Plant tags are unreliable, don't provide the right (local) information, and often set gardeners up for false expectations -- and this is why research is so important and empowering. Part of that research process is to learn how a plant performs, how sociable it is, as it grows and spreads. Understanding its sociability will help lower management and reduce problems with plants that either under perform or over perform. Unfortunately, plant sociability rankings are not a standard part of plant descriptions in most resources, but this guide will show you what to look for, how to gather the right information, and the best methodology for plant selection that leads to resilient and sustainable natural garden design.

If you're ready to go deeper and make stronger plant choices for your designed garden that goes beyond the standard guesstimating, this is the ultimate 16-page guide that's a perfect capstone to the other guides we offer.

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These guides are created by Benjamin Vogt, owner of Monarch Gardens LLC, a prairie-inspired design firm. He is the author of the best-selling books A New Garden Ethic: Cultivating Defiant Compassion for an Uncertain Future, and Prairie Up: And Introduction to Natural Garden Design. Benjamin speaks nationally on native plant garden design and has been featured in such publications as Dwell, Fine Gardening, Horticulture, Midwest Living, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

POLICIES: PDFs are intended for personal use only -- any unauthorized duplication, sharing, reselling, presentation, or publication is expressly prohibited. If you have any issues downloading the material, first make sure you have an internet connection, and / or search your device for the files. It is best to download off of a desktop computer and not a smart phone. If the issue still can't be resolved please contact us and we'll work with you toward a positive resolution. All sales are final and no refunds will be issued. All material is copyright © Benjamin Vogt.