If you are keen on installing new garden spaces, developing landscape planning is a good start. But don't forget that frames or garden beds are created in 3D. Think of it as a series of layers in space and time - from front to back, from side to side, from season to season. In this article, Savana will let you know how to use layers in the garden.
What Plants Should I Plant in My Garden Beds?
In addition to choosing plants because you like them and they are suitable for your environmental conditions, it is important to consider some key qualities:
- Size
- Seasonal interest
- Texture
- Colour
When you stand in front of an empty big bed, it may be hard to resist the prospect of conceiving all these things. But some basic concepts will make you scroll.
The height and width of plants are the key to good spatial stratification, especially from the front to the back of the bed. General rules (like group photos): short things in the front, medium things in the middle, and high things in the back. So everything is visible. If you have an island bed, the rule is to plant tall plants in the center, and then lower the height when you exercise around. (Note: Before assigning a position on the garden bed, study each plant to understand its mature size.)
But it's OK to relax this strict method! If some plants break the rules, it can make the garden more lively and interesting - some tall plants in the middle, some medium plants in the front. And avoid straight lines. Instead, drift and flora are woven together.
Setting up Layers in Your Garden Beds
Make sure there are some "anchor" plants in each space layer that you know you can rely on (usually shrubs or perennials, with a sense of presence or "weight", multi seasonal interest or evergreen leaves). Even low growing plants, such as "Fireswitch" Dianthus, can be used as anchor plants in front of the boundary. Once you know the backbone plants, start filling them.
A well balanced garden has plenty of plants to support them at any given time, but there is also a quiet space for the eyes to rest. As the growing season goes on, let the plants in and out of the flowers. And purposefully set aside some open space to add new things, rotate seasonal annual plants or stuff some bulbs.
Pay Attention to Flowering Time
Make sure that the plants of each season are represented on the whole bed. But for the best results, you can create a "mini episode" by grouping plants in the same season. Just don't put all the spring knickers on one end of the bed, and put the summer knickers on the other end. And don't feel the pressure of crowding the border, so that everything can be carried out at Mach 10 throughout the growing season.
Consider Color and Texture
The other two factors to achieve a good sense of hierarchy are color and texture. Remember that color and texture blocks have a greater impact on the bed than a jumble of plants. If a plant is naturally large, one may be enough; For smaller plants, use three or more groups depending on the size of the boundary.
Make sure to include blended textures - fine, medium, and bold. A large number of similar textures are interspersed with different things, such as ornamental grass in daisies and salvia miltiorrhiza. Keep in mind that small flowers and fine textures are easier to see at close range, while rough textures should be placed farther away, although this depends on plants (some large plants have fine textures, and some small plants are rough).
The colors are divided into cold colors (purple, blue, green) or warm colors (red, orange, yellow). Because the cool colors "back" and the hot colors "forward", use it to your advantage when layering. For example, a cool color on the back of the border will make it look larger, and a warm color on the back will make it closer.
Using Patterns
The color and texture are echoed from front to back and from one end of the flower bed to the other, making the flower bed cohesive. You can do this by repeating the same plants or using different plants with similar qualities.
The goal of layering is to endow the garden with vitality, harmony, diversity and cohesion.
