Shopping for plants and flowers can be overwhelming and exhausting without taking a few simple steps to prepare.
- First, spend some time in your yard making notes about the location, lighting, and what will complement your home best.
- Figure out where you want to add some color and texture. Be sure to consider your existing foundation shrubs and trees.
- Pay attention to the sunlight pattern in the area to narrow your focus for the plants you need to purchase.
- Think about the color and exterior of your home to enhance the curb appeal. If you have a light brick or paint, consider dark, vibrant flowers that will bring contrast to your landscape. If you have a dark exterior, perhaps try pastels or even white flowers to pop against the soil or mulch.
- Stay focused while shopping.
- Bring your notes with you while shopping to stay focused and allow for a more enjoyable experience while exploring the many plant options.
- Avoid spending time looking at plants that won’t work for you. For example, if you have zero shade in your backyard, concentrate on the numerous sun-loving options for the best results.
- Be sure to note the full growth potential of any plants you select to ensure there’s plenty of room in your landscape.
- Then, follow this concept: thrillers, fillers, and spillers!
- Thrillers are the tallest and showiest flowers that should go in back of your flower bed.
- Then, choose fillers that will grow shorter than your thrillers to add bright, fun colors to your landscape. You can select a few varieties of fillers for even more diversity.
- And finally, choose spillers (plants that mound or stay small) to go in the front along the edge of your flower bed or container.
The most important part of shopping for plants is to have fun! Gardening is all about trying new plants and experimenting with different gardening practices to enjoy the most success.