Have you ever wandered around a nursery looking for just the right plant?
Perhaps your selection is swayed by attractive flowers, plants with unusual textures or more exotic specimens, each chosen to make a bold statement as you consider your project. Plant selection is sometimes daunting, especially when there is an abundance of options and an array of displays and different species within the horticultural smorgasbord.
Engaging a savvy landscape designer short-circuits uncertainty when selecting plants for that important project. Their knowledge and experience provide invaluable advice when specifying and selecting plants that are horticulturally appropriate and aesthetically suitable.
Personality plus
It may be helpful to think of plants as having distinct personalities. It’s possible to even create a personality profile prior to visiting the nursery that encapsulates dreams and aspirations for your garden. The goal is to make your plant purchasing rewarding, fun and sustainable. Whilst impulse buying can be fun, some imaginative planning will stimulate ideas for your garden and assist in narrowing down your selection.
I want to explore plant attributes, to assist you in deciding what plant to choose for your unique situation. Before you create your ideal list, consider the broader vista along with the scope your ideal plants for your project.
For example, do you need:
- Self-managed plants rather than plants requiring assistance in keeping within boundaries with constant pruning and care?;
- Robust plants that are child/pet friendly rather than delicate specimens needing constant attention and protection? and
- Team-player plants that collaborate together for a calming and combined influence or show-stopping ‘Prima Donna’ plants that compete and squabble for attention?
Plant attributes
When considering plants there are important horticultural traits or attributes that are helpful.
Plant forms
Given your garden is your tapestry or palette, consider the areas and spaces you will utilize for plant occupation.
As plants mature, their form is likely to be very different to what you have purchased in the pot. Make sure you examine the plant’s ‘description’ tag; it usually has critical information concerning positioning, height, width and aspect.
Wide garden beds can allow for a multi-levelled approach which appears like tiered seating; low at the front and tall at the rear to create variety.
The form of the plant will partly determine the look and feel of the garden. Plants with strong architectural forms focus attention and make statements, whereas fine foliaged plants are visually less demanding. Similarly, deciduous verses evergreen plants make a huge difference when considering the overall design of the garden
Plant habits
Every plant has a unique growth habit that should be considered in your plant selection. The growth habit can be varied as:
- Prostrate (ground-hugging);
- Upright;
- Weeping;
- Climbing; and
- Clumping
These shapes all aid in choosing plants for your dream project.
Suitability – plants @ home
Every plant has a preferred environmental home. Just as some people prefer the coast over the mountains, plants will grow best when they are happy in their natural environment. In our Australian context, choosing a native is not specific enough. What grows in Cairns will not thrive in Tassie, so understanding climatic conditions assists in choosing a plant suited to your garden. For example:
- Is your plant a sun-lover, or prefers the shade?
- Does your plant like having occasional wet-feet or prefers a dry sandy place to put down its roots?
- Is your plant natural clay-lover or passionate about gravel and rocky dirt?
The goal is to match your personal preferences with plants that align into your specific environment.
Behold the low maintenance garden
Regularly clients will request a low maintenance garden; this implies plants that don’t require much time or resources for them to grow well and flourish. However, many plants are just the opposite: thirsty (water guzzlers), hungry (for fertilisers) or they require long term medication (fungicides, insecticides).
Consider the type of gardening you want to do, not just how you want the garden to look. It’s important to consider how much margin you have to spend tending your chosen creation and the time you are willing to commit. The goal is to ensure your dream project is maintained with conviction and care
Whether choosing a feature plant or one to compliment an existing garden, understanding plant personalities will broaden your capacity to create a beautiful landscape.
Happy planting.
