DIY Network

Plant Selection: Multifunctional Plants Stretching your gardening dollars by selecting plants that serve more than one purpose From "Dirt On Gardening" episode DDOG-104

	Nurseryman Keith Miner discusses high-value plant selections.
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Nurseryman and guest expert Keith Miner talks with Kristine Hanson, host of DIY's The Dirt On Gardening, about selecting garden plants, trees and shrubs that give you "more bang for your buck."

Plant-shopping with an eye toward value can include selecting plants that are evergreen, have long-lasting blooms or that serve purposes other than just beauty--such as providing shade, attracting butterflies or hummingbirds, warding off insect pests or serving as usable herbs. Likewise some fruit trees serve multiple purposes in that they offer backyard shade or screening, provide beauty in the form of blossoms and produce edible fruit.

Watch the video to find out more high-value plant species.

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When planning your garden, consider seeking out "multipurpose plants" to add variety and benefit to your plantings. Combining multifunctional plants with seasonal varieties that bloom at specific times of the year will help ensure that you have a garden that you can enjoy fully throughout the year.

Examples of varieties that stretch your planting dollars include Grevillea lanigera, 'Coastal Gem' (figure A), which grows to a height of about three feet and blooms for six months out of the year. Achillea, known as moonshine yarrow, has yellow beautiful spring foliage and yellow blooms in the summer (figure B). It also attracts beneficial insects to your yard.

Figure A

Figure B

Daylilies like the 'Crystal Cupid' (figure C), have evergreen foliage and may bloom multiple times throughout the warm season. Alstroameria (figure D) is inexpensive to purchase and plant, and produces lots of blooms that you can use as cut flowers to brighten up your home.

Figure C

Figure D

Turn a worn-out hose into a soaker hose.

The Dirt on Garden Hoses

If you have an old garden hose that's seen better days, here's a tip for "recycling" it for a new use. Consider turning it into a soaker hose for watering your vegetable or flower garden. Simply add a shut-off attachment to cap the end of the hose, then use a nail to puncture the hose at regular intervals. Place the hose alongside plants that require frequent watering.

Viewer Tip: Taking Garlic From the Refrigerator to the Garden

Bob, of Fair Oaks, California offers this tip on garlic. Store-bought peeled garlic cloves, kept refrigerated per the directions on the label, may actually begin to sprout if you keep them for too long. Sprouting can be seen with roots starting on one end of the clove and green shoots on the other. In fact, garlic is cured for cultivation in temperatures below 40 degrees. If your garlic cloves have past their expiration date and begun to sprout, you can actually plant them outdoors, in about two inches of soil, and grow your own garlic.