How far apart do I space my plants??

Picture this, you’ve got your new plant babes home that you just purchased online!

You’ve unboxed them, given them a good drink, and you’ve taken them to meet your backyard. You know exactly where they’re going… but hang on how far apart do you space them? "Gosh I never thought of that"

If this is you, you’re not alone, one of the most frequent questions us plant nerds are asked when talking about our outdoor garden range is “Eek, how far apart do I space my plants?”.

Here’s a quick guide to help get you started.

Mixed varieties and those larger plants

If you’ve got a mix of varieties to place in your garden bed, you’re planting a tree, or you just don’t want your plants to cross over into each others space our general rule of thumb is to plant out according to how large the plant will grow. For example, a bush that is expected to grow 2 meters wide would be planted 2m from the next bush of the same variety so they don’t grow into each other. But if that bush was to be placed next to one growing 1 meter in width, you could plant 1.5m apart (1m of room for the larger plant, and 0.5m for the smaller).

Ok, are you Still with me? Hang in there.

Hedges, screens and borders

If you’re wanting to create a hedge, a screen or a border, space out your plants 50% of the width they are expected to reach in maturity apart. So if the shrub is expected to grow 1 meter wide, space each plant 50cm apart. This will allow them to knit together and give you a nice continuous row of plants. If you’re not sure how big your plant will grow, don’t worry. Just revisit the individual plant listing on our site, all the information is there.

Ground covers and climbers

If you’ve got some spreading ground covers, they will continue to grow and fill up any space in no time, it's really quite surprising how fast these little babes grow. From the beginning, we suggest placing them 10cm apart. Climbers are a little trickier, some are rampant growers and will cover large areas quickly while some are more timid and slower to cover. Bougainvillea, for example, will cover an area quite quickly, so its best to plant about 2m apart.

It’s important to note that these are just general guides, there are many landscaping situations where it makes sense to break the rules. Sometimes there are reasons for spacing plants further apart to create the desired effect, and as mentioned, planting closer together creates a tight-knit continuous cover.

Remember - if you ever get stuck, our listings provide you with the best growing conditions for each plant. So refer back when you need.

Happy planting!