Evergreens To Use For Landscaping

Evergreen trees and shrubs are more expensive in general than deciduous trees (trees that drop their leaves in winter). But they are worth their cost because of their year-round beauty, hardiness and longevity. Evergreens range from the broadleaved shrubs like rhododendron and laurel to the tall-needled cone-bearing pines and stately spruces.

The giant spruces and firs are most effective as windscreens; the spreading evergreen shrubs are widely used not only because of their attractiveness but also because they can be shaped and trimmed and do well in the shade (such as for foundation planting).

Pine is the most commonly known of the evergreens. White pine is noted for its long, soft, light silvery-green needles and rapid attainment of its 60- to 80-foot maturity. Red pine, as well as white pine, is splendid for backgrounds and windbreaks. Ponderosa pine, a broad, compact tree, is used for protection and ornamental screens.

Austrian pine (black pine) with its rich, green color and spreading branches has great favor in the Midwest. Globe mugho pine is a small, rounded tree for ornamental planting.

Norway spruce is probably the most widely planted windbreak evergreen. Quick growing and. hardy, it has short needles of dark green; is a compact, pyramidal shape. Black Hills spruce grows toy 40 feet in time, is hardy and drought-resistant. A slow grower, it can remain in close quarters for many years.

White spruce has short, thick, light blue-green needles; it matures at 60 to 70 feet and is good for landscaping and screens. Colorado blue spruce is a good specimen tree and hardy, too, but it suffers in heat and drought. Of the cedars, red cedar is a fine ornamental evergreen for hedges and windbreaks. It withstands dry weather and the thick green foliage has a bronze in winter.

Douglas fir is the best fir for windbreaks and screening. Hardy, healthy, drought-resisting, it grows quickly and compactly, and its lofty pyramid makes a good lawn specimen. Balsam fir, the Christmas tree, is noted for its fragrance and lustrous foliage. White fir, a specimen, has an attractive silvery color.

Arbor vitae, like cedar, furnishes the flat evergreen branch found in flower arrangements at Christmas. It is an ornamental tree of many varieties, and is best located in moist protected places. Un-trimmed, it is a broad pyramid, 35 to 50 feet tall, but it shears to any size or shape.

The juniper family is useful in planting, in tall forms such as the formal columnar juniper and the upright juniper, and as a spreading evergreen the remarkable Pfitzer juniperfor banks, ground cover and edgings. The green feathery foliage grows rapidly; can stand crowding. Height at maturity is 8 feet, spread up to 12. Ground-covering junipers include prostrate, Sargent, Waukegan and creeping varieties.

Another evergreen with feathery foliage is the hemlock. The Canadian hemlock can be sheared in a symmetrical manner. Hemlock is most effective when planted in a grove with others.

Yew, with its thick glossy needles and dense, upward-reaehing branches, is useful as both shrub and tree, growing well in sun and shade. Try using it not in the usual manner as foundation planting only but as a single handsome specimen against a wall of the garden. The low-spreading bushy dwarf yew can be clipped well. Other varieties are upright yew and Japanese yew, a tapering or conical tree or shrub used for hedges.

Evergreens tend to be adversely affected by hot, dry summer weather and should be watered every 10 to 14 days at this time. Be sure the water reaches the deep-root growth, at least 6 inches deep.

A mulch of grass clippings or peat moss will also protect the tree from loss of water in dry weather. Pruning in late spring before new buds appear seems to help an evergreen thrive. Prune so that the inner branches can develop and the tree or shrub is more compact.

Formal trees can be kept trim, with no ragged branches sticking out, and badly shaped or deformed trees can be corrected through shaping. Evergreens are susceptible to "winterburn" from too much wind and winter sun, so that they dry up and their branches crack under the weight of snow or the force of wind. A precaution is to water them deeply before the ground freezes in the late fall.

They may also be protected in winter by screens of burlap or straw mats. Where wind and winter sun are not too strong, shielding only on the sunny side is necessary. Burlap boxes or covers should be well ventilated. Thin, tall shrubs or small evergreen trees may be tied with strips of cloth, so that the branches will not crack. Old trees with heavy limbs may be propped with boards to prevent breakage under heavy snow or ice.

