[Kate]

Hi

I'd like some gardening information, but I don't know exactly what search
terms I should be looking for!

What I want is a guide that will give me an overview of how to lay out a
fixed space. Starting from what you've got, say a long thin border, or a
circular bed, or a crescent moon rockery, or a group of containers. Then
giving some general principles like how to balance shrubs vs bedding
plant vs ground cover, and what to do with colour and height and front/
back of the area. Also what to do at different times of the year, e.g.
have some evergreen shrubs for all-year life, some areas could be spring
bulbs/summer bedding/winter bare soil, etc. Then finally drill down into
specific plants to consider.

Most books I've looked at either give a lot of detail about individual
plant choices, with not much on how to assemble them into a whole border/
whatever, or else have something like a month-by-month what to do in the
garden list, again without much of an overview. I want general but
practical advice on laying out the "ensemble".

Can anyone tell me the name of what I'm looking for? and recommend a
book/website/etc. that will provide it?

Thanks!!

Kate xx

[harry]

On Feb 28, 8:12*pm, Kate wrote:
Hi

I'd like some gardening information, but I don't know exactly what search
terms I should be looking for!

What I want is a guide that will give me an overview of how to lay out a
fixed space. Starting from what you've got, say a long thin border, or a
circular bed, or a crescent moon rockery, or a group of containers. Then
giving some general principles like how to balance shrubs vs bedding
plant vs ground cover, and what to do with colour and height and front/
back of the area. Also what to do at different times of the year, e.g.
have some evergreen shrubs for all-year life, some areas could be spring
bulbs/summer bedding/winter bare soil, etc. Then finally drill down into
specific plants to consider.

Most books I've looked at either give a lot of detail about individual
plant choices, with not much on how to assemble them into a whole border/
whatever, or else have something like a month-by-month what to do in the
garden list, again without much of an overview. I want general but
practical advice on laying out the "ensemble".

Can anyone tell me the name of what I'm looking for? and recommend a
book/website/etc. that will provide it?

Thanks!!

Kate xx

It's called garden landscaping or garden design. Arty crafty stuff.
It is inherited/genetic and can't be learned though it can be copied.
Highly suitable for control freaks.

Don't worry. Just buy some plants suitable for your soil/position and
stick them in. Impulse purchases are especially surprising. After a
while the garden will be full & you can stop.
It's a form of evolution.
Anything you may see on the TV on this topic is usually lies.

[kay]

Originally Posted by Kate

Hi

What I want is a guide that will give me an overview of how to lay out a
fixed space. Starting from what you've got, say a long thin border, or a
circular bed, or a crescent moon rockery, or a group of containers. Then
giving some general principles like how to balance shrubs vs bedding
plant vs ground cover, and what to do with colour and height and front/
back of the area. Also what to do at different times of the year, e.g.
have some evergreen shrubs for all-year life, some areas could be spring
bulbs/summer bedding/winter bare soil, etc. Then finally drill down into
specific plants to consider.

There's a bit of stuff at the front of one of the RHS Gardening dictionaries - either the Plants one, (the one which divides plants into types, subdivided by size, colour, and season of flowering), or the Gardening one. Have a look at both in your local library or a good bookshop and see if they give you what you want. And before you wince at the price, compare it with the cost of a couple of shrubs ;-)

There's three stages of gardening:

1) buy plants which are vigorous and easy to grow. Clematis montana feels very attractive at this stage ;-) The garden is soon bursting with colour

2) Realise that things can't all be allowed to grow as large as they wish, and cut back things so that they all live happily together

3) Realise that 3) is not possible and start making the hard choices - which do I like best, the mock orange of the lilac?

If you plan for the final garden, of full grown plants, it will look bare for a few years. I think you just have to accept that what is right in the early years may not be right later, and be prepared to make a lot of changes as you go through. It's part of the fun of gardening. And, of course, your tastes will change. So - have an overall plan, but don't be too prescriptive about the details.