A Full Garden Includes Plenty of Space
In this day of instant gardens, landscapers will regularly recite the mantra, “plant for today.” In doing so, the homeowner receives a finished looking garden immediately upon planting, which can be ideal for the homeowner who is about to host an important outdoor event (wedding, reunion, party). And landscapers like this approach, because they are able to install the maximum number of plants in the designated garden space. This approach can work if the garden is planted with only annuals, or if the garden is intended to be only temporary or seasonal.
This approach becomes a problem when it is extended and applied to permanent gardens — those planted with trees, shrubs and perennials. But plants need space; they need air flow to prevent disease and fungus; they need access to water and sunlight to grow. And initially, grow they will. Trees and shrubs spaced for today’s size will run together in just a few years. They will quickly appear crowded and some may need to be removed both for appearance and for plant health.
The BETTER GARDEN DESIGNTM approach improves upon the mantra with the principle of “plant for today, but consider tomorrow.” The amount of space between permanent plants obviously depends on the type of plant and its growth characteristics. Consider how long you expect the plants to be in place and what routine care (pruning, thinning) is planned.
Consider the image of the glass of water argued over by the optimist and the pessimist. In reality, the glass is neither half full, nor half empty. It is completely full, half with water and half with air. So too, your full garden should include lots of air and space among the plants. Both appearance and plant health will be greatly improved.
