The Garden Nerd ...

... not only creates spreadsheets of all her gardening information (bloom time, moisture and soil requirements, etc.), but also makes graphical maps to follow as she's planting.

These are the mixed beds in the west and northeast parts of the backyard, outlining locations for heuchera (coral bells), black-eyed Susan (rudbeckia), hyssop (agastache), peonies, perovskia (Russian sage, which I'm going to move later this spring), aster and --

"What are those alien heads?" M asks.

"Those are annuals: ageratum and salvia. The two of them take up about the same space as one of the perennials, so I put them together in one spot. They really attract butterflies."


The question is: Does the Garden Nerd follow her plans? My goal is to stick 85% to the print-out. You've gotta have a little wiggle room for things that take up more or less space than expected, or for fun unexpected plants you bump into at the nursery and have to have.