Garden Planning

Be a part of Philadelphia’s urban ecosystem and plant some pollinator plants. Here are a few suggestions regarding plants on sale now at Bartram’s Garden! Click the plant names (underlined) to visit that plant's product page.

When planning a garden, there are a couple considerations you should take into account: how many hours of sunlight your garden gets, soil type, your own landscape goals; the more information you know about your site the better. For those new to gardening, you may have a few questions. But don’t worry—that’s the fun of it! 

To get you rolling in your garden, here are some basic considerations that will help you to determine what you can grow:

Sunlight: Observe how many hours of sun you get by visiting your site at different parts of the day. Knowing how much sun you get will help you in plant selection.

Full sun usually means 6+ hours a day and partial sun ranges from 3 to 6 hours of sun. Many shade plants enjoy some dappled sunlight and protection from the afternoon blaze. 

Soil: As far as your soil type, it is important that your soil drains, so adding an addition of compost to your soil will help with drainage and nutrient retention. Because every site is different, it is always a good idea to get your soil tested for nutrients, pH, and if you live in an urban area, heavy metals. Click here for Penn State Cooperative Extension testing information.

Space: Observe how much growing space you have. If you are thinking about planting trees, do you have enough space for that tree to grow? Think about how many plants you can actually fit in your garden before everything gets crowded.

Goals: Most importantly, ask yourself what you want out of your garden. What kind of plants do you want to grow? How much time do you have to dedicate to gardening? Whatever your goals are, start off small and build off of your garden triumphs.

Here are a couple plant combinations that may be perfect for your garden!

Sunny Garden Combo

Foreground: Eryngium yuccifolium/Rattesnake master

Mid-ground: Eragrostris spectabilis/Purple lovegrass 

Background: Viburnum dentatum/Arrowwood Viburnum

Shady Garden Combo

Foreground: Phlox divaricata/ Woodland phlox; Carex pensylvanica/Pennsylvania Sedge

Mid-ground: Tiarella cordifolia/Foam Flower; Dryopteris marginalis/Marginal shield fern

Background: Itea virginica/Virginia Sweetspire