Gardening by the numbers almost as simple as 1, 2, 3, Mark Cullen say
February 16, 2012
Mark Cullen
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
As we cross the halfway mark for the gardening season it is important we take time to dream.
When I started out on the adventure of creating a 10-acre dream garden seven years ago, I had no idea how much I would learn. I had written a best-selling book on garden design in the 1990s and prior to that I had spent much of my youth designing gardens with Weall and Cullen Nurseries.
I waded into the process of designing a country garden with all the confidence in the world. In my enthusiasm to get to the job of planting I forgot some very important tenets of garden design that I wish to share with you here:
Plant by the Numbers
Garden design courses will often teach you to plant in threes or fives. My own father, Len, suggested this to me when I first ventured into the world of design consultations. At the time it worked reasonably well: A formulaic approach to garden design was not off base at a time when houses in the suburbs were, for the most part, cookie-cutter. That was a time when Canadian homeowners did not have the confidence they do now to create their own space.
That said, gardening by the numbers provides a great foundation for any garden plan. Here’s how it works:
• One: This is the prime number. A single specimen in your garden works well if — and only if — the single plant has dominant characteristics or a single quality that makes it a standout. A gorgeous Japanese maple can work well in a front garden, an oak or other specimen shade tree in the corner of your backyard can also work (but not in the middle of your yard). Whatever you choose, make sure that you love it. This may be the one plant that you make your most substantial investment in. Make it a good one.
• Two: Formality. Think of the guards at Buckingham Palace: Sentries posted on either side of an entrance. The goal is to draw your attention to what is between the two plants, not the plants themselves. For this reason these plants are often evergreens like yews or boxwood, which provide a rich green appearance year round.
• Three: Three plants in the garden works very well when spaced into an equilateral triangle. Planted in a row is almost always a mistake. Vertical or mounding plants can look unifying when planted in threes. Three does not necessarily mean three of the same plant, you can plant two of one species and a third could be a small concrete fountain or bird bath.
• Four: This can be a challenge. Two and two, planted on either side of a walkway, does not work largely because we are dealing with Mother Nature and she does not like to produce identical twins in the plant world. This creates a feeling that is off balance. It is like having a wobbly wheel on one side of your car. Four can work where three are used on one side of a path and the fourth on the other. Or at the four corners where two paths intersect.
• Five: This number is perhaps used most in garden designs. It provides balance when configured like five bowling pins lined up at the end of an alley. It provides mass and unity at the edge of a large perennial border or shrub planting. Like the three and one planting mentioned above, planting two and three on either side of a path works very well, too.
• Six: Six in a row only works if you are planting a hedge. Six begs to be broken up into three and three, staggered through a large planting or in a triangle. The idea is to create a look that unifies the whole, without attracting attention to any one plant in the grouping.
• Seven: Magic in the garden. Your attempt to make a strong visual statement in the garden can be achieved with lucky seven almost every time. Break up sevens with three on one side of a path and four on the other and you will not diminish the overall impact. This should only be attempted with plants that fit an area in terms of overall interest and size, relative to the garden itself. Most urban gardens can only take one or two groupings of seven of any one plant, and even then you should be careful. Large suburban or rural gardens will be anchored nicely with several well-placed groupings of seven.
Once you have decided to group plants together in a mass of up to seven it is not a leap to go to other odd numbers of nine or 11, especially with smaller plants. You can abandon the odd number rules with any planting that uses more than 11 specimens. The human eye will not discern the difference between odd and even numbers when you plant 13, 14 or 30 of any one plant. I planted my “Nike swoosh” berms with 150 ornamental grasses and no one has suggested that it looks odd, given that I arrived at an even number. You get my point.
When you head into the retail wilderness this spring you will be glad that you thought this through in the winter. Deciding how many of a single species or variety you will plant is not a decision you should necessarily make today. You have the luxury of thinking about this for another 10 or 12 weeks. So take your time and make the right decision the first time.
Plant Collector?
At the retailers this spring you will no doubt find yourself standing in front of some mighty fine plant specimens at the store, pondering how they will look in your garden. Chances are you will pick up a few plants on impulse. I encourage you to do this, providing that you understand the risk. Once you have committed to planting a great looking rhododendron or magnolia you will spend a lot of time living with your decision. You will either fall in love with it as it matures or curse the day you planted it, hesitating to pull it out due to the investment you have made.
A garden of one-offs is not really a garden at all. It is a plant collection.
The real beauty of what we do as gardeners is that we work with nature to create something that birds and other wildlife benefit from. It gives us a measure of personal satisfaction that rarely comes along in life.
Question of the Week
Q. The rosemary plant that I brought in from the garden is starting to dry out at the tips why is this?
A. Allow the top 1-inch of soil to dry between waterings. Overwatering can cause the leaves to drop. Make sure the potting soil is well drained. Place in a sunny window for the winter months.
Mark Cullen is an expert gardener, author and broadcaster. You can sign up for his free monthly newsletter at www.markcullen.com, and watch him on CTV’s Canada AM every Wednesday at 8:45 a.m. You can reach Mark through the “contact” button on his website and follow him on Twitter @MarkCullen4 and Facebook. Mark’s latest book, The Canadian Garden Primer, is available at Home Hardware and all major bookstores.