How & When to Break the Rules of Garden Design
with Rebecca Sweet
Recording & Notes from 3/21/24
Wow! What a great webinar! Tons of practical advice and so many 'aha' moments, all giving you the confidence to know which rules to break and how to break them!
If you weren't able to attend the live event, or would like to listen again (highly recommend!), links to the recording and updated slide notes are below, along with additional insights from the webinar.
Click here to access the recorded version from the March 21st webinar (available through April 28th). Before watching, download and print out the updated notes below to follow along.
Click here for the updated slide list with additional notes & plant names to print out—follow along with the recording and add your own notes.
From Rebecca...
“Over the years, and having met with hundreds of gardeners, one thing I've noticed is that people are hesitant to make any changes in their garden because they're so afraid they're going to make a huge mistake.”
“In my opinion, gardens that are the most memorable, usually don't follow all the rules.”
Rule #1: Right Plant, Right Place
How to break this rule...
Become the Master Manipulator
(Where there's a will, there's a way)
Learn to love tight spaces: Manipulating (restricting) the space in which a plant's roots grow can result in a smaller-than-normal plant.
"Just think about the art of bonsai, and how a Japanese maple can actually live and thrive in this really shallow container... Or the art of espalier, which is the French word for trellis, in which trees or shrubs are grown flat against a wall, or in such a way that they take up very little physical ground space... And this [cordyline] here wants to be about 4' by 4', or even a little more. But, because its roots are restrained by the stone wall next to my stairs and those massive boulders and the massive oak tree roots, its size is really kept to a more manageable 2-1/2' by 2-1/2'."
Control the lighting: Plant tags are important, but...
"I was I was told by a well-known grower that those tags are quite often printed from a single national vendor and they take a blanket statement approach when talking about a plants growing conditions.
So, when it says full sun, it often means full sun in parts of the country that may get supplemental summer rain. It's not necessarily saying full sun where I live... So in my full sun, many of them actually prefer the partial shade.
Think about your environment to determine what full sun means to you. What time of day is your garden in the sun? Is it mid to late afternoon, which is the hottest, versus morning sun. Or, does your garden get a lot of wind, which really is hard on plants and dries them out?
Take factors like this into consideration to determine whether you can interpret those lighting requirements a little more loosely."
Above: A sun-loving Miscanthus 'Morning Light' placed in a shady corner, restricted by tree roots and a stone wall grew to be a manageable 4 x 4 feet, rather than it's normal 6 x 6 feet.
Control water: Creative layering in containers can allow you to manipulate plants that have different water requirements
“When you water a container, what happens? Water trickles down and then out. So the top of the container is the area that dries out first. Therefore, because it dries out first, it is ideal for succulents and other plants that demand fast-draining, dry soil like lavender, salvia, agastache, etc.”
Rule #2: Use a Restricted Color Palette
How to break this rule...
Get to Know Your Color Wheel
(The A, B, C's)
A = Analogous, or adjacent:
“Simply stated, analogous colors are next to one another on the color wheel, usually in groups of 3 or 6. Analogous colors are they the most harmonious to look at because they have elements of each contained within them. So you can pick any 3 colors on the wheel that are next to one another and they'll be analogous.”
Filoli Historic House & Gardens, Woodside, CA
B = Beyond, or complementary
“Complementary colors are those located opposite one another on the color wheel. This 2-color combo is inherently high contrast, and therefore, high tension; like this blue and orange combination. And because of that, it really helps create a dynamic and energetic garden, which is why this garden looks so great. When chosen this way, complimentary colors really provide that visual kind of punch that a garden might need to wake it up.”
In order to not create too much contrast and tension, “use plenty of analogous colors, those that are harmonious, with the occasional punch of a complimentary color combo.”
C = Controlled conflict, or split complementary
“Simply put, this is just a 4-color combo that consists of 3 analogous and 1 complimentary color. You can take anywhere on the wheel and pick 3 colors that are next to one another. Take that center color, draw line straight across, and that's the visual punch.”
Above: An analogous combo of lavender and purple gets a punch from the yellow yarrow.
Rule #3: Choose Your Garden Style
How to break this rule...
Incorporate BOTH Styles
(with clever plant selection & placement)
Conservatory Garden, Central Park, NY, designed by Lynden Miller
Formal or Informal?
"Formal gardens tend to use distinct geometric shapes within the garden and for their layout, like tightly clipped circles, rectangles, and triangles, and long straight lines... plant spacing, color, and layout are all very precise.
Informal gardens, on the other hand, tend to use curves and free-flowing forms. The color combinations are more relaxed, with curving, casual pathways. Also, they have varying plant heights that sort of mingle together. The, informal garden isn't so focused on precise plant placement.
Mixing the 2 styles together is just one more way to make your garden uniquely yours.”
Above: The straight lines of the pathway and the clipped hedges are mixed with the loose and casual shapes of shrubs, grasses, and perennials.
Rule #4: Always Use Proper Spacing
How to break this rule...
Master the Art of Cram-scaping
(Also called controlled chaos)
No bare ground:
“I confess, I'm a crammer. The mantra that plays over and over inside my head is ‘bare ground equals planting opportunity.’ I figure, if I don't plant something there in that bare spot, Mother Nature will do it for me—in the form of weeds.”
Kiss, not tackle:
“With controlled chaos, my ultimate goal is this to have your plants kiss, not tackle. You want the ultimate size of your plants to barely touch one another, not flop on top of one another. And I'll admit, it definitely takes skill to do this.”
