Selection and Use of Plants in the Landscape

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Selection and Use of Plants in the Landscape
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Reasons for Choosing Plants

• Aesthetic appeal - attractiveness
• Function a specific purpose in the landscape
• Adaptability Their ability to adapt to a
  specific environmental type
• Management How easy they are to grow and
  maintain

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Sequence of Plant Selection

• What function or purpose do I need this plant to
  fulfill?
• Tree, shrub, or perennial?
• Shade, screen, or erosion control?
• What aesthetic qualities to I want the plant to
  have?
• Shape, color, texture?

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Sequence of Plant Selection, cont.

• Which plant best suits the environment?
• Sun or shade?
• Wet or dry?
• Sandy or loam soil?
• Is it feasible for me to properly care and
  maintain this plant?
• Pruning, fertilizing, watering?

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Function

• Function is the purpose that the plant serves in
  the landscape
• Plants serve three major functions
• Architectural
• Engineering
• Environmental

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Architectural Function

• Floors-direct the flow of traffic
• Walls-establish boundaries and set the mood
• Ceilings-contribute to openness or intimacy of a
  room
• Highlighting or masking architectural features

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Engineering Function

• Influence how we walk through the landscape
• Block objectionable views on or off the property
• Establish buffers between divergent activities
• Minimize drainage or erosion issues

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Environmental Function

• The plants influence on the microclimate within
  the landscape
• Microclimate refers to temperature, wind, and
  light in a relatively small area
• Plants modify the microclimate and contribute to
  human comfort

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Environmental Function, cont.

• Reduce heat loss in the winter

• Minimize heat gain in the summer

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Environmental Function, cont.

• Plants can also be used as windbreaks to
  intercept and deflect prevailing winds and reduce
  wind speed in the protected area.

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Aesthetic Function

• Most notable quality of a landscape
• Aesthetic preferences include
• Available space
• Plant type
• Form/shape
• Ornamental characteristics of plant parts

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Available Space

• Available space will determine the plant type and
  form/shape
• Height maximum allowable height for the plant
  to attain
• Width maximum
• diameter the plant can
• cover

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Plant Type

• Tree shade, ornamental/flowering, evergreen
• Shrub broadleaf evergreen, deciduous
• Herbaceous perennial,
• ornamental grass,
• ground cover, vine ,
• biennial, annual, or
• aquatic

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Form/Shape
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Characteristics

• Flower
• Color
• Time in bloom
• Foliage
• Color Seasonal display
• Texture/density
• Fruit
• Stem/branches/bark texture and color

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Site Adaptability

• Site adaptability relationship between the
  needs of the plant and the environmental and soil
  conditions on the property and/or the designated
  planting area.

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Things to consider

• USDA Hardiness Zone

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Things to consider, cont

• Soil Type
• Sandy, Loam, Clay
• Soil pH
• Light Exposure
• Full sun, partial sun, full shade
• Compass orientation or exposure
• Prevailing winds and winter
• sun patterns
• Air pollution tolerance, heat
• tolerance, salt tolerance

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Management

• Pruning
• Minimal, seasonal, shearing
• Sanitation
• Cleanup of leaves, fruit,
• stems/branches
• Irrigation
• How much water is it going to
• need?
• Fertilization
• How often will it need to be fertilized?
• Pest management
• What pests does it attract and what is required
  to treat for these pests?

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Summary

• Plant selection follows an organized process.
• The criteria used in the process integrate
  function, aesthetic preferences, adaptability of
  species to the site, and the management of the
  plant.
• Following these steps will result in the
  appropriate choice of plant and the plants
  success.