Decorative Features 102 Chapter 2
Plantings
Adding foliage and flowering plants to the gravel in and around the Fountain Basin softens and adds to the beauty of the decorative feature. There’s usually a perfect spot somewhere around the water feature for just about any plant, but some textural combinations really stand out, like leafy Hostas, spiky Iris ensata and water-loving Ferns near where the water falls, and Miscanthus, Nandina and Hakonechloa Grasses out at the drier fringes. One of the best techniques is to remove a sufficient clump of perennials or a shrub in an existing mature garden to set the feature right in among established plantings, which fosters the impression that the feature has been there for years. The effect is stunning, so don’t forget to green it up!
Adding foliage and flowering plants to the gravel in and around the Fountain Basin softens and adds to the beauty of the decorative feature. There’s usually a perfect spot somewhere around the water feature for just about any plant, but some textural combinations really stand out, like leafy Hostas, spiky Iris ensata and water-loving Ferns near where the water falls, and Miscanthus, Nandina and Hakonechloa Grasses out at the drier fringes. One of the best techniques is to remove a sufficient clump of perennials or a shrub in an existing mature garden to set the feature right in among established plantings, which fosters the impression that the feature has been there for years. The effect is stunning, so don’t forget to green it up!
