A background planting can be the "frame" that completes a garden vista. A small garden lost in a large yard is enhanced by a fence or a border of shrubs that anchors it to the surrounding landscape.
The lower growing dwarf varieties (6-12 inch) will create a colorful border, or you can use the taller (up to 36") types as a dramatic background planting.
This annual's late-summer spires of distinctively-shaped flowers easily reach four feet, making it ideal as a background planting.
While you can use these larger-than-average shrubs in lots of places around the garden, they work fantastically as a background planting or a barrier hedge.
Choose several types of tall trees for background plantings and fruit trees and shrubs to place in front of them. Select interesting foliage plants and blossoming varieties to place next to walkways and viewing areas.
'Blue Bedder': 32" tall plants with deep blue-purple flowers on tall spikes. Excellent for cut flowers and background plantings.
'Strata': 1 to 1.5' tall plants with deep blue flowers from silvery white calyx. Compact and dense.
These beautiful plants come in many colors and look great as background plantings for smaller tropical vegetation. The peacock orchid has sword-like leaves and fragrant white flowers and fit right in with calla lilies.
They are extremely adaptable, and can be used as ground cover, fillers or specimens, or border or background plantings. Most species have a long growing season, and inflorescence is often long lasting.
As the tree develops, you can prune off the lower branches so that its lovely bark and multiple trunks become more visible. Or you can group several unpruned lacebarks to form a handsome windbreak, screen, or background planting in the garden.
The strappy leaves of Liriope 'Evergreen Giant' contrast beautifully with the clipped background planting and it also reinforces the path to the front door and simultaneously soften the hard paving.
 See also: Plant, Planting, Flower, Growing, Landscape
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