How To Buy Plants That Will Survive In Your Garden

How often have we all bought plants on impulse only to find there is nowhere in the garden that really suits them.

Before buying plants carefully examine your garden to see how much sun and shade it gets, whether the soil is well drained or waterlogged, and whether your target area is sheltered or windswept.

Just this simple step will help you buy plants suitable for your own garden. Select shade-loving plants for sheltered areas, sun-lovers for warm spots, drought-resistant plants for parched areas (which may be either sunny or shaded), and swamp plants for poorly-drained parts.

Wait… one more step! Test your soil to determine its pH level, which will indicate what kind of nutrients you need to add, if any. Is the soil acid or alkaline? Most plants prefer soil that is slightly acidic, but there are some that must have alkaline soil to grow.  You can alter the soil’s pH level, but it’s much easier to simply use plantings suiable for the soil you have.

Now you’re ready to plant. Well – almost. Will you plant in groups or singly? If you buy ‘one of everything’ your garden may seem rather spotty. Grouped plantings usually give the best results… plus, you can vary the colors for even more interest.

Here are some planting tips…

• Place your new plants (still in their pots) around the garden bed to see how they will look. Re-arrange them until you are satisfied.
• Grouping plants in sets of threes or fives usually looks better than planting in groups of even numbers.
• Be sure that you have an interesting combination of colors and textures of plants.
• Imagine the color of the flowers when they are in bloom. Some colors may clash with others, but can still be planted side-by-side if they have a different blooming season.
• Many flower plants have silver, grey or purplish foliage that is just as attractive as the flower. This means that they are still attractive well past the blooming season and so have added value.
• Tall plants should go to the back, or in the centre if your garden can be viewed from all sides.
• Try to keep your plants away from trees. The roots of trees are fiercely competitive and will steal all the nutrients and moisture meant for your flowers.