I have been looking at everyone's garden pictures and have noticed that most of the plants are planted close enough that there are very few, if any, gaps between the plants. It's a beautiful, full look but how do you get through the plants to weed or dead-head without stepping on, or breaking the stems?
My garden area is covered by inches and inches of mulch. Some of it was originally covered with black plastic then mulch and when I want to plant I scrape the mulch back, cut an X in the plastic and put the plant in a hole in the X space. And most of my plants do not require dead-heading, mainly because they are not the re-blooming type of plants.
There is no such thing as a dumb question, just questions that you have not had the opportunity or need to learn the answer to. Living in Texas where the summer lasts almost 13 months a year (yes I know there are only 12 months in a year but it seems like a minimum of 13 when you live down here), we have a different problem with weeds (remember when you lived down here) . They grow all year long and to keep from having to repeatedly pull the same blasted weeds, black plastic and/or many inches of mulch are the only answer.
I plant in rows. In between the rows I lay ground cover but mine is a vegetable garden. I also plant flowers in rows for a farmers makrket... pretty much the same concept except I don't have ground cover down yet. I have weeds and grass growing between the rows. grrr.
Most of the gardeners here are far more experienced than I am, but I'll throw in my little bit of experience anyway. Ground cover helps a bunch as everyone else has said. And also, because the plants in my front garden are clustered so closely, I think that actually helps reduce the weed population. The sun just can't permeate the thick clusters of flowers and foliage in order to send energy to those dratted weeds. I do get 'em, don't get me wrong, but they almost exclusively show up at the further perimeters of the garden rather than in between the clusters of flowers.
Mine is one that is packed full of flowers. I really don't care if I have some weeds, I usually will not walk in the flower bed until after the lilies have bloomed and if I do, I step very close to the daylilies if I need to reach a weed. nothing is growing that close to them usually. ....I used to have a path through my large flower bed when we lived in New London but that was a huge flower bed. Things here have really spread this spring so things are packed.
I am striving for the "cottage garden" look, in which the plants overlap, touch each other, and weeds don't stand a chance. I weed the flower beds in the spring and then let the plants take care of themselves. However, I am overwhelmed with weeds in the vegetable gardens this year--lots of rain and too mucky to get in and weed before the grass and weeds got the upper hand.
2ofus,..i am one of those who plant so close to other plants that after i weed in Spring the plants help keep any weeds from growing,..on pathways through the garden i use anti weed matting covered with gravel,..what you have to plan is smaller blooming plants being prevented from growing by larger plants,..so its small in front and big at the back,..or if you can you place tall in the middle and small back and front of a bed.
Well, I am learning something new. What I have read through the years is always to leave enough space between plants so they don't mildew or shade out others, and leaving room to get to the ones that needs dividing, and dead-heading- especially the ones the re-seed abundantly. I am trying it in my shade garden but the plants aren't full sized yet .
Well 2OF, first of all, I make the beds of a size that I can reach the middle of from at least two sides. I am a tall drink of water, so I have quite a long reach. I do not know how tall you are or how long your arms are...but maybe in the fall, you can adjust the form and dimensions of your plots to make it a bit easier for you.
Sjoerd! I haven't that expression since I was a kid! My Irish grandmother used to say that: "He's a long drink of water" when referring to a tall man. I thought it was an Irish or Irish/American expression. I also make my beds just wide enough for my arms to be able to reach across. Barring that, I put stepping stones in the beds. I also use mulch to keep moisture in & weeds down.
There's some of my beds that my short arms can't reach across but I am planning on planting some plants a little closer to each other. I put stepping stones in the shade bed but I plan on using more where needed. It doesn't help that all of my flowerbeds have been put in over the last 4 years do some plants are not at their full size yet either. I'm kind of impatient but I'm waiting for some of the geranium's, hosta, etc. to reach their full size before I plant anything too close to them.
Cayu and 2OF-- I see in my mind's eye two dainty ladies pottering about in their gardens moving from one stepping stone to the next, whilst working. I cannot do that simply because I have large feet. hahaha. So I have to make the beds reachable from the periphery, or in some cases I make a path through the rows (like for sweetcorn). Yes, that expression---It is one that I heard once on the telly, I think. We have many north american and british shows in our telly packet...as well as from several other countries. That sounds quite wise, 2OF. The way you restrain yourself as you wait and see how large things will grow before proceeding with more planting. Even when doing what you do, imaging even more room in the case of geraniums, as they can become quite large balls over a period of three or more years. I found that out myself. Now-a-days I use a form of the Berg method of planting. I calculate and estimate what space is needed around a plant that I want to plant then I give it about half more room. I do not want to see any soil when the flower garden is at its top, but I do not want the plants deformed by being pressed against each other.
