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| My son has a client who wants a formal, very colorful entrance to his "estate">>he already has a very well designed garden but now wants lots of color but formal and low maintenance. Is such a thing possibly? I always think of lots of flowers as not being formal. He does have a full time gardener to tend. What plants would you all suggest? I believe this is in sun. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by gardenweed_z6a N CT (My Page) on Sun, Jun 29, 14 at 8:13
| They aren't "formal" in the strictest sense but they do add a ton of color: daylilies are available in a wide range of colors and bloom early, mid- and late season. In March the Hellebores/Lenten roses provide both foliage and bloom to the early season garden beds along with Jacob's ladder, Virginia bluebells, Brunnera, bleeding heart & woodland phlox (P. divaricata). I have spirea blooming now as well as Penstemon/beardtongue 'Mystica.' Shasta daisy 'Crazy Daisy' is putting on a show at the moment as are Maltese cross, Coreopsis 'Zagreb' and several Astilbe cultivars. Later in the season, black snakeroot and toad lily start blooming and add foliage contrast. Platycodon/balloon flower blooms white, pink, or blue in both single and double forms. Baptisia/false indigo provides a zero-care vertical element early in the season. Nepeta/catmint is an all-season bloomer. |
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- Posted by shadeyplace (My Page) on Sun, Jun 29, 14 at 9:52
| Thanks. Baptisia slipped my mind. A great suggestion. |
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| Um..he has a full-time gardener and he's worried about low maintenance? Anyone see the humor in that? LOL! The possibilities are numerous, it would help to see a pic. Although, for season-long color I would suggest annuals. Wax begonia, annual vinca, marigolds, geraniums lend themselves well to a formal look. |
This post was edited by mxk3 on Sun, Jun 29, 14 at 12:56
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| How about boxwood hedges with clematis growing through it? Can't get more formal than boxus but the clematis will brighten it up, especially if a mix of varieties are used, |
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- Posted by shadeyplace (My Page) on Sun, Jun 29, 14 at 13:11
| I know, my son said the same thing. L.OL. Why care about low maintenance? I believe these people already have a formal knot garden in the back with box. Did you mean clematis climbing over the box? |
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| lots of hedging and pleaching (yew and hornbeam are english classics) usually leaves a nicely solid green background to foreground more colourful perennials and annuals. |
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| This garden designer (Deborah Silver) manages to often combine colorful with formal. Looking at photos in her blog may spark some ideas. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Dirt Simple, Deborah Silver
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- Posted by SunnyBorders 5A (My Page) on Sun, Jun 29, 14 at 17:47
| Wanting low maintenance and having a full time gardener; how big is the property? If it's flower colour: What about annuals? |
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| shadeyplace, that's exactly what I meant. |
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| go on line for arley hall and packwood-cant go much further with formal design and maximum colour |
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- Posted by whitelacey 6 (My Page) on Mon, Jun 30, 14 at 2:17
| Formality in a garden has to do mostly with the layout and repetition of plants, not necessarily the plant material itself. Think straight lines and repeating themes of plantings. Linda |
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- Posted by shadeyplace 7 (My Page) on Mon, Jun 30, 14 at 9:00
| Thanks for all of your input. |
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- Posted by shadeyplace 7 (My Page) on Mon, Jun 30, 14 at 16:29
| front of house |
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