Plant each kind in interlocking drifts consisting of varying numbers of plants without inter-planting any kinds like a checkerboard. Do not repeat groups of three throughout the planting, in fact I tend to avoid groups of three entirely as three points make a triangle - which is a rigid shape. So you would have 4 or more of an astilbe variety all together in one drift and then x number of one kind of hosta all together in one drift and so on throughout the area.

Also as both make substantial basal clumps they are best near the front of the bed, with kinds that do not have this feature being used in the rest of it. Hostas in particular do not show well behind other plants, unless these other kinds are of something on the order of moss height in stature.

Evergreen shrubs should be visible nearby so the bed is not a big blank during the winter.

The best introductory discussion of this kind of thing (the nuts and bolts of planting design) I have seen is Garden Design Illustrated by John and Carol Grant. Reads like a magazine article and is inexpensive from used book dealers.

Alchemilla tends to reseed, if you don't want that you won't want it.

Not the best arrangement:

whitewatervol..I have some similar "every other"..."one in the middle with mates on each side" arrangements that I would do differently now..now I prefer planting in drifts..someday we might have the time and energy to rearrange :-) ..wanted to say that I like the pink blooms with the dark foliage of the shrubs..

I've got a third Astilbe far left that I had planned to move into the center but it got some kind of crown rot last year and is now much small than the other two. Once it recovers, I plan to move it to the center. I'll then have to find a new home for the large Erronema that currently sits there but that shouldn't be a problem.

The bigger problem in that bed is the gardenias in the back on flanking sides that don't get enough light. I still haven't figured out a good replacement that is evergreen, blooms, tolerates low light, and that will fill the space well. I may have to give up on one of those requirements.

Oh I get it..it's a battle to plant what would "look good" somewhere and yet happen to have the right conditions (light, space etc) in that spot..

I grow astilbes with my hostas, love the look and it breaks up the large solid leaf expanses rather nicely. Do be aware that some astilbes will grow quite large, and may crowd out hostas, even medium sized hostas. I will have to dig out 2 astilbes this year that are doing exactly that, they simply grew right over a couple of medium hostas, so will have to be moved to a spot where they can have more room of their own and quit behaving in such a thuggish manner!

Hello everyone!’ Thank you so much for all the great tips and for those gorgeous pictures!

E. - :-) I had to ask my son to explain what exactly you described and I got it now. One key point I took from you was not neccecarily plant in triangles - which of course I did. Oh well, I will move them next year I guess.

peren.all your garden is stunning! It must be very big! I can especially relate to the photo with the slight slope! People who owned the house before us piled a bunch of stuff up and it’s almost impossible to move all that dirt. So I have been looking for hours on google how I could work with the situation. How long did it take you to create this space?

I planted last year a couple of astilbes they came back fine, but I guess the area is too dark for heuchera - they struggled.

I just have one more question... if you do buy astilbe for this “drift” how many do you buy and would you plant them in a double row stacked?

I have astilbe, too and find that they are easy to divide because the roots are shallow. Mine are getting quite large. Last year I moved some small divisions to the new section of "hosta island."

Donna this is so funny now that Iam a “regular” here in the forum I know your “Hosta island” :-)

Read online astilbes can be devided every 3-4 years?!

Thank you Claudia! Yes my garden is big, that is one corner. I live in a rural area surrounded by forest. The outer edges of the garden were piles of rock and earth pushed back over the years. My house was built in 1830.

I had to dislodge all the stones (and boulders) to make sure there were no air pockets underneath. That took the longest amount of time. So I have been gardening here since the late 80's. After the outer edges were done I got to work filled in the centre.

The nice thing about a slope is you can see everything. You have created beautiful gardens Claudia so I have no doubt that you can work that slope into a real showpiece.

You can divide Astilbe every 3-4 years and they are heavy feeders so you could give them compost every year if you want or do like Donna does and use Osmocote. Sorry it took me so long to respond!

I love Astilbe, but I planted it under maples and gave up on it. I'll have to try again in a better spot. Some really nice ideas here.

I'm guilty of checkerboard planting, but I want something to take up the space in between Hostas that I've given some space to mature - and what's better than more Hosta or Heuchera? Also, I have somewhat limited space and no limit to the Hostas on my list.

I think Holly might fit the bill for an evergreen that tolerates low light. The blooms are inconsequential, but the berries are nice. I think you need to have a male and female to get berries, but there may be some new varieties that don't. I'm not a huge fan of Holly, but it was already planted in my garden. I did move one to make more room for Hostas.

Astilbe was the first plant I ever ordered via mail. I’m pretty sure I planted the first batch upside down. Breck’s sent me a double order when I complained about them and eventually some of the original ones grew, too. So I have a bunch of them. But I find them to be finicky, not like being disturbed, and prone to pouting for years after any perceived insult. So the ones that are thriving are left alone.

