Plunking & Running, or Planning & Placing?

15 years ago

As I was looking at the way Wendy2Shoes arranged her containers for final plant-out on another thread, and the gorgeous end result, I got to wondering how much planning you do when you're Plunking?

DO you have it all planned out ahead of time, or do you not invest much time in planning, and simply plunk as fast as you can with minimal thought to placement of plants?

Got pix?

I don't mind the way my gardens come out, but when I see a great 'plan,' I wonder if I'm just not that good at visualizing the final result, or if subconsciously I just don't care as long as it's pretty. (For the record, I don't think there is a way to make a flower garden 'ugly' no matter what the placement is, but I know that mine always are haphazard placements resulting in a cottage-y look rather than a well-planned landscape.)

I guess I liken my garden type to my painting type: If you were to give me a few buckets of paint to make a picture, I wouldn't think too long on "what" to paint, but I'd probably be asking you for a box fan so I could create one of those "jet engine" type looks.

So I plunk haphazardly with little thought, generally hoping I've at least got the height thing right.

That's my version...what's yours?

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Comments (29)

floodthelast
15 years ago
Well I haven't done it yet but I do have a few spots in mind for certain plants. Mostly based on sun/moisture requirements. A lot will be pushing those however, some based on height. Mostly there will be a lot of sticking in lots of places and waiting to see what I think later on. I do have one or two places I have a color scheme in mind. We'll see how it all works out.
lgslgs
15 years ago
My garden is going to be set up as twelve 70-80 ft rows this year. 5 are by the porch and 7 by the road.

It's all going in as plunk and run. I'll probably plunk known talls and water hogs in a stripe down the middle of each row, and then edge them with known shorties and drought lover types. Not in a fussy way, but in the hopes I can just water quickly in a stripe down the center of each row and let the water trickle to who needs it most.

The only other planning is that "greater row 12" (the row nearest the road and that merges with the ditch) is going to be loaded with really sturdy, free flowering types so that if a neighbor kid really "needs" to pluck a flower they won't end up destroying the plant in the process. And if the "need" to steal a flower there's something close to the road that's pretty enough so they don't venture into the yard and take my less common plants or sneak a vegetable. Row 12 will be stuffed with echinacea, daisies, rudbeckia, white marigolds, zinnias, bachelor buttons poppies and similar eye candy. Maybe some 4 O'clocks too so that when people drive past at night the whole thing smells nice.

Rows 1 & 2 by the porch will need a bunch of 4s, of course, so that we can smell them when we sit on the porch at night. I'll probably have more of a flower mix near the porch and then shift toward larger clumps of plants closer to the road. That will let me look at all kinds of individual flowers when I sit on the porch, but also have a bunch of decent sized plant colonies of everything further out in the yard - which hopefully makes it easier to seed save from a gazillion plants.

Other than that it's plunk, plunk, plunk, wedge a few more in and race off to the next spot.

Lynda
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I think this will be my method this year. I tend to be a perfectionist (hate it!) and last year I separated every single seedling to put in its own hole. I hadn't yet found this forum so I didn't wintersow them but that's beside the point. It takes a l-o-n-g time to do it my old way. I would agonize over every minute detail and because of that I was here planting my seedlings into September. I don't even know if some will make it over the winter because of getting in the ground so late. I'm almost certain they'd have been better off with the HOS method because I bet I could have gotten everything planted by June had I not worried so much about the fine details. I don't know if I could do the plunk and run method because I'm not one to hurry that much and do like to take my time with gardening, but I don't want to take THAT much time with it anymore. The sooner they get in the ground the more time they'll have to establish themselves. Because of finding this forum, I now have more things planted than I have had other years because back in those days I had to cram everything on my windowsills, but NO MORE! My seedlings have been liberated! lol I have over 80 jugs and other containers sitting outside with seeds sown in them and still have most of my annuals to plant yet. If I'd fiddle around with separating every seedling, I'd probably be here until 2010 trying to get it all planted and hoping for extremely mild winters. lol YAY for HOS! If I get desperate enough, I might even do plunk and run if I'm still planting in June because I want the plants to get well established before our first frost, which is usually the beginning to middle of October. I've also started a lasagna garden to save time and wear and tear on my back. I only got 1/4 of it done one exceptionally nice day here last week when it was in the 50's, and now we've had cold weather since that and some nasty snowy, icy days. So my lasagna garden is put on hold until we get another nice day. I figure it won't do much if anything this time of the year anyway, but if I get it started now it will be that much time saved in the spring. I have other gardens/beds here that I can plant before I get to that one, so I figure it will hopefully be ready by the time I get to it.
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tiffy_z5_6_can
15 years ago
I look for empty spaces in the gardens then plant according to height, sun requirements and soil requirements, annual vs perennial, new-to-me or not. Oh, and now I have to plant according to butterfly areas.

