In the spring I made a similar sized bed, crescent shaped, more or less. I've planted 19 shrubs of varying sizes, some the same as yours, some different. The only hydrangea (Pink Annabelle) that I had has died. I put a load of cardboard between the shrubs and covered it with a thick mulch of compost topped with bark chippings. I haven't had many weeds.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
All planted now, except for bulbs. I managed to get my hands on some flat stones to use as stepping stones for access for weeding, bulb planting etc. I have left approx 1m behind the the shrubs for trimming the hedge. A bit tight, but I have a similar situation with another border and it is manageable. It is going to be quite full when mature, but that's the look I want. Hopefully won't be too full to the point where I have to remove anything
Yes - you can put a bark layer without it affecting your bulbs . The finer stuff is better when you have any smaller, more vulnerable plants, whereas the heavier kind is fine for shrubs. It also breaks down and helps the soil structure Plain brown cardboard is best, but if you're planting bulbs, it's not a good idea to use it on top of those.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I was just looking at Oak leaf hydrangeas this week,it says they grow to 2mt.we put a variagated Acer in our last garden, given to use in a 2lt pot,after 8 years it was 3mt tall
I recently planted ceratostigma plumbaginoides as ground cover and the cardboard had already rotted and disappeared. The soil had improved too. I only planted it and mulched it in the spring, wasn't expecting a result so quickly.
One problem was that the blackbirds chuck the bark chips around and onto the lawn. Hydrangea "Annabelle" died, but it was on the cheap shelf at the SM. I'm in SW France, lawns aren't great here!
The photos make it look narrower than it is, 3.5m at the widest in the middle. The spirea on the right is bigger because I brought from my old house.
April
September
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
I can't recall ever seeing an Oak Leaf Hydrangea much taller than around 1.2m in real life, usually somewhat wider than tall though. If they can get to 2 x 2.5m I assume it will take them a while. Always a pain spacing shrubs, you don't want to be staring at gaps for years and years while they develop, as much as you want to save yourself the maintenance of pruning and transplanting them to create space down the line. To me it looks like you've struck a decent balance. Things like your Euonymus can become underplanting to the larger shrubs as they mature
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Mine [oak leaf hydrangeas] are around 1.5 metres, but a bigger spread, although I moved one so it's been cut back. They're quite slow growing. In suitable conditions for good growth though. Room for both to be much bigger if that happens. I never prune them, apart from taking off any little dead bits after winter, or any crossing branches.
I've had them for about 6 years, and they were good sized shrubs [10 litre pots] bought from my local nursery. I agree - it's always a slow process with shrubs for those reasons @Loxley, but some bulbs and any groundcover, that can be gleaned from elsewhere, helps. I have some sacrificial geraniums and heucheras for that purpose.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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Plain brown cardboard is best, but if you're planting bulbs, it's not a good idea to use it on top of those.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I recently planted ceratostigma plumbaginoides as ground cover and the cardboard had already rotted and disappeared. The soil had improved too. I only planted it and mulched it in the spring, wasn't expecting a result so quickly.
One problem was that the blackbirds chuck the bark chips around and onto the lawn.
Hydrangea "Annabelle" died, but it was on the cheap shelf at the SM. I'm in SW France, lawns aren't great here!
The photos make it look narrower than it is, 3.5m at the widest in the middle. The spirea on the right is bigger because I brought from my old house.
April
September
I've had them for about 6 years, and they were good sized shrubs [10 litre pots] bought from my local nursery.
I agree - it's always a slow process with shrubs for those reasons @Loxley, but some bulbs and any groundcover, that can be gleaned from elsewhere, helps. I have some sacrificial geraniums and heucheras for that purpose.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...