plant spacing rules in border, for different plants
djjjuk
Posts: 211
hi,
i have a small(?!) list of plants id perhaps like to fill a long thin border with. i have grouped them by soil requirement and have a range of heights and widths to attempt to create a bit of a kind of tiered look about it.
looking at the spacing rules between each plant, however, doesnt appear to leave much room to actually put much in it. the border is around 6.5m by 0.6m. the border is edged by fence one side, grass and edging slabs the other.
im wanting to plant a collection of (with spacing between each plant in brackets)
Echinacea (45cm)
Verbena Bonariensis (30cm)
Salvia(s) (25cm)
Lavender (?)
Sage (45cm)
Thyme (25cm)
Oregano (30cm)
as the border is thin, at around 60cm im not sure i can actually achieve this unless i plant them in a sort of slight zigzag or in a kind of 'wave' pattern, planting effectively in one row but say, the taller varieties 15cms in from the back and the smaller 15cm in from the front. if that makes sense ...
id also be open to putting some of these in a container or two. as a lot of these prefer dry and well drained soil, whereas i have wet heavy clay which ive tried to improve by mixing in sharp sand to a 1.5ft depth. so at least using a container i can more replicate their soil requirements.
any advice on how to design or plan this kind of arrangement? it would be useful to know aswell, for the containers particularly what size to get and what and how many plants i could put in each. ive been guilty in the past of overfilling pots to the point where you get the worst of both worlds, neither plants are at their best because they are too close and competitive.
thanks 
Posts
The plants you are considering do like very well-drained soil, preferably not heavy clay. I have tried (and failed!) planting them in heavy clay, unless I raised my borders to improve drainage and added loads of grit, light topsoil and bark chips.
This seemed to the trick for me, soil-wise.
Apart from Verbena B., which can grow 6 ft in one season and acts as a brilliant annual filler, the others (bar echinacea, which I know little about), as slow-growing and can be well-contained by cutting back, so in other words are not plants that will invade or grow out of control.
It's good to leave some space in between, when planting, and you can always fill gaps with small annuals until your other plants have grown in.
Maybe stick some bulbs in there too - sternbergia crocuses (bright egg yolk yellow) look fab growing out in between perennials and love sun - they'll come out in Autumn and self-colonise.
be aware though - many of the plants you've selected hate being overly wet and cold over the Winter - I have lost many due to that, and due to planting at ground level in clay.
I find they do best in pots, where I can control the environment for them better.
have a think about adding height to your border too and possibly a feature.
Have a look at this for some planting ideas and above all, don't be afraid of moving things and making mistakes - we all do and it's part of the fun and the process
http://www.doctorgreenfingers.co.uk/How_to_grow_Pruning_tree_surgery_Plant_care/Creating_a_herb_garden.html
For photos:
http://www.gardenonaroll.co.uk/border-styles/mediterranean-border/
I would plant a few Verbena as they could act as continuity through the border. you could plant them in a wave shape as although tall they are see through so will do well at front as well as back of border.
I would also consider planting something against the fence to spread, as this would also act as a bit of continuity through the border.
The plants you suggest should all work well together.
As Verdun says I would not worry too much about spacing, the plants will take a few years to reach full spread and, by then you will probably want to divide or move them.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
hi Jess and Verdun, thanks for the info. by the way i did forget to mention i have also got some french marigold seeds to use in and amongst these as i believe they help with aphids.
Jess, re: sticking these in pots. to be honest i think i will probably go down this road for the smaller of those plants. so perhaps a rosemary and thyme in one, a sage and oregano in another. is there some sort of rule of thumb i can follow for pot size per plant size?
Verdun .. as you might remember from previous posts, i have dug up the heavy clay to about 1.5ft deep and mixed in sharp sand (but not compost as yet). sadly this seems to have backfired somewhat as coupled with the constant rain (including today AGAIN argh) it has gone all cement like. ive decided to leave that area for now until it dries out and settles, so for now i have no idea how that will work out right now really. i have a few ideas for the areas in my head but not much experience or knowledge of implementation, and so creating all these threads so people like yourselves more talented than me can answer really help me to work out what would be best
I would do as already said and plant the herbs in pots, I have sage, thyme and oregano in pots so I know it works.
I would search Google and gardening books for herbaceous perennials that don't mind heavy soil. When it's dry enough then dig in plenty of compost and rotted manure. My veggie garden was clay and after years of digging in rotted horse manure it's now more loam than clay.
Hi Lizzie. thanks. any pearls of wisdom you can pass on re: pot size you use?
Like BL, I use herbs in pots and almost any size will do. Drainage is the most important thing, but the smaller the pot, the more attention the plant will need in terms of watering. I have a pot that's around 15" (40cm) diameter which has rosemary and thyme in it but I've often had a single plant in an 8"/9" pot (20cm)
Depending on the look you prefer, you may want to have a matching set of pots (terracotta or glazed ones for instance) and group a few of differing sizes together or, if you have wide steps, put identical pots down one side of them with a different plant in each.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Worth browsing gardening books and online sites, then downloading or earmarking photos of what you like.
I have a large metal planter about 46cm across, made of oxidised copper, with handles. Got it cheap in a garden Ctr. Bored some holes in it for drainage, filled it HALF FULL of broken crocks. Added compost mixed on with some grit and then packed in 1 purple sage, 1 rosemary, 1 marjoram, 1 thyme and some mini spring bulbs. They do well packed in together also because they like poor soil.
Another nice container could be an old enamelled pot or colander.
Most things can be used.
You can even get aged terracotta pots if you like that look.
Don't be afraid if packing small herb plants into a pot- they look fab.
Very true Verdun
Gradually, over the years, I have learnt to accept the soil I have (also heavy clay) and work with it, rather than battling it.
The plants that do best in my beds are roses, hellebores, fritillaries, ferns, skimmias, heucheras...all the others which are essentially Mediterranean and love sun, dryness and poorer soil go into pots or raised beds.
It works