Might seem like a lot of work but I determine early what's going to go in the holding beds for a year. That eliminates quite a few. Annuals are fillers so they go anywhere there's a space in the garden which needs to be filled.

I think about where my next bunch is going to be planted on the way home in the 1/2 hour drive. Lots of decisions are made with the help of music from Supertramp, Led Zep, Genesis, Bruce Sprinsteen, Chris DeBurg, etc.

Colours are not a consideration. Ever.
bakemom_gw
15 years ago
Height and sun. Plunk and run.
agirlsgirl
15 years ago
Last year I had it all figured out,I was planting this here, and that there,that is not what happened though....lol...it was plunk and run and no looking back! I learned a few things need to be placed in a different area this coming season,but I was pleasantly surprised by how nice everything turned out in the end! :)

This year I have some designated areas,like my Zinnia garden will be exactly where it was last year,I loved the way when I walk around to the back yard, it is there to great me with all it's color and winged critters! :)
I am bordering one side of the yard in broomcorn this year, that is definite,I am thinking some shorter Amaranthus and Sunflowers will compliment the whole border,than what goes in front will be whimsical! :)

Here is a pic from last years Amaranthus garden,it didnt start out as an Amaranthus garden,it was supposed to be lots of different tropical looking flowers to create a Tropical theme,but I ended up filling in with the Amaranthus,I freaked out and just plunked them all in! I was very happy with the end results. This is the view I had when sitting on my chair on the concrete patio:
{{gwi:356974}}
drippy
15 years ago
Agirlsgirl, we must be kindred spirits - every year I have beautifully planned gardens in my mind; the plants I choose for my theme gardens work together...and then it's plunk & run, and HOPE that sun and height work...

Maybe some year
nancy_drew
15 years ago
Plan, plan and plan some more, then place and tend. I got a garden plan that I liked from the Better Homes and Garden site, then I took it apart, then put it back together using what I have w/s, that have similar colors and growing habits. The BHG plan was for a garden in full sun, I have partial shade. Hopefully it will work out... if not, I just need better planning, and more w/sing next year!!
bakemom_gw
15 years ago
Nancy - get some good running shoes.
token28001
15 years ago
Oh, you better believe I'll be plunking and running. The way I've laid my garden out, it can be viewed from all sides except along the woodsy area. I have some basics in already from last year. I put rudbeckia, shastas, and hibiscuses together to form three anchors. From there, I've added some daylilies, some stargazers, some butterfly bushes, and a few groundcover plants. In between my large anchors, I'll throw plants with the idea of massing the types together. At least 3 "clumps" for each kind of plant in at least 3 places in the garden. As you can tell, I have a lot of space to fill. I turned a rather weedy lawn area into my perennial bed. I removed some of those overhanging trees this fall too for more sunlight.

{{gwi:356976}}

And I added a trellis for the morning glories and sweet autumn clematis. I also used the rocks I pulled from the back veggie garden to edge the path. All those rocks were in the soil when I tilled it. It was so hard and compacted, I wanted to till it before I laid down my lasagna beds.

{{gwi:356978}}

Under all the leaves, I have coreopsis, knockout roses, hollyhocks, red hot pokers, and a LOT of other stuff I know I have forgotten about. I've also got daffodils and other spring bulbs scattered all through that area now.
daisydawnny
15 years ago
I hope I have sooo many plants from ws that I have no choice than to plunk and run! I am so excited to get started!
mmqchdygg
Original Author
15 years ago
token- lawn is totally over-rated, anyway.
token28001
15 years ago
mmq: If it was socially acceptable, I would remove all the grass in this yard and fill it with plants. I hate cutting grass. I do want to sell the house someday, so I guess I should leave some.
nancy_drew
15 years ago
Bakemom: "Nancy - get some good running shoes."

