Smart, sturdy selections for small spaces

This year’s theme from the good plantspeople at Great Plant Picks, Smart Plants for Small Gardens, has value for landscapes of all sizes when you consider that anyone with a passion for gardening, sooner or later feels squeezed for room. No matter how big or how small your growing space is, an exciting garden comes down to the right combination of plants. 

Great Plant Picks (GPP) is the primary educational program of the Elisabeth C. Miller Botanical Garden. Each year, horticulture professionals from throughout our maritime region volunteer to evaluate and select the very best plants for Pacific Northwest gardens. The pros pick the plants, while GPP staff organize lists and categories that make up a database of more than 1,000 plants. The website is easily accessible and an amazing resource for Northwest gardeners.

I asked Richie Steffen, Miller Garden Executive Director, what characteristics define the plants on this year’s list. “GPP selections have always leaned heavily on foliage and texture,” he says. “Basically, it’s about making every plant in your garden pull its weight throughout as many months of the growing season as possible.” Fleeting flowers need not apply.

Read the entire story in the link below

GROW in The Seattle Times