A lot of my time at work is spent pruning, removing, hedging/cutting back and generally trying to contain plants in a certain area. A fair of time is also spent trying to keep plants alive that are completely unsuitable to the Australian climate, or the Sydney climate specifically. While it is good to test my skills and knowledge, when all I do is water plants or attack them with cutting implements there is an issue.

Know your climate, soil and light levels

Knowing the type of soil, amount of light and climate in your garden allows you to pick plants that will do well in those conditions. As much as people often like a certain plant they won’t always do that well in that space being provided. This means more effort to try and keep the plant healthy.

Pick plants appropriate in habit and size

Some plants fit well in a certain situation, while others don’t. Take, for example, the fact that I love a Moreton Bay Fig-it’s one of my favourite trees. This species is one that needs a huge amount of space to look as it naturally should, which us the point of having a tree to me-to enjoy its natural form, not hack at it because it spreads its branches too far. I would love to have this in my garden but it would not go well as I don’t have the space, meaning the tree would look so bad.

Work got me thinking about this topic over the past working week, as they are quite specific about how they want their ground cover plants kept. Take the gazinia in the picture below. They want this plant to remain inside the concrete strip and not go near the lawn.

While I agree that this plant shouldn’t spread into the grass, it is planted in the wrong place. It needs the space to spread as far as it naturally wants to. I just find it such a faff to constantly have to cut back plants like this back because they look so good in a garden bed with other cottage garden style plants without the interference of getting cut back, which makes them look ugly along where they have been cut.

Why is this actually relevant?

First and foremost, your garden looks better. If your plants are happy in the soil, final position and climate they will be stronger, healthier plants. Yes you will still need to mow the lawn or hedge your hedge-that is part of gardening. Plants also look better in their natural form to me-any messing with it ruins it.

You will save time, money or both. If you do your own gardening and you are doing less maintenance you can sit and enjoy it more rather than working. If you are paying someone to do it, they will take less time and saves you money as the gardener won’t be there for as long.

What is worth doing is a bit of research. There are so many plants out there that will fit your needs, whatever they are. Whatever plants you like, there is also another very similar plant that may fit your garden better. Maybe not, but the similar plant may also do well in your garden so have both as you can never have too many plants!