Oh bakemom... where would I run to, back inside? I have a patio to surround, and a strip against a wall in front of our unit, that's 25X5 feet! More like sprint... perhaps a hop... how about a skip?

Ok... I think I got it now.... I can do what Ellen Degenerous would do... I'll drop and ...
ncgardengirl
15 years ago
mmqchdygg here here on the lawn over-rated comment...I feel the exact some way, why bother? I would rather see pretty then the dead brown stuff we have in the hottest part of the year....

AND to stay OT with this thread: I will plan, plan, plan before the time comes to plant BUT since I actaully have a BUNCH of things to plant, I will endup getting upset with myself for not being better organized and in the end I will be fed up and PLUNK really hard a prolly run off screaming LIVE DANG IT! and hope for the best because I really have no clue as to where they are all gonna go in the first place me with NO CLUE!
kqcrna
15 years ago
It's pretty much plunk and run here, hit or miss. I try to keep things in mind like sun and water needs and height, but when I plant out I often don't know those things. I don't want to look it up, so it's plunk and run. Then in early summer or fall I move about half of it. I end up doubling my work. Maybe someday I'll be more organized and plan better, but for now, I wing it.

Maybe I just like moving things and re-creating the masterpiece.

Karen
jspeachyn5
15 years ago
I have a plan.
How ever I'm not sure how long that plan will last once it is time to plant out.
Lets see.
2- sun/dry areas. I- tropical "look" (this one is my baby in progress).
A very long shade garden.
Then I have a new "fence/hedge" I am trying to create.
An then a few other places the west end of house, up by the front door.
Also a few spots here an there that get the normal annuals.
Yep it will most likely be plunk an run. Then move if I don't like it later.
Bonnie : )
dirtbert
15 years ago
I have a loose plan. I know I need so many annuals to fill my containers around the house and greenhouse. But I don't really plan which annuals. Just browse for what seems appealing and then ws them late in the winter. Whatever sprouts, gets a home in a container.

As for the flower beds, I usually have in mind where I'm going to put at least a few of each kind. But I always have an abundance so I'm constantly searching for where I can plunk a few more. I'm never concerned with color combinations, I leave that to mother nature. Sun needs of each plant is probably the most I plan around and even that I push to the edge sometimes.

Then there's the veggie garden. That gets a lot of planning. I know how many toms and peppers I need and take my crop rotation pretty seriously. And I keep a lot of records of the veggie garden so I know what works and what we like best. I can and freeze a ton from the garden so my planning energy goes into the veggie garden. The rest of the gardens are pretty much a free for all :)
irisgirl
15 years ago
Token, dirtbert, and all of y'all with real yards: I don't just have Zone envy, I have LOT envy. We live in a mfd. home community and our AVAILABLE space for planting is less than 2560 sq feet! We are required to have that hated LAWN in front but I am slowly shrinking it; "they" haven't noticed yet-lol.

So I plan plan plan - have tried to keep a very tight color palette and am finally having some success w/ the landscaping thanks to wintersowing efforts. You all have been so helpful without even knowing it, you can't imagine.

The "back 40" on the east side of the house is devoted to veggie gardening in 3 raised beds. We harvested over 160 pounds of veggies last summer. And I still have 10 pints of raspberries in the freezer. Y'all come over this summer and we'll make ice-cream!
nancy_drew
15 years ago
Irisgirl! Don't think we've met yet, but I am so glad to have you aboard! FINALLY!! Someone who "gets" me!

I live in a condo and have the same gardening issue you have, very little garden space. Like you, every square inch counts and to have a good palette, it does take planning! It also takes a lot of consideration to plant spread. I just can't do HOS! I'd have room for about 4 varieties if I did that!

I am envious of your "back 40"! I have no space or sun for much of a veggie garden. Just some upside down maters and perhaps cukes.
token28001
15 years ago
I used to have a condo garden too. It was packed with annuals and some dwarf shrubs. I didn't know about wintersowing then so I purchased everything or started them from seeds indoors. There's always a plan. I just don't always follow through as things change over the summer. The expected growth doesn't usually match the reality. Things need to be moved around a lot especially in smaller spaces.
tndandelion
15 years ago
I always go with Plan B. Plunk and run. :D
nancy_drew
15 years ago
Token: "The expected growth doesn't usually match the reality. Things need to be moved around a lot especially in smaller spaces."

