5 rookie garden mistakes to avoid

It's easy to drop serious cash in a garden supply shop, falling in love with an exotic yucca plant or picking up a bunch of bargain tools.

But when the that sun-loving yucca dies in your shady, wet-soil backyard, or that plastic-handled spade breaks the first time you use it, you've wasted money, and you're frustrated. To help you avoid wasting money, garden experts shared common mistakes they see new gardeners make.

1. You've neglected the soil. Joe Raboine, national design and training specialist for Belgard, a landscape supply firm, said that when someone is digging up part of their yard, installing a raised bed or building a small vertical garden, good soil will mean the difference between plants that thrive and those that wither. Plants need a foot of soil to grow properly, he said. In some yards, much of the original topsoil might be gone and needs to be replaced. In raised beds, Raboine said, "people don't put enough decent soil in. They put in, let's say, a bunch of scraps or gravel or things in the bottom of the container, and it just doesn't give plants enough of a place to grow roots."

Remedy this by buying topsoil or garden soil for yards and potting soil for raised beds and containers.

2. Choosing the wrong plants and cramming in too many. Tim Johnson, senior director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, and Renee Young, manager at Christy Webber Farm and Garden, see these mistakes a lot.

"Where a lot of people go wrong from the get-go is they don't know plants. You're in the garden center, and you see something that's in flower and beautiful, and it's like, 'Oh, that would look great in this corner of my garden,' " Johnson said.

But gardeners need to consider their spot's growing conditions. A plant that likes marshy conditions doesn't do well in dry soils, just as a plant that wants afternoon sun might not tolerate shade. Think about your design goals, he said, and talk to the staff for advice on what plants will fulfill those dreams. If your heart is set on a flowering viburnum that can mature at 7 or 8 feet high, but you don't have the space, ask if there's a dwarf version that's zone hardy.

A tomato plant without a roommate will likely produce more fruits than those in the overcrowded pot that will be fighting for nutrients and light, she said.

3. Buying cheap tools. Bargain tools don't last. That doesn't mean you have to buy the most expensive ones available, but you should invest in quality. Johnson said gardeners should pick up the tools and judge how they feel in their hands. Look for something comfortable and sturdy, he said, which may mean something different to each gardener. Good-quality tools have warranties, Young said. She said she likes hand tools by DeWit, which provides lifetime warranties.

Other brands she recommends are Corona, and for pruners, she said they all use ones by Felco, whether at the store or on landscaping jobs.

4. You didn't think about watering. Raised beds and vertical gardens, especially on rooftops, can dry out quickly. They may need daily watering, and even more when temps hit 90. Raboine and Young said that at a minimum, you need to buy a watering can and hose. Young said Bond Aeroflex ($24.99, www.jet.com) makes attractive expandable hoses that shrink for storage in small places. Raboine said another option is to install drip irrigation, either with kits, such as those by DIG ($29.94, www.homedepot.com), or create your own by drilling holes in PVC pipes. Improper watering can stunt or kill plants.

5. You're overdoing it on fertilizer or pesticides. If you're gardening to be more environmental, the last thing you want to do is waste money on expensive fertilizers, and many of these can make your plant dependent on the feedings.