| Author | Content |
dave
Jacksonville, TX
(Zone 8a)
 June 2, 2008
5:50 AM Post #5039632
| There are a total of 594 votes:
| I cram them together to create a lush, full look
(188 votes, 31%) |  |
| I try to space them so they have room to grow and fill in
(341 votes, 57%) | |
| I have more ground than plants, so I stretch them out
(38 votes, 6%) | |
| Other?
(27 votes, 4%) | |
|
Previous Polls |
laurawege
Wayland, MA
(Zone 6a)
June 2, 2008
6:03 AM Post #5039643
| I am hopeless plant collector I it is not unusual for me to be walking around my property looking for a place to plant my latest find . So I Voted I cram them together : ) 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
saanansandy
Sue, RI
(Zone 6a)
June 2, 2008
7:31 AM Post #5039766
| I voted to try and space them so they have room to grow-although that's partly so I can get the roto-tiller in there! |
okus
New York(UK!)Lincoln
(United Kingdom)
(Zone 8b)
June 2, 2008
7:32 AM Post #5039771
| I try and space the perenials and shrubs out with room to grow and then infill the gaps with annuals and short lived perennials that won't be a problem when the main plants get bigger. BUT then I take a trip out, see another must have, and of course it has to go in somewhere!!
Right now we have a new large garden so loads of space. Next year and the year after will be fine but after that I shall be back to trying to find a few inches of spare ground again.
This message was edited Jun 2, 2008 12:33 PM |
SongsofJoy
New Hampshire, NH
(Zone 5b)
June 2, 2008
7:49 AM Post #5039862
| Oh good. I'm not alone. I am a hopeless crammer. I KNOW it will be more work later when I have to dig them up and move them somewhwere else because they're too crowded, but I just can't help myself! |
ChefMama
Avon, IN
June 2, 2008
8:09 AM Post #5039923
| I cram them in so that it will only be a short time before I have to divide them. What a bummer to need to start a new garden at that time!!!! (YIPEE!) It also helps keep down the weeds and need for mulch. |
crimsontsavo
Crossville, TN
(Zone 7a)
June 2, 2008
8:21 AM Post #5039945
| I cram those buggers. Consider garden a catholic family at supper. No elbow space!
More flowers= less weeding.  |
Elphaba
Houston, TX
June 2, 2008
8:31 AM Post #5039976
| I think that I'm giving the plants plenty of space but it never works out that way. They always grow bigger and fuller than I expected. I decided last winter that I was going to be a diligent pruner to get everything in order. It turns out that when I prune stuff it just comes back even bigger and more out of control than ever.
I also sometimes think that a plant is dead, and I put something else in that spot and then the original plant comes back.
Crimsontsavo, if the weeds do make an appearance, I tend to think they're pretty and I let them grow too!
Laura, I dont' know how many times I've asked if there is a 12 step program for plant collectors! Your garden looks beautiful and it looks to me like you could still cram some more stuff in there! |
crimsontsavo
Crossville, TN
(Zone 7a)
June 2, 2008
8:36 AM Post #5039991
| We have mean weeds here, they like to eat the lovelier plants. LOL |
Murmur
Whidbey Island, WA
(Zone 7a)
June 2, 2008
10:19 AM Post #5040370
| Wish I had the wisdom to space my plants out - but my need for instant gratification wins every time and eventually I end up with things so overgrown, on top of each other, etc., that I have to dig them up and start over somewhere else. Cramming them together, of course. |
got2Bgreen
Coast range of, OR
(Zone 8b)
June 2, 2008
11:08 AM Post #5040580
| I should be cramming mine together to give the weeds as little space as possible but I like giving the plants a little elbow room. |
randbponder
Hornick, IA
(Zone 4b)
June 2, 2008
11:12 AM Post #5040602
| Would you believe, I voted Other because it is all the above for me. and there is one more category I could include. I don't have the slightest idea as to how to make a show stopper arrangement for all the plants I would like to have. I have an acre to play with. about 1/4th is veggie garden. That I do know how to space. I am working on a shade garden and every thing in there is kind of hap hazard. I keep hoping it will look nice on its own. LOL |
victorgardener
Lower Hudson Valley, NY
(Zone 6b)
June 2, 2008
11:38 AM Post #5040741
| If they're not smearing their DNA on each other, they're too far apart. |
yardqueen1948
Emory, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 2, 2008
12:16 PM Post #5040950
| I voted crammer... Seems like a lot voted for space, but only us crammers are posting...LOL Do you think that means something, like crammers talk too much also?
I do a good bit of foliage bed in shade and they just beg to be crammed together. They just look better that way.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Fairy1004
(bestest fairy)Tempe, MI
(Zone 5b)
June 2, 2008
12:53 PM Post #5041110
| I am a bit of everything... |
staceysmom
(GayLynn) Appleton, WI
(Zone 5a)
June 2, 2008
1:19 PM Post #5041242
| I start out my new beds like I should... lots of space for them to grow. Then I make a run to the garden store and some how come home with a plant (or 2, or 3) that I just have to have and don't have room for and I'm back to cramming. |
crimsontsavo
Crossville, TN
(Zone 7a)
June 2, 2008
1:31 PM Post #5041295
| If it isn't smooshed then i dont consider it a garden haha. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
brigidlily
Lumberton, TX
(Zone 8b)
June 2, 2008
2:18 PM Post #5041506
| Companion planting = close planting! My tomato bed right now is without question the best single bed I've ever had -- STUFFED with tomatoes, monarda, basil, carrots, and marigolds. I'm picking at least a half dozen tomatoes a day. And this is a 2 x 6 bed! But I voted "other" because I don't feel I planted things that closely. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Bookerc1
Mackinaw, IL
(Zone 5a)
June 2, 2008
2:19 PM Post #5041509
| Well, I voted "TRY to space them out" because I really do TRY, but if I stepped back and took an honest look at my garden, I'd have to change it to "cram" because those things that used to have plenty of room have grown until they're all mixed in together. I think I got a "cottage" look without even knowing what it was!
