QuestionHelp! We have just moved into a new home and this one actually has a yard! The back yard is about 1/2 an acre and filled with beautiful plants and trees. There are many kinds of trees, shrubs, and flowers all around as well as a nice creek. I have tried looking up each of these plants, but I am not always sure that I'm looking at the same thing the books show. What I really need is someone who can come to my home, walk the yard with me, identify plants and tell me how to best take care of them. I know that some things need pruning or furtilizing, but I am lost. Is there a relatively inexpensive way to learn what I need to know? Thanks!
AnswerKristen,
First of all, unless some of the plants look like they're on their last legs, (obviously diseased or damaged) or creating a nuisance, there's no hurry to be pruning or fertilizing. You can relax about that. Really. Take your time. That's part of the fun. You're going to be watching these plants for years, so learn what they need as you watch.
I'd be surprised if any need fertilizer at all, in fact. Maybe the lawn, but established shrubs and trees usually have made it to maturity by being well adapted to the place, not because of meticulous applications.
There are two cheap ways I can think of to ID the plants you now own. First, get to know the neighbors, especially if they've been around for awhile. They'll know a surprising (even shocking) amount about your place, or may have some of the same plants in their yards.
Second, find a GOOD nursery in your area (not the garden center at a big home store). Make that nursery a regular place you visit. Look at the labeled plants, and spot ones that match. Also, good nurseries have knowledgeable workers. Go in with a leaf or two, and ask for help identifying them.
If you call in a landscaper, he'll be scanning the place for potential work. You may need that help or not, but you're kinda obligated to give him some work if you're picking his brain for plant ID and care tips.
Hope this helps,
Mark in Portland Oregon
