How to choose plants for your outdoor space

A garden is an ever-evolving part of your home, grown and tended through the years. Here are some tips for picking plants.

Watch the landscape you have 

How many hours of direct sunlight do you get, and where? What’s the prevailing wind? “Observe the lighting conditions,” said Sera Rogue, the owner of Red Fern, a landscape and interior plant design studio in Brooklyn. “Figure out what direction your yard faces and what quality of light it gets throughout the day. If you’re up on a balcony or roof, maybe you’re limited to drought-tolerant sun plants.”

Decide how hard you want to work 

If your summer weekends are spent away at the beach, then a finicky rose garden is not for you. Instead, select lower-maintenance flowering options, like tiger lilies and rhododendrons. Are you the type who diligently heeds a strict watering schedule, or do you water on a whim and hope for the best? These factors will determine which plants will thrive in your space.

Invest in good soil and your plants will thank you

Look for a natural-based compost, dried manure, peat and good quality topsoil. “Once the soil is alive and thriving, you can literally feel the energy,” said Jan Johnsen, a landscape designer and the author of “Gardentopia: Design Basics for Creating Beautiful Outdoor Spaces.” “You can feel the energy humming.”

Choose plants that are native to your area, and the pollinators will follow

Look for ones that will thrive in your environment. An lower-height tree, like a dogwood, will be happy under the shadow of an oak tree in a backyard. But it won’t like living in a pot on a 25th-floor balcony. Instead, enliven your balcony with plants that thrive in drought-like conditions with high winds, like ornamental grasses, succulents or bamboo.

Ask about the maturation size of whatever you buy before you plant it

All plants look small and manageable at the nursery, but they will grow. Will one outgrow its pot in a year, dying on your balcony? Will that little maple tree you plant in the front yard eventually block out the light from your living room window?

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