This year was my worst, as far as coming home with more and more plants. My DH even noticed (and complained) and it takes a lot for him to notice that anything outside has changed! It started last fall when I spent all my birthday money on bulbs, and just escalated from there.
|
Sofonisba
Putnam County, NY
(Zone 6a)
June 2, 2008
2:32 PM Post #5041557
| I'm a crammer. |
Hyblaean
Niles, IL
(Zone 5b)
June 2, 2008
2:44 PM Post #5041597
| Victorgardener- ROFL!! I agree :D |
jeffinsgf
Brighton, MO
(Zone 6a)
June 2, 2008
3:07 PM Post #5041731
| I voted "Other", because I worry to much about what's written on the seed packets and plant tags. In the flower garden, I try to live by the recommended spacing, but then stand back, look at it, envision a season or two of growth, and go ahead and cram some more in anyway. In the vegetable garden, I have been freed from the yoke of seed packet spacing by the fact that I am gardening in raised beds. Most of the available writings on the subject say that you can use much tighter spacing in raised beds. I hope they're right, because my pepper and tomato bed is quickly turning into one giant tangle of vines, onion and carrot tops, blossoms and young fruit.
On the other end of the spectrum, I have holes in my back yard perennial beds that I just can't seem to fill. Either I can't make up my mind what to use, or something I try fails, or I see the expansion of one grouping and feel the need to leave it some room for further growth.
Some day I'll get it all just right...maybe next year. |
trackinsand
Umatilla, FL
(Zone 9a)
June 2, 2008
3:09 PM Post #5041740
| i have the best intentions of leaving some space but then i look at that "space" and think, "shoot, i could get two more plants in there easy", so obviously i too am a crammer. |
dmj1218
west Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)
June 2, 2008
3:15 PM Post #5041765
| closer they grow--the less they need to be weeded
I do not think the weeds around here are at all attractive, so I definitely don't want to give them an inch of room to grow |
aliceisoutside
Lafayette, LA
(Zone 9a)
June 2, 2008
3:23 PM Post #5041808
| It is so comforting to read all of your replys. I agree with everyone! I voted "proper spacing" because the school teacher in me thinks by the book. This is the way I start my beds and this is the advice I give to friends who ask. However, the plant-a-holic in me can't stop bringing home new plants! I don't have one of everything yet and new a new plant makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. :) I may need an intervention but the reality is...I cram. Should I change my vote? My justification is that cramed plants have shaded roots which help them to endure our smoldering southern Louisiana summers. Hey! That sounds like a book! |
LariAnn
Miami, FL
(Zone 10a)
June 2, 2008
4:00 PM Post #5041938
| If you still have lawn areas, you still don't have enough plants! Also, if you can walk between your plants without a machete, you've got way too much space in there! |
Sheila_FW
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 2, 2008
4:11 PM Post #5041991
| I voted "spaced them out", but to look at my yard you can't tell that. But it did start out that way. Lately there is always that one plant I don't have that I really need/want everytime we have a swap I try to hold back, but it is just too tempting. Right now I have about 14 flower beds most are over 20 foot long one wraps around two sides of my house and another 80 foot across the back of the property. Still looking to put yet another one or two in I am ashamed to say. After two back surgeries for me and one for DH you would think we would be wiser. |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 2, 2008
4:12 PM Post #5042004
| Are you supposed to follow the spacing directions for plants and seeds? I thought that was a tee hee like the comic that comes with bubble gum.
Dahlia nut
aka 'cramming is my life' |
jjpm74
Stratford, CT
(Zone 6b)
June 2, 2008
7:28 PM Post #5042818
| A little of each of the first two choices. I'm cheap, so I go with quart size plants when they're on sale and let them fill in over the course of a few years, but I like the cottage look and have gotten my patio and side garden to look more like a meadow than a formal garden over the past 5 years. |
roybird
Santa Fe, NM
June 2, 2008
7:37 PM Post #5042846
| I'm a crammer. I have a small, sunny front yard and a small, shady back yard. When things begin to look unhappy I thin them out. If I get any space I am excited because I can fill it. I always have refugees in pots to give out to other crammers or newbies! |
soapwort243
South Milwaukee, WI
June 2, 2008
7:59 PM Post #5042958
| Unfortunately-I CRAM THEM. Some grow over the tops of others. |
kimarj
(Kim) Philadelphi, PA
(Zone 6a)
June 2, 2008
8:21 PM Post #5043110
| Crammer : } |
music2keep
Peterstown, WV
(Zone 6a)
June 2, 2008
9:01 PM Post #5043437
| Some things...I cram. I think it makes them bloom sooner. Then again, some things I space out.
Annuals = Cram
Perennials = Space |
trillium612
(Zone 4b)
June 2, 2008
9:16 PM Post #5043515
| I cram! But mostly due to having gotten too many free plants at once and I had to get them in the ground. Now I will be dividing and creating new gardens for years to come!!! Like alot of people have said, I hate weeds and we have some big weed problems. Cramming gets the spots filled faster and shades out weeds of the future. |
Early_Bloomer
Springboro, PA
(Zone 5a)
June 2, 2008
11:08 PM Post #5044171
| Cram...
early_bloomer
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Sashagirl
by the Muddy Miss., IA
(Zone 5a)
June 2, 2008
11:12 PM Post #5044189
| I generally grow enough to cram them together, then yank some out when they get too thick!
Sasha |
KaylyRed
Watertown, WI
(Zone 5a)
June 2, 2008
11:53 PM Post #5044433
| I admit it...I'm a crammer. I rarely follow the spacing guidelines with plants. When something crowds something else I get out the shovel or trowel and move things around. I'm not opposed to digging. My only failing is trying to remember what I'd decided last fall that I should move come springtime. When spring arrives I'm usually staring at my beds going, "Now, what was it I thought I should move?" |
Lastelf
Baltimore, MD
(Zone 7a)
June 3, 2008
12:09 AM Post #5044503
| I'm a crammer. I don't give a second thought to digging up a crowded plant and moving it to another location. |
palmbob
Tarzana, CA
(Zone 9b)
 June 3, 2008
1:24 AM Post #5044747
| I cram them together but certainly not to create a lush look, but that is all the room I have... had a unlimited room I would surely space them out.
I even had to brick pathways to forceably leave myself places to walk
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
palmbob
Tarzana, CA
(Zone 9b)
June 3, 2008
1:25 AM Post #5044751
| Here's another shot showing more crammed plants, with many hanging in pots since I ran out of room 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
palmbob
Tarzana, CA
(Zone 9b)
June 3, 2008
1:28 AM Post #5044756
| yet another shot of a crammed planter box 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
LostIndian
Algonac, MI
June 3, 2008
3:59 AM Post #5044868
| Depends on the plant! Spread, height, air circulation. etc., dictate what space the plant needs...and gets. |
onewish1
Denville, NJ
(Zone 6a)
June 3, 2008
5:49 AM Post #5044931
| I space them out so they have room to grow... and save the cramming for planters & pots... if the spot hasn't filled in yet I will tuck a pot in between the bedding plants |
MollyMc
Archer/Bronson, FL
(Zone 8b)
June 3, 2008
5:52 AM Post #5044936
| I voted "Other".
