Choosing the right plants

Sometimes it can be overwhelming when we take on a new landscaping project. We all want our yards and gardens to be lush, healthy and long-lived; in other words, sustainable. When starting any new gardening project, think about the 5 considerations of sustainable landscape design in this order:

1. Functional: What you need  / want to do in your landscape.
2. Maintainable: Minimize care and maximize performance.
3. Environmentally-sound: Have a positive impact on water quality, soil, air, and creatures like pollinators, birds, etc.
4. Cost-effective: Spend within your budget now and in the future.
5. Visual appeal: What you would like to see in your landscape.

Right plant, right place. The plants you choose for your yard and garden affect all of the above. Before buying a new plant, start by understanding your site conditions - soil type, amount of sun or shade, size of your planting space. Then select plants with growing requirements that match your site conditions. Plants that are forced to grow in difficult conditions become stressed, and a stressed plant is more susceptible to disease, and less able to recover from outside forces like insect feeding, storm damage and fluctuations in temperature.