The use of eye-catchers and plants of different heights make a small garden more attractive. — INA FASSBENDER/dpa
Unhappy with how your garden looks? Gaps in your garden may become glaringly obvious or you may notice a beautiful plant that is overshadowed by others and simply cannot bloom.
Spruce up your garden with the following tips.
Not every plant is ideally suited to being in the middle of a flower bed, but some enhance other plants that love being centre stage and basking in the sun.
Use a mix of focal, companion and filler perennials in the perennial bed. This combination can also be used in other beds, says the Federal Association of Garden, Landscape and Sports Ground Construction (BGL).
Focal perennials means taller plants with eye-catching flowers that visually dominate the bed and are best arranged in small groups, the BGL says.
Companion perennials go well with the main ones. They are not as tall, less conspicuous and play a subordinate role in the flower bed.
And then there are the extras that complete the picture. Enter filler plants such as ground cover plants, which are good for closing gaps and concealing problem areas such as bare stems.
Grasses are a great addition to the perennial bed and can really stand out in a garden.
If you are opting for that kind of landscaping, stick to the 70/30 rule, the BGL says.
Accordingly, grasses account for 70% of plants while colourful flowers make up the remaining 30%. The area becomes anything but monotonous as grasses visually fill out any gaps when the perennials have faded.
Flat surfaces can look boring as they lack the height and depth on which the eye tends to linger.
To make the area more attractive regardless of its intended use, separate it visually with different materials or plants of varying height. Raise a bed slightly with a low wall.
Small plants for small gardens would seem logical. However, experts advise against this as small is not necessarily more in such gardens.
Opt for a few eye-catchers and plants of different heights instead in order to make a small garden more attractive. – dpa
