Well designed gardens are known for their sweeps and swaths of the same plant. Onesies are frowned upon — plant in groups of threes, or better yet five or even seven. But how can I possibly have room for all the cool plants if I do it that way? Thus I’ve resigned myself to having a “collectors garden” — not that there’s anything wrong with that — but it’s a label that (I’m being honest here) left me feeling a little “less than.” Like my garden was nice, but with an asterisk.
All that changed recently during a conversation with Patricia. She was ruminating on the design of her garden and said something about need to repeat plants “like you do so well…” What? But I’ve got a collectors garden, it’s random, unorganized! Then she started naming off all the plants that are repeated through my garden. Not in sweeps and swaths but overall. Creating a different kind of unity but unity none-the-less.
Just a few feet away — another clump of Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’. I’ve gotten rid of a lot of this grass over the years and so was quite surprised I could still count 9 plants in my garden.
I can’t remember if she used the phrase “the unifiers” or if that’s something that I thought up later. But I like it, and you know what, I’ve got quite a few! In fact the more I looked, the more I started to wonder why I hadn’t seen this for myself. I guess we are always our own worst critics though, aren’t we?
In an attempt to look at my garden wish fresh eyes I walked around and snapped these photos of repeated plants and themes. Eventually I had to stop because I had so many, who knew? Thank you Patricia for seeing my garden in a way I never had…
