Plopper vs. Planner

The area between the walk up to the house and the house itself is a no-man's land of 'plopping' goodness.  Society garlic I got from Diana and dwarf ruellia I got from Amy are the primary plants - two of each (not three, because 3 would have made sense, but why do something that makes sense when you can make it do something wonky?).  It also has a rosemary plant and a zexmenia plant (both from Bob).  The pots I added because there was no where else to put them (and I have a weakness for pots).  The pots are filled with succulents. 

You see, in gardening, you're either a planner or a plopper.  Ploppers can become planners, but rarely does a planner become a plopper.  A planner PLANS the garden - what plants, where they'll go...some even get really good at it and are able to get plants together that will compliment each other (whether in bloom color or foliage contrast), and add plants that provide 'seasonal interest.'  In my completely non-designer speak, I take 'seasonal interest' to mean 'doesn't look like a bare twig in January, or if it is a bare twig, it is going to be the best bare twig you ever did see.'

My beloved culinary ginger plant (zingiber officinale) and the beloved sugar cat completely ignoring me and waiting for the magical door fairies to come open the door for him.

A plopper, by contrast, PLOPS in the garden.  A plopper gets a plant, figures out what it needs to grow and then plops it in the ground in a fitting location with little regard to what is planted around it, when it will bloom, and how it looks in that location.  I am a plopper.  I can't pass up a good deal (including free plants gifted to me by other garden bloggers - they're totally thinking "I know, I'll give it to that sucker, Katina!").  Hell, I can't even bear to throw out plants that I don't need nor want - I'll dig them up and give them away to others "HAHA! I'll totally foist these off on those suckers known as fellow garden bloggers and/or coworkers!"   The point is most ploppers' yards are a mishmash of mixed plants and, during certain parts of the year, look devoid of all life.

My avocado tree.  I started this thing from a pit in May 2005.  See, I can't even throw out things that are POTENTIAL plants.

As I said, it's very possible for ploppers to become planners, but difficult to go vice versa.  Since I'm a plopper and I'm trying to be a planner, I have gotten started on coming up with a comprehensive plan for the back yard - hey man, I gotta start small...of course, it would probably make more sense to do the front yard since that is the one that people see...but we're going to start with baby steps...