SOMETIMES WE need to do things just for fun.
There are times and places where you may want to use plants in nonnatural ceremonial arrangements rather than in the loose, billowy, informal style commonly seen in low-water naturalistic gardens.
Framing a formal walkway, accenting a building with strong geometric lines, or just for the pure joy of seeing plants in unexpected configurations — these are a few reasons for using plants in nonnatural ways.
Low-water gardens have a reputation for being a bit rambunctious and disorderly, but of course they don’t have to be. Many plants well suited to nonnatural, highly disciplined arrangements have low to moderate needs for water.
It’s important to realize that there will be trade-offs in choosing an abstract nonnatural design style. Key elements of such designs are simplicity and repetition. The result is likely to be slight to significant loss of habitat quality and diversity.
Some plants used in formal arrangements must be pruned regularly to maintain the desired shape. This usually means a loss of leaves, flowers, seeds, plant debris, and thus many insects, birds, lizards, and other wildlife that are part of a healthy, diverse, sustainable habitat.
The level of effort required to achieve nonnatural effects by regular pruning also is unacceptable to many gardeners today.
Far easier are arrangements that take advantage of the natural symmetry of some plants.
Succulents are particularly handsome used this way. Yuccas, aloes, agaves, echeverias, and many other succulent plants are striking planted in regimented rows, like crops, or in other geometric arrangements instead of the more usual natural style.
Roundly mounding, clumping grasses (Calamagrostis, Festuca, Helictotrichon, or Nassella) and many sedges (Carex) also are effective planted in architectural rather than gardenesque styles. Lavenders, liriopes, and even — gasp — agapanthus are often seen grown this way.
Another approach is to juxtapose artfully arranged masses of two or three contrasting textures, sizes, shapes, and colors in an exquisitely restrained design that suggests an abstract painting or sculpture.
If you choose to take this approach in part of your garden, it’s best if you have space to provide genuine habitat in some other nearby area. Starkly simple, purely aesthetic plantings next to the house can be environmentally offset by natural and more diverse plantings elsewhere.
It’s worth doing occasionally just for the stunning effects. After all, we humans are part of the environment, and daily delight in our surroundings does count.
Just know that when you do this kind of planting, you may be putting the habitat for wildlife in jeopardy in that location.
Do it in good conscience but with knowledge and foresight. And enjoy the results to the fullest every day.