Paul Curran is CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and webmaster at Trees-and-Bushes.com, providing a range of quality plants, trees, bushes, shrubs, seeds and outdoor garden products.

Website: http://www.trees-and-bushes.com

 

Types Of Vines For Landscaping Your Home

For covering walls of houses, boulders, stone walls, etc., the ivies are, of course, used more than other vines. Boston ivy is the quickest growing. Japanese bittersweet [Euonymus radicans) is a good vine for walls, too; evergreen, it grows well on the north sides of buildings as well as on exposed locations. Winter-creeper, in both large and small-leaved varieties, is a hardy vine for wall planting.

Other vines that can cling without aid to concrete, brick and stone include Chinese trumpetcreeper, English ivy, Lowe ivy and Virginia creeper, sometimes called woodbine or American ivy. Virginia creeper is the ivy that twines around trees and covers the ground in woodlands, and while it makes a good building cover, it does become heavy and require thinning out as it grows older. Virginia creeper is also effective for providing shade. (Other shade-producing vines are grape, Dutchman's pipe and silver vine.)

Many vines which are not self-supporting can be trellis-trained, and can add color and beauty to a house. Among the more showy varieties are wisteria, with its clusters of white to purple blos soms; clematis, which has a large flower appearing from early summer until fall; and trumpetcreep-er, with its tropical-looking clusters of big scarlet and orange flowers during late summer.

There is also trumpet honeysuckle, which has clusters of red and yellow perfumed flowers; and climbing hydrangea, with its large white clusters. Some of the annual vines, such as the hyacinth bean which grows on strings and has many flowers, or the scarlet runner bean which has showy flowers, are good for shade, too.

For covering banks and ground where you have difficulty with grass, you might try periwinkle (also called running myrtle), an evergreen which has blue flowers all summer. Another evergreen is pachysandra, mentioned elsewhere; and there is moneywort which flattens against the ground.

Some attractive and fragrant-blossoming annuals that you might also consider are: nasturtium; bal-foon vine, which is good to cover fences; cypress vine, with a large number of small star-shaped flowers in orange, red and white, and the familiar morning-glory and moonflower plants.

Paul Curran is CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and webmaster at Trees-and-Bushes.com, providing a range of quality plants, trees, bushes, shrubs, seeds and outdoor garden products.

Website: http://www.trees-and-bushes.com

 

Landscaping For Winter Fuel Saving

September 2005 Windbreaks - Breakup the Cold Winds of Winter Landscaping For Winter Fuel Saving Evergreens of Highland Hill Farm This Saturday and Sunday will be a Crazy Weekend Greetings!

In the past week there has been an increasing interest in landscape design for energy conservation. Rising fuel costs can be offset by landscaping. The primary goal is to control wind and sun. In Pa. the first line of defence for energy savings is protection from the cold winter winds by the use of landscaping. Research shows that properly designed screens and buffers can reduce the heating cost of a typical residence by as much as 30 percent.

Landscaping For Winter Fuel Saving

Liars figure and figures lie or so it goes. But there is no doubt that there is a factor known as the wind chill factor. This article will help you understand what winds can do to heating costs and how your landscape can block the wind saving you heating dollars.

