When it comes to garden design, it all depends on why you want to have a garden in the first place. For example, a gardener's garden will be filled with so many different types of botanicals that it will be impossible to discern a landscaping plan. The English garden style, which is more than 200 years old, aims to recreate a rural setting on a spring day when most plants are at their peak. An English garden is known as a horticultural garden because it has so many plants.
At the other end of the spectrum is a Japanese garden where you feel more calm than excited. A Japanese garden is designed to imitate a natural landscape seen from afar, with clear geometric shapes of trees and shrubs. Successive pruning of Japanese garden plants preserves this appearance from afar. As a result, the plants found in the Japanese garden are mostly evergreen conifers; their evergreens add to the calming effect without interfering with the flowers.
When it comes to the peaceful, meditative concept of a garden - and memorable gardens always have this stillness - the most useful but often overlooked design principle is the repetition or juxtaposition of several or even one type of plant at a time. , instead of mixing many different types. Recently, for example, I saw a perfect planting devoted to lemon-yellow dwarf cannas, whose lush flowers look very much like irises, and the waxy buds of red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora), which is now taking the gardening world by storm. individual items in large planters dedicated only to them. In this regard, purple sea fennel (Limonium perezii) or even purple fountain grass planted en masse is breathtaking.
This spring I saw a garden entirely of California lilac bushes (Ceanothus spp.) and Mediterranean milkweed (Euphorbia characias subspecies wulfenii). The strongly feathery blue flowers and dark green leaves of Ceanothus contrasted beautifully with the swollen bracts and chalky blue-green leaves of Euphorbia; Overall it was an amazing show.
One of the most impressive local views can be seen at the hotel entrance on Ventura Boulevard, west of the San Diego Freeway. A glistening row of red thistles (Euphorbia milii) stands against curvy purple hazel trees (Cotinus coggygria) and kohuhu (Pittosporum tenuifolium) painted creamy white with lime green leaves.
I pondered the principle of repetition in design while studying the recently published second edition of Garden Design: A Book of Ideas (Firefly Books, 2017) by Heidi Howcroft and Marianne Mayerus. There I saw a winter photo of several dozen bare birch groves planted a few meters apart. The proximity of their bright white bodies is striking. Although these trees need thinning from time to time, the stunning impression they create is worth the effort.
However, even a row of leeks with a repeating fountain shape makes a statement you'll never forget. "Garden design" consists of two rows of leeks side by side. Although Sammy Dickinson Cross has longer leaves than its Yorkshire Green counterpart, they completely captivate you with their distinct curved leaves. The greatest asset of this book is the collection of beautiful photographs found within its pages. Without even reading a word of text, these pictures alone will inspire you to make your garden look better than ever.
Of course, you don't need to take a garden design course to design a garden. Along with repetition, there's another useful principle I call "divide and conquer"—a tactic commonly used in political or military strategy, but also useful in gardening.
The "divide and conquer" principle of garden design involves dividing the yard into several small areas. Thus, you allow the eye to focus on discreetly arranged groups of plants, instead of getting lost in the abundance of species that make a lot of noise, but do not create a melody when randomly combined. For example, if you love roses, you can dedicate your touch to roses of a certain color. Or you could have one butterfly garden, another devoted mainly to hummingbirds, and a third devoted exclusively to native grasses, plants, or succulents. In the shade there will be a place reserved for ferns.
The most common way to divide and conquer a large garden or yard is to create walkways. Natural stone or stone slab is the preferred option, although more expensive. Natural stone evokes a sense of permanence and grounding, covering the ground around you and giving a peaceful environment. Rotten granite is a popular choice for paths, and wood chips from a lawnmower sometimes work well for creating paths as long as you're willing to fill them. Home improvement centers also have a selection of inexpensive brick or gray steps.
***
Bears may hibernate during the winter, but July marks the beginning of a long hibernation for many Southern California gardeners. The next few months are going to be hot, and you can't blame people for looking for cooler pleasures than digging in the sun and emptying weed.
For annuals and perennials, there is a cultural practice that extends the planting season into July and beyond. This is the practice of building raised beds. Raised beds enriched with homemade compost or soil amendments are the surest way to grow flowers, vegetables and perennials to their full potential, even if they have just been planted.
To set up your beds, start by turning over your existing soil with a pitchfork and round shovel and digging to a depth of at least six inches. The deeper you dig, the better the drainage, the more oxygen the roots of your plants will have and the faster they will grow. Now add as much compost as you can carry to the overturned soil and mix it into the beds before fatigue or back pain sets in.
Limit your efforts to bands 3 feet wide. That way, you'll never have to climb into the beds you've created to weed, water, or harvest. Although raised beds are most commonly associated with growing vegetables, they also work well with annual flowers and perennials. Plants that should bloom occasionally—such as perennial sage and ground cover such as cassia and verbena—can bloom nearly year-round in a raised bed.
Remember, you can also build raised beds from wooden planks, rebar, and other off-the-shelf materials without much effort. There are many videos on the net with instructions on how to do this. You can then bring in your dream potting soil to complete the bed, which is really just a box without a bottom or lid.
California Native of the Week : Evergreen woolly hyacinth (Trichostema lanatum) is one of California's most prolific native shrubs because it blooms from March to August. But at other times you can see his prosperity. Flowering is also extended by removing spent flowers. While the first year in the garden will need regular watering, after that it can survive less than once a month without needing more than a month. Dense clusters of soft, fluffy bright blue flowers up to 12 inches long are ideal for bouquets or vases. Also, unlike the soft green or gray leaves typical of many natives, the leaves of this species are lush green. The flowers and leaves have a sweet scent that is a mixture of pine, cedar and lavender. The "firsts" in the name refer to the curved stamens that emerge from the flowers. A member of the mint family, its leaves can be brewed in hot water to make an aromatic tea. Over time, the plants can grow up to six feet tall and wide, and will attract hummingbirds (their primary pollinators) as well as bees and butterflies during flowering. Named cultivars produce flowers ranging from blue to purple, as well as across the purple spectrum. As a rule, separate parts of the same flower have their own color. You can find woolly curls in quart pots at Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano (californianativeplants.com), or you can find their seeds at Theodore Payne Nursery (theodorepayne.org) in Sun Valley.
***
July 15 & 16 from 10:30am to 4pm at Sherman Gardens (thesherman.org) 2647 E. Coast Hwy. At Corona Del Mar, six plant companies will display and sell species from their chosen botanical groups: ferns, orchids, begonias, bromeliads, carnivores and plumerias. Admission is free for members and $5 for non-members.
Have an unforgettable garden design you'd like to share? If so, please send a description to joshua@perfectplants.com. Your questions, comments and photos about any botanical species or gardening technique are always welcome.
