Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.
The emerge foliage of miner ’s dinero ( Claytonia perfoliate ) often resembles outsize centre before transforming into their mature round disc . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
The delight of a garden lies not only in its carefully planned design or harmonious plant combination but also in the spontaneity of unexpected surprises that emerge throughout the year .
Ramp up your garden ’s delight by incorporating plants with unique and surprising features , such as flowers that search like niggling slippers , fondness - mold foliation , a shrub that perfumes the melodic phrase with a candy - like scent , or unexpected and oversized varieties of everyday favorites . tote up these whimsical wonders to your garden produce a unique experience filled with jinx surprisal .
NATURE’S PLAYFUL SIDE
Nature ’s sense of humor is ever - present , inviting us to join in the laughter and find joyfulness in the unproblematic thing . flush , for representative , can add so much more than color to the garden but also fun and surprising physical body : the sweet pea shrub ( Polygala myrtifolia ) , for example , has magenta - pinkish flowers that count like birds of promised land , or slipper industrial plant ( Euphorbia lomelii ) with little red bloom in the chassis of a gentlewoman ’s carpet slipper , or the midget bat - face flowers ofCuphea llavea .
leaf is another way nature can showcase its originative flair , such as the delicate trailing bow of the rosary vine ( Ceropegia woodii ) with its heart - regulate leaves , the escargot - shell - shape foliage of the ‘ Escargot ’ begonia , or the swiss - cheese - like foliage of aMonsteraplant to name just a few .
Visitors delight in see how the unambiguously - shaped coral flowers of theEuphorbia lomeliilook just like flyspeck slippers . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
INTERACTIVE PLANTS
Interactive plant leave and flowers provide a captivating glance into the gripping kingdom of botanic communicating . Beyond their esthetic appeal , these noteworthy plant life actively take with their environment dynamically , responding to touch , movement , and even sound .
Examples admit the sensitive plant life ( Mimosa pudica ) that folds its leaves in once touched , the infamous Venus flytrap that respond to allude by swiftly closing its specialized leave upon unsuspicious dirt ball , and , of course of instruction , many of the carnivorous plants such as daily dew ( genus Drosera rotundifolia ) with sticky tentacles that cluster around a trapped dirt ball .
sum interactive plants that answer to touch or move to the garden is guaranteed to provide a merriment and surprising experience for all ( adults and nestling likewise ! )
The very definition of an interactive plant is the Venus flytrap who cursorily snaps its parting shut on an unsuspecting louse . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
SURPRISING SCENT
Who does n’t be intimate deliciously scented blossom , inhaling the fragrance of an sure-enough - fashioned rose , the heady scent of a bloom jasmine vine , or the sweet scent of a tuberose ? But , why not take it up a snick and admit a few unexpected ‘ scent - surprises ’ in the garden ? add together plants likeIris pallida’Variegata ' variegate iris with grape - juice - odorous flower or popcorn cassia ( Cassia didymobotrya ) with foliage that smell like Zea mays everta and flowers that smack like peanut butter , or a mock orange shrub ( Philadelphus ‘ Belle Etoile ’ ) whose blanched flowers aromatise the garden with the fragrance of SweetTart ™ candy . There ’s also the many perfumed geranium whose leafage bestow layer of lemon , lime , Eugenia caryophyllatum , cedar , or even chocolate great deal .
include surprising scents such as these creates an unforgettable and delicious journey through the garden .
Inhaling the mouth - watering , candy - like fragrance of a blooming ‘ Belle Etoile ’ mock orange tree is one of the most pleasurable things to do on a affectionate summer afternoon . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
UNUSUAL GROWTH PATTERNS
Introducing industrial plant with unexpected shapes , forms , and growing patterns to the garden ignites the imagination while evoking rarity . fancy the mesmerize spirals of a turbinate aloe ( Aloe polyphylla ) with its enchant symmetry ; or the John Rock - impersonate embodiment ofLithops , their camouflaged show fuse seamlessly with rocky landscape ; or the bottle screw - like twists and turn of a corkscrew hazel tree ( Corylus avellana’Contorta ' ) , its contorted ramification adding a playful touch to any garden .
Adding plants such as these adds a surprising jot of drama and personality to the garden , resulting in a singular and memorable experience .
The vertigo - inducing spirals of a volute aloe add an unexpected gumption of apparent movement to the garden . picture by : Rebecca Sweet .
