Outdoor and Landscape Plant Selection
Planning ahead can prevent many landscape problems whether you are beginning a new landscape project or renovating your existing landscape. The majority of landscape problems are the result of either selecting the wrong kind of plant for a location or from planting an unhealthy plant.
You must consider the characteristics of the site as well as the intended plant function. The first step in successful plant selection is careful evaluation and analysis of the site where your plants will be located. Evaluate the soil conditions, lighting conditions and any seasonal considerations.
The most important consideration and one most often overlooked is the evaluation of available space for your plants. Successful plant selection is dependent on the size and shape of your above-ground available space. To assist in the site evaluation, a scale drawing can be useful in the measurement of walls and eaves. You should be very careful to select plants for your landscape that will not outgrow the space on your site.
In addition to the above ground space analysis, be carefull to evaulate the space requirements in the ground. A common mistake to avoid is to put a large plant with a broad root zone in a narrow or confined planting bed.
Once you've decided on the type of plant, the actual plant selection warrants careful consideration. Selecting well grown plants includes and evaluation of the plants proportion. You should always select a plant that is average size relative to the container or the root system. Avoid the common mistake of selecting the largest plant, that may be root bound in the container or the smallest plant that may not have been in the container long enough.