5 Things to Know when Researching Plants, While Waiting for Spring

We know you miss your plants over the winter, here are few things to know while dreaming of spring and the new planting season.

1. Treat our area like a USDA Zone 6 even though resources say we are USDA Zone 7.  This way your landscape plants are more likely to handle our coldest winter temps and not just the average ones. Our Sunset Zone is 3b.

2. If a plant you are eyeing says needs shade in the hottest of climates, then in our area it needs afternoon shade (noon to 5 pm).

3. Know your available space.  You want to choose plants that fill the space but doesn't need a lot maintenance to keep it in that space.  Always work with the mature spreads (diameter) to keep landscape sanity.

4. Take note of the desired plants preferred soil conditions. Some like wet feet (clay or compacted soil) while others like soils that drain (sandy or sandy loam). Pay attention to plants that need lots of organic matter or fertile soils, these plants will need to be fed fertilizers or composts to keep up optimum performance.

5.Use these resources to learn more about your desired plants for maintenance and care needs: The Sunset Western Garden Book, Missouri Botanical Gardens Plant Finder, Dave's Garden, and WSU Extension Hortsense.