Go Big with Plantings
15 Mar, 2011 Get GrowingPlanting en masse gives landscapes a wow factor.
 Storm Agapanthus |
The idea of planting in masses, or using large numbers of just one plant to create large areas of similar color and texture within a landscape, boosts curb appeal, and helps cut down on maintenance because like group of plants have the same watering and maintenance needs at the same time. They'll also bloom or offer interest at the same time, so if they don't offer a season-long show, it's easier to plant something in that same block that'll take over at the right time.
 Generation Flower Carpet roses as low-growing, second-tier of plantings edging a walkway, with boxwood being the lowest, first tier. |
Anthony Tesselaar Plants has compiled some suggestions on planting in masses using its cultivars.
Jimmy Turner, senior director of gardens for the Dallas Arboretum, designs with agapanthus. "It needs to be grouped tightly in a square, triangle or centerpiece," he says, recommending a more formal approach. "Agapanthus is a diva. It's so striking, it doesn't blend well with other plants. We use a lot of variegated liriope and groundcovers with it, just to really showcase it."
Agapanthus, commonly known as Lily of the Nile, is not a lily at all but a herbaceous perennial with funnel-shaped flowers atop stems that can grow up to 6 ft. tall — though cultivars such as Tesselaar's Agapanthus Storm and Snowstorm have been bred to be compact, reaching 30 in. high.
Another variety that does live up to its name is Tesselaar's Flower Carpet Roses, which can be used as a ground cover to fill in large areas. A well grown two- to three-year-old plant can provide up to and over 1,000 blooms per bush, according to the company. They can be planted in USDA Zones 5 to 10. In cold zones, they need to be protected with mulch over the crown during the first winter. In zones 5 and below, continued winter protection is advised.
If your clients are looking for something more exotic to plant in masses, Tesselaar recommends its Tropicanna Cannas cultivars. The foliage's striped red, pink, yellow and green leaves unfold to reveal orange flowers. The plants establish into clumps that can be planted among perennials or as a backdrop.
 Tropicanna Cannas |
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