Who needs a horticultural battle? A great looking landscape can be possible but if you are not careful with the plants you choose you will be in for a constant battle. You can only change the soil so much and for so long, you can’t change rainfall and sun levels in your yard, and eventually, a poorly chosen plant will die. Based on a careful analysis of your landscape’s environmental conditions you need to select plants according to their ability to thrive in a specific spot. You may keep a cold-sensitive palm tree alive for a few years when temps drop below 40, but eventually, it will die, despite all of your hard work and efforts. The best way to enjoy your landscape and not have a constant battle on your hands is to design your landscape with the right plants for your yard from the start!

Consider the Native Plants When Designing
Your Landscape

Native plants are those plants that are indigenous to the area and grow in your region naturally. They are a great option when you want to design your landscape to be low maintenance as they provide a beautiful, hardy, drought resistant and low-maintenance landscape. They have evolved to thrive in your area and are designed and adapted to the temperature range, rainfall, sun levels, and other factors that could affect the growth of other plants not used to such an environment. They require fewer pesticides, need less watering, and can save you money in the long run. Native plants require less pruning and trimming and grow well in your area. On top of all that, they provide food and shelter for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.

Microclimates and Hydrozones and The Right Plant Choices

When working with plants of any kind, you need to think small and local. Focus on your neighbourhood, your yard and specific areas of your yard.  Make sure you are able to design your landscape with plants that will thrive in the specific areas you are looking at placing them. “Even with native plants, it’s important to group them with plants that have similar needs in terms of sun, water and soil conditions. Forrest Lockhart, a Master Gardener with the University of California Cooperative Extension, recommends creating “microclimate zones so that plants with the highest water needs are closest to the house, with the least thirsty plants on the perimeter of the garden.” Such hydrozoning techniques save money in installation and water costs because they require less irrigation. They also save money on energy bills. “With more water in the soil close to the house there will be a higher level of evaporative cooling in the summer, making the house and patio area cooler,” he says. “This is referred to as the oasis effect.” (HGTV).

Consider Time Investments When Designing Your Landscape

Another way to design your landscape and make sure the plants you choose are right for your yard is to think about the time investment you landscape will require. If you put a tree or bush too close to your home you will have to spend a lot of time pruning and trimming it back so it does not damage your home. If you put plants too close together you will have to thin them out or deal with issues such as disease and pest problems due to poor growth and how close together the plants are. If you plant flowers that need a lot of water and care away from your home you will be dragging hoses and running the sprinklers a lot more than if they were closer and easier to get to. All of these considerations can impact the amount of time you will need to invest in the care and upkeep of your garden and landscapes and is why you should design your landscape to be as low maintenance as possible.

What is a Weed Anyways?

One definition of a weed is that it is a plant that is out of place, which is one of the most recognizable and commonly cited definitions of a weed, dating back to at least the 1860s. But there are many ways that a plant can be out of place.  A beautiful magnolia tree can be a weed if you plant it too close to your home. A privacy hedge can become a weed if the wrong plants were used and it takes too much to maintain its size and shape. A flower bed can be full of weeds if they are shade loving plants put in the sun or vice versa. Plants can also be a weed when they are out of place because they pose a risk to people, animals, or property. Some plants are poisonous to livestock and pets. Other plants can be harmful if swallowed and pose a risk to young children. So as you design your landscape and look for the right plants for your yard be sure to think about whether or not each plant would be a weed or could become a weed later on.

Contact Us Today at Country Landscape and Supply

To learn more about how to choose the right plant for your yard and how to design your landscape to be the best it can be, contact us today. Our experts here at Country Landscape and Supply have years of experience working with local lawns and gardens and we can help you find the plants that are just right for your yard. We can make it easier to design your landscape as beautiful and easy to care for as possible. Call now to get started!