Piling into your pick-up or SUV you should definitely be proud of what you have accomplished so far! Take a moment to reflect on how you chose your style and designed it perfectly! Remember the initial confusion, then ultimate satisfaction in picking up just the right tools for your project! And what about that beautiful yard art that will add the perfect amount of serenity or whimsy to your space! Pat yourself on the back for preparing your site with soil, landscape fabric, and spray paint marking where all those vibrant plants will go! All this you have already done! So yes, take a moment to reflect on where you started and how far you have come! Satisfaction creeping into your smile and pride filling your soul! Now the fun really begins!

Enter the garden center or nursery with your plant list in hand. Be ready to be overwhelmed with all the colors and smells and selections. You however are no longer an amateur, you are well prepared! Having decided ahead of time what you are looking for, you know exactly how many or to buy for under that mature and shady that was one of the many pluses you noticed when you first saw your property! While shopping for the plants on your list you want to make sure that the woody stems of plants are pliable and not dried out or brittle. You also want to make sure on non-woody stemmed plants that the plant stalks stand upright and don't show signs of dying back. Another thing you want to look for on both types of plants is that the soil is not totally dried out. Any of these signs could indicate that the plant has not been properly cared for and may currently be in distress. You know from your research on plants during the planning phase what they should look like. If all the plants where you are seem to be drooping or look generally unhealthy, then I would recommend going to another garden center or nursery to buy your plants. The same holds true for bug infestations; if you see signs of bug infestation on a couple of plants, chances are good that the other plants may harbor some stage of the bugs in the soil or somewhere on the plant.

***Remember*** It is the job of the salesperson to sell you plants so in many instances they will downplay any negatives. Also, much of the revenue from nurseries and garden centers is generated from selling replacement plants every year!

This does not mean do not ask questions of the employees. In most cases, the employees are local and can tell you what plants they have or have not had success with. They can also give you some tips on improving plant performance! Most garden centers and nurseries will hire salespeople with the knowledge to assist you competently. There will always be some beautiful plant that catches your fancy as you are shopping! This is where the salespeople can assist you with information about full height and width at maturity, water and sun requirements, hardiness, and longevity. While I urge you to resist the impulse buy, we are human and sometimes we just have to have it! At least you have the info you need to make an informed decision! Be aware that many garden centers and nurseries sell tropical plants that cannot survive outdoors in most of the country. If you must have a tropical (and many are quite beautiful, see the Giant Bird of Paradise above), understand that it will have to either be moved indoors for the colder months or replaced the following year.

You have done it! All that is left to do is load them in your vehicle and head home to place and then plant them! As this post has run a little long, I will discuss planting and watering techniques in the next installment of this series! If you missed any of the parts in this series, just click the hyperlinks below to open them in another window!

Curb Appeal...Your Yard...Part 1!

Curb Appeal...Your Yard...Part 2!

Curb Appeal...Your Yard...Part3!

About the Author

If you are in the market to purchase a home or even refinance an existing loan and you want a loan officer that will walk with you every step of the way, then contact Danny or Rich of the Thornton Team at Home America Mortgage today. We can have you pre-approval in as little as 4 hours. You can visit our website or send an email to thorntonteam@homeamericamortgage.com or call us @ 865-951-0522.