Every landscape plant has lots of unique features. Make a chart to organize the information for a quick reference for a landscape project, because there is a lot of information available on each plant regarding its characteristics, flower color, attributes, problems, and so on.
There are literally thousands of different plants worldwide that the plant nursery industry offers as possibilities to solving our particular plant needs. Hundreds of new hybrids are created every year that add even more to the selection. These hybrids or cultivars are the product from crosses of two other plants from the same species with the intent of achieving the best and most desirable characteristics (whether it is the flower or leaf color, higher disease resistance, an improved growth habit, a certain attainable stature, reduced required maintenance, increased cold hardiness) from each of the ‘parent’ plants.
Finding the right plant will take some research on your part. The plant resource sites on the internet, plant information and identification books (that usually include the plant’s specific physical characteristics), and your local plant nurseries (typically, not the plant sections tacked on to a home improvement center) will be the most informative in helping you select the right plants.
In the process of narrowing down the list of plants you have compiled, you may find it helpful to organize a chart of descriptive and specific information for the plants you are thinking of using for any landscape project. This allows you to see the features, the pros and cons, and other data you may want to record, for each of the plants – a lot easier than having to remember it!
This type of chart can be created using office software such as Excel, or it could be created in long-hand. Regardless how you create it, the information in your chart can be as specific or as general as you like. Our sample chart for ‘Shrubs for Screening’ in the above photo shows possible category headings of Size, Common Name, Botanical Name, Growth Rate, and Comments that can be used to organize the information that is collected for a landscaping project. A chart can be customized to include any information that you feel will be helpful to you.
