PLANTING DISTANCES

Photo: Crammed in Primula do make a colourful display.

GIVE THEM SOME SPACE

On all these garden makeover programmes on telly, the presenters often buy mature plants for that instant effect. However most of us buy young shrubs – or take slips, to plant in our gardens. It is a lot cheaper and we get the pleasure of watching the plant mature. One question that I often get asked when customers buy shrubs from me is how far do you plant them apart. It’s all too tempting to put the shrubs too close together for an instant gratifying effect. Over the next few years these shrubs will reach maturity, and if they have been planted too close together they end up competing for light and space, which will affect the look of the plant. There are two alternatives –The first is to dig out some of the shrubs and move them to a more open spot. This would probably be the more sensible option, although make sure you move it at the right time of year (usually when it is not flowering or frosty). The second alternative is to get in there every year with a pair of heavy duty loppers and hack them back, this can destroy a lot of the shrubs natural beauty though, although if you have a small garden and you work the shape well it can look fine.

Getting the spacing right at the start is important. If you are in doubt there is a rough guide to help give you some idea of the approximate distances the shrubs can be planted apart.

Most shrubs: When planting two shrubs together add the mature height of both shrubs together then divide the answer by three.

For example: Hydrangea grows to at least 5 feet high (1.6m) planted next to an escallonia that grows to about 6 feet (2m) that will be (5 + 6 =) 11 feet (3.6m) divided by three is near enough four feet apart (1.2m).

Most trees: When planting two trees together add together the mature height of both tree and divide the answer by two.

For example: An ash tree can grow to 25 feet (8m) and planted next to the fast growing variegated poplar that can grow up to 30feet (10m), will need a distance of 27 feet (9m) between them. Maths lesson over –thank goodness!

If you have a small garden and want more than one tree planted in it then it would be wise to go for the smaller growing varieties.

Initially the borders will look pretty bare and unattractive. Sometimes if you go for the black webbing and gravel look then you can get away with using fewer plants. But if there is a lot of bare soil then “fill in” plants can be used between the shrubs such as Forsythia Ribes, Spirea and Mahonia, These will provide a colourful display and they can be progressively removed as the permanent shrubs grow in size.

A second alternative would be to plant in between the gaps with bulbs, annual plants, herbaceous perennials and ground cover plants. Whichever you decide on it will look better than having an overcrowded shrub bed.

Horicultural.