The warmer sunny days of April are here, which means it’s time to start gearing up for spring gardening! However, before you start adding plants to your online shopping cart, it’s important to consider selecting the “right plant for the right place”. Tailoring your plant selection to your yard’s unique environmental conditions will help your plants thrive and reduce extra maintenance or care. Use the steps below to help guide you in selecting the perfect plants for your yard:
Come up with a plan
Use the early weeks of April to assess your yard. Create a rough sketch of your landscape and note where current plantings are, and areas you’d like to plant. Determine how much space you have available for planting, and what the conditions are in those areas, as they will greatly influence the types (and sizes) of plants you can grow in those spaces.
- How much light does the area receive (Full sun, partial shade, deep shade), and for how long?
- Is the soil well-draining, or is there standing water after rain?
- Is there exposure to extreme temperatures, such as concrete, or high winds?
- Is the bed close to a water source? Or will you have to hand water the area?
Research & Selection
Once you’ve gotten the lay of the landscape, you can begin researching plants that will work with your garden spaces. In conjunction with browsing the online catalogs of local nurseries and garden centers, utilize the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Plant Finder page to help you select the right plant. You can use the advance features to narrow down plants based on their type, hardiness zone, showiness and more. Each profile will provide you with detailed information on the plant’s growth requirements, unique characteristics, common pest and disease problems and uses in the garden.
Also, be sure to check out the Visual Guides on Plant Selection, which gives a quick list of plants that perform well in Midwest landscapes, and Fact Sheets that give detailed gardening information on a wide range of topics.
Ordering Plants
Many nurseries and gardening centers in the St. Louis Metro region are now offering services such as curbside pick-up, delivery and consultations through phone or e-mail. Click the link below to see a map of open garden centers and links to their website for more information on ordering plants. We will continue to keep this page updated as information becomes available. Did we miss a locally owned garden center that is open for pick-up? Let us know HERE.
Planting
The Garden receives many calls from the public each year asking when they can begin planting in their yards. For the St. Louis region, spring planting is determined by the average last killing frost, which is about April 15th. The actual date can vary from year to year, but the average date is a good estimation of when one can begin planting outdoors.