Mass plantings of shrubs and flowers in Malvern, PA
Mass planting creates great visual impact
Do you enjoy browsing at a nursery, buying a new plant and planting it in an empty spot in the garden. This is called specimen planting and is a popular style of planting. But have you ever seen a garden bed that knocks your socks off? Chances are it might be a mass planting.
Plant in Masses
3D design of mass plantings.
Mass planting is the planting of one particular flower or many of the same kind somewhat close together to create a dramatic look. Blocks of one plant show up much better than assorted colors from a collection of plants, particularly when they are seen from a distance. The same strategy works to unify a smaller space as well.
Besides the visual impact, flowers planted in groupings of one or more kinds of plants reduce maintenance by minimizing weed growth.
Many Options
Depending on the shape of your garden bed, you can plant one species brimming with color. An example would be colorful coleus, planted close together. If your space is quite large, you can plant a taller annual or perennial in the back. You can have lots of fun with contrasting colors and striking foliage mixture. Ornamental grasses look great with something planted in front. When mass planting, use several flats of one plant and plant half the recommended distance for faster fill-in.
he goal in mass planting is to see broad sweeps rather than insignificant patches of color and texture. Many low-growing perennials look great en masse. Taller plants can help create a balance sense of scale along with groupings of shorter perennials. Tall native plants such as Joe Pye weed with Miscanthus grass can be planted for a prairie-style screen. For shady areas, Japanese painted ferns look great with hostas.
Any plant can be used for mass planting schemes. Anything from small shrubs and ornamental grasses to mass planting annuals and perennials will work well. You can also consider mass plantings of foliage plants such as small shrubs, hostas, ferns, coleus.
A Small Mass Planting Project
Cut out a circular garden around your lamp post (about 5-6’ in diameter). Amend the soil and mass plant the entire bed with one color of annuals. For the sun, try salvia, petunias, geraniums, zinnia, sun coleus, lantana, vinca, marigolds, daylilies, begonias. etc. Begin in the center of the circle and plant less than half the recommended distance.
Improving your landscape doesn’t have to be a laborious process full of costly mistakes.