How to Landscape With Dwarf Oleanders

Choose a site on your property that's appropriate to grow a dwarf oleander shrub. A fertile, well-drained soil that experiences at least eight hours of uninterrupted sunshine daily is needed. Wet, slow-to-drain soils and shady locations are poor locations to plant any oleander.

Purchase dwarf oleander plants from the plant nursery, selecting cultivars with a mature size or flower color that suits your landscape design. Container-grown plants may be installed in a landscape any time of year the soil isn't frozen.

Place the dwarf oleander shrubs in the desired location in the garden, according to your planting design. Space plants appropriately, so that when they reach their mature size -- as listed on plant labels -- they are not crowded or too large for the location. While in the container, the shrubs may be shifted as needed to create a pleasing design composition before digging holes and planting them.

Dig the planting hole with a garden shovel once the final location is decided for the dwarf oleander. Dig the hold two to three times wider than the diameter of the shrub's container root ball. The hole's depth should be the same as that of the container.

Scatter a 3-inch layer of organic mulch atop the soil around the dwarf oleanders. The mulch makes the planting bed look finished and attractive. Mulch also benefits the shrubs by preventing weeds, cooling the soil for the roots, conserving soil moisture and decomposing to provide trace nutrients to the dwarf oleanders.