When magazines show how to design a flower bed, they usually do it the same way. They will put the tall plants in the back and taper it down until the short plants are in the front. It reminds me of a school picture. Tall kids in the back, short kids in front. If you want a very formal type of garden, that is fine. But most of us do not have that. Usually, most gardens are informal.
When I do a planting, I first think about the growth habit of the plant. If a plant is tall and wispy, then you can get away with putting it toward the middle of the bed. But if it is tall and very thick, then yes it must go toward the back so that it does not hide the other plants. Also, think about the blooms. Lots of plant foliage is short, and then a flower head shoots tall. With that situation, the plant can go in the middle because you can see through the blooms.
Another way to handle tall plants is like we did it in our farm landscaping shown in the picture. If you notice, the tall grass, Karl Foerster, protrudes out into the planting like a peninsula. There are shorter plants to each side and the front.
Shorter plants should always be reserved for either the front or edges of your flower bed. This way you will always have something to spill out over the edge of the planting to soften the area.
Stephen Fister
Tags: central Kentucky, designing, gardening, landscapes
