How to Landscape With Oleander and Bottlebrush

Select an area of the yard to plant oleander and bottlebrush. The two shrubs do best in full sun. Bottlebrush prefers fertile, moist but well-drained soil, while oleanders are tolerant of most soils.

Cover fences or walls with oleander to offer privacy to a backyard or cover up unsightly walls. Space the oleander about 6 to 12 feet apart to provide enough space to grow and spread out. Trim oleander into a hedge-like shape or remove lower branches to create miniature trees, 6- to 12-feet-tall. Some varieties of oleander can grow up to 20 feet, so choose a variety according to your needs.

Plant oleander around the yard as a border shrub or place it between property lines if there are no fences or walls. Incorporate oleander into the landscape to act as a screening shrub or wall of foliage for any landscape design.

Place bottlebrush into the corners of the landscape to create depth in the yard. Use bottlebrush as a shrub, like oleander, or trim it into the shape of a tree as it grows to add vertical interest to the landscape. Bottlebrush trees grow to a height of 15 feet. When using it as a hedge, space plantings 10 to 15 feet apart to accommodate spread.

Surround a porch or patio with bottlebrush in the shape of a hedge to create privacy to outdoor seating areas or trim it into a tree to provide shade.