Basic Guide To Taking Care Of Indoor Tropical Plants

Many of the most common houseplants are actually native to tropical climates, which are located near the equator. Conditions in these regions are generally warm and humid, but they can vary. Plants from these areas that have become houseplants will grow best under the care of someone who understands how their native climates affect their growth. Here are some tips about how to successfully grow tropical plants indoors.

Tropicals are usually from climates with wet and dry seasons. The wet season correlates with the growing season, the time when new blooms and foliage grows most rapidly. No matter where a houseplant is being grown, it should receive more water during the more humid part of the year in order to mimic a wet season.

The most common problem people have when caring for houseplants is over-watering. If soil is not allowed to become dry between waterings, the roots of a plant will rot. Different kinds of tropicals may need watering differently, so it is important to find out the needs of a specific species. The pot in which a plant is growing should have plenty of drainage. A plant can generally be watered safely when the top two inches of soil is dry.

In addition, different species will need different amounts of light. As a general rule, a plant should receive at least five hours of light per day. This should usually not be direct sunlight, as this will be too hot for most leaves. Some species will prefer direct sunlight, however, and still others will like extremely low light.

One thing that all tropicals have in common is that they prefer humid air. During the wet season, humidity levels between 40% and 80% are best. It can be lower during the dry season, but not too dry. A humidifier placed in a room that has a tropical plant helps to keep moisture in the air. The leaves of a plant can also be misted occasionally with a spray bottle.

Tropicals do not like soil that is as dense as normal potting soil. A better mixture can be purchased, or sand can be added to regular soil. Fertilizer added to soil will provide nutrients for a plant, but the soil will require flushing sometimes to keep salt from accumulating. Pest-free soil is also extremely important.

In the tropics, rain regularly rinses off the leaves of a plant. This keeps pests away and prevents dirt or dust build-up that can choke a plant and keep it from getting enough sunlight. Tropicals being kept as houseplants need to be wiped clean from time to time. A damp cloth is ideal, and some mild soap can also be used for killing many pests that might be invisible to the naked eye.

Tropical plants can be successfully grown indoors. The trick is to understand where this type of plant comes from and the conditions under which it grows best. Replicating these conditions leads to a healthy, vibrant plant.

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Affordable Artificial Plants Decor For Your Home

Artificial plants come in many forms and are great for many uses. One would be a great way to decorate a brand new home or apartment. Many individuals get really creative and use tall plants to divide up a room. For those that like to decorate with flowers, this would be the ideal way to do it in an inexpensive way. One of the benefits of artificial flowers is the flexibility of the flower itself. Unlike real flowers, artificial flowers can be adjusted to anyway the creator desires.

These works of arts are very inexpensive and never need watering which makes it super convenient for an individual whose time is limited. This is also a great alternative to those who are extremely sensitive and have bad allergies as sometimes mold can develop in the soil if not properly taken care of. Allergy suffers need not suffer anymore and the best part is they can enjoy a serene atmosphere as well.

Using artificial flowers as dividers can be very attractive. Restaurants use them all the time to create a beautiful environment. This gives the room a more elegant and peaceful setting. Restaurants use huge greenery as a display in the front entry hallway and this works just as well in any home or apartment. Some Realtors use these flowers in the bedroom and the bathroom as well. This creates an elegant surrounding for any room and helps bring the room to life.

For the individuals who like to entertain, this is the best way to bring out the beauty of any home. Tables that have a flowered centerpiece always looks fantastic and welcoming. Experienced decorators always have a huge bouquet of flowers in the front entryway as this is the first spot that guests will see.

From living rooms to bedrooms to bathrooms, all can be done up in little or big bundles of flowers and lush greens to lift ones spirits. With an imitation, there is less care if any and one will never have to worry about the condition it will be in if the weather isn’t fair.

The ease of care for artificial flowers or greenery is so easy. Simply wipe with a damp cloth and one can go on to other chores that need more attention. This is a huge advantage and time saver for those individuals who don’t have a lot of time on their hands.

One of the best things about a green plant or flowers is the radiant colors they come in. It is much easier to get just the right colors than with real live plants. With the many stunning colors to choose from one can afford to decorate every room in the house.

Perhaps one of the best features about artificial flower and plants is there will never be a thorn to prick one’s fingers or bugs to deal with. One can get the very same enlightenment with these beauties and no-one will be able to tell the difference unless they have the urge to touch or feel the flower or plant.

