Worship Wisely
In pursuing the passion to plant, it's good to know when company becomes a crowd
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 ILLUSTRATED BY PAUL SCHMID |
WE MYTHOLOGIZE plant collectors, imagining them on arduous treks through misty mountains, dangling dangerously from cliffs in pursuit of some fabulous new "It" plant. If not for their exploits, how would nurseries stay continually refreshed with thrilling plants?
Yet to say someone has a "plant collector's garden" is almost a sneer. We picture a space crammed with a hodgepodge of one-of-a-kind plants, devoid of design. I'll never forget my first visit to famed plantsman Steve Antonow's West Seattle garden. The plants were unusual and beautifully cared for, but there wasn't a single place to sit down. Gardens are for people, too, as California designer Thomas Church famously said, and it's this aspect that's too often slighted in overstuffed gardens.
The truth is, most gardeners are plant collectors. How could we not be? Plants are our raw material, our inspiration, our delight. Plants fascinate us, thus we garden. While those intrepid explorers scavenge the globe for plants, we scour catalogs and nurseries, filling our gardens with the wonders discovered by plant explorers of previous generations. And therein lies the problem: too many plants, too little room.
Overcrowding plants lessens their visual impact as well as their health. While we may worship each and every plant, we often fail to notice how they look grouped, let alone how the garden relates to its house and surroundings. Here are some tips to help plant worshippers create a well-designed, stylish garden — or at least one you're able to walk through most months of the year:
Companionship: Whenever you buy a plant, think about its possible companions. Plants don't exist by themselves in nature, nor do they in the garden. You can develop a knack for this, like putting together outfits so that you don't face a full closet and wonder what there is to wear.
Circulation: Gardens are to move through, not just to look at. The first consideration of garden design should be to carve out pathways, patios, terraces. Think of it this way: If you can't easily get to the back corners of the garden, how can you enjoy each special plant's budding, blooming and fruiting?
Privacy: Do yourself a big favor and create a private work and utility space where you can grow and store plants, stow away your tools and keep messy junk out of sight but within easy reach.
Backdrops: Remember that every plant exists not in a vacuum but in relation to what is around it. Gardeners are like little children who squat right down and peer closely at the tiniest and most intricate of plant parts, oblivious to their larger surroundings. I can't tell you how often a gardener has pointed out a special treasure to me, not noticing that half the garden is sitting around unplanted in plastic pots with garbage cans and uncoiled hoses right out front.
Culling: No matter how resourcefully you take advantage of every square inch of space, sooner or later you bump up against a full garden. And there's always the lure of new and exciting plants. So make it a practice to cull whatever plants don't perform up to expectation. Admit you're tired of a certain plant, or it's more trouble than it's worth, and dig it up and pass it on to someone who may appreciate it more. And don't feel guilty about composting any plant that doesn't earn its garden space. Remember that the art lies in the edit.
Going up: Changes of level not only enhance how you experience the garden but are an elegant way to squeeze in more plants. Screens, arbors and trellises are your best friends, as are raised beds, pots, window boxes and even rooftops. By using vertical as well as horizontal space, you can satisfy your plant lust while leaving some open space to walk comfortably, sit, dine, lounge and enjoy all the beautiful plants you've collected.
Valerie Easton is a Seattle freelance writer. Her e-mail address is valeaston@comcast.net. Paul Schmid is a Seattle artist.
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