“Work with nature whenever possible” is one of the 10 basic tenets for a better garden promoted by the American Horticultural Society. This is a good time to assess your landscape to see how you can make gardening easier by working with nature instead of against it.
When you add or replace plants in your landscape, one of the first things to do is select plants adapted to your site and climate. This could mean reading plant labels and descriptions in books and internet sites, talking to knowledgeable nurserymen and gardeners, and looking at plants in your neighborhood that are growing successfully.
Another important consideration when selecting plants is their mature size. How tall and how wide will they become? Is the space available big enough for the plant when it becomes fully grown? Most plants need some pruning at one time or another, but repeated heavy pruning to keep a plant from blocking a window or sidewalk, is not only a lot of work, but is not healthy for the plant.
Sun and shade tolerance is basic when selecting plants. Almost every plant label indicates whether a plant prefers full sun, part sun, or shade. Most sun loving plants will grow where they get at least 5 hours of direct sunlight a day. Many plants that prefer shady locations will tolerate morning sun, such as the east side of a building. However, planting a shade loving plant on the south side, or a sun loving plant on the north side is asking for problems. It is too bad we don’t have more plants like pansies and violas that will thrive anywhere from full sun to full shade.
