When buying perennials, keep your garden’s environment in mind

Maine’s horticulture industry comprises hundreds of independent plant dealers with excellent plant material for the home gardener. With a range of nurseries to choose from, what should a home gardener look for when choosing plants? These tips may help you select flowering perennials, whether freshly dug or purchased potted.

Pick plants that are suited to your environment. It is better to analyze the natural surroundings of your garden and purchase appropriate plants than to try to shape the setting to the needs of plants or to force plants to grow in an environment that is disagreeable to them.

If you have a garden in full sun with poor, dry soil, select plants suited to those conditions. Yarrow, Dane’s blood, sheep fescue and portulaca will grow well in those conditions. However, monkshood, astilbe and Canterbury bells will not. Much manipulation of the environment – providing a structure or overhead tree canopy for shade and enriching the soil with amendments – might make it possible for shade-loving plants to survive, but they likely will not thrive without pampering.

Choose pest-free plants. Examine the leaves of plants to be sure there are no signs of pest damage. Avoid purchasing plants with visible evidence of insects or leaf spotting or leaf lesions. If temptation overwhelms you, consider quarantining it at home until it overcomes its pest problems. Eliminate the affected plant tissues and offending pests and be sure to nourish the plant properly to help it through its travails.

Examine the roots. While it’s probably not prudent to go through the entire nursery tipping plants out of their pots for plants you wish to purchase, ask for help checking the root system. It is possible for the leafy part of the plant to appear perfectly well while the root system languishes. Be sure the roots are as healthy as the leaves. If possible, show preference toward plants that are freshly dug from the field. These plants are generally the most healthy, with the most extensive root system possible, and haven’t been stressed from weeks of living in a confined pot.

Select hardy plants. Be sure that they are hardy to the zone in which you live. There’s nothing wrong with experimenting with marginally hardy plants, but avoid building your garden around them.

Plant as soon as possible. Particularly as summer wears on, it is important to limit the time your perennials live in a pot by setting them out into the garden soon after they are purchased. If there is a delay, most plants will do best if provided light shade and plenty of regular supplemental irrigation.

Consider consulting the nursery after the purchase. Not all establishments that sell plant material are created equal when it comes to service. Sound horticultural advice is perhaps the most valuable component of any plant sale. Point-of-purchase materials and advice over the phone, through the Internet and in person are important ways of obtaining information. Will you be able to call or e-mail your plant dealer and ask questions tomorrow, a week from the date of purchase or next year to receive good advice?

There are many issues to consider when purchasing perennials, but these few tips will get you started.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, RR1, Box 2120, Montville 04941, or e-mail them to dianagc@midcoast.com. Selected questions will be answered in future columns.