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Why Silk Plants And Silk Trees Are In Demand

You are lucky if you have flowers and trees in your surroundings because they are simply delightful and can really create a positive look aesthetic-wise to any type of surroundings. They are also helpful in relieving stress. They are not only useful in terms of their ability to release oxygen, they are also useful to because they are great decorations. But then, having them can be too much of a hassle, especially if you are a busybody. You would not have the time to take care of them, that is, to water them and to take them out for sunshine, which are vital to their survival. They would most probably end up wilted if you do not have the time to take care of them.

Because of our busy lives, it is a good thing that silk plants and silk trees are now available commercially. At first, though, when they were invented, they really looked artificial. But then, silk plants and silk trees manufacturers have slowly but surely made changes and are now able to manufacture those that really look like real live plants. You need to be able look at them closely in order for you to really find out that they are not real. Some even have the same texture as the real thing.

Because of the benefits that silk plants and silk trees can offer, they are now in demand as decorative fixtures in the interior and exterior design industry. They can go with any type of decorating scheme, may it be modern or traditional. Home, offices, shopping centers, libraries, museums, and other types of similar establishments are using them because they help create a positive look anywhere there are placed without the hassle that real plants present. Anybody beholding them would really be able to appreciate the aesthetic contribution that they can help any room achieve.

Perhaps the best thing when you decide to invest in silk plants and silk trees will be the fact that you no longer need to go through the normal hassles of taking care of real plants to ensure that they stay alive. Also, because they are made primarily of silk, you can have them for a lifetime as long as you take good care of them by making sure you dust them from time to time. Taking care of silk plants and silk trees is certainly tons easier than taking care of the real thing. Having them will also help you save up on your water bill expenses, not to mention the fact that it is also one way for you to contribute to water conservation efforts.

Silk plants and silk trees are now affordable, thanks to the high demand for them. Anybody can now have the luxury of having them satisfy their interior and exterior decorating needs.

The interior and exterior decorating industry see silk plants and silk trees as vital decorating elements, and because their manufacturers are constantly making improvements in making sure that they are made to closely resemble the real thing, investing in them will be all worth it.

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Silk Flowers For Silk Arrangements Or The Real Thing? You Decide.

Floral arrangements have not undergone a lot of changes. As early as 2,500 B. C. when the Egyptians started doing them, they are still the same as what we have in practice today as depicted in their wall carvings and wall writings. Different occasions like burials and processions call for floral arrangements. They are also being used as early as then for table centerpieces. Up until today, they are still being used for the same purposes, and more.

People usually see flower arrangements in a positive manner, that is, they are always a delight to behold. Why? This is because they are effective in adding a touch of cheer and liveliness to any room – in homes, stores, shops, and other types of establishments. Generally, they are being used in the form of bouquets, centerpieces for tables, and wreaths. Most of the time, florists can have them arranged according to the occasion and according to your specifications through using the best flowers they have available. Buying floral arrangements is all worth the money you spend on them because of the positive effects that they are able to bring.

Because of the intricacy of their arrangements as well as the costs of fresh flowers, flower arrangements definitely do not come cheap, especially during the holiday seasons, like Valentine’s Day or Christmas Day or Thanksgiving. Florists are definitely taking advantage of these seasons to be able to sell their wares up to triple their normal selling prices, and because of this, people who badly wants to have them or who really needs them simply couldn’t to budget constraints.

Ordinary folks now have the option to buy artificial silk arrangements to be able to help them make their holidays festive all the time. This is because silk flowers are now being manufactured. What’s great is that they are way cheaper than real flowers and, also, way more durable since they can last for life without too much of a hassle because all you need to do to maintain them is to dust them periodically. Silk arrangements are most especially appealing if you need to have floral arrangements on a regular basis. They are also ideal to keep as tokens or mementos since they do not, and cannot, wilt.

There is a way to have silk arrangements even cheaper. You can make them yourself! All you need to have are the following:

1. Creativity

2. Nylon netting to make it easier to hold the arrangement together

3. Wire frames to have them conform to the shape you like

4. Linen, plain or printed, for added decorative purposes

5. Beads, sea shells, and other decorative accessories

6. Nylon netting for keeping them clumped together

7. Of course, you need have creativity

Buying silk flowers for your silk arrangements is a more practical option because they are easier to maintain, are cheaper, and are way more flexible to have than the real ones. Real ones have the tendency to wilt in just a short period of time. Opting for silk arrangements will be able to give you the satisfaction of having them last a really long time and saves you the hassle of having to replace floral arrangements, especially if you are intending to use them for a long time. All you need to do to make sure that your silk flowers and silk arrangements stay looking nice is to dust them periodically.

