Unity is important in architecture. A college campus or grouping of farm buildings, all look better when there is a unified form and style, otherwise the result is only disheartening disunity. Planning for different buildings with different styles only creates an ugly appearance, no matter how beautiful each building may be on its own.
The last term in unity is monotony. This normally has a bad connotation, but in actual place is often quite pleasing. What is more stunning that a garden full of Festiva Maxina or is it possible to view something grander than a wood full of pure white pines?
A hedge will look much better if made up of the same plant, than if intermingled with different plants. The landscape architect should welcome monotony, as it is a sure refuge and a proper expedient.
Unity is the final requirement in any art work, whether it is motive unity, style unity, color harmony, or final and complete monotony. Unity is what ultimately creates beauty.
Many ancient and modern treatises on art sum up everything in unity with variety. These two position command the importance of the entire field of art. The key is their relationship to one another.
Unity is usually found to be the most indispensible over variety, but if unity means uniformity, the eye soon grows bored. Unity does not demand the sameness. Unity with variety is a solution. Although they seem to oppose one another, they can co-exist, although most often one is easier to accomplish without the other.
Perfect unity and variety does not always need to be a compromise. It may be helpful for the gardener to remember that variety is achievable in motive, surface, form, materials, color, texture, season, composition and position.
When contemplating motive, theme, or subject matter, there is an endless catalog of ideas awaiting the artist’s creation. The theme may come from different types of land, whether it a be a priaire or forest or sand dune, mountainside, or lakefront. Inspiration may come from the color scheme, or a particular season.
Unity can be achieved in the garden setting it a variety of schemes. Trees and flora can be used for this. One garden may have the peony for its motive. Another may flame with poppies, while rose gardens have enjoyed to themselves an almost immemorial reputation.
There must be knowledge of the materials being used to choose your motive wisely, and you must use some imagination to present them with artistic conviction. The opportunity to include variety is so great in the gardening world, that there is no excuse for creating anything trite or common.
