Which flowers should you plant in your yard?

The obvious answer is, plant the ones you like! But you can make good choices for the environment while you are making your plant selection.

Choose the right plant for the right place. If you have shade, choose shade loving plants. If you have sun, choose plants that thrive in sun. Most all flowers have tags that tell you which environment the plant prefers. There are tons of other sources of information you can use to make your flower selection. One you may not know about is NC Cooperative Extension. Master Gardeners operate a call-in hotline weekdays, April-September from 9-12 AM. You can reach the Extension office at 465-8240. (If you don't live in Catawba County, you can find your local Extension office in the phone book.) You can also do your research on our website: http://catawba.ces.ncsu.edu/

So, how does your choice impact the environment? Plants that are planted in the places they prefer grow better and have less problems with disease and insects, which reduces the need to use pesticides. In addition, when plants are growing poorly, the tendancy is to apply fertilizer. Fertilizer that isn't used by the plant is leached away to the nearest body of water.

By choosing the right plant for the right place, you can have a nice landscape, and you'll help keep our environment free of excess landscape chemicals.

Happy gardening!