Combining colour,pattern, texture and form in planting schemes.Blog 18

Combining colour,pattern, texture and form in planting schemes.Blog 18

Posted on 10 Oct, 2008 9 comments

Using colour, pattern, texture and form are the most significant aspects to consider when using plants in the garden.

Another aspect that we often contemplate is to use plants that are scented or perfumed.
Sometimes the perfumes are released at certain times of the day or when the plants are brushed against or walked upon.

Using pattern texture and form is a matter of personal choice, and falls into the same genre as colour.



There is a huge variety of plants that are available with patterned leaves and they can be used to bring a sense of drama and interest to any planting theme.

There is a theory that plants should be grouped in ‘odd’ numbers—threes, fives etc if they are to make a big impact, and this is certainly true with plants that produce tall spikes of colour. A single specimen can often look out of place and ‘odd’ or ‘lonely’, but team it with several others of the same species, and the garden takes on a different feel.



Plants with patterned leaves can be used to underplant other species in order to give contrast or variety to a border or pot , and tall plants can and lead the eye to other levels. The tall plants give form and structure.



Sometimes by repeating the same plants in a particular area the garden takes on an unified feel – its a bit like putting the final piece into a jig – saw, and suddenly you see the whole picture.It looks right and there is a sense of balance.



Displaying plants in pots is a great way of achieving this effect, because you can group them, change them and get different heights, patterns and textures together.
You can move them around until you are happy with the final arrangement. Also you can stand pots on top of upturned empty pots in order to gain more height and interest. We do this a lot in our garden, and its a ‘trick of the trade’ used by florists and show garden designers. They also bury potted plants in the ground and lift them at the end of the season. This is a good method to use with tender plants or those that only last for one season.



There is also another advantage to having your plants in pots.You can also place them in position, stand back and take a look at your arrangement from different angles, and then when you are happy you can leave the plants in their final position.
Also if they fail you can quickly remove them and replace them with another.
You can also use this method when arranging plants to go directly into the garden. Leave them in their pots,them put them in position – stand back and take a look from several different angles before you finally decide where they will go, then remove them from the pot and plant them in the garden.







So don’t be afraid to have fun and enjoy the elements of colour, pattern, texture and form in your garden.



Grenville and Alan
Bristol. U.K

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