Choose the Right Plants, Fearlessly

Landscape designer Judy Kameon shares tips for fearless plant selection.
Blossoms of Monrovia's SunBrown Eyed Girl Helianthus

Judy Kameon, landscape designer (and author of one of our favorite garden design books, Gardens Are for Living), notes that one of the things she hears a lot from people choosing landscape materials is that they are scared of plants. She points out that part of that fear is easy to fix and shares some guidelines for selecting plants.

First, choose plants that are climate appropriate. Then select materials that will work well in your space. And finally, pick quality material.

Judy goes on to say, “I feel like Monrovia’s perspective on plant material is very much aligned with mine. They care about color, and texture, and form. And they care about sustainability.”

Since Monrovia has been around for almost 100 years with four nurseries all across the country that grow almost 4,000 varieties of plants, they can certainly provide material that fits well in your climate zone. Jonathan Pedersen, Monrovia plantsman and CEO, points out that when testing plants, they consider weather and drought tolerance, as well as how to grow more flowers more often. They also aim to find and develop “plants that are not only going to give you that pop of color, but they’re going to do it for longer,” which is something we all want in our landscapes.

In short, there’s no reason to be afraid when selecting plants. Simply find out your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone, consider your space for the size of the plant, and go fearlessly pick out something beautiful for your garden.

This article is sponsored by Monrovia