How to Choose Plants Wisely

Learn your soil type, because some plants won't grow in clay soil, and some plants do badly in loose, sandy soil, if they need a lot of water. They won't get it because water can spread away from where it is applied farther and faster  in loose soil than in clay soil and not be accessible to your plant for as long, and also can evaporate most easily.

Know where you have sun and shade most of the day, because these cannot be compensated for. It's almost like the difference between water and air for fish and land animals. Information about sun requirements is usually available wherever you acquire plants or seeds.

Decide how much you want to water. Some plants are stressed and won't thrive if they spend too much time in dry soil. Others do just fine, and some want to be bogged. And..some can't tolerate "wet feet." Their roots will rot. Low-water plants save water, time, money, and weeding. The less you water, the less you support weeds, too.

Know the ultimate size of the plant! Not having to control size is a big part of a low maintenance garden. Roses are fabulous flowers but horrendous shrubs. They're ideally cut back to a candelabra look once a year, or they'd be sprawling monsters and not bloom as much. There are varieties meant to be self-maintaining, but the flowers won't be the best.  They're called landscape roses.

Size is especially important with trees. There aren't many small trees. If you don't want the shade or to block a view, think about very large  shrubs instead. All trees are "messy." there are no exceptions, but there are degrees. Fruits and seeds that stick to shoes or hurt bare feet can ruin a sidewalk for the whole neighborhood for 100 years, so bear that in mind in a front or side yard. In a warm climate, Coral trees are pretty non-messy, and certain evergreens are not too troublesome for colder climates.

In choosing plants, consider pollinators (bees? birds? bats?), fragrance, toxicity, and food production, including herbs.  You don't hear much about serious cases of poisoning from garden plants, but I wouldn't grow Castor with children or pets around. Just in case. You can mix ornamentals and edibles in the same areas, and some edibles are nice-looking, such as artichokes.

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*There's Wistaria in Sierra Madre, CA, that has been allowed to take down a house. It is the the world’s largest blossoming plant, and weighs:
a) 450 lbs
b) almost a ton
c) 250 tons

Sierra Madre's Giant House-Eating Wistaria