Tag Archives: tiny gardens

Planning A Springtime Show With Bulbs

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One of the things I enjoy most about this time of year is the opportunity to add spring-flowering bulbs to my designs and surprise clients when they bloom in the springtime.

Narcissus poeticus (the poets daffodil or poet’s narcissus)

The bulbs I ordered this summer will start arriving soon and it’s not too late to add bulbs to your garden this fall. Nurseries and garden stores are fully stocked and online vendors still have good availability.

To achieve maximum impact plan ahead, make a list, and stay focused when shopping for bulbs. You may decide to make a change later, but you won’t get lost when considering a sea of options.

Here are some things you should consider when designing with bulbs:

Color – What colors best complement or contrast with the other flowers and plants in your garden that bloom at the same time? Do you want to coordinate with or accentuate the trim color of your house, planters, or other garden features?

Bloom time – Bulbs are divided into three categories based on bloom time: early, mid and late season. A “lasagna” is a method of planting bulbs in layers so they flower in succession, thereby maximizing the bloom cycle and saving space. This method is perfect for small spaces and also works when planting bulbs in pots.

The first to bloom in late winter are Galanthus (snowdrop). They establish slowly so plant them in groups of a dozen or more creating a clump that will become more dense and increase in size with each year. Due to their small size (between three and six inches), it is easy to find room for snowdrops even in a tiny garden. They prefer rich soil and will not tolerate rocky, sandy, or hard clay soils.

Next up are crocus. A good choice for beginners or anyone who wants a vigorous bulb that is reliable and easy to grow almost anywhere. Like Galanthus, if planted in groups, crocus will become dense clumps that increase in size each year. They are easy to plant (only 3 inches deep) and do not require maintenance.

Daffodils and Narcissus bloom mid-season. These flowers come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. Long, graceful stems make them excellent for mass plantings or as a tall element in a planting composition.

If fragrance is what you want, you can’t beat the sweet smell of hyacinths. The flowers are short-lived so they are best planted among other bulbs.

Tulips are elegant, but choose carefully if you want repeat performances. Some varieties may peter out after a few years. For gardeners who like to change things up, this is an opportunity to try new varieties or play with various color combinations. The Darwin tulips tend to perennialize the best and come back reliably year after year. With so many tulips to choose from, if you don’t like experimenting, stick with the varieties that have a proven track record. Keep in mind that bulbs (especially tulips) need good drainage and may rot if drainage is inadequate.

Dramatic and architectural allium (ornamental onion) are the last to bloom in late spring or early summer. Some varieties have flower stems that grow up top 4′ tall so they can be planted among other plants or as the bottom layer of a “lasagna” planting.

Looking for more ideas? Contact me for a design consultation to learn about landscape design or how to maximize the impact of plantings for any spot in your garden.

Hedging Your Bets

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Deciduous grasses are an uncommon seasonal hedge, certainly not a traditional one.

What is a hedge?

By definition, a hedge is “a fence or boundary formed by closely growing shrubs.”

During wintertime, we are more aware of hedges. Usually evergreen, they dominate the barren landscape when there’s not much else happening. The rest of the year they fade into the background, serving as backdrop for a more interesting garden display.

Because hedges are usually repetitive and often made up of tightly formed geometric shapes, they create a green wall — especially in contrast with a garden that has a more natural feel. If you want to soften a hedge, choose plants with a more natural growth habit. For this, Myrica californica, Laurus noblis or even great perennial grasses need only some shaping and thinning to stay in check.

Can a “hedge” be used as a landscape feature, not just a boundary?

English gardens provide some of the best lessons in using a hedge as a feature. Hedges serve as the walls of an outdoor room. This can be very effective on a large piece of property, such as in estate. A hedged area can provide intimacy and “people scale” or it can be used to define and contain a perennial or vegetable garden.

Low hedges (the obvious example being Buxus sempirvirens, the boxwood) will create a border to contain a garden bed and keep a clean edge and tidy appearance around otherwise floppy perennials, as well as provide structure in the winter.

Only in Japanese gardens can one get away with pruning Azaleas into a hedge or mounded drift. Pruned carefully and at the right time of year, Azaleas are solidly covered by flowers and a quite stunning sight. However, taken out of context —outside a formal Japanese setting — too many Azaleas can be problematic.

Keep in mind that your hedges do not have to be at the borders of the property.  They can define space within a space, mark an entry or be juxtaposed with one another in modern planes creating an interesting interplay of light and shadow — think Stonehenge in England.

How do you choose shrubs for a hedge?

Before buying hedge plants, carefully consider the finished height and width you would like to obtain. Consider the site and growth rate along with the size the plants will achieve in ten years.

Beware the conifer Cedrus leylandii — it is rarely used properly for hedges, and after a few years it turns into a monster that can no longer be pruned to size (plus it has dead growth at the base, just where you don’t want it). If you use it in the city, be prepared to remove and replant shrubs every several years. This plant is better off bordering a field or rolling estate lawn, where it can be allowed to grow without pruning. I advise spending a little more up front and buying a conifer that won’t grow so quickly. Taxus bacatta, commonly called a yew, is a good choice. It grows slowly, but its rich green foliage keeps a pleasing shape. Buy plants big, plant them closer together, and you’ll get the look and size you want without the bother of overgrowth later.

I have designed both tiny gardens and estate gardens with hedges, and the principles of good design hold true for both. Contact us to talk about the best plant for your hedge and how to use hedges in innovative ways.