1. Create privacy. Plant a living fence to shield unsightly views, provide a visual and sound barrier from the road or your neighbors, or create a private retreat. Choose evergreen shrubs for a year-round barrier, flowering shrubs for color and fragrance, or a combination of the two. .
2. Provide four-season interest. Select a variety of shrubs that flower at different times, produce fruit, have colorful fall foliage, or have attractive bark.
3. Provide a focal point. Add a new dimension to your garden canvas by planting shrubs of different shapes and heights. Shrubs complement structures and provide a visual focus to gardens.
4. Create a windbreak. Save on heating costs by planting evergreen shrubs to break winter winds. Creating that windbreak has many other benefits including outdoor comfort.
5. Add texture and form. There are an enormous variety of shrubs to choose from. Whether you prefer a formal look or a more free-form cottage garden, there are shrubs to suit your style.
6. Increase curb appeal. Attractive landscaping can increase the value of a home by thousands of dollars and shrubs are an economical choice for improving your landscape.
7. Attract birds. Shrubs provide nesting sites and shelter for songbirds and other garden guests; fruiting shrubs provide winter food for birds
8. Produce fruit. Grow your own blueberries and elderberries for eating fresh as well as making jams and jellies. Visit my website for my mother’s famous Crab Apple Jelly recipe and more.
9. Reduce cooling costs. Tall shrubs that shade south-facing windows, walls and air conditioners can reduce electricity used for cooling by up to one third.
10. Fight global warming. Like all plants, shrubs remove carbon dioxide from the air and produce oxygen.
Choosing Shrubs
Observe the planting site at different times of day. How much sun does it receive, more than six hours, a few hours, none? What’s the soil like, dry, moist? How tall do you want the mature shrub to be? What purpose will the shrub serve?
There are hundreds of types of shrubs, so answering these questions will narrow your options. Check the plant label to determine the mature height and width of the shrub, rather than the size you see at the nursery. Otherwise, you may end up pruning it back yearly to manage its size, which is not good for most shrubs, or most gardeners.
Enlisting the aid of a trained professional such as a landscape designer or master gardener, will help ensure that you are selecting the proper shrub for your needs.
Julie Molinare is a Certified Landscape Designer living in the Santa Clarita
Valley for over 12 years. She is the owner and designer of The Grass Is Always Greener Designs.
For more information please call 661-917-3521 or visit www.thegrassisalwaysgreener.net