When I first get a plant I give it the space recommended by the plant vendor feeling assured they will fill in the space.
It may take up to 3 years for any given plant to thrive or die and I get so tired of looking at the 'tween bare ground so proceed to cram any and all things in those spots.
Oh, and if the weeds in the 'tween are pretty they get to stay.
:^))) |
irishbelle
Orange County, NY
(Zone 5b)
June 3, 2008
7:22 AM Post #5045083
| A little of each. It depends on the bed, my mood and what I find that I suddenly "can't live without." Currently trying to cram two impulse tree peony purchases in somewhere, but the horror -- I think I have to start a new bed ;-) |
foggywalk
marshville,, NC
(Zone 8a)
June 3, 2008
10:25 AM Post #5045796
|
Oh Cram! Definitely!! I like a garden to look like its been there a year or two...not JUST planted...& cramming does that. Delighted to know so many share my vice,.
Victor said it all...hee hee hee
Foggy |
KaylyRed
Watertown, WI
(Zone 5a)
June 3, 2008
10:35 AM Post #5045838
| Hey, Foggy--who says it's a vice? I consider it a...a...style. ;) |
grampapa
Wheatfield, NY
(Zone 6a)
June 3, 2008
10:39 AM Post #5045854
| I want to be a crammer ;0) I used to be a spacer, but everything looks so empty and I'm getting tired of waiting. Then last year I started a cottage garden and cramming is what it's all about LOL. So I'm a crammer-in-training. |
Marcy_1
New Madison, OH
(Zone 5a)
June 3, 2008
10:46 AM Post #5045875
| Well I had good intentions of being a 'spacer' when I started my new front garden. Do you know how long that lasted?????? Not even one season! So I guess I am just a 'crammer' at heart! |
staceysmom
(GayLynn) Appleton, WI
(Zone 5a)
June 3, 2008
11:03 AM Post #5045948
| You can say that again Marcy_1... and again, and again, and again! |
Sashagirl
by the Muddy Miss., IA
(Zone 5a)
June 3, 2008
11:29 AM Post #5046084
| LOL Marcy,
Are you trying to "pad" our vote?!
Are we "Crammers" the only ones to admit we have a problem.
Hello, my name is sasha and I am a Crammer...giggle |
KatG
Port Charlotte, FL
(Zone 10a)
June 3, 2008
11:38 AM Post #5046134
| I'm kind of thiinking...I might be a crammer! hehe 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
digger9083
Dahlonega, GA
June 3, 2008
12:09 PM Post #5046311
| kat , love the look. i'm an other because i like the shade stuff ,and i have a lot of sun that takes different shrubs. crammed in the shade , spaced in the sun. sally |
roybird
Santa Fe, NM
June 3, 2008
12:09 PM Post #5046320
| I love seeing all the crammed and spaced gardens! Are crammers also writers? Looks like. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
roybird
Santa Fe, NM
June 3, 2008
12:13 PM Post #5046346
| Gosh, that looks kinda minimal. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
KaperC
No. San Diego Co., CA
(Zone 10b)
June 3, 2008
12:20 PM Post #5046401
| I should have voted Other. We do have more land than we need, but we used some up on our pond, so we were glad to have enough for that! It's also 99% full sun, which cuts down on what we can plant. Then there's the fact that we live in a fire danger area. We're supposed to keep the area around the house clear (sure...) and have unplanted paths (we do) and space between plantings (yep). We have one area that is closely planted - ever seen a CA native Salvia that's happy? lol Also, we live on disturbed land, so some plants grow to their full potential, while others just struggle.
Salvia "Pozo Blue" 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
MySharona
Fernandina Beach, FL
(Zone 9a)
June 3, 2008
12:29 PM Post #5046481
| I'm a crammer too! LOL! |
dogwalker
Marlborough, MA
(Zone 5b)
June 3, 2008
12:38 PM Post #5046540
| What starts out as a well planned, spaced garden turns into a "pig pile" as I see that ONE MORE plant that I have to have!
Just called me crammer I guess.
Chuck |
philomel
Termes d'Armagnac
(France)
(Zone 8a)
June 3, 2008
1:22 PM Post #5046770
| I voted other only because, although basically a plantaholic crammer, I have an area covered with small pebbles where I grow grasses, iceland poppies and other goodies separately so the form of the plant isn't lost and they can sway freely in the breeze. Well, that's the theory ;o)) |
KaperC
No. San Diego Co., CA
(Zone 10b)
June 3, 2008
1:56 PM Post #5046929
| That sounds pretty! |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
June 3, 2008
3:01 PM Post #5047201
| I start by carefully planning and planting, then always get carried away and have more plants/seeds than room, so in they go.
Guess that makes me a latent crammer, eh? |
mmistyrose
Benton, KS
(Zone 6a)
June 3, 2008
3:28 PM Post #5047317
| I don't think it's that the crammers are more talkative LOL I think those that space just need to weed more and that's what takes time away from talking as much HAHAHAHAHA
My veggie garden is spaced...and yes, at the moment over run with grass and weeds because of all the rain. I have to wait for the ground to dry enough that I don't sink too far into the ground when I weed! I am thinking that cramming or not spacing so much is probably something I might try next year ;-) |
drapelady
Denham Springs, LA
(Zone 8b)
June 3, 2008
3:43 PM Post #5047401
| Thanks to all you crammers for showing pics. I agree they look fabulous all together.
I too cram. |
seeker1
Philadelphia, PA
(Zone 6b)
June 3, 2008
4:33 PM Post #5047613
| Oh..mmistyrose...you're so wrong, Dear. We spacers don't spend our time weeding. Spacers simply don't have 'Fear of Weed' syndrome! After-all, did not some wise person say that "A weed is just a plant whose properties have not been appreciated." (Or something like that.) :)
I've got several very interesting weeds growing in my garden.
