More is More

Studied Negligence in the Flower Garden

“A little studied negligence is becoming to a garden”
― Eleanor Perenyi

The elegant white, daisy-like flowers with yellow centers of the Japanese windflower,‘Honorine Jobert’ (Anemone hybrid 'Honorine Jobert' ) bloom atop 36-48 inch tall, erect stems from late summer. This plant was the PPA’s 2016 Perennial Plant of the Year. It does best when planted in partial shade, or protected from hot afternoon sun. These tall perennials form a colony and add some wildness to a garden. Zones 4-8. 

This is one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite garden books, Green Thoughts: A Writer in the Garden, a classic by Eleanor Perenyi. The idea of ‘studied negligence’ is one that always appealed to me - it is ok not to tend the flower garden too much. Revel in the floral chaos!

More is More

The 20th century architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, famously said, “less is more,” when describing the design principles of minimalism. But when it comes to flower gardening, many people follow the opposite philosophy, ‘more is more’.

And why not?