Flower Garden Design Elements

When choosing plants for the garden, consider the following four aspects of design:

Color is the element most people think of first when designing a flower bed. Following are some general guidelines.

Cool colors, such as blues, soft pinks, and violets, are considered tranquil and relaxing. Use them in places you wish to create a sense of serenity, such as around decks and patios. Cool colors do not show up well from a distance, and have the most color impact when viewed close-up. However, cool colors do appear to recede when viewed from a distance. By using cool-colored flowers at the back of a small garden, the garden can appear to be deeper.

Warm colors, such as reds, oranges, and yellows, are bold and stimulating. Warm colors carry well, and are visible from farther distances, such as across a yard or from the street. Unlike cool colors, they can make a space feel smaller and more intimate. Use hot colors with moderation, or the mind and eyes may grow tired of the visual stimulation. Hot colors can be balanced with gray or blue foliaged plants, as well as blue flowers.

Texture refers to the tactile and visual surface of all elements used in the garden. Lamb's ear feels and looks "furry." Baby's breath is lacy. Texture may refer to the amount of light reflected from plant foliage. Glossy-leafed plants attract the eye, while dull-leafed plants appear flat and tend to recede. Leaf size also relates to texture. The fine texture of astilbe leaves is much different from the large, coarse leaves of most hostas. Fine textures of lacy-leafed plants to tend to recede, while coarse textures appear to advance. Usually, coarse textures are more suited for large landscapes, and finer textures for smaller spaces. However, coarse textures can be used as accents in small landscapes.

Form refers to the three dimensional shape of plants, individual flowers, or space. Herbaceous plants have many different forms, including upright, vase-shaped, oval, pyramidal, spreading, etc. These forms create interest in the garden, though too much diversity can create commotion. It is better to use fewer forms and fuse them together with plantings of filler plants and groundcovers.

Plant Dimension refers to the height and width of plants. It is interesting to mix a variety of heights and widths in a garden, thus creating a variety of different levels or stories of plants. This adds depth to the design.