Want some? LOL! |
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
June 3, 2008
8:18 PM Post #5048611
| You would not feel that way if you lived in the Mojave Desert. I put other because I have a large 5/8 acre lot but in the desert you can get overwhelmed and not see much difference unless you pick a spot at a time or two. If I want to see something look more established I will cram it all up and put filler plants, it will have plants that will spread upward or reseed itself so who cares, if I don't want that next time, I'll get the seedlings and replace them with other stuff next time.
I have other areas that need a lot of room and they don't transplant well so they are way spread out and frustrating to weed and keep those darn elm seedling from popping up every blank canvas they can. |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
June 3, 2008
8:55 PM Post #5048830
| I'm a crammer and admit it freely.
This year my goal has been to NOT BUY any plants. I took this photo the other day and thought to myself, it's a good thing I gave myself that challenge!
So far, the only thing I've purchased is herbs and vegetables, which are in containers.
This is one island. Everywhere I look, I see the same crammed look.
Janet
ps Victor, your comment about smearing their DNA on each other is truly priceless!
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Kittylover
Carrollton, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 3, 2008
9:31 PM Post #5049008
| I'm a crammer - I agree with above thoughts - less weeding - looks lusher - small yard - and even if you space they grow and they're crammed! I guess I don't have the patience to get the look I want - I don't want to wait six months for them to grow - I want instant gratification - step back and admire
Kitty |
MissFabulous
Dunkirk, NY
(Zone 6a)
June 3, 2008
10:07 PM Post #5049207
| I would have had to vote cram if not for the word TRY in the part about spacing them! I always try to picture ahead and give enough room, then I come back and look at the new plantings later and realize they're still too close, but I TRY! I've inherited an old property with a lot of trees and other things that were planted too close, so I'm TRYING to learn from those mistakes! I also have more ground than pants, but I haven't reached the point where i'm actually spreading things out though! |
bigcityal
Menasha, WI
(Zone 5a)
June 3, 2008
10:12 PM Post #5049233
| I used to cram them together, some suffered and I got rid of ones I didn't like over the years to help. |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 3, 2008
10:23 PM Post #5049299
| ok what's with this? Why are we crammers getting our butts kicked in the poll?? Is it cheating to recruit crammers for more votes?? OMG I'm getting competative about cramming vs. non-cramming. Sorry stuck in a monsoon so getting a little punchy |
KatG
Port Charlotte, FL
(Zone 10a)
June 3, 2008
10:25 PM Post #5049313
| I'm thinking the same thing Dalianut! I think us crammers are just more honest! hehe |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 3, 2008
10:28 PM Post #5049331
| and this particular crammer seems to have a hiccup in her posting technique too LOL |
KatG
Port Charlotte, FL
(Zone 10a)
June 3, 2008
10:31 PM Post #5049360
| I'm also a "pot crammer" too! 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
June 3, 2008
10:38 PM Post #5049397
| Hey cramming is more fun for most of us impatient people. I have a couple of plants that are so big that now when they seed they block the paths. I am going to have snakes come soon and get me when watering. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
KatG
Port Charlotte, FL
(Zone 10a)
June 3, 2008
10:42 PM Post #5049417
| hellnzn11 - Is that what happens when you cram??? Arrrrrrgghhhh |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 3, 2008
10:49 PM Post #5049472
| Well that's just funky weirdness hellnzn11. WHO KNEW that happens in southern climes! Is s*n*a*k*e a 4-letter work like h*a*i*l? and to think I'd get really excited if I saw a toad (no reptiles in the here sigh). |
KatG
Port Charlotte, FL
(Zone 10a)
June 3, 2008
10:56 PM Post #5049512
| I am going through a big SNAKE month...Gotta say though, I'd rather them than rats! This is the bed where the caladium photo earlier is...can you imagine what's under them now? 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 3, 2008
11:00 PM Post #5049540
| I hear you Kat about rats (both ground and tree) EEEEEEWWWWWW! I think I could handle a snake or 2 as long as they didn't eat the crazy ole cat...or me. |
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
June 3, 2008
11:03 PM Post #5049563
| groase black snakes. The ones in my pix were supposedly found 2 miles from here and are Mojave Green Rattlers |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 3, 2008
11:20 PM Post #5049664
| I take it that's not good hellnzn11? Sorry our Canadian rattlers aren't really too scary. |
KatG
Port Charlotte, FL
(Zone 10a)
June 3, 2008
11:28 PM Post #5049720
| Eeeewwww. I don't mean to gross you out, but my 4 1/2 lb little female Yorkie pulverized one of these buggers the other day!
This message was edited Jun 3, 2008 11:32 PM
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
KatG
Port Charlotte, FL
(Zone 10a)
June 3, 2008
11:31 PM Post #5049849
| Never underestimate a huntress wearing a pink scarf ! hahahaha.
After getting rid of the lifeless snake...this is the view I had for 3 hours solid while I was working out in the garden! Good dog!
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 3, 2008
11:34 PM Post #5049866
| psssssssst does Dave ever jump in and say "heh you kids get out of that jello tree" ie. get back on topic? Just wondering. Is there a Dave? Just wondering that too. |
KatG
Port Charlotte, FL
(Zone 10a)
June 3, 2008
11:38 PM Post #5049899
| Ooooooops...Dave is definitely here! But I guess he just can't be everywhere at one time! hahahaha
I'M A CRAMMER!
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 3, 2008
11:49 PM Post #5049958
| An a beatiful crammer you are too! ABSOLUTELY FABBY katg!! I'm greeeeeeen. I don't think I can grown any of those here LOL |
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
June 4, 2008
12:39 AM Post #5050196
| Love that pix Kat. Hey my So you think you can dance was not on. :(.
