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PLANTING DESIGN: TIPS, EXAMPLES, AND IDEAS

Two New Videos on my YouTube Channel This Week

I grow hundreds of plants in my garden. I'm always adding new ones, editing and tweaking the ones that I have, and, in general, working to make my garden pleasing to look at, enjoyable to be in, and fun to watch grow and develop. In this video, I share some thoughts on how I corral my collection of plants to create a unified design.

In the gardens that I create with my clients, we still have a lot of fun with plants but we don't go quite as crazy as I do in my home garden. 😉 The underlying concepts are certainly the same, but the overall plant palette is much more streamlined.

In the work-in-process video below, I walk you through my plant selection process as we refresh a front-yard entry garden.

REPOST FROM LAST WEEK'S MESSAGE: I published the tips below in last week's message, but they are certainly relevant in connection with these two newly-published videos.

• Develop a color palette for your garden and then look for plants within that cohesive range of colors. For instance, I use repeated spots of burgundy, blue, silver, and blue.

• Look for ways to make color connections based on foliage, flower, and accessories and garden ornaments. Repeating plant shape and foliage texture is another way to guide the eye.

• Think twice about bringing home a single plant in an entirely new color scheme. Who will it play with?

• Strike a balance: strive for enough repetition to bind your scene together and enough variation to energize and engage.

• Observe your garden in all seasons; look for gaps that will accommodate small plant additions to use as binders.

• Think in layers—plants can be low and ground-hugging, fill out the mid-plane, create a canopy overhead, or they can climb or cascade down a wall.

• If your garden is small and/or running out of room, focus on the details. For example, add low plants along the edges, tall skinny flowers that mingle politely with their neighbor, and look for ways to add a season of interest to a seasonally-bare spot.

• Placement—mix it up. Avoid placing plants that are too similar right next to each other.

• Be willing to remove plants that aren't performing well or aren't holding your interest any longer.

• Above all: experiment and have fun!

I hope these videos and the tip list above help you discover new and creative connections in your own garden and provide inspiration as you decide what to plant with what.

Until next time!