Varying plant height also contributes to dynamic garden compositions. In my garden, I've emphasized contrasts in size by placing clusters of small, detail-rich plants against a background panorama of tall plants with bold, textural features. At one time of year, a plant's contribution to the garden picture may be its fuzzy leaves or thorny stems, at another, it may be soft, delicate flowers. Later still, it may be prickly seed heads. The contrasts between the two invite inspection.
Seedpods add late-season splendor to combinations.
Grasses add great interest and form to the garden, and can be contrasted with other plants in large or small scale. But I find them just as useful for their delicate seed heads. The seed heads of most grasses are an airy, feathery finale to the growing season and bring a sense of fragility to pairings with more sturdy, architectural foliage. In one spot of the garden, I placed a smooth, twine-draped, clay vessel next to a gravel path, where the roughness of the tiny stones plays against the sleek look of the pot. I see the union of these many opposites as an electrifying alchemical event.