ABSTRACT
Large-scale planting almost always has a structural role, defining both the spatial and the ecological framework, or ecological infrastructure, of the landscape and larger gardens. The planting found in smaller-scale spaces such as gardens, parks, streets, plazas, courtyards and roofs often has an ornamental role, furnishing these spaces with visual and other sensory highlights, providing aesthetic stimulation at close quarters. Ecological, or naturalistic planting as it is often called, has since been developed and refined with considerable success and the design of forests, woodland, scrub and shrubland has, as a result, become much more sophisticated. The dense planting of mixtures of nurse and long-term species can, however, create difficulties. Dense initial planting will quickly give a closed canopy that reduces the need for weed control but will need earlier thinning to avoid drawn and whippy plants. The process of succession could be helped by timely planting of tree species, perhaps combined with thinning and crown raising of the maturing shrubs.
