Planting in drifts is a landscaping technique that creates broad, naturalistic masses of a single plant variety, mimicking the way colonies of plants appear in nature. This method moves away from the isolated placement of individual specimens, focusing instead on unified, flowing blocks of texture and color. The goal is to establish a cohesive visual impact across the garden space, lending a sense of spontaneity and rhythm to the overall design. When viewed from a distance, these large groupings simplify the garden, allowing the eye to register unified swaths.
Conceptualizing the Drift: Design Principles
Effective drift planting begins with visualizing irregular, non-geometric forms, favoring shapes that are elongated and flowing, similar to ribbons or gentle waves. These shapes should avoid harsh angles or perfect symmetry, as the intent is to imitate the organic spread seen in wild landscapes. The borders of the drift should taper or feather out, allowing the chosen plant to mingle naturally with its neighbors at the periphery.
Considering scale is necessary for the drift to achieve its visual weight within the landscape. A single drift should contain a minimum number of plants, often requiring five to seven small perennials or more, to avoid appearing accidental or insignificant. In larger garden spaces, the mass must be substantial enough to be recognizable from various viewing distances.
Repetition of the same plant drift or similar drifts throughout the garden establishes visual unity. Scattering the same plant type in generous clumps introduces a subtle rhythm that guides the observer’s eye through the design. This creates familiarity and coherence, preventing the composition from dissolving into visual chaos.
Selecting Plants for Successful Drifting
Plant selection prioritizes uniformity in texture and growth habit to ensure the completed drift appears as a cohesive mass. Choosing plants that mature at a consistent height and width prevents the grouping from looking patchy or uneven. The mass of foliage and flowers must read as a single entity.
Focusing on plants with long-season appeal is beneficial, as a large block of greenery or color should hold interest for an extended period. Perennials known for durable, attractive foliage or a protracted bloom time, such as ornamental grasses or certain coneflowers, are excellent candidates. Plants that quickly enter summer dormancy should be avoided, as their sudden disappearance would leave an obvious, empty gap in the design.
Successfully executing a drift relies on selecting varieties that thrive under identical site conditions, simplifying long-term care. All plants within a single drift must share the same requirements for sunlight, soil type, and moisture. This shared care simplifies watering and feeding, which is practical for managing large groups of plants efficiently.
Physical Layout and Planting Technique
The first step is to physically map out the desired irregular shape directly onto the ground surface. Tools like a garden hose, rope, or sand can be used to trace the flowing, asymmetrical boundary of the drift. This temporary outline provides a clear guide for soil preparation, which involves loosening the soil and incorporating organic material across the entire delineated area.
Calculating the necessary plant quantity is based on the drift’s total area and the recommended spacing for the specific plant variety. To determine the number of plants needed, multiply the square footage of the drift by a spacing multiplier, which is available in planting guides. For example, a plant requiring 12 inches of space needs a multiplier of 1.0 per square foot, while a plant spaced at 18 inches requires a multiplier of 0.44 per square foot.
The most distinguishing element of drift planting is the technique of staggered spacing, which prevents the unnatural look of a grid or straight row. Within the marked-out area, plants should be placed irregularly and offset from one another, rather than being lined up precisely. This random, non-linear dispersal ensures that as the plants mature, they knit together into a dense, continuous, and organic-looking mass.