BLOGS

Every year spring comes around and you plan to plant beautiful plants and flowers around your home. Trouble is, what plants do you plant where and when? You have different types of plants such as prairie plants, rock garden plants, and then plants that thrive in soil and garden beds. Most people who aren’t gardeners but love plants don’t want to put much work into keeping them alive. If you’ve ever met someone who is naturally good with plants you can get perplexed by their secret. Well here it is: know the plant you’re getting and then place it in the right spot that it will naturally thrive in.

Learning How to Thrive

When plants are put in their natural habitat there are a few things that happen. One is that plants end up quickly putting down their roots causing them to grow and bulk up. Also, the perfect condition makes for healthy roots and in turn good top growth on your plant. It is also the cause for a strong immune system that allows them to withstand insect and disease attacks.

The benefits are tremendous but they only come with good planning. Before you go ahead and start buying plants and planting them, research what you’re getting, that way you can save money, maintenance, and time. Also follow these simple guidelines…

Let there be Light – Sometimes

Some plants need constant sun to truly thrive while others need to have some shade. To truly know what your landscaping has to offer study it for a day. Take note of the sides that have shade and the ones that have constant sun. Check almost every hour to see what will be the perfect home for different plants you’re considering.

Learn to Plant Your Roots

Plants have a certain type of soil that they need to be in to really flourish. No matter where you live and what type of soil that you have in your yard it can be changed by adding different components to it. For example, depending on the type of soil you have, you can add clay to it or compost to get the best home for your plants.

Before you go ahead and start planting what you want, try and figure out the soil you have and research what thrives in it. This can save on cost and make your landscape just as pretty as you wanted it to be. It’s important to take the time to do this because when you take a plant and put it in the wrong kind of soil, the results are never as hoped for. They could possibly die and if they don’t, they aren’t as vibrant as you hoped them to be.

Growing Up

Be sure to read the plant tags. They will tell you important information such as how big and large the plant will grow under the best conditions. It’s important to plan accordingly for this, make sure that there is enough space in between each plant.

When you’re planning out where to put each plant make sure to take height into consideration. Small plants can get lost in the shuffle and tall plants can screen off other features of your landscaping.

Plant with Style

The plant color and texture is something to consider as well when considering what to plant and where. Just like matching clothing color and patterns, you want to match color and texture of plants. That can seem daunting but if you stick to families that have the same hue, you can’t go wrong.

Another way to go about it is to take plants that are the same color and scatter them in clusters around your landscape. Also account for bloom time and the plant’s true season. Many try and do contrasting types of plants next to each other.

Plant Ahead

The USDA has what is called a Hardiness Zone that provides information for each region to let you know what plants will survive your winters. To ensure that your plants will make it through the winter make sure you get plants that are for your region. Don’t try and plant what will make it in another region as some try to do.