Follow this simple rule, and you can be pretty sure that your plants will thrive and survive. There are suitable plants for every type of gardening situation. The site's growing conditions need to match those of the plant.
This seems simple, but people often ignore this advice at their own peril. Here's an example of how this works. My neighbor has a hedge bordering his property along the highway. Because the land is sloping at one end, several of the plants are located in a low spot. On two different occasions, these particular plants died. He replaced them without realizing that the species he has chosen doesn't like wet places. At some point in the future his replacement plants will doubtless perish as well.
When choosing herbs and other plants for a specific spot, consider the exposure (sun or shade), soil, wind, microclimate, and any other conditions that may affect the plants, such as drainage problems and frequent droughts.
Consider the amount of growing space available for the herb. Plants and people are alike. Both respond poorly to overcrowding. The solution is to become familiar with the mature size of the plant you are dealing with, and to give it plenty of space so it can flourish.
Gardeners want a garden to look full and lush, and to achieve this they sometimes have a tendency to plant things very close together. This approach to planting is not recommended. Overcrowded plants are more likely to suffer from disease, pest, and cultural problems.
CHOOSE LOW-MAINTENANCE PLANTS
This suggestion has saved me countless hours of work. Choose dependable, easy-care, disease and pest resistant plants that require a minimum of pruning, and deadheading. For the same reason, I prefer either perennial herbs or annual ones that can self-sow.
Deer are a major problem here, so with few exceptions I only grow deer-resistant plants. Generally, most aromatic herbs aren't attractive to deer. Any plants that they favor must be sprayed with deer repellants, which can be time-consuming.
Since this area can suffer from summer droughts, I also select plants that can tolerate dry conditions.
During the late summer months when the weather becomes hot and muggy, I'm always so glad that I've chosen carefree plants that require very little attention.
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