When designing a planting scheme your initial thoughts will probably be adding colour - but you should consider the roles plants play as well. Do you want to screen an unsightly view, for example, or create a focal point?
Once you have decided what part the plants in your garden will play, the next thing you need to look at is structure, texture and form.
Structure
You could use the following planst to add structure to your garden:
Trees and shrubs
Trees for height and shrubs for bulk are the natural choice. Do remember though, that bare branches in winter will give a different feel to your garden than in summer.
Tall-growing flowers
Perennials like delphiniums and Echium pininana and annuals like sunflowers will also give the garden structure. But, unlike trees and shrubs, these plants will not afford the same year-round interest.
Evergreen bamboo
This is another choice for adding structure, and for further interest, grasses will continue to look good if left standing throughout the winter.
Grasses
Not only do grasses give structure, they can also give colour - Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’ has yellow horizontal striped foliage for summer interest and then in autumn it produces silky, brown-pink flowers. Other grasses, like evergreen Stipa arundinacea continue to give form and shape throughout the year with the added bonus of autumn/winter colour.
Texture
Texture is mainly associated with foliage, which vary from very coarse to softer foliage of the evergreen grass Stipa arundinacea. There are grey-leaved plants to consider, some with velvety foliage like Verbascum bombyciferum contrast well, for example, with the shiny leaves of evergreen Agapanthus africanus.
Grasses also offer movement, as their fine foliage waves in the slightest breeze. Put it all together and the end result is a pleasing mix of foliage shapes, textures and even colour, proving that you can achieve a colourful border by using just foliage.
Shape and form
Now think about the shapes and forms of your plant groups by looking at their outline rather than their leaf and flower detail. You should be aiming for a balance of contrasting shapes.
Shape and form can also come from deciduous trees and shrubs as their bare branches will continue to add shape and form throughout the winter months. They also take on a ghostly appearance when covered in frost or snow.
The plot thickens
Plan your scheme using groups and avoid planting singly, unless the plant is a specimen tree, grass or shrub - if your plan includes irises don’t plant one, plant a large block for greater impact, and repeat it again in another part of the border or garden, which will help to relate each area to the other.
Plan to use your borders to the full by including spring and autumn bulbs in between herbaceous plants and underneath deciduous trees and shrubs, thereby making full use of the space, particularly if it is limited.
In a small space...
Don’t forget to make full use of the vertical plain using climbers and trees, and think big. Just because you have a small garden, it doesn’t mean you have to only include small plants. In fact, in a small space big is better, particularly if you want to achieve the wow factor. Be bold.
If you don’t have the space to plant large blocks, it is better to keep your choice of plants to a few species and repeat them rather than planting one of this and one of that, which will end up looking ill-conceived and will lack impact.
Next article: Bark, stems and leaves