It’s been resting all winter but now it’s waking up and before long it will swarm everywhere. Like an angry triffid it will soon be unstoppable! It’s a jungle out there and you need to tame it. I’m talking about your garden!
Plant Clutter
If you don’t enjoy constant pruning and you don’t want to suffer from plant clutter, then you need to conquer your garden. Most people go to the garden centre, see a pretty plant and bring it home. They plan a perfect spot for it in their border or their shrubbery, they plant it, water it in, and then sit back and admire it.
At least that’s the plan. But as the average person’s knowledge of horticulture is fairly sketchy, things don’t always go according to plan. Give it a few years and that cute flowering bush has turned into a giant ten foot monster, which is devouring your border and preventing all your other plants from flowering by putting them in the shade!
Plants Grow
We need to remember that plants grow. It shouldn’t really be a surprise to us, but it still seems to catch us unawares. Most people go out and buy a plant that is exactly the right size for their pot or border. And then it grows. It becomes too big and eventually it has to be dug up and put elsewhere, or even thrown away. What a waste of time and a waste of a living thing.
Size Matters
Always check the label before you buy a plant. If you have room for a plant that will grow 8 feet high with a 6 foot spread, then go ahead and buy it. But woe betide you if you purchase that same plant for a small space, because you will be forever pruning to contain it.
Instead, if you have a small garden, look for a plant that will grow no more than 2 feet by 2 feet. It may look microscopic when new, but when it gets to its full size it will look perfect in a small plot. You can always fill in the gaps with annuals (plants that have to be replaced every year) until it reaches a decent size.
Tame Your Jungle
By buying the correct sized plants for your garden you will save yourself years of pruning and hard work. Nothing looks more cluttered than an overgrown garden, and nothing looks more soothing to the eye than a neatly tended, beautiful garden. Remember, it’s a jungle out there, but it doesn’t have to be.
