Visiting my favorite garden center and gushing over the vast selections of plants, the vibrate colors, and unique textures is better than riding the Blue Streak at Cedar Point!
Plant shopping is always a joyful experience for me, especially when I discover a new hydrangea (but that’s another story)! Once I stop spinning from excitement and settle down to business, I immediately shift into “proper plant choice” mode. It is critical!
Often people make similar mistakes while selecting plants because they did not do their homework. Like most of us, we get caught up in the beauty and forget about practicality and purpose. As we all know, plant purchases can be costly, so it’s extremely important to make good choices. My best suggestion is to design your gardens at home and take a shopping list to the nursery. Designing while shopping is not recommended and can be as dangerous as grocery shopping with hunger pangs – both should be avoided!
Below are things to ponder before your next shopping trip and plant purchase. Keep in mind that each item listed is as important as the next!
- Growth habit
- Height and width at maturity
- Plant characteristics
- Form
- Texture
- Seasonal interest and color
- Light requirement
- Sun, shade, partial sun, partial shade
- Heat and wind tolerance
- Soil preference
- Moisture tolerance
- Drought tolerance
- Insect and disease resistance
Plant shopping and trips to the garden center can be so much fun and should never be overwhelming. If you do your homework first, the rewards are plentiful! Just don’t forget your shopping list!
I am obviously drawn to hydrangeas…big time! What plants are you most drawn to while shopping at your favorite garden center?
May all your gardens grow!
I’m interested in these new ones. What are your favorites? Do you have any in your garden?? Show us pictures.
Hello PDay! I have MANY Hydrangea in my gardens. My favorites are:
Annabelle
Oakleaf
Limelight
They are very hardy, add beautiful color in the summer, and wonderful winter interest. Mass plant for a fabulous look!
I am attempting a gadren for the first time, and am unsure of the best spot to plan it. Our house block much of the sun in our yard, so the best spot is at the bottom of a small slope where the water runoff passes, leaving the ground almost always saturated and soft. I planned on building a bit of a raised bed. Is this a good spot to plan my gadren or not? I watched a few videos online and one said it would be a good spot, but I wanted to be sure.Thanks in advance!
As someone still navigating this field, I find your posts really helpful. My site is 87N and I’d be happy to have some experts about Thai-Massage like you check it and provide some feedback.