
Subdued colors (e.g., blue, purple, green) make
objects look farther away. They also create a visually cool and calming atmosphere.
Colors from opposite sides of the spectrum (e.g.,
blue and yellow, red and green) are complementary.
White flowers and silver foliage reflect light at
dusk and night, almost appearing to glow at times.
Plants with "clashing" colors frequently
can be planted in close proximately, creating an attractive arrangement, if separated by
lots of green foliage or white flowers. Decorative grasses are good filler plants.
A few red flowers or a red tree or shrub can
become a focal point or accent in a garden where most of the colors are far more muted.
Flower and foliage colors go in and out of vogue,
just like hemlines on women’s dresses. However, just like with clothes, you should be
comfortable and like what you purchase. Remember, your garden is an extension of your
personality and your little haven in this chaotic world.
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