The Garden Planner [antikvár]

Introduction by Ashley Stephenson, M.VQ There are very few people completely unskilled in gardening technique. Many garden owners may not use gardening tools regularly, but most have some experience and there is certainly no shortage of books which cover the technical aspects of gardening for the complete newcomer. A book of ideas The Garden Planner is a book of ideas about making the most of any garden - ideas which have been suggested by some of today's most experienced and inspired hor-ticulturalists and gardeners to satisfy a wide range of needs and tastes - and we encourage you, the reader, to formulate your own. It does not set out to teach the basic skills of gardening. Preparation These ideas have been deliberately arranged in a sequence that recognizes one of the two most important principles of garden planning: timing; there is an optimum order in which planning ideas should be put into practice. A high percentage of failures is due to the absence or poor quality of preparation. Local environment should be taken into account; have a good look round the neighbourhood and see what does well. Then observe how features in your garden (including boundaries, 'interior' structures, trees and large shrubs) affect planting limits apparently-imposed by local, climatic conditions. See also how such features contribute to or detract from the garden's appearance (for example, by making it seem larger or smaller, narrower or wider, darker or lighter, or by masking or effectively incorporating buildings or landscape features outside the garden). Designing a layout Once you have made sense of the status quo, you will be ready to design a basic layout. It is very helpful, and quite easy, to put your layout ideas on paper. Then, it becomes a question of clothing this skeleton with plants in a way which suits individual taste. Plant planning Clothing a garden involves more personal decisions than does its layout. For although garden structures and 'backbone' plantings of trees and large shrubs will to some extent reflect your own needs (e.g. you have little gardening time, so you choose hard surfaces rather than a lawn), such decisions are more usually the result of environmental data and climate, and have a practical purpose. Of course environment is also a factor when choosing plants - soil, in particular, though this need not be a limiting factor - but many plants are adaptable and when planning a decorative garden, the second of the two most important principles comes to the fore: there are no hard and fast rules; gardening is something to try and, being personal to you, it should reflect your taste. Choosing plants for your garden To the beginner there will appear to be an inordinate number of plants with unpronounceable and instantly forgettable names. This, I am sure, has a frightening effect upon many new gardeners. Unfor^ tunately, there is no way round the name game; it is only by knowing the correct name that one can be sure of identifying a particular plant. Common names are of limited value as not all plants have them, and some have more than But lack of botanical knowledge should not deter you (it will come with experience and be useful later on). What we have tried to do is to point out how plant characteristics can be used to fulfil different purposes and create pleasing associations and groupings. When giving examples of plants we describe their vital characteristics and suggest attractive combinations, or tell you why they are well suited to the type of garden under discussion. The point is to think of plants in terms of their shape, form, height, growth rate, colour, texture and scent as well as their preferred growing conditions. Paint the picture of your desired garden in your mind's eye (even on paper) and look for plants which display appropriate qualities when visiting other gardens, nurseries and garden centres, or when reading a catalogue. The strategy is to decide what plant characteristics will achieve your purpose, observe which plants display them, and use plant names as they were meant to be used - to facilitate reference. Garden planning is something which can be done by anyone so long as he or she understands the principles discussed here. There are no secrets known only to the professional gardener. Provided you avoid taking short cuts and follow these common sense guidelines, the results will, I promise you, be very gratifying. The book fills a gap between the many purely practical books about gardening and the more sophisticated books on landscape design. It is the work of professionals but aimed directly at the amateur who has decided to put his dreams into practice.