Garden Playbook

This module is where individual plants transform into a beautiful garden. When we started carving gardens out of acres of grass we learned how by combining concepts like drifts, layering, and dense planting you can go well beyond the traditional ‘border’ and create a 'wow' garden.

Key Concepts in Design

1. Drifts – Creating Impactful Groupings

Drifts are the foundation of visually striking gardens. By planting in bold, flowing groupings, you can create beautiful, calming, and engaging spaces that pull you through the garden. Not only do they minimize maintenance, they maximize both visual and emotional impact.

• What Are Drifts?

  • Large, naturalistic groupings of a single plant or complementary plants that create bold swaths of colour and texture. We recommend 5 or more plants in a drift. 

• Why Use Them?

  • Drifts create beautiful, calming, and engaging spaces that pull you through the garden, as described in the introduction.

  • Simplifies planting decisions and maintenance.

  • Creates a sense of movement and flow in the garden.

• Practical Tips:

  • Start with Foundation plants like Yarrow ‘Moonshine’ to establish consistent structure. Most drifts should be composed of Foundation plants and enhanced or interplanted with Core plants to add seasonal highlights and variety.

  • Tiny Plants are ideal for establishing drifts, as their small size allows for dense planting and quick coverage. By starting with Tiny Plants, you can create dynamic drifts that grow together seamlessly, minimizing gaps and enhancing the overall flow of the garden.

  • Use Core plants to add seasonal highlights within the drifts, such as incorporating Columbine 'Early Bird Blue and White' for spring or Salvia 'Caradonna' for summer, ensuring a dynamic display throughout the seasons [these are two of our favourite early drifts].

2. Layering – Adding Depth and Dimension

Unlike the traditional short to tall border, we found that maintaining height continuity and shifting heights gradually creates a more serene garden.

Bring calming continuity to your garden design by maintaining similar heights within one area and mixing textures and colour tones instead of dramatically varying heights.

• How we Layer:

  • Height Continuity: Group plants with similar heights together for a more serene, unified appearance.

  • Gradual Transitions: Change heights gradually between sections of the garden to create a natural flow and avoid abrupt visual shifts.

  • Seasonal Layers: Combine early, mid, and late bloomers to ensure continuous interest throughout the season.

• Practical Tips:

  • Use Foliage plants like Karl Foerster Reed Grass or Lady Fern to anchor transitions and provide year-round structure.

  • Avoid mixing wildly contrasting heights within a single area to maintain visual harmony.

3. Dense Planting – Maximizing Space

Dense planting involves planting more closely than standard guidelines suggest to create a lush, full garden. We like to see plants - not mulch.

• Benefits of Dense Planting:

  • Reduces open soil, suppressing weeds naturally.

  • Retains soil moisture and reduces temperature fluctuations.

  • Creates a polished, professional look.

• How to Implement:

  • Overlap complementary plants to encourage natural integration.

  • Use Foundation and Core plants for larger, interconnected drifts that cover ground effectively.

4. Immersive Gardens – Designing Spaces to Be In, not to Look At.

Traditional gardens often focus on perimeter borders, encouraging people to view the space from the outside. Instead, we design gardens that invite you to step inside and be surrounded by their beauty. Immersive gardens are about creating spaces that feel like a sanctuary you can walk through, pause in, and experience fully.

• Key Principles:

  • Pathways and Flow: Incorporate meandering paths that guide you through the garden and reveal new perspectives.

  • Enclosure: Use taller plants like Big Bluestem ‘Blackhawk’ or Verbena bonariensis to frame spaces and create a sense of intimacy.

  • Layers Around You: Arrange plants to surround you at eye level, rather than restricting them to the edges.

• Practical Tips:

  • Place seating or focal points within the garden to encourage people to linger and enjoy being in the space.

  • Use Foundation and Foliage plants to create structural flow, with Core and Select plants adding dynamic, seasonal moments.

Design Techniques for Specific Goals

1. Designing for Pollinators

• Use pollinator-friendly Foundation plants like Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) and Blazing Star ‘Floristan Violet’ to diversify your drifts and provide continuous nectar sources.

• Plan overlapping bloom times to ensure nectar availability throughout the growing season.

• Avoid planting double bloomers or sterile plants in drifts to ensure pollinator activity throughout your garden [i.e. don’t choose from the Select Set].

2. Designing for Large Spaces

• Start with Foundation plants in wide drifts to cover ground efficiently, or use Tiny Plants to create densely packed drifts for faster coverage and a more dynamic, layered effect as they grow.

• Use tall plants like Verbena bonariensis or Helenium ‘Summer Nights’ to create vertical accents and define space.

• Layer Core and Select plants to break up large areas with pops of seasonal color.

3. Designing for Small Gardens

• Focus on layering to maximize vertical space.

• Use dense planting to make small areas appear lush and vibrant.

• Combine Foliage plants with compact Foundation plants for year-round interest.

Practical Design Tips

• Group by Needs: Combine plants with similar light and water requirements for easier maintenance.

• Experiment with Patterns: Use repeating shapes or colors to create cohesion and flow.

• Evaluate Seasonality: Ensure your design includes plants for every season to maintain year-round interest.

Bringing It All Together

Whether you’re designing for large spaces, small gardens, or specific goals like pollinator support, these ideas can help you build a garden that is both functional and beautiful—and one that endures.