Picking out some plants!

You’ve gathered your supplies and now it’s time to get those hands dirty!

Take a trip to your garden supply center. Locally, there is Home Depot, Lowes and a number of nurseries. See Nursery Notes for more insight.

Like me, you’ve probably gone wandering among rows of perennials and annuals, noting plants in other peoples’ carts and wondering “What are they going to do with those?”.

Let’s take a minute to distinguish between perennials and annuals. Both have something in common- they are best suited for either shade or sun.  Some work well in either condition. Pay attention to those tags on each plant.  They will save you time and money!

With many perennials and annuals able to tolerate both sun and shade, try to pick a space that gets about 6 hours of sun then several hours of shade the rest of the day. New and even seasoned gardeners wonder why their newly planted babies seems unhappy. Monitor them closely the firrst month. Dead head/snip off any brown or wilting leaves. Make sure you have watered them at least once a day. Then, if they still don’t look perky and seem tired, don’t be afraid to dig them up, put them in another setting, for more or less sun.

When I consult with a client on their first garden we focus on perennials. This way the investment of time and money will be seen again next season! Note that many a gardener has sadly wondered where they planted what, come next spring. Count on those tags to jog your memory. Put them in an envelope for safe keeping. Some like to mark each tag with the date/year purchased. Below are perennial tips to consider each year:

Some examples of perennial plants:

Lily of the valley; fern; columbine; coral bells; daffodils; bleeding heart and hosta. Each could surround any focal point beautifully, with a ring or grouping of 3-5 or and can be used alone, as it’s own centerpiece. Adding a few other kinds of plants, for contrast in shape and texture, is a great idea, too.  Fern and hosta together are a great example, just by themselves. Both come in a number of varieties from which to choose. Planting a dozen or so plants in total creates an instant woodland garden. Add an Adirondack chair and you’re good to relax!

Here are some perennial shrubs:

Varieties of azalea, spirea, euonymus, rhododendron, hydrangea and laurel; varieties of boxwoods. Be careful to view their tags for spacing and height.  When the tag says plant 2 feet apart, but you’re goal is to create a privacy hedge or backdrop, then plant 1-2 feet apart and trim them in 2-3 years if they start to grow into each other. Transplanting in 3-5 years is always an option.

Count on shrubs always needing a trim each year. If you find that relaxing, great. If not, zero in on something like Little Princess spirea, which grows about 20 inches in width and height. Then plant some other perennial plants around or in front of them that grow about 10-15 inches tall. Note, these 2 tiers of planting could be finished with a 3rd row or cluster of annuals for more color. Which ones you pick each year will really change up your garden’s personality, too. Seriously, I find it’s more fun to change things up in my garden than buying new clothes!

With sun plants in mind, let’s consider a space about 8 to 10 feet around. I suggest buying about 5 of your larger plant, to place closest to a focal point, perhaps two on each side, one in the front. In the bed below, we used a hydrangea as the focal point. Then, we added a group of 3-4 coral bells around the hosta. As you plant, keep in mind that plant tag!  It will tell you both how far apart to plant and how deep of a hole to dig.

Before you get started, lay out a sheet or tarp and place it just in front of where you’ll be digging. This works especially well for planting near sidewalks, keeping dirt and debris off the grass, making clean up quick!

Always dig about 2 inches deeper than suggested. Stir up the dirt, add a bit of fertilizer if you like, then add water, generously. This gives the bottom of the root system moisture right away.  Gently tip the plant out of its container, over the hole, making small cuts around the compacted base, to open the root system. Pull off some of the base dirt/roots and place those clumps evenly in the hole. Doing that gives the hole instant fertilized soil and it’s also what the plant started out with, so less shock to its system.

Next, place your plant in the hole. Is it sitting about 2 inches below the soil line? Good. Now, adjust the plant to show its best side. Take the dirt that you dug out originally and place it around the plant, inside the hole, until filled up. Then add some addition dirt, mounding it a bit, so water will drain down into the ground around the plant. Gently tamp down the dirt beyond the plant base. About 6 to 12 inches outside the width of your plant, take your fingers and draw a line around the plant to capture water. Remove any dead leaves or petals to help the plant thrive in its new location. See, that was easy!

Once you’ve mastered planting some plants, either wait and see how they grow for a few years, or continue to add some other plants, just watch the spacing! If in 2-3 years there is some crowding, then we’ll walk your garden together and talk about transplanting ideas! Gardeners also switch out or add to their focal point, with more rocks, garden accents or statues.

Step back and take in what you’ve done. You’ve created a special space, unlike any other!