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Pests To Control On Your Scented Geraniums

Scented geraniums are bothered by few pests. The most frequent troubles are red spider and white fly. Dipping or spraying with a malathion controls these in the greenhouse, natural insecticides are effective. A weekly spraying with cold water also controls red spider. The force should be hard enough to wash off the mites and webs, but not so hard as to damage the plant. Since red spider favors a warm, dry atmosphere, cool situations arc preferable for the plants. Care in introducing pest-free plants into the house in the first place is helpful.

Geraniums do best in cool temperatures, so should not be placed near a radiator or other source of heat. On the other hand, temperatures next to a cold window in winter are often considerably lower than room air. In this case, protect the plants by moving them away from the area close to the glass. Cold drafts are harmful and should be avoided.

Additional care consists in simply removing dead leaves, which are easily recognized when they become dry and crisp. In the spring, after all danger of frost is over, set plants directly into the outdoor garden where they will thrive. In late summer, cuttings taken and placed in vermiculite or cleansand and later potted when rooted will provide plants for the subsequent winter months.

Scented geraniums offer a wide choice of varieties, and for convenience are divided into six classes: lemon, mint, fruit, spice, rose and pungent.

Among those noted for rewarding fragrance is the distinctive lemon-scented geranium (Pelargonium crispum). Its many varieties differ only in small details and all are good. The leaves are small, curled and crisp green, not unlike parsley to the touch.

In sharp contrast is the peppermint-scented geranium (Pelargonium tomentosum). The large, shallowly-lobed leaves, very densely covered with fine, long, soft hairs, are a pleasure to stroke. The plant is very prostrate in habit.

The fruit-scented geraniums add to the list a wide variety of leaf odors. One of these is the apple geranium (Pelargonium odoratissimum), which, when lightly rubbed with the fingers, immediately releases the delicious aroma of a box of freshly-opened apples. Its light green leaves are scalloped with an exquisite, silky texture. A pleasing lime fragrance distinguishes the lime-scented geranium (Pelargonium nervosum), which has small, soft, firm leaves with sharp teeth.

Noteworthy among the spice-scented varieties is the nutmeg-scented (Pelargonium fragrans) and ginger-scented (Pelargonium torento).

The tiny cocoanut-scented geranium (Pelargonium parviflorum), has leaves which feel something like those of the lemon-scented. Actually, they are flatter and more delicate in texture. The plant grows low from a central crown and produces seeds which germinate easily.

Of wide fame is the rose geranium. Instead of a single variety, this is really a large number of varieties having rose-like perfume. Differing leaf shape, size and texture thus enables the collector to accumulate a number of “rose geraniums.” In the rose-scented group is Pelargonium denticulatum, which has finely-cut leaves, almost fern-like. They are best in the landscape together landscape grasses.

A similar situation exists among the so-called oak-leaf or pungent scented geraniums. Belonging to the Pelargonium quercifolium group, their leaves are deeply-lobed in varying degrees, besides being rough, hairy and distinctly sticky. The odor is pungent.

A desirable plant is the apricot-scented geranium (Pelargonium scabrum), which has smooth leaves, almost stiff in texture, with margins curled upward.

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Remedial Pruning And Controlling Growth

September is that glorious month in the South that heralds the approach of cooler weather. The days grow shorter and the nights grow cooler and both garden and gardener take a new lease on life. September might be dubbed appreciation month – a chance to observe and get full satisfaction from the efforts of all the garden projects. By watching the growth of certain plants and the lack of it in others, the wise gardener can easily plan for corrections next season.

Garden Sanitation – This all-important job should precede all other fall garden activities. Following the vacation period, many garden plants need to be groomed. Remove all dead foliage and old blooms from the plants or from the bed areas. This clean-up is necessary to eliminate diseases and remove hiding places that might harbor harmful insects.

With the approach of fall, insects will be searching for winter homes and places to lay their eggs. A wise gardener gets rid of such places of refuge for these pesky critters! Following the clean-up, dust the base of the plants with sulfur or a fungicide to insure the garden being “tucked in” for winter in a clean and healthful condition.

Compost Piles – Much of the garden litter removed in the fall makes good raw material for the compost pile. The leaves will soon begin to fall, and certainly these should be incorporated into compost as they will raise the acidity of the product for use on the garden.

