Landscape & Garden Guide for Selecting Plants In general Look for plants with healthy foliage and make sure they're rooted firmly in the soil. Avoid plants with roots exposed on the surface or with roots growing out the bottom, they won't root as well in your yard. Trees, generally a strong leader branch promotes good growth. There are a few other things to consider when choosing your plants: Climate for your Area If you're going to plan your own landscape, you'll need a pretty good idea of which trees, shrubs and flowers work best in your climate. Flowers, trees and shrubs are categorized according to suitable climate zones as shown on the Zone Map of the U.S.A. A climate zone map divides the country into several climate zones, linking areas with similar climates. You should determine your own zone and choose only the plants suitable for your area. Battinelli Landscape & Garden Center in New Jersey nurseries will stock plants that are hardy to your climate. If you plan to order plants from a catalog, remember that they sell to the entire country and not all the plants they offer will be suited to your area. Be sure to check the climate zone information before ordering. Sun Exposure In addition to the climate factor, there's also the sun factor for trees, shrubs and flowers. Some plants need full sun, some need full shade, and many won't thrive in the opposite extreme. Plant guides and catalogues will list the plants sun or shade requirements. And that's something you have to consider in your planning. Shapes, Sizes, and Bloom Time You want the shapes and sizes of your plants to blend with the house architecture and even disguise features you don't like. In general, taller and darker plants work best in the back of a bed with shorter and lighter colored plants in front. Catalogues and guides list the plant size at maturity, which is critical for proper spacing on your plan and in your yard. You need to decide what sizes to buy your shrubs and trees at. They're sold at several stages of growth in 1 to 7-gallon containers. But you can get larger ones balled and bur lapped. Small plants are cheaper but they take longer to reach maturity. So it's really a question of budget versus patience. You should also know the time of year when the flower or shrub is in bloom, especially if you're trying to maintain color throughout the entire growing season. Come visit Battinelli Landscape & Garden Center and let us help you make your vision a reality today. Battinelli Landscaping & Garden Center...Full Service Landscape Contractors 1611 Greenwood Lake Tpke • Hewitt, New Jersey  •  All Major Credit Cards Accepted Phone: 973-728-1200  Or: 973-728-5325  Fax: 973-728-7667