Plants grown in proper conditions need little attention to thrive and remain healthy. It’s easy to save time and money by simply selecting plants well adapted to the specific conditions in your garden. By planning ahead, you can enjoy the benefits of attractive plants, reduced pest and disease outbreaks, low maintenance and cleaner water and soil for wildlife.
The first step in planning for effective plant selection is to thoroughly familiarize yourself with your garden site. What’s the slope, aspect (direct relative to sunrise and sunset), wind direction/velocity, light intensity/shade, soil conditions/pH, presence or absence of moisture, etc. Draw a map of your site and show all buildings, trees, stones, large shrubs, and all other features of your landscape. Delineate sunny, shady and partly sunny areas, hot areas facing south or west sides of buildings/pavement, areas exposed to wind or topographical extremes, rocky/compact soil areas that need improvement, boggy/moist areas with poor drainage, areas subject to erosion, inaccessible areas, and dry areas. Once you figure out the unique microclimates, you are closer to knowing which plants will thrive in those conditions.
Secondly, make decisions of what you want from your landscape. A play area… an outdoor room to barbeque and entertain friends… a place for a bench where you can read quietly… a wildlife sanctuary with habitat and forage for many species… beautiful flowers all season long … privacy… shade… or even just a simple lawn. By first deciding what you want from your landscape, you can begin to choose trees, shrubs and perennials that will help you achieve those goals.
Once you accomplish those first two steps, it’s time to create a plan for your site. Start by consulting books that describe plant needs and group them into categories that will suit each set of conditions present in your landscape. Decide if fruit, colors, scents, height, lush growth, or other qualities are most suited to your tastes. When selecting plants, consider the following traits: plants that thrive without irrigation, pest and disease resistance, diversity (no 100-ft rows of arborvitae!), and consider native species for best adaptability. Group plants that might need excess irrigation and install drip or soaker hose irrigation to meet those needs.
Prepare the site next. It never hurts to add an abundance of good quality compost to your landscape. Good soil amendments can moderate many unfavorable conditions and give plants a strong start. Build healthy soil by loosening it 10-12 inches deep. Mix compost into the loosened layer. Install each of your plants properly and mulch them so it will be easy to maintain good watering practices. Spread mulch just past the outer tips of branches. Don’t overdo lawn areas. Only include as much as needed. Lawns and vegetable gardens are the highest maintenance option for a landscape design. Both need deep, well-drained soil with plenty of sun exposure. Trees, shrubs and perennials will be better choices in shady or wet areas.
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