Table Of Content1-WellDes2-Begin .qxd 11/8/02 5:14 PM Page 1
The
WELL-DESIGNED
M I X E D G A R D E N
1-WellDes2-Begin .qxd 11/8/02 5:14 PM Page 2
1-WellDes2-Begin .qxd 11/8/02 5:14 PM Page 3
The
W E L L - D E S I G N E D
M I X E D G A R D E N
Building Beds
and Borders
with Trees,
Shrubs,
Perennials,
Annuals,
and Bulbs
Tracy DiSabato-Aust
Timber Press
Portland ~ Cambridge
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All photographs are by the author unless otherwise noted.
Design renderings are by Megan H.King,as indicated.
Color model,value scale,and color scheme watercolors by Stacey
Renee Peters,as indicated;color scheme icons by Martin Knapp.
The color wheel that appears on page 39 is copyright 2001 The
Taunton Press,Inc.Reprinted with permission from issue no.78 of
Fine Gardening,Box 5506,Newtown,CT 06470-5506.To order a
copy of Fine Gardening,call 1.800.888.8286 or visit their website at
www.taunton.com
Copyright ©2003 by Tracy DiSabato-Aust.All rights reserved.
Published in 2003 by
Timber Press,Inc. Timber Press
The Haseltine Building 2 Station Road
133 S.W.Second Avenue,Suite 450 Swavesy
Portland,Oregon 97204,U.S.A. Cambridge CB4 5QJ,U.K.
Printed through Colorcraft Ltd.,Hong Kong
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
DiSabato-Aust,Tracy.
The well-designed mixed garden :building beds and borders
with trees,shrubs,perennials,annuals,and bulbs / Tracy DiSabato-
Aust.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p.).
ISBN 0-88192-559-4
1.Landscape gardening.2.Landscape plants.I.Title.
SB473.D57 2003
712--dc21 2002023191
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In memory of my mother and my greatest
cheerleader,Therese DiSabato, who taught me strength
and persistence, and my father-in-law,
Jim Aust, who taught me gentleness and patience.
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CONTENTS
Foreword by C.Colston Burrell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .369
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Heights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .373
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Winter Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .377
Fruit,Seedheads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .377
PART ONE. Mixed Garden Design Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Evergreen Foliage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .378
Cut Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .378
Chapter 1.Why a Mixed Garden? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Fragrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .380
Chapter 2.First Steps in the Design Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Songbirds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381
Chapter 3.Color,Texture,and Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Hummingbirds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381
Chapter 4.Design Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Butterflies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381
Chapter 5.Putting It on Paper:Drawing the Design . . . . . . .63
Chapter 6.Art in the Mixed Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
APPENDIX C. Plants by Maintenance Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . .383
Chapter 7.Maintaining the Mixed Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Culture Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .384
PART TWO. Mixed Garden Design Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Light Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .429
Dry Shade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432
Chapter 8.Small and Medium Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Dry Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .432
Chapter 9.Large Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
Wet Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .433
Lower Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .434
PART THREE. Encyclopedia of Plant Combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187
APPENDIX A. Scientific and Common Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437
Metric Conversion Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .438
APPENDIX B. Plants by Design Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .439
Design Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .442
Flower,Foliage,and Fruit Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .358 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .444
Color Schemes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .364 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .449
Texture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367
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FOREWORD
Designing a garden, like riding a bicycle, is both an art and a personal design element that can make the difference between a
science. On a bike, science keeps you upright and propels you mundane garden and an extraordinary one.The book starts off
forward.The art lies in the finesse with which you ride.To avoid with an overview of the design process,giving a nod to the history
scrapes and bruises, many people start off with training wheels, of gardening in America and abroad. Tracy presents historical
which help build confidence and proficiency. The Well-Designed precedent not as an end point but as a jumping-off point for
Mixed Gardenis like a set of training wheels for fledglings,as well exploring the garden as a rich canvas for artistic expression.
as experienced and professional designers. Every page propels The first step is to put down your trowel and open your eyes.
you forward with excellent, easy-to-understand information that The most important lesson you can learn is to match your garden
you can put to use each step of the way. to your needs, taste, and budget. Once you know where you are
Readers familiar with Tracy’s best-selling book The Well-Tended heading, it’s onto your bike and off you go, with Tracy skillfully
Perennial Garden know she is an excellent teacher and skilled gar- instructing you along each leg of the journey.
dener.Garden design is another of her talents.She has spent years If you want a garden that will give the maximum impact with
honing her skills at home and in the gardens of her clients. It is the least input (and who doesn’t?), you must understand your
only natural that Tracy would turn her pen to design.In this new site. Site evaluation is a woefully neglected step in the design
book she shares her enthusiasm and knowledge to help you create process,though it is the foundation on which a successful garden
a garden that utilizes the wealth of plants available today, from is built.You must learn the dictates and limitations inherent in
perennials and annuals,to bulbs,shrubs,and flowering trees. your property’s boundaries and context so you can work with,
If you think design happens mysteriously after a soaking rain, rather than against,your site.Tracy tells you how.
or by the light of the full moon,then this book is for you.Do you If color confounds you, then you will devour the chapter
long to get into the dirt but do not know how to build a stunning devoted to this compelling characteristic of plants and gardens.
border? Have you gone wild at the nursery and arrived home with Tracy covers color theory thoroughly yet in an easily understood
no idea how to use the plants you just bought? Even old hands fashion.She teaches you ways to blend color and how to use it to
occasionally come up short on inspiration. Read on, this lavishly elicit varied emotional responses. The chapter also includes
illustrated book will guide you! No matter what your experience dynamic illustrations depicting the often misunderstood factors
or expertise, this book will help you become an artful designer. affecting color, such as light, intensity, and color association.
Tracy takes the mystery, and the missteps, out of designing a Once you master color,its time to move on to heavy-duty design
mixed bed or border. theory. Always enthusiastic and never dogmatic,Tracy presents
In every chapter, The Well-Designed Mixed Garden encourages simple rules without demanding that we slavishly adhere to them.
you to have fun with design and use the process to personalize Terms such as order, unity, and rhythm are often bandied about
your garden. Tracy demonstrates that art is a compelling yet by designers. Far from abstract notions, these useful tenets are
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