Your nose is tickled by the frisky breezes and your senses are awakened. It’s spring, and it’s time to hit your local nursery to buy perennials. As you enter the display area of the nursery, your eyes grow wide with all the beauty and color. You lose track of what you intended to buy. Do your good intentions fly away as you become more dazzled and frazzled?

Stop! Let’s go back and start over. A plant-buying trip can be both exiting and daunting. How do you comprise what you want and need, but still get the best values for your money?

Be prepared and start with a list of the plants that you need. Make sure that you have both botanical and common names of each, since common names can be confusing and change from region-to-region. Most nurseries place plants in separate sun and shade areas and in alphabetical order by the botanic name. It makes sense to put your list in the same order. Your list should also include the named cultivar of the plant if it is known, such as red Penstemon (Beardtongue) ‘Bridges Penstemon.’ A simple garden plan drawn up ahead of time can help you make choices for color, cultural requirements, mature size and bloom time.

When the desired group of plants is located, check for plant tags or labels in the pots. Plant tags give the correct name and cultural requirements of the plant, and possibly a picture of the plant showing flower color. Also included on the tag might be mature size and the zones where the plant can be grown. The zone is important. Most Front Range gardens are hardy to zone 5. Make sure the plant you’re purchasing endures our cold winters and hot, dry summers. Plants claiming they are hardy to zones 6 or 7 will likely not survive in our harsh climate without a lot of TLC. If you have questions that the tag does not address, be sure to ask the nursery staff.

Look at the general form of the plant. Is it well formed and healthy? Be sure to carefully inspect the foliage. Yellowing or discolored leaves may be cultural; but they could also be a sign of insects or disease. Are there any insects flying around or on the underside of the leaves? Does the plant have stems that appear to be an appropriate size for the pot? If the plant looks a little undersized, put your fingers about one inch into the soil alongside the plant. If you encounter mostly soil, the plant has likely just been transplanted. As plants grow, the nurseries transplant them to larger pots to keep them healthy. If you have any doubts about the health of the plant, ask the nursery staff. The staff understands that you want to buy the healthiest plants available.

Now check the roots—healthy roots mean a healthy plant. To examine the roots, turn the container over and slide the plant gently into your hand. Notice if the roots seem to be evenly established all around the plant. Any black and mushy-looking roots could be a sign of disease or insects. Healthy roots should be white in color. If the roots are wound around the plant and you cannot see the soil, the plant is root-bound. Root-bound plants can take more effort to plant.

If you think the plant has been recently transplanted, don’t try examining the roots. The plant likely hasn’t formed roots that will hold the rootball into place and most of the soil will end up on the ground. Always replace the plant in the pot after it has been examined.

In early spring, many late spring and summer-blooming plants will not be in flower.
However, if there are flowers look for the plants with fewer flowers and mostly buds. The flowers will fade quickly due to the transplanting, but a plant with more buds will bloom longer. Spring is a good time to buy small fall-flowering perennials. They will have time to become established and you will have a more impressive show of flowers.

Shop methodically, checking plants as you go. You may spend more time at the nursery, but you should leave confident with your plant choices and possibly a few extra dollars in your pocket.

Before you buy, check for:

• Plant Tags or Labels
• Good Form
• Healthy Foliage
• Healthy Roots
• Buds not Blooms

The authors have received training through Colorado State University Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program and is a Master Gardener volunteer for Larimer County.

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This page updated:  June 23, 2006