Spacing on some of those looks tight depending on how much overlap you want. The Hostas want part to full shade. Not sure what the light reqs are on those flowering plants, but make sure they will get the labelled amount of light.
CeilingStanSupremacy
Are you using landscape rocks or mulch in this bed? If mulch just put cardboard down instead of the fabric. Weed seeds will blow in regardless and will grow roots into the fabric, making them even more difficult to pull. It’s a common mistake made by many gardeners. (Myself included)
trailrabbit
it would look better without the plastic sheet.
tolzan
Remove the landscape fabric and replace with cardboard.
Landscape fabric is ineffective, is a nightmare in the future which it breaks up into tons of small pieces, and leeches microplastics into the soil.
awesomereddit2
Looks like you have a lot of perennials that will die back once it gets cold. I would suggest anchoring the space with a couple of evergreen shrubs to give height and interest all year around.
absolutely_said_that
Your hostas are going to grow over the concrete quickly. Everything is too close to the edges of the garden (grasses too close to fence, etc). If you’re trying to achieve a “full” garden when everything is mature, you’ll get that.
SpringerMomma6622
Are you gauging how much sun each plant takes to ensure you are planting material that will survive based on amount of sun this area receives. You have some nice materials but you have short material in middle and taller on the perimeter. Just a couple of things to consider.
EqualJaded3921
What are the light requirements of each plant and are they all suited for that spot?
Then_Version9768
Somebody has an obsessive-compulsive disorder. Don’t line them up like that. It looks really silly. These are plants, not books. Place them randomly.
Also pull up that silly black plastic sheet. It does nothing useful despite what you’ve heard. Plants need to grow downward into the dirt which is many inches deep, not two inches deep. As for weeds, what is so hard about pulling out a few weeds now and then?
PEOPLE! Let’s learn to relax a little. Even our stupid gardens are starting to look completely psychotic!
drm919
noooooo fabric, use old cardboard boxes as a weed stop
jaquatics
Instead of spacing things out the way you have and having rows and every other plant etc, think about mass planting each type into groups based on eventually height. Have the shortest things grouped together in front then another group behind that etc in odd shapes not lines and not symmetrical.
ElfRoyal
hostas need shade and dianthus thrive in sun. Check the tags on all plants to ensure proper exposure
yancymcfly
Get rid of the plastic trash, put a thick layer of mulch, maybe some more natives ?? Good luck
BillOaks
Hi, lots of work ahead. The grass in the back is pampas grass, which grows 6’ x 10’ around. Pampas grass can be used as a specimen plant ( it is for show) in a garden around the rest of the house. tricks of landscape design: buy in odd-number lots, think about water, think about the look you want. Right now, you have beef stew. Plants should be perennial, meaning they come back year after year. Take all the hostas and put them together in a row at the front. Designing a good-looking landscape takes time to understand the heights and whether they pose a threat to the area. Heights matter, tall growing in the back, mid-size in the middle, and small in the front. Landscape materials are mostly well-designed now compared to just twenty years ago. When creating a garden, you will spend time pulling weeds; I am agnostic about laying down landscape material. I got more but not now….
nfrutiger94
Definitely get rid of the cloth.
I would add a small tree or at least something a bit more substantial like a focal point in the middle. A Standard hydrangea, a dogwood like “summer fun/gold” or a japanese maple depending on height/colour/leaves or flowers you want.
FionaTheFierce
You have low stuff behind high stuff. The hostas will get much bigger – mostly wider, but also a bit taller. The dianthus (pink flowers – i think that is what you have there) will always be short. The blue flowers plant is very low and should go at the front. You have a mix of plants that need sun (dianthus) and plants that need shade (hostas).
The grasses will get much bigger and cover up the smaller plants in front of them.
The small plants are too far apart and the big plants are too close.
I think there is work to do here to get the correct plants for the amount of sun and then arranging them in a way that works for the space.
Agree with others – don’t use weed block. I wish I had never put it down in my garden!
Moss-cle
Get rid of the landscape fabric
dark_fart69
No
Time-Waster25
Depending on your planting zone, you might have to dig up and store the calla lilies I’ve the winter.
Am_I_Therefore
Spent the past two days pulling up landscaping fabric. Please don’t use this. Just strip to soil and lay down mulch. You’ll get weeds but you will also with the fabric.
whelpineedhelp
Personally, I would leave the one grass that’s by the chain link and move the other to also be by the chain link. It will give some privacy. Then, depending on where your sun hits, move the hostas to in front of the grasses or in front of the wood fence. You want them to have part shade. Then redistribute the rest as you see fit, factoring in sun
NefariousPilot
Hostas are taller than dianthus. Dianthus requires full sun while hostas require shade. You might want to re-check the light requirements and height for your plants and plan accordingly.