Other benefits:
"Besides looking beautiful, a full garden with no bare ground really showing, provides shade, which really helps us retain precious moisture and it blocks out open sunny spaces where weed seeds love to germinate. Plus, when they're tightly planted, oftentimes plants can support one another, helping to prevent them from flopping over."
Embrace the naturalistic style of planting:
“Have things look natural, don't plant plants evenly spaced out; you never see that in nature. So for example, cluster 4 or 5 plants together and then a few further out to look like they naturally grew that way.”
Use plenty of bobbers:
"When trying to create a lush and full garden filled with a brim with plants, incorporate plenty of bobbers; those plants that appear to float above the others. When choosing a plant for its bobbing qualities, be sure it's foliar base doesn't take up a lot of space: remember we're trying to get as many plants in a space as possible without overcrowding."
*See Rebecca's recent blog post about bobbers: Light and Airy Flowers for a Naturalistic Garden
Rule #5: Layering the Garden: Short to Tall
How to break this rule...
Discover the Power of See-Through Plants
(Avoid predictability without blocking the view)
Place some taller plants that you can see through at the front of borders and beds—where you wouldn't normally place them—like this kangaroo paw placed close to the front of the border.
"When you occasionally break this rule throughout your whole garden, it creates these unexpected moments that really cause your brain to say, hold on, whoa, what's going on here? And you just slow down, and you take in the garden."
Rule #6: The Rule of 3's
How to break this rule...
Unleash the Power of 1, 2, or 4
(And create echoes)
One - "If you're going to use a single plant as a focal point, be sure its qualities are strong enough that it can stand on its own like this beautiful striking agave Americana right there in the back."
Two - "If two of the same plant are placed within a garden bed with nothing in the center like a bird bath, or a pathway, or view, it can look like something's missing."
Four - "Another technique that works really well is dividing four into three plus one" as shown with the Miscanthus above.
"Our brains do perceive that odd numbers of plantings creates flow and appears more natural and informal; while even numbers tend to create symmetry, and symmetry is usually equated with formality."
Create an echo:
"If you plant a single variety here, and a different variety there... the garden can quickly end up looking jumbled with a little bit of this and a little bit of that."
To avoid this type of chaos when you still want to use a lot of different plants... you want to tie all of these single specimens together by making sure they have an element in common (or an echo) such as a color echo, or texture, or even form."
Closing Thoughts from Rebecca
"I hope I have inspired you to think outside the box and break a few rules in an effort to create a really unique and unconventional garden. And, I hope I've given you the courage to feel free to plant some big and bold plants up front, to experiment with lighting and sizes, and use plenty of color to your heart's content, and to have fun in your garden while maintaining its harmony.
I hope you now feel a little more confident in your ability to know which rules you can break and how to get away with it."
Viewer Q&A
"How do you decide on the names of your garden areas?"
"I decide what the distinguishing feature about each area is, and call it that (ie: Owl Slope, because we have an owl box there)."
How do you deal with 'floppers'?
I'll use wire supports (Gardeners Supply has a lot); otherwise, I try and have another plant help support the floppy culprit.
When using the color wheel design approach, is there a suggestion for adding white flowers? Is white a neutral that works in any design?
White can go with anything. You won't find it on the color wheel, and I have read that they don't even consider it a color, it's a tint. In hot areas, it can really bring at a cool lushness to the garden, especially if it's got green foliage. This year, for example, I'm growing lots of the cosmos 'Purity', that really tall one with the bright white flowers and the beautiful green ferny foliage... It kind of cools down the visual temperature. You've also got to be careful because [white] can be really glaring. So also in hot gardens, you wanna be careful about that.
Other Notes & Mentions
Piet Oudolf book: Rebecca mentioned her love of Piet Oudolf and his planting style, and specifically mentioned the latest book on his work: Piet Oudolf at Work.
Other books by Oudolf include:
Planting: A New Perspective
Planting the Natural Garden
Dream Plants for the Natural Garden
and many others...
Color wheels: Many different color wheels can be found on Amazon or local hobby or craft stores.
Garden photos: Rebecca saves her garden photos on her phone in albums by area. She also has photos of garden to-dos in a "Garden Chores" folder.
Viewer Insights & Tips
- Cindy suggests "sticking golf tees where the clumps [of bulbs] are" to remember where they're planted. These are lower than plant stakes—great idea!
- "Such useful info on how to specifically plant “drifts” so they look like nature did it." - Lorie
- "I use my color wheel all the time for other things, never thought to use in the garden!! I'm excited!" - Krystyna
- "I love the 'three plants on one side of the path, one on the other side' tip—it adds drama!" - Chrys
Stay in touch with Rebecca
- Website & blog: Harmony in the Garden
- Instagram: Harmony in the Garden
- Facebook: Rebecca Sweet
- YouTube: Rebecca Sweet Garden Design
Follow, subscribe, and tell your friends!
Up Next:
Artistic Flourishes: Pots With a Purpose
with Dan Benarcik of Chanticleer
Thursday, April 18th @ 6PM EDT
Photos courtesy of Chanticleer
We'll see you back next month when we'll learn about container design from gardening expert Dan Benarcik of Chanticleer—one of the most innovative gardens in the U.S. Don't miss this opportunity to learn how to blend artistry and horticulture—just like they do Chanticleer—to create truly amazing container displays for your own garden.
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