Garden goal: picture-perfect

By Rob Proctor, special to the Rocky

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Rob Proctor / Special To The Rocky

A slightly overstuffed garden tends to photograph well. A variety of plants helps, too.

Some people gaze longingly at romantic gardening magazine photos and sigh. Full, billowing borders may seem like an unattainable dream. They're not.

On an inch of water a week - and with the appropriate plants - you can create a garden worthy of magazine coverage.

First of all, let me explain about those glossy shots. I've photographed gardens around the country and learned tricks about making even mediocre gardens look extraordinary. First of all, lighting is everything. Hollywood stars know that.

Very early morning sun is usually quite flattering to plants. Backlighting is good, too, with the subject illuminated from behind as if surrounded by a golden halo. (It's flattering and softens harsh features, whether you're shooting Paris Hilton, a collie or a rose past its prime.)

I prefer bright overcast conditions myself; I've sat around twiddling my thumbs for hours waiting for clouds to move in. If you like to photograph your own garden, avoid high noon. People don't look good in a glare and neither do flowers. And, like people, gardens aren't picture-perfect every day.

Some gardens peak at different times, others go through a progression of loveliness throughout the growing season. It helps to get there at the right time. You have no idea how many times I've been told, "You should have been here last week." These are often gardens that rely too heavily on one kind of plant such as irises or peonies.

The more full a garden is, the better it photographs. I've often knelt down and shot across a garden. This helps eliminate gaps and bare spots. The shots taken in this manner usually are effective but they don't really tell the truth.

Would I need to shoot your garden this way? If the answer is yes, then a bit of stuffing is in order. Fill in the gaps. You can do this on a budget, sowing seeds of easy annuals such as cosmos, tall verbena and sunflowers farther back in the border, or moss rose, verbena and sweet alyssum close to the front.

Perennial fillers for the front of the border include easygoing ground covers such as sedums, hardy geraniums, dianthus, thyme and lamb's ears. You can also divide perennials you already have to fill up space. Big groupings can be effective if you don't overdo it. A 20-foot swath of daylilies is overdoing it.

As you plan and plant perennial groupings, consult the tags, then cut back the recommended spacings by a third. I've always done this, since I prefer results during my lifetime.

I'm not sure who writes those tags, or in what Camelot-like region they live. All I know is that if you actually follow them, you'll end up with gaps. I like my perennials tightly knit and growing shoulder-to-shoulder, with annuals bursting through here and there, almost as if they're gasping for breath.

A slightly overstuffed garden has a comfortable feeling to it, like a comfy old chair. The plants are happy, too, shading the soil to help conserve moisture and preventing weeds from sprouting. And on the right day - with just the right light - it's likely to be worthy of any magazine.

Rob Proctor's book, Gardening on a Shoestring, is available in bookstores.

Rob's to-do list

* Fertilize roses, peonies, delphiniums and other traditional perennials.

* Continue to plant gladiolus for summer cutting.

* Plant beans, corn and squash seed.

* Harden off and plant tomatoes, peppers, basil and eggplant.

* Continue to plant hardened-off annuals in beds and pots.