Proper Plant Selection

In a world where breeders constantly vie to create new and exciting specimens; where garden centres market the fashionable and forget about the tried and true; where plants are transplanted into new climates that may or may not be appropriate, who will stop the madness?

Yes, it is the adventures of Project Sustainability, and the Fourth Principle of Xeriscaping!

Choose Plants that will Survive the Winter



It is true of garden centres, especially the transient variety that spring up in parking lots of big box stores (and I know from experience), that with each season comes a brilliant new specimen, advertised in magazines and insider's reports as the next big thing.  This may or may not be true; unfortunately, the appropriateness of the plant in a landscape must be determined by time, which the plants are unlikely to have had much of.  Another problem with the box store garden centres in certain locales, is that they get their plant material from a different climate, a more conducive climate for plant growth (more profitable nurseries).  While this is fiscally sound, the plants may not be hardened off to colder zones, or even be suitable for a cooler zone at all. 



For example, a great deal of plant material in Ontario comes from the Niagara region, as it is an ideal microclimate, surrounded on two sides by Lake Ontario and Lake Eire, and by the Niagara Escarpment on the third side.  The majority of the material is headed for Toronto, in any case, as it has the greatest population.  In the five hours it takes to travel from Toronto (5b) to Ottawa (5a), however, you enter a colder zone.  If you cross the river from Ottawa into Gatineau, QC (4b), you drop another zone.  Plants will still show up in garden centre that educated employees will have to steer customers away from.

Native vs. Alien



This versus ...



When choosing plant material, it is important to know your climate and enviroment, and choose plants that are appropriate to both.  Evolution is the process where organisms adapt to conditions dictated by selection pressures: plants have evolved to grow in many different conditions.  You just have to choose the ones that are right for your area.  Such plants that are adapted to your climate should thrive in existing soil, and do quite well on rain alone, minimizing the need for amendments and irrigation.



That



Plant material needn't be native to your area either.  If you are bored with the same-old, investigate what gardiners in similar climates use.  You may be surprised, inspired or both.  However, you may also be surprised that quite a few plants that are common in landscapes are in fact native, just appropriated for artistic purposes.

Planting native material for some represents a return to the wild and natural world; following the Greek representation of Arcadia as opposed to the Roman interpretation.  Of course this is a matter of aesthetics, and personal style.  Whatever your landscape ideal, using sustainable practices, and climate-appropriate plants will help ensure that future generations will have a chance to develop their own fashion.