Basics of Landscape Design Part 4: Selecting Landscape Plants and Materials

Here is what you have been waiting for. It is time to choose the plants. Not so fast! Make sure to take the following considerations to heart before making your selections. First, you must consider your hardiness zone. The hardiness zone is the lowest winter temperature the plant is able to tolerate. Soil type should also be considered. Is the soil sandy, clay, or loamy. Different plants thrive in different soil conditions. The exposure of the planting area is also important. Does the area have a sunny southern exposure or is the planting area located on a northern slope? What other factors are present? Are there prevailing winds, a low spot that collects water, or a black walnut tree from the neighbor hanging into your yard? Exposure to salt spray from the road, sidewalk, or driveway can cause damage to some plants as well. 

Once you narrow your choices down to plants that can tolerate the planting location, you will need to consider the attributes of the plant. Plants can vary greatly in size, shape, texture, and color. They can be pyramidal, rounded, horizontal, weeping, or upright. Leaves and needles can be fine-textured, coarse, large, medium, or small. Shades of green can be the brightest chartreuse to the darkest forest green. Maybe they aren’t even green at all, but shades of blue, burgundy, or with variegation in the leaves. The leaf color may also change with the seasons. Bark,stem color, fruit, and seeds heads may add  and texture and add interest. 

Choices are further broken down into trees, shrubs, perennial, annuals, vines, and groundcovers. There is some overlap between the categories. Trees should enhance the appearance of a home and be strategically chosen and placed to add shade or and/or wind protection. Consider placement of both deciduous and evergreen trees carefully to achieve the desired appearance as well as function. Avoid placing trees too close to the home’s foundation or the city sidewalk to avoid foundation or sidewalk damage. Consider the mature height and width of the tree before planting, since mature trees are quite costly and difficult if not impossible to move. Smaller trees can be placed as accents and focal points. 

Layering of shrubs, grasses, and perennials can soften the foundation and bring color and texture to the landscape. They can also screen areas and create barriers. Be sure to allow for the mature growth of the plant. The correct plant in the correct location minimizes maintenance. For instance, if you want a plant to stay below the window sill and the sill is 4 ft off the ground, do not plant a shrub that gets larger than 4 ft tall in the location. Plants will always want to grow to their full size. Keep in mind that keeping a plant smaller than the mature size will require additional maintenance. Annuals can be added in pots or in the ground to add color and seasonal interest or to fill open areas while perennials and shrubs mature.