Talented designers can, and do. Garden designers must add one more dimension: time, because plants grow. For me, visualizing even in two dimensions is a struggle. However I do believe working even a little at something will grant some measure of crude, rudimentary ability. So, I keep trying to foresee what will happen to what I've planted.
The five bloomed-out 'Blue Glow' Agaves on the front slope removed, there was planting space, now partially re-filled.
Attempting in some way to think visually, I drew out on a photo what will happen to the new plants once they grow somewhat:
Huh. Drawing on a photo helped. A little.
The Agave marmorata, silver leaves barely visible, will grow down the slope (arrow moving diagonally down).
The Aloe sabaea (up arrow) will grow tall but stay narrow.
The Aloe marlothii/vryheidensis (up arrow on the right) will grow tall and somewhat wider.
The two Agave ovatifolia (circled, one mostly hidden behind an Aloe flower stalk) will grow a little taller and a lot wider. (And even more elegant.)
The three question marks indicate what may be adequate space for three more plants, not too big--the plan is two Aloe broomii and an Aloe aculeata, solitary, acaulescent Aloe species. An aculeata went into the question marked spot on the right. Looks good.
Back to that fourth dimension: time. Plants are not furniture. Freed from their little pots, they grow. One must know what plants do, so a part of Time is plant knowledge.
Another area: the half circle behind the fountain, now denuded of roses so small it doesn't even appear they are missing. More difficult to think through, because it's emptier.
I've got two new 'Golden Celebration' roses in 4" pots, and they get BIG. Or at least the one I've had for...15 years now?...is big, 8' tall, 6' wide. The two new ones must go somewhere, and there is where there is room. The bit of black on the left is the newly transplanted black foliaged Lagerstroemia, neither large nor fast-growing.
Space between them, so the fountain sculpture has a plain background, being thereby more visible?
Time for something completely different--a little gratuitous plant and pet beauty:
Rhodanthemum hosmariense
Hellebore buds.
I'm terrible at visualizing what plants will look like when they mature and I'm usually guilty of squeezing too much into too small a space, always thinking the plants will duke it out or that I'll just pull the less-favored plant. Our weather is the same. I do wish there was at least a halfway decent prospect of rain on the horizon but I couldn't find one.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, your results are outstanding! The sausages are delicious even if we don't want to see them made. (Vegetarian sausages in my case) ;^)
DeleteAt least its been fairly cool. Better than heat waves.
I love seeing your blooms. I can't draw on photos, I don't know how. Looks like a good tool. I occasionally have visions for the garden but calling them up when I truly need them usually doesn't happen. It is sunny here but 7°F with a feels like-8°F with an inch of fresh dry snow glittering.
ReplyDeleteSnow glittering sounds beautiful!
DeleteThe draw thing is easy. Click on the paintbrush, hold down the left mouse button, move the cursor around. if it looks bad, "undo" and try again.
Cold here at the moment, 32F. Time and patience go hand in hand too, lack of the latter can eschew once sense of the former, like us. The larger plants framing the fountain sounds a great idea.
ReplyDeleteThat is cold! Koi must be moving pretty slow. Mine are acting like it is spring already.
DeleteYou guys manage to do so much with your time, maybe you don't need that much patience!
Have gap, add plant. Then I have to sort out my mistakes later.
ReplyDeleteI hate moving plants, so I'm looking for any way to avoid it, ha ha!
DeleteOh, I think you have more than crude, rudimentary ability. And you draw well, too. I'm not sure I could draw as well, but you bring up a good point about drawing as a good tool. Thanks for that tip.
ReplyDeleteWell, the drawing worked for me. Everyone has their own way--setting out sticks, or empty boxes to act as plants in a space. That helps, too.
DeleteHello Hoover Boo,
ReplyDeleteI am terrible in visualizing. And I even don´t look if the color of the new plants ore roses fit with eachother. Terrible me!!! The weather is cold -6C during the day. Saturday evening a snowstorm came over in Holland and i there wh ole sunday. It´s still snowing now.
Roses are beautiful no matter what! We know that, right? :)
DeleteWhat a snowstorm you had! February is often the coldest month here--though not this year. Snow has beauty though and makes everything look brighter by reflecting the light. Stay warm!
I like how you use your photos to plan. I just tend to stuff things in and deal with the aftermath. Occasionally things work out better than I thought. Wondering about planting the roses back where you just removed them. Won't you run the risk of continued disease? Would love 75 and dry, here it is white and -22 F before wind chill factored in. Hence, not much gardening, other than armchair, happening.
ReplyDeleteHere if the plants work together really well, it is their doing, not mine.
DeleteYes, there's a risk of gall disease, which is why I discarded the old roses, instead of moving them. Then I change out soil, and add some compost. Lowering the pH is also said to reduce the bacteria. Since our soil pH is high, it's a good idea anyway. With the gall disease it is injured roots that are the main issue--on a 4" plant it is quite easy to get them into the ground without damaging anything. Then you must be careful to not dig around the root system, and as I discovered sterilize pruners between plants.
Armchair, and houseplants, perhaps? Makes sense. In summer, that is what there is to do here.
Drawing on the photo is a great trick I must remember. Gardening on a slope makes things four times as bad. To get the heights right the gradient has to come into the equation as well. You do a great job! I try my best but at the end of the day it's trial and (mostly) error.
ReplyDeleteTonight: -3C with a 'feel like' temp of -8. Cloudy. Prospect of snow. Greenhouse heater on max and me getting the stick for it.
Trial and (mostly) error is my go-to method. I find slopes easier design wise because they seem almost two dimensional. The hard part is maneuvering on them to plant and trim.
DeleteCold there too. Seems to be a trend.
Time dimension is the hardest for me because of patience - Leaving the space around plants I know they will need takes self control. Speaking of which I did buy a few Grevillea Moonglow per you recommendation - I have them planted sufficiently far away from everything else.
ReplyDeleteI can leave space, but then I make different mistakes, ha ha!
DeleteI hope Grevilleas do well for you. Grevilleas tend to sit for a while doing nothing before they take off--at least mine here do that.
Excellent article!
ReplyDeleteI'll try to train my eyes and mind to see all the different dimensions.
I guess it is a matter o training, I guess.
I'll come back and forth to this article and remember all the tips.
Thank you!
Adriana from Real Gramas
Grama São Carlos, Grama Esmeralda, Grama Coreana, Grama Bermuda, Grama Batatais, Grama Santo Agostinho