Tips for Selecting Plants

• Resist the temptation to buy a plant without having a definite place in the landscape to place it.
• Buy from a well-established business with agood reputation.
• Learn everything you can about that plant before buying to make sure that the conditions at your home will meet the plant’s cultural requirements.
• Buy fresh plant material.
• Plants should have a good green leaf color and not be discolored. There should not be any dried branches or wilted leaves.
• All plant material should be properly labeled.
• Check for damage to trunk or stems that has not properly healed.
• For “ball and burlap” material, the root-ball should be intact with no cracks or loss of soil. The plant root-ball should be firm. The plant should not move independently of the root-ball.
• For container plants, inspect the root system to ensure they are not “root bound.” Turn the container upside down, supporting the plant by the top of the root-ball and gently removing the container. The root-ball should remain intact with no significant loss of rooting medium, and the roots shouldn’t circle the inside perimeter.
• Look at the size of root-ball and container. Root-balls should be 10" wide for every 1" of trunk caliper. The trunk caliper is the diameter of the trunk 4"above the root-ball.
• Be sure to understand the warranty program for the plant materials you select, especially the owner’s maintenance responsibility.

—Mark T. Dougherty, CLP, CPH, Purchasing Manager

As the spring growing season approaches, you may be thinking about the wide selection of fresh, new plants available. However, before you buy, make sure you have a well-designed landscape plan.

Developing a Landscape Plan Successful residential landscape plans work functionally and aesthetically. Using a professional to help design your landscape and guide you in the selection of plant materials may benefit your landscaping in the long run. It’s important to understand the property’s drainage, soils, and ecology; locate all existing site elements; develop a wish list of use areas and locate them properly; and resolve these elements
together into a successful format.

Tips for Creating a Landscape Plan

• Conduct a site inventory and analysis.
• Create a base map using site inventory and analysis and site measurements.
• Assess your family’s needs and desires.
• Locate on the base map desired use areas (e.g. plan areas, usage areas, gardens, walkways, water features, and so on).
• Develop the planting plan.
• Develop a maintenance plan.
• Develop a budget.

—Tom Nugent, ASLA, Residential Design Sales Manager