Scale and Proportion

Proportions and Scale---

Ever wonder why some gardens look good from a distance but when you get right up close they really aren't that spectacular? Or why the great plants you added to your garden just seem to disappear amongst the crowd?

What we are talking about here is scale and proportion. The closer you plan to be when viewing your garden, the more detail and precision that will be needed for you to enjoy what you see. My little row of impatiens along my shady front sidewalk need to be perky and at their best to greet visitors. They need to really fit the space and not overpower it. And they will need to be deadheaded and kept free from slugs and slug bites. Small, close, tight: need close attention.

My back yard garden is another story altogether. Big clumps of plants that take their turns blooming---often the foliage is as pleasant as the flowering stage. But because they are big and the viewer gazes upon them from across the yard or out of the window, I don't need to be as meticulous with their care. Big clumps, big masses, color on a big scale. The flower heads can even get pretty ratty looking before I cut them back. Having that impact of mass color is what I'm looking for in the large border.

In large borders, you can use either big blooms or a huge clump of smaller blooms to get that colorful impact. Tall white phlox is elegant and very showy in late summer. Tiny, low asters really need to be massively planted at the very front of the border to make an impact. I like to take that even a bit further, I use the asters to line my curved pathway. All summer long they look like a tiny green shrub row and then burst forth with pale lavender flowers in late August. If I were to place a few here and there, the dramatic effect would be lost.

To answer the scale and proportion question, the key is deciding how close your viewer will be to the garden when it blooms.

Note: If I were speaking strictly from a landscaping point of view, the need to "get it right" the first time would be pretty important. Trees and shrubs do need plenty of consideration before planting. Height, width, root spread and depth, shade-casting, and many other factors need to be taken into consideration. My suggestions are NOT for landscaping. My suggestions are for GARDENING and I see a big distinction. Gardeners can have a lot of fun, easily move plants that don't quite work out and just gain more confidence with time. If we, as young gardeners, over-challenge ourselves, much of the fun can be lost. Therefore, we'll keep it fun and keep it as gardening!!! Happy digging!!!!