Go Graphic

Bold groupings give shape to a lush North Carolina green-on-green garden.

After lending an artistic touch to major ad campaigns for much of his career, Clay Andrews now puts his design ideas to work in the garden.

To create a border along one side of his small backyard, he divided the space into loose blocks of plants that follow a curve. "I decided on a graphic approach," he says of the blue fescue, maiden grass, black-eyed Susan, and creeping Jenny along his lawn in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Viewed from the back deck or upstairs balcony, the border has a well-defined pattern of feathery blue grasses, lime green ground cover, sunny flowers, and forest green spikes, leading the eye to an outdoor patio at the back of the garden. This outdoor room is hidden behind white hydrangeas in big ceramic planters.

"I used edging to maintain a neat look," Clay says about the mulched boundary that’s between the border and lawn. To keep each group of plants distinct, he weeds out those that try to establish themselves in neighboring beds.

"I want them differentiated, but I’m not rigid about it," he explains. "I don’t mind a little spillover."

Good To Know
When planning your border, step back to get a feel for the design from the spots where it will be viewed most often.

Plant by Design

Use higher beds for arid plants. If your plants have different water needs, try a raised bed for those that like it dry. "The lawn area is a little soupy, so I built this bed up to make sure the cedars of Lebanon would have enough drainage," Clay says of the mound at one end of the border. "It also helps the dianthus and blue fescue." The ground slopes down, which means the creeping Jenny is level with the lawn, satisfying its water-loving roots.
Add trees in groups. At each end of the border, Clay planted evergreen trees as year-round screens. At the end near the patio, he grouped Japanese cryptomeria, a dense, full tree that provides privacy. Closer to the house, he planted cedars of Lebanon; the draping limbs and blue foliage are sparse and do not block the view from the deck. In the middle—low and at eye level—a single cutleaf Japanese maple provides a lacy focal point.
Mix heights. Just past the bluish fronds of fescue, the ground drops to a lime swath of creeping Jenny that runs like a pretty carpet under the Japanese maple. And just beyond that area, the border bursts upward into a profusion of black-eyed Susans. Varying plant heights provides plenty of impact, especially in a small space.
Embrace common plants. Clay’s garden has many distinctive flowers, trees, and shrubs, including heirloom specimens and bonsai. But by using masses of more common plants, such as black-eyed Susan, he stages an easy backdrop for plants that create drama. At one time the border had as many selections as an English garden, but the small space looked too busy. Keeping things simple also sets off unique areas, like the small patio at the back of the garden.

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Go Graphic

Bold groupings give shape to a lush North Carolina green-on-green garden.

Plant by Design

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