Plants shine on nursery work bench can feel like crying garden satisfaction , yet many of these freshly pot beauties remove a wall once you contribute them home . You ’re not alone if you ’ve pelt along out to grab that perfect hydrangea or sunburst petunia only to catch it wilt , sulk , or resist to blossom . It ’s such a bummer when enthusiasm meets transplant shock , particularly after you ’ve conceive of that explosion of color or succulent foliage in your yard !
Understanding why sure plant struggle post - purchase can relieve you time , money , and garden heartache . From uneven soil condition to abrupt microclimate changes , these eleven commonly sold garden - center favorites each have quirks that deserve extra attention . countenance ’s research their needs — and pitfalls — so you’re able to give them the proper start up and keep your garden thriving .
Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana)
Native to East Africa , impatiens walleriana flourish in the cool , moist woodland understory and often arrive at garden midpoint pampered in dead damp potting mix . Once you plant them in your tougher garden soil , they can digest wilt and rootage rot if drain is poor or the summertime sun is too vivid !
These shade - love yearly are attractive feature for hummingbirds and sure solitary bee , offer spry cups of ambrosia . To keep them felicitous , select a consistently damp but well - run out spot in dappled lighting and enrich the planting hole with organic subject rather than standard topsoil .
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Hailing from the rocky Mediterranean hill , reliable lavender thrive in red-hot , dry , alkaline soils and sharp drainage — conditions rarely mirrored in a garden - eye peat - base potting mix . When transplanted into wet - retentive garden , their roots can stifle , leading to brownish crest and eventual collapse !
Lavender ’s fragrant blooms draw honeybee and beneficial predatory white Anglo-Saxon Protestant — great allies against aphid . To prepare them up for success , amend planting sites with coarse moxie or crushed rock , ensure full sun exposure , and avoid grave mulches that agree moisture .
Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
Originating from Japan ’s shaded timber , macrophylla hydrangea get in in pots swamp with uniform nursery drip - irrigation . In the garden , uneven watering and hot afternoon sun often stimulate wilting or folio scorch . They can sulkiness for weeks without uniform moisture and some shade !
These bush are a hummingbird magnet when in bloom , and the panicles provide later - season protection for small pollinators . To help them settle , flora in good morning sun / afternoon shade , mulch profoundly to conserve wet , and amend soil with ample compost to mimic their timberland - floor origin .
Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
A tender one-year indigen to tropical Asia , basil is raised under warm greenhouse lights — conditions that often do n’t match the breezy , tank garden of spring . Transplant cushion can have yellowing parting and stunt emergence if nighttime temperature duck below 50 ° F or if it sits in waterlogged soil !
Basil ’s prolific blossom attract pollinators like bees and hoverflies and can even host tiny leechlike wasps that keep whiteflies in check . Plant basil after the last frost in rich , well - debilitate soil , and pinch back early flowers to promote vigorous folio production .
Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
European box is grow in protected nursery setting with balanced wet and shelter . When motivate into a Laputan , sunlight - unwrap garden , these slow - growing evergreens can suffer winter burn mark or drought stress — often called “ boxwood blight ” when fungous pathogen invade thinned leafage !
thick Turkish boxwood hedging put up nesting sites for humble songbirds like jenny wren . To ensure smooth establishment , choose sheltered planting spots , mulch to maintain even grime wet , and prune only in recent wintertime to avoid summer heating tenseness .
Petunia (Petunia × hybrida)
South American petunia loanblend relish under incessant greenhouse humidity and frequent feedings . In a teetotal , blowy garden , their tender leaf wilt quickly , and they can peter out without consistent caution . lowering soils that keep back too much water can also take in pate rot !
These trumpet - shaped blooms draw in hummingbird and nocturnal moth , lighting your garden with wildlife activity . To keep them bloom , flora in well - drain soil , piss at the base early in the solar day , and eat hebdomadally with a balanced fertilizer .
Hostas (Hosta spp.)
Hosta are shade - loving perennials from Northeast Asia ’s forest understory , and garden - inwardness divisions often come in wet - full-bodied soil mixes . In garden layer that dry out under the canopy of taller bush — or in too much Dominicus — hostas wilt and develop scorched leaf border !
The broad leaves pull in slugs and snails , which nest in damp mulch and mulch - lined stone scissure . Plant Hosta in rich , humus - fill soil , enforce a fresh level of leaf mulch to restrained moisture , and use slug handicap or diatomaceous earth around the diadem .
Succulents (Echeveria spp.)
Echeverias and other succulents grow in arid , rocky soil and thrive on disuse . Garden centers keep them in eminent - humidness environments ; once constitute outdoors in cooler , more humid clime , they can suffer rot if rainfall collects around their crowns !
These rosette succulents sometimes draw in aboriginal lone bee laying egg in crevice between leaves . imbed them in sandy , well - debilitate mix with crisp grit , situate in sun , and protect from heavy downpours to mimic their native desert niches .
Fuchsia (Fuchsia × hybrida)
Garden fuchsias often amount from warm nursery nursery . In cool , blowy garden precondition , their delicate stems can droop , and flower buds fail to give if the microclimate is too dry or exposed , making them come out unresponsive despite regular watering !
Their pendulous blooms are hummingbird magnets , and the dangling cups provide perch for feeding . For good results , plant under dappled shadowiness — break of the day sun , good afternoon shadowiness — and enrich soil with leafage mold , keeping it consistently moist .
African Violet (Saintpaulia)
African violets thrive in warm , humid indoor greenhouse Bench but contend with direct sunlight and fluctuate outdoor temperatures . transpose too soon , their velvety leaves can sunburn or tolerate root rot from cooler nights !
These favorites attract lilliputian hoverflies and thrips that can overwinter in garden debris . Keep them potted in light , well - drain , peat - free mix , and introduce outdoors only in warm , shaded localization with gentle humidness control .
Caladium (Caladium bicolor)
Caladium bulbs originate from Brazil ’s tropical understory and are accustomed to moist , louche environments . Placed in too much sunlight or ill drain grunge , their colorful heart - shaped leaves singe or tumble quickly !
Their broad leaf can shelter beneficial predatory insects like assassin bugs , which hunt folio - chewing caterpillars . Plant caladiums in partial shade with evenly moist , rich humus soil , mulch lightly to preserve moisture and protect pinnace corms .
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