I can't remember if I mentioned this already, but Saturday I hit a clearance at Home Depot and there are now somewhere around 3 dozen various perennials sitting on my patio.
there is the new bed already to go (it still looks pretty naked since everything is new. I freely admit I am impatientand want a full grown garden RFN), some will go in a smaller new one I hope to dig in a few days.
Anyway, the first stuff was planted spaced out. For instance little red flowers 2' apart all in a row along the front. Herbs planted in between them so it's red, green, red, green. I am taking out the little red flowers and putting them in the window boxes I bought to go under the windows and since the other stuff has only been in the ground a couple of weeks I can move them too I think.
My question is, since I bought multiples of everything (which is something I haven't done before) is it more effective to plant them together or spaced out throughout the beds? So Coral bells could be in one area only, herbs in one area, astilbe together in one area...you get the idea. Basically clumps of each variety to have one sizable colour clump. Or should I space everything so there is a bit of each colour throughout, one on the right end, one on the left end, one in the center?
I haven't even figured out which ones get how tall yet (guess I need to do some label reading) but if I can sort out this clump/don't clump that will help me out.
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You pretty much hit on what I was thinking...fill the bed this year, split up stuff as it starts to get bigger. That would also put off digging other beds right now but then other beds would help spruce up the yard. My kingdom for some patience.
Meanwhile this is the first time I have had multiples of plants at the same time so I am in a zero experience area. In other gardens it's sort of been using what other people have pulled out of their gardens so it's been one of this and one of that. Most of these plants are still small but big enough for the price. Some probably won't even bloom this year so I really have no idea which colours will work together.
Oh well I have a few days to think about it and just keep them watered. I'm still fence painting. it went from rainy to extremely hot here so not conducive to spending as much time outside working as I would like. I guess I'm now officially a wuss as the idea of baking under the hot sun is not doing it for me at all. I probably need one of those contraptions that mists you while you do whatever it is you do outside. Sure would be nice if some of that fence was in shade.
Sounds like plant shopping was a huge success! I love a good base of perennials in my garden. It took a while for me to get that going in one of my newest bed/borders in the back, but I'm getting there. How exciting to have so many to begin with as you have!
How about doing a bit of both: an even distribution as well as accent spots where you have groups of 3 for a bit of impact? Can't go wrong that way! But you can always rearrange another year if you have to tweak the overall look, so don't worry.
This year I've been doing just that. I have trouble getting things planted 'right' the first time, and this year so far is about rearranging. One mistake I made is when I planted a Jacob's Ladder called 'Snow & Sapphires' in where I thought I'd like plants with a height of 2-3 feet. Well, it's in its second or third season in that spot and it's the size of a puny cauliflower! It did send up a spike of a flower that was tall, but it only lasted a couple of weeks.
Sometimes I do get it right the first time, but it takes time to realize that. For example, I have 3 blue salvia or 'meadow sage' plants that I first tried grouped in one bed, then I moved them and planted them individually in another bed. Turned out I was right the first time to group them together, so I just replanted them a couple of weeks ago in a nice gouping of 3.
Now that I think on it some, maybe there would be an advantage to 3-grouping a lot of what you have bought in multiple. If you have other garden beds planned for later years and only one to fill now, and you want the 'now' garden full, the groupings might be your best bet. In a year or two when you dig up more beds you can divide your groupings and share the extras with the other beds, leaving maybe one established plant in the original spot.
Have fun! Hope you can post some pictures.
To me astilbe look spectacular in groups of 3 plants. They are heavy feeders so like a ferilizer high in nitrogen and a peat like soil to retain the moisture. I also cover mine with mulch for the winter, (zone 5)
DBD, wow, lots of progress. Astilbe and coral bells grow tall and best put in the back of your flower bed with the smaller flowers growing in the front. I wouldn't clump all the astilbes and coral bells since they will be multiplying anyway, so spread them about to get some colour elsewhere like you said . You can leave the herbs in between.
If you're taking out plants you have already planted and they're flowering, it's best to water them good after you replanted them and preferably not done when the sun is scorching on them.......I like to transplant early in the morning or in the evening when it's cooler.
Hope to see pictures soon and good luck with your garden.