Perhaps nothing adds more appeal to a home than a beautifully landscaped yard, and the right mix of decorative plants and trees truly sets an otherwise average home apart from its neighbors. Hiring a professional landscaper can be costly, but doing your own landscaping is an option if you have the right information, physical ability and the necessary tools. If you’re planning on doing your own landscaping this spring or summer, here are a few tips so you can know what to plant and where to plant it.
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Check Out Your Neighborhood
Although creating a landscape that stands out from the crowd may be your final goal, taking notice of the type of trees, shrubs and flowers in your neighborhood will help you know which plants are successful in your climate. You will be very discouraged if you invest your efforts and expense in plants that grow beautifully someplace else, but are not suited to your area. Your local gardening center can provide you with valuable advice about the plants you want to use before you purchase them.
Consider the Size and Style of Your Home
If your home is large with an expansive yard surrounding it, consider planting enough large trees and shrubs to create a frame around it. If your home and yard is average in size, take care that you do not overwhelm it with too many trees and plants. Remember to locate trees that will grow tall at the edge of your property. If a large tree should go down during a storm, there should be enough distance to ensure it will not damage your home. Large shrubbery, such as lilacs or dwarf flowering crabs form a beautiful backdrop for flowering plants near the front of your home.
Identify Your Temperature Zone
You should determine whether the flowers you want to grow are perennials or annuals. Some hardy perennials survive freezing temperatures and bloom every year, but others will not tolerate very cold temperatures. The appropriate zone will be identified on the plant container, so choose your perennials according to the zone you live in. Many people think they can plant whatever flowers they like, however, you are at the mercy of your climate. Be sure to check labels before you plant so that you aren’t disappointed.
Sun or Shade
If you are someone without a lot of experience at growing flowers, you may be confused about which plants work best in sun and which ones prefer shade. Although there are some exceptions, foliage plants are typically shade loving and plants with abundant bright flowers prefer full sun. It can be difficult to determine the best places for some plants, because the shady and sunny areas of your yard will change throughout the day. However, for the most part, there are shadier and sunnier areas of the yard, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble distinguishing those areas when you plant.
While it is easy to imagine creating a beautiful landscape on your own, it is best to start small and build your landscape in steps. The physical demands of planting everything from trees to flowers can be exhausting for the average homeowner, so be ready to put time and effort into your yard if you plan on doing your own landscaping. It can be extremely rewarding to design and plant your own yard and then watch it blossom and grow into something beautiful. Information for this article was provided by the professionals of Pro Tree Service Inc., who provide tree services in Mentor, OH.
