Garden Design

Repetition in the Garden

In perusing my favorite gardening websites the other day, I came across some really cool, different looking plants such as the Purple Fritillaria and the Hair Allium. These guys were super unique and I had to find a place for them in my garden. If you’re anything like me,

The repeating red hues of this garden help to unify the landscape in spite of the many different types of plants used.

you love plants. You love getting creative and experimenting with new plants and bulbs that add a different twist to your garden and make it stand out from all the rest.

While creativity and boldness are great attributes of wonderful gardeners, sometimes this “all caution to the wind” approach can leave a garden looking random and not extremely pleasing to the eye. While each individual plant was selected for its unique and excellent characteristics, planting too many different varieties and not enough of each can create more of a jumbled mess then anything else. Does this mean you have to give up your love for trying new things and being adventurous? Most definitely not! By paying attention to the following attributes while selecting your plants, you can create a garden space that is not only interesting but also pulls the eye in with common characteristics which will lead the on-looker visually through the garden:

Color: Most everyone has at least two or three colors which they find most pleasing in the the landscape. So you want to try allium and coneflowers? Why not stick within the same “color palette” rather than trying to do too much with a little space? This can be done with many different plants. If you’re in love with daffodils but want to avoid the “one of everything” look, try repeating the yellow of the center of the daffodil in the petals of another. By playing off some of the insignificant colors of one flower, you can make a much more “connected” and cohesive look with all of the other flowers.

Texture: So you’re in love with ornamental grasses but don’t want to stick to just one variety. That’s fine! Plant clusters of like-varieties throughout your garden space to carry on the theme. If you’re big into succulents but still want variety and interest, couple them with

The pure yellow daffodils intermixed with the others helps to bring out the yellow centers of the white blooms.

other plants of the same texture like Hens and Chicks or different varieties of the sedum. The same can be true of bulbs. If you love the thin, elegant foliage of the dutch iris, planting it among another thin-leafed perennial like daylilies can help blend the two plant types together.

If you’ve found something you like in the garden, stick with it! Want to add variety? Go right ahead! Just remember to try to avoid the “hodge podge” look by playing off some of the key elements. This will add harmony to your landscape and be very pleasing to eyes of all who pass by!

Until next time,

Have a question about which fall planted bulbs to plant in your garden or any other bulb gardening topic? Ask Bridget! Email her at bridget@bulbblog.com! If she features your question in a future post, you’ll receive a Holland Bulb Farms coupon for your next order with Holland Bulb Farms!