Plant Selection

Each year, All-America Selections announces its picks for the best flowers and veggies nationwide. So when you see that AAS logo on a seed packet, rest assured you’ve found the “best of.” Provide the proper growing conditions, and you’re bound to find these plants winners in your garden, too!

Why are some roses sold bareroot while others are in containers? And is one better than the other? Learn the differences between these two options and decide what’s best for you. (And don’t worry – it’ll all turn out rosy!)

Bare-root plant material is an inexpensive alternative to container-grown plants – but don’t wait, or you’ll be too late! Winter is the time to bare all.

Picking healthy trees and shrubs – then planting them in areas they’re most likely to thrive – is the best way to ensure a beautiful garden (and the wisest way to protect your investment). Learn what to look for when picking a healthy tree or making a shrub selection.

Having a healthy garden starts with choosing healthy plants. Learn what to look for when it comes to proper plant selection.

When is a 2-gallon plant not a 2-gallon plant? It depends on the container. Know what to look for on a plant’s container label – and get what you pay for!

Gardening with native plants is easy and rewarding. Site selection and plant selection are key factors in getting started.

It can be hard to pick the perfect plants for Southern California’s many mini-climates, but the options are beautiful! Check out a few great introductions – from veggies to flowers – that can bring color, interest and delicious produce to your SoCal garden.

It’s a wonderful, wide and colorful plant world out there. Why stick to only one species? Change your garden up a bit by creating a gorgeous planting of flowering perennials, shrubs, bulbs and annuals that you can enjoy all season long!

You’ve made the commitment to beautify your garden and have taken the time to design and plan the yard of your dreams. But don’t stop there! No matter how well you’ve planned, choosing only the fittest plants will get your garden off on the right root. Learn how.

You’ve got many decisions when starting a garden – what to plant being one of them. Many home gardeners struggle with whether to plant seed or seedlings (or “started plants”). Learn the difference between these two options, then choose the best route for you.

Everyone loves roses. And you can grow them right in your own yard…if you make the right selections. Here’s a look at the history of this old-time favorite, as well as a few rose basics.

Want to help save our planet the beautiful way? Include a few threatened plant species in your garden! This great step toward continued conservation can bring beauty, interest and intrigue to your landscape, encourage plant sharing and may just save some endangered plants from extinction.

Knowing what you want – and need – from your shrub is an important step in plant selection. Here are a few questions to consider when picking a shrub, as well as some planting tips.

We hear a lot about invasive species, but what should a gardener know about them? Learn what you can do to help ensure these space invaders don’t get out of hand in your neck of the woods…and beyond.

When it comes to thriving natural gardens, it’s survival of the fittest…plants. If you want your garden to last (and last) without much care from you, take a tip from Charles Darwin: Stick with tough surviving plants.

From privacy screens to mere beauty, shrubs have a lot to offer any garden. Proper planning and plant selection can help you find that perfect shrub for your landscape needs.