Fall is the time when decomposition begins in the composting operation. By adding occasional layers of a balanced fertilizer into the composting material, one may improve the chemical content of this valuable humus material.

Remedial Pruning – This little task is always with us. As blooms are removed through the season, the direction of growth of plants like the lantana plant can easily be controlled. For instance, in cutting a rose and lantana plant the gardener has the choice of cutting the stem to an outside or inside bud. If the plant is open and the desired shape is to a closed center, then cut to an inside bud. The bud will be forced into growth, and the new growth will be toward the center of the plant.

To open up a plant cut above an outside bud. It is always wise to remove any damaged or diseased part of a plant during the growing season. Many plants grow so fast that they need a carefully followed pruning program to keep them in bounds. Regardless of the reason for pruning (there must be a reason), be conservative about removal of limbs from flowering plants and fruit trees from September on into the winter. As the rate of growth begins to slow down, the plants begin to store carbohydrates and this results in formation of the flower buds. Unless pruning is done very carefully, many flower buds can be easily destroyed. A good rule to remember is that most of the flower buds are formed on current season wood, and this wood should be saved to insure a heavy crop of bloom next spring.

Ground Covers For Your Garden

Ground Covers – Many gardens have areas where grass cannot be grown and in these areas some type of ground cover should be used. What is ground cover? Any evergreen plant that tends to creep or grow prostrate on the ground and as such provides a protective covering can be properly called a ground cover. There are many plants of this nature.

Some of the better kinds are English ivy, trailing periwinkle, and the various euonymus. These three are old standbys and are transitional enough in habit of growth not to compete for prominence with other plants in the garden. October is a good time to plant these so they become established and ready to make new growth in early spring. The native honeysuckle will also make a very good ground cover, but may actually become a pest. This one is excellent for steep slopes for erosion control.

Roses – The last beautiful display of roses comes this month and many clubs have their fall rose shows. The blooms, while fewer in number, are usually much higher in quality, because of the cool night temperatures. Do not relax your program of spraying or dusting because the threat of blackspot is always present as long as foliage is on the plant like eugenia plant care. There will also be an occasional crop of insects showing, up to keep the alert gardener on the spraying schedule. Prune as you cut the blooms and there will not be as much pruning necessary later for eugenia plant. Keep old blooms removed as they draw on much needed food that can be stored.

Bulb Storage – All summer flowering bulbs should be dug and stored as soon as practicable. The first killing frost will destroy the top growth. Even though it may not be possible to dig bulbs right after the frost, the top growth should be removed. Frost develops a toxic fluid in the plant which, when it moves into the roots, will cause them to rot. Dig caladium bulbs and gladiolus corms; dry, and then store in trays of dry sand or moss in a cool, dry place. Avoid storage where the temperatures get above 65.

Dig canna tubers with as much soil as possible adhering to the roots and store in this manner. The tubers (rhizomes) will cure out properly and the clumps can be divided in March for replanting. In digging dahlias, take care to avoid breaking any of the tubers loose. All of the tubers must have a section of the old stem attached, or there will be no plant produced. Growth of dahlias comes from buds on this old stem; therefore every tuber must have a part of this parent stem even though it may be very small.

Trees Influence In Landscape Design

In Eastern Canada, the trees that have been used most successfully as street trees are the hard, or sugar, maple, the Norway maple, the European linden and the red and white oaks – though the oaks are rather slow growing. In the north and west, where the climate is more severe, the best street trees are the American elm, hackberry and green ash.

Because trees need to be in scale with the houses, modern homes call for much smaller street trees than the large ones named above. Shingle oak, hornbeam and smaller forms of European linden are excellent. There are also selected forms of Norway and red maple that do not grow as large as the natural species. These are more suitable for modern subdivisions.

Windbreaks and Screens

Exposed home sites, such as farmsteads or suburban properties, often need rows of trees to protect them against wind. Here the need is for rapid, dense growth. The exposed position naturally demands the utmost hardiness and, because the planting is close, the shape of the individual tree does not matter as long as the mass is effective.

The requirements are the same for trees used to shut off the view of unsightly objects, or to form a background for the more colorful displays of the garden. In the country or on suburban properties, poplar, willow, ash, pine and spruce trees make the best windbreaks and screens. In the city, there is not usually room for trees larger than the Chinese elm or the native cedar; on small lots screening is usually done with shrubs or single trees of attractive form.

