What do we usually see growing under large trees? Groundcover, of course, and lots of it, usually just one type. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but even these seemingly impossible spots (tree roots!!) can support a more interesting solution – a mix of plants, what garden writer Margaret Roach calls a “mosaic.”
In this inspiring video, Margaret lists her 10-Step plan for great understory designs, starting with “No ring around the rosy” and “No polka dots.” Not just how-to, she shows us dozens of fabulous plants that look great in her New York garden and can be used here in Maryland, too. For example, what could be prettier or easier than the grouping shown above in her garden composed of Hosta ‘June,’ Japanese painted Fern, ginger and Japanese Forest Grass? Gorgeous. that!
Margaret Roach has written about gardening for many publications and worked for many years heading up Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Having quit the rat-race, she lives in Upstate New York and devotes lots more time to her garden, and to teaching gardening through her blog, a weekly podcast, and sometimes in print. (Her opinion piece on seeds was published in the New York Times last Sunday.) I’m a regular listener to her podcast and reader of her blog.