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garden design for plantaholics 2014_samantha peckham_olbrich botanical gardens

garden design for plantaholics

Samantha Peckham – Horticulturist, Olbrich Botanical Gardens

Evaluate

Hardscape (built features in the landscape, including home)

Views

Plants

o health

o form

o location

Design

Creating a unified garden…

o materials and hardscape

how can you use these to unify your space?

repeat same material, color, style of home throughout the landscape

o color vs. form (adapted from Piet Oudolf’s book, Designing With Plants)

similar shapes + similar colors

different shapes + similar colors

similar shapes + different colors

different shapes + different colors

Tips and Tricks

#1 – photo collages

o Using PowerPoint, Picasa (or similar program) or clipping photos out of magazines.

#2 – advanced photo collages

o Make a color coordinated simple planting plan (various size circles to represent plants).

#3 – using multicolored plants

o To link plants together through the use of similar colors.

o #3a – variegated plants

Use with caution! Keep plantings simple around variegated plants in order to showcase the

variegated plant and not create an overly busy combination.

#4 – repetition

o Of plants, materials, colors, etc…to link various garden areas together.

#5 – small changes for big impact

#6 – all season beauty

o Use a combination of bulbs, annuals, perennials, grasses and woodie plants to create a garden with

year-round interest.

Sources

BOOKS

Oudolf, Piet. Designing With Plants. Portland: Timber Press, 1999.

DiSabato-Aust, Tracy. The Well-Tended Perennial Garden. Portland: Timber Press, 2006.

van Sweden, James and Christopher, Tom. The Artful Garden: Creative Inspiration for Landscape Design.

Random House, 2011.

Bartley, Jennifer. Designing the New Kitchen Garden. Portland: Timber Press, 2006.

BOTANICAL GARDENS in the AREA

Allen Centennial Gardens – Madison, WI (www.allencentennialgardens.org)

Green Bay Botanical Garden – Green Bay, WI (www.gbbg.org)

Olbrich Botanical Gardens – Madison, WI (www.olbrich.org)

Rotary Botanical Gardens – Janesville, WI (www.rotarybotanicalgardens.org)

Chicago Botanic Garden – Glencoe, IL (http://www.chicagobotanic.org)

Morton Arboretum – Lisle, IL (www.mortonarb.org)