desiGn and its relationshiP to Maintenance 21
The same area the following
July, just 2 months after a spring
planting.the bed by light forking or hoeing if it has received a good deal of traffic.
The island bed—surrounded by lawn or maybe pavement—was popularized
by English perennial aficionado Alan Bloom. Many gardeners have observed that
plants grown in island beds are sturdier and less susceptible to disease because
of more even sunlight and air movement. According to the rules, an island is
supposed to be 3 times as long as it is wide. So, for example, a 6-ft.-wide bed
would be approximately 18 ft. long. For proportion, the tallest plant in the center
ideally should be half the width of the bed, so a 6-ft.-wide bed would have about a
3-ft. plant for its tallest inhabitant. Again, this gives you somewhere to start, but
have fun experimenting.
You may not have an area for either an island bed or a border, but the garden
may be an area in a naturalized setting (an area of existing trees and native
plants). Congratulations! Utilize that natural space for cultivated woodland
perennials or introduce other natives or use a combination of the two. This is a
garden style in itself.
It goes without saying that the larger the garden, the more time and effort is
required for maintenance. Of course, a large garden can be very rewarding. It is
easier to achieve a long season of interest in a large garden, and plenty of space
allows you to follow many of the standard design principles, such as repetition
and rhythm.