Yes – spring is on its way! If it seems a long time coming, one of the most exciting ways to prepare is browsing the catalogues and online stores. What a great way to awaken dreams of luscious, fragrant blooms and yards awash with colour.
We think our online store has some pretty fabulous stuff for you this spring, and here are some handy tips to help you plan your spring planting. Start by asking yourself the following questions:
How many planters?
As a rule of thumb we would recommend:
- 4-5 plants for containers 10″ or less.
- 6-8 plants for containers 12-14″
- Upwards of 9 plants for containers 16″ and up.
You can afford to crowd bedding plants more than you would with perennials as you’re going for instant gratification, and they do not need extra room to grow over the years.
Remember you will want a combination of:
- thrillers (tall, exciting plants for drama and structure)
- fillers (mounding plants to cover the soil)
- spillers (trailers to spill down the container)
Hanging baskets are the exception which usually contain only spillers.
How much bed space do you have?
For flower beds you’ll want to look at the total space available and factor in the spread of your chosen plants. Again, you can afford to crowd bedding plants so that you don’t wait all summer only for them to fill in just in time for the Fall.
Remember to plan for tall plants at the back, and short plants at the front of beds.
Check how much sun your flower beds get so that you can make sure plants receive the optimum amount of sunlight. And remember that afternoon sun is way hotter than morning sun, so three hours from 6-9 am is essentially full shade, while three hours from 3-6 pm is more like partial sun.
6-Packs or larger plants?
We have lots of people ask whether it’s best to buy 6-packs or larger plants. There isn’t really a definitive answer, but here are some things to think about:
- 6-packs give you more plants for your dollar, but they’re much smaller
- Our season is very short, and larger plants give you a much more immediate impact
- Larger plants have a more robust root system and can be easier to transplant
- 6-Packs are great little plants to fill in gaps
Although there’s no real answer, we recommend splashing out on big plants for containers and bigger flower beds so that you don’t have to wait for them to fill in; then using 6-packs to fill in gaps and to use along edges and borders.
Flowers or food?
Finally, you need to decide how much space you wish to devote to growing food plants such as vegetables or herbs. You can grow an astonishing amount in a relatively small bed space, and there are many different food crops you can even grow in a container. And the best part is that many vegetables, herbs and fruiting plants are as ornamental in your yard as they are delicious.
If you like to do some dreaming, check out our online store. You’ll find plenty of inspiration there.