Sorry if I am repeating myself repeating myself

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this next pet peeve in an earlier post (possibly two, but I'm old, I forget) but I really dislike it when people plant the exact same perennial and/or shrub in a straight row of multiples.  There is a house in my neighborhood with three white pieris japonica under one window and nothing under the opposing window on the other side of their front door.  I wanted to take a picture of it to demonstrate here, but didn't dare tick off a neighbor.  But it's not unusual.  I think we all know a house that has a walkway lined with hostas of all the same size and color, or a row of lilacs,  or the dreaded yews.  I'm not quite sure why people plant like this.  It seems so very unimaginative.  Hostas come in different colors, and so do lilacs and pieris japonica, but, alas, not the yew, so why limit your yard's appeal?

I feel the same way about trees.  Our neighbors (note, plural) like to plant two of one variety.  One house has two red maples, another two weeping cherries, still another two lindens.  I'm not against any of these trees, in fact I really like them, just one at a time, please.  For perennials and shrubs, mix 'em up a little.  Planting for impact is actually a good idea, repeating colors and blooms flatters your yard, and makes those blooms stand out, whereas planting in straight rows, looks o.k. (and I mean just "o.k.") while blooming, but is blah afterwards.

There are exceptions to every pet peeve, however.  The Audubon Society near us has a beautiful peony garden where peonies have been planted in long rows. They hold a "Peony Social" each year to celebrate the blossoming of the peonies.  I am also all for planting shrubs if you plan to create a garden maze in your own backyard.  And, if you do create a maze, you will find you can ignore my other pet peeve, using electric garden shears to trim your shrubs into straight little boxes.

As my bird seed stealing friend might say, it's variety that makes life nice.