With over 30 years of experience in landscape design and landscape installation, shares their specialized knowledge on what plants to choose for a yard in Pittsboro, NC. When choosing the right plant for the space, it is important to consider sun exposure, drainage, and soil type, as well as the dimensions of the plant at full size. With this short list, one should then think about personal preferences and other considerations.
Sun Exposure
There are three basic categories for sun exposure: full sun, part sun, and light shade. Full sun means that the plant is exposed to at least 8 hours of sunlight per day. Part sun means there is at least 4 hours of direct sunlight per day. For morning sun, this is usually gentler and as such shaded plants can still work well in these areas. Afternoon sun tends to be hotter and harsher, and thus will mean that sun-tolerant plants need to be chosen for these areas. Light shade refers to shade that is casted by pine trees. It is different from dark shade from buildings or hardwood trees.
Drainage and Soil Type
Here, is it important to consider whether the area is poorly drained, moist, well-drained or xeric. Poorly drained or wet areas are where water stagnates for a long period of time after rainfall, this is usually indicative of soil with high clay content. Moist areas are damp most of the time and water drains away within 24 hours after rainfall ends. Rainfall in well-drained areas drains away within a couple of hours of rainfall ending and is an indicator of sandy soil. Xeric soil is extremely sandy, in these areas water never stands but rather immediately drains away.
It’s also important to keep in mind that in shaded areas, competition from tree roots may cause the soil to be drier.
Plant Size When Full-Grown
It’s easy to underestimate the full size of a plant – they tend to grow larger and faster than anticipated. This leads to many issues such as in new landscape plants being placed too close together or too close to the house. For trees, in particular, it is important to have a good idea of how wide and tall they will grow before planting.
Personal Preferences
Choosing plants for a garden is very personal; different plants appeal to different people for a wide variety of reasons. Different factors that may influence these choices include the color of the plant (looking at both the flowers and the foliage), the fragrance, the screening and shade that the plant offers, and whether the plant is high or low maintenance.
Other Considerations
Once the choices have been narrowed down, there are a couple of other considerations that need to be taken into account. The plants should be attractive to wildlife such as bees (for pollination) and birds; they should not have serious pest problems, be non-invasive and easily available from nurseries.
The right plant for landscaping design in Pittsboro, NC is one that is adapted to the local climate as well as being adapted to the specific site conditions (this includes sun exposure, soil type, and drainage). It also needs to be the right size for the space, something that you like and is not invasive. It also needs to be easily available to purchase.
For help with landscape installation and plant choices, contact Arbor Enterprises, a leading landscape company in Pittsboro, NC. From tree trimming to lawn care and more, they are able to help with any landscaping requirements. In addition to softscaping, such as plant selection, they can also help with hardscaping projects such as patio designs, pool landscaping ideas, and irrigation installation.
