Choose the right plants in the planting plan

A garden design consists of several facets, including design, use of materials, lighting and the right choice of plants. Choosing the right plants is very specialized: you need knowledge of plants, a sense of atmosphere and creativity to come up with combinations. In this blog, Hans takes a closer look at the planting plan.

What is a planting plan?

A planting plan is used to indicate which plants will be planted in your garden, where they will be placed and provides insight into the required numbers and sizes chosen.

The planting plan consists of a map indicating the location where the plants will be planted, including a list of characteristics and a flowering schedule. In the characteristics list you will find information about the plants that are used and in the flowering schedule you can see exactly when these plants flower.

What factors should you take into account when creating a planting plan?

Realizing a planting plan is a complex, but fun puzzle. The right plant has to be placed in the right place, taking into account several factors. These factors are as follows:

• Soil type (alkaline or acidic / wet or dry soil)
• Location (sun or shady side / full in the wind or sheltered)
• Specific wishes of the customer
• Maximum height of the plants
• Maintenance: intensive or extensive
• Desired flowering times
• Desired flower colors / color combinations
• Leaf shapes and leaf textures
• Kid Friendly: Plant Toxicity / Thorny Plants
• Fall colors and winter silhouettes
• Any edible species (herbs or fruits)
• drainage

Choosing the right plants for your garden

In addition to the various factors that you have to take into account, there are also thousands of species of plants, each with their own characteristics. So how do you know which plants to choose?

A garden is often chosen in which there is something beautiful to see in every season. This means, for example, spring bloomers in combination with bulbous plants. Color combinations in the summer months. Autumn colors and warm autumn atmospheres in the fall and, where possible, also decorative plants in the winter.
Hans is happy to share his expertise. That is why he also tells us which types of plants he likes to use in different situations.

Planting plan for shady places

In shady places Hans mainly uses foliage plants. These plants do not have a spectacular and colorful bloom, but they do have beautiful leaves that consist of different colors and shapes.

Read more about shade plants

In addition, Hans likes to work with old stumps to create a woodsy atmosphere. The stump is covered with moss and/or mushrooms, which gives a wonderful effect when combined with ferns and low shade plants, for example.

In this way Hans can transform a border on a shady side into an interesting corner in your garden. The dark corner of the garden becomes interesting after all.

Planting plan for a maintenance-friendly garden

Do you want a garden that requires little maintenance? Then Hans can draw up a maintenance-extensive planting plan.

For this, Hans selects plants that can quickly cover a certain area, so that weeds have less chance to develop. The plant selection for a maintenance-extensive border consists of strong varieties that are not susceptible to diseases and require little pruning during the season.

Planting plan for sunny places

There are many possibilities in sunny places. Often different colors of plants are combined there to create a colorful garden. Hans likes to mix grasses and shrubs in between to create a beautiful autumn image. In this way he ensures that the border remains interesting during different seasons!