10 May Wait! 7 Steps Before Going to the Nursery…

May is the peak of plant supply at our local nurseries and it’s so easy to fall in love with endless cute and handsome plants of all sizes, but before you bring them home there are several steps I recommend you take to set you and your new plants up for success.

1. Have in mind specific features you’d like to augment your landscape with before you go shopping. Are you looking for 

• something that offers winter interest 
• fragrance next to your favorite sitting spot 
• pollinators to mesmerize you and take your mind off a busy day when you sit down for your after work beverage? 

2. Know where in your landscape your new additions are going to go and know what form you are seeking. Being as specific as possible will help when you’re faced with so many great options. For example:

• 3′ tall and wide or
• creeping groundcover or
• tall, narrow vertical accent 

Make notes of all these things, then see what gems you find that fit your parameters.

3. Do other plants need to be moved to make room for these features you most want to add? Move them now, before you bring the new ones home.

4. Whenever possible, dig the holes first. We’ve all been through that particular plant lover’s torment of bringing home these dazzling beauties – with the best intentions, of course – and then life gets in the way and they sit in pots wilting, withering, and making us feel like terrible humans. Let’s not do that again, shall we? When the holes are already dug, you’ve accomplished the first several steps and made it much easier to find success for you and your new landscape family members.

5. How are you going to water your new plants? If you’re using drip irrigation, connect the spaghetti lines and emitters and put them in place before you bring your plants home. If you’re using a hose, it sure can’t hurt to make sure you’ve attached the hose for the season, that it’s in good working order, and that it will reach the area you’re planting in.

6. Have fresh mulch readily available so that as soon as your plants are planted, it can be spread around the new plants, to help keep moisture in and weeds out.

7. Once you finally get to the nursery – I know, a lot of work first, right? But it’s worth it, I promise! – and find a candidate to interview for occupying the precious real estate of your garden bed, make sure there’s ample space for the plant at its mature size, and that it will look good with what else you have going on there. Having photos on your phone to glance at for reference is a great idea, and photos of the area in question at different seasons qualifies you for the bonus round. Read those nursery tags to ensure that the cultural conditions (sun exposure, soil moisture, your hardiness zone, etc.) are right for them to be happy.

Simply put, the goal is to make it as easy as possible to take proper care of your new babies – or if you’re a bit more emotionally detached than some of us plant lovers, your investment. Regardless of your bent, there’s all the incentive in the world to see your plants get quickly settled in their new home, so they can spread their roots, grow their leaves, and flower themselves silly. And everyone gets to live happily ever after. See, I told you it was worth it!

To the Glory of the Garden,

Eva Montane

President, Columbine Landscapes