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30-06-2006, 04:00 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

Sacha wrote:
On 30/6/06 11:30, in article , "p.k."
wrote:

Broadback wrote:
Not being an artistic sort of chap, I can admire well designed gardens
but lack the vision to design them. I am planning on an island rose
bed, what would be a pleasing shape, is an oval or oblong with
circular short ends best? Also what proportion of length to breadth,
is 2:1 pleasing to the eye? As for planting I am thinking of 2
standard roses with Hybrid teas around them. Then would dwarf patio
roses make a good border, or would a miniature box hedge look better?
Remember, when planted you will no longer see the shape of the bed. What you
will see is the lawn space around it.

From a design point of view, design the spaces you will see and plant the
rest. The mistake we all make at the start is to do it the other way round
and end up with random strip and lumps of lawn that make no sense.

The formal oval or formal ellipse are only likely to work in a garden where
the rest is also geometric and then best if central.
If the rest is informal, an irregular offset kidney shape would be best

I don't wish to be the doomer and gloomer here but I don't know where the OP
is thinking of siting this bed. If it's visible from e.g. his living room
windows, they're going to be looking at a lot of naked sticks for much of
the year, until the roses come into leaf and then flower. Therefore, I'd
suggest that whatever shape is chosen, a lowish evergreen hedge is planted
which will give some colour to the eye and draw it away from the nakedness
going on in the centre of the bed.
I'm always torn between trying to be short or possibly giving too much
information. It will be seen from the house, the "lawn" is not very good
as there is no topsoil. The total area is large so I thought a bed of
roses, I will have to dig, well pickaxe actually out and import top
soil. As the house looks down on the area I thought that the shape
would be seen. I take on board the "dead" Winter, so perhaps I will
plant a very low box hedge around the perimeter and not patio roses as I
first thought. though nakedness going on in the centre of the bed
sounds interesting! ;-)