Show #29/6503. Design Principles For Creating Intimate Garden Venues

Proper Grouping Of Plants

When Jim started this dwarf conifer garden he had 200 varieties come in on two big trailers from Portland, Oregon. Once unloaded they put them in an open space, fairly close to the conifer garden. What he then did was take four to six individual plants, then grouped the four to six plants based on their form, their texture and color and sun requirements. He put all the sun loving groupings in an area for sun, then took the ones that needed part sun and placed them in groupings of four to six plants and put them in an area for part sun, then the ones that needed part shade he grouped those in an area for part shade. You group in 4 to 6 plants because as you go through a garden your cone of vision only picks up about four to six plants at one time. If those four to six plants have great form, great texture, and great color, then add another grouping, that's totally different next to them, that way you're creating more interest. If you then take another grouping of four to six plants and put those next to those you've already placed it works well.