Choosing The Right Plants For Your Yard

Plants play a major role in landscape design In St. Catharines. Making the proper plant selections that are compatible for this region is much more important. When choosing plants, they would have taken into account the type of soil, water drainage capacities, and sun exposure. 

Garden aficionados and professional landscapers alike have done the city a great favor. As a result, giving it the well-known moniker, The Garden City. 

With this article, we hope we can help keep St Catharines maintain its landscape design fame by helping you choose the right plants for your yard. Here are the considerations.

Soil Conditions

Test the pH and nutrient levels of the soil in your yard before choosing your plants. It is feasible to utilize the edge of a plant leaf if you don't have a kit.

Watch what happens to the leaf when you place it in a glass of water. If the leaf turns a deeper shade of green, the soil is acidic. If it turns yellow or brownish, the soil is alkaline. Anything in the middle is neutral soil, meaning there is no pH shift.

You can also mix some of the soil with dish soap and water. If it foams, your soil is acidic; if it doesn't, it's alkaline. 

You can buy kits that determine the pH levels but these are a bit pricey.

After identifying your soil type, you can choose what to plant in your soil. For example, if your soil is alkaline, stay away from plants that require acidic or neutral soils because they won't do well.

So, before you bring home that plant and place it in the soil of a new yard, you should know what kind of soil it needs to grow well. Listed below are some plants that love clay soils: Irises, Japanese blood grass, cranesbill geraniums (both blue and red), hosta, colocasia, rhubarb and angel’s tears. 

For sandy soils, you may grow plants like rex begonia, liriope (lilyturf), garden phlox or sweet woodruff.

Watering Needs

Some plants also have additional requirements. Examples are plants of the mint family, which need well-draining soil since they cannot tolerate having their feet wet. Compact, clayey soil cannot support plants that have long taproots like so many root vegetables.

Your water supply is a further significant factor to take into account. How much water do the plants and your lawn need? Is there enough rain? All of these things should be taken into account. If there’s not enough water, your plants will die or be severely compromised.

Plants will require more water when there is little rainfall. If drip irrigation has been set up, it is an excellent method since it uses a network of pipes and tiny holes to transfer water directly to the roots without wasting a drop.

On the other hand, excessive watering and rainfall might kill your plants by generating root rot, which will ultimately kill your plants. Check the soil around your plants frequently to make sure you aren't overwatering them or that it isn't too damp.

Light Exposure

Plants need natural sunlight but some require more than others. It all depends on the type of plant you have. Some need full sunlight while others can manage with just 4 hours of sun exposure a day.

Some plants need to be in the shade and cannot tolerate strong light at all. If you want to grow things like violets, coral bells, astilbe, or impatiens then your yard may be a suitable place for them as it will provide the shady spots they need.

The hot sun is damaging to some plants so have enough shade trees and shrubs in your yard for them. Apple trees, crab apple trees and other fruit producing tree varieties thrive in full sunlight but you may also plant flowering cherry or lilac trees to complement your garden plan.

Terrain

If you live in a flat area, you can grow practically any plant in your yard. If not, consider how steep your terrain is and make the appropriate preparations. To have a clear view of the entire yard from one central location, you might need to excavate terraces or create other arrangements.

Soil Depth

Although it's a popular myth, soil doesn't always need to be 12 inches deep for plants. Some plants can thrive on a topsoil layer as thin as 2-3 inches and some can even survive with only 6 inches of soil covering their roots.

However, you need to have deeper soil if you intend to produce crops like maize or potatoes in your vegetable garden. Considerations like the depth of the frost on sloped terrain and other elements that affect soil depth may also be necessary. The type of plant you wish to cultivate will determine how much topsoil is "enough."

If at all feasible, pick flexible, versatile plants that don't require deep, loose soil. Choosing native plants is wise because they can survive in the kind of soil that exists around them and don’t need changing to grow well. 

Read our blog page for more tips on starting and maintaining a landscape design in St Catharines!

Flowering Plants

Your yard should ideally be planted with blooming plants, such as flowers and trees or bushes. Along one side of your home or doorway, you could also build an arbor so that you can hang potted plants there in the winter.

Fences or other structures should not interfere with the landscape design of the yard itself. Choose flowering vines like Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis), Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata), Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris), Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). 

An arbor can be used by birds for nesting and will provide visual appeal year-round to your outdoor living space.

They are also excellent for hanging baskets and potted plants during the winter and as a way to provide shelter from the blazing sun in the summer.

Add other outdoor structures like gazebos, pergolas, and retaining walls to your landscape design in St Catharines even more stunning!

Taking into Account Your Wildlife Friends

Keep your bird feeders and birdhouses clean at all times if you have them outside. This will motivate birds to return. If you live close to a forest, plant bushes that produce food sources like berries or nuts, which will regularly draw wildlife into your yard. 

If at all possible, avoid using insecticides around these trees. Additionally, if you intend to cultivate any edible plants in your garden, ensure pests can't get in.

Keeping a compost pile in a yard corner is an additional option. This will draw birds and squirrels, which will scatter seeds and food throughout your garden. 

The theory is that by positioning your compost pile where it is visible to you, you’ll be more likely to keep an eye on it and monitor its activity closely. 

If you see rodent activity then consider setting up a rat trap or two around the compost itself for added protection against unwanted pests and vermin.

Work With Landscaping St Catharines 

You can create the landscape design of your dreams with the help of Landscaping St. Catharines! Maybe you've seen some of our landscaping projects around the neighborhood and are now ready to start your own.

We provide first-rate service at affordable prices without any additional expenses. Check out our monthly maintenance package options.

Give us a call and one of our experts will be pleased to answer any questions you may have about who we are or what we do. Call right away to schedule a free estimate. We look forward to hearing from you soon!