Plant Spacing Secrets (& how to balance your landscape)

Learn how to space plants in front of your house with this optimal plant spacing guide for foundation plantings.
Links Mentioned:
Design Your 4-Season Garden Course: www.prettypurpledoor.com/course
Learn from My Gardening Mistakes: • How To Love Your Garde...
Plant Perfect Activity Book: go.prettypurpledoor.com/plant...
Balance in Landscape Design: www.prettypurpledoor.com/shou...
About This Video:
Are you suffocating your plants? Figuring out the spacing of my plants was one of my biggest issues as a new gardener. It seemed impossible to me that a tiny little plant I purchased at the nursery could possibly grow to 8-12 feet high and wide.
What I see SO OFTEN is new gardeners planting monster shrubs like this about 1 foot from the foundation of their home and way too close together.
And I’m not trying to embarrass or discourage any new gardeners (quite the opposite, actually).
I made these same mistakes when I was a beginner and it cost me years and lots of money because I had to remove so many things when they outgrew the space.
So, here are my recommendations for minimal and optimal plant spacing in your garden.
Minimum Plant Spacing
As a minimum, you would want at least 1′ of open space between the full sized plant and the foundation. From shrub to shrub, you’d want a minimum of 5′ from trunk to trunk when planting. Here, the shrub foliage would touch the plant next to it, but would not become so overcrowded that the shrubs would suffer.​
Optimal Plant Spacing
In an ideal world, we would make our beds larger and plant even further from the foundation, leaving about 2′ of space between the full grown shrub and the foundation. This would mean planting the center of the shrub 4.5′ from the foundation. Spacing 5′ shrubs 6′ apart from trunk to trunk will allow them to grow to full size without touching one another.
How To Fix Plant Spacing Issues
If you’ve planted too close together or too close to your foundation, you can always move your shrubs and other plants. It’s much easier to do this while they are still young and the weather is cooler to reduce the risk of shock/losing your shrubs.
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🌷Helping you create a vibrant, manageable 4-season landscape that is uniquely you.🌷
I’m Amy and I help home gardeners design design landscapes that are uniquely you.
3 Gardening Secrets Revealed (Free Training): go.prettypurpledoor.com/secre...
Free Plant Pairing Guide: prettypurpledoor.com/guides
Code: X2U26NWOXMEW85SU

[@PrettyPurpleDoor]

Learn more about balance in the landscape: www.prettypurpledoor.com/balance

[@weskarcher483]

You used my exact style house on your balance example. I have always wanted a nice Christmas type tree on the tall end of the house.

[@nancyscott-smith636]

You are so much fun to watch and listen to. I almost feel like you're the daughter I never had. Thank you for all your useful and wonderful information and knowledge 😊

[@PrettyPurpleDoor]

Aww thank you. Happy to hear you enjoy the videos 😁

[@ivy19958]

Great tips. Thank You! Planting is nota SO easy as some people think.

[@georgeEW108]

What I'm dealing with currently is trying to plant with wildfire danger in mind. PNW is having much hotter dryer summers than normal. I have consistently planted shrubs a good distance from the house, and also for any future repainting job on the house. Love your examples of balance. I also really appreciated the post about not feeling like I couldn't move plants around if they didn't work in their location. I mean, it's kind of a 'duh' moment, but it made me feel much better about my decisions. Thanks!

[@PrettyPurpleDoor]

Yes it's easy to forget it doesn't have to be permanent! That stops a lot of people from even trying

[@maryseturcotte-ir8ye]

Very well explained! Thanks!

[@MariMari-vq8hl]

Haha glad to see this video because I must look extra “crazy” with all my measuring tapes, strings, and little yard flags marking and measuring the future maturity and spacing of my new plants. Yes, i never liked my plants touching my sidings (experience in my previous home- planted by past owner- since it made it hard to trim the bushes or walk behind/between). I’ve made mistakes already with spacing in my new home- not realizing my beloved lavenders would grow so big into my walkway path- the positive- I learned to be at ease with bees 🐝 buzzing about 💛

[@georgeEW108]

I'm a visual person too. I have a 6' board that measures distance from my house, and a 3' piece of edging that I move around to guide where my path is going. You're not crazy, you're designing! 😁

[@elektrikshoks]

very helpful. thanks!

[@PrettyPurpleDoor]

Glad it was helpful!

[@raj4558]

Great 👍

[@sharongeorge4096]

Thank you Amy. I have a colonial that I really want to have window boxes on the lower windows but an struggling to figure out what to plant in the foundation plants that will keep the focus on the boxes

[@wendydana8642]

I will now be moving one of my hydrangeas this fall lol

[@g6fancy378]

What if I'm trying to make a hedge of boxwood that reaches 2-3 ft. wide. I don't plan to trim it into a formal hedge. I'm looking for a more natural hedge.

[@billyjack8081]

Great information,, however the music is too loud and I don’t think it may be necessary! Not ridiculing by any means, thank you for the good advice!

[@PrettyPurpleDoor]

I'll pass your feedback along to my editor

[@KR-os6nn]

I agree with this comment.