Picking plants is one of the most enjoyable aspects of designing a garden. With a huge variety of colorful flowers, fragrant herbs, beautiful shrubs and impressive trees to choose from, it can be easy to select plants purely on their looks.
But for a successful garden, it’s all about knowing where you’re planting them. The right plant in the right spot will generally need less care and is much more likely to thrive.
Know Your Garden
Take some time to get to know your garden before buying any plants.
Think about how much sun each part of your garden gets, how fast the ground dries out after rain, and whether some places are more sheltered from the wind.
Take note of the sunlight
Sunlight is crucial when choosing plants.
Some plants need lots of direct sunlight, while others do best in a bit of shade or a partially sheltered area. Keep track of where the sun moves around your garden rather than just assuming they all get the same amount.
Know your soil
The soil determines how much water, air and nutrients get to the plant through its roots.
Some soils are heavy and hold on to a lot of moisture, while others drain quickly and might need to be watered more often.
Test before you plant
If you don’t know what kind of soil you have, you could test the basic soil characteristics. Knowing the makeup and fertility of your soil will help you to pick suitable plants and whether there’s anything you can do to improve it.
Adding compost or other soil amendments can also help improve the soil structure in the long term.
Consider the water needs
Plants have very different needs when it comes to watering.
A garden is much easier to look after if you group plants with similar watering needs together. This way you won’t be over-watering drought-loving plants just because a neighbor is thirsty.
Consider your watering routine
Be honest about how much time you want to spend watering. A high maintenance plant may not be the right choice if you’re looking for a low maintenance garden.
Consider the climate
The climate in your area will play a role in determining whether or not a plant can make it through the changing seasons.
Consider your winters, summers, rainfall, humidity and the length of the growing season.
A gorgeous plant that can’t handle your climate will probably need extra care to keep it alive compared to something that’s happy where it’s at.
Remember the full size
One of the biggest mistakes people make when gardening is choosing a plant without thinking about how big it’s going to get.
A tiny shrub or small tree might seem perfect when you buy it, but it could easily grow too big for its spot.
Think beyond the first year
Find out the mature size of your plants, so you can give them plenty of room to grow and make sure you don’t plant something too big near a wall, path, fence or other plants.
Pair plants carefully
A garden becomes more interesting when plants are chosen for their colors, textures, heights and seasonal interest.
Don’t just fill up the whole thing with things that look the same, try mixing up plants of different sizes and shapes.
Mix and match
Place taller plants in the back, medium-sized plants in the middle and shorter ones along the paths or borders.
This will allow you to see more of the plants you’ve put in.
Don’t forget the seasons
A garden doesn’t need to look the same year-round.
Choose a mix of plants that will look good at different times of the year. Some plants will bloom in the spring, others in the summer and fall, while evergreens will add structure in the winter.
In summary
When picking out the right plants, it’s not so much about finding the prettiest one, it’s more about finding the right one for your garden.
Take into account the sunlight, soil type, watering needs, climate and space. Then think about which plants might work well together throughout the seasons.
It’ll make your garden more pleasant to look after, healthier, and easier to enjoy watching grow.