Annuals and Perennials - Planting, Spacing, and Placement

Planting, Spacing, and Placement Planting

Planting - Most, if not all annuals and perennials will require an amended well-drained soil to flourish. A soil sample will indicate any nutrient and organic deficiencies, which can be added during the initial soil renovation and planting phase. Once established, these plants may need additional applications of mulch, compost, and nutrients to continue flower production. Prepare the planting hole so that the top of the root ball is either even with or slightly above the existing soil grade. Always water your transplants heavily once planted to remove air pockets and to settle the soil around the root ball. Once planted, add a water well of lose soil around the plant to capture future watering. Surround the plant with a layer of mulch, making sure not to bring it up to the base of the plant, or pile it on too thick. Revisit the plant daily until it is established, letting it know that you want it to grow up and be as beautiful as it possibly can be! Water only when the soil has slightly dried, and get rid of the water well that you made when you first planted it.
Spacing - Research your plant material prior to drawing the design to determine the mature height and spread, this will affect the number of plants needed for a particular area. Prior to planting, you may wish to place the potted plants on top of the soil to make sure the spacing is correct. Plants are generally spaced far enough apart to accommodate their eventual size, without crowding adjacent plants or making the garden, seem, under planted. Leave room in the design for foot traffic ( paths ), maintenance of the home, and garden chores, It's very hard to get the lawnmower through a two foot gap?
Placement - Common sense would tell you that plants should he placed so that they receive the maximum amount of sunshine. This requires you to know the eventual size of the plant so that you can place it in either the front, middle, or back of the bed. Occasionally the design will call for a tall plant in the middle of the bed, particularly island beds. In most wall or border beds, you will place smaller plants in front of progressively taller plants for ease of maintenance and proper light requirements. Bulbs should be marked in the garden so that they are not accidentally dug up or damaged by a shovel ( use pop-sickle sticks). Annual plants are best planted in the front/middle part of the bed so that they can be easily dug up and replaced. Tall annual and perennial plants may require staking throughout the season, so provide access to them when spacing the plants.
Bed Design - Beds with a wall or fence as a backdrop are often termed wall bed. This is typical of most beds around the exterior of a home, along a fence row, and in front of retaining walls. Tall plants are generally placed in the back, and smaller plants placed progressively in front. Island beds are usually surrounded by sidewalks, lawns, or other surfaces and can be viewed from all approaches. Island beds may feature one or more taller plants in the center, with progressively smaller plants towards the front of the bed. Mounds or burms can be used to elevate a planting, however avoid high steep-sided mounds as they may be misinterpreted as burial mounds!
Massing - This is a term that will be used frequently to describe the planting of annuals and perennials "in mass", or planting numerous plants in one area of the same kind. Many plants have small or insignificant flowers that if planted in small groups or individually, would not be attractive. These same plants if grouped in large numbers create a very showy display. Large yards or big beds can accommodate mass plantings. Small yards or beds may not be suitable for mass plantings, in this case smaller groupings or individual plants are appropriate.
Ornaments, Artwork, and Foo-Foo Stuff - Gardens are a good place to add decorative items such as sundials, bird baths, bird feeders, gazebos, arbors, topiary, and gazing balls. On the other hand, this can get out of control turning your garden into a sideshow. Too many items in a small garden can be distracting, chaotic, and down right bizarre. Limit yourself to one or two items, separated by space, and in keeping with your community CC & R's. Pink plastic flamingos, outdoor lighting, windmills, and other garden art for instance are outlawed in many upscale developments. "I think, those plastic pink flamingos, SHOULD BE ( I'm not allowed to say)!"

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