How to: Create the garden of your dreams

3 Repetition
Tumber likes repetition because “you see it in nature.” Birch trees and ‘Stella d'Oro' day lilies are like punctuation marks that lead the eye down stone steps and across the lower terrace. Both plants are especially effective because they stand out: the white birchbark contrasts with the abundance of green, and the orange lilies are a look-at-me colour and blossom from spring to the first snow.

4 Mystery
“By controlling the line of vision along this path, we created a sense of mystery, which I like in a garden,” says Tumber. “Where does the stone stairway lead? It makes you want to go farther.” The shape of the path and how it disappears into the lush greenery pique curiosity and engage the visitor's imagination.