Yeah, everybody's got one---and I want to hear them! As many of you already know, a month ago today I crippled myself while showing the handyman where I wanted a new bed just for my brugs. Today I finally got able to go out and work in it. I still have a LOT of work to do, amending the soil, etc., BUT---I want some ideas about what and how I should plant. The bed is shaped like a crescent moon, with the distance between the two points being about twenty feet. At the widest point, the bed is about 5 feet. I have MANY different brugs, but I'm fortunate enough to have two of most of them. Should I plant this as two mirrored halves, or all different? I expect it will take at least a couple of years for this bed to come into its own, and I plan to underplant with daturas and other things (suggestions welcomed). I also want to incorporate my passifloras, which will remain potted and come inside for the winter.
Let me hear any suggestions you have---I'd like to do something right the first time, for a change!
Opinions wanted
I would plant all different.You would not get many different ones if you mirrored in a 5x21 bed.As far as that goes,you won't get very many in that bed anyway unless you really crowd them.I planted one bed 6x60 and managed to fit in 14 by staggering them and crowding some.Of course it looks very un-crowded now with just the small plants in it.
I would plant different types..not all the same .and plant the versicolors and suaveolens near the center and candidas, etc at the ends.Inter plant with coleus,cannas, tropicals,etc for added color and texture.a cardoon plant or two near the outside adds that silver color with a ferns texture. :-)
Humm..how close together is too close? They're going to die back to the ground here. Sine the bed's crescent-shaped, it's actually longer than 20 feet long---nearer to 30, I'd guess, due to the curve. I want to underplant with some bulbs, because I have them and they need a place to live. Definately coleus, and I have some other foliage plants I want to use.Any more suggestions?
Hey Judith, how about a thunbergia batt.? :-) Have one I'd like to get rid of here if you know what I mean.
Most of the experienced growers have been saying 8 foot spacing.I planted a little closer as my soil is sand and isn't going to produce the large plants some get.I am also learning that "full sun" means full new England sun NOT full Florida sun.You can actually stand with the water running and watch the plant wilt at 3 PM.I'm worried about July and August.Glad I kept backups in pots.
Jt,
You are so correct on the New England full sun...here in the south full sun means some afternoon shade....95º plus is hard on Brugs.
how about planting with some low growers that bloom all season such as african daisy, mexican heather (false heather)or cranesbill?
That full sun stuff fooled me too. Keep plenty of mulch around to help
I have a lot of daylilies under some brugs and impatents, along with dusty millers and snapdragons
Oh, I was already hip to the 'full sun' thing! This new bed is situated where it gets full sun at dawn, then as the sun moves it gets intermittant sun off and on. It's always bright there, but there's an oak tree and a cedar tree that shade it during some parts of the day.
And I must start digging ANOTHER one, if I'm going to space them 8 feet apart! I'd love to be able to plant them outside my bedroom window, but that's where Hound lives. (Hound is VERY destructive, for those of you who haven't heard any of my stories about him. He LOVES to eat potted plants, pot and all.)
I made my brug *alley* in two crescent shaped beds, and put the brugs about 4' apart at the most. Mine isn't as long as yours, so I have 3 in each bed. I used 6 different brugs, hoping for longer bloom time.