Small shrubs are great for landscaping. They add beauty, curb appeal, and functional value without requiring a large investment or a high level of maintenance. Read on to learn about some of the best types of small shrubs. Listed below are some of the most popular types:
Evergreen shrubs
If you want to create year-round greenery in your yard, evergreen shrubs are an excellent choice. These plants are easy to maintain and are resilient to a wide range of environmental factors. They are also beautiful year-round, and they can help you create a truly stunning yard. Listed below are some of the best evergreen shrubs to add to your landscaping plan. Read on to find out more. But first, let’s look at what makes them so unique.
This deciduous shrub thrives in zones four to nine and prefers partial shade. It grows between two and five feet tall and wide. It has deep green foliage and blooms in spring. It prefers well-drained soil and will grow best in partial shade. It can be pruned to keep it smaller or larger for a more manageable size. If you’d like to grow it in a container, you can plant it in a shallow tub for easy maintenance.
Another reason to use evergreen shrubs in your landscape is their ability to endure extreme weather conditions. They can offer shade and privacy, and some species even bloom during specific seasons. Even if you don’t plan to use them as privacy screens, they can provide year-round interest. Depending on your landscaping needs, you can even use them as accent plants for privacy walls or privacy hedges. If you’re looking for the perfect shrub for your landscape, try wintercreeper. It’s a dwarf evergreen that grows two feet tall, but spreads out to four feet.
The Golden Euonymus is an elegant evergreen shrub with green and yellow foliage. This cold-hardy species grows well in zones four to eight. These low-growing plants are great accents and low-maintenance. Despite their low-maintenance nature, the flowers of this species will make them an outstanding accent plant in your yard. If you don’t have a green thumb, you can opt for one of these plants as a ground cover.
While evergreens don’t need much care, they do need proper pruning. Proper pruning will help keep them healthy and generate new growth. Shrub pruning techniques include heading cuts and thinning cuts. Heading cuts encourage growth, while thinning cuts eliminate branches that push against stems. The general rule of thumb is to cut at a 45-degree angle to encourage proper growth. You can then cut the branches back to a smaller size if desired.
Flowering shrubs
Planting flowering shrubs in your landscaping can add a splash of color throughout the entire year. Many flowering shrubs bloom in late winter or early spring, while others continue to bloom well into the fall. Flowering shrubs can range in size, but all require very little care and are suited to any landscape. There are several varieties of flowering shrubs to choose from, including azalea, hydrangea, rose, and buckeye. Listed below are five of the most popular flowering shrubs for landscaping.
Before choosing a shrub, pay attention to its mature height and width. Although the shrub might appear miniature in a quart pot, once established, it will grow to cover windows or crowd out other plantings in your landscaping. Make sure to water your flowering shrubs during dry spells to maintain the healthy roots. Flowering shrubs for landscaping are also immune to pests and disease. To ensure proper care, you should select shrubs that provide a long-lasting display.
Forsythia is another flowering shrub to consider for landscaping. Its flowers are canary yellow and last only a few weeks, making it a welcome blast of color in your landscaping. It’s relatively low maintenance, and its flowers will last for several weeks. The flowering time of a forsythia shrub is one of its major benefits. Lilac blooms all spring and is one of the most beautiful flowering shrubs for landscaping.
Hydrangeas are another flowering shrub to consider. This beautiful flowering shrub will make any garden more beautiful. Despite their delicate blooms, hydrangeas are an old favorite of gardeners everywhere. They require minimal pruning and thrive in shady areas. They can also last for several years with minimal maintenance. They also bloom in late summer or into the fall. And hydrangeas are incredibly easy to maintain.
Compact conifers
If you’re looking for compact conifers for landscaping, consider the dwarf varieties. These conifers are ideal for balconies and rooftop gardens. Dwarf varieties are generally slower growing than regular conifers, but still can be beautiful. Some options include Pinus Nigra Globosa Viridis, Picea Lutzii Machala, and Thuja Orientalis Aurea. All of these trees are excellent choices for container gardens, though they may not be the best option for shaded landscaping.
There are many varieties of dwarf conifers that look as though they were designed for a specific use. While some of these conifers grow slowly and require little care, most small conifers are incredibly versatile. They blend in with any landscape and add year-round interest and structure to your yard. Other examples of small conifers are Pinus Mugo Humpy, Picea Nigra Nana, and Picea Abies Pygmaea.
The ‘Pendula’ Weeping Norway spruce is another compact conifer that can be used in landscape planting. The foliage is dark green and its cone-shaped growth habit allows it to cascade over a retaining wall. These conifers are hardy in Zones five through eight. They can be used as accent plants or to provide an elegant focal point to a space. You can choose from a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
While the term ‘compact’ implies a small plant, it is important to remember that there are four different classifications of dwarf conifers. The American Conifer Society categorizes dwarf conifers into four types: slow growth, medium growth, and fast growth. If you’re not sure what to choose, a visit to a garden center can help you decide which one is best for your landscaping needs. You should always buy conifers from a reputable nursery. Make sure to ask about a plant’s growth rate, and any amendments you might need.
Although most conifers are not known for their flowers, they have beautiful spring growth and beautiful foliage. Once exposed to cold winter temperatures, they change color. Their needles may be blue-gray or silvery, while golden or yellow conifers have yellow needles. The shape of a conifer can vary – they may be low-growing, upright, low-mounding, or weeping.
Low-maintenance shrubs
When it comes to choosing the right low-maintenance small shrubs for landscaping, size is of utmost importance. Small shrubs are often suited for planting in pots because of their low-growing nature. To make sure that you have the proper height for your plants, measure the space where you plan to plant them, and purchase those that will grow to that size. In addition, be sure to choose shrubs that are disease and pest-resistant, and have a low-maintenance growth rate.
Witch hazel, a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant shrub native to the eastern US, is an excellent choice for gardens in sunny areas. It has a unique, scented flower that blooms in late spring and a cluster of white flowers in fall. It requires only occasional pruning to maintain its appearance, but the scented white flowers of this evergreen shrub will delight your guests. In addition, witch hazel is a low-maintenance shrub that requires only a minimal amount of pruning.
A variety of other low-maintenance small shrubs are suitable for potted planting. Boxwoods, for example, are tolerant of cold climates and can be kept outdoors throughout the year. However, for those who live in climates with extreme cold winters, it is best to choose shrubs rated for one zone lower than yours. For wintertime, you can bring potted shrubs into a covered, unheated area. Water them lightly once a month.
Bottlebrush buckeye is another excellent low-maintenance choice. It can grow up to 15 feet and spread to about half a meter. The foliage of this shrub is glossy throughout the year and dapples gold in autumn. Despite its low-maintenance nature, this shrub will make an excellent statement shrub for your landscape. If you have a garden bed, you can plant a few shrubs in it.
Hydrangeas are low-maintenance and versatile plants. Those with a more temperate climate can grow to six feet or more. They are low-maintenance, but still produce beautiful blooms and can be pruned in winter. Oakleaf hydrangeas vary in size from three to eight feet, depending on the variety. They grow well in full to partial shade and require low maintenance.