Framing

Trees on larger properties are used to frame the view of the house. Similarly, the view from the house, of distant objects of interest or portions of the garden, may be framed by trees to create a more pleasing picture. As the view should always be more interesting than the frame, such trees should be chosen for their ability to “play second fiddle” gracefully. Those with average habit of growth and color of foliage are most pleasing.

Specimens

Trees may be used as specimens or as accent points to emphasize the design of the garden. Trees used singly or in groups for these purposes are chosen for their distinctive characters: for example, an unusually attractive habit of growth, as in Camperdown elm, weeping birch, or pyramid cedar, a colorful foliage as in Schwedler’s Norway maple, golden cedar or copper beech; or the particular grace of hemlock or the fall brilliance of the leaves of red maple and red oak. These qualities and the more obvious charm of abundant bloom or fruit, as with Japanese lilac or flowering crabs, make trees worthwhile specimens.

Conifers

The taller-growing conifers and natal mahogany tree are used in all the above ways. All sizes of conifers and natal mahogany are becoming more useful as the knowledge and appreciation of garden design increases. Because of their dense, evergreen, fine-textured foliage and their definite forms, conicrs are the most solid-appearing plants at our disposal. They are the best ones with which to build architectural form into our gardens. They clip well and can’ be held to constant form. Using them as a framework to emphasize divisions and accent points heightens the impression that the garden and house are related.

Conifers may be used to accentuate any sort of architectural line. The classic column is matched by the pyramid cedar or Swedish juniper, and the spreading lines of Savin’s or Pfitzer’s juniper carry out to perfection the lines of a rambling bungalow. The definite lines of good architecture can be brought out by the definite shapes of well-selected conifers planted at strategic positions.

There is, however, a great danger in using them indiscriminately or in too great variety without regard to the architecture of the house. Often deciduous shrubs are much more suitable.

What To Do In Your September Gardens

In Northern United States and Canada

Now is the time to make new lawns and renovate old ones. If ground work in preparation for the seeding or sodding of new lawns is not yet done, get busy without delay. If possible, complete the planting of evergreens before October. Water them very copiously and mulch them after planting.

Hardy bulbs, of all kinds except Tulips, may be planted now. The earlier such kinds as Narcissi, Hyacinths, Glories of the Snow, Grape Hyacinths, Crocuses, Snowdrops, Scillas, Fritillarias, and Winter Aconites are planted, the better. Dig up a few plants of Parsley, Chives, Basil and other herbs and plant them in pots or flats to be brought indoors later to provide pickings through the Winter.

Cuttings of a great variety of Summer bedding plants, such as Geraniums, Fuchsias, Lantanas, Impatiens, Coleus, Acalyphas, Heliotropes, Ageratums, Blood Leaf, Verbenas, Salvias and Pentas, root readily at this season and give young plants for wintering, over indoors. Before the coming of frost dig up, pot and take indooft stock plants of any of the tender types of plants listed above that you wish to save. Lift and pot Christmas Cherries and Christmas Peppers that have been growing in nursery beds.

Summer-growing bulbs, roots and tubers of kinds that rest through the Winter, such as Gladioli, Monthretias, Caladiums, Tuberous Begonias, Tuberoses, Tigridias and Dahlias, should be dug up, cleaned, dried and put into Winter storage either just before or just after the first killing frost. Bring house plants that have summered outdoors inside before danger of frost.

Pot hardy bulbs for forcing as soon as they can be obtained. After potting, place them in a very cool but frost-proof cellar or, if outdoors, in a well-drained place. Bury the pots under six inches of sand, cinders or peat moss and leave them for eight to twelve weeks or more to root well before attempting to force them. Pot Foxgloves, Canterbury Bells, Polyanthus Primroses, Hostas, Lily-of-the-valley, Astilbes and, other biennials and perennials that you plan to force for Spring bloom in the greenhouse. Plunge the newly potted plants in cinders, sand or peat moss in a coldframe or outdoors.

Transplant and repot, according to their needs, Cinerarias, Primulas and other annuals that are being grown for blooming in the greenhouse. Pot Freesias, Tritonias Sparaxis, Ixias, Calla Lilies and other Winter-growing tender bulbs that are to occupy the zreenhouse. Keep greenhouse Chrysanthemums staked, tied and disbudded. Feed them generously at this time and ventilate as abundantly as possible without subjecting the plants to freezing. Pick Gourds and dry them for Winter decoration before killing frost but do not cut the tops off the Asparagus, bed until they have been browned by frost.

