diversity in the garden

Early Spring

I've recently given myself a moratorium on buying new plants. I don't know how long this will last, but I'm going to try. I'm doing this because frankly, I have more plants than I have space for, and I already have a huge diversity of plants. From a design standpoint, there are pro's and con's in considering the amount of diversity to have in the garden, and each of us makes our own decisions, and has our comfort level. For myself, there are a number of benefits to a large diversity. The first benefit in my mind, is that with diversity, there is more look at, different colors, forms and textures.

Late Spring

Second, there is a longer season of bloom. I have something in bloom just about all year round. Even in my temperature extreme climate, I can have something blooming almost every day of the year. This certainly is not the case with a low diversity garden, although there are certainly benefits to having a garden that is not focused on bloom at all. It's just that that's what I want. I want something in bloom all year round, and you can't have that unless you have enough diversity.

Summer

Thirdly, if something dies, it doesn't leave an obvious gap in the plantings, such as if a hedge with a hole in it.

But this huge diversity also creates a busy garden and it can look rather messy and haphazard. It can also be a lot of work, as different things need care at different times. If you have a garden of only a few varieties of plants, then the gardening becomes much easier. When it's time to trim, they can all get done at the same time and be done. It can also make for a more restful garden since it doesn't encourage the eye to jump from one thing to another. A less diverse garden can also be more dramatic, in that a large number of the same plant, all in bloom at the same time, can make an incredible impact. Of course, the flip side of that is that when the bloom season is over, that garden can revert to monotony.

Fall

From a ecologic standpoint, Nature has shown us what diversity she wants in our area. I've certainly had my guilt about not having a garden focused on native plants. But in my defense, I certainly have more insect and bird diversity than I ever had when the garden was mostly lawn. And since my garden has a lot more growing and blooming than in a native landscape, my observation suggests that I have more diversity of birds and insects as well. You could probably argue that these exotic plants may also be encouraging the birds and insects that are also exotic and not part of the local ecology. Yes, it is a dilemma. We have to find our balance in how much diversity we want in our garden.

Winter