Layered Planting

Excerpted from Garden Design
Filed under: Foliage Plants, How To

In designer Declan Buckley’s own garden, a rich tapestry of layered planting sits alongside the bold geometry of paving and a pool; the use of reflective water increases textural impact. There is a great sense of contrast here, between the open, light terrace and the narrow pathways.

Materials Needed:

Phyllostachys nigra
Euonymus japonicus
Fatsia japonica
Pseudosasa japonica

Geranium palmatum
Astelia chathamica
Buxus sempervirens
Cycas revolute

Plant Diagram

Declan says:

After spending many years growing all my plants in pots on a roof terrace, it was a huge relief to have my own garden to plant them in. The site is a long rectangle, overlooked by a row of five-story houses, so bold and layered architectural planting was a necessity, as it helps to screen the site and provides privacy. Conversely, the end wall of my own house is solid glazing, which gives me a dramatic view across the pool and into the luxuriant planting.