Not too big or too small, but just right! That should be the goal when you buy any shrub, yet choosing the wrong size of plant is one of the most common mistakes made by gardeners.
Why does size matter?
It matters because few of us relish the task of pruning back plants that have overgrown their space or investing in more plants to fill unexpected gaps in the landscape.
Those problems, however, are easy to avoid with just a little prior planning and thoughtful selection. Thinking through your intentions and desires before you pick any plant can save you all kinds of heartache and frustration.
Consider these factors:
First, keep in mind that the cute little plant you brought home is still growing and may very well double, triple, even quadruple in size before it is fully grown.
Knowing that, the best way to predict a plant’s “adult” size is to do a bit of research on the particular variety you are considering. Most plant suppliers and catalogues list the mature size of each selection—the size it will typically reach when it is fully grown. Those measurements usually include height and width, both of which should be considered as you make a selection because, even if plants don’t grow tall, they may grow wide, thus shading out other plants or spilling over into walkways and activity areas.
Second, take time to decide what function the plant will serve in your landscape. Will it camouflage a wall or fence, cover an entire hillside, become the focal point in a landscape or garden bed, form a border or hedge or sit politely in a container on the patio?
Want to plant some Encore Azaleas? You’re in luck because the 33 varieties of Encores come in small, medium and large selections – and work well in almost any landscape setting.
The seven small-sized Encore Azalea varieties currently available range in height from 2.5 to 3 feet and have a 3 to 3.5 foot spread (width) at maturity.
These little lovelies are ideal for planting in pots, along walkways and other borders and paths, as accent plants in garden beds, tucked into small garden spaces where larger plants won’t fit and as foreground plants in a landscape.
The medium collection, which includes 12 varieties, ranges from 3 to 4.5 feet in both height and width and make wonderful hedges, foundation plants around a home or office building and work beautifully as the intermediate-sized plants in a azalea-based landscapes.
The six large Encore varieties range in mature size from 4.5 to 5 feet tall and all about 4 feet in width.
These large Encore varieties make beautiful specimen plants in a bigger yards and landscapes setting, are m agnificent when planted near the house in a garden bed and are the perfect background plants for a tiered grouping of azaleas.
If you’re not sure just what size really is best for your needs, apply a couple of landscape designing rules.
1. Typically bigger plants are used as the background of a large landscape, medium-sized plants are perfect for the middle of a landscape setting and smaller varieties are used in the landscape’s foreground.
2. Landscape designers also suggest installing almost any plant in groups of three, five, seven, etc. These uneven numbers provide a sense of balance, unity and planning to landscapes.
3. Finally, once you have selected the size and location, make sure you install those plants far enough apart that they have room to grow to their full potential and beauty.
Using these basic guidelines you’ll be able to create a landscape that is beautiful and low-maintenance: just right, in fact.
For Encore Azalea planting instructions, click here.
To view the full Encore Azalea Collection, click here.
Encore Azalea is the best azalea you’ll ever plant. Encore Azaleas are the world’s best-selling reblooming azalea with rich, colorful blooms in spring, summer and fall. Encore Azaleas have 33 varieties of bloom colors and sizes to choose from. Plant them in your garden and enjoy sustainable color season after season.