Flowering Trees and Shrubs in your Garden
Landscape roses, often called shrub roses, bring up–to–the–minute landscape design possibilities to residential, commercial, and public spaces. These roses are well-suited for the “New American Garden” style pioneered by landscape architects Wolfgang Oehme and James A. van Sweden.
This design concept reflects the year-round beauty of natural landscapes. Examples using shrub roses found in the company’s portfolio include a Rhode Island residence, The Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at the Univ. of VA, Charlottesville and North Point Park, Boston (MA).
Characteristics of Modern Shrub Roses
Rose breeders at the end of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st concentrated on stabilizing characteristics like insect and disease resistance, many seasonal bloom cycles, and low–maintenance features such as no deadheading or extensive pruning. They also focused on selecting colors, shapes, and forms of landscape roses adaptable for numerous landscape design uses.
Landscape Design Uses
If a garden site satisfies rose growing conditions, there is more often than not a shrub rose to fit the specific landscape design requirements. Below are examples of where carefully researched shrub roses can fit design applications:
Essential Rose Growing Conditions
- Good air circulation and full sunshine are the most important factors for growing healthy shrub roses.
- Light should be direct for a minimum of 6 hours each day.
- Soils will promote healthy bloom when they are moist but well-draining, high in organic matter and fertility with a consistent supply of nutrients, and an average pH between 5.5 and 6.5.
- Mulch conserves soil moisture and keeps soil cool. Apply to a depth of about one to two inches when the soil is damp. Test soil every year or so because organic mulches may alter the soil pH by increasing acidity; additional nitrogen may be needed.
- Water only when needed to the depth of the root system, about one foot with soaker or drip irrigation. Overhead watering especially in late afternoon or evening encourages fungi, molds, and mildews to grow.
- Prune at any time to remove dead or diseased branches. Shrub roses benefit from spring pruning to 12– to 18–inches above the growing.
Trees & Shrubs
Planting trees and shrubs can be a significant investment in money and time. So before you buy, you should consider your options. Proper selection can give you years of enjoyment and improve your property value.
A mixed border of small flowering trees and shrubs is a growing landscape trend. This planting method creates an attractive landscape with different shapes, colors, and textures to enjoy all season long. Fast-growing trees will give you privacy, shade, fall color, and versatility in your landscape. For ornamental qualities like varying height and color, you’ll want to plant more flowering trees and shrubs.
Other things to consider when planting a tree or shrub is the purpose of the plant if it is appropriate for your area, how big it will get, and its average life expectancy. You can maintain your trees by using a pruning saw if you have one in your garage.
Flowering Trees and Shrubs – Blooming beauty
Spring would be much duller without our beautiful blooming trees and shrubs. Gardens with flowers alone just aren’t quite as full and welcoming. Flowering trees and shrubs welcome us into spring with their showy colors and serve many other functions as well.
Landscape Uses
Some blooming trees and shrubs serve double duty by giving us a show in spring and fall. Best-selling small trees and shrubs have flowers in the spring and summer and attractive foliage. Others offer ornamental qualities like varying height, color, and texture. Besides their beauty, flowering trees and shrubs also have some landscape uses:
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Plant Near the Entryway:
Planting flowering shrubs on either side of your entryway will beautify it and welcome guests. Choose varieties of flowering shrubs with interesting foliage so the entry will continue to look great after spring blooms are gone.
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Soften the Landscape
Flowering trees and shrubs planted near a home can soften the landscape by breaking up strong architectural lines to add visual appeal to your home.
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Hide the Foundation:
Some foundations aren’t attractive. Planting flowering shrubs near the foundation can hide any imperfections.
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Erosion Control:
Some flowering shrubs are effective in controlling erosion.
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Separate Properties:
When you want a little privacy, flowering trees and shrubs can be used as an attractive border between two properties.
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Define your property:
Similarly, you can use flowering trees and shrubs to define distinct outdoor spaces, like a utility shed, or pool.
Mixed Border
The latest landscaping trend is to plant a mixed border, combining small flowering trees and shrubs with other flowers in your backyard. This planting method creates an attractive landscape with different shapes, colors, and textures to enjoy all season long.
The mixed border style is practical for today’s busy lifestyle. Flowering trees and shrubs are very low maintenance. If chosen carefully, they will be the easiest care plants. Plus, with a variety of flowering trees and shrubs in your yard, you won’t have to spend money on annual flowers each year to provide color.
