How to Landscape Small Trees and Shrubs

Choose the correct time for landscaping. If you live in a country with plenty of rain for six months and dry weather the rest of the year, do your landscaping about a week or two before the rainy season starts. If you plant during the rainy season, it will be a muddy experience. If you plant at the beginning of the dry season, you will have to do a lot of watering, and wind will blow away some of your soil.

Procure the proper tools. You will need a shovel or bolo, pruning shears and a sprinkler, hose or a pail for carrying water. A rake will be helpful

Pull out the weeds by the roots. Examine the residual grass to see if it has any value. If not dig it out.

Enrich the soil. Buy sacks of fertile soil in your garden store and apply it judiciously. Examine the gutters along the side of the streets. You will often find rich, wind blown soil. By using it, you will be not only enriching your soil, but doing your community a service.

Analyze your soil. A knowledge of its pH (acidity or basicity) will help you decide what kinds of shrubs will best grow in the soil. You can buy a soil tester online or you may find one in your garden store. Since your soil is likely to be deficient in phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium, add fertilizer or bury your biodegradable waste.

Plant a hedge along the edge of your lawn bordering on the street. Buy plants from a nursery or a garden store. If you can wait till they grow, ask a neighbor for some cuttings. Many plants will take root readily if a small cutting is placed in the soil. Malvaviscus arboreus (Turk's cap) will make a good hedge if properly pruned, and it has beautiful red flowers. In lieu of a hedge, parallel rows of Cordylene terminalis (ti plant) and Dracaena marginata "tricolor" would make an excellent border for your landscape.

Plant three small trees symmetrically: one toward each side of your landscape and one in the middle, all halfway between your house and the street. If the climate is warm enough, use a small variety of palm like the Kentia palm (genus Howea) or the bamboo palm (Raphis excelsa). If you prefer fruit trees, use a small variety of an orange or papaya tree.

Plant a few other shrubs close to the house. Chili peppers are comely and grow to a moderate size. Cycads of the genus Dioon are an excellent alternative.

Examine your landscape to see if you are satisfied. If you want to plant more shrubs or small trees, use wisdom and art when selecting their location. Try to find a place for one or two angel trumpets (genus Bragansa). They are easy to grow and have beautiful flowers. Although they grow large and tend to sprawl if left alone, it is easy to keep them in a suitable size and shape by judicious pruning.

Plant a ground cover. In the Philippines, Arachis pintoi (peanut pinto) is preferable. If you prefer, use ordinary grass.

Take care of your landscape as time passes on. Water your shrubs and trees when necessary. Keep the plants pruned.