How to choose a big subject for your garden

The notion of "big subject" is subjective and depends on the plant and its perception by the gardener.

Where to put a large plant?

The first question to ask yourself if you wish to acquire a large plant is where you want to plant it. The location of a large tree in a small garden can pose several problems, because of its proximity to the house: leaves falling into the gutters, the possibility of the tree falling on the house, the roots lifting the asphalt or piercing the pipes as it can be the case with the fig tree or the pine tree, ...

How to choose a big subject ?

Large trees are expensive and represent a real investment. So it is very important to choose it well, that is to say to make sure :

• that it is adapted to the climate ;
• that it is also adapted to the size of the container that will eventually receive it;
• that the heart, in the case of palms, is a beautiful soft green. It is quite normal for the old leaves to be damaged, or even burned by last winter's snows, but the heart must be of good quality.

Planting a large olive tree in your garden

Before bringing home an olive tree, you must first make sure that its foot is not carrying a fungus called verticillium wilt.

Then, we look at its general appearance: the absence of dry branches, the presence of young shoots, and the absence of small piles of sawdust revealing the presence of a bark beetle (a small beetle that makes holes and galleries under the bark).

Foliage and transplanting

A beautiful tree with a lot of foliage is very aesthetic but can be adapted to transplanting; the more leaves there are, the more the tree suffers from evapo-transpiration. If this evapo-transpiration is higher than the water absorption capacity of the root system, the plant will have to face a water deficit that will be detrimental to its recovery.

In this type of situation, one should not hesitate to cut back up to 90% of the leaves.

When to plant a large plant in the garden?

For palms, the vegetative rest period is in summer. It is therefore advisable to plant them at this time of year, tying up the heart to limit evapotranspiration.

Conifers are ideally planted in the fall, a season when the soil is still warm. For other large plants, spring or autumn is preferred, even if the subjects are in containers, because these are the two periods most favorable to the recovery of the root system and the plant as a whole.

Hiding a fence

Of a more than questionable aesthetic, a fence must be hidden in any self-respecting garden. Whether it is a fence or a simple fence to protect a specific area of the garden, you will always find solutions to hide it.

Hiding a fence

Heather heather made of stems of the said plant held together by stainless steel wires is a good solution to hide a fence. The panels are easily attached to the fence and give a very natural look to the garden. Choose panels of good thickness that will allow you to hide from prying eyes but also to protect you from prevailing winds much better than the first price references.

The timeless canisse is another option to hide a fence. The material fits very well in the garden and its cost is not very high, however it does not stand up well to time.

Fortunately, PVC privacy rolls are becoming more and more aesthetic. However, forget about fake leafy hedges, or fake grass which would not really improve the appearance of your fence. If you are patient, weave it with specialized rollers or place a PVC privacy screen that is pleasing to the eye. There are now some very ornamental ones covering a range of colors that fit perfectly into contemporary gardens.

To hide a fence, there is nothing like a beautiful hedge of diversified shrubs to spread the pleasure of flowers. A real blessing for biodiversity, this hedge will hide your ugly fence while attracting many gardeners' helpers. Think of introducing berry bushes, which are very appreciated by the birds in the neighborhood!

Hiding a low fence

To protect certain areas of the garden, especially the vegetable garden or a fragile spot where animals are excluded, the fence is quite practical, but it remains very ugly. Climbing plants are a great way to hide it beautifully. Honeysuckle, clematis, Virginia creeper, morning glory, nasturtiums and sweet peas will add a colorful touch and sometimes a delicate fragrance.

Boxwood and dwarf varieties of charcoal will also have their fans, especially since they can be neatly pruned each year. As for the exotic, they will turn to low and non-tracking varieties of variegated bamboo to give luminosity to the whole.

A flowering curtain can also be set up during the summer along your fence. Choose plants that are slightly larger than the fence so that it is well hidden. Think of planting diversified varieties in order to stagger the flowering as long as possible.

For an original and very 'natural' result, you can plant willow cuttings at the foot of your fence if it is solid. All you have to do is weave the stems into the fence so that it disappears under the vegetation.

Partitioning the garden

Creating green niches, secret places, varied universes, here is the interest of partitioning in a garden. With the help of plants or specific arrangements, let's see how to modulate the garden at leisure!

