Winter doldroms - Now is the time to plan for spring, summer

As an amateur gardener, I like nothing more than getting on my hands and knees and tending to newly transplanted flowers and herbs in my yard each spring and summer. Winter is a particularly difficult season for me because nothing is growing. The only benefit is that the lull means spending cold days curled up on the couch flipping through gardening magazines and seed catalogs.

Each spring I choose one area of the yard to revitalize, though nearly everything needs some help. This spring will be a particularly difficult one because I've got so much work ahead. A home remodeling project -- and a wayward driver -- meant that I had to rip out four hardy yews from the front corner of my house in November. These plants were already well-established when I bought the house and served as an anchor in my front landscape. Now they're gone -- and greatly missed.

I've yet to choose a replacement bush, partly because there seem to be so many options. Do I want to add color or just another evergreen to the landscape? How fast-growing will these new plants be? How tall and wide do I need them to be? Will they provide a barrier from north winds next winter and keep the snow from pelting against the front doorway?

Luckily I have a few weeks to decide and plenty of catalogs to offer me ideas. I'm sure my local garden store owners love to see me coming each spring, with catalog pictures in hand and a request for a special-order plant or two.

There are some things I've learned over the years that make for more successful projects and less frustrated gardeners.

1. Do some research

Survey your landscape to see whether you need shade- or sun-loving plants. Before you buy, check to see if the plant will truly grow in Southeast Missouri's climate. Ask gardeners and garden store employees about what plants they might recommend for your garden.

I fell in love with a Limerock red coreopsis one summer after seeing it in a garden catalog. I found a few plants at a St. Louis nursery and planted them in a spot where they'd get plenty of sun just like they need. What I didn't consider was that our winters here were too harsh for this tender perennial. The plants never came back the next spring.

2. Get your soil tested

You can't grow an acid-loving plant in soil not designed for its needs. And without knowing what sort of soil mixture you have, you won't know what kind of additives you need for amending your soil.

3. Have a plan in mind

Get out your measuring tape and sketchbook. Look at the space before you start planting. Determine its measurements and sketch your ideas on paper first. It's better to know before planting that the butterfly bush you've been considering needs 3 feet more space to grow than you actually have allotted for it.

4. Prearrange your planters

Once you've chosen your plants, set them in the garden space before planting. Make sure you've got the tallest-growing plants in the back and the smaller flowers toward the front of your garden. Be sure you've selected plants that need similar water and light requirements.

5. Grab some expert advice

Get to know the employees at the garden center where you shop. They're sure to have planting suggestions and advice that you will need.

I can't tell you the number of times I've walked into the garden store with a plant leaf I couldn't identify but wanted to grow or a picture cut from a magazine of the plant I wanted to order. The folks at the local garden center are always happy to see me -- dirty shirt and all -- once the ground thaws.

Laura Johnston is the features editor at the Southeast Missourian.