The choices you make in shrubs for landscaping will determine how beautiful your yard looks. Here are some tips on choosing the right shrubs: Evergreen, Flowering, Low Maintenance, and Foundation shrubs. Once you know what you want, the rest is easy. Read on to discover the many choices you can make. You’ll have a gorgeous yard in no time! Just be sure to research the plant carefully before you buy it.
Evergreen shrubs
Adding evergreen shrubs to your landscape is an excellent way to add interesting pops of color all year round. These plants are low maintenance, are resilient to many adverse conditions, and provide beautiful yards throughout the seasons. Listed below are three evergreen shrubs to consider for landscaping purposes. Here is a look at what makes these shrubs so special. Keep reading for helpful tips and information. You’ll soon be planting evergreen shrubs in your landscape in no time.
Japanese maple. This shrub is slow-growing and grows only a foot or two per year in zones four to eight. It grows between two and five feet tall and wide, and its foliage turns bronze to red in the winter and red in the fall. Japanese maples grow best in full to partial shade, but need well-drained soil and partial shade. You can use these shrubs in your landscape for a variety of purposes, including foundation planting, hedges, and even as groundcover.
Rhododendrons: These evergreen shrubs produce some of the showiest flowers of any plant. They’re often clustered together and come in different colors. Dwarf varieties are smaller than 0.5-1.8 m. ‘Bow Bells’ rhododendrons have clusters of pink flowers. They grow slow and produce volunteer seedlings. Mahonias are easy to grow and can thrive in almost any climate, but they tend to be prickly.
Firethorn: The highest-growing evergreen shrub, the Firethorn produces white flowers in early spring and berries in winter. It needs slightly acidic soil and partial shade to thrive, and it can grow up to 60 feet in height. The firethorn can also be affected by fire blight, so make sure you add plenty of fertilizer to avoid the spread of firethorn. Firethorns are fast-growing, so if you don’t want your landscaping to look overgrown, consider putting them in a separate container.
Regardless of the climate you live in, evergreen shrubs are a fantastic choice for landscape landscaping. Not only are they low maintenance, but they come in a wide variety of colors and styles. You can train them to produce beautiful seasonal blooms, and create privacy walls by planting them on walls. They’re great for the landscape because they offer protection and cover for wildlife as well. So, if you’re looking for landscaping ideas, try one of these and watch it become more beautiful than you could have imagined!
Flowering shrubs
If you are looking for flowering shrubs for landscaping, there are many options available to you. Flowering shrubs have many benefits for the landscape, and they will add color and vibrance to your landscape. Flowering shrubs are also immune to pests. Here are some popular flowering shrubs for landscaping. Flowering shrubs will add color and vibrance to your landscape in the spring and summer. After flowering, they will turn coppery or gold in color.
Oleander: This subtropical shrub has flowers of pink, purple, red, lilac, white, yellow, and many other colors. These flowers are so vibrant that they will brighten up any yard. If you are planting flowering shrubs in your landscape, make sure that they receive full sun. The sun will nourish their growth, and they will reward you with beautiful, colorful blooms. Flowering shrubs for landscaping should be located in areas of the yard that receive at least six hours of sunlight each day.
Before choosing flowering shrubs for landscaping, check the size and maturity of the plant. If it is too small for your garden, it may grow to cover windows or crowd other plantings. Make sure to water them well during dry spells and mulch them to prevent weeds. After deciding which shrubs to plant, make sure that they have adequate water and sunlight to flourish and flower. A few simple care instructions will make planting flowering shrubs in your garden an easy process.
Once they are established, prune them regularly to keep them in their best shape. Some flowering shrubs are hard to prune and may need pruning every few years. If you are not comfortable with pruning flowering shrubs, you can always opt for dwarf varieties. Container-grown flowering shrubs are a good choice for landscaping. Make sure that you choose an appropriate pot for them and keep them watered regularly. Then, just enjoy your landscape all year round.
