Toy Soldier Effect

[Nyboy]

Last night I went out to dinner at a nice restaurant, the building was a house remodeled into restaurant. The parking lot and grounds where beautifully landscaped. On both sides of the entrance where 2 flower beds heavily planted with small trees and shrubs. The front of these beds was planted with 2 rows of begonias, they where planted in prefect straight rows exactly spaced apart. It reminded me of toy soldiers lined up, looked so unnatural. The landscaper must have used a ruler. How do you plant your flowers when doing a grouping ?

 

[Smart Red]

I usually plant them in groups of odd numbers, never in a straight line.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't worry about odd or even numbers, but never in a straight line. Sometimes I watch what colors go where but often I mix them randomly. I do try to watch depth in relation to final height. I'm just not a formal guy, much too casual for many people.

 

[baymule]

One word. Haphazard.

 

[catjac1975]

Agree haphazard.

 

[so lucky]

While I admire the well planned garden....maybe three different plant types, three different colors, not regimented but grouped more or less the same, what I always end up with is all different colors and spacings and some tall in front of short, with volunteers coming up to ruin what ever plan I may have had. Always looks haphazard and messy. (I think it sort of matches my personality.....good intentions but bad follow-through )

 

[Smart Red]

IMHO a garden is supposed to look rather natural. Having plants in rows is neither well-planned nor natural.

 

[seedcorn]

Here all these years I've been doing it correctly and I thought I was wrong. Can't even plant in a straight row with lines....... Who knew?

 

[Smart Red]

According to my cousin, the farmer, crooked rows hold more plants than straight ones. I do tend to plant veggies more in soldier (at rest) formation than I do flowers. DH put in square perennial beds; I put in curvy lines with adventures at every turn. DH has taken his beds out. I win!

 

[Ridgerunner]

One uncle took great pride that his rows of tobacco or corn were so straight you could cut every plant off with one .22 bullet. He lived in Greenback and actually had the luxury of flat land. I never saw the advantage in that so I never developed that ability, especially on hilly land. Besides, still targets are kind of hard. I do better with moving targets. On the other hand my sister was better at still targets. She could get a tighter group than I could but wasn't that good at moving targets.

I normally stretch a string to get pretty straight rows in the veggie garden, but flowers are much more haphazard. I'd still need a shotgun for those veggies, not a .22, but I haven't figured out how that helps harvest.