Avoiding perilous plant purchases: 4 essential steps to choosing the right plants for your garden

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the choice at your local garden centre, especially with the beautiful seasonal displays designed to inspire you; or to be tempted with an innocent bargain, that then turns out to be a high maintenance monster.

How can you make sure you’re investing in the right plants for your garden? That will bring you joy and inspiration for years to come.

The secret is all in the preparation and planning

a planted border of tonal blue and silver plants — Year-round interest from small shrubs, ornamental grasses and perennials, in a silver, blue and pink combination.

Here are some key steps you can use to help you create a beautiful and cohesive garden:

1. Get to know your garden/ environment:

Measure the Space, particularly the borders where you are choosing plants for.

Assess how shady or sunny your space(s) are through the day – this will tell you whether you need plants that prefer full sun, partial shade, or full shade.

Get a fork, or better still, your hands into the soil and check whether your soil type is more clay and retains water, or sandy and free-draining. pH (acidity) is another very important factor. You can pick up clues from the plants that are thriving in your local area, or take a sample of your soil and have it tested – it will pay dividends.

The RHS offers a soil analysis service.

Consider your local climate: how warm/ cold is it through summer and winter, how long do you get frosts for (if at all), and how reliable is your rainfall?

2. Decide on your Garden Style

You need to choose a Theme to centre your plant choices on - a garden style such as formal, cottage, contemporary, woodland, naturalistic,

and,

a Colour Scheme – ideally a colour palette that complements your home and the atmosphere you want to create (vibrant, energising, calming).

3. Choosing your perfect Plants

Research the kinds of plants that will grow well in the soil and climate you have in your garden; the RHS and a number of online nurseries, provide inspirational lists of plants for every kind of space. Build a list of plants that will work in your garden, and that have the right style.

This is going to be the list of plants you’ll allow yourself to buy from.

If you’re starting from scratch - choose a limited number of focal plants - that will be the main features of your garden. Remember to check the mature size of the plants you are thinking of, if they are going to be too big – consider a smaller variety with a similar look.

Now you can select smaller shrubs, perennials, and ground covers that complement your focal plants in colour, texture, and height.

Make sure you consider:

· Seasonal Interest – will the plants you’ve chosen provide year-round interest, with different blooms, foliage colours, and textures across the seasons.

· Maintenance needed – In general, selecting plants that are suited to your local conditions, and are the right size for the space, will naturally mean maintenance is minimal.

I regularly find clients have plants that are failing to thrive in their garden because they are simply not suited to the location, or people battling with shrubs that are naturally far too big for their space - creating them lots of extra work.

Image of a plant palette: A clear plan and a list of what will work for your garden, will help you stay on track when faced with all those tempting plants in the garden centre — A list of what will work for your garden, will help you stay on track when faced with all those tempting plants in the garden centre

3. Go shopping!

Go shopping - with confidence.

Whether it’s for a whole bed you’ve now planned and want to fill, or just for a bit of escapism and therapeutic plant purchase, your research and your plant list will help you make sure you are picking up plants that will thrive and look great in your garden.

Remember, choosing the right kinds of plants for your garden will naturally reduce the amount of maintenance work you need to do.

4. Keep learning about what work

Watch how your plants grow and fill in over time. Make adjustments if some plants aren’t thriving or if the design needs tweaking.

I hope you have found this useful. If you would like some professional design help transforming your garden to help your home achieve it's full potential, do get in touch: info@vickylincolngardendesign.com

If you just need pointing in the right direction, why not book a one-off garden design consultation.

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