You know the feeling.
You stop at the garden center for one plant.
Forty-five minutes later, you’re standing beside a cart filled with three hydrangeas, two ornamental grasses, something with gorgeous flowers whose name you can’t pronounce, and a perennial you’re absolutely certain will fit somewhere.
It happens to the best of us.
A trip to the garden center is a lot more successful, though, when you arrive with at least a little bit of a plan. So before you grab a cart, here are a few things worth knowing.
Know Your Sun
“Pretty” is not a light requirement.
Before you shop, know whether the area you’re planting gets full sun, part sun or shade. Choosing plants that actually like the conditions you have is one of the easiest ways to create a landscape that performs well.
Take a Few Measurements
That cute little shrub sitting in a three-gallon container may have plans to become eight feet wide.
Measure the space before you leave home, and pay attention to the mature height and width listed for the plants you’re considering. Giving plants enough room to reach their natural size can mean a better-looking garden and less maintenance later.
Take a Picture
Snap a few photos of the area you want to plant.
Once you’re surrounded by hundreds of beautiful plants, remembering exactly what is beside the front steps—or how much room there really is between those two windows—can become surprisingly difficult.
Think About the Whole Garden
Instead of choosing plants one at a time, think about how they will work together.
Consider different heights, textures, foliage, bloom times and seasonal interest. A garden designed as a composition will usually feel much more intentional than a collection of individually beautiful plants.
Know Your Challenges
Deer?
Rabbits?
Wet soil?
Dry soil?
The world’s most determined groundhog?
Knowing what you’re dealing with before you shop can help you narrow your choices and avoid bringing home plants that are unlikely to succeed.
Check the Mature Size
Yes, we're mentioning this one again.
Because that adorable little shrub really does have plans.
Plant tags and descriptions can tell you what that plant is expected to become—not just what it looks like today. Pay attention to them.
Have a Plan
You don’t need to have every plant selected before you visit the garden center, but having an overall direction can make shopping much easier.
That’s where gardenUP can help.
Explore professionally designed gardens, see which plants work well together and find ideas that fit your space before you shop. You can arrive at the garden center with a clearer idea of what you need and how everything will work together.
And then?
Go ahead and buy the plant you absolutely don’t need but fall in love with anyway.
We’re gardeners. We’re not unreasonable.
Ready to start planning? Explore gardenUP and find a garden design that inspires your next trip to the garden center.
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