Dramatic gardens can be designed on minimalist principles. Minimalist gardens need to look good during all seasons and at all times of the day. Thus all your senses plus horticultural nous need to be considered when setting out your initial design.

Essence of Design in a Minimalist Garden

• Minimalist gardens need to be immaculate.
• Minimalist options include a formal or romantic look but you must have the clarity of vision and stick too it.
• There is no room for ragged edges, dirty gravel or scattered chippings.
• Minimalist gardens may be designed to look cool and welcoming but check that that is also true for the plants. Often cool plants are planted in hot spots
• Invest in good quality hard landscaping, it is hard to do minimal on the cheap!

Working in a Minimalist Garden

• Minimalist spaces need to be kept cleaner and tidier than traditional layouts.
• Sweeping and clipping can be soothing work but they are still jobs that needs doing even in a minimalist garden.
• Unless a plant is grown for it’s seedhead you will need to remove dying flowers. Going to seed is debilitating for the plant and quickly looks ‘seedy’
• Clip and prune to get shape, light and outlines.

Planting in a Minimalist Garden

• Euphorbias can cope with hot spot planting but are also at home in shade.
• Free form trees are less work than wall trained figs or fruit trees.
• Plants of varying heights make use of vertical space and can accentuate the hard landscaping.
• Airy plants like Stipa gigantea or fennel will provide movement but remember in a minimalist garden less is more.

Credits
Skulpturenpark Köln / Cologne Sculpture Garden. Hubert Kiecol: “Rheinwein” (Rhine wine) in Sou Fujimoto’s “Garden Gallery” from 2011 by wwwuppertal CC BY-NC 2.0

Contemporary BBQ Island by Architectural Environments by Landscape Design Advisor CC BY-ND 2.0 ‘The landscape designer made the most of the limited outdoor space by integrating Mediterranean style and contemporary, minimalist accents. A brick garden wall provides privacy from nearby neighbors while creating a stunning backdrop for the outdoor kitchen area. Grasses, ferns, and simple shrubs soften the view for anyone sitting at the BBQ island.’