One way to coax a bit more interest out of your garden is to consider texture and shape. Pay attention to how they look next to each other. Do they coordinate or contrast? There’s no right or wrong here, it’s all about what you like personally. Luckily, successful matchmaking in the garden is significantly easier than it is in romance!
Of course we all live for those happy accidents when serendipity surprises us with a plant combination we didn’t see coming. Wow, how’d that happen! But there are ways to increase the odds.
Here are a few tips for intentionally creating more winning combinations!
Pair different shapes, but aim for similar colors. A good way to emphasize texture is to play down the color. In the photo of chocolate seedheads against tawny grasses, the warm golds and russets harmonize and softly recede. This allows your eye to focus more on texture and shape rather than color.
Place a low vertical form in front of a bulky horizontal. In the photo of gayfeather (liatris) and Little Lime hydrangea, the vertical gayfeather “candles” stand out against the expansive hydrangea, enhancing both. The pale greens behind let the lavender spikes pop forward. Notice how the different foliage forms also provide contrast.
Use different shades of one color for emphasis. This is a simple trick. Green is the perfect color to work with since it can easily get monotonous otherwise. Golden and blue shades along with variegated patterns make for pleasing combinations.
Intermix tall plants with short ones. Many of us reserve tall plants for the back of the border, which is fine, but it’s not the only option. Many will also work farther forward. Pair sparse blooms in front with denser ones behind, like this purpletop verbena and phlox. The verbena acts as a see-through veil and adds a gauzy quality.
This is an excellent technique if you have limited square footage. Vertical layers give you twice the interest for the same real estate.
Leverage a few evergreens for impact. There’s no need to isolate azaleas, rhododendrons and other evergreens away from everything else unless their soil needs are radically different. Conifers in particular introduce unique textures and forms you can’t replicate any other way. They also knit the garden together in winter.
Repetition creates harmony. Think of a repeating shape in the garden as a melody for our eyes, just as a musical rhythm repeats a beat in our ears. It’s soothing and we achieve a visual “flow”.
On the other hand, lots of solo singles or too many shapes at once feels discordant. If you have a planting that seems busy, calm it down by first reducing variety and number of colors, then repeating what’s left in just one or two colors. It will seem larger and more cohesive.
Feature a unique shape. Bold architectural plants make excellent statements. They are the drama queens of the garden, creating a “wow” factor. Just be careful not to overuse them or they will fight for attention. Instead, let one strong shape dominate and surround it with softer, subtler companions.
Examples of strong architectural plants:
- Angelica/ Cow Parsley
- Ligularia
- Joe Pye-weed
- Canna
- Tall bearded iris
- Rhubarb/ Gunnera
- Oriental Lilies
Play off opposites. Set up exciting pairings with round, smooth forms against spiky or deeply cut ones, or soft with bold. If they are different enough, the contrast will hold your interest across multiple seasons.
Sample combinations:
- Sambuca (elderberry) with rhubarb, shown above
- Alliums with astilbe
- Daylilies with fleabane
- Phlox with speedwell
- Allium schubertii with anything!
Explore foliage
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention all the fantastic foliage forms, flowers aside, that contribute their own charms to the party. Whenever you add a new plant, think about its textural contributions and fall color.
Don’t Neglect Grasses
After conifers, you can’t beat ornamental grasses for textural interest. Nothing else even comes close. Globe thistle is also a good choice, if you’re up for giant thistle. (Not everyone is, and that’s okay.)
One of the joys of gardening is trying out all the endless possibilities that pairing plants together gives us, whether in the ground or a vase. Enjoy the journey!
