Choosing plants to go into a newly-designed garden is not as daunting as it might sound. In fact, it’s time to have some fun. Deciding what plants will fit into how you want your garden will be easy if you follow my ten rules of successful plant selection.
1. Use a colour wheel View a Great Selection of Plants
When choosing colours it really is down to everyone’s own personal taste, but if you are stuck for inspiration then a really useful tool is something called a colour wheel. It can help you to avoid ghastly mistakes when choosing harmonious or contrasting colours by giving you a good idea of which colours work together and which don’t.
2. Tall at the back
When starting on a new border it is best to start by building a framework of tall plants that act as a backdrop for the lower growing plants in the front. Block planting with bamboo or Prunus lusitanica will provide an excellent framework for showier smaller plants in front.
3. Have a few focal points
Using plants as focal points in the garden can really make an impact, whether using a specimen tree in the centre of a lawn or a tall column of conifer in the furthest corner of the garden. A word of warning though – try not to over do it with focal points as every extra one you put in will weaken the impact of the others.
4. Add wigwams
Wigwam
Climbing plants are excellent at providing colour to boring walls or fencing. By using wigwams, available to buy from most garden centres, you can use the beautiful flowers and colours of climbers in the middle of a border to really add height interest. They can also be used as scrambling plants through old fruit trees for added embellishment.
5. Use the seasons
We are lucky in this country that the garden can change in shape and colour throughout the year because of our changing seasons. It’s very tempting to go into the garden centre and pick nothing but evergreens to give year round colour. By selecting a mixture of evergreen and deciduous plants you can make the garden even more interesting with changing leaf colours and the structural shape of bare branches.
6. Plan ahead
Find out the size that your chosen plants will grow to. There is nothing worse than finding the perfect looking plant for a border, only to find that after three years it has taken over and the rest of your carefully selected plants are nowhere to be seen, or it has grown to such a height that your favourite sunbathing spot is now in deep shade.
7. Buck the trends
Plants are usually found in groups in the garden centre. You will find shrubs in one area, alpines in another, the fruit trees will be in a different area to the heathers and so on. This doesn’t mean that you have to follow these groups in your garden. Alpines are not exclusively for the rock garden, they can be used to great effect as ground cover under roses or in the large cracks that have appeared in the patio. Fruit trees can be stunning with bright blossom and showy fruits when planted at the back of a mixed border, or fanned out over a wall.
8. Watch your soil
Choosing the right plant for the right growing conditions is also very important. Azaleas and rhododendrons are very tempting when they are in full flower, but will suffer and grow very weak if the soil is too alkaline. Likewise if a Gunnera manicata was planted in very dry soil it would suffer from slow growth and small leaves would be produced. Make sure that the plants you choose are hardy enough for your garden too. You want them to give you years of pleasure and there’s nothing worse than investing hours of your time, not to mention money, for little reward.
9. Insist on the best
It is always best to look carefully at the plant that you want. Select the strongest and healthiest specimen that you can find, avoiding anything showing signs of pests or disease. Make sure the plant label is clear and easy to read. If the plant is pot bound look for another one.
10. Be careful with shapes
Shapes can be used harmoniously or to create contrast. For example, a neatly clipped box (Buxus) in the shape of a dome would really contrast with the hard architectural shape of an agave, but it would work harmoniously with a soft looking euphorbia.
There you are 10 simple tips to follow to get your neighbours envious.
Plant Selection