That pink scarfed loonie. |
KatG
Port Charlotte, FL
(Zone 10a)
June 4, 2008
12:54 AM Post #5050222
| hehehe~she is a loon! |
digger9083
Dahlonega, GA
June 4, 2008
7:07 AM Post #5050660
| kat, the pic of your pooch, the planter in the background with purple red plant , we call that a chicken liver .yours is the only other one i've ever seen .what do you call it? i take cuttings every year to keep it going.sally ps, sorry dave, had to know,next time,dmail |
hemlady
Melvindale, MI
(Zone 5a)
June 4, 2008
9:48 AM Post #5051331
| With very limited space, I am a crammer. |
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
June 4, 2008
11:33 AM Post #5051959
| Yeah cause they never read dmails. Not! |
digger9083
Dahlonega, GA
June 4, 2008
11:43 AM Post #5052035
| i don't care if they read mine . i know they don't like for me to clutter up the threads,some times i just get carried away. thank goodness,i'm normal.( i think.) lol sally |
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
June 4, 2008
11:58 AM Post #5052127
| That is why you need to go on the parking lot and talk on Best/worst or a few others that talk about everything all over the spectrum |
figaro52
Oak Lawn, IL
(Zone 5a)
June 4, 2008
12:15 PM Post #5052241
| Despite my efforts to space them, they look "crammed together" after a couple of years! |
UniQueTreasures
Beaumont, TX
(Zone 8b)
June 4, 2008
12:48 PM Post #5052427
| So... Where are all of these "spacers" we're seeing in the votes. Everything I've read so far has been by the crammers like myself.
Janet |
Kittylover
Carrollton, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 4, 2008
3:06 PM Post #5053023
| I don't think there are as many as they would have us believe- I'm with Dahlianut and Kat - we are more honest - Maybe they are weeding - Spacers Where are you? |
bgrumbin
Barstow, CA
(Zone 9a)
June 4, 2008
3:46 PM Post #5053164
| "Officially" I'm a spacer. I *try* to allow enough space around each plant for it to grow to the full size that the PlantFiles and other sources indicate that it wants to grow. I'm not always that good about adhering to that policy, especially as I began discovering the numerous environmental enemies that my plants have here in the midst of the Mojave Desert (high temperatures, ultra bright long day sunlight, arid conditions only partially compensated for in one Pretty Flowers Row by a soaker system, ferocious winds sustained for hours on end regularly whipping through my land at 40 mph and higher) which tend to prevent them from ever reaching full size.
It is only in my Pretty Flowers Row where I have been able to provide any defense at all against some of the environmental conditions: afternoon shade provided by the garage next to which it is growing, brickwork wind break walls at each end of the planting row which help "some" to minimize wind damage, and the soaker system which I run as often as twice a day when it is especially hot. So bottom line is that I voted for "spacing" but tend to be a little skimpy on what I provide because of experience with not getting things to grow to full hoped for size.
|
docgipe
NORTH CENTRAL PENNSY, PA
(Zone 5a)
June 4, 2008
3:52 PM Post #5053195
| I like to give them early growing space so that their peak for our guests to peek is about the middle of the season when we burn the most weiners and have the most friends in to enjoy the show. When the wear out my compost piles start to grow and I mulch for the winter if not using a cover crop. It's like a circus setting it all up again in the spring. It's like getting up each morning when I realize I'm still alive. I like to tinker the beds in the early spring. |
dmac085
Greensboro, NC
(Zone 7a)
June 4, 2008
6:16 PM Post #5054027
| Due to space considerations and plant buying eyes being bigger than my garden--I am a consistant crammer and proud of it:lol: |
KatG
Port Charlotte, FL
(Zone 10a)
June 4, 2008
6:22 PM Post #5054068
| Thank-you DMAC! |
mellielong
Lutz, FL
(Zone 9b)
June 4, 2008
6:23 PM Post #5054075
| Wow! There are a lot of crammers on here. I am a spacer. First of all, I'm cheap so I buy small plants and let them grow. I also have that luxury seeing as how my growing season is nearly year-round. However, because I live in an incredibly hot, humid climate, if I didn't give my plants decent air flow they would all die in this weather. Do the rest of you not have mildew or mold? Or humidity, LOL! The only time I plant things close is if I plant a taller plant to shade my shorter plants.
Melanie |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 4, 2008
6:30 PM Post #5054113
| Yes to be fair to spacers, it's hard to be a crammer in humid or wet conditions and still have healthy plants. It's bone dry here mellielong so I can cram to my hearts content. |
Kittylover
Carrollton, TX
(Zone 8a)
June 4, 2008
6:30 PM Post #5054117
| No humidity here mellielong! - every drop they don't drink evaporates - Here they huddle together and hide from the airflow - Today I think it might blow them away - Yesterday I had to move the petunias out of the sun - they were shriveling
Kitty |
roybird
Santa Fe, NM
June 4, 2008
7:03 PM Post #5054260
| Dry, dry here and not much space, either. Crammer conditions! |
margaran
(Maggie) Jacksonvill, FL
(Zone 9a)
June 4, 2008
8:41 PM Post #5054771
| SOJ- I'd rather dig up a few crammed plants than weed, and weed, and weed, and weed!!!!
Maggie |
Erynne
Erin, ON
(Zone 5a)
June 4, 2008
9:35 PM Post #5055030
| I leave enough space for my Hostas to grow but not so much as would be the ideal amount. Spaces really bother me because it just reminds me how immature my garden is, especially this one because I just moved here 19 days ago ;)
Erynne
P.S I have other plants too and I'll happily cram those! |
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
June 4, 2008
10:28 PM Post #5055400
| bgrumbin we almost said the same point only you described the issues in more detail, but likewise.
We talked before, it is heck in the Mojave Desert to garden, in pots or otherwise w/out a good micro climate and more. I freely admitted to both scenarios that is why I put other. There is just too much whining we can do and nobody would get until they Have It.
That is why your grumblin and my zone is from Hades. Sunset Zone btw, you crammers won't get why I identify w/ the Sunset zones, but grumbin would. |
tropicsofohio
Hilliard, OH
(Zone 6b)
June 4, 2008
11:13 PM Post #5055716
| I CANT WAIT TO MOVE AND TEAR UP SUMMORE GRASS TO CRAM 40 PLANTS INTO 3 SQ. FEET!! lol:) i keep all my large plants, like trees and shrubs spaced out so they can grow comfortably, but when it comes to annuals, i like a lush, bushy carpet of flowers, +, it keeps those pesky weeds out:) |
KatG
Port Charlotte, FL
(Zone 10a)
June 4, 2008
11:22 PM Post #5055768
| Go for it Tropicsofohio...and please post photo's! LOL |
avianut
Omaha, NE
(Zone 5a)
June 4, 2008
11:50 PM Post #5055930
| I'm a spacer- I want the edges of my plants to "just touch", so that they have their own graceful form w/o touching anything else... then again I do hate those brown spaces... |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 5, 2008
12:01 AM Post #5055975
| o fellow crammers I'm STILL not sure how this happened but appears we're gonna get kicked on this pole by the spacers sigh. anyhoo GREAT chatting and sharing with those who aren't on the forums I frequent. Maybe we could have a Crammer chat reunion one day LOL? |
KatG
Port Charlotte, FL
(Zone 10a)
June 5, 2008
12:44 AM Post #5056105
| Ummmm...the numbers don't look good DahliaNUT. Can we start a Crammer forum?
