Features of creating formal and informal flower beds in landscape design

Formal style: strict geometry and symmetry for ceremonial areas

Creating flower gardens in open ground requires a clear choice of stylistic direction. Stationary or interchangeable arrangements of the formal type are built on the observance of strict proportions and geometric shapes. Such compositions are indispensable for the ceremonial landscaping of city squares, parterres, and central alleys.

In the formal style, the following types of floral arrangements are used:

• borders, ribbon beds (rabatkas), arabesques, flower beds, and modular flower gardens;
• large ceremonial compositions — parterres.

To edge paths and outline contours, borders and ribbon beds are used. A border represents a dense monochromatic strip of foliage, flowering crops, or sheared shrubs, contrasting with the background. A ribbon bed (rabatka) is a wider linear strip, which is composed of several types or cultivars of annuals and perennials. It can be single- or double-sided, symmetrical or asymmetrical, and can also have several tiers.

Complex designs on flat surfaces are created using arabesques and flower beds. An arabesque is an ornament or an interlacing of geometric patterns made of low herbaceous plants or sheared shrubs. Flower beds are planned in the form of regular geometric shapes with a symmetrical pattern, making them flat or raised toward the center. In modular flower gardens, from 5 to 12 repeating module elements are used, filling them with flowers, turf, or inert materials. The most large-scale element of the formal style is the parterre — a large open composition on a flat site, combining turf, sculptures, water features, arabesques, and ribbon beds.

Landscape style: natural outlines for recreational areas

Landscape flower gardens imitate natural landscapes, have free outlines, and are suitable for landscaping recreational areas. In such compositions, plants are placed naturally, allowing for the inclusion of trees, shrubs, and elements of inanimate nature.

The landscape direction of floral arrangements includes:

• massifs, groups, and specimen plants;
• flowering glades and seasonal lawns;
• borders, ribbon flower gardens, and rock gardens, mixed borders.

• Border width — 30–50 cm
• Group area — up to 50–60 m²
• Massif area — more than 60 m²
• Distance to a specimen plant — at least 2–3 plant heights
• Flowering glade area — up to 2000 m²

To create large floral patches on the edges of groves and glades, massifs are formed by planting crops uniformly or in separate groups with paths inside. More compact free-form compositions with an area of up to 50–60 m² are created in the form of pure or mixed groups. Single large plants with bright decorative features are planted as specimen plants. Floral borders are used as linear elements for a smooth transition from a horizontal turf to vertical plantings.

Arrangement of open flower gardens: from mixed borders to abstract compositions

Ribbon flower gardens are created along alleys in the form of long single-colored or multi-colored strips with wavy contours. Rocky compositions are placed on flat sites or artificial relief, combining plants with boulders and flagstone. The basis of such a flower garden is unpretentious low-growing and medium-growing perennials, which are supplemented with dwarf trees with a weeping or creeping canopy shape. For monocultural plantings — rose gardens, iris gardens, primula gardens, and dahlia gardens — one genus of plants is chosen, planting them in the form of rigid geometric modules or free groups.

Mixed borders represent multi-tiered mixed plantings, which are placed along paths against a background of walls or hedges. The assortment is selected so that the flower garden maintains decorativeness throughout the entire growing season. On slopes, terraces, and in inner courtyards, abstract compositions are arranged in the form of panels or emblems, designed for perception from above or from the side. When forming them, landscape designers combine plants with objects of applied art, lighting, and water devices. To create clear contours of the design, the following elements are used:

• patches of inert materials;
• brightly colored carpet bedding plants;
• continuous, height-aligned shrub plantings.

• Ribbon flower garden width — up to 3 m
• Proportion of stones in a rock garden — up to 1/3 of the area
• Mixed border width — from 1.5 to 5 m
• Mixed border assortment — up to 25–30 types

When creating multi-tiered flower beds, it is important to distribute plants by height correctly. This ensures uniform lighting for all tiers and preserves the overall decorative appeal of the plantings. The selection and planting of crops are carried out in a strictly defined sequence:

1. Plant medium and tall plants in the background of the composition.
2. Arrange low-growing and dwarf plants in the foreground.

Mobile landscaping, vertical figures, and interior phytodesign

Container gardening allows for the quick decoration of paved areas, patios, and recreation zones. Stationary flower containers are built from brick or stone, raising them above the soil. Mobile containers are suspended on supports, mounted on walls, or placed on the ground surface. Voluminous upright plants are always planted in the center of the container, while trailing ampelous crops are used to complement them along the edges.

Green wireframe sculptures are created based on a sturdy 3D frame that imitates animals, vases, or architectural objects. The interior space of the structure is filled with a nutrient-rich substrate, and low-growing carpet plants are planted in the cells, or decorative vines are trained along them. For flat areas, decorative lawn compositions formed from grasses are suitable.

Inside public and residential buildings, three main phytodesign techniques are used. Complex landscaping involves creating large natural zones in spacious lobbies, recreation areas, or winter gardens. Fragmentary design involves placing individual plants or small groups in offices and halls. Temporary landscaping is used for short-term festive interior decoration.

When landscaping interiors, several proven solutions are used: mobile containers, stationary vessels, "green walls," frames for epiphytes, terrariums, and winter gardens. The choice of method depends on the area of the room, its purpose, and the planned maintenance intensity. For lobbies, reception areas, and lounges, mobile planters made of concrete, stone, wood, ceramic, or plastic are most often chosen. Plants are planted directly into the substrate in these, or placed in individual pots on a drainage layer of expanded clay.

Stationary vessels are suitable for spacious rooms where large-scale plant groups need to be placed. Their walls are constructed from decorative stone, brick, or concrete, with a finishing tile, glass, or plastic cladding. The configuration and dimensions of such structures depend on the purpose and layout of the premises.

Vertical landscaping is implemented using "green walls" based on metal mesh or wooden trellises, which help separate pedestrian flows and zone the space. For ampelous species and epiphytes, a "tree with epiphytes" is used — a dry tree trunk with large branches. Hanging planters are secured to such a frame, or plants are grown directly on the wood.

Engineering of winter gardens

A winter garden is a complex engineering system with artificial climate control — heating, ventilation, irrigation, and supplementary lighting. Plants are placed here in stationary soil-filled vessels, forming large-scale landscape compositions using small architectural forms. Paths and viewing platforms between the plantings are raised above the soil to avoid contamination during irrigation and maintenance.

For the healthy life of the plants, it is necessary to observe strict technical parameters regarding lighting and layout. It is also important to provide a separate workspace for staff responsible for plant care. This technical room is used for storing tools, soil, fertilizers, and performing routine maintenance.

• Mobile container size — up to 1 m
• Depth of stationary vessels — 0.5–1.5 m
• Elevation of paths above soil — 5–6 cm
• Minimum illuminance — 1,000 lux
• Window clearance from floor and ceiling — from 20 cm
• Technical room area — 15–20 m²