Formality with Repetition

Straight, geometric lines lend formality to garden design. This archway is edged with Nepeta and both the straight line of the walkway and the use of a single plant as edging say formality. Yet Nepeta isn't naturally a formal plant, and so as in the rock garden, it tends to add its own softness to the scene. The formality remains, but it's less imposing than a clipped hedge of boxwood and perhaps more inviting.