Plants are vital to all landscape work. Whether you are installing your own pond or landscape or having us do all of the heavy lifting, your yard will never really look natural and complete without an aesthetically appealing selection of beautiful plants. Life as we know it relies heavily on plants for food, plants to help clean our air, plants for medical purposes, plants to help keep our ponds clean, plants to make us smile, plants to awaken our sense of smell on a fresh, crisp spring day and plants to define and add beauty to our yards.
Zones
Plants are often grouped by climate zones. Here in Southeastern Wisconsin we are considered a zone 5. What does that mean to you? Well, usually when you purchase a plant from a nursery or garden center it will be labeled with the zone that it is rated for. If you are purchasing plants, if you don’t see a zone label, just ask, anyone at the nursery or garden center should be able to answer your questions.
So I can only plant zone 5 plants? No. you can plant zone 5 or any lower zone. In my experience, even though we are zone 5, many of the zone 5 plants will only survive in ideal settings. Many zone 5 plants that will do just fine in a nice protected area in good soil will not fare well at all if planted in poor soils or out on a windy exposed hill. If you want to plant and be more certain that your plant will survive, choose a zone 4 or lower plant. These plants will handle poor soils or harsh weather much better than zone 5 plants will.
Diversity
Plant diversity and unusual plantings can really add uniqueness and flair to your yard, but the novice gardener must realize that more delicate plant material will require more care in placement, preparation and maintenance. For the avid gardener or even the enthusiastic hobbyist, planting more unusual and delicate plant material is a great way to really personalize your landscape and make it your own. There is a certain feeling of pride and accomplishment that accompanies planting, nurturing and watching a plant thrive and grow in your yard that wouldn’t be able to survive in many of your neighbor’s yards.
Keep it Simple
For those of you who just want to plant your landscape, water it and watch it thrive, you may want to consider sticking with the zone 4 or lower plants. These plants won’t require as much care and are usually more resistant to disease, animal damage and weather extremes. The majority of homeowners that I have met would prefer to purchase plants that are most likely to survive and thrive with minimal care.
Probably the best way to ensure the survival of your landscape plants is to choose plants that are native to your area. While your choices will be more limited, your success will be almost guaranteed.
Check out our other plant pages to delve deeper into your landscape and pond plant choices.