The signs that fall is approaching are sometimes so subtle that it is easy to miss them.  But, they are there just the same.


You may notice the lengthening shadows on your way home from work, signaling shorter days.  Or maybe you’ve noticed that you aren’t rushing indoors as quickly as you did earlier this summer.

Fall is a time to celebrate the end of hot summer temperatures and what better way to do that than to venture out into the garden again?

Before you head out to shop for new plants, it’s important to pick the right ones or you may be left with a dead or struggling plant and a thinner wallet.

Here is my most important piece of advice before you head to the nursery:  

Research plants before buying.

It sounds simple, doesn’t it?  But you would be surprised to learn that most people don’t research plants before they add them to their landscape.

There are three questions you should have the answers to before planting.  

1. Know how large your plant will grow at maturity.

Neglecting to get the answer to this question can have unfortunate results.

This homeowner had ficus trees planted in the raised bed around their swimming pool.

Now, when you look at this picture, you may be wondering why would anyone plant ficus trees in this area.

Newly planted ficus tree

 Well, it goes without saying that new plants are much smaller than they will be once they are planted and have a chance to grow.

Mature ficus tree.

But, once plants are in the ground and begin growing, that small little plant can increase in size exponentially.  In this case, the ficus looks like it is ready to swallow up this house.

Over-planted shrubs

Another example of not researching the mature size of plants can be seen in many landscapes throughout the Southwest.

In a nutshell, the small 1 foot tall and wide shrub in the nursery can grow more than 10X its original size.  

2. Know what exposure the plant does best in.

Putting a plant that needs full sun in a shady spot will result in a leggy plant with few leaves and almost no flowers.

What a plant that does best in filtered shade looks like when planted in full sun.

Conversely, if you place a plant that does best in the filtered shade in an area that gets full, afternoon sun – it will suffer.  

You will save yourself a lot of time, money and frustration by simply placing plants in the exposure they like.  

3. What type of maintenance will your plant require?

Fuss-free Eremophila ‘Summertime Blue’

Some plants need frequent pruning, fertilizing and protection from pests.

Others are what I like to call ‘fuss-free’ and need little else besides water.

The amount of maintenance a plant needs is largely dependent on whether or not it is native or adapted to your client.

For example in the Phoenix area where I live, queen palms are very popular.  The problem is, is that they are not particularly well-adapted to our desert climate.

In fact, it is rare to see a healthy queen palm growing in the greater Phoenix area.  Frequent applications of palm fertilizer are required to get them to look okay and even then, they will never look as good as those growing in Florida or California.

I don’t like to fuss over plants except for a couple of rose bushes in my garden, so I am a strong proponent of using native or adapted plants that need little pruning, no fertilizer and aren’t bothered by insect pests.

Now we know three important questions to get answered before selecting new plants for your garden.

So, where can you go for the answers to these questions?

There are a few different places you can go to find out these as well as other questions.

Master gardeners are an invaluable resource and their job is to help people learn how to grow new plants successfully. You can call them, email your questions or stop by and talk to them in person.

Take some time to visit your local botanical garden. Write down which plants you like, or snap a photo of them with your phone. Note how large they are and what type of exposure they are growing in.  

3 Tips for Fall Planting Success