Yeah, that is where you carefully calculate something and then add half more to the equation. Hee,hee,hee.
I just measured my arms and I would only have 40 inch wide flowerbeds! Well I'd be leaning over so I could stretch the bed to maybe 4 to 4 1/2 feet wide. Not! I guess I'll dance around on stepping stones.
Have always gone for "pack 'em in" planting - I think for many reasons plants like each others company and also for "mutual support". Having created a flower bed/border apart from dividing etc I never put a fork near them - just top feed and pull a long handled small three pronged cultivator very lightly through the surface to keep it open and discourage weeds. Its also useful for "teasing" weeds out. Can appreciate that soils vary considerably and it comes down to "horses for courses" depending on what type you have.
I'm just starting gardens and still have wide open spaces. I ultimately want all the plants touching and sort of growing naturally together. Not too sure how long that will take for them to all merge together but am 'hoping' it'll only be a couple of years. This area was all covered with rocks that rolled everywhere so much so you couldn't walk or use this. I just had the patio and sidewalk laid down about 3 weeks ago so all the plants are "just" within the last little bit planted. Am hoping they'll all grow and I can find enough different plants about here to get lots of colour at different times of the year. This is one of the new areas:
Lovely Pathway,..i love the way it weaves,..that took patience to lay down,..oh you will be surprised how quick plants will spread and others grow tall in a very short time,..yes you have a good eye and everything looks good,..pathway,..fence and patio and the soil all ready for things to come
Thanks Philip Nulty It WAS quite a bit of work given the entire area was covered with round river rock (which I gave away free to anybody who wanted to come and pick some up). This are had NO mulch whatsoever nor was any of this area useable as it only has about 12" wide footpath of white pea type gravel wandering through it. NOW there is an 8' x 12' patio + sidewalk and GARDENS! The gardens will be all perennials (just planted) so am hoping by this time next year for more colour but am realistic that it'll be 2 to 3 yrs before it will be really looking good. And to answer the question posed in this thread - in time I'm hoping for most of the plants to be touching
