48 Basic Perennial Garden PlantinG & Maintenance
Laying out the plants
Before planting, it is important to lay out, or place, the plants, arranging them on
the site according to your design. That way, any on-site adjustments can be made
by simply shifting the pots around.
If you have a long border, start with a few key plants placed as anchors along
the border, particularly the large-growing species such as great coneflower
(Rudbeckia maxima), grasses, or maybe a shrub rose. Then start setting plants
out at one end and work your way down. If you are working with a crew, they
can be planting behind you. It is wise to run a 100-ft. tape measure along the
edge of the bed to keep a check on where you are in the design. I measure the
actual spacing between plants using a metal tape measure to follow the scale
created during the planning stages. It is time-consuming, but is the only way I
have found to do the job accurately on large, complex designs with a wide
variety of species. I do the same in my own gardens when I’m putting in a new
bed or adding several plants to an existing garden. Even after years of practice I
still have the fear of getting to the end of the bed and running out of space or
plants—and it has happened!
When working with several beds on a property, I try to stay ahead of the crew
by placing a couple of the beds while the crew finishes preparing the soil in the
others. That way, no one is standing around with nothing to do while I lay out
the garden. It’s also efficient to have another knowledgeable plant person on
board who can help gather the plants and hand them to you as you are placing
them in the bed.
As previously mentioned, try to stay off of the newly prepared beds as much as
possible to minimize soil compaction. Walk around the outside of the beds or
stay on the designated access paths when planting and mulching. I often lay
small pieces of plywood down and stand on them when planting in large areas
that are not accessible from outside the bed, or when the soil is moist.In a large, complex design like
this walled heirloom garden, all
the available plants are
assembled together, pulled, and
placed, starting at one end and
moving down along the border.
The largest woody plants were
planted before the perennials
and annuals and served as
anchors. In addition, a single
species was selected as an
edging plant (similar to a
low-hedge plant; usually
mounded, providing softness to
the margins of a bed or border)
and was placed prior to the
other herbaceous plants. This
design took an assistant and me
an entire day to lay out.