Many people shy away from 'designing' their gardens because they believe things must be drawn precisely to scale and in great detail. Actually, a fairly simple sketch can be quite helpful in planning a bed, border or an entire garden. Your design must take into account your individual site and conditions and of course, preferences for specific plants. Keep in mind the following design principles and apply them to your plan.
1. Unity – The various parts or rooms in your garden should be tied together as a cohesive whole. Repeating color themes or plant combinations helps to achieve this goal.
2. Proportion and scale – Very small plants in a large bed or large trees in a tiny yard won't be in proportion. Keep things in scale within beds and overall in your garden.
3. Texture and form – Contrast pays off here. Broad leaves next to finely cut foliage provide an attractive contrast. Different forms - vertical, rounded and trailing, should be combined within a planting.
4. Color – Use your favorite colors as a guide. Or provide contrast by using colors that are opposite on the color wheel - like purple and yellow. Green as a garden neutral fits in with any color scheme.
5. Focal points – Your eye will instinctively search for a focus. Use an impressive specimen plant, a vine trained on a trellis or an architectural element - a bench, fountain or bird bath.
6. Flow – This is a tough one for many people because it asks you to limit the number of varieties you plant. Choose a few varieties and plant in multiples (odd numbers are best). This will create a flowing design that is pleasing to the eye.
7. Style – Formal designs are symmetrical and use straight lines and geometric shapes. Informal designs are less symmetrical, use curved lines and a mixed color palette.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Our favorite Christmas present - and signs of Spring!
Hope you enjoyed your holidays as much as we did. Our best gift was our new dog, Lucy. we lost our older dog last summer and decided it was time for a new addition. She looks like a black lab, but smaller, so she's mixed with something.
She's a year old, so she was housebroken. She's over the initial puppyness, although she still has her moments. She has a sweet disposition and likes everyone. This leads to her biggest problem - her greetings. They're very enthusiastic, to put it mildly. So that's what we're working on. She's improved since we got her - at least the wildness doesn't last as long!
We got Lucy at the Humane Society. Her previous owner died and no one in the family could take her. There are a lot of nice dogs looking for homes. If you're considering adding a pet, think about adopting one. The procedure was easy and the staff was very helpful. The Humane Society even paid for her first vet exam.
Spring is on the way. John was so happy when we passed the shortest day of the year. Now, at 5 o'clock, he says, "Look, it's still light."
The other sure sign of spring is seed starting. I started my first batch of pansies after Christmas. This week, it was more pansies and some early perennials - coneflower, blue flax and lavender "Lady". This is a fragrant, compact variety grown from seed rather than from cuttings.
Now there will be a short break. Soon, I'll start seeds every week. It won't be long before the greenhouses begin to fill up.
Stay tuned, and think spring!
She's a year old, so she was housebroken. She's over the initial puppyness, although she still has her moments. She has a sweet disposition and likes everyone. This leads to her biggest problem - her greetings. They're very enthusiastic, to put it mildly. So that's what we're working on. She's improved since we got her - at least the wildness doesn't last as long!
We got Lucy at the Humane Society. Her previous owner died and no one in the family could take her. There are a lot of nice dogs looking for homes. If you're considering adding a pet, think about adopting one. The procedure was easy and the staff was very helpful. The Humane Society even paid for her first vet exam.
Spring is on the way. John was so happy when we passed the shortest day of the year. Now, at 5 o'clock, he says, "Look, it's still light."
The other sure sign of spring is seed starting. I started my first batch of pansies after Christmas. This week, it was more pansies and some early perennials - coneflower, blue flax and lavender "Lady". This is a fragrant, compact variety grown from seed rather than from cuttings.
Now there will be a short break. Soon, I'll start seeds every week. It won't be long before the greenhouses begin to fill up.
Stay tuned, and think spring!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Looking Ahead
"With Years a richer life begins, the spirit mellows."
John T. Trowbridge.
John T. Trowbridge.
Looking Ahead to SpringWe'll be celebrating next spring! April 2008 will mark the tenth anniversary of the opening of Cloverleaf Herb Farm. We'll feature a special sale during our spring open house to show our appreciation for your continued support. More details to follow in our spring newsletter and on our blog as it comes closer!
We'll expand our plant inventory with some new selections for spring. They will include an ornamental perennial, an herbal ground cover and a complementary color selection of a cool weather favorite.
Many of you know of my fondness for calendula or pot marigold. Its yellow or orange daisy-like flowers are ornamental and its healing resins are used in products to relieve skin irritations. Calendula will be celebrated as herb of the year for 2008.The one pictured managed to live well into our mild November this past year.
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