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There are many types of garden shrubs available.
There are evergreen shrubs. These shrubs hold onto their leaves throughout the entire year. Then there are deciduous shrubs that generally provide colorful foliage before losing their leaves.
There are different sizes of shrubs. They can range from a very small size all the way up to larger tree-like shrubs.
Garden Shrubs can be used for many purposes.
They can be used within the landscape area as specimen shrubs, foundation shrubs, or privacy hedges.
Specimen shrubs are those that have very distinct, eye-catching qualities. These shrubs can stand out as individual plants. Butterfly bush or Hydrangea, for example, provides a profuse number of summer flowers. Witchhazel has late winter/early spring flowers. Both of these types of shrubs can be considered specimens.
Foundation plantings are used in front of houses, fences, air conditioning units, porches, or decks. These shrubs should be hardy and long-lived.
Privacy hedges are used to block unattractive views. Others are used to provide privacy. There are many plants that can be used as a hedge. But a list of excellent privacy hedges is somewhat limited. A plant used for a privacy hedge should have dense foliage. The privacy hedge should grow to at least six feet tall.
Shrubs can be used as a backdrop to help define a landscaped area or garden. Foliage should be a major consideration this type of plant. Shrubs have different types of foliage. You might select foliage that provides a contrast from other foliage in the garden.
Shrubs can also provide seasonal color. This color can be red, deep green, silver, gold, and purple.
It is best to plant a shrub in the late fall or very early spring.
This allows enough time for the roots of the plant to become established before the heat of the summer months.
In selecting garden shrubs, it’s critical to keep in mind the mature height and width of the plant. A foundation shrub should not be planted so close to the house that its roots cause problems with the foundation. Also visualize the maximum height of the shrub. Make sure it won’t block a window or a view from the house – that is, when that is not the purpose of the shrub.
You don’t want the shrub to take up a large portion of the garden area. You also don’t want it to block a walkway through the landscaped area.
Flowering shrubs can provide a real asset to your landscape. But it’s important to remember that they will provide flowers for only a few weeks of the year. For that reason, you must consider the foliage and the overall appearance of the shrub during the remainder of the year. Does the shrub fit visually with your other plantings during the non-flowering periods?
It is critical to research types of garden shrubs that do well in your area.
Make sure that the soil conditions in your planting area support the soil requirements of the shrub. By failing to do this, you shrub may not receive the nutrients it must have to be healthy.
Also consider the lighting conditions in your planting area. Some excellent shrubs, such as Azaleas and Rhododendrons must grow in at least partial shade. They will not do well in full sun. Other shrubs require full sun.
Forsythia provides beautiful yellow flowers in the early spring. This shrub is very easy to care for and is an excellent privacy hedge.
Hydrangeas are excellent specimen shrubs for your landscape. Different varieties offer white, pink, and blue summer flowering blooms.
Rose of Sharon is a very attractive summer blooming shrub. The different varieties of the plant provide white, pink, and purple flowers. It can be used as an accent to you garden, a privacy hedge, or a backdrop to smaller plantings.
Boxwoods are a great shrub variety. They are used as a foundation planting or as an edging for your garden.
English hollies are another great choice. This evergreen provides dark green foliage all year long. In the winter, they have red berries that add real interest to your landscaped area.
These are just a few of the types of garden shrubs I really like. In future posts, I will elaborate on these varieties in future posts. I will also add more possibilities to the list. If you have any questions, please click on the “Contact Me” button at the top of this page.
Here are a few more articles related to Garden Shrubs:
Do You Want to Attract Birds and Butterflies to Your Garden Shrubs?
Shade-Loving Shrubs – More Garden Shrubs
