How to Landscape With Bushes Against a Building

Concerns

• While people often plant bushes close to buildings without any problems, the plants' wood can potentially attract termites, even leading them to the building itself if the bushes come in contact with the structure. Mulching the bed reduces the need for weeding and watering, but, to prevent termite infestation, the mulch should not come into contact with the house's foundation. Bushes placed so they're in contact with the structure are "a key factor in siding deterioration," so planning for the size of the mature bushes is also a key issue.

Spacing

• Superior Foundation Care recommends planting bushes at least 5 feet away from the building, and far enough out so there will be 5 feet between the fully grown bushes and the house. When planting the bush, you'll dig a hole two to three times the size of the bush's container, so factor this in as well. Bushes need to be kept trimmed so they don't impede airflow around foundation vents, and they should not come into contact with the air conditioning unit if you have one. Before planting bushes, call 811 to find out the location of utility lines on your property.

Growing Conditions

• Observe the spot where you want to plant to determine how much light the bush will get. If the spot gets six hours of direct sunlight each day, it's defined as "full sun." If it gets four to six hours a day, it's defined as "partial sun" or "partial shade." If it gets less than four hours a day, it's defined as "shade." The bushes' growing requirements will fall into one of these three categories. For soil type, check with a local nursery or go online to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service. On the NRCS’s Web Soil Survey home page is a database of soil types for every county in the U.S. Also, consider how much rain your area gets when choosing bushes. If you live in a rainy area, you can choose bushes that require a lot of moisture. Otherwise, it's best to choose bushes that need moderate to low amounts of moisture.

Types of Bushes

• To keep your yard looking good throughout the seasons, choose specific bushes for year-round color, such as the dwarf Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) "Globosa Nana," an evergreen bush whose foliage turns reddish in the winter. This dome-shaped bush is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 5 to 7 and can grow to be 4 to 8 feet tall and a little wider. If you want a bush with fragrant blooms, August Beauty gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides) "August Beauty" has large white flowers that bloom from spring to fall. August Beauty, hardy in USDA zones 8 to 11, grows to be 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. For spectacular autumn color, it's hard to beat the burning bush, also called winged euonymus (Euonymus alatus), known for its bright red fall foliage. Burning bushes grow to be 9 to 12 feet tall and wide.