Photo by Dimitry AnikinBorders provide many opportunities for planting and creating that extension of your imagination. It is integral to fantastic garden designs. If you want to keep your borders looking colorful all year round, you’ve got to try the following.
Work With the Natural Layout
Working in harmony is always the best approach. Any landscape design company will always talk about putting items where they are “happiest.” When it comes to using your plants, if you put them in the right location, they require less attention and will bloom better. Look at the characteristics of the beds and the borders, and make a note of if they are sheltered, exposed, dry, or wet, and work according to the conditions.
Find Inspiration
Look at combinations that appeal to you. If the conditions are the same as those in your garden, there is no harm in copying them. You can always take inspiration from your neighbors, and look at what local garden centers do because you have proximity in your favor. When certain types of plants grow in a local area, you should use those to the best of your advantage.
Plan the Planting Scheme
Be careful with this, because while the planning may look good on paper, it might not work as well in practice. Take the opportunities to draw an outline of the area to be planted on graph paper and play with the variety of arrangements until you find one that really stands out for you.
Be Careful With Maintenance
You are not going to have all the time in the world to look after your garden. If you have young families, or you work all hours, you’ve got to find smaller shrubs and conifers as they require little attention and are not prone to many diseases or pests.
Decide on a Theme
When you pick a theme, it brings focus and clarity to the overall process. Think about your personal tastes and how you want to use the garden, but also look at the space itself. Things will give you inspiration if you look hard enough. If you have a draining slope, this could lend itself well to an informal gravel garden. When you start to bring themes into play, it makes the process easier to maintain and looks a lot better.
Focus on Simplicity
As much as you would like to have every plant in your garden, you’ve got to sever ties somewhere. Every plant under the sun could look chaotic, so you should try to work towards a sense of harmony. Think about your themes for but also consider a color palette that will work in your favor.
Think About the Right Level of Contrast
Harmony is important, but if you have plants with distinctive shapes and colors, they will create fantastic focal points. When you are trying to create an overall sense of harmony, think about the color wheels, and what is already there. For example, if you have trees, they will naturally help you gravitate towards a certain theme.
