 Island
beds are gardens situated in the midst of a lawn or, in some cases (especially
in arid regions), an area of crushed stone. Island beds are ideal for
new gardeners because they are set at a distance from the house, so there's
no need to worry about the drainage, eaves, etc. Also, you may feel freer
to experiment with a new island bed, rather than modifying an existing
foundation planting. And perhaps most importantly, you can carefully select
the site for adequate sunlight.
The risk with island
beds is that they can look out of place if they’re set in the middle
of a large expanse of lawn. Observe the island beds in neighbors’
yards and at botanical gardens. You’ll probably see that the most
effective island beds follow the natural contours of the land. They
may mimic the shape of a hedge or other border, or cover a gentle slope.
Or they may surround a natural outcropping of rock. If your yard is
square and flat, you may want to begin your gardens at the borders and
expand them inward, rather than plopping a bed smack dab in the middle.
When designing your
island bed, consider whether you’ll be viewing it from all sides,
or whether you’ll usually look at it from one direction -- say,
the kitchen window. You won’t want to plant low-growing flowers
where they’ll be hidden from view by their taller neighbors.
Sample
Garden Plans
Sunny
Island I
- primarily viewed
from one direction
- 20 ft. x 10 ft
- bold, bright
colors
- symmetrical
- USDA Zones 5-8;
in Zone 4, substitute Sedum 'Autumn Joy' for mallow.
|
|
|
 viewing
direction
|
| Plant |
Common
Name |
Height |
Flower
Color |
Season
of Bloom |
Sun/
Shade |
USDA
Zone |
| Alcea
rosea |
hollyhock |
5-7' |
mixed |
summer |
sun |
4-8 |
| Hibiscus
moscheutos |
mallow |
4' |
pink |
late
summer |
sun |
5-9 |
| Monarda |
bee
balm |
3-4' |
red |
summer |
sun/part
shade |
4-9 |
| Paeonia
|
peony |
3' |
red |
spring |
sun/part
shade |
4-8 |
| Rudbeckia
|
black-eyed
Susan |
2' |
yellow |
summer
to fall |
sun |
3-9 |
| Veronica
|
speedwell |
1' |
blue |
spring |
sun |
4-8 |
| *Tucking
in some spring-flowering bulbs, such as daffodils, tulips, and
crocus, will provide color from early to late spring. |
Sunny
Island II
- cool colors
- will be viewed
from all sides
- USDA Zones 5-8
| Plant |
Common
Name |
Height |
Flower
Color |
Season
of Bloom |
Sun/
Shade |
USDA
Zone |
| Achillea
|
yarrow |
2' |
raspberry
red |
summer |
sun |
3-8 |
| Echinacea
purpurea |
purple
coneflower |
3' |
magenta
rose w/orange centers |
summer-fall |
sun |
3-10 |
| Eupatorium
maculatum |
Joe-pye
weed |
5-6' |
wine
red buds, lavender flowers
|
fall |
sun/part
shade |
4-8 |
| Hemerocallis
|
daylily |
15-18" |
deep
maroon |
early
summer, plus reblooms later |
sun/part
shade |
3-9 |
| Iris
|
Dutch
iris |
18-24"' |
blue |
late
spring |
sun |
4-9 |
| Lavandula
|
lavender |
16" |
lavender |
summer |
sun |
5-9 |
| Leucanthemum
x maximum |
Shasta
daisy |
3-4' |
white
with yellow center |
summer |
sun |
5-9 |
| Stachys
|
lamb's
ears |
8-10" |
mostly
grown for fuzzy, silver foliage |
summer |
sun |
4-9 |
| *Tucking
in some spring-flowering bulbs, such as daffodils, tulips, and
crocus, will provide color from early to late spring. |
Class
3, Page 1
2
3 4 5
6 7
Copyright 2002,
National Gardening Association. All Rights Reserved.
For questions regarding this web site, contact Webmaster
|
