How to Space Plants when Planting a Bank

From Kathy:
Oh for goodness sake I never thought of Ellwood’s as I hardly go there.  I got turned off by coldness in attitude there and never went back.  I’ll check it out.  Okay will cut off the thatch too.  Thanks again.  Now I have to try and figure out how many bushes to buy.  The hillside is about 60′ wide x 30′ at the top part above the easement which is all the old ice plant and weeds.  I wasnt to spot this part like you suggested with bushes.  The washout mud slide is at the bottom part below the easement to the street.

I thought maybe two bushes on the bottom in the slide area one aon  the top part of the easement on the bottom slope  and then put another one further down toward the street.  How many do you think I need for the upper part?

Answer from Pat:
To space plants properly, first measure the space, then look up the plants in Sunset Western Garden Book, or in paperback books on ground covers, or ask your nursery. Every plant has appropriate guidelines for spacing. (ie, how many feet or inches apart the plant needs to go.) Some landscapers put plants much too close together for quick effect.This is a bad idea since after a year or two the homeowner is always needing to cut back. You can figure out how far plants need to be put apart from each other, simply by knowing the eventual size of the plant, and doing a plot plan so each plant fills that amount of space and the edges touch. For small groundcovers. make a triangle of cardboard, each side being the distance apart. Use it for placing plants at appropriate distance from each other in a triangular, diagonal pattern.