These days there are heroes everywhere in our lives. We’re talking about the everyday kind here – like the smoked salmon in an omelette or the glossy red fridge in your new white kitchen. And guess what? Gardens also have heroes dotted amongst the plantings. Here’s what makes a plant heroic, and why we should use more of them in our gardens…
THE ROLE OF THE HERO: The first thing we need to remember is that a garden is a created thing. It might be filled with Mother Nature (aka plants), but the garden itself is there because we gardeners have made it. It’s this making part of gardening – the design of a garden – that involves the plant heroes. When we decide what to plant where, what garden picture we’re hoping to create, that’s when feature plants step in to do their work. These are the plant heroes and they do fabulous work.
THE HEDGE HERO: Hedges are a good example where the right hero plant can make all the difference. By definition a hedge is a line of the same plant deliberately planted close together so that you get the effect of a green wall. Low or high, hedges do good work in the garden. Knee-high ones are useful for running alongside a path to direct foot traffic; shoulder-high ones are a great backdrop for a flower filled garden bed; and house-high hedges can be used to block ugly views or create private outdoor rooms. Usually a green dependable plant is selected, and once it’s grown into shape, no one really notices it. But what if you chose a heroic hedging plant instead of something ho-hum? Like a Fairy Magnolia to sweep up alongside your front drive? Instead of just a clipped line of green you’ll have a hedge that stops you in your tracks when it covers itself in a mass of lovely mini magnolia flowers. That’s the difference a hero hedge plant can make.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Tesselaar Plants