Another easy to grow flowering shrub is the potentilla. It is often mistaken for a rose bush but it has colorful blooms and grows well in neglect. Potentilla is widely planted and considered a nuisance plant, but new varieties have appeared that look just like potentilla, but have fewer petals. They are hardy and grow in zones two through seven. It also has white or pink petals.
Low-maintenance shrubs
Low-maintenance shrubs are excellent for your landscaping needs. They are relatively low maintenance, but require pruning and a little extra care if you want to maintain their appearance. If you can plant these shrubs in early spring or fall, you’ll be free to spend your time enjoying your garden instead of worrying about their maintenance. And because they grow slowly, they won’t require much watering. If you’re planning to plant them in containers, they’ll be easy to maintain and care for.
Other low-maintenance shrubs include false cypress. These shrubs have feathery needle leaves and upright, conical growth. They make excellent hedgerows and privacy screens. You can even grow them as a small specimen or vertical accent. Wintercreeper is another low-maintenance shrub. The foliage is glossy and yellowish green, and most species grow between 1 and 2 ft.
If you’re a novice to landscaping, don’t fret. Low-maintenance shrubs are available in hundreds of varieties. Choose hardy, winter-hardy plants with low care requirements. Shrubs are ideal for areas that receive little or no sunlight or heat. Shrubs don’t require any serious care and can thrive with commercial fertilizers and top-dressings. They’re also incredibly low-maintenance and can even be self-cleaning if they flower.
Juniper shrubs are another low-maintenance option. They can be pruned to fit the shape of your landscaping. And they can survive winter in cold climates. Blue Star juniper is a particularly low-maintenance variety. It grows slowly, but it spreads to three feet. Other types of juniper tend to crowd areas and walkways. They are also hardy in zones four through eight, and can survive harsh winters.
The Fire Power Nandina, a low-growing shrub, has red leaves in winter and fall. It’s a great foundation plant for low-maintenance landscaping. Its bright green foliage doesn’t require pruning, but it does require biweekly watering. It’s an evergreen shrub that can thrive in most situations, requiring only minimal attention. It’s easy to care for and is a beautiful addition to your landscaping.
Foundation shrubs
Choosing the right foundation shrubs for your home landscape is essential. Not all shrubs are equal, so choose those with different leaf colors and texture. While some people prefer green grass, others appreciate a mix of deciduous and flowering shrubs. If you’re not sure which type to select, Monrovia landscaping specialists recommend planting one-half evergreens and half flowering shrubs. Evergreens are great for landscapes around a foundation, since they can offer a dark backdrop for the flowers in summer and take center stage during the colder months.
If you have a partially shaded foundation, consider planting a hosta. Hostas are small evergreen shrubs that grow 11 to 18 inches tall and can spread five to six feet. They are easy to care for, and can be planted right behind annual flower plants. They return reliably every year, so you won’t have to worry about them dying in winter. If you want a low maintenance shrub for your foundation, consider a dwarf variety of a spirea.
Soft Serve Gold is a beautiful conical evergreen shrub that will hide a gas meter or a well head. The foliage is gold and can handle full sunlight without burning, but will shine in part shade as well. Soft Serve Gold is also available in green and original Soft Serve false cypress. You can buy this shrub online at Amazon or at a local nursery. These shrubs can be used as foundation shrubs on a patio, rock garden, or anywhere else in your yard.
Besides adding curb appeal, foundation plants also provide a visual and physical connection to the rest of your garden. They soften the contrasting heights and widths of your home, making the house feel more inviting and welcoming. Whether you choose flowering shrubs or trees, you’ll have a beautiful garden no matter what your budget is. And with so many varieties available, the sky’s the limit. The possibilities are endless.
Although landscaping the foundation of a home may not be as glamorous as other aspects of gardening, foundation plantings are no less important. They serve to soften the edges of a building and screen out ugly building materials. Plus, beautiful planting beds add curb appeal. When choosing shrubs for your landscaping, keep in mind the following traits:
