How close do you space your plants?

Depends on the plant! Spread, height, air circulation. etc., dictate what space the plant needs....and gets.

I space them out so they have room to grow.... and save the cramming for planters & pots... if the spot hasn't filled in yet I will tuck a pot in between the bedding plants

I voted "Other".

When I first get a plant I give it the space recommended by the plant vendor feeling assured they will fill in the space.

It may take up to 3 years for any given plant to thrive or die and I get so tired of looking at the 'tween bare ground so proceed to cram any and all things in those spots.

Oh, and if the weeds in the 'tween are pretty they get to stay.
:^)))

A little of each. It depends on the bed, my mood and what I find that I suddenly "can't live without." Currently trying to cram two impulse tree peony purchases in somewhere, but the horror -- I think I have to start a new bed ;-)

Oh Cram! Definitely!! I like a garden to look like its been there a year or two...not JUST planted.....& cramming does that. Delighted to know so many share my vice,.

Victor said it all.......hee hee hee

Foggy

Hey, Foggy--who says it's a vice? I consider it a...a...style. ;)

I want to be a crammer ;0) I used to be a spacer, but everything looks so empty and I'm getting tired of waiting. Then last year I started a cottage garden and cramming is what it's all about LOL. So I'm a crammer-in-training.

Well I had good intentions of being a 'spacer' when I started my new front garden. Do you know how long that lasted?????? Not even one season! So I guess I am just a 'crammer' at heart!

You can say that again Marcy_1...... and again, and again, and again!

LOL Marcy,
Are you trying to "pad" our vote?!

Are we "Crammers" the only ones to admit we have a problem.

Hello, my name is sasha and I am a Crammer...giggle

I'm kind of thiinking...I might be a crammer! hehe

kat , love the look. i'm an other because i like the shade stuff ,and i have a lot of sun that takes different shrubs. crammed in the shade , spaced in the sun. sally

I love seeing all the crammed and spaced gardens! Are crammers also writers? Looks like.

Gosh, that looks kinda minimal.

I should have voted Other. We do have more land than we need, but we used some up on our pond, so we were glad to have enough for that! It's also 99% full sun, which cuts down on what we can plant. Then there's the fact that we live in a fire danger area. We're supposed to keep the area around the house clear (sure...) and have unplanted paths (we do) and space between plantings (yep). We have one area that is closely planted - ever seen a CA native Salvia that's happy? lol Also, we live on disturbed land, so some plants grow to their full potential, while others just struggle.

Salvia "Pozo Blue"

I'm a crammer too! LOL!

What starts out as a well planned, spaced garden turns into a "pig pile" as I see that ONE MORE plant that I have to have!
Just called me crammer I guess.
Chuck

I voted other only because, although basically a plantaholic crammer, I have an area covered with small pebbles where I grow grasses, iceland poppies and other goodies separately so the form of the plant isn't lost and they can sway freely in the breeze. Well, that's the theory ;o))

That sounds pretty!

I start by carefully planning and planting, then always get carried away and have more plants/seeds than room, so in they go.

Guess that makes me a latent crammer, eh?

I don't think it's that the crammers are more talkative LOL I think those that space just need to weed more and that's what takes time away from talking as much HAHAHAHAHA

My veggie garden is spaced....and yes, at the moment over run with grass and weeds because of all the rain. I have to wait for the ground to dry enough that I don't sink too far into the ground when I weed! I am thinking that cramming or not spacing so much is probably something I might try next year ;-)

Thanks to all you crammers for showing pics. I agree they look fabulous all together.
I too cram.

Oh..mmistyrose...you're so wrong, Dear. We spacers don't spend our time weeding. Spacers simply don't have 'Fear of Weed' syndrome! After-all, did not some wise person say that "A weed is just a plant whose properties have not been appreciated." (Or something like that.) :)

I've got several very interesting weeds growing in my garden.
Want some? LOL!

You would not feel that way if you lived in the Mojave Desert. I put other because I have a large 5/8 acre lot but in the desert you can get overwhelmed and not see much difference unless you pick a spot at a time or two. If I want to see something look more established I will cram it all up and put filler plants, it will have plants that will spread upward or reseed itself so who cares, if I don't want that next time, I'll get the seedlings and replace them with other stuff next time.

I have other areas that need a lot of room and they don't transplant well so they are way spread out and frustrating to weed and keep those darn elm seedling from popping up every blank canvas they can.

I'm a crammer and admit it freely.

This year my goal has been to NOT BUY any plants. I took this photo the other day and thought to myself, it's a good thing I gave myself that challenge!

So far, the only thing I've purchased is herbs and vegetables, which are in containers.

This is one island. Everywhere I look, I see the same crammed look.

Janet

ps Victor, your comment about smearing their DNA on each other is truly priceless!

I'm a crammer - I agree with above thoughts - less weeding - looks lusher - small yard - and even if you space they grow and they're crammed! I guess I don't have the patience to get the look I want - I don't want to wait six months for them to grow - I want instant gratification - step back and admire

Kitty

I would have had to vote cram if not for the word TRY in the part about spacing them! I always try to picture ahead and give enough room, then I come back and look at the new plantings later and realize they're still too close, but I TRY! I've inherited an old property with a lot of trees and other things that were planted too close, so I'm TRYING to learn from those mistakes! I also have more ground than pants, but I haven't reached the point where i'm actually spreading things out though!

I used to cram them together, some suffered and I got rid of ones I didn't like over the years to help.

ok what's with this? Why are we crammers getting our butts kicked in the poll?? Is it cheating to recruit crammers for more votes?? OMG I'm getting competative about cramming vs. non-cramming. Sorry stuck in a monsoon so getting a little punchy

I'm thinking the same thing Dalianut! I think us crammers are just more honest! hehe

and this particular crammer seems to have a hiccup in her posting technique too LOL

I'm also a "pot crammer" too!

Hey cramming is more fun for most of us impatient people. I have a couple of plants that are so big that now when they seed they block the paths. I am going to have snakes come soon and get me when watering.

hellnzn11 - Is that what happens when you cram??? Arrrrrrgghhhh

Well that's just funky weirdness hellnzn11. WHO KNEW that happens in southern climes! Is s*n*a*k*e a 4-letter work like h*a*i*l? and to think I'd get really excited if I saw a toad (no reptiles in the here sigh).

I am going through a big SNAKE month...Gotta say though, I'd rather them than rats! This is the bed where the caladium photo earlier is...can you imagine what's under them now?

I hear you Kat about rats (both ground and tree) EEEEEEWWWWWW! I think I could handle a snake or 2 as long as they didn't eat the crazy ole cat........or me.

groase black snakes. The ones in my pix were supposedly found 2 miles from here and are Mojave Green Rattlers

I take it that's not good hellnzn11? Sorry our Canadian rattlers aren't really too scary.