The Plants Used in Landscape

Trees

• You should take much care in deciding where and how to use trees in your landscape. Trees are more durable than other plants, so they can be an effective centerpiece around which to build a landscape, but their permanence makes them less versatile in terms of changing the landscape. When designing a landscape from scratch, try to picture how a tree will fit in once it is mature.

Shrubs

• Shrubs will grow to maturity quicker than trees, but it can still take years. Shrubs offer tremendous versatility due to the variety of sizes, color, texture and their production of fruit and flowers. Too many shrubs can overwhelm a yard, whereas groupings of three or four shrubs of similar color or shape can provide a unifying effect.

Ground Cover

• Don't limit your landscape to turf grass if your yard is not conducive to this type of plant. While a tailored lawn that is well maintained can add a lush quality to your landscape, an effective alternative is ground cover. In addition to the options available in terms of texture and color, landscaping with these plants means less mowing, trimming, mulching and weeding.

Vines

• The addition of vines to a plain fence can give it a much less imposing and more comfortable feel. Vines can also be used for landscaping purposes such as obscuring objectionable views or providing a vertical background to a flower or vegetable garden.

Perennials

• While it takes a good deal of planning and more than basic gardening skills to achieve, a landscape filled with perennials that present their colors at specific times and in the areas you want can create a landscaping showcase. Even if your gardening skills are developed enough to achieve this result, a landscape can benefit significantly from the colors, sizes and shapes of different flowers that are capable of blooming, in some cases, all year long.

Annuals

• Annuals can be introduced into your landscape for a number of different purposes. These flowers that grow, bloom and die all in the same growing season can be planted in mass amounts to create a sea of colors. Annuals are also effectively used for edging around driveways, walkways and patios. Many annuals produce a very pleasant aroma that makes them suitable for adding a fragrant element to the yard.