Spacing

I am feeling well today.  Hard to get too down on such a beautiful day.  I was not as active today as I have been the last week.  I had a chance to visit with my dad and have a coffee out on the deck today after I picked him up from physiotherapy.  I always enjoy chatting with my dad. We got a chance to go down memory lane a little bit,  talking about people, places and experiences from years gone by.  I have a pretty vivid memory of my childhood from growing up in Kitimat, British Columbia.  Today brought back some favorite moments of my younger years.

When I was waiting for my dad at his physiotherapy,  I could not help observing some of the landscaping present.  What caught my eye was a Mountbatten Juniper and an Upright Yew planted right beside each other.  Now I am not saying that planting these beside each other was wrong in the design but, they had been planted so close that they were growing in to each other.  This does not bode well for the health of either shrub to me does not look pleasing to look at.  Each shrub needs its own space to allow proper air flow, access to water and also to sunlight.  They should not be competing for those so close together.

I have mentioned this before but, the observation I made today stresses the importance of spacing when designing beds or deciding where to plant trees and/or shrubs.  I have seen it far too often in the last five years, where items are planted far too close to each other.  The long term maturity of a plant, shrub or tree is not taken in to consideration.  People often want instant satisfaction with their landscape, so that is why I believe at times items are planted so close.  Now although they may look aesthetically pleasing initially,  the long term look and the health of what was planted will inevitably suffer and many times items will end up dying as they may be competing with a larger/stronger plant or shrub.  I am no expert by any means but, I have seen enough landscapes to know that spacing needs to be considered.  I have seen far too often what can happen when it is not considered.  When designing your beds at home, really consider not only the initial look but, what the bed will look like three or four years down the road when plants and shrubs may be at full maturity.  Just something to think about.

Time to take Ollie for a walk.  Go Jays Go.  Take care,  Shawn.


“You cannot find peace by avoiding life.”
― Virginia Woolf