Start with the Trees

Shape Comes First

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Here, the round, wide canopies of red maple trees preside over clipped boxwood hedge, rounded Goldmound spirea and flowering dwarf fountain grass.  I designed the wide grass steps as a counter balance to the height of the stately trees we planted.

In planning a garden layout, you may want to go straight to choosing plants with eye-catching flowers or colorful leaves. It is so fun to peruse the plant catalogs and say. “I’ll have this and that...and a few of these…” The wish list can get quite long! I know this all too well.

One of my fave catalogs -it has detailed, reference quality plant descriptions and 500+ perennials in the spring catalog. Order here.

But, your first consideration for a garden plan (after matching growing requirements like soil and sun), should be a plant’s natural shape. Form unifies an overall landscape. It also remains throughout the year while short-lived flowers or striking fall foliage put on a fleeting show. And trees are the first plant to consider, above all others.

The ‘Bones’ of a Garden