Planning Productive Trips to the Garden Center

Since Fall is an ideal time to plant, I thought I would touch on some of the ways to make your upcoming trips to the garden center more enjoyable and more productive. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that every successful buying trip (it is also ok to browse and enjoy the search for new ideas) must have a purpose. However, your primary goal should be to purchase the right plant for the right place, and the right products to serve particular needs. Basically, you need to go to the garden center with some general information about your planting situation while also having a feel for some of the questions you may want to have answered by a professional about your potential selections.

As I have mentioned before in this space, every plant in our landscapes should do a job even if it is just beautiful or colorful. Therefore, when you plan a trip to your garden center, it is important to know what you hope to accomplish with your purchases. Do you wish to add color to a north-side planting bed? Do you want to screen out your neighbor’s doghouse? Or do you want to soften the corners of your home with something green or add to the privacy of your outdoor rooms. Whatever the case, keep this at the top of your mind.

In order to choose a plant that will thrive in a given spot, you also need to know something of the growing conditions of your site with respect to the cultural needs of the plant. Does it receive a lot of sunlight? Is it a low, wet area? Is damage from wind or salt likely? How big can the chosen plant ultimately be? These are all things that must be considered in order to choose wisely.

One other thing to keep in mind is your personal preferences in plants. Do you have favorites or plants you have seen elsewhere that you would like to use? Is red your favorite color of flower? Will the plant’s bark and stems look attractive in the winter? Are the leaf sizes and textures compatible with other choices in the area? Does its bloom time make a difference to you? These may sound trivial, but taking things like this into account will make you happier with your choices.

Armed with this important information, you are ready to head for the garden center. After taking the time to fill the experts in on your cultural and functional requirements, ask to see what they have that might work. To choose between various plants, ask about the plants’ unique characteristics. Now is the time to ask what care need to be taken to preserve a plant’s health. Are there specific preventive care steps you will need to know about? Also, what will the plant be like in two, five or twelve years, as well as how large? What size will a tree be in 5 - 15 years? When and how should this plant be pruned? Does it require an acidic or alkaline fertilizer or any winter protection?

Once these questions have been answered for you, you can make your choices based on this new information. When you have chosen specific plants, it is time to get down to brass tacks. What planting materials will you need to properly install this plant? Should you apply mulch? How big a hole (both depth and width) should you dig to plant this? Use the experts as your personal resource to guarantee you get your new plant off to

Before you actually purchase your selections, it is perfectly acceptable to ask what kind of guarantee comes with the plants and what the specific terms are. Remember, landscaping is an investment and should be treated as such.

A final word on getting the most from your visits to the garden center. If you are unsure about something, ask someone. There is no such thing as dumb question and with a subject as variable as plants, it makes sense to find out everything you can from those who make it their business to know.