|
Unity Through Specialization
Unity may also be obtained by restricting a garden to a
certain class of plants-perennials, roses, or annuals. Annu
als and perennials can be used together, but, like roses, gen
erally do better separately, and in gardens of one classifica
tion there is a greater feeling of oneness than in a garden that
is mixed. Restrictions to a limited number of colors and to
certain seasons of bloom also tend to cut down plant lists and
make them manageable.
Color can be utilized to create unity throughout the grow
ing season. The color of flowers must be properly blended and
displayed in large enough masses to be telling, but this is no
plea for one- or two-tone gardens. We feel that the blue, white,
yellow, or pink garden is a step in the wrong direction be
cause it limits possibilities too severely. Besides working out
such color schemes is a terrific chore and many times results
in a garden that though unified is monotonous.
We do believe, however, that the color plan of a garden
should so overlie the pattern that the beds are pulled into a
unit and become parts of a single seasonal picture. The diffi
culty is that color in our climate is of such short duration that
it is necessary to plan for many pictures to follow one after
the other, to have, in other words, succession of bloom.
It often helps the beginner to limit himself to fewer plants,
at least until experience makes possible the effective handling
of a more varied list. The small garden looks better if it has
only, say, ten different shrubs and small trees for background
and enclosure, not more than fifteen perennials, and possibly
five annuals.
When a long list of plants has finally been brought within
bounds, the principle of unity needs to be considered in plac
ing the selected material. Broad masses, or large groups of
plants repeated in different parts of the garden have a pleas
antly unifying effect. Here again the urge to have a great
variety should be curbed. If a plant is worth using at all, it
should be worth using in large enough quantities to be effec
tive. One lily, one phlox, and three zinnias make a group, but
such a small group that it produces no harmony, particularly
when spotted here and there in the border. The common tend
ency to buy plants only by threes is equally bad, though bet
ter than buying "ones." A garden planted in such a manner,
and many gardens are, cannot help looking busy.
|