COLOR-CHANGING FLOWERS
Add a captivating and dynamic surprisal to your garden by incorporating efflorescence that change coloration throughout the solar day , reflecting the passageway of time and the shift hues of natural light . However , these flowers also serve a purpose beyond their optical appeal , ofttimes changing color to entice specific pollinator throughout various time of the 24-hour interval .
Examples include the yesterday - today - tomorrow plant ( Brunfelsia grandiflora ) with efflorescence that commence the day with lavender or purple , fading to white as the day progresses . Or , Four o’Clocks ( Mirabilis jalapa ) , which blooms late in the solar day , at the same time showcasing flowers of multiple colors , with some bloom transitioning from yellow to dark garden pink and others from bloodless to reddish blue . And sure morning resplendence ( Ipomoea ) transform as their flower petal unfurl , revealing vivacious hues of violet , pink , or blue at break of the day that gradually cushion throughout the mean solar day .
The vibrant , everchanging flower of the Yesterday - Today - Tomorrow ( Brunfelsia grandiflora ) adds an unexpected surprisal to the spring garden . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
SURPRISING SOURCES OF COLOR
Exploring the coloured world of gardening is like extend on a treasure hunt ; besides the usual tonic of color from flowers and leave-taking , there are hidden sources of color waiting to be discovered . You ’ll find contrasting hues in unexpected places like a blossom ’s intricate marrow , its subtle shading , or even in its prow and seed headland . For exemplar , the charm ' Lady in Red ' hydrangea gas cranberry - colourise stems , or the ' Honeycrisp ' coleus with a surprising burst of Battle of Magenta cover under its leaves .
Keep looking to discover semblance beyond just flowers and foliage . Think berry , barque , or even a plant ’s vibrant new emergence — like the first flush of reddened leave from a rose , Pieris , or peony . And do n’t forget about a plant’soldgrowth , too , coordinate fall ’s fiery foliation with late - blooming flowers . These other , less apparent colors are a golden opportunity to make a routine of optical magic in your garden .
see beyond the radiant gilded yellow flower petal of the Kahili Ginger ( Hedychium gardnerianum ) to discover a hidden treasure : vibrant orange tree stamens just waiting to become an unexpected colouration echo . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
SURPRISING SOURCES OF TEXTURE
Texture is an alluring element in the garden , creating an resistless physical reaction among kids and grownup alike ( who can resist the uncontrollable urge to stroke the gentle foliage of a lamb ’s capitulum works or incline a hand along the peel bark of a paper barque maple ? ) However , in summation to the grain coming from foliage and heyday , look a little deep to find other generator of texture , such as feathery pod , bristly stem , unclothe bark , and even hardscaping . While many of these sources of texture are subtle , their influence on the garden ’s overall concord is critical , helping to create year - round interest .
The feather - duster seed headspring of the clematis vine are a show in and of themselves . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
LATE-SEASON SURPRISES
Do n’t bury to enjoy the joy of discovering any belated - season surprisal that your garden may put up . Unexpected seedpods such as the money plant ’s translucent , wafer - sparse disc that resembles flatten silver dollar mark , or the knobby marble - sized red fruit of a kousa dogwood ( Cornus kousa ) .
Late color surprises can be found in places other than foliation , like the surprisal emergence of flowers from a naked ma’am medulla oblongata ( Amaryllis belladonna plant ) , which seem to snake out of the bare flat coat on tall stems , adding diffused pinkish trumpet - shaped flower to the fall garden ; or the brilliant red stem of the coral bark maple ( Acer palmatum‘Sango Kaku ’ ) that glow brightest on a cold winter ’s day .
The snowy blush of the Harlequin glorybower ( Clerodendrum trichotomum ) transform into jester - lid - shaped berries in heart - popping shade of indigotin and crimson . exposure by : Rebecca Sweet .
GIANT OR MINIATURE VARIETIES
Introducing exceptionally gravid or small variations of common plants into your garden can add a delicious twist , sparking intrigue and fascination among visitors . suppose spy a group of towering ' Titan ' or ' Giraffe ' sunflowers reach for the sky or colorful , petite miniature rosebush nestled among lush foliage . Whether it ’s the awe - instigate grandeur of giant plant or the lovely good luck charm of miniature ones , integrating these varieties contribute a impulsive allure to your garden , creating an unforgettable experience for all who visit .
Though theIris reticulata’Katharine Hodgkin ' boasts mesmerise sky naughty and yellow flowers elaborately vein with dark purple and lily-livered , they resist at a bare 4 - inches tall , offering a delightful surprisal to in any garden . pic by : Rebecca Sweet .
