5 Garden Design Tricks That Might Look Amazing on Pinterest, But Fail in Real Life – And What to Do Instead
They might look great, but these garden design ideas don't tend to work
Instagram and Pinterest are full of garden design tips and tricks to get you thinking about your dream garden. But unfortunately, not everything you might see online works well in the real world.
To help you work out what garden design tricks to avoid, we asked some experts in their field for their advice on what ideas are unlikely to translate to a physical garden, and their design-led tips on what does actually work.
Our gardens and yards can differ widely, not only because of our individual styles and preferences, but also because of their varying locations, shapes, and sizes. No matter your gardening style or your yard’s physical attributes, these garden ideas will inspire you just in time for the warmer weather.
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1. Oversized Containers Everywhere
Giant pots and planters can add impact and height to a patio, but if not used correctly, they can lead to the space feeling dominated and overpowered.
Landscape designer, Caroline Ervin, advises that ‘Creating a pot display can look very unintentional, but planning properly will make a patio look lush and inviting, not crowded or cluttered.'
She says, ‘Use a variety of sizes and heights grouped together in odd numbers (three works very well on smaller patios). Make sure the smallest planter is not less than half the size of the medium planter so that it isn’t dwarfed by the others. In a larger group of planters, use the same color or very similar colors with varied textures to not appear too busy.’
With a wide array of materials and sizes available, choosing garden containers can be a daunting task. From classic terracotta to colored fibreglass or ceramics, in colder areas, you will want to choose something that can tolerate low temperatures or can be protected from frost damage.
You can buy pots individually or as a matching pack, such as this Set of 3 Dovelina ceramic planters, available from Lowes.
Caroline Ervin studied landscape design at George Washington University. Since 2007, she has worked closely with her clients to design, install and maintain both small and large residential gardens in Washington, DC and its nearby suburbs. Travels to gardens throughout the US, as well in Europe, have added to her design background and understanding of historical gardens. She has over 20 years hands-on gardening experience.
2. Perfectly Symmetrical Planting
Symmetry in garden design is commonly used to produce a formal, balanced and orderly feel. However, overly symmetrical designs can appear rigid and artificial, and perhaps unlike interior design, our gardens are constantly growing and evolving, often unevenly, as nature naturally tends to.
In response to this, Dave Marciniak of Landscape Design Lab advises, ‘A landscape doesn't have to be perfectly mirror-symmetrical to feel balanced. We can achieve that balance by making sure both sides of the view have similar visual weights. That could mean a massing of large shrubs on one side and a single large tree on the other, or using different textures to offset one another.’
The backbone of any garden, shrubs offer long-term structure and interest throughout the year, and from those that thrive on neglect to fragrant varieties, there is a shrub for every front or backyard. Furthermore, you can layer heights and combine foliage types to add interest and depth to your planting.
Evergreen shrubs are ideal for delivering structure throughout the seasons and are equally at home in a modern or cottage garden.
Perfect for topiary, boxwood’s (Buxus) small green foliage can be trimmed to a neat finish. Considered hardy down to USDA zone 5 and perfect for planting in odd numbers, you can purchase Little Missy Boxwood from Nature Hills.
Dave Marciniak is a landscape designer based in Culpeper, Virginia. He owns Landscape Design Lab, a firm dedicated to creating one-of-a-kind landscapes for folks who love being outside. Dave has designed landscapes all over the country, from New England to California, before settling in Virginia.
3. Excessive Decorative Ornaments
Adding a personal touch, decorative ornaments such as sculptures and pieces of garden art are popular and can be an effective contrast to soft landscaping.
With a myriad of designs, sizes, and styles to choose from, it can be tempting to combine several different pieces. Nevertheless, this can make beds and borders appear cluttered, complicated, and feel less than serene.
Dave instead suggests, ‘When we're in a space, we want to know where to look. Picking one focal piece - whether that's a piece of art, or a specimen plant - makes the outdoor space feel more calming and composed because our eye knows where to go.’
With restraint being key to creating a calming environment, you will need to choose wisely. Water features, such as this Crescent Garden planter bowl from Amazon, make great focal pieces and can promote stillness, or, in the case of a trickling rill or fountain, provide movement and noise.
For patio areas, a single main container with a specimen plant or shrubs can be used to draw the eye. You can purchase this classic ribbed planter in terracotta pink, from Target.
4. Monochrome Flower Schemes
Another garden design trick to be wary of is a monochrome flower scheme. Although highly effective when designed well, monochrome planting schemes can look flat, especially in sunlight, as they lack the visual contrast and variety required to provide depth.
To prevent this, a larger, yet still restrained, 3 to 4-color palette, combined with different foliage types, can be used. Caroline advises, ‘Good planting design incorporates color and texture, and provides blooms and interest throughout the year. A planting bed should have some structure with shrubs, both evergreen and deciduous. Adding layers of perennials that will bloom when the shrubs are not blooming make a planting bed look like a rich tapestry.'
She continues, 'But, if all of the flowers are the same color, the overall effect is boring and the flowers don’t really get the attention they deserve! Incorporating some plants with variegated leaves (for example, a Hosta with white edges) or perennials with burgundy or apricot foliage (like Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’) adds color and interest even when the plant isn’t blooming, and the foliage of other plants can be a pretty backdrop for the plants that are flowering.’
With their sumptuous leaves and pollinator-friendly blooms, hostas are a great option for a shaded bed or border. Available from Nature Hills, Fire and Ice Hosta is considered hardy in USDA zone 3 and above and produces pure white leaves with dark green edges.
Planting bulbs can also be an effective way of introducing bloom and foliage interest to a planting scheme. With bulb types that flower throughout the year, when planted with succession in mind, you can have a series of colors and interest throughout the seasons.
For example, if you want to complement some lavender or add a purple hue, alliums such as ‘Purple Sensation’ are a great choice. Flowering in late spring, they produce balls of tiny purple blooms that are held aloft on bright green, tall stems. Allium Purple Sensation is available to buy from Nature Hills.
5. Low-Maintenance Dreams That Don’t Thrive
For time-poor gardeners, low-maintenance dreams are highly attractive. However,’ low-water’ or ’minimal care’ plants and designs will only thrive when they are given the right conditions.
Over my professional horticultural career, I have learnt that plants must be placed according to their needs if they are to thrive. For example, here in the UK, I often see sun-loving plants, such as lavender, struggling due to being planted in a shaded spot or one that is prone to waterlogging.
It is also important to note that ‘low-water’ plants might not be considered such until they are established and need regular irrigation for the first season or two. In situations like this, installing an irrigation system such as this solar powered irrigation set with water tank available from Amazon can help ensure that your new plants receive the moisture they need automatically.
Gardening trends come and go. Some remain in vogue for years and others can quickly make your garden look old and out of date. With spring rapidly approaching, these ideas on how to refresh your front yard will ensure your prized outside space is on trend for the year ahead.
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