One way to think about creating your garden is to compare it to a musical. The bones give it the beat or rhythm that you can tap your foot to throughout the seasons. You're familiar with the phrase, "This house has good bones." Like a home, a garden must also have "bones" that provide structure through all four seasons. Fall and winter are the best time for the gardener to assess and reevaluate gardens and landscapes. Would adding some boulders or a stone bench balance your front garden in the months when flowers aren't blooming? Do you have enough shrubs and trees to serve as the bones of your garden through all seasons? If not, fall is the perfect time to plant them so their roots can spread and establish. Does your garden contain plants that stand out in the fall? Does your large perennial bed contain a balanced variety of bloom color, height, texture, and shape? Have you transplanted flowers which are hidden, or were planted in the wrong spot? These are a small sample of the questions we should ask ourselves this time of year. Each landscape is dynamic, ever changing, and transforming. Plants and bulbs will multiply. Shrubs and trees sometimes exceed our growth expectations in a few seasons. Reevaluation in the fall is the way the most successful gardeners keep tabs on their outdoor spaces. So walk around outside, take photos, and make notes in your garden journal. Set yourself electronic reminders for when to tackle these tasks. Why are the bones of the garden important? They provide structure, dimension, and foundation for the rest of the plantings on your property. Bones offer winter interest and can be living like a hedge or inanimate like an arbor, fence or gate. Bones are the first design element to consider when updating or starting from scratch. For those who live in climates with all four seasons, it is worth considering what your garden looks like when deciduous plants have lost their leaves. It is best to evaluate the bones of your garden when all the flowers have faded and plants have dropped their autumn leaves. Views from within the house and those seen by the public are especially important. Southern gardeners also benefit from starting with a strong backdrop to support the continuous seasons of flowers and greenery. Bones of a garden include structure, rhythm and winter interest. They serve as the backdrop for the landscape. Without good bones, a garden looks like a sloppy, hodgepodge collection; the result is unpleasant on the eyes. Even perennial and casual country gardens have bones. Purposefully including garden structure gives the gardener the luxury to splurge purchase a favorite plant without creating a mismatched landscape. One way to think about creating your garden is to compare it to a musical. The bones give it the beat or rhythm that you can tap your foot to throughout the seasons. Certain plants dance in the chorus line and during the various acts, star performers take center stage. Some plants, like those with a beautiful voice, command more attention than others, like the color yellow or variegated foliage. In the winter, the star performers are the bones of the garden.
If you prefer a gray- green color theme, use the varied sized blue spruces. Iseli fastigiate is tall and narrow, globe type is lower and round. Pancake or Bowling ball (cypress) offer a shrub layer. Heuchera leaves have all- season silver interest. Special note about variegated foliage: for example, Daphne, boxwood, certain iris, and others. Use these unique plants with interesting foliage as focal points or place in areas to attract attention. Too much variegation looks busy and fussy. Variegation also does not show up well against light- colored backgrounds, such as pale stone, white or vanilla- colored brick, light siding, and white fences. With some thought and planning, using color to offer structure is easier than you might think. Texture is another way to create rhythm and bones. For example, if you are a collector of daylilies, ornamental grasses, hydrangeas, or camellia, you can provide rhythm by repeating your collection throughout the landscape. Then mix in contrasting foliage to make your favorite plants pop. For example, for grasses or daylilies, add oakleaf hydrangea or other large-leaved plants, or strongly structured evergreens.
