filling up your garden?

Question

My roommate and I are new at gardening (as in, never tried it at all before). We've been trying to dig up weeds and get an area ready for the past week, and although it seems that we will never be ready for the actual planting step, I think today we might be able to get some stuff in the ground

Yesterday, we spent an insane amount of money on plants, but when we were trying to arrange where we would put everything, it doesn't fill up even half of the area. We bought some seeds to put in as well, but it just looks so empty. Does anyone have any suggestions for fillers/cheap, yet pretty plants/plants that spread out.

Answer 1

First, I hope you arranged your plants in a way that the tallest (even the potential plants from seeds) are more in the background and the shortest plants up front. I feel sure you would have, so the only other advice I can give is even though it might look "empty", be sure to give ALL the plants enough room to spread out and to ensure they aren't vying for needed nutrients . . . moss roses (portulaca) are colorful but they don't "spread out" significantly; the "wave" type petunias do spread out and are colorful. Most of these can be bought in individual containers for between $.69 and $.99 cents, or you can buy flats with between 36 and 54 smaller plants relatively cheaply.

Good Luck, and have fun . . . also, if you want to get the best "spreaders", ask someone at your local nursery or garden area that is knowledgeable.

Answer 2

As far as what to plant you are kinda in between seasons as far as plants go. Poppy's, Pansies, Johnny jump-ups, Ranuculas , and Anemones are probably only going to be OK for another few months (here in California I am not sure where you are it could be more or less depending). My suggestion to you is lay down a really good Mulch (not Manure ) and fertilize every few weeks (you can use Miracle Grow in a yard sprayer) and see how big the plants you have get. When the Spring / Summer plants start to arrive at your local Home Improvement store (i.e. Home Depot or Lowes plants are much cheaper there then at a nursery or grower more bang for your buck) Get some of them and lay more mulch and fertilize. To keep your plants lasting longer always spend an hour or so and dead head (remove the dead flowers so they don't go to seed) all of the plants. To save a bit of money get the 6 packs of plants and not the 4 inch pots or bigger. The plugs or 6 pack will get big before you know it with the mulch and fertilizer. It is more cost effective that way.

Answer 3

Well you know the plants are going to grow, they will fill up a good bit of space, you can get some ground cover plants like ice plants, they vine out to fill in bare spots. Or Marigolds will bloom out to fill in areas and help cut down the insects in your garden, The plants that are seed now will bloom into a plant which will also add to the overall look. Be patient, you did a lot of work give it time to develop that's half the fun.

Answer 4

Since you bought young plants you need to remember how much they're going to grow and fill out. If you want to fill in for now, then use some pretty red mulch all over the garden and put in some pretty flowers in pots that you can take out and swap out as the year goes on. Like if you want tulips for spring you put them in, but then they die back in May so you take that out and put in geraniums for the summer if you need them. Anything can be replanted for next year, but if you get to the end of the season and realize how much it's all filled out then you just take out the pots and don't worry about them again.

Answer 5

Your best bet is to just be patient with your new plants, and get a good quality mulch. Even an empty garden will look good with a nice mulch. In Texas we use cedar mulch cuz it looks good and cedar repels mosquitos. You also want to plant in odd number groupings (3 of this, 5 of that, etc.)