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How Do I Choose the Right Plants for Landscape Design?

Landscaping is about much more than placing plants randomly on your landscape. There are many factors to consider in order to achieve a beautiful and sustainable landscape. It is important to choose the right plants and place them in the right place not just for the aesthetic effect but also to ensure that the plants will thrive as well as for the maintenance of your landscape. If you’re curious to learn about how to choose landscaping plants for the best results, read our brief landscaping plant guide below to get you started on the right path.

Site Conditions to Note When Selecting Plants for Your Landscape

Plant selection isn’t just about choosing the plants that look great but also choosing plants that will thrive in the environment in which they are placed. One of the first things to consider therefore is the condition of your landscape. Some site conditions to keep in mind include:

  • Availability of water including the quantity and quality of water
  • Availability of light including the duration and intensity i.e. full sun, shade, partial shade etc.
  • The type of soil and soil characteristics such as compaction and drainage
  • Existing vegetation
  • The zoning of the landscape
  • Conditions below ground for urban sites
  • Obstructions above ground such as wires, plumbing etc.

Aesthetic Qualities to Consider When Selecting Plants

Many people invest in landscaping for aesthetics. The aesthetic properties of the plants you choose play an important role in the overall look of the landscape. Below are some aesthetic factors to consider when choosing plants.

  • Longevity of the plants
  • Their growth habits i.e. how far will it spread, how tall will it grow
  • Benefits of the plants to wildlife
  • Foliage color, shape, texture
  • When does it bloom and what are its characteristics during other seasons

Types of Trees

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing trees is the size of the shade provided by the tree when it is full grown. Different trees have different canopy sizes. They can be broadly categorized as:

  • Small shade trees – these are trees with shade cover of less than 35 feet. These include the American Smoke tree, Fullmoon maple, Japanese maple and the American hornbeam
  • Medium shade trees have shade cover of between 35 and 45 feet. They include Red maple cultivars, European hornbeam, Red horsechestnut, Korean mountain ash and Turkish filbert
  • Large shade trees have shade cover of more than 45 feet. These are suitable for large landscapes or public grounds. They include Black gum, willow oak, English oak and Sweet gum.

Garden Shrubs

There are a wide variety of shrubs to choose from. If you’re looking for shrubs for shade, consider shrubs such as glossy abelia, trident maple and sweet pepperbush. Shrubs suitable for narrow areas or that will provide vertical interest include Sky rocket, Princeton sentry and Fastigiata. Shrubs that are suitable for hedging or providing a screen include hedge maple, fir and spruce.

Types of Ground Covers

These types of landscaping plants are ideal for both small and large spaces. They include woody shrubs such as St. John’s wort, Bearberry, Little Henry and Spirea.

Kinds of Perennials

These include evergreen plants and shrubs. They are categorized as the needled evergreens which include the Japanese garden juniper and the creeping juniper and the broadleaf evergreens which include the Japanese holly and the mountain laurel.

Types of Annuals

These include fruiting and flowering trees and shrubs. They include little leaf lilacs, oak species, shadbush and bayberry.

Work With Our Company For The Best Results

If you want to achieve the best results with your landscape, contact Adam Gorski Landscaping for services from a landscape designer in North Bend.

Lawn

How to Seed a Lawn

Summers are great fun. However, the long days of sunshine coupled with dry hot weather can result in a dry lawn with dying grass. If this is the case for you, all hope isn’t lost. You can spend your summers lying on a lush green lawn of grass. If you’re searching for information on how to seed a lawn, read on to find out how you can prevent your grass seeds from drying out and ensure that you have a lush green lawn in the summer.

An Overview of Seeding

Lawn seeding in fall is the best way to start a lawn and ensure that your lawn will be the envy of the neighborhood come next summer. The cool temperatures of fall will protect the seeds from drying out. Fall offers just enough rain and sunshine to help germinate the seeds before they go into hibernation for winter. While weeds and crabgrass die during this time of year, your seeds will remain and be ready for full growth in the spring.

Step 1: Test the pH of your soil

The first step is to understand the soil you are dealing with. Test the soil to determine its pH. The best soil for grass seed has a pH between 6.0 and 7.5. If your soil is too acidic i.e. below 6.0, you should add lime in step 4. If it is too alkaline i.e. above 7.5, you should add peat moss in step 4.

Step 2: Clear the soil of roots and rocks

Get rid of roots and rocks in the ground using a pointed shovel. Fill out any holes or depressions with topsoil that you have dug out from high spots. You can use a rotary tiller to turn the soil and loosen the earth.

Step 3: Add sand and compost

Cover the area where you will plant the grass with 1 inch of sand. Spread the sand evenly using a shovel. You can use a rotary tiller to mix the sand into the topsoil. Add an inch layer of compost and distribute it in the same way.

Step 4: Adjust the Soil pH

Now that you have established the soil pH in step 1, you can adjust it to ensure that it provides the ideal conditions for seeding a lawn. You can add lime, sulfur or peat moss depending on the pH of the soil. This will help to balance the pH and boost nutrients. Use a shovel to distribute the peat moss. A broadcast spreader is ideal for applying lime or sulfur. Do not spread the peat moss, lime or sulfur mixed together as they are applied at different and specific rates.

Step 5: Rake the Soil

Work the lime, sulfur and peat moss into the top layer of soil using a metal garden rake. Finish off by raking the soil to make it level.

Step 6: Spread the seeds

Your lawn is now ready for grass seeding. Use a walk-behind spreader to spread the seed on the grass if you have a large lawn. If your lawn is small, you can use a handheld broadcast spreader. Be sure to spread the seeds evenly over your entire lawn.

Step 7: Work the seeds into the soil

Use a plastic leaf rake to rake the seeds into the soil. Turn it upside down and use its back to work the seeds into the soil gently. Don’t compact the seeds with a weighted roller as this will result in depressions that will collect water.

Step 8: Water Regularly

Water your lawn lightly immediately after sowing the seeds. You can use an oscillating or fan type sprinkler to avoid washing the seeds away. Stop watering when the entire area is dampened. Water the lawn lightly for about 10 minutes every 2 to 3 days for the first 10 days after sowing. When the grass begins to sprout you should water the lawn once a day for between 15 to 30 minutes.

Work With Our Company for the Best Results

Are you wondering how to seed grass? Work with us, Adam Gorski Landscaping for the best results. We offer landscaping services North Bend residents trust for the best results.

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