And you know that the "spacers" will try to infiltrate when their gardens start overgrowing! phhhhfffff! |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 5, 2008
1:06 AM Post #5056148
| LOL Kate I think we have to recognize that alot of the spacers got swayed on the " try" part of the question. Personally I think there are many spacers that are crammers at heart. Like we don't all "TRY"! (well I never do but work with me ) I think we're hooped on the pole no doubt about it sigh. RECOUNT without "TRY" in the spacer option please DAVE!!! ok now I'm a radical Crammer LOL |
bgrumbin
Barstow, CA
(Zone 9a)
June 5, 2008
1:36 AM Post #5056207
| hellnzn11 of Rosamond, CA (Zone 8b) lives just a little southwest of me and so knows exactly what I'm talking about when I say the word "arid". I would have been amazed sometimes at the things that people elsewhere can get away with, relying on the environment to provide moisture that we simply haven't got at all ever, but for the fact that I used to reside in some of those areas or have travelled there and know what it's like.
The one thing that pleases me, relative to your comments about "good micro climate", is that the combination I set up of brickwork wind break walls on both ends, partial protection from the leeward side of the garage both from the afternoon sun and from some of the ferocious winds, and the newest element the soaker system, has enabled me to place three new coleii in my Pretty Flowers Row (originally intended to be "Coleus Row") and they have actually survived for almost two weeks now without shrivelling up and dying. They are likely, I think, to have to do some reorganizing to smaller leaves in the long run, but considering that my first attempt with coleii was shrivelled and gone within three days, I feel like my "good micro climate" has done wonders for my prospects.
As for the Sunset Zone vs USDA zones, the whole thing revolves around not "how cold" it gets in winter (USDA zones) but on "how HOT" it gets and how long it stays hot Hot HOT! during the daytime. We're currently going through a period of near or above 100 degrees every day, hence hellnzn11's referring to our area as "from Hades". With, I might add, sustained 40 mph winds and stronger to make the evaporative and dessicating process even more severe than the heat alone would.
|
1AnjL
(AnjL) Fremont, CA
(Zone 9b)
June 5, 2008
2:43 AM Post #5056276
| I'm a crammer! figure if there is no room for weeds, they wont grow? 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
iamakylady53
Louisville, KY
(Zone 6a)
June 5, 2008
9:45 AM Post #5057095
| The comment...if you can see lawn or can walk thru without a machete is a riot! It is so true. I'm a spacer/crammer... |
psychw2
Boise, ID
(Zone 6a)
June 5, 2008
12:04 PM Post #5057771
| I live on a tiny lot and hope to have ALL the grass gone soon. I TRIED to give everything room, I spaced according to recommended space and ... well... I got more plants and HAD to put them SOMEWHERE. I'm making new flower beds as fast as I can. I hope to have them ALL crammed full before I consider myself DONE! |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 5, 2008
12:37 PM Post #5057906
| WONDERFUL plan psychw2 and true to the Crammer Creed:
1. "If they're not smearing their DNA on each other, they're too far apart" -Victorgarden quote
2.'If it isn't smooshed then i dont consider it a garden" -crimsontsavo quote
3."If you still have lawn areas, you still don't have enough plants!" - LariAnn quote
4 "If you can walk between your plants without a machete, you've got way too much space in there!" - LariAnn quote
edit: any more I missed???
This message was edited Jun 5, 2008 10:37 AM |
psychw2
Boise, ID
(Zone 6a)
June 5, 2008
12:48 PM Post #5057961
| good job of capturing the essense |
june_nmexico
Albuquerque, NM
(Zone 7a)
June 5, 2008
5:29 PM Post #5059152
| I space plants apart in the cheerful but futile hope they will grow madly
and lushly. It never happens and I end up with bare spots or a missing
color. Desert gardening is not for the faint-hearted— or the optimistic. |
roybird
Santa Fe, NM
June 5, 2008
6:04 PM Post #5059317
| June, you said it! I'm a crammer because so many plants in our harsh environment grow to about half the size of "normal" plants! The planting instructions come from Wisconsin or England, perhaps. Dahlia, love the Creed! |
lafko06
Brimfield, MA
(Zone 5a)
June 5, 2008
7:51 PM Post #5059826
| I cram them in and move them to a bigger space when they look ridiculous. |
Tallulah_B
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3b)
June 5, 2008
8:07 PM Post #5059939
| music2keep - I agree, cram annuals, and space perennials! Those perennials keep getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger... Yaaaaaaaaaaay!!
Early_Bloomer - your Cleome is beeeeeee-a-u-tiful! And those things cram themselves lol the self-seeding is one of my fav things about 'em!
I got told you couldn't grow them in calgary, so I'm trying to prove that wrong! I planted 6 of them the other day - seem to be doing well. I used to grow 'em in Winnipeg, and they self-seeded like weeds and the funniest thing was the way they drooped a bit, and tickled your neck or tap you on the shoulder if you sat too close. LOL startled some of my coffee friends who sat out in the garden with me :-)
|
gk1153
Paris, IL
(Zone 6a)
June 6, 2008
8:34 AM Post #5062064
| I knew a guy that claimed he was an extrovert with an inferior attitude. Putting a twist on that; I'm a crammer with a spacer attitude. I'd love to cram them together for gratification this year. Another plus would be the extra room it would allow for more varieties and color. I'm relatively new to flower bed gardening so when the directions say space x" apart thats what I do. We started three new gardens this year. I use mulch because I'm too lazy to weed. LOL As I walk around the gardens I think they look barren (and pathetic). Then I remember eight years ago when we drilled a new well. Judy was into ornamental grass at the time so we put six plants, three varieties, in the dirt surrounding the well head to hide it from passersby. I thought it looked barren. The well head stood out like a sore thumb. Now, if we have a pump problem I hope it's between February and April, otherwise a machete will be necessary to get to the well head. I figure the new gardens will fill out in three to five years. I'm not planning on going anywhere. I'll wait.
Thanks for your time.
