Sharp Gardening

by Holliday, Christopher

• ISBN13: 9780881926996
• ISBN10: 088192699X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-03-09
• Publisher: Timber Press

Summary

With a keen interest in spiky plants, Holliday argues that gardens don't have to look "nice" packed with delicate roses and pretty clematis. There is much to be said for a crisp, clean-lined planting style featuring swords, straps, and spikes. This book presents a careful selection of plants that are spiky, sharp, or brittle, whether in their stems, leaves, or flowers, so that gardeners can choose new and exciting plants that work well in their landscape. From xeriscapes to maritime gardens and everywhere in between, all adventurous plantspeople will find fresh ideas for adding a little excitement to their garden.

Author Biography

Christopher Holliday lectures and writes on plants and gardens. His published articles have appeared in Gardens Illustrated and the English Garden, and his garden has been featured in numerous newspapers and television shows. He is the National Collection holder of Phormium in the U.K.

Table of Contents

Introduction : what is sharp gardening?	p. 7
Exotic inspiration : the development of the sharp style from the subtropical gardens of the past	p. 16
Swords and lances : architectural foliage plants to create the backbone of the design	p. 28
Spiky rosettes : more foliage plants to add contrast and complete the skeletal framework	p. 76
Spiky flowers, spires and straps : three kinds of flowering perennials to embroider the look	p. 116
Fluffy spikes : floating, feathery grasses to add the finishing touch	p. 160
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Once you have created a structure of sharp foliage and spiky accents, its time to decorate. For some gardeners the plant shapes and foliage of swords, lances and spiky rosettes are enough, and for a low-maintenance garden with few flowers this look is hard to beat; but most gardeners are keen to incorporate flowers into their planting schemes. Flowers are the lifeblood of the garden. After all, they open up so many different seasonal excitements, from the anticipation of emerging buds to fleeting blossom, followed by autumnal seedheads, and finally winter skeletons. Butterflies and insects are part and parcel too, as are birds foraging in them for insects and the food from seedheads. All this creates life and movement, without which no garden is complete; sterility is kept at bay. If nothing else, gardens are about reproduction. When designing with perennials, its important to get the backbone right first; I would not plant perennials first and spiky evergreens afterwards. Establish a framework of spiky plants first. Follow this up by adding flowering plants as ornamentals. Just as an artist sketches out the bare bones of the painting first, before adding colours and hues, follow the initial structural planting with bulbs and perennials whose dominant characteristic is flowers, and which complement the colours and textures. Ignore traditional herbaceous flowers. Perennials such as hostas or hardy geraniums look out of place next to the more hard-living and rugged spiky plants. They may also do damage. Most of the lance-shaped plants and spiky rosettes need to have air circulating around their necks, especially in winter. Perennials with lush foliage, which create a thick eiderdown of leaves, will have a detrimental effect, especially from autumn onwards when the leaves are reduced to a soggy pulp. In summer their foliage will create undesirable shade close to the swords and spikes. There are other homes for these plants. Besides, their required growing conditions are incompatible. Whereas many herbaceous perennials hibernate and are impervious to winter wet if they are fully or frost hardy, and are happy in moist semi-shade, most sharp foliage plants need sharp drainage, preferring a warm, sunny, well-drained spot. A yucca will not take kindly to a wet winter without good drainage, and may well rot off and even die. Instead of planting herbaceous perennials, dramatize with spiny flowers, especially those that are prickly to the touch. Ignite with sky-piercing spires that echo the giant blooms of succulents. Finally splash in some contrast with chunky-headed globe flowers whose strap-like leaves echo sharp architectural foliage. By keeping to a smaller palate of perennials with bristling flowers and jagged foliage you will be well on the way to creating the sharp garden look. Narrow the field to those that look appropriate with sword-like foliage, and then have fun playing around with various combinations. There are

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Excerpted from Sharp Gardening by Christopher Holliday
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.