If your garden is circular or in the center of a clearing within a larger garden, start with the higher growing species in the center and work your way toward the edge, planting shorter species as you go.
It’s best not to use exotic or tropical plants in a country garden, as they are too flamboyant and take away from the country look. You want your plants to make a statement, but as part of a group, not individually. A country garden needs form and texture. Use a mix of annuals, bulbs, bi-annuals, climbers, iris and lilies. Bold statements can be made by the flowers and leaves of rudbekias, and daisies, which will compliment the colorful leaves of such plants as yarrow. Violas, also known as Johnny-jump-ups, can be planted so they poke up between the velvety green-gray leaves of lamb’s ears. Combine spiky cardinal flowers or red lobelia with plants that have rounded leaves. This makes for an interesting visual and will act as a great conversation piece.
Color
A country garden should include a riot of color. Bring in every hue of the rainbow and those shades beyond. Any color is appropriate, but avoid planting colors that will clash next to one another. Harmonize color by moving whites into pastels and then into richer shades. Or, if you wish, you can have the flowers complement each other. An example would be red Oriental poppies and a back drop of yellow climbing roses.
Blooming Time
When you purchase the flowers for your country garden, pay special attention to blooming times. You want a variety of plants that will keep your country garden alive with color from early spring to late fall. For example, plant bulbs between bee balm, geraniums and leafy phlox. When the blossoms and the leaves of the bulbs die back, the leaves and blossoms of the perennials will camouflage the process. Plant annuals such as four o’ clocks, larkspur and snapdragons that will continue to bloom all summer into late fall.
Use seeders such as coneflowers, cranesbill, black-eyed Susans, lobelia and rudbekias. Cosmos, morning glories and cleome will show up in your garden years after year. Bi-annuals like foxgloves and hollyhocks leave seeds behind that will produce a large selection of plants for the following year. Bee balm spreads rapidly, but can be controlled. Periwinkles act as ground cover and have beautiful leaves and blossoms. Coral bells, daisies, astilbe and daylilies can be separated every couple of years and moved to another part of the garden or given away to family and friends.