Larger plants such as trees, palms and bamboos look perfectly okay when planted as single specimens and as the main focal feature of the garden, but they can also be effective in small groups. Palm trees look particularly good planted together in groves, with all the plants of slightly different heights. Grouped in this way, you can almost kid yourself that they grew there naturally.
With architectural plants, the emphasis is on the foliage, not the flowers, so it can be great fun experimenting with all the different shapes, textures and shades of green to make different effects. For example, in a shady corner, the large glossy leaves of a Fatsia japonica, the fat crinkly foliage of Eriobotrya japonica, the blue-green spiky leaves of Yucca x floribunda and the emerald-green, soft foliage of Hebe parviflora angustifolia look lovely all grouped together.
In a sunnier position, the combination of the small, bright green foliage of a bamboo such as Phyllostachys aurea, the spiky sword-shaped leaves of Phormium tenax, the large, shiny leaves of Acanthus mollis all underplanted with the dense groundcover of Rosmarinus repens makes an interesting mix.
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Pleioblastus variegatus makes a pretty contrast to other larger bamboos.
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Strongly shaped architectural plants do not need flowers or colour to make them noticeable.
Generally, because of the lack of too many gaudy flowers, architectural plants can be mixed and matched in almost limitless combinations. At this point, it is time to throw in a few words about variegated plants. With architectural plants, the colour green obviously dominates, and with all the hundreds of shades of green, little else is really needed. Even the absence of a constant array of flowers is not much of a loss. But, just occasionally, introducing a contrasting plant can add that bit of extra interest. If a coloured-leaved plant such as Rhamnus alaternus variegata, Yucca gloriosa variegata or Phormium tenax variegata is planted among masses of green, the effect can be quite stunning. However, if too many coloured-leaved plants are added, the whole contrasting effect can be diluted to the point of being lost. So, think green, and you can’t go far wrong.
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Beautifully shaped palms are striking enough to grab anyone’s attention.
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This photo shows a perfect choice of plants for a layered effect in a small garden.
After introducing architectural plants to a garden, other ordinary garden plants can start to look dull, which usually leads to the buying and planting of more and more shapely specimens. If you plan to turn the whole garden over to architectural plants but you are on a fairly tight budget that allows only a gradual transformation, spend your cash on planting the garden in sections. Completely finishing one small area can make a much more rewarding difference than spreading out your new plants in just ones and twos around the garden.
If you prefer a more traditional garden that just needs a little oomph, architectural plants can fit in surprisingly well with existing planting. A shapely, evergreen architectural tree will not seem out of place as a focal feature in any style of garden. A couple of palms or a large Yucca can enliven the dullest of herbaceous borders without appearing at all alien. An olive tree can look wonderful in any sun-baked courtyard. And bamboos or large grasses planted around ponds look totally acceptable, even if the rest of the garden is turned over to lawn and vegetables.
If space is a bit limited, it is surprising how many large plants can fit into one small area if the varying heights are taken into account. The photo shown opposite below is a brilliant illustration of professional design and imagination (alas, not mine!). A canopy of tall Eucalyptus glaucescens provides the first layer. Underneath these, a few Cordyline australis nestle to provide the next layer and also provide shade and shelter for tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica), which are tall enough to leave room for ground-level plants such as Astelia. It’s inspirational stuff indeed, and there’s no reason why amateur gardeners can’t create something reasonably similar.
Beautiful as architectural plants are by day, they still have some hidden talents up their sleeves. It is easy to forget about the garden once the sun sets, but some of these plants are so sculptural and shapely that they can even look fantastic at night with some carefully positioned up-lighting to accentuate their silhouettes. The plants with the strongest shapes such as palms, Yucca and Agave work best with spotlights on them.
One last comment to add about planning your own garden is not to be too strict in your choice of plants. After reading up on plants you like the look of, it’s usual to write down a few favourites and compile a list of those that you’d really like. The longer the list, the less chance there is of obtaining them all during one shopping trip. However good your preferred nursery is, to expect it to stock every size of every plant all year round is being unrealistic. It is better to make a very short list of essentials, then visit the nursery and spend time looking around to see what looks good at the time. Make your final selection from what you see on the day. Otherwise you could spend a long time tracking down every single plant on a long wish-list.
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Pseudopanax crassifolius is an essential ingredient for a New Zealand-style garden.
Themed planting
Most architectural plants enthusiasts start with just one or two specimens at a time and gradually build up a wider selection later on. It is not unusual for the entire garden to be filled with these beautiful plants eventually. Some gardeners take things one step further and theme their garden in one particular foreign style. This is often done straight after a particularly enjoyable holiday when you are wishing you were still there. Theming the garden allows the mind to be transported back to whichever part of the world you recently visited.
Settlers new to a particular country sometimes like to be reminded of their homeland, and they plant their gardens accordingly: New Zealanders and Australians living away from home seem to have a special passion for doing this. As the choice of architectural plants is wide, it is easy to develop gardens that are reminiscent of one particular country or region. The provenance of the plants doesn’t have to be strictly correct as long as the look of it suits what you are trying to create. For example, a Mediterranean-style garden could be created using plants such as Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), Umbrella Pines (Pinus pinea), Magnolia grandiflora, olives and palms, together with Trachelospermum jasminoides and Pittosporum tobira to add the familiar scent found in Tuscany or the south of France.
Some might prefer a Japanese look, with the emphasis on Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra), together with trees such as Podocarpus macrophyllus and Phillyrea latifolia, and maybe some Japanese topiary as well, such as Ilex crenata and formally clipped Buxus sempervirens or curved mounds of Hebe rakaiensis.
Jungly gardens can be very dramatic using palms, bamboos, Banana Plants (Musa basjoo) and anything else with large leaves such as the Foxglove Tree (Paulownia tomentosa) and Rice Paper Plant (Tetrapanax papyrifera). Loud splashes of colour can be introduced with any of the Canna or Ginger Lilies (Hedychium), and all types of large-leaved ferns could be used for the underplanting.
Australian-type