{"id":14297,"date":"2013-04-13T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2013-04-13T14:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/?p=14297"},"modified":"2013-04-08T19:43:36","modified_gmt":"2013-04-09T01:43:36","slug":"dealing-with-desirable-volunteers-in-your-flower-bed-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/dealing-with-desirable-volunteers-in-your-flower-bed-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Dealing with Desirable Volunteers in Your Flower Bed Design"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_14307\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14307\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-larkspur-thicket.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-14307\" title=\"volunteer larkspur seedlings that need to be thinned \" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-larkspur-thicket-300x177.jpg\" alt=\"volunteer larkspur seedlings that need to be thinned \" width=\"300\" height=\"177\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-larkspur-thicket-300x177.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-larkspur-thicket-1024x605.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14307\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">volunteer larkspur seedlings that need to be thinned<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>One of the challenges<\/strong> when planting is to choose optimal growing sites for particular plants. \u00a0Will it get enough sun? \u00a0Will it have enough moisture? \u00a0Will the location be too hot for long term survival? \u00a0Will it be too close to other plants? <span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">So, when I have a desirable flower that reseeds, I don&#8217;t spend too much energy fighting where it <em>wants<\/em> to grow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>On the other hand<\/strong>, if it is happy there, there are usually some thinning to be done. <span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">The thinning process will be less haphazard and less damaging to the plants if you think about a few things first:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>How tall will the mature plants be?<\/em> \u00a0This will affect where you want them to grow. \u00a0It is good to consider the basic rules of taller plants to the back, if it is a border bed; or toward the middle if the bed will be walked around.<\/li>\n<li><em>How close together is best<\/em> for mature plants? \u00a0It can be handy to have a basic flower gardening book to look this up, since you may not have the seed packet anymore. \u00a0I find a reference like the\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0376005211\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0376005211&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=dailyimprov-20\" target=\"_blank\">Encyclopedia Of Flower Gardening<\/a><\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=dailyimprov-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0376005211\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" \/>to be faster and easier than an internet search for facts like this. \u00a0This spacing doesn&#8217;t have to be exact, but enough growing space will result in better looking plants.<\/li>\n<li><em>Is there good weather and nice soil conditions<\/em> for the plants to survive the disturbance? \u00a0Any plant will handle the process better if the soil is slightly moist and crumbly, and the weather is on the cool side. \u00a0The day after a good rain is often a great time for both thinning and weeding.<\/li>\n<li><em>Which plants already look the most robust\u00a0<\/em>and well developed? They are probably the most likely to both survive the thinning process and will bloom sooner.\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_14308\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14308\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-choosing-keepers.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-14308\" title=\"choosing the best flower volunteer plants \" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-choosing-keepers-300x172.jpg\" alt=\"choosing the best flower volunteer plants \" width=\"300\" height=\"172\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-choosing-keepers-300x172.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-choosing-keepers-1024x587.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14308\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">choosing the best flower volunteer plants<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n<li><em>What other plants are growing around them\u00a0<\/em>already OR might be trying to grow underneath them? Sometimes it will be fine to let an earlier blooming plant grow over the top of something that is waiting for warmer weather. \u00a0In fact, if you uncover it when there is still a risk of winter weather, it may suffer or die. \u00a0But, sometimes, if volunteers are left un-thinned they will smoother other plants, even perennials.\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_14309\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14309\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-lily-trying.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-14309\" title=\"this lily was struggling to grow under the mass of larkspur volunteers\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-lily-trying-300x161.jpg\" alt=\"this lily was struggling to grow under the mass of larkspur volunteers\" width=\"300\" height=\"161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-lily-trying-300x161.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-lily-trying-1024x552.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14309\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">this lily was struggling to grow under the mass of larkspur volunteers<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n<li><em>How much do you need to guard or support the plant your are saving<\/em>, while you thin around it? \u00a0I often hold the soil down around the plant that will be staying put. \u00a0It can be best to simply break off the undesirable plants, so that the roots of the chosen plant will not be stressed. \u00a0Fortunately, most of these plants are usually not as tenacious as weeds when they are still small enough for thinning, so there shouldn&#8217;t be trouble with them growing back.<\/li>\n<li><em>How much will you need to be weeding<\/em>\u00a0as you thin? \u00a0This is when a tool like the dandelion weeder can be handy, by helping you dislodge the weeds without roughing up the plants that you want to save.<\/li>\n<li><em>Will it be helpful to go through and mark the plants you are saving<\/em> before you begin any thinning? \u00a0It is easy to loose track of what is being saved and what is being tossed when your nose is close to the ground! \u00a0More than once, I have saved a plant only to accidentally pull it up when I turn a little and lose track of exactly where I am. \u00a0A few small sticks from around the yard, or some popsicle sticks can help a lot.<\/li>\n<li><em>Will you need some soil handy<\/em> to add around the plants that are staying put? \u00a0Often, with the removal of the thicket, the keepers need a little more support at ground level, because the mass of growth was actually doing some of the work that the soil would have been doing. \u00a0Sometimes there will be enough loose dirt to grab as needed. \u00a0Sometimes it helps to put some in a bucket.<\/li>\n<li><em>Do you want to also transplant some of the volunteers,\u00a0<\/em>either for design purposes in the same area, or to try growing them in another part of the garden? \u00a0Medium sized, but sturdy plants will generally transplant more easily than larger ones. \u00a0This will mean less shock to the plant and less disturbance to the flower bed soil. \u00a0It can be helpful to have a few holes dug ahead of time. \u00a0I have even transplanted \u00a0things with taproots, like poppies, when they are fairly small. \u00a0Just make sure to get a chunk of dirt all around the plant and the plant will hardly know you&#8217;ve beamed it to another part of the yard!\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_14315\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14315\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-larkspur-spaced.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-14315\" title=\"The same area, now thinned\" src=\"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-larkspur-spaced-300x202.jpg\" alt=\"The same area, now thinned\" width=\"300\" height=\"202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-larkspur-spaced-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/desirable-volunteers-larkspur-spaced-1024x691.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14315\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The same area, now thinned<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The area will<\/strong> inevitably look bare after thinning all of that lush green, but it needed to be done. \u00a0Soon the happy plants will fill it all in again. \u00a0Meanwhile, I may figure out a time to put some sort of mulch down. \u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">It will help both the keepers and the transplants if they get watered soon.<\/span> If sprinklers or rain will be doing the job within a few hours, this is usually good enough on a cool spring day.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Getting some thinning done<\/strong> helps me think about where I can plant some of the flowers I have taken time to grow in my greenhouse. \u00a0And it reminds me about things I still want to start from seed. \u00a0The bulbs that are already blooming dance in the wind for me while I work. \u00a0Plus, I do enough squats to satisfy any professional trainer. \u00a0Time spent in the garden has many benefits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the challenges when planting is to choose optimal growing sites for particular plants. \u00a0Will it get enough sun? \u00a0Will it have enough moisture? \u00a0Will the location be too hot for long term survival? \u00a0Will it be too close to other plants? So, when I have a desirable flower that reseeds, I don&#8217;t spend [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,19],"tags":[49],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14297"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14297"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14297\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}