Jamie Smith from Red Oak Landscaping talked to the PEI Garden Club about the importance of finding the right place for each plant. Jamie operates Red Oak Landscaping on the Winsloe Road, just outside Charlottetown.
Here is what he had to say:
Some considerations to keep in mind when selecting plants:
- zone - PEI is in zone 5B - choose plants marked zone 5 or lower
- soil type - PEI has acid soil
- drought resistance
- wind tolerance
- shade tolerance
- pest tolerance
- salt tolerance
- pollution tolerance
- form of plant
- texture of leaves
- colour of leaves
- size at maturity
- volume of leaves and seeds dropped in fall
- fall colour
- flowers and fruit
- winter character
- form: are the plants columnar, oval, vase (elm) weeping (willow), pyramidal (evergreen), or round
- texture: are the leaves coarse (hosta), medium, or fine (coreopsis) - mix textures for interest
- colour: use combinations of pale and dark green, burgundy leaves - don't consider flower colour as much as leaves, because flowers are temporary
- variety and simplicity: repeat patterns with clumps and mass plantings
- small trees make a house look big - big trees make a house look small
- in windy areas with salt spray, plant close together to protect plants
- symmetry: balance: formal style is a mirror image - can be high maintenance
- informal style is less sculpted - is less maintenance
check labels: full sun means at least six hours of sun
half sun means 4-6 hours of sun
shade means 2-4 hours of sun
dense shade mans 0-2 hours of sun
Beware of adding too much mulch to beds. It can choke plants. Keep mulch away from tree trunks. It can cause the trunk to rot and the tree to fall down.
Red Oak Landscaping website: www.redoaklandscaping.pe.ca
another great website for garden design tips: http://www.my-gardening-and-landscaping-makeover.com/garden-designing.html
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