When I first began gardening as a kid, I was a fan of packing as many different kinds of plants in one bed as possible. At the time I thought that it would be really cool to see all the different flowers and colors mixed together. However, when you stood and looked at the flower bed from a short distance, it was easy to see that this design strategy was a hot mess. It looked like nature had vomited up flowers. The bed looked messy and unorganized, there were no focal points and the bed lacked symmetry.
Now, I'm not saying that every flower bed has to feature a formal, Royal Garden-esque look. In fact, several of my perennial beds are quite messy and mixed up. Those beds are in the backyard though. When its the first thing you see as you walk up to the door of a house, a flower bed should have three key elements:
1). Size-based planting e.g. tall plants in back and shorter plants in front, not mixed.
2). A unifying element, e.g. different plants of the same color, or type in one bed.
3). Repetition (or using the same exact plant multiple times), e.g. having a border comprised of one specific kind and color of plant.
In recent years I have tried various designs that approximated these elements but did not follow them precisely. Every year I was dissatisfied with the results and would tear everything out and try again. It was only when I stuck to these principles that I found the design pleasing to the eye.
In my front yard for example, there is one bed that is a mix of tall and short perennials (tall in back, short in front), with a border of Plum Pudding Heuchera. This ties into a neighboring bed, also bordered by the same type of Heuchera. This other bed's unifying theme is color. All the plants in there are either purple, silver or gold (I have several beds with this color scheme). Ultimately, the more I keep to one color scheme, and repeatedly use the same plants throughout the landscape, the more appealing and organized it looks. The landscape in the front of a house does a lot to enhance the curb appeal of the home.
Following the above strategies actually makes it easier to select and arrange plants when landscaping your home. If you have a choice between two different plants or two of the same, always select the same plants. Ditto if planting flowers. Always, always, plant 14 red geraniums rather than 14 different color geraniums for example. Trust me, the result will make you much happier in the end and you will stress less over which plants to pick.
Now, I'm not saying that every flower bed has to feature a formal, Royal Garden-esque look. In fact, several of my perennial beds are quite messy and mixed up. Those beds are in the backyard though. When its the first thing you see as you walk up to the door of a house, a flower bed should have three key elements:
1). Size-based planting e.g. tall plants in back and shorter plants in front, not mixed.
2). A unifying element, e.g. different plants of the same color, or type in one bed.
3). Repetition (or using the same exact plant multiple times), e.g. having a border comprised of one specific kind and color of plant.
In recent years I have tried various designs that approximated these elements but did not follow them precisely. Every year I was dissatisfied with the results and would tear everything out and try again. It was only when I stuck to these principles that I found the design pleasing to the eye.
In my front yard for example, there is one bed that is a mix of tall and short perennials (tall in back, short in front), with a border of Plum Pudding Heuchera. This ties into a neighboring bed, also bordered by the same type of Heuchera. This other bed's unifying theme is color. All the plants in there are either purple, silver or gold (I have several beds with this color scheme). Ultimately, the more I keep to one color scheme, and repeatedly use the same plants throughout the landscape, the more appealing and organized it looks. The landscape in the front of a house does a lot to enhance the curb appeal of the home.
Following the above strategies actually makes it easier to select and arrange plants when landscaping your home. If you have a choice between two different plants or two of the same, always select the same plants. Ditto if planting flowers. Always, always, plant 14 red geraniums rather than 14 different color geraniums for example. Trust me, the result will make you much happier in the end and you will stress less over which plants to pick.
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