Members-only

Be Green at Home:  Plan Your Plantings

With spring in the air, people are heading to the garden center to buy some pretty flowers…but that impulse can lead us to make some expensive, non-eco-friendly choices, according to Roger Davis, senior gardener, and Harold Taylor, section gardener. Both men emphasize that doing some planning before that shopping trip is a simple way to conserve natural resources—and money.

“Plants in bloom are very tempting, and often that’s what sells,” Taylor says. “People buy them on a whim and then aren’t quite sure what to do with them when they get home. Or they see something new and interesting that’s stunning in a mass of plants at the nursery, but the one or two plants they purchase look lost and out of place at home.”

“It’s important to pick the right plant for the right spot,” says . “The better the plant suits the location, the less chance that it will be stressed with pest and disease issues. It will need less water and less fertilizer, and you’re more likely to be satisfied with it.”

The experts recommend these steps:

●         Analyze your site. Determine whether the spot gets morning or afternoon sun, and which direction it faces. Examine the soil to see if it’s sandy or clay, dry or moist. Take surrounding plants into account; if you plant annuals under a tree, the leaves above may prevent summer rain from reaching the ground.

●          Decide what characteristics you want in a plant. Are you looking for a perennial that flowers in spring? Something with winter interest? A plant that attracts hummingbirds? A plant that can tolerate drought?

●          Turn to the Internet to help you narrow your search. Type in your planting-site specifics and your plant criteria, and voilà! A list of suitable choices will appear on the screen. Use that list to guide your plant purchases.

Taylor and Davis both advocate using native plants. “They are adapted to our region and don’t need a lot of extra water and input. Once you get them established, they pretty much do what they need to do,” explains. “They support the local ecosystem of insects, birds, and animals. And consider perennials. Have patience and you can divide them in a few years.”

Taylor concurs. “The nice thing about native plants is that they are more adaptable to a region,” he says, “and the success rate is usually better. Like any plants, they need water while they are getting established, but they require relatively little care after that. Gardening with native plants is a great way to support the ecosystem and increase biodiversity. ”

As for his favorites, “I’m a fan of American hollies,” says, “and the whole group of viburnums. Clethra alnifolia (summersweet clethra) is a beautiful shrub that takes part sun, part shade. Fothergilla gardenii (dwarf witch alder) has fragrant white blooms. People should also consider edible plants like raspberries, elderberries, or persimmons for shrub borders or privacy, and to support wildlife.”

Davis has this final observation: “It’s better have a few things that look good than a bunch that don’t.”

To learn about native plants that thrive in this area, visit http://www.iconservepa.org/NativePlants/NativePlantsSearch.aspx