Use winter lull to choose plants for coming season

This time of year finds avid and aspiring gardeners alike anticipating the arrival of glossy catalogs filled with photographs of intriguing new plants to grow.

While some homeowners dream of digging in warm soil and snipping spent blossoms, not everyone has the time or inclination to be hands-on gardeners.

Demanding lives mean many garden-friendly homeowners rely on professional services to create and maintain landscapes that make homes more attractive, comfortable and enhance the value of their real-estate investment.

This winter lull in the growing season is a good time to consider some important factors that could affect choice of new garden plants in 2008.

Tolerant, resistant

Using plants that withstand the demands of our coldest winter weather has long been an important consideration for choosing which plants to grow.

Repeated periods of drought can be equally challenging and drought-tolerant plants offer substantial benefits over moisture-sensitive plants that require frequent supplemental watering to survive.

It can be just as important to use plants that are disease- resistant.

Selecting elms that are resistant to Dutch elm disease, crab apple tree varieties that can resist apple scab, and rose species and hybrids that are resistant to black spot can mean spending less time, money and effort to keep plants looking healthy.

And there's nothing more frustrating than finding blossoms or leaves of healthy plants nibbled by hungry wildlife.

If browsing deer or rabbits are problems, do a little research on which plants are least favored by wildlife in the area.

Just like pizza isn't as popular in Detroit as it is in Chicago, don't assume deer in Illinois eat the same shrubs as deer elsewhere. Sometimes they do, but preferences often depend on the number of available choices and truly hungry animals will eat anything to survive.

Plant information services of public gardens, nurseries staffed by horticulturists and landscape contractors are valuable sources of information on drought-tolerant and disease- and wildlife-resistant plants.

Respect and protect

When considering new plants, show nature a little respect by starting with native species. Native plants have demonstrated a long-term ability to withstand native growing conditions, which means they have a better chance of surviving extra cold winters or droughts, while growing in our unique sun and soil conditions.

New varieties offer the same adaptability as the tried-and-true species, but often take a step forward with improved ornamental qualities. A list of native plants at www.il.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/plants is a good place to identify native plants that might match your needs.

At the same time, protect the diversity of native species growing in forests and woodlands from the problems associated with invasive plants.

While most non-native plants are not invasive, some can aggressively out-compete native plants for space, nutrients and moisture.

A good resolution for 2008 is replacing any invasive species growing in your garden with options offering similar ornamental features, while also making sure any new plants are not on the list of invasive species.

Shining stars

Every garden has room for a spectacular one-season star, but a tree or shrub with features that span several seasons provides a valuable return on any gardener's investment of money, time and precious space.

A tree with summertime flowers, fall fruit and foliage, and bark that provides winter-interest might get the nod over a stellar single-season performer.

A database of Illinois' best plants (www.bestplants.org) is helpful for identifying plants with ornamental features in multiple seasons.