Garden Tips: Study landscape and carefully choose spots for new plants

A low-maintenance landscape can be beautiful. Low maintenance means the plants require little watering, pruning or spraying, and have few pest and disease problems.

Start by studying your landscape area before planting. Check drainage and sun and shade amounts. This will help you when you start buying plants.

Ornamental plants take more care when they are planted at the wrong site. For instance, azaleas prefer well-drained soil and a mostly shady location. When planted in poorly drained soil or full sun, azaleas become stressed and require more care.

If low maintenance is your goal, you probably should not plant a rose. Roses provide season-long beauty, but require season-long attention. They need an inch of water per week. They are prone to black spot, a serious foliage disease. With the proper care, it can be treated.

Here are some tips for establishing a low-maintenance landscape:

Size: A small, well-kept landscape is better than a large one that is overgrown. Reducing size is the best way to reduce landscape maintenance.

Arrangement: Arrange plants according to their water use and soil pH For example, azaleas are acid-loving plants, so plant all acid-loving plants together. Most junipers need less water, so plant them together. Plant requirements should be on the tags.

Mulches: Use mulches around plants to minimize weeds and conserve moisture.

Fertilizer: Do not overfertilize plants.

Pruning: Put the right size plant in the right place to reduce the amount of pruning necessary. The potential height and width should be on the container.