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| I'm relatively new to gardening and I'm confused about how to space my flowers. The packages/tags or information in magazines always says, like, 'plant 12" apart' (for example).
But when I look at the photos of flowers gardens in magazines, nothing is spaced 12" apart with gaps between. Things seem to be planted next to each other with no gaps between the foliage or blossoms. So I don't understand how that cheek-to-jowl look is achieved. Am I supposed to plant other flowers in the gaps between the first flowers? Are the spacing guidelines merely suggestions? Thanks for your help,
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Follow-Up Postings:
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| The spacing guidelines are there because the plant you buy is not fully grown, and they want to ensure there will be room for the plant to spread out. They are just a suggestion, and you can go closer to get a fuller look faster, but not too close because the plants do need some space to grow. With perennials, however, make sure to space them far enough apart so you don't get an overcrowded look when they reach mature size. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Jun 23, 12 at 21:21
| aw mary.. its just not that complicated.. JUST PLANT THEM... if you like how it turns out.. plant them the same way next year.. if they are too crowed.. FOR YOUR PLEASURE.. then space them further next year ... [the real trick is remembering next year.. lol] .. or just pull out every other one in late summer ... get this straight in your head.. you do this for YOUR ENJOYMENT... and damn the rest of them .. that prefer it some other way ... the bottom line .. in gardening ... is .. if it lives .. I AM HAPPY... and further ... if you dont like it this year.. rip it out .. or dont plant it next year.. do NOT stress over your garden.. be your inner child .. play in the dirt.. have fun.. be proud of success.. and destroy failure before someone else sees it.. lol .. and just dont worry about someone else's explanation of their perfect garden.. a pox on their garden.. for making you feel inadequate.. just work with that inner child.. its all about playing in the dirt.. and as an adult.. having an excuse to do it.. lol.. man.. i gotta remember this one.. lol so.. in summation.. proper spacing.. IS WHATEVER SPACING MADE YOU HAPPY WHEN YOU DID IT ... and dont look back ... ken |
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| Ken, When are you writing that self-help book? I so totally agree. I feel sorry for my new neighbors. They apparently haven't read your book. They were whining to me about how messy another neighbor's yard looks. These are the people who spent $5,000 having a semi truck blow mulch onto the hill behind and beneath the deck off their pool--an area no one can see. They'll never be satisfied with my style. I garden while I'm having fun and when I have time and in a way that make me happy. Happy gardening to all of you! Martha |
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| I will often plant twice as close as recommended,and remove every other plant as they grow to touch each other. I never waste a plant just move them to another location. When I plant a bed I always have more plants than I need, so I can fill in if needed. I make a practice of pinching stems to make fuller plants, always planting the pinched stems until I get tired of a particular plant. Al |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sun, Jun 24, 12 at 12:43
| you know how i started this insanity.. i would get so frustrated and pissed off at work.. i would come home and dig holes ... usually calling the process .. home improvement.. then one day i stopped at a nursery at lunch.. and it stuck me.. that i could plant things in the holes ... so.. by the time i blew some cash [first stress reliever] .. and did some heavy digging labor [second stress reliever].. all my troubles were gone... plus.. i have a nice plant.. lol .. and could sit on the porch and sip a few adult beverages in the evening [third stress reliever].. enjoying my new.. filled.. hole it all made me very happy ... but for the addiction part.. lol ... go Zen mary.. whatever makes you happy ... and damn the torpedoes ... full speed ahead .. ken |
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- Posted by dowlinggram 3 (My Page) on Sun, Jun 24, 12 at 16:16
| The spacing is just a guideline. When you see those pictures they are wide beds and never shown row by row and plant by plant. They consist of annuals and perennials all requiring different spacing. You put in a perennial that may say 12 inches but that plant may take 2 or 3 years to reach that dimention. I agree with Ken--dig holes and put them in. If you don't like it change it the next year. If you do like it then keep it the next year. Try to stagger the plants. If you have 2 plants on 1 level plant one in the space between but in front of them on the next level. Even experienced gardeners like in those photos you talk about are constantly moving plants around in the spring or fall. I do it in the spring because my plants survive our cold climate better that way. When you've been at it a while you will find your own way of doing things |
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| I guess that placement comes more naturally to me having designed so many landscapes over the years. I find that it saves a great deal of time, money, and effort. The spacing recommendations are based on 'center to center' placement, Mary. And they are estimating the mature size of the plant. In my experience, the typical published guidelines are very conservative and I always give plants a little bit more room. You'll soon learn which plants are going to stay within bounds and which are going to go crazy. So, if 12 inches is suggested, then you should plant each plant...even if little babies....at one foot centers. In a few weeks time, your annuals will probably be touching at the fingertips, so to speak, filling out the bed, but not overly crowded. Though the CENTER of the plants will still be 12 inches apart, your annuals will all have grown up and filled in. Does it make sense, now? Shrub beds should be laid out that way, too. Do a little bit of research on the expected mature size and plan accordingly. Yes, plenty of people plant twice as close as is recommended and dig them up when they begin to crowd. I had to do that when I was doing commercial work, but never again! I don't require instant gratification and I enjoy watching the plants develop over two or three weeks.
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