Garden Guy column: Filling the gaps
About this time every year I am catching up and getting things done that had less priority than spring planting. I have only a few plants that over-wintered in the greenhouse and some purchased this spring that are not planted. These are waiting on space occupied by spring-blooming annuals like poppies and larkspur, many of which are still in bloom.
It is also the time that I must decide what to do with bare spots in beds where nothing was planned. So how does one fill these gaps?
Nurseries and garden centers still have many plants in their inventory that they would like to get rid of and sometimes have these on sale. This is the easiest and quickest way to fill the gaps and perhaps experiment with something new?
Do not be put off by the lack of bloom. If the plants you are looking at are annuals and the plants look healthy, they are fine. They will be back in bloom in a couple of weeks after you plant them and they become settled in their new home.
If they are perennials, they may or may not bloom again this year depending on what they are. For example, many perennial Salvias, like the very popular S. maynight, will rebloom after a bit of downtime. If the perennial does not rebloom but the foliage is nice, you may want them anyway. Everything in the garden does not have to bloom all the time.
Another possibility is to look at your own gardens. Are there plants that are too close together? Are there seedlings that have just gotten large enough for you to notice and that need to be removed? Look in areas of reseeding plants and under larger plants. You may find some surprises. Transplant them.
Each year I buy seeds of reliable, easy to grow annuals just for the purpose of filling the gaps. However ordinary, a mainstay for me are marigolds. I usually have several packages of different heights and colors. These germinate and grow quickly and are easily moved to other areas if needed. I also get zinnias, calendulas, and cosmos depending on what I think I may need. There are many options.
Be careful when planting or transplanting in heat. Protection from sun and wind is often necessary to help the plants get established. Until enough roots are formed to provide water and nutrients, no amount of water given to the plant will compensate. A plant can only take up so much from its roots, more with more roots and less with less roots. Seeds that are sown late will also need attention to assure that the soil does not dry out while seeds are germinating. They are vulnerable to a quick death until roots are formed to provide moisture to continue to mature.
Finally, a bare spot can be filled with a container of plants from the patio or the spot simply mulched to provide protection for the soil while blending in to the rest of the bed.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Garden Guy column: Filling the gaps
