Shrub placement...

16 years ago

I did find a lot of great shrubs in the past 2 weeks including the Winter Daphne at "the Orange Box". Now as to placement. I have a very long ( 50 ft) 6 ft high fence that has a sloping bed bordered by a rock wall I built. How do you decide how many of a shrub to plant? I don't want it to look like a shopping center with rows...you know. I know about final height and width and light requiremnts. What I can't figure out is if I need 3 shrubs clustered together or every other one lined up alternating kinds or one large central and then space the others one by one out to the sides...I hope this makes sense. I have looked at a million pics but I am still stumped.

So far I have 2 pink winter daphnes, 2 Florida Anise , one large osmanthus ( final size 10ft x10 ft) 4 rhodea japonica , 2 dwarf leucothoe .

So how do you plan the number and placement in your yard? Thanks for any help. My camera is on the fritz or I would post a pic. Caroline

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Comments (7)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
16 years ago
well ... first off .... a garden is not a static organism ... we plan.. we plant .. and we move them or destroy them .. when we realize we messed up .. lol ...

second ... with a 50 foot linear garden .... i learned the hard way .... to plant them 10 feet apart lets say ... and continue the 'collecting' over the years ... this gives the most recent stuff time to develop .. and allow you to better understand.. in your garden.. how they will grow .... or wont.. lol ...

don't try to jam them altogether... with alleged perfect placement .. and then have to start moving them ....

i am not personally involved with the plants you list.. so i can not be more specific .... i just wanted to give you the zen behind design ... your garden is NEVER finished.. and only you .. and your EYE ... will let it evolve into what you like .... so don't fixate too much on perfection .. you can always fix it later..

good luck
ken
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Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks Ken, that is pretty much what I have been doing all weekend. Digging up and movin' stuff. Your answer is one I get over on Cottage Forum too !! I will learn this Zen thing soon...hopefully before my back gives out. LOL. My camera is working again so I will post a pic soon. Thank you again, Caroline
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alina_1
16 years ago
Caroline,
One thing to remember: Daphnes hate being disturbed. Maybe, you have to choose a permanent spot for them first and move your other babies around...
jeff_al
16 years ago
give your daphne, leucothoe (or is it agarista populifolia?) and illicium some summer shade if possible and be aware that osmanthus will likely get larger than 10' tall if it is o. fragrans. mine topped the roofline of my house and i am about to take it down to hedge-size or move it elsewhere. they do take pruning well if it needs to be kept shorter.
you can always tuck some annuals and herbaceous perennials in among the shrubs until they fill in so give them room to mature.
if you bought leucothoe fontanesiana, it likely won't do well here in our summer heat. agarista (florida leucothoe) does fine with sufficient moisture and shade.
User
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the suggestions I have my camera working so here is a pic of the area. I made the rock wall and after having trees removed and stumps ground. I then put a thick layer of newspaper and then compost soil on top of that. I have had to treat the small trees that came up with 2/4D but they are pretty much under control and I will chop them off as they reappear. I have perennials in the front of the bed. The area closer to the fence gets a little early AM sun then full shade and then as you come out it gets more light then the sun moves on to the right and it is shaded again. I know that Daphne likes stability so won't move it and the agarista is what I have. The tea olive is the Nanjing and I have other types in the yard but not that one. I am not set on putting it there yet anyway. I would like to espallier a susanqua in the center and will probably leave the room for that til I find the right one. See what you think:

{{gwi:280072}}
Embothrium
16 years ago
The shrubs as shown here will soon become a crowded thicket. Space them farther apart.
harryshoe zone6 eastern Pennsylvania
16 years ago
As you said, straight rows are boring. Do you have enough room to make groups of 3 or 5? With a smaller shrub in the front "point" closest to the wall. You can work perennials or annuals between until the shrubs fill in.

As someone mentioned above, space the shrubs far enough apart to allow them to attain their natural form. You need to find out how big they will get in your area. And you need to be patient.

Shrub placement...

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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Shrub placement...

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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