Plant Design by Internet

I always ask clients what are their favorite plants, what kind of plants they like, preferred colors and textures and so on. Most locations in the landscape have many plants that will thrive there and there may not be one best plant for that situation. So I try to find the plant that will be better, if not best, for them. Sometimes I choose wrong and then the plant is changed for something more to their liking. And sometimes we have plant debates. They see a beautiful plant they love, or they find a plant on the internet that is touted to be good for their location. Now they must have that plant and wont it look good right there. Its hard to believe, but somedays, the internet just doesn't know everything.

The internet does not know the specifics. You may get plants that aren't quite hardy enough for our region. You may get plants that don't do well in your particular type of soil. Often, people don't pay attention to the plant size. We love large plants, but they don't do well in small spaces and our yards are full of small spaces. 

Sometimes we create the impossible space and only a handful of plants will fit the need. This is where the internet fails. Searching for a container plant, that grows tall, is evergreen, flowers, is fragrant, can handle cooler temperatures, can take drying winds, and is formal in appearance does not work well. That's when it pays to ask a local expert. Whether they are a designer, a contractor, or a nursery professional; they can help you find a local plant that will fit your needs. You will likely have to make a concession somewhere. So always know what is the most important feature and what is the least important feature of the ideal plant. Of course, picking a plant that will thrive in your situation should not be negotiable. Plants should be an investment and paying to replace a plant that gets sick every few years is not a good investment. A quality local nursery (not a box store) will know their plants and the local area. They can tell you which plants will be eaten by deer. They will only stock plants that can handle the local soils and temperatures. They can tell you what plants work in containers. How to grow certain tricky plants. They also are usually familiar with a wide variety of plants and can help you come up with ideas of what plants will best meet your needs. A lot of trouble can be saved by taking the time to ask someone who knows the area and plants. Besides, talking to actual people shouldn't be that scary and who knows what ideas you might get when you leave the house.