Tricks of the Trade

Landscape Maturity
When planning a landscape, property owners should envision what the property will look like as plant life matures.

Avoid focusing on what a plant or tree looks like when it’s young:  installing a young bush or tree that will be much larger at maturity in a  small area could lead to larger issues as it grows. Even if trimmed and  not allowed to reach its full growth potential, the plant can break  down and be susceptible to disease because of the smaller space.

Do Your Homework
When landscaping with native plants, maximize your success by matching the right plants with the right site conditions.

• Assess the available light, moisture, and soil pH at your planting site.
• Have your soil tested to learn the pH and whether the soil needs to be improved.
• Choose native plants which match your site conditions. 

Sun and Shade
Plants and trees compete for water, sunlight, and nutrients and  sometimes only the strongest survive. A blooming plant that appears to  grow in harmony next to a young tree will struggle as the tree matures  and its canopy spreads to 50 feet across, creating more shade than  sunlight. Property owners should incorporate into their master plan what  the next step will be if a big tree dies or what will happen to  blooming material as the tree gets older.