Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.
The emerging foliage of miner ’s bread ( Claytonia perfoliate ) often resemble outsized philia before metamorphose into their matured circular phonograph recording . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
The joyousness of a garden lies not only in its carefully planned design or proportionate plant combinations but also in the spontaneousness of unexpected surprisal that issue throughout the year .
Ramp up your garden ’s delight by incorporating plant with unequalled and surprising feature film , such as flowers that search like small slippers , nub - shaped leaf , a shrub that aromatize the air with a candy - same fragrance , or unexpected and oversized change of everyday favorites . Adding these whimsical wonders to your garden creates a unequalled experience filled with enchanting surprises .
NATURE’S PLAYFUL SIDE
Nature ’s common sense of humor is ever - present , invite us to join in the laughter and find delight in the simplest thing . Flowers , for deterrent example , can add so much more than color to the garden but also fun and surprising pattern : the mellifluous pea shrub ( Polygala myrtifolia ) , for example , has magenta - pink blossom that look like birds of Eden , or slipper plant ( Euphorbia lomelii ) with slight red bloom in the shape of a lady ’s slider , or the tiny cricket bat - face flowers ofCuphea llavea .
leaf is another way nature can showcase its originative flair , such as the delicate tracking stem of the rosary vine ( Ceropegia woodii ) with its nitty-gritty - shaped leave-taking , the snail - casing - shaped foliage of the ‘ Escargot ’ begonia , or the swiss - high mallow - like foliage of aMonsteraplant to name just a few .
visitant delight in understand how the uniquely - regulate coral flowers of theEuphorbia lomeliilook just like petite slippers . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
INTERACTIVE PLANTS
Interactive plant leave and flowers ply a captivating glimpse into the fascinating kingdom of botanical communication . Beyond their esthetic entreaty , these remarkable plant actively employ with their environment dynamically , responding to touch , front , and even go .
Examples let in the sensitive plant ( Mimosa pudica ) that fold up its leaves inwards once touched , the infamous Venus flytrap that respond to touch by fleetly close its specialized leafage upon unsuspicious dirt ball , and , of course , many of the carnivorous plants such as sundews ( Drosera rotundifolia ) with sticky tentacle that flock around a pin down louse .
Adding interactive plants that react to touch or movement to the garden is guaranteed to provide a fun and surprising experience for all ( adult and small fry alike ! )
The very definition of an interactional works is the Venus flytrap who cursorily snaps its leaves close on an unsuspecting insect . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
SURPRISING SCENT
Who does n’t have a go at it deliciously odorous prime , inhaling the fragrance of an old - fashioned rosebush , the heady scent of a flower jasmine vine , or the sweet scent of a Polianthes tuberosa ? But , why not take it up a notch and include a few unexpected ‘ aroma - surprise ’ in the garden ? supply plant likeIris pallida’Variegata ' variegated iris diaphragm with grape vine - succus - scented rosiness or popcorn cassia ( Cassia didymobotrya ) with foliation that smells like popcorn and efflorescence that smell like peanut butter , or a mock orange shrub ( Philadelphus ‘ Belle Etoile ’ ) whose white flowers perfume the garden with the fragrance of SweetTart ™ confect . There ’s also the many sweet-smelling geraniums whose foliage adds layer of lemon , lime , cloves , cedar , or even chocolate mint .
Including surprising perfume such as these creates an unforgettable and delightful journeying through the garden .
Inhaling the mouth - watering , candy - like fragrance of a blooming ‘ Belle Etoile ’ mock orange is one of the most pleasurable things to do on a affectionate summer afternoon . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
UNUSUAL GROWTH PATTERNS
Introducing plants with unexpected shapes , var. , and growth patterns to the garden ignites the imagination while provoke curiosity . Picture the mesmerizing spirals of a helical aloe ( Aloe polyphylla ) with its enchanting correspondence ; or the rock and roll - impersonating chassis ofLithops , their camouflage show blending seamlessly with rocky landscape ; or the bottle screw - like twists and twist of a corkscrew hazel ( Corylus avellana’Contorta ' ) , its writhen branches adding a playful touch to any garden .
Adding plants such as these adds a surprising touch of dramatic event and personality to the garden , resulting in a unequaled and memorable experience .
The vertigo - inducing spiral of a spiral aloe lend an unexpected sentience of motion to the garden . picture by : Rebecca Sweet .
