If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you’ve heard me talk about the “re-boot” I’m undertaking in parts of my garden at home. This past year I’ve been able to indulge my plant lust without remorse. I’ve had lots of open ground to work with due to heavy edits I’ve been doing in my front, side, and back gardens.
Before I go on, let me acknowledge this: I am a plant lover—unabashed and unapologetic. However, I’m also very committed to my garden as an expression of my artistic vision; as a four-dimensional art form.
Now back to that bit about plant lust. One of the ways that I bring order to my garden and to avoid visual chaos is by using repetition to bind potentially discordant vignettes together. Without this repetition, my garden probably wouldn’t hold together as well as it does. With it, I’m able to pursue my plant passions without abandoning my artistic aspirations.
This is one of the reasons behind the old rule: buy plants in multiples of 3, 5, or 7. When you think about this oft-repeated recommendation in the context of repetition, it makes perfect sense.
One area where I rely on this a lot is with the low, front-of-the-border weavers that I use. These plants are the glue that binds the garden together, helping to convey a cohesive, unified whole. They’re often ground covers or compact perennials and grasses.
That said, it’s difficult to see this principle in action from photographs. Typically, garden photos have a hard time fully illustrating repetition. Our brains take in exponentially more than the camera can convey. Repeated plants and colors can be subtle cues that lead you through a garden ― for example, the heucheras that appear in the front garden may be echoed by another in the side garden, and your mind and your body will pick up on the fact that there is a recurring thread. The camera can’t capture that.
Qualities of a good binder:
- Compact, tidy growth habit with small footprint.
- Looks good over a long season.
- Often reads as neutral vs. busy or showy.
- Relatively common and easy to find at a reasonable price.
- Reliable and easy to grow.
- Bonus points for being flexible and adaptable in terms of cultural needs.
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Below are some of my go-to plants for creating continuity and cohesion in the gardens I make with clients and here at home.
Plant Binders: The Glue that Holds Your Garden Together
Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'
Golden Variegated Sweetflag
Type:
Grass / Grass-Like, Groundcover
Exposure:
Afternoon Sun, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade, Open Shade
Zone:
6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea 'Concorde'
dwarf purpleleaf Japanese barberry
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun, Afternoon Sun, Reflected Heat
Zone:
4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Bergenia cordifolia 'Winter Glow'
Pigsqueak
Type:
Perennial
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade, Open Shade
Zone:
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'
Variegated Siberian Bugloss
Type:
Perennial
Exposure:
Part Shade, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade
Zone:
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Buxus sempervirens 'Aureovariegata'
Variegated Boxwood
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade, Open Shade
Zone:
6, 7, 8, 9
Carex testacea
Orange Sedge
Type:
Grass / Grass-Like, Groundcover, Perennial
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade, Afternoon Sun, Reflected Heat, Morning Sun
Zone:
7, 8, 9, 10
Cryptomeria japonica 'Little Diamond'
Little Diamond Dwarf Japanese Cedar
Type:
Conifer, Shrub
Exposure:
Filtered Sun, Full Sun, Morning Sun, Open Shade, Part Shade, Part Sun
Zone:
5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'
Elijah Blue Fescue
Type:
Grass / Grass-Like, Perennial
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun, Afternoon Sun, Reflected Heat
Zone:
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Geranium 'Gerwat' Rozanne
Rozanne Hardy Geranium
Type:
Groundcover, Perennial
Exposure:
Afternoon Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun
Zone:
5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold'
Golden Japanese Forest Grass
Type:
Grass / Grass-Like, Perennial
Exposure:
Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade
Zone:
5, 6, 7, 8
Hebe pinguifolia 'Sutherlandii'
Sutherland hebe
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Afternoon Sun
Zone:
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Heuchera 'Fire Alarm'
Fire Alarm Coral Bells
Type:
Perennial
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade, Open Shade
Zone:
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears'
Blue Mouse Ears Hosta
Type:
Perennial
Exposure:
Part Shade, Full Shade, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade, Open Shade
Zone:
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Hydrangea paniculata 'SMHPLQF' Little Quickfire™
Little Quick Fire® Panicle Hydrangea
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Filtered Sun, Full Sun, Morning Sun, Open Shade, Part Shade, Part Sun
Zone:
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Lonicera nitida 'Twiggy'
Twiggy Box Honeysuckle
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Filtered Sun, Morning Sun, Open Shade, Part Shade, Part Sun
Zone:
7, 8, 9
Molinia caerulea ssp. caerulea 'Variegata'
Variegated Purple Moor Grass
Type:
Grass / Grass-Like, Perennial
Exposure:
Afternoon Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun
Zone:
5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Nandina domestica 'Gulf Stream'
Compact Heavenly Bamboo
Type:
Shrub
Exposure:
Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade, Filtered Sun, Morning Sun, Open Shade
Zone:
6, 7, 8, 9
Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Burgundy Bunny'
Burgundy Bunny Fountain Grass
Type:
Grass / Grass-Like, Groundcover
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun, Afternoon Sun, Reflected Heat
Zone:
5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Sempervivum - Mixed Varieties
Hen and Chicks
Type:
Groundcover, Perennial
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun, Afternoon Sun, Reflected Heat
Zone:
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Stachys byzantina 'Helene Von Stein'
Lamb's Ears, Big Ears
Type:
Groundcover, Perennial
Exposure:
Afternoon Sun, Full Sun
Zone:
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Taxus x media 'Bean Pole'
Bean Pole Yew
Type:
Conifer, Shrub
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade, Full Shade, Full Shade, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade, Open Shade
Zone:
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Veronica peduncularis 'Georgia Blue'
Georgia Blue Speedwell
Type:
Groundcover, Perennial
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Part Sun, Part Shade, Afternoon Sun, Morning Sun, Filtered Sun, Open Shade, Open Shade
Zone:
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard'
Color Guard Adam's Needle
Type:
Shrub, Perennial
Exposure:
Full Sun, Full Sun, Afternoon Sun, Reflected Heat
Zone:
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
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