Spring is in the air, new growth is starting to show on bare branches and temperatures are rising. Planting can begin in April with a much reduced risk of wind and salt damage. New plantings should be selected by taking account of beauty of foliage, leaf or fruit; growth habit and hardiness.The key to good growth is based on a healthy plant with a good root system, proper installation and maintenance, but most importantly, selecting the right plant for its location. Plants by their very nature can be tolerant to wind and salt or sun or shade, to drought or they require moist conditions. Exposed areas can be the death knoll for plants sensitive to wind, whilst plants tolerant to shade can be adversely affected by too much sun. Many plants are lost simply because they are in the wrong place.Knowing the idiosyncrasies of your garden will help in creating a landscape that will develop and mature; wind tunnels and eddies can cause problems during strong winds, whilst exposure to wind and salt spray can be damaging too many plants. Analyse the areas for planting such as the windy areas, sunny spots and shady areas and create a list that will fulfill the need of each area. Plants that have large leaves and or soft foliage are usually intolerant to wind and salt spray and, in several species, to direct sun. Plants with a thick cuticle or leathery feel to the leaf are usually tolerant to wind and salt spray and therefore good for exposed areas. Plant height can also be beneficial to its success as low growing plants are less likely to be damaged by strong winds.For protection from the elements or to screen for privacy, hedges are the usual preference; in such cases consider using evergreen material such as Pittosporum tobira Pittosporum; Elaeagnus pungens; Ligustrum lucidum Privet; Viburnum suspensum Viburnum; Coccoloba uvifera Baygrape. For simply separating areas of garden or defining property lines deciduous flowering material might be acceptable, such examples being Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Hibiscus; Malvaviscus arboreus Scotsmans Purse; Abelia grandiflora; Jasminum magnificum Star Jasmine; Tecomaria capensis Cape Honeysuckle; Nerium oleander Oleander; Murraya exotica Mock Orange. Plants with insignificant flowers would include, Acalypha wilkesiana Match me if you can; Polyscias ‘Balfouri’; Vitex trifolia variegata.Plants for exposed areas would include, Cycas revoluta Sago; Opuntia dillennii Prickly Pear; Ochrosia elliptica Kopsia; Conocarpus erectus sericea Grey Buttonwood; Rosmarinus officinalis prostrates Creeping Rosemary; Carissa ‘vars’ Natal Plum; Raphiolepis umbellatus Pork Fat.Areas close to the coast are more liable to damage from salt and wind than gardens further in land though these too are vulnerable so consideration of ‘windbreak’ planting should be considered in such locations. Planting hardy material in strategic areas to reduce the impact of wind will allow less tolerant plantings to survive. In very exposed areas a combination of hardy trees under-planted with hardy shrubs will create a protected area, if placed correctly.Many plants are of course sensitive to wind and salt spray and such should be accommodated in areas having protection. Coupled with this is the need to know what areas of the garden are sunny and which areas shady, as sun loving or shade tolerant plants will also require specific locations if they are to do well. Shade loving plants will not do well in open sunny areas, with foliage appearing scorched or thin and weak; whereas, sun loving plants in shady areas will appear drawn and in severe cases etiolated.Drought is a major problem in many areas, especially last year and to date this year with a big deficit in rainfall. Watering is the simplest way of keeping plants “alive” after natural rainfall in addition foliar feeding can be carried out at the same time. In such areas consider using plants that tolerate drier than normal conditions required for growth; these would include plants commonly referred to as cacti and succulents. Agaves, Aloes, Opuntia, Carpobrotus, Pedilanthus, Senecio, Crassula, Euphorbia, Aptenia, Kalanchoe, Yucca, Cereus and Pereskia all having a place in such areas and all having interesting attributes such as colour, fruit or outline.Sloping land and hillsides should be planted with material best suited for the location and exposure keeping in mind severity of slope and wind direction. Plant selection should err on the side of compactness as low growing material is less likely to be blown ‘out of the ground’ as would large trees. Soil retention is also very important on slopes, with this in mind the use of ground cover material will greatly assist in erosion control and soil stabilisation. Always plant material that have root systems, as planting for example common ice plant as cuttings can cause erosion if plants do not take and have to be replaced.Soil depth is often a problem in Bermuda therefore size of planting hole should be determined by not only container size but potential root growth; a tree in a one gallon container will require just as large a hole as the same tree in a 20-gallon container! Also important for good growth as well as reducing labour is to plant material at a distance from its neighbour that allows natural ‘all round’ growth; too close planting encourages weak root systems and upright straggly growth. When planting on boundary areas plant four feet in from boundary line as this allows growth to fill out creating a dense screen, which is the reason it was planted!