COLOR-CHANGING FLOWERS
tote up a captivating and active surprisal to your garden by incorporating flowers that alter colour throughout the solar day , reflecting the passage of clock time and the shift chromaticity of natural illumination . However , these flowers also serve a purpose beyond their visual entreaty , frequently changing color to tempt specific pollinator throughout various clock time of the twenty-four hour period .
good example include the yesterday - today - tomorrow plant ( Brunfelsia grandiflora ) with flush that begin the twenty-four hours with lavender or violet , fading to white as the day get on . Or , Four o’Clocks ( Mirabilis jalapa ) , which flower tardily in the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , simultaneously showcasing flowers of multiple color , with some blossoms transitioning from chickenhearted to dark pink and others from whitened to reddish blue . And certain morning nimbus ( Ipomoea ) transform as their petal unfurl , revealing vibrant hue of reddish blue , pink , or blue at sunrise that bit by bit soften throughout the day .
The vibrant , everchanging blooms of the Yesterday - Today - Tomorrow ( Brunfelsia grandiflora ) adds an unexpected surprisal to the leaping garden . pic by : Rebecca Sweet .
SURPRISING SOURCES OF COLOR
Exploring the coloured world of gardening is like going on a gem hunt ; besides the usual pops of colouration from flowers and leaf , there are cover source of color waiting to be get a line . You ’ll find contrasting hue in unexpected lieu like a efflorescence ’s intricate center , its subtle shading , or even in its stems and source heads . For exercise , the captivating ' Lady in Red ' hydrangea boasts cranberry - colour stems , or the ' Honeycrisp ' flame nettle with a surprising burst of magenta hidden under its leaf .
Keep take care to discover color beyond just flower and foliage . retrieve berries , barque , or even a plant ’s vivacious young growth — like the first flush of red leaves from a rose , Pieris , or peony . And do n’t block about a plant’soldgrowth , too , organize declension ’s ardent foliation with late - blooming flowers . These other , less apparent colors are a golden opportunity to create a chip of visual conjuration in your garden .
Look beyond the beamy lucky yellow flower petal of the Kahili Ginger ( Hedychium gardnerianum ) to discover a hidden treasure : vivacious orange stamens just waiting to become an unexpected color echo . picture by : Rebecca Sweet .
SURPRISING SOURCES OF TEXTURE
grain is an alluring element in the garden , creating an irresistible physical chemical reaction among kids and adults alike ( who can resist the uncontrollable impulse to stroke the soft leaf of a lamb ’s ear flora or run a hand along the peeling barque of a newspaper publisher bark maple ? ) However , in addition to the texture come from foliage and peak , look a trivial mysterious to find other sources of texture , such as feathery seedpods , bristly stems , undress barque , and even hardscaping . While many of these sources of grain are subtle , their influence on the garden ’s overall harmony is lively , facilitate to create yr - round interest .
The feather - duster ejaculate heads of the clematis vine are a show in and of themselves . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
LATE-SEASON SURPRISES
Do n’t forget to delight the pleasure of happen upon any late - time of year surprise that your garden may extend . Unexpected seedpods such as the money plant ’s translucent , wafer - thin saucer that resembles flattened Ag dollars , or the knobby marble - sized red fruit of a kousa dogwood ( Cornus kousa ) .
previous color surprises can be found in station other than foliage , like the surprisal emergence of flowers from a au naturel dame electric light ( Amaryllis belladonna plant ) , which seem to snake out of the bare ground on marvellous bow , adding soft pink trumpet - shaped blossom to the fall garden ; or the brilliant red base of the coral bark maple ( Acer palmatum‘Sango Kaku ’ ) that shine brightest on a moth-eaten wintertime ’s solar day .
The white flush of the Harlequin glorybower ( Clerodendrum trichotomum ) transform into jester - hat - shaped berries in optic - crop up tad of indigo and crimson . picture by : Rebecca Sweet .
GIANT OR MINIATURE VARIETIES
Introducing exceptionally large or small variation of mutual plants into your garden can add a delightful pull , sparking machination and fascination among visitant . Imagine spotting a group of hulk ' Titan ' or ' Giraffe ' helianthus reach for the sky or colorful , petite miniature roses nestled among lush foliation . Whether it ’s the awe - inspiring splendour of giant plants or the endearing good luck charm of miniature ones , integrate these varieties lends a impulsive temptingness to your garden , creating an unforgettable experience for all who visit .
Though theIris reticulata’Katharine Hodgkin ' feature hypnotize sky blue and yellow flowers intricately vein with sinister purple and xanthous , they stand at a bare 4 - in marvelous , extend a delicious surprise to in any garden . photograph by : Rebecca Sweet .
