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OK yes, I have put in some shrubs and realize they will be too close! When is a good time to move them? I really want to do it tomorrow? If I water them well, should they be ok? OR should i wait until the fall?
We are getting sod (if it ever stops raining) this week. I will post pictures after. Right now it doesn't look done.
I have to admit. I am not good at gardening. I buy what I think is pretty and put it where I think looks nice. No rhyme or reason to my panting. LOL!
I agree that it is best to plant with the proper spacing right from the start. If you don't, sometimes the year when you think it's time to get out there and 'respace' is the one that disallows much time in the garden, due to an unexpected circumstance of one kind or another. The unexpected delay can take a toll on the shrubs and make the task of moving them much more difficult.
In addition to annuals, there are a few other plants to consider as in-betweens which don't mind being dug up. Irises are a good choice for a large space that needs fililng, as I think it is said they should be divided roughly every 3 years. By the time those 3 years have passed, you can transplant them elsewhere. If you have a sunny spot for them, they'll add a nice flower interest while in bloom and their leaves which take up a nice bit of room add sculptural interest to the garden bed through the rest of the growing season. Daffodils/tulips might be nice in another spot, providing a nice surprise in spring. I leave mine in the ground where I live because I can, and in summer after they've died back I plant annuals right over them. Oriental lillies come in different heights, some small for the front of the border and some tall that fill the back nicely. Dahlias take up a nice piece of space as well.
I find even with my best efforts, I end up getting spacing wrong a lot in my garden. I always end up moving something I thought I placed well! Don't get me started on how I struggle with shade gardening. (seems there are plants more suitable to DRY shade than MOIST shade, and vice-versa lol)
I also tend to use large rocks/stones to fill in the empty spaces & then in no time do I end up having to have the rocks moved elsewhere as extra space is required.
So best to start out slow, save space, do not over crowd and notice other gardens & landscapes to get ideas and learn from & some garden decor - statues, solar lights etc....can also fill in the odd empty spots until such time the space is needed and they can be moved around to other parts.
Gardening = never done
A work in progress;)
My MIL says the same thing. She is a self-taught excellent gardener. When we moved into our home last spring, my front gardens were newly and overcrowded with flowering perrineals. Once the plants bloomed, the garden just looked worse and worse with the foilage dying off.
Anyway, I cleaned the garden out last fall, taking my chances with transplanting (which all came back this spring successfully, thankfully!), and I planted shrubs spaced apart. Even in the past month or so, they are filling out, and I have to tell you, I will be most likely removing one or two shrubs for space next spring!
Patience is a virture when it comes to gardening, for sure! :)
A few years ago I was complaining to a neighbour how I "just couldn't get my flower beds right". She laughed and pointed out that I never left anything in place long enough for it to establish itself so I could get even a glimpse of the full effect. Her words of advice were to plant what I liked leaving the required space for maturity, fill in with lots of annuals and to remember that "the first year they sleep, the second year they creep and the third year they leap". I took her advice and by the third year I hardly put in any annuals at all because everything had filled out nicely. I've learnt in gardening that patience really is a virtue and moving established shrubs/plants can be backbreaking work.
Can you post a pic?
If you mean filling it now so it looks lush, pretty difficult and often a waste of money. Once the shrubs take off you end up with over crowding and have to get in there and dig things out hoping you have somewhere to put them.
It's probably better to get the shrubs you want and fill in with some annuals for now.