Do You Suffer from One-of-Each-Itis?

Take a look inside my brain and you behold an untidy sight . It ’s topsy-turvydom in there , due to continually see my life as if it ’s go to be made into an installment for my boob tube show , Garden Wise Guys .

I co - host a regional public instruction show with Owen Dell , author of the recently publishedSustainable Landscaping for Dummiesbook . Our show ’s mission is to make the principles of sustainable landscaping and water conservation into an enlightening and entertaining half - hr . But lately , I ’ve been work-shy . Instead of 30 - minute programs , I ’ve been thinking about 60 - second commercial message .

fit 1 : babe boomer couple , she in a mint dark-green garden hat with little pinkish Cecil Bruner rose on the band ; he in his weekend Eddie Bauer sartorial splendor . They are meandering through a nursery depend at the vast choice of coloured , enticing perennials , discuss the merits of each . They are smiling and laugh , but as he go on to observe his married woman , an ominous look of worry creeps over his boldness .

Scene 2 : Long shot of the cable car . It is the scene fromThe Grapes of Wrathwith all the family will power tie , welded , and hot - paste to the cap . Except , in this version , trees jut through the sunroof , shrub spill from the trunk , and assort four - inch perennial are jammed into the cup holder .

[ Fade to ten - minute disclaimer message : “ May do Dengue febricity , cessation of all corporal part , etc . ” ]

Scene 3 : Our couple is in the office of their family MD . Audio spokesperson - over : “ You ’ve tried coping with this disorder on your own . You ’ve attended backing groups and struggled through preceding - life statistical regression therapy . You might be suffering from of One - Of - Each - itis . Maybe it ’s fourth dimension to talk to your doctor about Chill Pill , the prescription drug medication that reduces your obsession to buy every plant you see .

“ Yipes ! That ’s ME , ” you ’re thinking . Yes , like Stacy and Clinton , we ’ve been following you around , secretly film your nursery jaunts . Worry not ; you are n’t alone . One - Of - Each - Itis smite most gardeners at one time or another . And there ’s nothing specially incorrect with having a lot of different plants in your garden . But once you take out the car and carry your new babies into the pace , how do you decide where to put the lovely lilliputian beasts ?

I attempt to avoid design - speak , but what you involve is an order principle — a theme that makes it look like you think the whole planting thing through .

Are You A Collector or an Arranger?

The Collector ’s object is merely owning and successfully mature all of the plants that they adore . collector do n’t compensate a hatful of attention to the other plant that are growing nearby — the openhanded picture fill a back seat to growing each single plant . The criteria for where to engraft the new purchase are straightforward : 1 ) Is there an empty space , and 2 ) Can I get it to grow?There are two camps of gardener : Collectors and Arrangers .

The Arranger , on the other hand , is all about create combinations that result in vignettes . The object glass is a bid of colour , shape and textures that will be subtly relaxing , exuberantly brace , or whatever mood you ’d like to make .

permit ’s start . Assume that you just get home with a slew of young impulse leverage . Grab a clipboard , a shroud of blank newspaper and a marking , then head out to your garden . If you are a Collector but long to free your inside Arranger , the following approach gives you the best of both worlds . The principle is simple : find a common trait shared by a few of the plants and group those plants together to unite the musical composition .

Five Step Prescription

Step 1 : withdraw a shape that looks like a prominent planting layer in your garden . Do n’t worry about scale of measurement . It might depend something like this …

whole step 2 : Subdivide the bed you just drew into three flowing form that we ’ll call A , barn and C ( cagey , eh ? ) . My sketch look like paisleys in heat .

My sketch look like paisleys in heat .

footfall 3 : Set the drawing apart for a moment , gather the new plant near the empty planting seam and have a seat . Look at each flora and jot down your observation about the follow : leaf colour , form ( vertical , mounding , unfold , etc . ) , leaf size of it and shape , flower color , etc . For instance , French lavender is mound , has modest gray leaves and violet flowers — it could go into a numeral of categories .

Step 4 : It ’s time to intend like a designer . Decide what “ ordering principle ” you ’d wish to use to reclaim this disobedient mob . Floral color ? Variations on conformation ?

For this drill , we ’ll base the groups on colouration . Group A will contain the warm colors ( yellow , red , orange , etc . ) , Group B , the nerveless colour ( sorry , purple , unripe , etc . ) and Group C will feature blanched , gray and silver . Sort the plants accordingly .

Cool colors are in the leftover foreground , strong colors at the back and Gray / whites to the right wing .

We ’re almost there .

Step 5 : Begin lay out the works within the large-minded outlines you sketched . I ’m put the cool colors in the left foreground , the white / gray plants to the right and the warm colors in the back . Within each of those grouping you may micro - tune to create contrasts and interest . I have three different plants in each of the three subgroup . Perhaps in Group A , the grandiloquent golden coreopsis will be in the back , sizzling cerise poppy will make full the mid - ground , and the orange nemesia will fill out the front .

Repeat for Groups B and C using your own sensation of manner to create pleasing combinations of plants .

Before you start digging holes , take a few steps back and behold ! What you ’ll see is three “ big ideas ” that simplify the entire bed and lend order to the report . The good news is that within each major grouping are very unique plants , each with its own clear-cut character reference .

I ’m hoping our match from the nursery has a chance to study this web log . I hear that even the generic variant of Chill Pill can set you back the price of a dozen endearing perennials .

This grouping of three plants all share a pinkish hue. Additionally, the two shades of mums have the identical form. This photo was taken at Riley’s Flowers in Santa Barbara. Photo/Illustration: Billy Goodnick

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I love the way these subtle color combinations are tied together by the identical forms of these succulents. Photo/Illustration: Billy Goodnick

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Your first sketch might look like this. Close enough is good enough.

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Though the colors are virtually identical, combining yarrow and daisies will create a strong pairing due to their unique forms. Photo/Illustration: Billy Goodnick

Gray foliage is the common trait that brings order and harmony to this vignette. Photo/Illustration: Billy Goodnick

The pink throat of the lily and buds of veronica unite while the vastly different forms create an interesting contrast. Photo/Illustration: Billy Goodnick

One of my most recent designs employed a range of silvery and gray grasses, perennials and ground covers. These would be perfect candidates for Bed C.