Something to Grow On

By Laura Zanetto, Al's Landscape Designer

How to shape and structure vegetated space is a very common concern among seasoned and beginning gardeners alike. How do I arrange my plants so that they make sense?  How do I create inviting spaces that can be enjoyed year round? There are many answers to these questions and every suggestion will differ depending on site variations but here I will outline some of the most basic principles of garden structure and how you can easily create beautiful form and organization in your spaces.

Edges and Foci
Begin with your edges. Your edges do not need to be the existing architectural edges such as your house, fence or existing plants. Work around your existing edges to make movement in your space, or create resting.  Sweep your eye through your space and take a look, a very deep, appreciative look. What do you want to accomplish? Where would you like to focus your use; how would you like to use your space? Often times the full potential of our spaces has not been realized- yet. 

Create a focus for your space; a focus that will draw your eye and perhaps even intice you to venture there. Use graceful branching and layered limbs to frame views, create pathways and hidden areas to explore. Will your focus be a beautiful tri-color Beech tree with its elegant branches and burgundy foliage? Will it be a bubbling fountain to soothe and calm guests? Perhaps you will want to create movement through your space towards a more enclosed, private area to rest on a wooden bench and enjoy the enticing spring fragrance of your blooming ‘Chuck Hayes’ gardenias.

Pathways are a great way to create movement. Not only do they draw your eye through your spaces but they beckon for you to explore them as well. They can simply be old stepping stones or more structured and formal like brick pavers. Edging pathways with gracefully branching shrubs, offering interesting foliage such as the ‘Silver Beauty’ box honeysuckle, will soften a stiff path boundary. Don’t forget about planting between your stepping stones with tiny perennial groundcovers!  These can really brighten up your journey, offering beautiful delicate flowers and fine soft foliage encouraging your toes to continue along your path.

Evergreen Bones
Spring is a fabulous time to spend outdoors enjoying the striking flowers and new growth in your yard- but what about the wintertime? I often chat with people who are happy with their outdoor spaces during the growing season, but come winter, they are not too enthused. This lack of excitement can be easily remedied with our beautiful Pacific Northwest evergreens and a little planning for those barren winter months.
Once you have determined the focus of your space, begin to plan around it with a few evergreens. Will you make a journey to get to your focus or will you always be able to view its entirety? I suggest using evergreen “bones” to really shape your space.  Make your decisions at every level; background, middleground and foreground. Evergreen structure is not only needed in the back row of your space, but can also invigorate the front and the centers. Evergreens can be used as wonderful contrasting backdrops for colorful perennials and annuals or they can be center stage with showy foliage and architectural structure.

Think about textures and colors. Small, fine foliage and flowers should be positioned so that they can be enjoyed up close whereas large, dramatic foliage may play a better role in the background. Once you have the larger elements in place, then you can go back in and think about what striking perennials and annuals would really compliment your smaller spaces in the spring and summer months.

Seasonal Interest
Get to know your plants before you buy them. Not all deciduous plants need to be a bore in the winter. Plants can have wonderful winter interest in their bark, form and even early spring or late winter flowers. Don’t think of deciduous shrubs and trees as “twigs” or “sticks” in the wintertime, think of them as essential spring indicators- you’ll be elated when you begin to see those first spring buds opening up! 

For a little extra color in your winter garden, deciduous shrubs such as red and yellow twig Dogwoods, are an excellent accent. When they drop their leaves in the winter they leave behind wonderfully colorful stems which can cheer up your spaces during those grey winter days. The variegated red twig dogwood ‘Ivory Halo’ can also add a beautiful creamy leaf color in the spring and summer that will “pop” off of darker foliage.  Another great winter accent is a much underused Maple, the ‘Paper Bark’ Maple. This maple is a beautiful small garden tree with fabulous reddish bark which exfoliates, or curls up and has amazing red fall foliage color.

Pay attention to the expected sizes of the plants and plan accordingly. Layer by anticipated maturity - or by your dedication to pruning and make sure to leave room for your seasonal accents. Don’t be in a hurry to plant! Too often I have been so excited to get my plants in the ground that I didn’t fully think things through. Place the plants (still in their containers) where you want to plant them and wait. Look at them one day and come back the next day, go inside and look out at them from all your windows, around the corner and from upstairs.  Once you’ve seen things from all angles I guarantee you’ll want to shift things a bit.

Before you even get to the garden center take a good look at your yard. Think about the size area you want to fill and how many plants you would like to see in it.  Then think about the shape you want the plants to be and how their structure should look- full, loose, symmetrical or graceful?  Lastly, look at your favorite options and consider each plant in every season, with its blooms and leaves and without. You’ll be much happier you did a little planning and feel so much more connected to the seasons and how they will affect your spaces. As long as you are interested and excited about your decisions you can do no wrong- these are your spaces, how do YOU want to shape them?