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Page 34 Plants.
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Most hard-core horticulturalists believe that planting is all and everything, I disagree with this slightly, but only slightly. The balance between hard landscaping to give the correct framework for soft landscaping is
crucial and both parts are equally important for many complex visual reasons. However, I am still struck by the colour shape and general beauty of the plants we have available in this area.
I often think that many people don’t have a fluid enough vision when it comes to plants and the uses they have. It’s not just about palms and flowering shrubs. The balance and structure that can be given from plants with form and structure, trees of different shapes, plants with foliage colour, as well as many types of flowering and none flowering plants, can be amazing.
I often believe the best gardens are organically created by figuring out what does and doesn’t work within your garden space and what style and type of planting you wish to go for in the first place. We don’t have a singular style of planting here as many people think, you can have a large amount of choice providing you create the right circumstances.
The most important thing when you are planning a garden is to know which plants do what and how they grow. I say this because I have visited many gardens where people have totally underestimated the size of what certain plants will grow to.
The other main thing once you understand how big these trees, shrubs and plants may grow to, is to then plan this into your garden space so things work around them. This is where, in my job, I can create and think ahead and even create contingencies within the design to allow for growing time. But when you understand this you can then start to appreciate how you will be able to use the shade of a sprawling Phoenix Canariensis, or the loving shade of a spreading tree like Ficus Australis or Alibizia Julibrissin. I often create backing planting, this helps to create a depth to the garden and makes it feel borderless, a favourite for this is Nerrium Oleander. With a variety of colours this really is a great plant and when pruned correctly can become a real asset to a garden.
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