There have been studies that show that wind speeds around homes can be reduced by as much as 90%. The best design for windbreaks depends on the use and exact location of the site. However, in most of Pa. the prevailing winds are from the northeast, thus, the maximum protection should be concentrated in the north east. A single row of conifers with staggered spacings is the best for protection from both wind and blowing snow. The wind is deflected up and over the screen, creating a well protected zone. The area of maximum protection can extend outward several times the height of the trees. If space is at a premium, fewer plants will be helpful, but the use of conifers and other densely branched species is essential for maximum winter protection. Arborvitae make an excellent choice for providing winter protection. Arborvitae are commonly used evergreens useful in urban areas where low maintenance and durability is needed. Many cultivars with forms such as being globed in shape, columnar, or narrow pyramidal, tend to be near buildings, doors, and walkways. Other forms which are larger are used for screens and buffers that are planted in rows. The form of arborvitae is small, medium, or large depending on the cultivar. Some reach 50', others only 3'. Even small Arborvitae, as in the picture, can help breakup the wind and drifting snows of winter. Most prefer full sun to partial sun. Planting in dense shade conditions should be avoided. A moist, well drained, loamy soil in full sunlight are ideal conditions for growing healthy arborvitae. These plants will tolerate rocky, clay, urban conditions of heat drought and pollution. The most important pest we have is bagworms which must be controlled to prevent complete defoliation. Some cultivars have multiple leaders which also prove to be a detraction for the plant. Pruning out multiple leaders in some cultivars is a simple remeady. The ease in planting and maintaining this plant make it an ideal choice for planting around the house. Plant shrubs with wind direction in mind. Since south winds are generally warmer than northeast winds, it is considered sufficient to have moderate protection on the east and desirable to leave the south open or restricted to rows of shrubs and deciduous trees. More openness to the south allows solar gain in the winter and for summer ventilation house. The economic incentive of reduced heating costs is additional to known benefits of reduced snow clearing. While most homes have at least some naturally treed areas or planted screens protecting their yard, the full potential benefit from tree planting is far from being realized. Energy conservation is a growing concern. Current studies confirm what fuel oil dealers have known all along, homes with screens and buffers use considerably less fuel. The time to begin planning for an energy conscious future is now.

There many trees and plants that can be used in windbreaks and screens. The White Pine is another special plant. It is fast growing and durable. Two foot trees can grow into a large fuel saving shelter belt quickly. We sometimes see 3' of growth per year when then conditions are correct. Its soft graceful blue needles can complement your backyard and give quick privacy. Besides it is one of least expensive plants and is not invasive.

See more of our operations at http://www.seedlingsrus.com

This Saturday and Sunday will be a Crazy Weekend

This year I promise that I will be in top form. I shall have lots and lots of free plants for everyone. The further you travel to get here the more you will receive. It is not possible that we will sell all the inventory in our fields that are to be turned into the Plumstead Township Ball Fields. I will not let the plants go to waste. We will find homes for them.We love our plants and they too need homes. We will start 8 a.m. sharp and stop when dogs don't hunt no more. Bill Hirst Ps Ask to see my Africa Trip Album

For more info go to http://www.zone5trees.com or http://www.highlandhillfarm.com

Landscaping can save on fuel heating costs and this article explains how.

Landscaping New Construction

Landscaping New Construction The single biggest problem facing people who buy a new home is soil compaction. Soil compaction occurs when particles of soil are forced closer together by external forces. This can be caused by people, animals, machinery, or water droplets. Compaction of soil may lead to decreased plant vitality. The most common problem around new constuction is from heavy equiptment being operated on the soil. Compacted soil is more prone to soil erosion and leads to faster water runoff. This increases sedimentation buildup in streams, ditches, and waterways. An early symptom of compaction is slow infiltration of water from a light rain. You may see ponding on level ground or fast run off on slopped ground. If your new home is located on sandy soil, compacting the soil may be helpful. It can slow the perculation rate of soils so more water can be available for plant use. If you have compacted soils there are steps that can be taken to lessen its effects. Stay off of wet soils. This is the single biggest cause of soil compaction. Use a push mower instead of a riding Tractor. Return organic materials to the soil and use compost. Confine traffic by use of plants and fences to keep traffic to specific lanes. Over a period of time nature thru droughts that open up cracks in the soil, small organisms living in the soil, and the freezing and thawing of winter weather, soil compaction will naturally be reduced. The best choices of landscape plants are smaller plants with more fiberous roots.

Irrigation and Drainage can be used to help counteract changes in grades made near new construction. Excessive water may now lay where it once did not. If there is a new drainage problem, it is a latent defect to the landscape. Your trees will decline rapidly. You must correct this problem to save the trees. Many people see the decline and think they need fertilizer. Lack of fertilizer would not be a likely cause to decline of large trees near new construction. If drainage is not suspected but stress if evident the root zone may not be getting enough moisture. Moisten the top 6 to 12" of soil with a long soaking over the entire area of the root zone. Do not over water for this leads to a loss of oxygen to the roots. Proper control of moisture in the root zone is the single most important aspect in areas of new construction.