Hedges to divide the space

To frame a specific area such as a vegetable garden or the children's play area, there is nothing like low hedges to keep a view on the site while delimiting it. Boxwoods, spindle trees or low varieties of cherry laurel such as 'Mount Vernon' are perfect for this purpose.

For a more intimate partitioning, think of yew trees, used in the manner of French gardens, they will allow you to create geometric paths pierced here and there by windows overlooking a water feature or a sculpture for a classic decor.

These high hedges can also be pierced by arched doors opening onto a surprising garden of a totally different style, such as a Zen garden, where minerals are king, or onto a garden shed painted in a shimmering color.

In the more country style gardens, the partitioning can be composed of bower, or even of varied hedges of shrubs with staggered flowering. They will frame a more open area or an orchard to which they will bring the effective help of pollinating insects for a better fruiting.

This type of hedge can also be used to enclose a space surrounding a few beehives, which will be sheltered from the prevailing winds. The bees will find all the pollen they need for their incessant activity. 

Also, a henhouse is sometimes not very aesthetic. Why not place it in a green space that, while masking it, will bring some shade to the hens? Large spindle trees, photinias, cherry laurels or cedars will do the trick.

Climbing plants to create secret areas

Climbing plants placed on a fence, a trellis or a pergola will perfectly play the role of plant partitions. Perfect privacy screens, these arrangements will allow you to hide from prying eyes around a pool or to create corridors to move from one area of the garden to another. Climbing roses, wisteria or even cucurbits supported by iron hoops will form fragrant, colorful or original passages.

On a fence, Ipomoea or passiflora will climb to create green rooms where it will be nice to have tea.

Labyrinths to let yourself go to poetry

Getting lost in a labyrinth to forget the notions of space and time is quite a program! Beyond the amusement provoked on the children, this original type of partitioning also allows to pass from one zone to another of the garden in an unusual way. Made of giant bamboo for a permanent version or of corn for a temporary one, labyrinths have a very particular charm.

Arrangements to partition

Plessis weaving sometimes takes the form of arabesques to create niches in the garden. Whether it's an area dedicated to lounging and sheltering a hammock, or a food area hiding aromatic herbs, plessis allows for all sorts of fantasies.

Less pleasing to the eye but just as effective, the openwork wooden panels also provide a stricter partitioning, as do the masonry walls or, better still, the low dry stone walls that bring a certain cachet to the garden while attracting useful wildlife.

How to flower the bottom of a low wall?

In a garden, the question often arises as to how best to decorate that strip of land left unattended at the foot of a low wall. Here are some ideas that will help you...

Location of the low wall

Depending on its location, the low wall can shade the plants that will be at its foot, or on the contrary, capture all the heat and give it back. Its exposure must therefore be taken into account when choosing plants.

The nature of the soil is also important. Under this masonry space, the soil is often compacted and of poor quality, so it must be amended with compost and manure if you wish to install greedy plants.

Also think about the pH, because some plants only grow in acidic soil (azaleas, camellias...) while others appreciate basic soil.

Don't forget to mix perennials and annuals. The former will form the basis of the decor, the latter will complement them in order to vary the pleasures according to the seasons. Finally, remember to plant the tallest plants at the foot of the wall and the lowest ones just in front of it so that they remain visible.

What to plant at the foot of a shaded wall?

If the area is shaded, plant a beautiful line of Hydrangeas that will illuminate it with their large pink, white or blue pompons. If the wall is topped with a fence, you can replace them with climbing hydrangeas (Hydrangea petiolaris) that will enchant you with their clusters of white flowers in summer. Camellias or rhododendrons will also do the trick, especially in acidic soil.

At the foot of these shrubs, plant hostas, whose many varieties provide a very interesting range of colors, or hellebores, which will bloom in winter. You can also install ferns or heuchera to play with the texture of the foliage.

To give your low wall a boost in summer, add a few plants of impatiens from New Guinea with delicately iridescent flowers.

What to plant at the foot of a low wall in full sun?

If you want to decorate the base of your low wall with roses, consider improving the soil before planting with a good organic manure. Depending on the height of the wall, plant rose bushes or ground cover roses, which come in all colors and for all tastes.

If you have little time to devote to your garden, think of grasses! Stipas, sedges, blue fescue, miscanthus will be happy with poor and dry soil and will require almost no maintenance while giving movement to your decor!