Egad86
Have you considered building this somewhere with a bit more sunshine?
23 Comments
Spacing on some of those looks tight depending on how much overlap you want. The Hostas want part to full shade. Not sure what the light reqs are on those flowering plants, but make sure they will get the labelled amount of light.
Are you using landscape rocks or mulch in this bed? If mulch just put cardboard down instead of the fabric. Weed seeds will blow in regardless and will grow roots into the fabric, making them even more difficult to pull. It’s a common mistake made by many gardeners. (Myself included)
it would look better without the plastic sheet.
Remove the landscape fabric and replace with cardboard.
Landscape fabric is ineffective, is a nightmare in the future which it breaks up into tons of small pieces, and leeches microplastics into the soil.
Looks like you have a lot of perennials that will die back once it gets cold. I would suggest anchoring the space with a couple of evergreen shrubs to give height and interest all year around.
Your hostas are going to grow over the concrete quickly. Everything is too close to the edges of the garden (grasses too close to fence, etc). If you’re trying to achieve a “full” garden when everything is mature, you’ll get that.
Are you gauging how much sun each plant takes to ensure you are planting material that will survive based on amount of sun this area receives. You have some nice materials but you have short material in middle and taller on the perimeter. Just a couple of things to consider.
What are the light requirements of each plant and are they all suited for that spot?
Somebody has an obsessive-compulsive disorder. Don’t line them up like that. It looks really silly. These are plants, not books. Place them randomly.
Also pull up that silly black plastic sheet. It does nothing useful despite what you’ve heard. Plants need to grow downward into the dirt which is many inches deep, not two inches deep. As for weeds, what is so hard about pulling out a few weeds now and then?
PEOPLE! Let’s learn to relax a little. Even our stupid gardens are starting to look completely psychotic!
noooooo fabric, use old cardboard boxes as a weed stop
Instead of spacing things out the way you have and having rows and every other plant etc, think about mass planting each type into groups based on eventually height. Have the shortest things grouped together in front then another group behind that etc in odd shapes not lines and not symmetrical.
hostas need shade and dianthus thrive in sun. Check the tags on all plants to ensure proper exposure
Get rid of the plastic trash, put a thick layer of mulch, maybe some more natives ?? Good luck
Hi, lots of work ahead. The grass in the back is pampas grass, which grows 6’ x 10’ around. Pampas grass can be used as a specimen plant ( it is for show) in a garden around the rest of the house. tricks of landscape design: buy in odd-number lots, think about water, think about the look you want. Right now, you have beef stew. Plants should be perennial, meaning they come back year after year. Take all the hostas and put them together in a row at the front. Designing a good-looking landscape takes time to understand the heights and whether they pose a threat to the area. Heights matter, tall growing in the back, mid-size in the middle, and small in the front. Landscape materials are mostly well-designed now compared to just twenty years ago. When creating a garden, you will spend time pulling weeds; I am agnostic about laying down landscape material. I got more but not now….
Definitely get rid of the cloth.
I would add a small tree or at least something a bit more substantial like a focal point in the middle. A Standard hydrangea, a dogwood like “summer fun/gold” or a japanese maple depending on height/colour/leaves or flowers you want.
You have low stuff behind high stuff. The hostas will get much bigger – mostly wider, but also a bit taller. The dianthus (pink flowers – i think that is what you have there) will always be short. The blue flowers plant is very low and should go at the front. You have a mix of plants that need sun (dianthus) and plants that need shade (hostas).
The grasses will get much bigger and cover up the smaller plants in front of them.
The small plants are too far apart and the big plants are too close.
I think there is work to do here to get the correct plants for the amount of sun and then arranging them in a way that works for the space.
Agree with others – don’t use weed block. I wish I had never put it down in my garden!
Get rid of the landscape fabric
No
Depending on your planting zone, you might have to dig up and store the calla lilies I’ve the winter.
Spent the past two days pulling up landscaping fabric. Please don’t use this. Just strip to soil and lay down mulch. You’ll get weeds but you will also with the fabric.
Personally, I would leave the one grass that’s by the chain link and move the other to also be by the chain link. It will give some privacy. Then, depending on where your sun hits, move the hostas to in front of the grasses or in front of the wood fence. You want them to have part shade. Then redistribute the rest as you see fit, factoring in sun
Hostas are taller than dianthus. Dianthus requires full sun while hostas require shade. You might want to re-check the light requirements and height for your plants and plan accordingly.
Have you considered building this somewhere with a bit more sunshine?