Is this a pruned or natural effect?

deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b

9 years ago

This is a mediterranean garden currently features in Garden Design magazine, Summer 2017 issue. To me this garden has an informal feel, but the plants seem so nicely mounded. For me it highlights the different textures and colors. I see similar effects in Piet Oudolf's gardens. Do you know if this is just natural, or is this pruned early on so that the lateral shoots are shorter to create the mounding effect? I see some plant descriptions including information about having nice mounding effect, so I assume for this could be natural. But, how much of this effect is controlled and how much is Ma Nature?

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Comments (4)

spedigrees z4VT
9 years ago
Pruned to the max, and for that reason, not my cup of tea. I'd love to see that same garden with those same lovely plants, allowed to grow wild!
deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
Original Author
9 years ago
I like it in moderation. Maybe it's a house full of kids, but it makes me feel clean, yet comfortable. The lower left of the photo is a bit much, though.
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spedigrees z4VT
9 years ago
It would be interesting to see two images of a garden scene like this, side by side, one pruned by humans, and another pruned by Mother Nature.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
9 years ago
Actually, many of the plants that are obvious from the photo DO benefit by routine pruning.......allowing them to grow "wild" actually detracts from both their health and appearance. And it is just a seasonal shearing that will create that effect, not pruning to "the max" :-))

That is also a very Mediterranean garden both in character and plant selection and the plants featured do tend to a very compact mounded appearance under Mediterranean climate conditions.
deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)