Gaps in the garden and plant borders, don't we all have them? Or maybe not.
At least we do anyway, especially in the jungle area. Some of the gaps were the result of understory plants dying recently or not making an appearance from last year. Some because the plant occupying the space have already become dormant. Some because plants previously hugging the ground space are now much taller hence freeing up the space below its canopy. Whilst some simply because we haven't found the right plant yet to permanently occupy that space.
Two Cyathea cooperi in pots here, with the Saruma leaves concealing them
Trailing away...
Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Torafu'
But gaps have to be filled to achieve a more dramatic planting scheme and lusher borders, and lush it should be especially in the jungle area.One of the benefits of having several potted surplus plants set aside is that you can use them to temporarily plug these gaps to achieve a fuller look in the garden. You can keep it this way for the entire growing season, or for just a few days especially if the plant used won't thrive well if placed in that gap for too long. The latter is usually the case if only a very temporary lushness is needed, say for an open garden, taking pictures, or if you have special visitors coming to view the garden.
Schefflera delavayi
Use black pots as they are easier to blend away. Plunge them if possible
Magnolia maudiae
Small plants in pots can be used to blur away bigger pots
With two groups coming over last weekend we had to make the jungle area extra lush and used some of our surplus plants to fill in these gaps (some of you may already have a clue what one of these two groups are ;)).Rhododendron sinogrande
Fatsia polycarpa
Some of the plants we placed will stay there for the remainder of the season, one or two we'll have to put back in the greenhouse and working area in the next few days. Placing plants in pots to fill in gaps, is it a form of cheating? No not really, not in a bad connotation anyway. They are like props to be used to stage dress a set, a component of a theater that is used as and when it is needed.Blechnum tabulare
Schefflera digitata
Plus these 'props' are noncommittal, mobile, and you can easily change the look of an area by moving the pots and changing them around. And no digging involved, all you need to do is lift off the pot!Not every part of a border has to be composed of permanent plants. Gaps can be a good thing. Consider them as spaces for change and variety instead!
Mark :-)