The visual impact and planting of stem plants

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The visual impact and planting of stem plants

Using ADA stem plants artfully

To form beautiful groups of stem plants, patterns and planting density should be planned in advance. This section presents various options for this, depending on the leaf shape and coloring of the plants.

A. Choose the right leaf shape and size

Stem plants come in numerous variations of leaf colors, shapes and sizes. If you choose very similar species, you get a picture that is homogeneous but also quickly boring. Also avoid using too many large-leaved species, as this can limit the perspective effect.

visualimpactdiagram

B. Get to know the different color effects

Color is an important deciding factor when choosing plants. Red plants look stronger than green ones, so you should keep that in mind when positioning them and put the red plants in the visual focus. (See C. on this.)

ADA color impressions

ADA red and green plants

ADA effects of complementary colors

C. The golden ratio supports the balance of the composition

The position of the focal point is a decisive factor in designing a layout. The 3:2 balance, also known as the simplified formula of the golden ratio of 1.618:1, should be taken into account. Place plants with large leaves and intense colors at this visual center.

(Concave composition) | (Convex composition)

Classically, particularly eye-catching plants are positioned at the focal point of the layout. E.g. the red-shaded zones in the illustration above. If you design your layout this way too, keep in mind the cardinal rule that the leaves may well extend beyond the focal point.

D. Planting tips for beautiful plant groups

For stem plants with large leaves, it is easier to plant dense groups if you first remove the lower leaves. For planting, it is therefore best to use special tweezers for aquatic plants and give the plants enough room to grow.

“Preparing stem plants with large leaves”

With stem plants with large leaves such as Ludwigia, first remove the lower leaves. Since these leaves drop off quickly and can lead to stem rot, they should be removed before planting. This also promotes dense growth later and makes planting easier.