Top tips for buying plants
- NZ Landscaper
- May 1
- 4 min read
In this article, horticulture expert Jon Muller takes us through the science of choosing the right plant and shares his top tips for landscapers
On landscape jobs, the planting is the icing on the cake once all the hard features are in place. A nicely planted landscape finishes the job off, after what could be a lot of construction work. It has often been commented that planting is like an investment and that every $1 spent increases the value of the property by $4 or more. Prunus ‘Awanui’ on a 1.7m standard (left) vs a low-worked variety (right). This is a cultivar of the Yoshino cherry (Prunus x yedoensis) known for its ‘weeping’ branches and pink blossoms. In horticulture, ‘standard’ refers to a tree grafted onto a tall, straight trunk, with the flowering part of the tree grafted above the desired height. ‘Low worked’ trees are created by grafting onto a rootstock close to the ground. The resulting tree is then trained to develop multiple stems or branches, rather than a single, tall trunk.
How important is the sourcing of plants?
The quality of the plants you purchase has a big bearing on the success of your planting over time. Naturally, the planting design needs to match the environment and your client’s requirements, but equally as important is where you source your plants.
The plants you select need to be true to type, free of pests and diseases and hardened off. You must also ensure the root ball is neither root bound, nor loose in its bag.
Ideally, buy your plants from local nurseries that have sourced plant propagation material locally. This is known as eco sourcing and it’s important because a Cordyline australis in Northland will have slight genetic differences to one in Manawatu.
Equally, I won’t buy plants from Auckland for my Wellington clients, as they don’t tend to be as hardy as those same plants grown in the lower half of the North Island. If you are buying larger specimens, it’s a good idea for you or one of your team to select them at the nursery if it’s close by.
Many nurseries will be willing to send a picture prior to purchase, so you can get an idea of what it looks like. For example, I was talking to Ben from Leafland Nurseries, as I wanted a large specimen tree of Prunus x yeodensis ‘Awanui’. You have three options if you wanted this tree:
1. Tree is budded at ground level onto rootstock and trained up to 1800mm or 2000mm high.
2. Tree is chip budded either side on a 1500mm or 1700mm high rootstock.
3. Prunus serrula interstem is grafted onto understock and ‘Awanui’ budded onto the Prunus serrula, which has very decorative bark, so you get both the flowers and bark features.
Depending on what form of tree you want and what its function is, you can decide what is best for your job and client. That’s why it’s important to liaise with both your client and your nursery to get the best match.
Speak to the local experts
Another reason why it’s a good idea to visit your local nursery is that they should have a good idea how their plants perform in local conditions. For example, I always feel that landscapers who have spent time in a nursery propagating and growing plants early in their career have a better understanding of how plants grow, as well as a good knowledge about plant selection. The same goes for landscape architects or designers. However, if that’s not the case, talk to the experts!
Garden centres are another option for sourcing plants and, while they can sometimes be more expensive than wholesale nurseries, they can be a good way of showing clients what flowers will look like in their garden (as garden centre plants are often in flower). The only issue is that these plants can sometimes struggle when placed in a harsher environment than they’re used to.
It’s more likely that a hardened-off plant, not in flower, will adapt more easily. It may be that you buy small amounts of plants from garden centres but save your biggest purchases for wholesale.
Consider the logistics
Sometimes you may have to buy plants ahead of time, which will need storing at your workplace. In this case, you will need to keep maintaining them; ie, watering, pruning and applying fertiliser. Otherwise, if left close together, they can get leggy or spindly. In some cases, the nursery maybe be prepared to hold them for a few months, if you are willing to pay a deposit.
This is a problem for nurseries, who must grow plants ahead of time, as they may have to keep the plants on hold for extended periods, making maintenance an issue. Ideally, nurseries and landscapers should work together to get the best quality plants ready on time, which will help get the best outcome for the end clients.
Jon Muller has owned Wellington Gardens Ltd for 24 years. He practices landscape design and construction, with an emphasis on planting design.
He has taught at polytechnics and university, mostly in soft landscape subjects. He has written six gardening books, including Wellington Gardens, and enjoys helping clients find landscape solutions. He also helps students and workers studying for their landscape qualifications.