Gary
|
quiltjean
North Chelmsford, MA
(Zone 6b)
June 6, 2008
12:15 PM Post #5063054
| I voted for leaving space. Ha! I'm sitting at my computer looking down at the garden. It's crammed. This year everything in my area , despite the terrible soil, seems to be lush and overgrown. My worst problem is that I have bulbs that are completely overgrown by the daylilies in front of them. I mean, I expect the daylilies and peonies to cover up the withering foliage, but not the flowers! I discovered a mess of either meadow squills of camassia quamash under a burgeoning peony.
I'm becoming a fan of tiarella cordifolia--it spreads, it's low, it flowers, and then it spreads some more. The weeds have less of a chance once it gets going. |
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
June 6, 2008
12:15 PM Post #5063064
| See Grumble, Nobody even has a comment about what we are saying because we are so far from their reality.
I too know what the other world is like since I lived in the Cleveland area for the first 11 years of my life and still have family back east. they don't own any watering system other than a hose and seldom need use of it but to hose off the car or the side of the house.
You get a lot more of the Monsoon rains than we get, I look with envy to the east and see your lightning and the black sky with the white streaks of rain in August and Sept. and want to chase it just to drive around in it. sigh. |
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
June 6, 2008
12:17 PM Post #5063070
| I love spreading stuff and climbing stuff, they cover over a lot of negative things . |
gk1153
Paris, IL
(Zone 6a)
June 6, 2008
12:54 PM Post #5063256
| For Helen and Grumble,
I wintered in Tucson way back in 89/90 and left there in early Feb going to San Diego, up the coast to Solvang, then back through Barstow to Vegas before coming home. Out there when someone tells you about an interesting rock garden they are talking about the rocks, not the plants among the rocks.
I'll never forget the morning I awakened and saw two inches of snow on the saguero outside my window. The snow was gone by 8 but it is still a pleasant memory.
Gary |
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
June 6, 2008
1:33 PM Post #5063472
| Gary it is gorgeous in Tucson compared to the High desert where we live or Solvang.
Funny about the rock gardens, it is true. Most people give up collecting dead plants and collect dead cars as yard ornaments if you drive around outside the cities in the high desert. :( |
buckimom
Piqua, OH
(Zone 6a)
June 6, 2008
5:06 PM Post #5064391
| I am a crammer. We revamped our gardens in the back a couple of years ago from shade plants to sun because we had to cut down a very old tree that supplied a lot of shade. Here is the butterfly garden;so named for a butterfly bush that is in there somewhere. LOL
This message was edited Jun 6, 2008 5:07 PM
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
sunnyg
San Jose, CA
(Zone 9b)
June 6, 2008
5:28 PM Post #5064541
| Tiny townhouse yard + large appetite for plants + low impulse control at nurseries = another hardcore crammer here ;-)
When we moved here late last summer there wasn’t anything planted at all, so this is only the garden’s first spring…yikes, what have I done? LOL
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
MySharona
Fernandina Beach, FL
(Zone 9a)
June 6, 2008
7:14 PM Post #5065003
| Yep - You are a crammer! LOL!
BTW - I love your frog and turtles!
This message was edited Jun 6, 2008 7:19 PM |
roybird
Santa Fe, NM
June 6, 2008
7:29 PM Post #5065060
| Sunny, that's a sweet little garden! |
Tallulah_B
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3b)
June 6, 2008
8:26 PM Post #5065356
| Oh Sunny... that's so beautiful! Looks like the kind of garden where you sit out with your coffee in the am, to admire the view, and forget to come back in until it's suppertime!!! |
NorthernSeasons
Bozeman, MT
(Zone 4b)
June 6, 2008
9:40 PM Post #5065696
| I space them out, if they're perennials and I crammed them in, if they're annuals. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
June 6, 2008
11:17 PM Post #5066206
| Northern I do the same without hesitation. |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 6, 2008
11:39 PM Post #5066272
| Well it was a valiant competition: Spacer vs. cCammers with Crammers going down big time ALTHOUGH perhaps some Crammers forgot to vote? LOL I'm grasping at straws Just wanted to say again that this is been a fun poll and I've luved the chat before it ends.
|
Texasgal77
Baytown, TX
(Zone 9a)
June 7, 2008
12:56 AM Post #5066439
| I like the Tropical Look, so I vote for cramming!!!! |
ritapg
Seward, AK
(Zone 3b)
June 7, 2008
1:43 AM Post #5066511
| i started out trying to space them, but... heh,heh, got a little more crowded as the years went by.
the last of the daffs and the start of the tulips
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
pdoyle23323
Chesapeake, VA
(Zone 7b)
June 7, 2008
8:10 AM Post #5066915
| Depends on where & what I'm planting. |
digger9083
Dahlonega, GA
June 7, 2008
8:14 AM Post #5066923
| sunnyg,did you do the pond? love it. sally |
fancyvan
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 7, 2008
12:33 PM Post #5067807
| I am so happy to hear there are a multitude of crammers out there - I dont call myself a crammer - I just tell people I dont like to see any dirt! Problem is in the spring I can see lots of dirt so I try to fill it all in and then of course they all start to grow so - I am a crammer and I am not ashamed to admit it. Do we need a crammers annonymous? |
Tallulah_B
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3b)
June 7, 2008
12:37 PM Post #5067820
| hahahaha I thought that's what DG was for, cuz we all love plants, so naturally we want to see More, and More, and More - definition of crammers, doncha agree?
Susan |
Tallulah_B
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3b)
June 7, 2008
1:10 PM Post #5067962
| I voted for spacing, cuz I don't know all the plants that will survive in Calgary, and I'm trying to grow perennials...
I'm re-educating myself to a whole new micro-climate in my yard (a term we never used in Winnipeg!), and to the fact I dare not plant during the Victoria Day w/e.
3 full days of planting is something that's such a ingrained tradition, but I'm moving on...
I've got garden/yard/tree area that had been abused and neglected for so long that I had to prune, and this year it's paying off :-)
My, but my perennials are taking a long time this year to fill out... I seem about 1 month behind all my other neighbours, and They're 1 month behind because of the rain... and snow... BUT my lilacs will bloom, and my irises will Not rot...I hope.
I keep thinking to the future when my garden will be crammed all by itself, but it's "turrible hard" to wait... |
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
June 8, 2008
2:52 AM Post #5070941
| I agree this has been a fun topic with a lot of teasing and everyone had a lot of crap to dole out, and a lot of opinions on the matter.
