Are you planning to give your home a relaxing garden and landscape? However, do you know which plants would be best to use?
Selecting plants is one of the biggest dilemmas in gardening. With tons of options to choose from, it is difficult for most homeowners which kinds and types will surely fit your home. But remember the saying, right plants belong to the right place.
When selecting plants for your picturesque landscape design, there are certain factors you may need to consider, such as the size of your outdoor space and more. Also, if designing an outdoor space is not for you, you may contact a landscape expert that will help you decide and achieve the garden of your dreams.
But if you want to show your ‘green thumb’ to others, here are the essential tips that may help you choose the perfect plants for your outdoor sanctuary:
Check The Size Of Your Outdoor Space
This is the first thing you need to consider because some plants need space, especially trees. When choosing plants, it is essential to be realistic. Only choose plants that fit your space. Otherwise, it will only waste your time, money, and effort. So, what should you do?
To determine the size of your outdoor space, get your tape measure, paper, and ruler to scale the size from all sides. It will help you visualize how every idea will fall into place, especially if you’re considering adding furniture and outdoor kitchen appliances. So, make sure not to ignore this step.
Once you’re done, you will now know how many plants and garden beds would fit in your dream landscape.
Check Your Garden’s Soil
Different plants may need different types of soil to flourish beautifully. That’s why it is crucial to determine which type of soil your garden has. Before anything else, you need to check the pH level of your soil. You can do this with a handheld pH meter dedicated to analyzing it, which you may find in your nearest garden and landscaping store. But why do you need to do this?
Some plants may require different pH levels to grow. For example, if you want to grow rhododendrons or camellias in your garden, you may need to find a neighborhood that has soil with slightly acidic to neutral pH levels. You may also change the pH levels of your soil by adding soil that is more acidic or basic.
However, checking the soil’s pH level is not the end of it. You may also need to check which soil has the perfect nutrients and drainage capacity. Here are the six groups of soil you may need to consider:
- Clay Soil: This soil may form clumps, resulting in poor drainage. However, asters, shrubs, and other evergreens grow well with this soil.
- Sandy Soil: This soil may dry out faster because of its loose texture, releasing essential nutrients. Some plants that may grow in this soil are tulips, carrots, parsnips, and other root vegetables.
- Silt Soil: This compact soil is ideal for water-loving trees, shrubs, and grasses. You can also adjust its compactness by adding organic matter to enhance the soil’s drainage.
- Loam Soil: This is hailed as the best gardening soil because it has the combined properties of other soil types, such as fine texture, moisture, and better structure.
- Peat Soil: This soil is darker than others, perfect for camellias, vegetables, and other shrubs.
- Chalk Soil: This soil has stones perfect for trees, spinach, onions, and cabbage.
With these details, you’ll be able to create your soil mix, depending on which type of plant you want to grow.
Check The Amount Of Sunlight
Another essential factor to consider when growing plants is the amount of sunlight and shade your place has. Different plants may require different amounts of exposure to sunlight. Some plants may thrive in temperate weather, and some may only grow if planted in regions with moderate to cold weather patterns.
With that said, you need to see how the sunlight moves in your area. If your place has less shade, choose plants that require sunny weather, such as sunflower, rosemary, and petunia. You may also need to search for plants that need indirect sunlight, such as ferns, calathea, alocasia, and other indoor plants.
Final Words
Gardening is one of the most exciting tasks of home renovation. However, choosing which plants would look and grow beautifully in your outdoor space is not easy. When selecting plants, it would be best to consider factors such as the size of your garden, type of soil, and amount of shade and sunlight.
When choosing based on the soil type, check the soil’s pH level first and determine which plants will grow at that level. Also, check the amount of nutrition your plant needs based on the ability of soil to drain and store water. The six types of soil you may consider are peat, loam, clay, silt, chalk, and sandy. You may check the discussion about these types above.
Moreover, one of the factors you don’t want to ignore is the amount of sunlight your plants need. Check if your area offers more shade or sunlight. If it provides your space with a good amount of sunlight, consider buying plants that require direct heat from the sun to grow.
And that’s the end of the discussion. Happy planting!
