The Challenge: Create a riot of colors and cozy elegance around a rectangular perimeter within a strict budget.
The Challenge: Create a riot of colors and cozy elegance around a rectangular perimeter within a strict budget.
This project is a great example of strict lines. The client wanted as many flowers with different colors as possible, within a 4′ planting bed around the perimeter of the yard.
Priorities:
First, we established what their favorite flowering plants were. Then after ensuring those got a center stage placement, we placed all the elements with an emphasis on balance, rather than symmetry.
- Favorite plants:
- Limelight Hydrangea
- Iceberg Rose
- As many different colored blooms as possible.
- Privacy
- Low maintenance – Fewer things to trim.
“The more restrictions placed, the more elegant the design.”
Geoff Lawton
We approached this particular consideration by making use of vignettes. Each tree and their adjacent shrub beds are treated as a snapshot. A glimpse of a whole, that can, on its own, stand up with beauty. Then we tied each vignette to the whole by either matching the plants, or far more often, we match the ~idea~ that vignette presents. Such is the case with the Gold Potentilla mirroring the Goldsturm Rudbeckia across the yard.
Both the Potentilla and the Black-Eyed Susans have a long bloom time, with simple yellow flowers. They are not identical. That would defeat the purpose and lead to too much symmetry. No, by having the ideas, presented by both, nod to each other across the landscape, balance is created while maintaining visual interest.
A distinct focus for this project was ensuring the most color variations in the different blooming plants. Alongside this, we always strive for extended bloom times, where when one plant is coming to the end of its yearly glory, the next takes up the torch. Designing with time in mind is crucial for year long interest.
- Kwanzan Cherry
- Golden Raintree
- Chanticleer Pear
- Redbud ‘Pink Pom Pom’
- Iceberg Rose
- Hibiscus ‘Lucy’
- Gold Potentilla
- Limelight Hydrangea
A Buckthorn was placed at the Net and on the border of the “Kitchen” and “Serving Area” of the court. This was to create a sense of cohesion between the plant life and the hardscape fun.
Ideas tend to spring forth with ease in curving and irregular bed shapes. In more structured bed styles, like this 4′ perimeter, the use of height and texture to create vignettes is the ticket!