Section One: Selecting plants
Deciding which plants are to be used in your landscape plan may seem overwhelming in the beginning, particularly if you have limited experience with plants. Use your site analysis to help you select plants that fit the conditions of your property. For example, if the front beds are in full sun, choose plants suited to full sun. It is helpful to first make a list of the microclimates found
in your yard, such as sunny and well-drained, shady and moist, etc. Then, research the plants you are interested in and learn about their site requirements.
List each plant under its appropriate microclimate. Find out the following information about potential plants to figure out whether they can be used in your plan:
• Light requirements
• Soil moisture and pH requirements
• Mature size
• Rate of growth
• Maintenance requirements
• Susceptibility to pests and diseases
• USDA hardiness zone
• Heat tolerance
NOTE: The series of Extension publications titled Selecting Landscape Plants is a great resource to help you select plants to fit your landscape needs.
These can be found at http://msucares. com/ under the publications section.
