Great Plant Combo

Sumac with an understory of swords ferns and bergenia...great winter plant combination for sure.
~ Rebecca

More Than Just Foundation Planting

Okay, it is a great building and who wouldn't want to work there (and maybe run-into Bono or Mr. The Edge--I have it from a reliable source that was what it said on his name-tag)? And you can read all about the project here: http://www.nbbj.com/#work/projects/bill-and-melinda-gates-foundation

But you know what? I really dug the planting plan. Great plant combinations, great layout, great use of space. And yes, that's a huge green roof  in the top right corner. Well Done NBBJ. ~ Rebecca

Triangles and Plants

Whenever I am installing a garden, I think about triangles. Apparently I'm not alone. It turns out that every garden magazine in the world will tell you to plant in the following way: in groups of three and in a triangular pattern. The Japanese have been on to this for a long time. The basic rules of traditional Japanese garden design include: odd numbers that support the effect of the asymmetry and the triangle shape for balanced composition.

Here are a few more rules of three that will help you in your garden design projects:

Make a  great container garden: You need 3 types of plants-- a thriller, a filler, and a spiller.

Maximize the impact of each plant in the bed: Plant them in threes. The exception is plants that are really skinny, like a gladiolus, in which case it may take as many as twenty-one to make any impact. Why twenty-one? Because with even numbers you end up planting in a linear fashion. It takes that odd numbered plant to turn the line into a drift.

It takes three forms, three textures, and perhaps three colors or shades to create a pleasing contrast: For form: an upright plant, one that mounds, and one that trails over the edges of the bed will do. Three textures: fine, medium, and bold. Three colors/shades: light, medium, dark.

Enjoy.  Rebecca