Proper Placement of Plants

Proper placement can make a big difference in the health and appearance of your plants. When planting outside select plants based on the purpose for their use. Plants can be used for many reasons, some of the most popular are to create a focal point in your yard, provide shade, improve privacy or control erosion.

You will want to give your plants the best chance for survival and growth so proper placement is essential. It will always be best to know the mature size of the plant you select and then purchase younger plants instead. Then plant them with sufficient space from surrounding plants or structures so they have room to achieve their mature size. Also consider the environmental requirements of the plant such as sunlight, water, soil type, heat or cold and wind tolerance. Keep these things in mind when deciding where to place new beds or when selecting plants for existing beds in the landscape.

A group of shrubs or trees in plant beds with mulch creates a beautiful accent to the yard while avoiding problems with lawn maintenance. You can easily mow or rake around them and keep them neat and weed free with very little effort. If you are using flowers in a bed, be sure to select plants with varying heights. Place the taller plants toward the back of the bed then place the shorter plants in front. If using multiple rows of plants in descending heights from the back toward the front of the bed. Be sure to allow sufficient room for the growth and maturity of each plant. It may look a little sparse at first but as the plants grow the gaps will fill with beautiful full blooms.