How to Choose a Garden Plant
Garden plants add color and structure, as well as variety to outdoor spaces. Perennials, trees, and shrubs add interest to the garden throughout the year.
Many garden plants that are popular require sunlight to flourish. When deciding on what plants to plant, take into consideration the area available as well as the soil type and other garden aspects. Also read about the best ways to begin seeds and transplant.
Shrubs
There's a shrub for every garden, offering all year-round structure and a wide assortment of colors, leaves and fruits. They are the ideal backdrop for flowers, serve as a low ground cover or create hedges. Many are also easy to care for and provide a natural environment for wildlife.
They have multiple stems and are perennial woody plants. They don't die to the ground in winter, as most herbaceous plants do. They can be upright, similar to forsythia or lilacs or laid flat on the ground like the evergreen camellia. The height of a tree is usually less than 13 feet. However, some experts limit the height to 10 feet. Trees are taller shrubs.
In general, shrubs are slower to grow than trees and are more round. They can be shaped by annual pruning or let grow naturally. They are perfect for small gardens with limited space.
Many plants produce stunning flowers, like camellias which can add an elegant touch to the winter garden by their stunning blooms in shades of white, pink or red. Forsythia and azalea as well as flowering shadbush can bring color to the garden in spring, while the rhododendrons provide a range of scents and colors throughout the summer.
Low-maintenance plants include holly-juniper and Japanese boxwood, which can be used as a hedge, or as accents for the landscape. Inkberry shrubs are popular with bees due to their gorgeous deep-green leaves. Bees pollinate the flowers to make gallberry honey, a sweet honey.
There are also shrubs that require minimal maintenance to maintain their scent. They include lavender and chamomile. This is a very popular herb that contains the properties of calming and can be used as a natural remedy to ease anxiety and stress, as well as reduce headaches and improve digestion. Mint is a low-maintenance herbal that is renowned for its medicinal properties and refreshing flavour. Its antiseptic properties, in addition to its anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties, can aid in treating stomach upset. The leaves are then brewed into tea to ease minor abrasions and cuts and to ease indigestion.
Trees
Trees have been revered for a long time and played a significant role in many different cultures. They can last for hundreds of years, and have a profound impact on the environment. They enhance the appearance of homes and gardens by providing shade and shelter as well as food for wildlife. When choosing a tree choose one that is sized with your house and your site. Avoid trees with messy fruit or seed pods or that shed twigs frequently.
Like all plants, trees produce their own food by the process of photosynthesis. They absorb carbon dioxide from the air and water through their leaves, combining the two to form chlorophyll sugars and oxygen. This happens in special cells called stomates in the leaf. Trees then transfer these chemicals to the rest of the plant using tubes known as Phloem and xylem.
The top part of a tree is known as its crown. It is made up of branches and leaves, and shades the roots from sunlight. The crown also absorbs sunlight's energy (photosynthesis) to keep cool and evaporates excess water through its leaves.
Due to their size, trees have deep roots, which aid in their stability in snow and wind. They also help to prevent erosion by keeping soil in the right place. Trees are the foundation of our natural environment. They help moderate climates by absorbing and releasing CO2 as well as filtering water and taking out the smells. They can also absorb pollutants and reduce the amount of nitrogen dioxide, sulfur oxygen, carbon dioxide and other harmful gases.
A variety of species of trees have distinctive shapes. They may have large, round crowns which create dense shade, or narrow oval crowns which are more open and airy. There are also species that have an egg-like shape and others with broad with rounded tops, such as oaks maples and horse chestnuts. Some species sport an open-headed, slender form with a canopy that resembles an umbrella, such as hackberries, elms, and the zelkovas.
Trees are divided into three botanical groups: ferns (including tree ferns) and gymnosperms like conifers and cycads and angiosperms that include flowering plants. The other categories of woody plants share many of the same characteristics as ferns. These include their tuberculous roots and cambium.
Vines
Vines can make your garden look more attractive by adding the appeal of shady spots as well as hiding unsightly fencing. They soften the appearance of a blank wall or structure and provide a beautiful frame for entrances or windows. They add color and beauty to the edge or bank of a steep slope. They also disguise a utility area and block too-brisk breezes from seating areas.
There are more than 30 varieties of vines. However, they can be divided into four major categories based on how they grow. Clematis, honeysuckle, and wisteria are twiners which work by wrapping around support. Twiners are also divided into two groups that twine clockwise and those who twine counterclockwise. Those that use tendrils, which are modified leaves, to attach themselves to structures include creeping figs Virginia creeper and philodendron.
Many of the same guidelines apply to planting woody vines, as do other woody ornamentals. Evaluate the growing site, including the light exposure and soil conditions, before selecting a vine. Once established, the vine requires regular pruning to keep their desired look.
Try to prune at the same time you fertilize. This will prevent the accumulation of nutrient-salts and encourage vigorous growth.
The amount of pruning you need depends on the type of plant, the environment and your energy level. If you don't wish to spend your time slicing or spraying herbicide on your trellises and trellises an established vine. Dutchman's Pipe or crossvine are great choices. Or consider a fast-growing but robust vine like American bittersweet, which produces bright red berries that hold their color well into the winter landscape.
For perennials that are expected to remain in the garden for a period of years, like sweet pea vine or clematis, train them using ties instead of wires. Use rubber ties, which won't cut into the stems as they grow. For annual vines such as runner beans, hyacinth beans or morning glory, tie them to the structure using string or yarn that isn't too tight. If needed, you may also tie the vine to a teepee with wire or string, but make sure you don't strain the plant.
Containers
Containers allow gardeners to add color and interest to the landscape of their home without occupying valuable space in the patio or yard. Containers can be used to grow many plants, including plants, flowers, and shrubs. The most important thing is to know the needs of the plant and the kind of container required. A container can be anything that can hold soil and is sufficient in size to support the plant's roots as well as provide adequate drainage. This could be terracotta pots, wooden half-barrels window containers, baskets, buckets and even old gardening equipment or cooking pots.
Container plantings require more frequent watering than those planted in the ground. This is due to the small size of the root system as well as the drying effects of direct sunlight in summer afternoons. The containers must have adequate drainage to prevent standing water, which can lead disease and rot.
Addition of organic materials, such as coco coir peat, or compost to the bottom of a container can aid in keeping moisture in the soil. The OM is also a source of nutrients. Regularly watering the container to moisten all of the soil and allowing the container to completely drain will allow the plants to flourish.
The soil mix used to fill the container should be drainage, especially in hot conditions. It is recommended to select a mixture that has some form of organic matter, like crushed leaves or rotted manure, along with some coarse, granular material such as sand, to improve drainage and maintain the same soil texture.
A trellis is helpful for supporting vines in containers. This will prevent them from getting too heavy and crashing over. It is a good idea to protect the containers from wind and rain because they can easily be blown over or drenched on and end up becoming muddy.
The soil in the container is not rich in many nutrients, they should be fertilized regularly. This is best done during the initial stage of soil mixture. During this process, 1 cup of a general-purpose organic fertilizer, such as 5-3-4 or liquid fish emulsion needs to be added to the mix.