Landscaping With Trees & Plants

Decide what you want the landscaping to accomplish. Trees and hedges can provide a privacy screen or a windbreak against winter chill, or give you shade. Dense shade trees planted closely to the house lower indoor summer temperatures considerably while putting more moisture into the air for comfort. Flowers accent the color of the home with similar shades or provide contrast. They can attract attention to a particular part of the house or draw attention somewhere else.

Determine what use the yard will see most. If you have children and desire a large play space, the trees and flowers might be kept to a minimum. Larger dogs and extensive gardens don't always get along unless the owner is there watching the entire time. Friends need space to spread out, while a private backyard retreat can be more crowded and intimate.

Consider how much time you have to devote to maintaining the landscaping. Some trees, such as the seedless Marshall, take constant pruning as their limbs are fragile and break off easily in the wind. Non-native plants may require special attention to thrive, while native plants are more tolerant of local conditions and can better handle pests, drought and poor fertilization.

Work with the actual conditions of your yard to maximize the potential. A low spot that attracts water either has to be filled in with extra dirt or used for water-loving plants such as a weeping willow tree. If strong winds are funneled into a particular area, a shallow-rooted tree such as a pine is not good. Hillsides that are difficult to mow may be best suited with a creeping ground cover instead of grass.

Look to the future of your landscaping ideas, and not just what you visualize now. That lovely blue spruce that looks perfect in the front yard may easily overgrow the yard in 20 years and push the lower branches into your driveway, forcing its removal. Plants that require bending and kneeling to take care of may not be as easy to maintain as you get older and less mobile.