Container Gardening Principle: Scale & Proportion
These two design elements are a difficult endeavor, even for professional gardeners, and getting them right is even more challenging. There are literally thousands of container gardening designs you can create with just these two elements.
You can use a tall plant in the center of a container to balance out the pot height so that you can develop a good focus for your display. If you have a container that is small and a bit rounded, it is NOT a good idea to place the focus towards the center because it will make the display look top-heavy. The best plan for small planters is to develop a dome shaped design so that it displays a symmetrical balance from all sides.
One of the reasons why integrating scale & proportion is difficult is because the plants themselves consistently change as they grow and mature. A good container gardener must be able to foresee the plants eventual mature size or else both of the design elements will be flawed. Be sure to consider the growth habits of the type of plants you purchase. If you do this, it will help you judge how the plant will appear as time progresses and facilitate your planning of a great scale and proportion display.
There are a lot of standard container gardening designs when implementing these two elements. Remember that an ideal final height of a display should be at maximum 1.5 times larger than the height of the container. This proportion guideline is not set in stone and usually depends on the size and shape of the container itself.
It’s all about what is most pleasing to the eye. A larger plant placed within a pot that has a smaller base will not be appeasing to the eye because it will appear top heavy and seem like it will tip over. Conversely, placing that same large plant within a pot that is wider and larger will be visually pleasing because it will appear stable and secure.
Try to incorporate two different pot sizes and shapes against the walls. Playing with different scales and proportions works well, if there is a noticeable difference between the two pots. Furthermore, choosing plants that accentuate the look and shape of the pot will help you create a visually stunning display.
Can’t get started? Here are a few suggestions to get the ball rolling. If you have a tall and very narrow pot, place a plant that is relatively thin and at least twice the size of the pot. A good plant like Miscanthus Sinensis would go well with any narrow pots because of its height and weight. If you have a pot that is relatively wide and short, choose a plant that will not grow above half the height of the pot. A hardy Fuchsia is a good plant to choose here because of its fullness and overflowing nature. Place these two pots and plants together and it will balance out the proportions plus give you a spectacular display.