Looked through some old pictures to find the astilbe blooming as it is easier to see in pictures. The second to the last picture is of some of the first I planted. I wanted them to be sort of a back drop behind a flower plot. This space has changed the most over the years due to "garden art" not holding up. Not sure what you are asking. They plant in and among hosta without any special anything. They appreciate the water I give my hosta so everyone is happy. The first picture is from 2014. I have three or four different sorts in that patch. Not sure if they show. They 'flower' differently not the tall spike of feathery color like most of mine. I have a variety of colors white/red/pinks. The last picture shows those same astilbe before the buck board fell apart.

Arcy- thank you so much for taking time to upload photos! Your garden is huuudge :-) so many plants and everything looks taken care off. It looks amazing. Can’t wait for my plants to fill in

My Astilbes finally came into bloom, so I hope that these photos, do's and don'ts, are not too late.

I don't remember the name of this Astilbe that has formed a nice patch to complement monarda Jacob Cline and h. 'Elegans.' (The leaves on the 20-year-old Elegans clump are the size of dinner plates.)

Here is Deutschland fronting a big clump of h. 'Golden Tiara.' Behind it (top of photo) is filipendula rubrum. Ivory Halo dogwood is in the lower right corner.

The little Deutschland behind 'Orange Marmalade' will fill out and show more blooms when we get rain (soon, I hope). As it, it's a bit of a polka dot.

rules.. shmules ... who made these rules.. and why do you care what other think ...

plant for your own eye ... and if it doesnt work.. move them ... and if it does.. brag ...

i think that is part of what embo was saying ... when he suggested groups of 3 is a triangle.. and that offends his sensibilities .... i biting my tongue .. lol ...

e.g. when i look at perens pix ... i dont see any rules ... i see a woman who likes to play in teh dirt.. and move things around.. until she has achieved perfection ...

here is ken's rules:

number one.. .. there are no rules .. and a stick in the eye of anyone who claims otherwise ... pshaw ...

ken

ps: rule #2 ... if you dont agree with ken .... your not my friend ...lol

A few more from my garden.

h 'Fire and Ice,' Astilbe 'Fanal,' h 'Liberty'

From the other side, behind Liberty and Halcyon, a drift of Astilbe whose name tag is lost.

Wider view.

"Don't" plant Fanal between 'Francee' and 'Northern Exposure,' because both will get huge, eventually.

Oh wow!! So gorgeous! What a coincidence you replied yesterday. I did get actually yesterday 3 red Astilbe fanal. They are big - I ambplaning to devide them before I plant them.

I must say this Astilbe snowdrift variety is underwhelming. I am going to take all of those out and plant them in fall to the back of the Hosta bed. They aren’t making those nice “fluffy” showy flowers. That’s about all I can get at Lowe’s. I have to look for options to buy hem online.

I did purchase 2 bags (4 different kinds) at Costco, but as some of you remembered everything was an epic fail and a waste of money

Manyhostas - your northern exposure is amazing

Thank you! I got Northern Exposure more than 10 years ago when Shady Oaks Nursery ended its retail business and sold off stock, in part, through a local nursery. At first it was in a too dry too dark spot near our neighbors'. mature Colorado blue spruce. It has thrived since the tree fell down in the winter of 2016 (upending that whole hosta bed with its entire root system in the air. After they took away the tree and exposed roots, I covered the frozen tilted hosta and astilbes with old scatter rugs until the frost broke, then put them back where they came from before they woke up, proving Ken's driveway theory). Here is the bed in June of that year.

I broke my heel, and can't get into my garden to take photos! But I grow lady's mantle in deep shade. It takes them a few years to get established, but once they settle in they do well.

I definitely need more astilbe in my garden!

Claudia so glad you got Fanal, you will be so happy you did!

"here is ken's rules:

number one.. .. there are no rules .. and a stick in the eye of anyone who claims otherwise ... pshaw ..."

Yes indeed! I do what pleases me and hope it pleases others too but in the end all that matters is that it satisfies me. If it doesn't then I make changes. What is more fun than playing in the dirt?

AnnKH hope you are healing well.

I agree with peren.all..good advice..please yourself..make changes when it doesn't..makes sense to me..

I will say that Lady's Mantle and Astilbe definitely need a ton of moisture compared to hostas, I have all 3 plants, but, not all together, I know all the pics above of folks plants are very nice, but, I personally in my yard would have to have them all within the reach of a hose to grow them together. And Astilbes have been very hard for me to grow unless I put them in a place where we had horses poop piled up several years ago, back when we had horses, in my experience Astlbes need rich soil, and moist soil, my Lady's Mantle needs lottsa moisture and shade, the soil is not super rich, but, it's mulched and kept moist, now if you have rich soil and lottsa rain fall or irrigation, maybe you can grow all 3 together, I also think if you have soil that holds onto moisture better than some soils, (like mine) you can grow all 3 together, just my 2 cents here. Also, I've read that small hostas can deal with drier soil than the huge hostas.