| When designing a flower garden, color maybe the | | | | Thought should also be given as to how the |
| single most important consideration, but need not be | | | | flowering plants in the bed associate with the other |
| the only one. Bedding or herbaceous plants have | | | | plant-types in the garden, such as the ground covers, |
| form, size, and shape. Their leaves also possess a | | | | shrubs, and trees. An incredible sense of unity arises |
| definite, visual texture. An excellent way of achieving | | | | when these "speak the same language" both with |
| a satisfying and harmonious composition in the | | | | each other and with the plants in the flowerbed. |
| flowerbed is to group together plants whose leaves | | | | For instance, ground covers can form a transition |
| are finely cut, serrated, or toothed. By so doing, the | | | | area between the lawn, and the herbaceous border. |
| variety that is attained by contrasting colors is | | | | When choosing a ground cover, why not use a |
| balanced by the unity achieved by the common leaf | | | | fine-textured species like Myoporum parvifolium. |
| texture. | | | | Similarly, shrubs with feathery leaves like some |
| Examples of such bedding plants to name a few, | | | | species of Melaleuca, Calliandra or coniferous shrubs |
| would include, Achillea, (Yarrow) Brachycome, Bidens, | | | | like Juniper, accentuate and strengthen the design |
| Felicia, and Chrysanthemum frutescens. While all the | | | | motif. A group of ornamental grasses, especially |
| above belong to the same botanical family, | | | | when they sport tall blooms, would be another |
| (Asteraceae) plants belonging to other families can | | | | example of a subtle association between the |
| also be found to possess similar leaf shapes. Verbena | | | | flowerbed and a different section of the garden. |
| and Linum, (Flax) are cases that spring to mind. | | | | The connection does not have to stop there. A |
| Such plants, combine beautifully with many herb | | | | criterion for choosing the trees in the garden, albeit |
| species such as Thyme, Artemisia and Rosemary, as | | | | not the only one, can definitely be their leaf texture. |
| well as with flowering plants whose leaves are not | | | | Trees that have very large, course leaves, are liable |
| finely-cut, but nonetheless, narrow and delicate. | | | | to seem incongruous with the fine textures of the |
| Examples are some carnations, (Dianthus) Armeria, | | | | rest of the garden plants. While on the other hand, |
| and small, grass, or grass-like plants like Festuca and | | | | feathery-leaved trees like Albizzia julibrissen, or |
| Liriope. If you think in terms of shapes and textures, | | | | Gleditsia triacanthos, would associate and combine |
| you'll get far better results than by focusing on color | | | | appropriately with them. |
| alone. | | | | |