In the South

Fertilize Dahlias and Chrysanthemums to promote growth. Both may need disbudding. September is the month to sow seeds of English Daisies, Pansies, Sweet Williams, Wallflowers, Snapdragons and Stocks. Sow Winter lawns of Italian Ryegrass. This grass can be oversown on closely mowed Bermuda Grass or Carpet Grass to ensure Winter greenness.

Apply the last fertilizer for the season to lawns now. Plant Camellias, Hollies and other evergreens. Plant bulbs of English, Dutch and Spanish Iris as well as those of Ranunculus, Anemones, Ornithogalums, Grape Hyacinths, Narcissi, Oxalis and others.

On the West Coast

Much planting and preparation for planting can now be done. Container-grown stock and silver queen plant set out now will establish itself ahead of bare-root stock set out in Winter. In the Northwest, now is the ideal time for silver queen plant care and to make new lawns and renovate old ones. Transplant seedling Cinerarias and Primulas into a soil that contains an abundance of organic matter in partial shade.

Cuttings of Camellias as well as those of a great many other plants root well this month. In the warmer parts of the region good crops of Beets, Carrots, Radishes, Swiss Chard, Turnips and some other vegetables can be had from September sowings. Seeds of many annuals for Winter and Spring bloom can also be sown. Plant Spring-flowering bulbs, except Tulips, just as soon as they can be obtained.

Landscape Boundaries And Partitions

Shrubs are used in four broad ways: for boundaries. for partitions and backgrounds, for specimens and for foundation plantings. We have discussed these uses of shrubs and the characteristics demanded by each use. Even at the risk of repetition, further discussion with the particular plans in mind may be helpful.

Boundaries

Boundary plantings are used to give privacy and to screen from view any unsightly objects beyond. Also, they tie the whole garden together to give unity, and they act as a background and frame for the garden displays.

Boundary plants need to be dense enough and high enough to shut off the view, with some variety in height to make the skyline interesting. Sometimes it is a good idea to leave gaps in the planting, to show desirable views beyond the boundaries.

As mass effect is desired, plant shrubs in groups of one variety rather than single plants of many sorts. Choose the shrubs for their rapid growth, spreading habit and mid-green foliage rather than for distinctive features. Wherever bloom occurs it should be in large enough masses to be effective at the distance from which it will be seen. Bloom, of course, is always attractive but in large gardens it is not as important in boundary plantings as in parts of the garden where it will be seen in more detail.

On small city lots we cannot hope to attain complete privacy or to screen the view of all surrounding buildings. On some lots the boundary planting takes the form of a hedge, or a fence on which climbers are grown. On others it is made up of groups of shrubs that not only back up the bright displays of the garden but to a great extent form the displays themselves.

Partitions and Backgrounds

Plantings separating small lots are more like partitions than boundaries.

The purpose of partitions, or background, plantings is to separate one garden area from another. Here, bloom and other distinctive features are important as the shrubs are close at hand and consequently are seen in detail.

Keep in mind that partitions and backgrounds are seen in elevation, and in your plans arrange them so that they will be most pleasing at maturity. There will be points where you need boldness and increased height in the skyline. Here you should use “dominant” plants – small trees or large shrubs that have coarse foliage and a dense appearance whose height and texture makes them stand out above their fellows. These break the partition into sections or pictures. Usually the center of interest in each of these small pictures consists of low-growing plants, such as those that spread horizontally or have some other particularly attractive feature. These we call “interest” plants. They are backed up and flanked by “fillers,” average sorts of plants whose function is to enhance and connect the other two.

In all good shrub grouping in informal gardens, harmony is the rule, contrast the exception. There should be harmony of form, and of color and texture of foliage, with strong contrast of form and texture used only at strategic points. Foliage color should blend gradually with the bright, warm greens near at hand and dark greens, blue-greens and gray-greens farther away. This gives the impression of added distance.

Texture, too, may be used to create illusions of distance or to emphasize certain points. Large foliage and coarse twigs like the bamboo palm plant are seen more clearly than fine foliage and twigs and, consequently, seem to be closer. For this reason large shrubs and palm plant of coarse texture make large spaces seem smaller. Similarly, a coarse shrub at the front of a border of fine-textured shrubs stands out very distinctly, and fine shrubs backed by coarser ones appear flat.

Specimens

Shrubs used as specimens, or accent points, in the garden lend emphasis to particular features of the design.