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Plants for Heavy Formal Effects

WHILE many trees and shrubs in the hands of expert designers and gardeners may be used interchangeably for either formal or informal effects, the fact still remains that there is a group of plants which are best adapted for use to produce the heavier and more compact formal effects. The effect of formality is obtained by emphasizing geometric lines or surfaces. Plants which are upright, slow-growing, and more compact in their habit, are better adapted for this purpose than plants which are more vigorous in their habit of growth, more spreading, and looser in texture and therefore less apt to retain a consistent, definite form.

The expert may select plants from Chapter XVII and in many instances produce an effect equally as attractive as that produced by plants in this group. The possibilities of failure, however, are much greater, and the subsequent necessity of pruning to retain approximate forms is much greater. We speak of heavy formality as a contrasting term to plants which are loose. Compact may be a better word. It is often necessary to develop border plantations surrounding lawns filled with a feeling of formality, because of numerous axial lines, and also to surround or border definite formal garden areas with trees and shrubs. To be successful these masses of plants must lend themselves to this formal effect. They must be such as can be kept within definite limits with the normal amount of pruning. The European hornbeam, the red cedar, pyramidal arborvitae, and tartarian honeysuckle are excellent illustrations of this type of material. A so-called formal effect in a border planting is not necessarily produced by the use of trees. It may be equally well produced by shrubs depending upon the scale of the landscape setting. It is not necessary either to resort to the use of evergreens, although there are certain types of architectural details beside which deciduous plantings appear "weak." Climatic conditions being favourable for a normal growth of the type of material best suited, the decision to use evergreens or deciduous material will be governed by the effect which is desired.