Planting the right plants on the right place in your garden
The first and most important decision you should take when designing your garden is to plan the various plants you would like to plant in your yard. Planning and planting trees, shrubs, flowers and lawn is a significant process when landscaping your yard and you should take your time to plan everything right. The following advices will help you to pick the right plants and their layout in the garden.
Selecting the right plants makes your garden unique and beautiful
Trees
Rising above shrubs, flowers, herbs, and other smaller plants, trees are the backbone of your landscaped garden. Planting trees will add height and color to your property all the year around but before planting them consider the size of your garden. If your garden is pretty small about 500 m2, you do not have enough space to plant trees such as oak, beech tree, walnut-tree or any other large trees. People often seem to forget that these plants also grow. Use small trees: apple tree, Japanese maple, hawthorn and cypress. Arrange them by the fence and never too close to the house. You may plant some of the trees in odd-numbered groups of three or five depending on the space you have available. Only an exotic tree or a very rare tree could stand alone but not in a central position. Better plant different types of trees to add some diversity to your garden rather than several trees of one type. Do not arrange trees symmetrically and in close distance, consider the trees’ size and shape and most important take a good care of your trees.
Trees add height to your house – imagine the picture below without the trees!
Shrubs
Shrubs are the frame of a garden’s design. Especially shrubs that flower are a vital part of any garden and form its “filling”. You may plant the shrubs in rows, groups or individually but look for asymmetry. There is a great variety of gorgeous shrubs and if you choose them carefully you will have a garden full of colors and texture no mater what the season is. Flowering shrubs can be grown in a shrub border or in a mixed border, meaning they will be mixed with other different plants. The color combination is very important and also the size of the shrubs that will be grown in one group. It is advisable to plant shrubs in contrast colors to get the combination right and it they are grown in groups they should “start” from a tree or from another garden feature. Use your imagination when cutting the shrubs – try different shapes to add a uniqueness of your garden and to express your personality.
Shrubs add color – look for asymmetry when planting shrubs
Evergreen shrubs are perfect for adding year around color to the garden. They should not be a dominant element of your plant composition. Use evergreens to frame interesting architectural details or as hedges in a formal garden. They are also very effective for framing an entrance way. Large evergreen shrubs (laurel, Oregon grape, rhododendron, magnolia) have to be combined with some lower and small-leaved shrubs to achieve a proper balance. Most of the evergreens do not require much sunshine so you may use this advantage and plant them in places where flowering shrubs and perennial flowers do not grow. Do not mix them with roses and seasonal flowers – this combination does not really work.
Climbing and wrapping shrubs differ in that, the first ones climb around walls, trees and stones while the second ones wrap themselves around pipes, beams or other garden structures. Otherwise they look quite similar; both have long stems and grow very fast forming deep foliage.
Vines & Ivy are not wrapping shrubs. Do not waste your time to make them wrap around the beams of your summer house. Climbing vines &ivy can be used on either brick or masonry walls, fences, trellises and other garden structures.
Wrapping shrubs such as wistaria require support such as a trellis or arbor to wrap. They are excellent for pergolas, summer houses, garden lighting and green tunnels.
Flowers
Annual flowers which live for one season require more maintenance and more knowledge. Their blossoms are bright and colorful; they change their density and height and thus require more upkeep to maintain them fresh. Moreover, since they only live for one season, they need be replanted each year. Do not arrange them in rows or in squares. Look for mild, oval shapes and mix different heights and colors but be sure they are of same color group. For instance you may combine yellow, orange and scarlet flowers. The rule ”one blue, one red flower” is out of the question in modern landscaping. Try to arrange them as simply as they are in real nature. It is not advisable to mix annual flowers with potted plants. And mostly avoid long and constant color groups when arranging them.
Perennial flowers form the spine of garden’s plant composition. They are due to decorate the garden as they survive the winter and reemerge each spring. Perennials bloom either early in the spring, during the middle of summer or late in the autumn. When arranging them try to copy the nature and do not plant them in complicated geometric groups. Perennials are ideal for exterior decoration; they match perfectly well to different architectural elements and garden features – rock gardens, ponds, etc.
Group flowers of same color in oval forms
Lawn
A beautiful lawn requires some efforts to be kept fresh and well mowed. Lawn grasses need to be watered thoroughly and deeply thus if you are to water it once in a month better do not waste time and money. The most important thing is to keep it healthy and fresh. You may increase its decorative effect if you choose more unconventional shape for the lawn, irregular oval shape for example. The edge that separates the lawn from the surrounding vegetation should be clearly visible otherwise the effect to your beautifully shaped lawn will not be the same. You may accentuate by placing an interesting tree, a large stone or an exotic bush but central positioning is not advisable.
Do not place benches on the lawn; parasols and some garden furniture could be set over the weekends but do not leave them permanently. In case your lawn has some yellow spots they may need more water and less fertilization. If the grass at the edges is too grown up and it is difficult to reach you may mow it by hand. The lawn’s level should be similar to the surrounding areas or it could slightly dominate.
The lawn requires lots of effort and maintenance
Flowerpots
Flowerpots are not just containers in which flowers are grown; they are an integral part of the aesthetical value of the flowers. It is important that you choose the right flower pots for your needs. Although they vary in shapes and sizes consider the surrounding area and their location first. Small flowerpots in the middle of the lawn would look out of place. The plants requirements are also of great importance – some flowers with small roots would need smaller flowerpots, while other plants like trees or climbing plants need room for their roots so big flowerpots would be more suitable. Plants with dramatic foliage or flowers look better with simple flowerpots. Flowerpots are useful as highlights – you could place two large flowerpots on either side of your front door for striking effect. A beautifully crafted glazed flowerpot in the middle of the yard would catch someone’s attention immediately. Sometimes you do not even need plants in them, the flowerpot speaks for itself. Avoid using flowerpots of different colors and materials unless you are not sure of the final effect. Use the nesting principle – one big flowerpot and four smaller ones surrounding it. If you do not have enough space and your yard is rather small, the a few big flowerpots is better than lots of little one.
