How to Plant Shop with Garden Design in Mind – Five Minute Friday – In this video I talk about the strategy of grabbing a plant that you like and then looking for contrasting plants to go with it in the garden.
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Welcome to FiveMinute Fridays, where I try to do five minute videos on a single topic uh thing on a weekly basis. A lot of this information is in the weekly garden planner over on our website if you’re interested in having a 52- week calendar uh showing you weekly to-dos uh in the garden. Uh this particular video, we’re going to take a gardinia around the garden and show you how it might contrast in the garden. And what I like to tell people to do is to go to the garden center, find a plant you’re drawn to. So, let’s say you want an evergreen shrub that is mounding in shape, uh, and you also are attracted to fragrant flowers and you got a full sun area, then a gardinia might be the perfect thing for you. And that foolproof gardinia would be a great example of that. But, you know, you can put that on the cart once you’ve narrowed down, you know, the type of space you have, the type of sun you have, and what kind of plant you’d really like to highlight uh in that space. You can put it on the cart and then move it around the garden center and find some things that contrast with it in some way. And I’m standing in this spot right now because I’ve got, this is what I want to highlight in this video. We’ve got this upright narrow gold foliage uh red bud, Golden Falls red bud. it’ll get leaves this big. Okay, so we can have kind of leaf size and texture differences. Okay, where we have this little, you know, small leaf Laura pedalum next to this big giant leaf uh on this uh red bud. And then the other thing is obviously foliage color can be a big can can play a big part here in how you contrast plants, right? because that Laura pedalum has that purple foliage and this has that chartreuse foliage. And then down here on this Wheeler’s dwarf pitisporum, this would be more typical of a green foliage, mounding landscape shrub that we would see lots of boxwoods and even that gardinia, this pitporum and aelas and so many things that will have these kind of, you know, kind of green oval leaves on them. And while they’re all nice plants, a lot of times if you put three or four of them together without having some sort of contrasting shape or flower color or foliage color, um they really don’t stand out again, you know, uh except for maybe the week or two that they’re in flower. So, what we’re going to do is take this uh take this gardinia around real quick and show you how it might contrast with some other things in our garden and what you might look for in a garden center. I don’t have to move anywhere for the first uh comparison. Uh, you know, again, this has the typical green foliage that you would see uh on a lot of lowmounting evergreen shrubs. It actually contrasts pretty nicely against this uh very covered up boxwood that’s back here. I’m about to do some pruning on this lower petal and to uncover this boxwood, but there are shades of green and so I don’t want to uh this is not a bash on green plants in any way, shape, or form video. I love green. uh and the shades of green that we can have in our gardens and some shade gardens that where they’ve really thought through the different shades of green um can really contrast well with one another. So this isn’t don’t do green on green on green. It’s maybe look for a slightly different shade of green uh that can contrast with, you know, a really rich dark green foliage on that gardinia versus that kind of a new fresh looking lime green, light green uh boxwood. Then of course it contrast against this uh Golden Falls red butt. It’s just completely you got foliage size, color, and shape. uh right and the shape of the plant being upright and narrow versus mounding uh which is what this ultimately is. And then of course although they have a similar leaf shape uh that little dwarf uh barberry, this is a sterile uh barberry we have here in the garden. Um really low flat mounding habit. This one is slightly taller doming habit and then that foliage color contrast beautifully against it. So, and then of course the Laura pedalum, as you can see, has more of the broad weeping habit as opposed to this really tightly almost manicured shape of this uh of this uh gardinia. Another thing backing up to that green on green thing is the leaf size matters as well. So, if you had some sort of laurel that had a really large green leaf, even if it was the same color green as this gardinia, that would be fine. Again, though, it’s right plant, right place. And so I I know the kind of conditions that this gardinia likes, which is sun or part shade and kind of well- drained winter soils because they don’t really like to stay wet uh during the winter months. So combining, we’re not only looking for plants that contrast against it in these other ways, but we need something that’s similar to it and where it’s going to go in our garden uh to really make it complement uh one another. We came over here and set it in the middle of this group because I’ve got this orange rocket barberry back here. And again, the color of that’s going to contrast just like that other dwarf one did. But this one grows and it kind of a tall as it gets taller, it kind of spllays out wider at the top. Is really kind of interesting. A grass