Suggestions For New Construction Plantings

Viburnums We raise over 10 types ofViburnums on our farms from seedlings to 5' shrubs. If you have poor soils due to compacting from construction, try viburnums. Being rugged and hardy, they perform where other plants fail.American Cranberry Bush ,Korean Spice,Blackhaw ,ArrowwoodViburnum ,Chicago Luster,Dawn,Summer Snowflake, Shasta,Erie,Tea,Judd,Korean Spice, Praque,and Siebold.

Lilacs When you say "New construction", I always think of lilacs. These plants are versatile, and durabile. These flowering shrubs have many uses in the home landscape. They are used as corner planting,wind screens, hedges. The soft delicate flowers of lilacs are on some of the toughest plants. Lilacs can survive to -60 degrees f. Many peoples thoughts of lilacs go back to their Grandma's and Pa's house where plants only survived if they could be neglected. They bear old memories for lilacs have been with us for years. Pruning these plants is all that is needed to keep them in shape. These plants range in size from 3' to 10' and come in many colors such as purple, magenta, blue, white, and violet. We usally have a large selection for you to choose from.

French Lilac Korean Lilac-Miss Kim Chinese Lilac Common Lilac Donald Wyman Peking Lilac Large Clump Ivory Silk Lilacs

Proper places for trees around homes. Planning for the future.

Because different trees have different mature heights, pay special attention to where you plant each tree. Planting the right tree in the right place will enhance your property value and prevent costly maintenance trimming or damage to your home. Good landscaping utilizes shrubs and low-growing trees that are compatible with utilities and electric lines. These "wire friendly" trees will not reach electric lines and, therefore, will help prevent power interruptions to you and your neighbors.

Windbreaks - Plant evergreen trees, which can serve as protection from the wind, on the west or north sides of the house, approximately 50 feet or more from the house.

Temperature - Plant deciduous (leaf dropping) trees on the south and/or west side of house to cool in the summer and allow sun to enter the house in the winter.

Typical Wire Friendly Trees: Amur Maple, Hedge Maple, Serviceberry, Eastern Redbud, Flowering Crabapple, Japanese Tree Lilac, and Viburnums.

Note: Planting tall-growing trees within utility rights-of-ways (land over which electric lines pass) will require utilities to trim trees to maintain proper clearance from electric wires. This may result in the tree having an unnatural appearance.

Never plant large pine trees and large ornamental pines in a raised bed 2 feet from your house.

You can see more of Bill's articles at his web site http://www.seedlingsrus.com

B Hirst has been growing planting trees and shrubs for over 45 years.

Getting The Best Price For Your Home Includes Landscaping For Curb Appeal

If you own a home, then sooner or later you are going to be ready to sell that home. Maybe you've already sold a home or two. People tend to move more often than our parents did.

There are a lot of things that go into getting the best possible price for your home, but the very first thing your home needs is curb appeal. When a prospective buyer, or a realtor for that matter, pulls up in front of your home, they immediately form an opinion about your house. Fair or not, that's what people do. You can have the most beautiful home in the city, but if prospective buyers don't get a super positive feeling about your house the minute they lay eyes on it, they are going to enter and view the rest of your house with a negative impression.

Fixing that problem is easy enough to do.

When people pull up in front of your house there are two things they see. A house, and the landscaping in front of that house. If the landscaping is unattractive, the house will appear to be unattractive. Landscaping for curb appeal does not cost a lot of money, it's simply a matter of making sure the landscaping is neat, with well defined edges, and colorful. But when landscaping for curb appeal, the most important thing you need to do is to raise the beds with topsoil. Of course you have to do this before you plant.

