Garden Guides

How To Choose

First off, choosing plants is half the fun. Growing them is the other half. If you have an established garden, you may want to work your way through the exercise outlined in Redesigning Your Garden first. Or you can charge right in with the method below:

1. Determine how much light your garden gets. This may differ from plot to plot depending on the size of your garden. You must be honest with yourself here, because the amount of sun determines what you can grow. Don't even bother trying to grow a full sun plant in a part sun to light shade location. It won't do well, and you'll be disappointed. Here's a handy chart to determine how much sun you have:

   Hours of Sunlight	Sun Rating
   Less Then 3 3-5 5-7 8-12	Shade Light Shade Part Sun Full Sun

   
   
2. Determine how much space you have. Draw a sketch of the plot you're working with using inches for feet. The average perennial requires at least 2 feet space in diameter once it gets established. If all you have is a tiny bit of space, choose annuals. You can also grow annuals in containers if you're really starved for earth.
   
   

   An Informal Perennial Border

3. What kind of soil do you have? If you don't know, you can buy a test kit at any hardware store or garden center. Perennials are pickier about soil conditions than most annuals. Some prefer acid soil, some alkaline, and some neutral. Consult a good plant guide before making a decision. Also, know that most soil conditions can be altered using soil additives such as peat moss or lime.
   
   
4. What plants do you know and like? Make a list and note whether or not they are annual or perennial (if you don't know, try our Plant Computer or the Plant Guide). You can also buy one of the many plant encyclopedias available in bookstores. Dorling-Kindersley makes especially attractive and reasonably affordable ones. Don't worry too much about varieties. Just concentrate on the plant at first. Better to know you want Phlox. You can worry about finding Harlequin Tall Hybrid Phlox later.
   
   
5. On the sketch of your garden plot, draw in and label the plants you already have and plan to keep, then photocopy. First, plot your perennials. Give each plant plenty of room. Think about color and height as well as space requirements. When you're finished with perennials, add some annuals as filler and along the border. You can also use tall annuals along the back of a plot and annual vines to fill a sunny wall or trellis.
   
   
6. Make a list of plants and seeds you will need. In general, it's easiest to purchase two or three year old perennials (the older they are, the bigger and the more expensive). As for annuals, you can purchase annual plants from the garden center or enjoy the more intimate joys of launching your own annuals from seed. Consult Where To Buy Seeds for information on mail order houses selling both plants and seed.

Also see:

Annuals And Perennials

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