Exactly! Loosely planted, wide open spaces look stunning! In a tight space when two plants don't quite match up, there's nowhere else for the eyes to flow to. In a wide open space, if bloom times don't match up as you expected, the huge mass of "plunk and run" next to that, takes your eye away from it. If I have two plants next to each other, both fading at the same time, it leave a big hole in the garden, and no distraction. That 3 or 4 foot hole is 15-20% of my garden!! Your 3-4 foot hole is what? Half of one percent?
mnwsgal
15 years ago
Plan, plan, plan, plan. I make charts for plant height, space, flower color, leaf color/shape, sun requirements, moisture requirements, time of bloom, etc. The beds are graphed and plants placed. There is always something blooming in each area of the beds.

When planting out I refer to the graph, making adjustments here and there.
Later if, who am I kidding, when, I have seedlings left they get tucked in but still in relationship to the plan.

The only beds that do not get planned are the holding beds. I still keep height in mind but generally group similiar plants so don't pay much attention to color and texture.

I also move plants that don't grow as expected which requires new graphs in the fall, mainly to help me remember where something is planted and to help plan the next year's additions/changes.
wendy2shoes
15 years ago
My original way was just height and sun requirements (easy with a brand new bed). Problem was as the years have gone by, I forget what perennials are where. I'm out there every spring, doing the clean up, looking at something coming up and saying "hmm..what's this..the foliage looks familiar.."and letting it grow on, only to find out it's a plantain or thistle or catnip!
Last year I did a very rough sketch of each of my beds, and mapped out where my perennials are. Hopefully that will help me sort out the good from the bad this spring, and find out what I lost :O( .
barefoot_contessa
15 years ago
Even though I haven't yet had WS babies, I do have lots of gardens and have been gardening for many, many years. I've started seeds indoors for as long back as I can remember. I pull out the rulers, triangles, etc. every time about this year and start planning. Plan, Plan, Plan. I am one of those gardeners who's NEVER happy, so I am constantly digging and replanting, digging and replanting........
Hopefully, one of these days, my plans will be beneficial. LoL
I just can't help myself!
Is there a support group here, or anywhere, for that??? :-)

Angie (agirlsgirl) - What variety of Amaranthus is the long green in your pic? That is absolutely gorgeous. How tall is it?

Carrie
austinnhanasmom
15 years ago
AHHHH - the photos make me long for spring!!

My OCD requires the plans, I must be transplanted from Henn. County - MN long enough that I forgot about graphing - what an idea!! However, I was hoping to plant by height and sun requirements. I also love the idea of an area for kids to pick flowers.

My 3yo runs with scissors and clips faster then I can keep up. Perhaps I can take photos before he creates his indoor arrangements. DH also loves the indoor vase thing so, until my 1yo talks/forms an opinion, I'm matched and will have to "hide" the more precious plants - maybe the neighbor's yards???

The beautiful photos help this first timer better imagine the fruits of this labor - thanks!!
mmqchdygg
Original Author
15 years ago
My garbage can was full of graph paper the first year or two. Then I decided to just stop doing it cuz I simply can't. My personality won't allow it.
Which is not to say that I don't absolutely love a well-executed garden plan; on the contrary, they are always a beauty to behold.
Excuse me while I go find the plug for my new jet engine.
drippy
15 years ago
Wendy, I do "sketches" (more like just labeling on paper, as I can't draw to save my life, let alone to scale) of my gardens to remember where things are, too. Although I've become pretty good at identifying the "regulars", I plant so much new stuff each year that I would surely forget where it was without the sketches. I hate the look of garden labels - I must admit I appreciate them in the botanical gardens I've visited when I've wanted to know "what's that?" - but I just don't like them in my own gardens.
playintheyard
15 years ago
I have a basic plan in my head for certain gardens. But at the end of the day it's common to see me roaming the yard w/ shovel in back pocket and jug in hand (cold beer in the other) plunking things.
Last year was my 1st year so I had a lot of new to me plants. I used mini blind markers for the next year. If I'm familiar w/ the plant I ring it w/ small stones so in the spring I won't yank something good. Hopefully all will be familiar as I don't like the look of the mini blinds. either.

Plunking & Running, or Planning & Placing?

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