Think also of the hardy perennial geranium, which over time forms beautiful cushions of blue, pink or purple flowers depending on the variety. This easy to live with plant will give you nothing but satisfaction.

In the Mediterranean area, the foot of a low wall is a very hot area, especially if it is exposed to the south. A border of agaves, can be of the best effect, as well as the plantation of Aloes which will make you the surprise to bloom in winter or of aeoniums always surprising by the shape of their rosettes of leaves. All these succulents come in multiple species and cultivars, which will allow you to vary the pleasures. At their feet, Gazanias, verbenas or petunias will color the picture in summer.

You can also border your wall with aromatic plants such as lavender, rosemary, helichrysum or sage, all highlighted by a border of thyme; the pollinating insects will be delighted!

How to organize a large garden?

We will explain to you how to organize the garden plots, so that the gardener and the biodiversity are in a win-win relationship.

The ornamental garden and the meadow

Taking care of a large garden can be complicated and time consuming. In order to simplify the task and optimize space and work time, Annecé decided to divide her large 4,000 m2 plot into two parts: on one side, a meadow was planted, and on the other, the ornamental garden was installed.

Why plant a meadow?

There are three major reasons why a gardener might want to turn part of his or her garden into a meadow.

• First, a large garden requires a lot of maintenance. Transforming a part of it into a meadow, in which the plants will grow without any intervention once sown, allows to lighten the gardener's workload (no pruning, no repotting, no hoeing...).
• Secondly, the sown meadow includes many melliferous plants, such as phacelia, blueberry, or clover. These plants allow to feed the bees of the hives installed in the garden in order to favour biodiversity and pollination of the cultivated plants.
• Thirdly, the meadow is used to host 'farm' animals. Two sheep are housed on the site. They allow to free themselves from the work of mowing or clipping the meadow, while feeding themselves. They come to join a small group of ten hens which, for their part, provide the eggs. A hut installed in the shade of an apple tree serves as a shelter for the sheep and the henhouse.

The ornamental garden

Inspired by permaculture, with a concern for respecting the living, the garden, cultivated organically, had to be aesthetically pleasing as well. Thus, different zones of various sizes and shapes have been created. Flowers, interesting for the auxiliaries, were sown on all the edges of the garden. They will attract butterflies and bees necessary for the pollination of the flowers and vegetables grown and will make the site more attractive during the spring and summer.

Things to remember...

Dividing your plot into two spaces allows you to enjoy a family garden and to let nature enjoy your garden as well.

Autumn colors

The design of a garden depends on the choice of plants: if the first criterion for selecting plants is the spread of flowering from spring to the end of summer, it would be a pity to overlook the colors that it provides in autumn.

A few appropriately chosen species can make for an aesthetically pleasing garden in spring and summer, but also colorful in the fall.

Among the plants of autumn interest, we find trees, shrubs, grasses or perennials that will bring a touch of color, not only by their leaves but also by the berries, inflorescences (grasses) or trunks (shrubs).

Examples of trees with decorative fall foliage

• Viburnum opulus 'Roseum': commonly called the Snowball, it is a classic element of hedges. It produces large balls of white flowers in spring and fall while the leaves turn purple.
• Acer ginnala, the maple of the Amur river: maples are part of the beautiful autumn trees. We know the Japanese maples but not much about the Acer ginala, interesting for its small orange-yellow to scarlet-red leaves less lobed than those of the classic maples, its pretty flowers, its fruits (samaras), as well as its small size (6 to 8 meters high), ideal for small gardens.

Examples of plants of autumnal interest by their bloom

The heathers, some of which are still in bloom in autumn:

• Heather 'Marlies: carmine flowering from August to December' ;
• Heather 'Winter Chocolate' : purple bloom from August to October and fire color foliage in autumn.

Grasses, very easy to maintain, that mark the seasons and bring a lot of lightness to the whole garden:

• Pennisetum villosum (Swabby Grass), a small, light grass that grows to 80 cm tall and is covered with white spikes. It looks great in combination with roses.

• Miscanthus (Eulalie, Elephant grass), variety 'kleine fontaine': it has very vaporous spikes, from 1,50 to 2 m high and can be integrated into a shrubbery or even a hedge.
• Carex testacea (Orange sedge): small grass of 60 to 80 cm in height, of color green olive tinged with orange copper.