About PlantSwatchTM
If you don't find the answer here please Ask a Master Gardener.
Q. What was the rationale for choosing these plants over all the other possibilities?
A. A few years ago it was estimated that there were over 5,000 plants in the horticultural trades in North America. To include all of these in one book would make it very large, and very expensive. Clearly we had to make choices.
The primary factor in choosing plants is that of good garden performance - and by this we mean that the plant contributes reliably to the visual effect in the garden. We tried to choose plants that have withstood the test of time and many of them have come to be known as "classic" garden plants. We also chose some newer plants that are already showing promise of becoming classic plants. They are all reasonably easy to grow over a range of different garden conditions, and they are plants that should be readily available, either at a local garden centre or by mail order. There are no obscure or very difficult to find plants. While we didn't use their list, a large number of the plants we included happen to be winners of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Some plants were chosen based on the recommendations of specialist plant societies (e.g. Hosta). We also wanted to ensure there were plants from a wide range of hardiness zones and colours to give gardeners a full palette of options.
Q. How are plant colors organized?
A. Plants have been organized by the color of their primary ornamental feature. The focus is not on flowers exclusively; in some cases plants are grown for the color of their flowers, while in other cases it may be the color of the foliage or fruit that is particularly attractive. PlantSwatchTM includes plants with each of these color elements.
Q. Why do you use the USDA Hardiness Zones?
A. Many Canadian nurseries use American plant hardiness zones because they are more conservative. There is more certainty that the plants will survive the winters in the regions for which they are rated.
The 2000 Canadian plant hardiness zone system is not widely accepted yet. When Natural Resources Canada published the new map they made some changes that resulted in many inaccuracies. That is why they now have a web site called "going beyond the zones". For example, at Ridgetown Ontario, they are no longer shown to be in Canadian zone 7a (they are now shown as being in zone 5b!), and yet their zone 7 indicator plants still grow there.
Q. How do I decide whether I want perennials or annuals?
A. Perennial flowers are those which come up every year as opposed to annuals which do not last more than one season.
Planting perennials certainly saves work every year, and gives you a good basis for your garden layout. While they tend to be more expensive than annuals, your purchase lasts many years as long as you have selected plants from the correct hardiness zone. Delphiniums and foxgloves are examples of perennials.
In the early summer you can give some additional color and variety to the garden by planting a few annuals. They are usually less expensive than perennial plants, but are equally as attractive and colorful. Pansies, petunias, snapdragons, and geraniums are some examples of annuals.
Q. How do I keep the garden in bloom all summer?
A. Not all flowers bloom at the same time of the season. If you want to have different flowers continually blooming throughout the spring/summer/fall, then plant a variety of flowers that bloom at different times. By checking the back of the PlantSwatchTM image you will see the "Season" for each plant which refers to its blooming cycle. This way, you will be able to ensure that you always have a splash of color in your flower garden bed!
Make sure that you get the flowers suited for your garden space: If you have a garden bed that is located in full sun, then you will want to plant flowers which will flourish in the full sun. In addition, you will want to make sure that you have the right type of soil for your type of flower. If you are getting annuals, you will find that many of them thrive in areas that are in full sun or part sun. In addition, annual flowers generally do well in garden beds that drain very well - meaning that they do not like soil that stays fairly damp throughout the day. All of this information is in PlantSwatchTM.
"Dead head" your flowers: In order to make sure that your flowers continue to bloom throughout the summer, you will need to make sure that you pluck off the dead blossoms. This will allow the flower to have more energy to create more flower heads, since it won't waste its energy sending nutrients to a flower bloom that is already dead. To "dead head" a bloom, you will need to follow the stem of the dead bloom down to the first junction where the stem meets with either a leaf or another stem. Clip off the stem and dead bloom, leaving the rest of the flower in the garden to continue growing! Dead heading is especially recommended for roses and annual flowers.