Plants do much better in raised beds, and the plants in the beds really stand out. In order to raise the beds around your house you do not have to buy expensive stones and build retaining walls. Just establish the outline of the planting beds, cut an edge into the soil with a spade, and fill the planting beds with approximately ten inches of good rich topsoil. You'd be amazed at how much you can raise a planting bed without any type of retention.

Here are two more things you don't need:

Plastic edging. It's expensive, a lot of work to install, and it never stays in place. You can cut an edge with a spade and your landscape will actually look better. Then you can make the bed a little larger any time you need to.

The other thing you definitely do not need is weed control fabric. The stuff just doesn't work. The weeds grow right on top of the fabric, then root through the fabric making it even harder to keep your beds weed free. You'll find a really good article on weed control on my website.

When landscaping for curb appeal, plant placement and selection is very important. In a corner bed you need a centerpiece. I like Canadian Hemlock because they are evergreen and provide an excellent background for more colorful plants. In front of the Hemlock you can use a bright colored evergreen like Gold Thread Cypress, but don't use too many. Usually three is all you want. Around the backside of the same bed you can use a darker evergreen like Taxus or even a flowering shrub that you keep trimmed down low like Weigela. Lots of colors are fine, but don't stagger the colored plants in your landscape, use them in groupings, and be careful not to use too many in any one grouping. When you use more than three of any colored plant they lose their effectiveness. You are adding them for contrast, and when used sparingly they look much better.

There are lots of landscaping photos on my website that will give you a lot of good ideas.

In front of a house I like to use an arc of medium height plants like Blue Girl Holly, then put a couple of taller plants behind the arc. When landscaping for curb appeal you want the landscape to stair step toward the house. In other words, the lawn is the bottom step, the raised bed is step two, low growing plants step three and so on.

If you are re-landscaping an older home you probably should start with a sledge hammer before you do anything else and bust out the sidewalk to the front door. Builders put in the ugliest sidewalks in the world, and they usually are hard to maneuver as you walk toward the front door. Once you have the old sidewalk removed, let your imagination run wild. Remember, you are landscaping for curb appeal, and there is no better way to establish ultimate curb appeal than with a beautiful curved walk that gently winds its way to the front door. Once again, there are photos of such sidewalks on my website, and you'll see what wonderful landscaping opportunities they present.

The last step in landscaping for curb appeal is to create an interesting shaped raised bed in the front yard. Fill this bed with spring flowering bulbs, and annual flowers for the summer. If your house is going to be on the market in the fall, add some chrysanthemums for a burst of fall color.

So what's the best benefit of landscaping for curb appeal? You'll gain great experience so you can make sure your new home is landscaped just the way you want it!

Mike McGroarty, the author of this article, would like to give you this Ebook: "The Gardener's Secret Handbook". Stop by his http://www.freeplants.com website and get your copy right now. It's his way of saying hello! Article provided by http://gardening-articles.com

Landscaping with Roses

Roses have many uses in the home garden, both as standalone bushes and climbers and as part of an overall landscape of plants and flowers. The newest thinking in landscape gardening is to combine roses with other types of native plants and flowers, and roses certainly lend themselves to a striking place in the garden.

Roses are also wonderful when used to enhance and highlight areas of the home or surrounding landscape. For example, climbing roses can be trained to grow up and over a trellis or to highlight and enhance a bare wall or garden shed. In addition, a spray of yellow roses growing against a brick or stone home can be a beautiful addition to the landscape.

Landscaping with roses is one of the best ways to add beauty to the home, and even to enhance its value. Before you can landscape effectively with roses, however, it is important to determine just where roses will fit in your landscape, and how best to use them. Landscaping with roses is not difficult, but it is important to plan properly before the first rosebush goes into the ground.

Planning for next spring's garden should begin the winter before the garden is to be planted. Planning early allows you to determine the best location for the roses in the garden, and to research the varieties that are most likely to thrive in your climate.

It is also important to ask yourself what you want to get out of your roses. Roses can be used for many different reasons, from providing an attractive ground cover to providing a dramatic backdrop for a beautiful home.