Ornamental Features
When considering which flowering trees and shrubs to buy, it’s a good idea to look at the overall plant characteristics. You can identify the ornamental features that appeal to you based on the following criteria:
- Foliage interest, including multi-seasonal color
- Showiness of bloom
- Fruit or berry output and beauty
- Height and width
- Hardiness zone and cold resistance
- Disease resistance
- Ease of maintenance
Before you Buy
In addition to looking at the ornamental features of flowering plants and shrubs, there are some other considerations. One main thing to check is that the moisture, soil, and sunlight requirements of the trees and shrubs you buy match the conditions in your yard. Other considerations include:
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Several Plantings:
Landscape designers recommend planting everything except stand-alone trees in odd-numbered groups of three or five. This way, your gardens are fuller and have a clean design.
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Mature Size and shape:
Make sure the flowering trees and shrubs you plant won’t grow too big for the area you plant them in. Many people make the mistake of planting trees and shrubs too close to their house, or too close together, only to have to transplant or remove them.
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Add Diversity:
Don’t let soil conditions and weather put a total constraint on what you buy. If you like a certain tree or shrub, see how you can fit it in your landscape. It’s fun to show a little personality and have a few unique plantings in your yard.
Extend your display
To successfully combine flowering trees and shrubs with flowers in your garden, you may want to include some early blooming and some later blooming plant materials. This way you will extend your display for a longer period of time. You can also add woody bushes and shrubs that are perfect for adding shape and texture in the winter to an otherwise bare yard. Combining various kinds of plants will create an attractive yard all year long.
Fast Growing Trees
When a homeowner selects a tree, one of the first questions is: How fast will it grow?
The reason is obvious—the homeowner doesn’t want to wait 15 or 20 years to enjoy the benefits of a tree. People often prefer fast-growing trees because they add beauty to the landscape in a short time.
Versatile Landscape
Fast-growing trees are a versatile part of our landscape design for many reasons. Since they mature quickly, they can provide us with many benefits in a relatively short time frame. Some benefits of fast-growing trees include:
- Shade during hot summer months
- Placed close to our house, they help save energy costs
- Add beauty, texture, and color to your landscape
- Help define outdoor spaces
- Used as a privacy screen
- Add substantial value to our homes
Informed Decision
Many trees are advertised as fast-growing. Some will be good selections others may not. You may be happy with the immediate fast growth, but there are some concerns associated with fast-growing trees that you should be aware of. Knowing the problems that may arise will help in your decision-making. Some concerns related to fast-growing trees are:
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Require a Large Amount of Growing Space:
Fast-growing trees usually become large trees and require a large amount of growing space, both above ground and below ground. These trees may quickly grow beyond the space provided, requiring transplanting or removal. Make sure the tree you like will fit in the desired location.
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Relatively Short-Lived:
Fast-growing trees may live for several decades, however, many mature within 20 or 30 years and then begin to decline.
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Maintenance Problems:
Because these trees grow so quickly, the junctions where the branches join the trunk are usually weaker. During winter storms or heavy winds, the branches tend to break creating maintenance problems.
Many homeowners want the immediate results of fast-growing trees, which far outweigh any problems that may arise. If you make your decision knowing the benefits as well as the concerns, you will be happy with the outcome. The following information will assist you in making an informed decision.
Preferred Environment
Every fast-growing tree species will have a preferred environment for optimum growth. The more closely your planting site meets the tree’s requirements, the faster the tree becomes established and grows. You can fairly easily amend the soil to make a better match, but you’re stuck with the above-ground environmental conditions. Conditions that will influence a tree’s growth performance include:
- Seasonal temperature extremes
- Humidity
- Sunlight exposure
- Precipitation
- Adverse weather conditions
Tree Placement
Many fast-growing trees have aggressive underground root systems as well as bigger surface roots. Because of this, you should not plant fast-growing trees near septic tanks or sewer lines. Also, place these trees well away from overhead obstructions including power lines.
Depending on their ultimate size and location, fast-growing trees can provide shade for the entire house or smaller areas such as a patio or deck. Shade density is also an important consideration. Decide if you want the tree to provide you with maximum shade or just lightly filter the sunlight.
Step by Step Planting Procedure
Thorough soil preparation enhances good plant growth. Dig a planting hole twice as wide as and slightly shallower than the root ball and fill it with the well-worked backfill soil. There are several important steps in the planting process. Follow the trees specifications and make sure to:
- Keep roots of trees moist at all times before planting
- Plant at the proper depth
- Avoid excessive packing of the fill soil
- Construct a water basin to hold water initially
- Water tree during and after planting
- Mulch with 2 to 3 inches of organic material
Fast-growing trees can provide you with quick shade and privacy for your home as well as many other benefits. To maximize growth, make sure to evaluate the size, placement, and environment before you buy it.
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