4 Tips for Selecting the Best Plants for Your Garden

The catalogues are pouring in and your email inbox is filled with opportunities to buy cool new plants. The temptations are great. Be a critical consumer and avoid buying more plants than you have space or time to tend.

Don’t be taken in by the beautiful photo of the plant at its prime. Evaluate its seasonal beauty such as foliage, fall color, decorative fruit and pollinator appeal.

Consider small scale and dwarf varieties for those tight spaces. There are many more varieties readily available.

Select low maintenance plants that do not reseed readily, need staking, or require deadheading to look their best. You’ll have more time to enjoy what you’ve created.

Include a diverse selection of plants. You’ll avoid losing large monoculture plantings to an insect or disease infestation when you mix things up. Plus, you can increase seasonal beauty and transitions for added year-round appeal.

A bit more information: Look for plants tolerant of or resistant to diseases and insects common in your area. Avoiding problems is the first step in reducing time and effort managing pest problems in the garden.