Big plants — the gaudier the better — capture our hearts

Every year, Angela Eichorn’s moonflowers (Ipomoea alba) put on such a show in her Algona, Iowa garden that she makes sure to harvest the hundreds of seeds they produce and shares them with friends the following spring.

“The blossoms are very large and white, only opening at night,” Eichorn says. “The fragrance is very sweet. So if you are a night owl or an early riser, you will get a kick out of these.”

In Middlefield, Conn., Alice Malcom’s 15-foot high-bush cranberry, a native viburnum, fits the natural setting of her garden and is nicely shaped with large, lobed leaves.

“The flowers aren’t much but the color in fall is rich-red, green gold, with large bunches of pendulous berries again reds and gold,” she says. “This is the autumn’s rhododendron.”

Gardeners like to boast about plants — it’s been going on for centuries. Whether it’s an enormous, 12-foot-tall sunflower or the beefiest tomato ever, we all enjoy swapping stories about our prize plants.

In challenging economic times, we can downsize our homes, our cars, our spending and what we eat, but the one thing gardeners won’t downsize is the color in the landscape. We love giant fruits and huge flowers and they earn a place of honor and envy in our gardens year after year.

Big plant rules

Large specimen plantings are used as focal points to capture the eye and awe, drawing homeowners and visitors into the garden to discover the mysteries there, says Bill Calkins, business manager for Ball Horticultural Co. in West Chicago, Ill. But the garden’s size is an important consideration for where and what to plant.

“Plants that are too large will make the garden seem smaller,” Calkins says. “The main thing to consider is the plant’s mature size. Something you buy in a small pot could soon become a monster so be sure to consult the tag, as well as garden center staff to make sure you know how large the plant will get and in what time period.”

In small landscapes, there really is such thing as too much of a good thing, Calkins adds.

“Too many large plants will overwhelm the space and the shade they create could cause challenges for other plants. Space out large specimens and use them for a reason — whether that’s height, eye candy or to create a destination in your garden.”

Likewise, in a large landscape, plants can get lost, so planting en masse will increase impact of sizable plants, says Dan Heims, the owner of Terra Nova Nurseries. As a perennial breeder and former landscaper in Canby, Ore., Heims says using unusual large plants are the foundation for developing an interesting garden.

Gardener Kate Knight of Northville, Mich., accomplished this a few years ago when she planted three large pots of 6-foot-tall Golden Glow, which she found at a nearby farmers market.

“They are tough, rugged-looking and impressive at up to 8 feet tall,” says Knight. “My daughter Eleanor identified them only last summer as green-headed coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata). They’re native to Michigan, and a perfect accompaniment to sedum and other echinacea in a New American cottage garden landscape.”

The value of plants

Large specimen plantings act as the exclamation point of a garden landscape, maximizing space vertically, but it’s important to use a variety of different-sized material to add interest at every height, says Heims.

“Your eye follows lines in the garden, sweeping up to tallest item, then sweeping down; if you have only 36-inch items in your garden, the eye really doesn’t have a place to go.”

Heims aims to develop gardens with constant color and texture for year-round interest. Famous for Terra Nova Nurseries’ selection of Coral Bells (heuchera), Heims says these beauties provide appeal in the off-season with evergreen leaves and in the summer their tall flower spikes offer bursts of bright color with added value in cut flower arrangements.

“In a smaller garden, everything has to earn its keep,” he says. “If a plant only flowers for a couple of weeks, that’s just not enough. The more attributes that can be compiled in a single plant, be it evergreen foliage, cut flowers, long-lasting color, reblooming flowers, plant hardiness, all pay the rent, to stay in the garden. If it fails, it’s out of there.”

Terra Nova’s Prairie Pillars series of echinacea is a prime example, with large, reblooming, fragrant flowers in a full spectrum of saturated color that doesn’t fade and holds for weeks in cut flower arrangements.

Bigger isn’t always better

It’s true that large, unusual plant specimens are dramatic and make a statement, but let’s face it, not all gardeners have the luxury of unlimited outdoor living space. Giant container plants can become the centerpiece in smaller landscapes, offering constant, reblooming color and interest. Ball Horticultural Co.’s Dragon Wing begonia is a long-standing favorite that never ceases to amaze, Calkins says.

Ball’s new Gryphon Begonia features dark, silver foliage and a 360-degree habit, making it a great specimen plant for shade and part-shade areas, with the bonus that it can be moved inside during colder months — performing just as well as an indoor plant.

In the landscape, dwarf plants reaching a maximum height and spread of 3 feet, can offer the same impact with very large, colorful flowers, like the hardy Luna hibiscus from Ball, with flowers measuring 8 inches across.

“Some of the most unique and beautiful plants are dwarf, and small flowers encourage close inspection that often unveils their true beauty,” Calkins says. “In vegetable plants, new breeding is actually resulting in low-growing varieties that are amazingly productive, giving more value for your garden space.”