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THE HAPPY GARDENER
This is the time of year to pull out the pencil and paper and start laying out your vision of your garden bed or revamping existing ones. Start by walking around your yard picturing different aspects, like what items in your yard that you want to shield like propane tank or air/heating unit. There may be other areas that you want to enhance like a water feature or decorative rock formation. You’ll also want to look out your home’s windows checking out the different views from your deck/patio areas. When drawing plans, sketch in existing trees, fences any other structures that pertain to your area.
Designs begin with Color, Form, Texture and Line
Design Components: Color extends beyond the spectrum of hues – developing light, shade, harmony and composition. Form incorporates a three-dimensional component that reveals objects shapes.
Texture encompasses the overall visual appearance.
Line leads and directs the eye with plants, path and structure.
Consider balance in your garden beds. Your plant material and objects have visual weight, some are tall (tree), square (shrub Boxwood), billowing (Spirea Bridal Veil) and round (Coreopsis). Aim to create an image that is pleasing to your eye. Symmetry is another way of finding balance in your beds. If you are planning beds on each side of a walkway you may want to have matching plant material or planters.
This style will be a formal look. Having both sides of the garden beds equal in terms of matching plant material or objects like planters, arbor or benches.
You’ll need to decide what style of garden bed you prefer. This may already be decided for you with hardscaping already existing around your home.
Water features, rock formation or large existing trees. Do you prefer English, Formal, Cottage, or Rock garden?
Now, the fun part is picking the plant material.
Items to keep in mind when picking plants like sun exposure, maximum height and pollinator’s. (From birds, butterflies and bees, they need all our help and in return, we help ourselves.)
Remember add some artistic flare to your beds.
Plants are great, but adding some interest will create your own style. Adding rock formation for crevices for plant material to pop out of. Old logs that have pockets to place Sedum in to cascade from. Metal or glass artwork. Whatever makes it’s your own.
Happy Gardening!