would achieve this same look, okay, of a, you know, something that comes up and then kind of comes out and then weeps down. So you could use an ornamental grass. They’re going to grow in similar places. Ornamental grasses are definitely going to want the sun for the most part. and well- drained winter soils. Kind of the perfect combo with that Gardinia. The orange rocket barberry will go pretty much anywhere as long as it’s getting enough light to to keep this color. Of course, we can contrast it against various conifers. So, I’ve got the rounded habit of that dragon prince cryptoaria back here, which will have the same rounded habit as this gardinia, but you can see how they the foliage contrast wildly against one another. They would also take similar areas. And then there’s this weeping or this upright cameras. This narrow upright false cyprress and it’s going to have an upright ultimately an upright narrow habit. So again, if you’re you could put this kind of under your windows and then put something like this that’s kind of tall and narrow, slow growing, soft to the touch in between windows or on the corner of your foundation, that kind of thing. But they would contrast beautifully against one another. And then the re the really soft texture of that rosemary sitting next to it. You get that blue green foliage. Uh you get, you know, just completely contrasting foliage. And again, it’s another thing doesn’t like winter wet and likes the full sun. They go into the same types of spaces, but then contrast beautifully against one another. Flower colors obviously another thing we can contrast with, but keep in mind a lot of these things won’t actually bloom at the same time. So people, you know, unless you’re buying things and they happen to be in bloom at the same time, they’re unlikely to bloom at the same time. So that rosemary blooms kind of a purple color in the winter time and this blooms white in May, June and get some residual flowers after that. Most everything matches white anyway. Uh but if you are thinking about flower color, it only matters if the flowers are aligned, right? So, interestingly, while I like aelas and I like this gardinia very much, I don’t necessarily would necessarily put them side by side because this basically has an aelia leaf on it. Uh, and that’s kind of the point of this video is if you’re going to use both of them, a little distance between them and then something that has some sort of different habit, foliage, color, something uh that contrast them and makes each of them kind of stand out and pop on their own. This variegated hydrangeanger paniculada would be a great example of that. This is one that we can keep kind of down. It’s a shrub like this. Doesn’t bloom particularly all that well anyway. Um but it’s really grown for this foliage color. So if you saw something like this, look how many different ways this contrast with this. It’s got red stems, variegated foliage, large foliage, and as this one matures, even larger foliage. U and the habit of it, this one’s going to be more like, you know, four to six feet where this is going to be three to four feet. And so these two things are going to make one another stand out in the garden. Okay? Uh individual, you know, individually or if I just used all these gardines, I was just looking for one plant to solve the entire problem, you know, that I was whatever I was trying to plant. Um then individual, there’s no individual in the group uh at that point. Whereas, you know, planting in this kind of way adds some uh add some differentiation. And when you get further and further away from your plants, the more they stand out with these different textures and colors and foliage types and that kind of thing from one another, uh the more of one thing that you have, the further you get away from it, the more it just blends into a kind of a darkness uh in the uh in in the frame as you’re looking at it. So, uh just some thoughts on find something that really fits the space uh that you’re growing it in. Because again, it’s got to be right plant, right place. If I go and buy four plants for deep shade and four plants for full sun and come back and they look beautiful together, what’s it really going to matter if four of them struggle because they have to go in a place they don’t really want to go in? So, it’s about picking plants that are have have similar needs in the landscape and then figuring out how they differentiate from one another to make each individual stand out in the landscape. Thanks for watching.
38 Comments
First!
Great motto Right plant Right place! Thanks for this design video, it will be a great help as my own landscape evolves.
Thanks You ✌🏼
I wish I could plug your extensive knowledge into my brain. Your videos are invaluable. Thank you!
Love the foliage on that variegated hydrengea ❤
This is what I like about gardening. Everyone can have a different style/philosophy, but it is easy to borrow tips from other styles to make your own work. My garden isn't really a showcase garden, it's more natural. So it doesn't bother me that my Simpson Stopper blends with the Walter's Viburnum, Yaupon Holly or the Florida Privet nearby. It's actually calming for me to have that bank of green. But after this, I might look for something to plant near that big bank of green, small-leaved shrubs just to make a statement. Maybe another Florida Yellow Anise just behind them so that yellow peeks through the gaps.
