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Three new rules of three
When it comes to planting in your garden, especially when it is a blank slate, you’ve probably already heard to plant in groups of three. I’ve always been told that odd numbers seem to look more natural, which is kind of surprising when I always seem to see pairs in the animal kingdom. I guess it’s different for plants.
There are a few other rules of three that you probably haven’t heard of which, if incorporated into your garden, will make your space look even better.
Grouping in three doesn’t always mean three of the exact same plant. Sometimes, I will group single plants together to create a trio that visually plays off one another. One of my favourite combinations is to combine three different structural shapes of evergreens in a single group. I love the way the shapes become more pronounced even though the colours and the textures of the plants may be the same.
A mixed garden bed (one that has several specimens in it) should always include three types of plants; perennials, evergreens and grasses. This combination is my personal holy trinity of good design. You can mix and match which plants fall into the categories, but by including all three, your garden will have balance and year-round interest. I personally like to play with the size of the leaves when I’m grouping my plants. I will often combine a large-leaf variety of perennial with a thin leafed grass beside a clumping shrub. Although it may seem like they shouldn’t visually work, the diversity of the leaf shapes add texture to the garden even when nothing is in bloom.
The final rule of three is to address three different heights in your garden. Nature very rarely grows everything at the same height, because they would all compete with each other for the same resources. I have done mass-plantings where everything grows at one level to create a definite impact, but I always anchor these with something taller as a clearly defined end point. For your own garden, make sure to address three different heights to build a layered look in your space. If you can grow something low (close to the ground), something between two and four feet tall and a tree or shrub that is taller than five feet, you will have created visual interest that is balanced in your space.
On your next trip to the garden centre, try my three rules while you are there. Find an empty spot where you can pull different combinations based on what I’ve described so that you can see first-hand how great they look—and how simple they are to incorporate into your space.
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