Spaced Out

Being spaced out is a matter of perspective. It could mean you’re caught up in day dreaming, or it could mean you’re a bit absent-minded; but in the landscaping business it refers to designing plant layout correctly. Every plant has particular needs and growth patterns that must be considered when planting. When a landscape designer sketches a layout for the front of a house or a garden bed, space is a significant consideration. There are three main factors that help determine how groups of plants are laid out and spaced: the intended effect, mature size, and maintenance style. The effect of the landscaping truly expresses the feel of the property and the family within. It shows the formality or free-forms by means of the spacing of shrubs for hedges, or the clean lines, rather than mass groupings of perennials. The spacing of plants can even allure you into the home or allow your eye to meander toward the front door. Each plant’s mature size is considered and adjusted for space accordingly. This allows shrubs to blend together if a screen or hedge is intended. When mass color is desired from a perennial, spacing is often tighter as well. Large or long areas often require not only larger plants, but more spacing in between to accommodate their mature size. This causes the initial installation to look like an awkward pre-teen that hasn’t quite grown into their potential. Sometimes spacing is just a matter of preference; more space allows the mulch to reveal itself and often gives a neater impression than a landscape design that has plantings blended together. Another expression of the owner is maintenance style. Many clientele appreciate the natural shape and structure of full-grown plants or shrubs. In these designs, the maximum amount of space is considered to allow for a mature appearance without being overwhelmed. Other clientele like a tidy yard, so they want shrubs trimmed often and perennials that usually grow slow or keep their structure. Space for such a design brings everything tightly together so that patterns and symmetry are flattering, even when plants are heavily trimmed. Plants properly spaced, allows people, like yourself, to be spaced out in day dreaming or allowing your thoughts to wander in the peaceful atmosphere created to suit your personality and style.