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Step 1
Know your winter hardiness zone and only buy plants suited for your zone. These zones also take into account how hot the summers are, whether they are dry or humid and how windy it is in each zone. All these factors are important when selecting plants (see Resources below).
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Step 2
Be aware of plants that are said to spread nicely or multiply readily. This often means that the plants could become difficult to control.
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Step 3
Find out when the plants will ship. It does you no good to get plants in February if you can't plant them until May or June because the nights are still too cold. Similarly, if you're ready to plant in March you don't want to wait until June to get your plants. If you can't get the plants when you need them, try another catalog.
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Step 4
Look for detailed information. The best gardening catalogs include facts such as whether the plant needs sun or shade and how much water it will require. They will also include the correct botanical name of the plant so you know you're getting what you want and not some other plant that has been renamed for marketing purposes.
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Step 5
Remember that you are getting seeds or seedlings, not the mature plant. How well the plant will resemble the photograph in the catalog will depend a great deal on your skill as a gardener. You can buy mature plants from catalogs, but they will be considerably more expensive.
