Bold combos look better when you keep variety in check and add a quiet backdrop
think drive through naut mi of farming area or desert , where hour after boring time of day the landscape never changes . If you ’re like most of us , you ’d tune out pretty quickly . That ’s because our minds crave alteration . Too many gardens , however , are like one foresightful automobile drive : There ’s not enough variety , not enough to see , and nothing to make us pause and take a closer look . The garden that we find most beguiling are usually those that strike a symmetricalness between bid enough contrast to hold our care but not so much that the scene look rough or to a fault meddlesome .
elusive changes are often just enough to make us take notice . Pairing dissimilar colors or unlike shades is perhaps the most obvious fashion to create contrast , but the shapes of plants and their varying textures also trifle a immense part in making a garden interesting .
The good intelligence is that you do n’t have to be aesthetic to have a knack for creating great plant combos . By only knowing a few ground rule , you ’ll be well on your way to plan a garden that offer a spread for the middle .
Build a Leafy Framework to Show Off Bright Colors
Compared to flowers , foliation has far more staying exponent . If you select the bulk of your plants for their interesting parting , as opposed to their beautiful blooms , your garden will seem better longer . But a leafage - toilsome constitution has another benefit , too . Using abundant foliage gives beds a profuse , full look and prevents color overburden . spicy and cool chromaticity are at their best when used within a leafy green framework . Areas of visually quiet leafage give your eye a good luck so that when you look at an country with vivid color you ’re more centripetal .
When build a framework , study the denseness of the plant you select . Evergreens have a solidity that reads as visual weight . Deciduous trees and shrubs have a light appearance and , therefore , post less ocular weight . To achieve a Libra the Scales between the two , utilise more deciduous plant than evergreens .
Also , remember that movement heightens the contrast between airy and dense plants . Solid shrubs , such as boxwood ( Buxusspp . and cvs . , USDA Hardiness Zones 6–9 ) , play off lightsome , more delicately textured plants , like grasses , which plunge and shake in the breeze while their heavier neighbors remain still . I care to use heavy shape to flank entree or to mark the end of a garden bed . Because solidness reads as weight , however , put these plants carefully to prevent an unbalanced composition . To countervail a long , solid hedge on the left side of a garden , for instance , plant a grouping of equally heavy but differently shaped trees to the rightfield . The idea is to have structure for winter ( usually called the “ bones ” of the garden ) . Then , counterpoint these os with light , ephemeral spring and summertime planting .
Soften Contrast by Grouping Plants with similarities
When arranging plants in a garden , pay as close attention to their commonalities as you do to their conflict . A well - contrive industrial plant compounding take advantage of both . Select a few specific plants and colors — or , better yet , two pair of counterpoint shape , colors , or texture — and repeat them throughout your garden . Frequently using purple as a contrast to yellow , for instance , and sword - shaped leaves as a contrast to around - shaped leaves will install a elusive pattern within your landscape . The contrasting traits help guarantee heart - arrest plant combos , while the repeating keep the overall scene from look chaotic .
As you build compositions , be sure to vary the tiptop and material body of neighboring plants , as well . A good sketch offers something to admire at every level , from the low-spirited ground cover to the in high spirits backdrop . And do n’t just put the shortest plants in front and the tallest in back ; stagger them , as well . This approach not only lets you see all your plants at once but also encourages their unlike form , texture , and colors to mix in a pleasing way . Regardless of whether you ’re pairing dense with airy , big with small , or hot with cool , the motivation is always the same : Contrast is all about showing off your plants ’ best features — because when they look good , so does your overall garden .
Successful Vignettes are All About Balance
The pretty compositionshave contrast — but not too much . This group hits just the right-hand short letter , with each plant life playing an important role . The vignette is harmonious , thanks to the repeat of purple beside sensationalistic and spiky foliage beside rounded leaves , and yet not one plant attend exactly like its neighbor .
1. Rhododendron(Rhododendronspp. and cvs., Zones 5–9)
Contrast : Its rounded leaves counterpoint with the airy , grasslike foliage in the foreground .
Similarity : The geranium and forest smoke bluster a standardised mounding drug abuse .
2. ‘Tycoon’ Siberian iris(Iris sibirica‘Tycoon’, Zones 3–8)
Contrast : Its spiky foliage contrast with the rounded leaves of the rhododendron and geranium , while its empurpled flowers pop beside the yellowish Japanese woodland pasture .
law of similarity : Black mondo pot replicate the foliation chassis and flower color .
3. Hardy geranium(Geranium magnificum, Zones 4–8)
Contrast : Cut leave-taking make it stand out from its neighbor .
Similarity : Its size and pattern resemble that of the Nipponese forest sess , and in early summer , it sports purple blooms , like the iris .
4. ‘Aureola’ Japanese forest grass(Hakonechloa macra‘Aureola’, Zones 5–9)
Contrast : Its golden - colored leaves reckon even brighter next to the disgraceful mondo pot and the purple - flowering geranium and iris .
Similarity : The iris and black mondo grass partake the same spiky texture .
5. Black mondo grass(Ophiopogon planiscapus‘Nigrescens’, Zones 6–11)
dividing line : Its dark color pop beside the much bright forest pasture .
law of similarity : The folio reverberate the royal accent mark at its ft and iterate the grassy foliation behind it .
6. ‘Platt’s Black’ brass buttons(Leptinella squalida‘Platt’s Black’, Zones 4–7)
Contrast : The jagged texture of its ferny foliage contrasts with the smooth grassy blade above it .
law of similarity : dark-skinned purple shade on its folio pick up the color of the inglorious mondo pasture .
Sharon Nyenhuis is a garden designer in Sequim , Washington .
Photos : Ann E. Stratton
okay Gardening Recommended Products
A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo
all right Gardening receives a deputation for items purchased through links on this web site , let in Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs .
Get our latest tips , how - to article , and instructional videos sent to your inbox .
sign you up …
Related Articles
An Inspiring Garden Design for Continuous Color
Conifers Should Come First
The Best Ornamental Grasses for the Garden
Revamping the Cottage Style
link up Fine Gardening for a free engaging springy webinar boast Dr. Janna Beckerman , a renowned plant pathologist as well as professor emerita at Purdue University and the ornamental technological managing director …
When I spotted a particular sand dollar cactus ( Astrophytum asterias ) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few months ago , I knew I was in problem . With a delicious coloring material radiation diagram …
When we only prioritize plants we want over plants our landscape needs , each season is take with a never - ending list of chores : pruning , pinching , watering , treating , amending , and fertilizing , with …
Subscribe today and save up to 47%
Video
Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat
You must be heedful when you recruit the backyard of garden designer Jeff Epping — not because you ’re likely to trip on something , but because you might be dive - bombed by a dyad …
4 Midsummer Favorites From a Plant Breeder’s Garden
Episode 181: Plants You Can’t Kill
Episode 180: Plants with Big, Bold Foliage
4 Steps to Remove Invasive Plants in Your Yard
All Access member get more
bless up for afree trialand get access to ALL our regional contentedness , plus the rest of the appendage - only depicted object library .
begin Free Trial
Stagger upright and rounded shapes.Skyward-reaching western sword ferns (Polystichum munitum, Zones 3–8) add extra height and texture to this pathway planting.
Get complete land site access to expert advice , regional content , and more , plus the print magazine .
Start your gratuitous trial
Already a member?access
Stagger upright and rounded shapes.Skyward-reaching western sword ferns (Polystichum munitum, Zones 3–8) add extra height and texture to this pathway planting.