My take is that we all cram at one time or another, even if we shouldn't. |
congminglaoshi
Tuckahoe, NY
June 8, 2008
7:45 AM Post #5071160
| I am definitely in the cramming group, too little land to grow so many interesting plants. The only outlet I have for expansion at the moment is a school garden at my job that I started last year, and am expanding this year down the adjacent slope. I moved some of the more aggressive spreaders/ and or larger growing plants from the old school garden to the new one, and also have done the same with some plants in my home gardens. Its got poor soil with plenty of gravel and construction leftovers from years ago, but it does have two things in short supply in my gardens at home, lots of sun and no tree roots. One good thing about cramming is that it makes it a lot harder for the weeds to get a hold once the plants grow in, especially if one gets to them early before the canopy closes in. Micromanaging is also sometimes needed to make sure that a particularly choice plant doesn't get overwhelmed by its neighbors.
Some of the plants I grow self sow with abandon, like Lychnis coronaria, Silene armeria, Nicotiana sylvestris, Verbena bonairensis, and some South African species I am growing (a nemesia sp, Senecio inaequidens, and Ursinia nana) among others. They need regular thinning as they develop to get nicer flowering plants.
I abhor straight rows and formal plantings, love the "cottage" look with lots of variety to keep it interesting.
Ernie
|
jadajoy
Newport News, VA
(Zone 7b)
June 8, 2008
9:23 AM Post #5071409
| Baby plants look so lonely all spaced apart. I always think they need company till they get big enough to spread out on their own. Cramming?...how about nesting :-) |
bgrumbin
Barstow, CA
(Zone 9a)
June 8, 2008
10:14 AM Post #5071557
| helnzn11 commented "You get a lot more of the Monsoon rains than we get, I look with envy to the east and see your lightning and the black sky with the white streaks of rain in August and Sept. and want to chase it just to drive around in it. sigh."
I haven't been through the monsoon season yet. Just bought my place last November. I have seen photos of the 1938 flood of the usually dry river bed Mojave River and the concrete block water diversion wall on the uphill side of my place clearly indicates that there has been "some" problem when the pair of uphill streets both funnel storm water through my place during monsoon season.
That's pretty much the way the desert is though: super hot over 100 degree ultra dry days with nights that can be chilly; not a percent of humidity most of the year then monsoons during the short rainy season. One delight though is that the word "snow" enters conversations locally as rarities equivalent to the Mojave River having any above ground water running through it and the whole town turning out to stand along the banks to see it.
|
DonnaMack
Grayslake, IL
(Zone 5a)
June 8, 2008
10:49 AM Post #5071660
| I try to space perennials in the recommended spacing, but put the annuals I grow from seed very closely together, often between the perennials, to get a full look.
Donnna |
Dave47
Southern, CT
(Zone 6a)
June 8, 2008
11:34 AM Post #5071831
| I always tended to space things out (too much so) but have reached the point where I'm cramming things in. Not sure if I've changed or just my garden has. |
Anitra
Seattle, WA
June 8, 2008
4:11 PM Post #5072846
| Last year I crammed in too much in our little space; the tomatoes got all tangled up with each other and a plague of downy mildew swept through the squash-jungle. This year I was going to apply my lessons and space things out.
And I tried. I really tried!
There are now three small patches of ground in the veggie bed where I can step to reach the plants in the middle. I'm not sure how long those patches are going to stay bare.
There are tiny glimpses of ground in the strawberry bed and some bare patches left in the herb bed. The plants and I are both working to fill those.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
NorthernSeasons
Bozeman, MT
(Zone 4b)
June 8, 2008
5:24 PM Post #5073194
| Anitra--What a beautiful little garden. Very quaint. |
hellnzn11
Rosamond, CA
(Zone 8b)
June 8, 2008
5:34 PM Post #5073223
| We will see come end of Summer Grumble. |
holeth
Lehigh Valley, PA
(Zone 6a)
June 29, 2008
3:25 PM Post #5178489
| I'm such a crammer. I'd rather have more waves of blooms than wide swaths of pine bark mulch. I overseed, too. Let competition under local conditions thin the herd!
I have a personal vendetta against thistles. Tall, thick plantings seems to deter even the "gifts" our abundant goldfinches leave behind while stealing my cosmos and echinacea seeds. Adorable little bandits! |
1AnjL
(AnjL) Fremont, CA
(Zone 9b)
June 29, 2008
11:30 PM Post #5180513
| lol, yeppers, I'm a crammer! just got home from vacation and my garden grew another foot taller! 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
buckimom
Piqua, OH
(Zone 6a)
June 30, 2008
7:57 AM Post #5181340
| I was at a nursery website and it had this quote that stated (I don't remember word for word). "The biggest mistake we find that new gardeners make is planting a variety of flowers and not groupings of 3." Like I said not an exact quote but that is the jist of it. I was like oops there goes my garden. They would dig it up and start over! I was just wondering what you all thought of this.
I hope I am not hijacking this thread. Let me know about that too. LOL |
dahlianut
Calgary, AB
(Zone 3a)
June 30, 2008
8:16 AM Post #5181417
| Buckimom I don't think there are any rules for good cramming practices other than the Creed After if you like it it's perfect. |
psychw2
Boise, ID
(Zone 6a)
June 30, 2008
11:14 AM Post #5182192
| Well DRIFTS of certain plants do make impressive sights but for those of us that want some of EVERYTHING... well... its hard enough finding room for ONE yet alone 3 of something! |
Bookerc1
Mackinaw, IL
(Zone 5a)
June 30, 2008
1:28 PM Post #5182846
| If you're supposed to plant everything in threes, then why do all the catalogs sell their pre-planned gardens that have one or two of everything? I have to confess to ordering a couple of those to get started, with the hopes that I could figure out how to save seed or divide clumps to eventually get multiples of each. Boy, do the echinacea re-seed themselves! LOL
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1AnjL
(AnjL) Fremont, CA
(Zone 9b)
June 30, 2008
2:30 PM Post #5183182
| I think it all depends on what you are looking for in a garden, and what you are planting. Lilies do give a better color splash if grouped in threes, also some taller more spindly flowers look better in multiples... but why plant 3 MG vines if 1 will fill out perfectly and be more managable. And I cant imagine 3 CA poppies in the same clump, it would take up most of my garden! lol! One single Gald would look funny all by herself! lol!
I tend to just toss seeds and see what comes up :o) |
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