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          The best place to view the best specimens that will thrive
          in your area is in your own neighborhood.

          Take  a stroll  around your  own suburb  and take  note of
          which plants seem to be healthy and thriving in your area.

          Also take  note of size  and colour of  foliage, of aspect
          and position that you feel will suit your requirements.

          The  next step  is to  visit your  local nursery or garden
          centre and ask questions of the staff.

          Remember that  most nurseries buy  their stock from  other
          areas and  other states, although generally  it is prudent
          for a nursery to buy plants most suitable for the area.

          They also may buy  plants which require special treatment,
          as although popular, may not thrive in your area without
          special requirements.

          The  staff at  most nurseries  are professionals  and will
          gladly suggest plants that require little care, and thrive
          in the worst of your areas conditions.

          It may be confusing to look  at the vast range and variety
          of plants  available, however take  your time and  compare
          the shapes and  sizes of the foliage, the  variety of leaf
          colour  and take  special note  of the  mature height  and
          width of the plants.

          It  is not  difficult to  judge the  quality of  the stock
          displayed.  If  the  plant  is  an  evergreen it should be
          thickly branched and clothed in foliage.

          Look out for plants with  yellow tips which can indicate a
          problem or poor watering routine.

          If  the stock  in a  nursery looks  neglected, leave  that
          nursery and  go to another  where the stock  is well cared
          for and healthy.

          If  buying  in  the  spring,  look  for  new  growth which
          indicates a well fed and healthy plant.

          Be wary of two metre plants growing in 10cm pots, as these
          plants may  have an underdeveloped root  system or be root
          bound.

          Evergreens are almost never sold with bare roots.

          When  choosing plants  consider groupings  where there  is
          variety of  shape and form, contrast  of foliage shape and
          colour.

          Put a  plan to paper and  sketch in your chosen  plants to
          scale  and  see  if  the  visual  result  is  what you had
          intended.

          Sketch your plan  to the size your plants  will acheive at
          maturity. If you  overplant you can be sure  you will have
          to remove some of your purchases within a couple of years.

          Giving a  plant its required space  ensures a handsome and
          healthy specimen at maturity.

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          You have made your purchases and are now eager to plant
          them out.

          You can  dig a hole or  a grave for your  plants, it is
          entirely up to you.

          This  is  the  hard  work,  but  by  digging  the  hole
          correctly at this time, makes all the difference to the
          life of the plant.

          Dig the hole at least twice  the width of the soil ball
          surrounding the plant and at least one and a half times
          its depth.

          Remove any stones, rocks or other debris and discard.

          Mix in a liberal amount  of compost and well rotted cow
          manure to improve the soil texture and to aid drainage.

          Before placing the plant in the hole make sure that the
          roots are not wound arround  the root ball, and if they
          are,  carefully tease  them out  so that  they can grow
          outwardly into the surrounding soil.

          Place the plant  in the hole making sure  that its best
          side is facing the way you wish it to.

          Also make  sure that the  top of the  soil ball is  not
          lower than the surrounding ground level.

          Back-fill the  hole and firm  the soil down  to support
          the plant.

          If  the  plant  is  tall  and  the prevailing winds are
          fairly strong,  it is acceptable to  place three stakes
          in a triangular fashion to  support the plant until the
          roots have established themselves.

          Place the stakes well out from  the root ball so as not
          to damage the delicate root system.

          Tie the plant to the stakes  in a series of loose loops
          (see the graphic).

          Lastly but most importantly,  water the area thoroughly
          and place  a layer of  mulch around the  plants, up to,
          but not touching the truck or stems of the plant.
          Do not feed trees or shrubs at this time.

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