Plants for Home Landscaping
Searcy, Ark. – Many people feel a little lost when they visit their local nursery or garden center to buy plants for landscaping. What cultivars should you choose for landscaping your particular lot? How do you establish if the cultivars you may want are hardy enough to survive here? You may turn for advice to the staff at the nursery or garden center; but during the busy spring season they may not have enough time to help you find the plants you need to meet your particular landscaping requirements. Furthermore, your favorite nursery may not have the plant cultivar in stock you are looking for, and as a result you may end up planting your second choice.
Give yourself enough time to plan your home landscape carefully. The average landscaped house is worth 10‑15% more than the bare house and lot. Your landscaping may represent a value of 5,000 to 20,000 dollars! It is therefore very important to find out as much as you can about landscaping and plant materials.
Some Points to Consider
1. Buy from local suppliers who guarantee their plant material. Be sure to ask about the terms of the guarantee. Most suppliers guarantee their plants for the first growing season, but some may guarantee that the plants will survive for a full year. Most suppliers will reimburse you for only half the cost of the plant materials, but some may refund you in full. Do not expect to be reimbursed should your plant die from neglect.
2. Buy hardy material that is adapted to your area. A good way to plan your yard is to visit an attractive neighborhood. Make a note of the names of the plants you like. If you cannot identify a plant, ask the home owner. Most people are happy to talk about their favorite tree or shrub.
3. Note how people use particular shrubs and trees on their property. If you like the plan, you might adopt it.
4. Note also how far trees or shrubs are planted from each other, and from the house or fence. Often young plants are planted too close for proper development. Find out how large the plant will be when it is fully grown. Do not plant big trees on a city lot. Most poplars, maples, elms, willows, spruce and pine are too large to be used on a 50 foot lot. It is often tempting to buy a low‑priced tree like a poplar. You may discover that you must spend 80 to 100 dollars annually to prune your once‑prized poplar. Often such a tree will become so large that it may endanger the house, and then you will have the costs of tree removal or house repairs from falling branches.
5. A number of evergreen shrubs do not do well on the south and west sides of a house. The sun in late winter can cause drying that can seriously injure such shrubs. Usually the junipers can tolerate more winter drying than the cedars and will be your best choice.
6. When selecting plants, do not be overly concerned with the flowers they may provide. Flowers often last for only 1 or 2 days. They are less important than:
a) Foliage texture (feathery, shiny, fuzzy) and color (yellow, silver, blue).
b) Fruit that stays on the plant for several months and also feeds the birds.
c) Fall leaf color that may last for 2 weeks.
d) Stem and bark color that adds to the winter landscape.
7. Many fruit trees and shrubs can provide attractive flowers and colors for your home landscape as well as a good supply of edible fruit for the table. I would advise you to consider fruit trees for their ornamental value in landscaping. They can produce fruit for a pie and they can also beautify your surroundings.
The University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. For more information you can contact your local county extension service, you can also follow Sherri Sanders on Facebook @UAEX.WhiteCountyAgriculture .
By Sherri Sanders
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Media Contact: Sherri Sanders
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
2400 Old Searcy Landing Rd. Searcy, AR 72143
(501) 268-5394
ssanders@uada.edu
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative
action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need
materials in another format, please contact your County Extension office (or other
appropriate office) as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons
regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin,
religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any
other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.