Planning is also important in order to prevent rose specific problems. There are, for instance, a number of pests and diseases that are specific to roses, and it is important to take steps to prevent those problems before planting your roses. It is also important to ask yourself how much time you have to devote to growing roses, since some varieties are harder to grow than others. If your time is limited, it may be best to stick to hardier, easier to grow varieties.

It is also important to choose roses in colors that will best highlight your home and exterior landscape. For instance, a spray of white roses can be quite striking against a dark colored home, just as red roses can beautifully compliment a white exterior.

It is also important to examine your landscape and determine which roses will work best where. For example, hybrid musk roses grow well even in less than full sun, so they are often used in shady areas. It is important to note, however, that hybrid musk roses do not do as well in colder climates. It is important to take your own climate into account, as well as sun and shade considerations, when planning your rose landscape.

Visit Gardening Information website and learn gardening tips. You will also discover which gardening tools match the tasks in your garden.

Is Landscape Fabric Even Necessary In Landscaping?

Landscaping fabrics are by no means an answer to a no maintenance landscape. I know a lot of folks are under the impression that they can simply buy it, place it, cover it, and forget it. Forever.

First. There is no such thing as a no maintenance landscape. In many instances landscape fabric can make your life a lot easier. However, there is an upside and a downside to using it. And as with most everything else, proper installation and maintenance is required if you intend to use it.

Landscape fabrics have their applications. They aren't necessary in all applications but might be preferred in regards to the type of groundcover you use.

Our company uses weed barrier in 95% of the designs we create. It's the nature of our business as we use decorative rock as the preferred groundcover around here. When using rock for groundcover and path work, it's necessary to have a separator between the soil and groundcover. Otherwise, you'll have mud rocks by the first rain storm.

In theory you should be able to use almost anything as a separator. I've seen do it yourselfers use anything from plastics to newspapers and cardboard boxes to old carpet remnants. Of course, as a professional, I can't use or even suggest something like this to my clients. You're on your own there.

Now personally, on any given project, I would much rather do away with fabrics altogether. I prefer to create living soil planting areas that are mulched and tended rather than being covered and forgotten. However, some areas are simply too large to apply this method and some folks just outright prefer to cover an area with decorative rock.

Both mulched living beds and rock beds underlain with fabric will require some work to keep them beautiful. Neither is maintenance free. As long as there is wind, rain dirt, and blown in seed, there will be something for you to do in your yard.

When we create a design using landscaping fabric and rock, I make the client aware of a few things. 1) There will be blown in seed and dirt. 2) Something will have to be done about it to keep it from accumulating. I assure them that with the quality of fabric we use, nothing will grow in from the bottom. However, we have no control of what blows in on the top.

Spraying the unwanted weeds with herbicide will take care of the weed problem. However, this does nothing for the dirt, leaf, and plant particles that are hiding under your rocks. And if you allow these to accumulate, they'll continue to accumulate and you will never get rid of them. So periodic maintenance is required even if you do use landscaping fabric.

Periodically using a blower on your bedding areas will slow down the accumulation of dirt and in some cases eliminate it altogether. How easy and thorough this is depends a lot on the type and size of rock you use.

Small pea gravel accumulates and holds onto dirt, and is harder to clean than rock of a 1 ?" + nature. Not only does it hold onto dirt but has a tendency to be blown all around when being cleaned with a blower. Pea gravel works well for paths, walkways, and smaller areas but I don't recommend it for covering larger areas.

As far as using landscape fabric under bark and mulch covered beds? In many cases this can actually be easier to take care of than living beds or rock covered areas as it can easily be picked up and replaced every few years. This will keep your landscape always looking new without having to blow dirt or mulch beds.

Remember. There's no such thing as a no maintenance landscape. Landscape fabrics can make things easier in many applications but like everything else, they require a little bit of keeping up. No, they aren't necessary in all landscaping applications. However, I believe you'll find them to be your best choice for many types of groundcover.

Written by Steve Boulden. Steve is the creator of The Landscape Design Site.com which offers free professional landscaping advice, tips, plans, and ideas to do it yourselfers and homeowners. To discover more about landscaping fabrics, visit his site at: http://www.the-landscape-design-site.com