No more than seven plants..?

JoeX · May 2018

Hi All,

Im a big fan of simplifying things, and simplicity. In episode 4 of ‘Big Dreams, Small Spaces’ Monty Don relays a principle, that “No garden needs more than seven plants”, qualifying that it doesn’t need to be taken literally.

Does anyone know where that quote or principle comes from?

Has anyone tried a such a simple approach?

Cheers,

TP

Blue Onion · May 2018

Not seven plants.. no more than seven varieties of plants.

B3 · May 2018

B******s
I've a good 30 plants in my 'lawn'

blameitonthedog · May 2018

I became aware of that principle a while back and wish I had heard it before starting on my current garden. I know that a lot of my dissatisfaction with the overall effect is due to having far too many different plants, despite almost always planting perennials in threes or fives.

nutcutlet · May 2018

B3 said:

B******s
I've a good 30 plants in my 'lawn'

Only 30?

JoeX · May 2018

Blue Onion said:

Not seven plants.. no more than seven varieties of plants.

Quite right, have you heard of this principle then?

B3 · May 2018

I suppose it depends on whether you want to grow as many types of plants as possible in your patch or whether you have a design in mind.
A design is anathema to me but I respect the fact that other gardeners have a different view.

Fire · May 2018

I think it makes sense, if you are planting with eye to design (not everyone is). I think the idea is that you plant in blocks and the repeated elements draws the eye around the garden. This is esp'ly true of small gardens. It would make for a great coherence.

I am still learning, but if I ever got to a place where I could be sure of what would work (re sun, soil, bugs etc) I can imagine it could be great for beds. My garden is surrounded by hedging and have about 30 types of hedging plant, which all flower at different times, so I would want to exclude those, personally.

JoeX · May 2018

blameitonthedog said:

I became aware of that principle a while back and wish I had heard it before starting on my current garden. I know that a lot of my dissatisfaction with the overall effect is due to having far too many different plants, despite almost always planting perennials in threes or fives.

I’ve only been trying to garden about nine months and I’m already feeling there’s “too much” going on.

I think I probably could reduce the front garden to seven if you don’t count the trees.

Do bulbs count as one type, if they flower at different times of the year?

nultyphilip224 · May 2018

I could not see myself being content with just seven varieties of plants,..i always loved the feeling of being surrounded by tall plants with smaller ones to create interest,..paths with just space for one person to walk and never seeing the complete garden from any angle,..every gardener has the perfect garden in mind and so different from each other,..imagine a simple garden with sand and a few boulders,..i imagine there would be too much time to think and dwell.

Philip

Blue Onion · May 2018

Tin pot said:

Blue Onion said:

Not seven plants.. no more than seven varieties of plants.

Quite right, have you heard of this principle then?

Yes.. probably from the same episode as you, I think. Monty probably made it up. I don't stick to the rule, but I do try for a limited palette of colors. All the flowers in the beds that can be seen from the front are purples and yellows. Or at least, that is the plan. There are a few randoms in there, like some inherited red roses and a pink weigela that is done blooming before most other things are out.. but mostly everything with summer blooms are yellow or purple. It gives continuity to the scheme, while allowing me to grow a wide variety of plant types.

No more than seven plants..?

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