Gardens with curved undulating lines are particularly lovely especially when the line of the garden mimics the lines of the surrounding landscape. Curved garden beds also add interest and a sense of flow. And, significantly there are few straight lines in nature.
Numerous garden books and on-line advice provide a wide variety of instructions on how to create a curved garden bed. But reading how to do it is one thing, and it is quite another challenge to actually lay out the design for the curve that you want to achieve.Before attempting to lay out my first curved border, I carefully read and re-read a variety of instructions. These instructions included how to measure the new garden bed to choose where the curves will occur and the space available. Some instructions suggested drawing the measurements on paper and then dividing the bed into segments and choose the plants for each section. I tried a few too many times to draw my curved bed on graph paper and “place” the plants. I knew what I wanted but it was not easy to create this on paper. But it did help me begin to visualize the plantings and their placement.
However, when I was in the yard, clip board and drawing in hand, I was at a loss as to how to proceed. I began by laying a hose as suggested by most. And I rearranged the hose more times than I want to admit. But, when I stood back to view my work the curves were nearly impossible to see. The hose was too close to the ground and didn’t provide a clear idea of the edge of the garden. Jeff McManus had suggested using plastic flags used for marking utilities in the ground. So, for my next attempt to view the swoops I armed myself with a handful of orange flags on wire that I stuck in the ground along the hose. Immediately the flags allowed me to see that this was not the curve I had in mind. Again I spent in inordinate amount of time moving the flags along the curve. The flags showed up very well but I added too many and it was distracting. Again I moved flags and rearranged them.
The goal was to develop a gentler swoop but two swoops were way too large and each could have been a small garden by itself. I needed another eye and Jeff McManus gave me a hand. As I watched him move and rearrange my flags I was struck by how gentle and much narrower the swoop was than mine. And, the narrower bed with a very gentle emerging swoop was truly the desired effect. I am now better informed about creating a curving bed but it is going to take some practice before I attempt another one.
Gardens with curved undulating lines are particularly lovely especially when the line of the garden mimics the lines of the surrounding landscape. Curved garden beds also add interest and a sense of flow. And, significantly there are few straight lines in nature.
Numerous garden books and on-line advice provide a wide variety of instructions on how to create a curved garden bed. But reading how to do it is one thing, and it is quite another challenge to actually lay out the design for the curve that you want to achieve.Before attempting to lay out my first curved border, I carefully read and re-read a variety of instructions. These instructions included how to measure the new garden bed to choose where the curves will occur and the space available. Some instructions suggested drawing the measurements on paper and then dividing the bed into segments and choose the plants for each section. I tried a few too many times to draw my curved bed on graph paper and “place” the plants. I knew what I wanted but it was not easy to create this on paper. But it did help me begin to visualize the plantings and their placement.
However, when I was in the yard, clip board and drawing in hand, I was at a loss as to how to proceed. I began by laying a hose as suggested by most. And I rearranged the hose more times than I want to admit. But, when I stood back to view my work the curves were nearly impossible to see. The hose was too close to the ground and didn’t provide a clear idea of the edge of the garden. Jeff McManus had suggested using plastic flags used for marking utilities in the ground. So, for my next attempt to view the swoops I armed myself with a handful of orange flags on wire that I stuck in the ground along the hose. Immediately the flags allowed me to see that this was not the curve I had in mind. Again I spent in inordinate amount of time moving the flags along the curve. The flags showed up very well but I added too many and it was distracting. Again I moved flags and rearranged them.
The goal was to develop a gentler swoop but two swoops were way too large and each could have been a small garden by itself. I needed another eye and Jeff McManus gave me a hand. As I watched him move and rearrange my flags I was struck by how gentle and much narrower the swoop was than mine. And, the narrower bed with a very gentle emerging swoop was truly the desired effect. I am now better informed about creating a curving bed but it is going to take some practice before I attempt another one.