The following Principles of Composition are important elements of design; they provide guidelines to help you achieve a pleasing and integrated result and a framework or context against which to evaluate your success.
UNITY
Even in a seemingly random, informal garden, the various elements must work together and appear to be a whole, rather than disjointed pieces. One method of achieving unity is through repetition, whether it be of shapes, colors or materials. For example, you might have tall containers, filled with bushy plant material, anchoring either end of your long, narrow balcony or deck, thus unifying the entire space, regardless of what’s planted in-between. Another way to achieve unity would be to pick a dramatic shape, for example, the sword-shaped New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax), and repeat it at intervals down your balcony or around your patio. The eye won’t be able to resist this rhythm.
Color is a key unifying element in any garden. Dramatic bursts of vibrant color (for example, bright red geraniums in an otherwise green and gray garden) or one color frequently repeated (as in pots of yellow roses lined up along a fence or railing) both integrate the garden space and make it look well planned.
Scale is another important ingredient in a garden that looks like it’s got its act together. Scale can be defined as the relationship between the plant and its pot or the relationship between the overall planting and its surroundings. Bottom line is that the proportion needs to be appropriate. Containers that are too small get easily lost, while containers that are too large overwhelm. You’ll make a stronger statement by selectively grouping a few pots together, or by accenting with large, single pots, than by scattering small pots everywhere. Be sensitive, as well, to the scale of the surrounding house or architectural structures; large, expansive entrances, columns or tall fences all require plants and containers of appropriate scale.