Mr. Putnam, I’ve been watching you for 3 years and your videos have been invaluable to my gardening/gardens since moving to SC(2.5 years ago). From soil structure, mound planting, to plant selection, especially for my screening gardens(not selecting a continual line of one plant/tree). I owe my success to you! I can’t tell you how thankful I am. If you decide to have your followers send in before and after photos again, you will see! ❤
Perfect timing as I get ready to run out this morning on a nursery crawl!
Thank you Jim and Stephany. 🪻🌷💚🙃
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Very helpful, thank you.
Perfect timing on this video. I'll be looking at some plants this week. I love shades of green and plants with green and white variegation, but after watching your videos I've been stepping outside of my comfort zone to incorporate other colors and textures to help the greens stand out and not get "lost." I can already see a difference in the areas of my garden where I started working on this. Thank you!!! 😊
I love 5+ minute Fridays!
I was never taught this. Thank you for your great content.
My preference with green on green is to go dark green in background and lighter shades in foreground. It's not right or wrong. Just my preference. I feel it allows the the lighter shade green to pop.
Looks like the redbud took well to your major trimming. Plants look healthy. 👍 Great splash of colors
Totally appreciate that you mix in short and long videos, both of which contain a ton of valuable information. The 5 minute Fridays are my reminder (and leaves me time) to check the weekly garden planner. Thanks for all!
Orange rocket barberry is one of the few plants I have multiples of, and I have 5. Its shape and color add sparkle in what would otherwise be a sea of green.
Keep thinking…
Maybe name the new native garden after Holly!!!
Holly’s Native Garden
I LOVE 5-minute (or more) Friday's!! Thank you Jim and Stephany for all you do to help us in our gardens . I feel happy and work harder and smile with the success and yes, failures too.❤
I failed in gardening 101, should of planted more shrubs along the way.
Jim, you've rarely done a 5 minute video, and I'm not complaining at all!😂😂 I love the information you provide in your videos. 👍👍
Question: My neighbor has spread wood chips at least 18" deep around mature black walnut trees. Will it suffocate the roots or damage the trees? They are on the property line. . .
The sun shining on your backyard in this video with all that color! Wow. 💎
Received my Holly t-shirt and your sweet message. I love them both❤️
It has taken me 13 years to consider not only the plant and conditions but the surrounding plants for contrast! Thank you Jim & Stephany for your ongoing lessons!!!
Very well said!
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Steph on the camera is getting better and better. Really great close ups. Thank you. Happy Easter! 💕🐰
Very helpful info as per usual.
That orange rocket barberry is stunning. Not sure what it would do in the Southeast Louisiana summer heat. Probably need to check size potential and growth rate.
Great video. I’ve long admired how you place plants in your garden.
Thank you for Five Minute Fridays and seeing the Gardenia next to other plants was great, I really liked it next to the variegated hydrangea.
I absolutely LOVE this video. I do garden design at the garden center I work for and this is exactly what I've been showing our customers for a long time.. The main reason certain foliage/plant colors pair so well together goes way back to our early school days lol…The Color Wheel! Purple and Yellow are across from each other on the color wheel, Blue and Orange are across from eachother on the color wheel, etc. These combinations automatically compliment eachother and look beautiful together..😊 The ONLY other YouTube gardener that I'm aware of that goes into some depth on this subject is Laura, from Garden Answer..Thanks Jim. 😊❤️🧡💜💙💚💛
CONT…Haha..I'm rewatching your video because I just love this topic! Lol. It's the same as placing an orange buoy in the blue water..Whoever came up with this color combination knew very well how it works…In order to find and rescue someone in trouble..Orange would be the best option because we SEE it next to the blue water. It pops..So fascinating. The same applies with shapes too…Geometric vs organic…Like your Gardenia/Lorepetalum comparison🧡💙 🌼🦋🌹🌻🍁🌳🌻💜🎨📚 lol
Great advice!
Great video