Perennial, English or Cottage Gardens While all landscapes benefit from having a strong foundation, it is even more critical for perennial, English or cottage gardens. Without structure or rhythm, these areas may look weedy and hodgepodge. There are a couple of ways to create rhythm. First, you can use evergreens or structural elements like trellises or obelisks and repeat them within the bed. Second, plant larger structural herbaceous perennials like ornamental grasses, baptisia, peony, or cohosh or large hostas and repeat like you would a shrub. Then add your favorite perennials in between. Another option is to create groupings. Each grouping would include 4-6 plants, one for each season: early spring, late spring, early summer, late summer, fall, and winter. Repeat these groupings throughout the planting beds. Perennials tend to only bloom for 2-3 weeks, so varying seasonal bloom time ensures color and visual interest throughout the year. Final Thoughts When creating or evaluating your existing landscape, the first step is to evaluate its bones. Do you have too many star performers stealing the stage? Is there one season when your garden appears flat and one-dimensional and could benefit by adding the height of a flowering tree or tall evergreens? What does your landscape look like in the winter? What is creating a beat? Is it color? Evergreens? Hardscape? Keep views in mind as you evaluate the landscape. In a front yard where traffic may travel quickly, use bold statements of rhythm with strong color or structural evergreens. For informal gardens, or gardens experienced while strolling or meandering along a path, you have the opportunity to use more subtle forms of structure, like groupings of perennials. Remember that creating the bones of your landscape doesn’t have to be the repetition of a tightly sheared, round boxwood. There are infinite ways to achieve good bones in your own garden. Each method is a chance to infuse the landscape with your personal style and creativity. What makes a garden unique, special, and stunning? Selectively choosing a statement piece. Adding a distinct feature to your outdoor space shares a piece of the gardener's personality and offers visual pleasure. Statement pieces are special and make an impact. Create a statement by introducing into your garden: fire and light, sculpture, a unique garden gate, wall art, bold umbrellas and rugs, or a mass planting of uniquely paired annuals. Take note that too many features make the landscape appear busy and messy. Choose wisely and place in strategic locations. Use them like a period or exclamation point at the end of a sentence. A sculpture at the end of a garden bed or near a door draws the eye and offers a hint of what to expect within the garden space. Statement pieces attract attention and allow the eye to pause and rest, so never place focal points near an eyesore like a gas meter, trash can, or A/C unit. Instead, place them for a strategic view from the house --like a kitchen window, near an outdoor seating area, close to a front door, or framed by an arbor. Have fun and experiment. Fire and Light Fire dances in the shadows of evening and warms the view as well as the space on a cool night. Fire pits don't have to look like a camp site. Unique lights and fire balls extend their function by not only serving as a daytime sculpture but accenting a dark space at night. Sculpture Sculpture placed on an empty wall or in a garden bed can be whimsical or artistic. This is an opportunity to put your personal stamp on your outdoor space. It can be a small surprise only discovered while walking on a garden path or something more bold like a decorative metal screen. Garden Gate Garden gates mark the entrance to a garden space. They create a curiosity to explore what is beyond. Some gates are more transparent than others offering a brief glimpse into a garden. Others are opaque and give off the vibe of 'privacy only'. Most gates viewed from the front of the house compliment the architecture of the home, while gates within a back yard garden are more informal and whimsical. Wall Art Whether living or not, wall art visually anchors an outdoor entertainment area, fills a drab wall or fence, and can serve as a focal point. Bold Umbrellas and Rugs Umbrellas and statement rugs add color to an urban space that doesn't have much green space for plants. Umbrellas give visual privacy from onlookers who live uphill from your home or from apartment dwellers viewing down on your space. Umbrellas, of course, provide shade for your outdoor space and your planters and pots. If you have an old deck or plain concrete patio, add personality and define a space...especially for sprawling decks. Rugs can help carve out the dining space from a seating area. Water Moving water serves many purposes in a garden. Splashing and bubbling adds white noise and buffers traffic and neighborhood sounds. The movement is relaxing and offers a place for the eye to rest. In the evening light dances on it's surface, adding interest to an evening landscape. Finally, sweet little birds might stop by for a refreshing drink or a cooling dip. Mass Planting Choosing unique colors and mass planting in pots or garden beds will draw attention. It is a fun way to add a statement and to experiment seasonally with a variety of plants and colors. If you are the type of person who likes to spice up a space, this might be an inexpensive way to add fun and visual impact. Even if you don't have a lot of planting beds, unique pots and plants serve the same purpose. Remember that incorporating one of these elements in your garden is enough to make a statement. Though it may be tempting, adding too many bold elements overwhelms the senses. A garden should offer respite. "Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace."
May Sarton, poet Now that you’ve evaluated your site and put some thought into your needs, what’s next?
The floor can be divided into rooms and halls (paths).
This two-part blog lays the “groundwork” for you to plan your very own Garden Room. Don’t be surprised if it becomes the favorite room in your house! Check out more garden rooms and their elements on Pinterest. There are so many pictures I want to share!
We've all seen them in Better Homes & Garden, Fine Gardening, Arboretums, Garden Tours -- "Garden Rooms." If creating a garden space seems complex, we can simplify it by examining the landscape and considering it as an extension of your indoor living space. Evaluate your landscape as if it is a room in your home. Outdoor garden areas aren’t complicated to create as long as you follow a few basic guidelines. If you consider these guidelines, you'll be well on your way to visualizing your own space. Big or small....reflective or public....all share these basic elements of design:
Before you purchase anything for your outdoor space, step back and assess your site and your needs. A summary of these will serve as your touchstone. As you plan your garden room, continue to revisit the answers to the questions below to ensure you are headed down the right path. This will save you from disappointment, as well as wasted time and money.
The thought and planning you invest in designing your garden room will pay you dividends for years to come. In Part Two, we narrow the focus to concentrate on selecting the most appropriate materials to suit your individual needs. At the end of the day, you’ll get the most use of your garden room if you make all the parts of the space work for you! Check back in two weeks for part two.
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AuthorsGwen Wisniewski: Landscape and Garden Designer. Contact me. Let me help you integrate these garden inspirations. Choose the links below to find out more about my landscape design service or to make an appointment. |