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#1
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Perennial Combinations
I'm still planning the layout of my mixed borders. I have a normal small
suburban garden -- grass surrounded by borders on three sides. The rear border will be mostly summer perennials and cottage-type annuals in pink and blue pastel shades. However, the side borders I'd like to be more for autumn with rudbeckia, crocosmia, echinacea, autumn chrysanths, asters and such like. My question is -- is it a good idea to have separate (but adjacent) borders -- one for autumn and one for summer, in totally different contrasting colours? Or is it better to incorporate the autumn plants in with everything else? The summer pastel flowers will probably still be in bloom when the autumn fiery shades come out, and I'm worried that everything will clash and look awful. The garden is not very large so all the borders are seen together. Thanks. |
#2
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Perennial Combinations
"Jack" wrote in message ... My question is -- is it a good idea to have separate (but adjacent) borders -- one for autumn and one for summer, in totally different contrasting colours? Or is it better to incorporate the autumn plants in with everything else? A design rule of thumb is generally to design for one peak season, trying to design for too many seasons interest results in falling between two stools. Think of Victorian country house gardens - each area peaked in one season only: Rose garden, separate from herbaceous borders separate from spring garden....... But once you know the rule - break it! Early summer seed heads already in autumn colours work well with the bold reds, yellows and russets or Autumn flowering perennials. Think too about the shapes of the remaining seed heads/leaves from the summer flowering and how thy work with the autumn flower shapes. Design in 4-dimensions! Along the border, height of plant, depth from the front and time! pk |
#3
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Perennial Combinations
On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 00:48:27 -0000, "Jack"
wrote: My question is -- is it a good idea to have separate (but adjacent) borders -- one for autumn and one for summer, in totally different contrasting colours? Or is it better to incorporate the autumn plants in with everything else? That is entirely a matter of taste. You are allowed to organize your garden as *you* prefer it. Admittedly, hot orange crocosmias threaded by a wandering geranium 'Ann Folkard' in strong magenta causes a few eyebrows to rise. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
#4
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Perennial Combinations
"Jack" wrote in message
... I'm still planning the layout of my mixed borders. I have a normal small suburban garden -- grass surrounded by borders on three sides. My question is -- is it a good idea to have separate (but adjacent) borders -- one for autumn and one for summer, in totally different contrasting colours? Or is it better to incorporate the autumn plants in with everything else? The summer pastel flowers will probably still be in bloom when the autumn fiery shades come out, and I'm worried that everything will clash and look awful. The garden is not very large so all the borders are seen together. Just be careful with the colours but mix the seasons up. In a large garden you may get away with separate seasonal gardens but a small garden will look daft if one side is dead and brown while the other is in full flower. Remember that you probably can't see the whole garden when sitting inside the house so you'll be kicking yourself if the view from inside is of brown earth when you know there is a riot of colour just out of sight. You could try and have a common theme through all the borders and then add some seasonal interest to slightly raise one area without unbalancing the whole. Martin |
#5
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Perennial Combinations
"Jack" wrote in message
... I'm still planning the layout of my mixed borders. I have a normal small suburban garden -- grass surrounded by borders on three sides. My question is -- is it a good idea to have separate (but adjacent) borders -- one for autumn and one for summer, in totally different contrasting colours? Or is it better to incorporate the autumn plants in with everything else? The summer pastel flowers will probably still be in bloom when the autumn fiery shades come out, and I'm worried that everything will clash and look awful. The garden is not very large so all the borders are seen together. Just be careful with the colours but mix the seasons up. In a large garden you may get away with separate seasonal gardens but a small garden will look daft if one side is dead and brown while the other is in full flower. Remember that you probably can't see the whole garden when sitting inside the house so you'll be kicking yourself if the view from inside is of brown earth when you know there is a riot of colour just out of sight. You could try and have a common theme through all the borders and then add some seasonal interest to slightly raise one area without unbalancing the whole. Martin |
#6
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Perennial Combinations
In article , Martin Sykes
writes "Jack" wrote in message ... I'm still planning the layout of my mixed borders. I have a normal small suburban garden -- grass surrounded by borders on three sides. My question is -- is it a good idea to have separate (but adjacent) borders -- one for autumn and one for summer, in totally different contrasting colours? Or is it better to incorporate the autumn plants in with everything else? Just be careful with the colours but mix the seasons up. In a large garden you may get away with separate seasonal gardens but a small garden will look daft if one side is dead and brown while the other is in full flower. Remember that you probably can't see the whole garden when sitting inside the house so you'll be kicking yourself if the view from inside is of brown earth when you know there is a riot of colour just out of sight. You could try and have a common theme through all the borders and then add some seasonal interest to slightly raise one area without unbalancing the whole. I designed our front garden with winter in mind, concentrating on evergreens, interesting foliage, and berries. Curiously, it has turned out to be colourful all the year round, with the leaves giving contrasting shades of grey, green and purple most of the year and the seasonal flowers - heathers, spring bulbs, magnolia, polygonum, malva moschata, primulas, nicotiana, crocosmia, skimmia, chaenomeles - giving brighter highlights. -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/garden/ |
#7
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Perennial Combinations
"Kay Easton" wrote in message ... I designed our front garden with winter in mind, concentrating on evergreens, interesting foliage, and berries. Curiously, it has turned out to be colourful all the year round, with the leaves giving contrasting shades of grey, green and purple most of the year and the seasonal flowers - heathers, spring bulbs, magnolia, polygonum, malva moschata, primulas, nicotiana, crocosmia, skimmia, chaenomeles - giving brighter highlights. Excellent point. I've recently started experimenting with riots of late summer colour but for a long time may garden was predominantly evergreen shrubs with only limited herbaceous planting plus "sub tropical" bed. It was amazing how many people remarked how colourful the garden looked in winter - when in fact is was (virtually) 100% green. pk |
#8
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Perennial Combinations
"Rodger Whitlock" wrote in message ... Admittedly, hot orange crocosmias threaded by a wandering geranium 'Ann Folkard' in strong magenta causes a few eyebrows to rise. Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada I've just planted my orange crocosmia bulbs...hmm a magenta geranium?...look out for skyward eyebrows in Surrey in a few months thats if any of the crocosmia bulbs survive the squirrel onslaught lol nicky |
#9
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Perennial Combinations
Excellent point about viewing the garden from inside the house and yes, the
autumn colour would be out of sight from inside the house, and of course we're indoors more in autumn. I'm glad I asked the group! Regards, "Martin Sykes" wrote in message Just be careful with the colours but mix the seasons up. In a large garden you may get away with separate seasonal gardens but a small garden will look daft if one side is dead and brown while the other is in full flower. Remember that you probably can't see the whole garden when sitting inside the house so you'll be kicking yourself if the view from inside is of brown earth when you know there is a riot of colour just out of sight. You could try and have a common theme through all the borders and then add some seasonal interest to slightly raise one area without unbalancing the whole. |
#10
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Perennial Combinations
On Wed, 12 Mar 2003 09:05:30 -0000, "nicky"
wrote: Rodger Whitlock wrote: Admittedly, hot orange crocosmias threaded by a wandering geranium 'Ann Folkard' in strong magenta causes a few eyebrows to rise. I've just planted my orange crocosmia bulbs...hmm a magenta geranium?...look out for skyward eyebrows in Surrey in a few months thats if any of the crocosmia bulbs survive the squirrel onslaught Actually, the combination works rather well. It is a counterfoil to the old adage "pastel gardens for pastel people." -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
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