Choosing a new tree, shrub, or perennial for your landscape is exciting. These long-lived plants are an investment in the value of your home and finding just the right plant is important. So, before you come to the Nursery Yard, it’s a good idea to take a careful look at the planting site and think about your own goals too.
To help you through the process, we’ve come up with a few important questions to consider as you think about the plant you’re looking for. When you arrive at the store with the answers already in hand, our team can quickly and accurately steer you to the best plant for your landscape – one that thrives in its new space and makes you happy in the long run too.
1. What do I want this plant to do in my landscape?
Each tree, shrub, or perennial you choose offers a unique contribution to your landscape and the surrounding community. And the closer you match your own goals with the characteristics of the plant, the happier you’ll be with the outcome.
To make choosing easier, our landscape plants are grouped in the Nursery Yard according to their light preference, size, and purpose. For instance, our perennial plants are grouped into sun-loving, shade-tolerant, groundcovers, and vines – and soon, an expanded native perennial collection will join the selection too. Our trees and shrubs are arranged by mature size and light requirements. So, before you arrive, ask yourself what you want this plant to do for you and your landscape.
Some possible answers could be:
- I want a shade tree for the driveway.
- I need to hide an air conditioning unit.
- I’d like a yellow, mid-summer flower that attracts butterflies.
- I want a spring-flowering tree that blooms in white.
- I want to support local birds.
- I need to block the neighbor’s view of my patio.
- I’d love edible fruit for my household.
2. What kind of light will the plant get throughout the day?
Trees, shrubs, and perennials vary widely in the type of light they prefer in order to thrive. Some varieties need direct sun for most of the day while others want nothing more than bright shade. And many do best with some combination of light values throughout the day. To make sure you choose a plant that thrives in the spot you put it, take a day or two to watch the light in that area before you plant. Note about how many hours a day that space receives direct sunshine and at what parts of the day it happens.
Some observations might be:
- The planting spot gets direct sun from sunrise until about one o’clock when the house shades it.
- The spot gets dappled shade under a tree until noon, then direct sun until four o’clock.
- The space gets no direct light – it’s full shade all day.
3. What’s the terrain like at the planting site?
Soil type, slope, and the relative elevation at the planting site affect your landscape plants too. So, high spots, low spots, steep hills, wind exposure, and soil characteristics are important aspects to note around the planting site as well.
Some descriptions you might use include:
- The planting site is on top of a small rise.
- The area is a low spot that stays wet after a rain.
- The location gets a lot of wind.
- The soil is rich and drains well.
4. What structures and other plants already exist around the planting site?
Unless you’re planting a tree in the middle of a huge lawn, more than likely your plant will have neighbors in its new home. These existing elements could include a building, a fence, irrigation, or other trees, shrubs and perennials. Their presence can help determine the important aspects of your new plant – like its size, color, style, bloom time, shade-tolerance, and more. Here is where photos taken from different angles can help. Pictures provide helpful details that you may not remember otherwise while doing your shopping.
Examples could include:
- The planting site is near the foundation of the house, on the west side.
- The tree will be within ten feet of the property line.
- Other plants nearby include tall grasses, rudbeckia, and a panicle hydrangea.
- The overall style of my landscape is more manicured or formal.
- There’s an automatic sprinkler that waters this area three times a week.
5. How much work in the landscape do I expect or enjoy?
It’s an honest question and an important one to ask before you choose a new tree, shrub, or perennial. If you love spending time in your garden and taking care of periodic landscape tasks like watering, dead-heading spent blooms, and pruning, then you might choose different varieties than someone who would rather do almost anything else. So, think about how much time you have – or want – to devote to landscape maintenance, and be sure to share that information with the Nursery Yard team. They can tell you how much additional care this plant might require from you.
Ways you might describe yourself as a gardener:
- I love being outside in my yard – trimming and dead-heading don’t bother me.
- We don’t have an automatic sprinkler – our landscape needs to be drought-tolerant.
- I want a rose that doesn’t require special protection over the winter.
- I don’t mind raking in the fall, but I’d like to avoid fallen berries.
Most plants don’t ask for much once they’re established. But keep in mind that no matter how hands-free a plant promises to be when it matures, it will most likely require extra water and attention the first year or two after planting.
Let’s Find You the Perfect Plant
You know your landscape and what you like – we know our plants. So, take a few minutes to answer these questions, snap a few photos, and bring it all to us. Together, let’s make sure you go home with a tree, shrub, or perennial you’ll love for years to come.
