The Complete Guide to Choosing and Growing Garden Plants

Most plant failures come down to a mismatch between the plant’s needs and the spot it was planted in — not bad luck. This guide covers how to choose well, and how to think about ongoing plant care.

Matching Plants to Conditions

Sun

“Full sun” means at least six hours of direct sun; “part shade” roughly three to six; “full shade” less than three. Most plant failures in year one trace back to overestimating available sun.

Soil and drainage

Plants adapted to dry, rocky origins — lavender is the clearest example, covered in full in our Growing Lavender: A Care Guide for a Fragrant, Low-Maintenance Plant — need sharp drainage and will struggle in heavy, wet clay regardless of sun exposure.

Climate zone

Check a plant’s hardiness rating against your zone’s typical winter low before buying anything perennial or woody.

A Simple Framework for Ongoing Care

• Watering: deep and infrequent beats shallow and frequent for almost all established plants.
• Feeding: match feed to the plant — lean soil for Mediterranean herbs, richer feeding for heavy-flowering annuals and vegetables.
• Pruning: know whether a plant flowers on old or new wood before cutting it back, since pruning at the wrong time removes the coming season’s flowers.

Building a Plant Palette

Repeating three or four plants through a bed, rather than one of many different plants, tends to look more intentional and is easier to keep alive, since you’re only learning the needs of a few species well. See our Garden Design guide for how layered planting schemes are built around a limited palette.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do plants that looked healthy at the store die after planting?

Transplant shock combined with a mismatch to garden conditions (more sun, less water, different soil than the nursery pot) is the most common cause — easing plants in with regular water for the first few weeks reduces this.