Selecting Plants for Mario Hilario's Garden

Welcome to Stage Three of Mario Hilario's Garden Makeover. We've met with Mario to identify landscape priorities for his backyard and with his priorities in mind, we expanded his garden beds and amended the soil with lime and rich compost. The next step is to choose plants for the landscape.

We met with Mario's garden designer, Rich Clark, at the Clark Farms Garden Center in Wakefield, Rhode Island. Since one of our goals for Mario's yard was to brighten his deck area, Rich started by sharing some tips on how to add instant color with container gardens

. Here are some guidelines for choosing plants for a container garden:

  • Choose plants appropriate to the light conditions
  • Use a nice, light potting soil
  • Select a variety of plant sizes such as trailers, low and higher plants. This adds dimension and color at multiple levels
  • Bigger containers are easier to maintain
  • Sprinkle a time-release fertilizer such as Osmocote around the plants to keep your containers blooming all summer
  • Let your imagination run wild. Choose shapes, textures, and colors you enjoy

For Mario's yard, we chose a color pattern that will echo through the gardens with bright and bold oranges and purples. To liven up the deck we have selected a number of plants:

  • Petunia- Surfinia Blue (trailer)
  • Verbena- Patio series (trailer)
  • Japanese blood grass (height)
  • Gazania- Red Stripe (bold colors)
  • Canna 'Tropicanna' (height)
  • Torenia - Summer Wave Blue (trailer)

With container plants selected, we turned our attention to shrubs and perennials for Mario's garden beds. Our goal was to choose low maintenance, sustainable plants.
We took into consideration the condition of Mario's beds, the size the mature plant would need, and the space available for the plant itself.

Here is a checklist to help you select your shrubs. Consult garden books and garden center staff to find plants that:

  • don't need frequent pruning, division, fertilizing or watering (once established)
  • are not prone to insect or disease problems
  • are reliable, even under less than ideal conditions
  • are visually appealing year-round
  • don't have invasive tendencies

The manual "Sustainable Trees and Shrubs" provides a list of over 250 plants that are meet the criteria above and are well-suited to the southern New England region. Check the URI GreenShare website (www.uri.edu/ce/ceec/greenshare.html) to find out how to obtain a copy.

Here are some of the plants we selected for Mario's garden:

Blue Lace Cap Hydrangea
These shrubs sports beautiful pale blue blooms and will thrive in well-drained soil.They are a glowing addition to the partly shady areas in the landscape. May need protection from spring frosts that can harm the buds.

Japanese Forest Grass
This light yellow grass requires rich, well-drained soil and does well in the shady areas of your garden. The thin green strip down its foliage gives it a resemblance to bamboo. This is a great addition to the border gardens in your yard and can also be used in containers.

Hibiscus 'Clown'
The flowers of the 'Clown' are among the largest of any perennial. They are brilliant pink with fuchsia veining. Although the flower itself only lasts one day, multiple flowers open in succession throughout the long mid-summer to early-fall bloom period. This plant does best in wet soils and full sun and is very effective along streams, ponds, or in low spots of your landscape.

Solomen's Seal Polygonatum commutatum
This perennial can be used as ground cover in all areas of your garden, from partial sun to shade. It is a tough, reliable plant and will brighten a dark garden.

Euonymus fortunei 'Blondy'
This evergreen shrub is incredibly hardy. Splashes of bright yellow on its dark green leaves and bright yellow stems add life to your garden. It is tolerant of most soil conditions and light variation and can grow to be 24 inches in height.

Plant Pro Tips by Rosie Lalli, URI Coastal Fellow