This sketch has a variety of plant forms, pyramidal, mounding spreading and round, and texture.
When developing your landscape space yourself, or when reviewing a design done for you, consider these guidelines: plant sizing, plant spacing and plant selection.
In a plan, your plant symbols should reflect the size of the plant when it's 7-12 years old, not at maturity. Most plant material will reach it's maturity within that time, except shade trees and many evergreens. Plant larger specimens of shade and evergreen trees to give a more mature effect. However, large tree-spaded trees take longer to reestablish after transplanting and often are surpassed by trees that were planted as smaller specimens. Planting smaller plants can be one way to save money on a project.
When it comes to spacing the plants, base it on mature plant width. The right spacing results in less maintenance due to less pruning and minimal open ground for weeds to grow and a unified, mass design. If a more immediate mature effect is needed, closer spacing is appropriate. Closer spacing is also acceptable when creating a hedge or screening.
Accent or specimen plants should be spaced based on mature plant sizes so they don't become overcrowded and require heavy pruning thus altering their form. When working with slow growing plants, such as evergreens which may take 15-20 years to reach maturity, use flowers or shrubs as temporary filler knowing these will be removed as the plant widens.
The fun part of planting is plant selection. Use the following criteria to make your final plant selection: functional use of plant, cultural requirements, plant form and growth rate, plant texture and color, and plant availability and site access.
Examples of functional uses include selecting plants for erosion control or windbreaks. Select plants based on the sites cultural requirements of hardiness and microclimate considerations, light, soil type and moisture, soil pH and fertility, salt and pollution tolerances, and maintenance requirements.
Mixing shapes and forms adds interest. Plant forms include weeping, spreading, pyramidal, round, mounded, vase, and columnar. Mixing and repeating textures and color in a design also brings interest and cohesion. Plant color not only includes the flower, but it's leaves in summer and fall, fruit, and bark. Most importantly when selecting plants, can the plants be bought at the local nursery in the variety and size you want? And can you or your installer get it to the planting spot? Remember spaded trees require access for a large truck and large balled and burlap trees a skid steer.
To celebrate the 4th of July I've chosen a perennial whose flowers are "fireworks like". Aruncus dioicus, commonly known as goat's beard, is quoted as "an all-star for beauty, usefulness, ease of cultivation, and reliability," in Perennial All-Stars The 150 Best Perennials for Great-Looking, Trouble-Free Gardens.
