Large
shade trees: Green Ash; Lacebark Elm; Honey Locust; Sugar Maple;
Gingko
Smaller shade trees: Dogwood; Redbud; Silver-Bell; Honey
Mesquite; Bradford Pear Screening
and Privacy-
Trees and shrubs can keep others from observing our private activities,
block unwanted views from our eyes, or frame a desirable vista.
While more limited for these purposes than are evergreens, which
don't lose their foliage in winter, deciduous screens are common,
and they can offer more color in flowers and autumn foliage than
do evergreens.
Hedges,
uniform plantings of trees or shrubs selected for dense branching
and foliage, are frequently used as screens as well as for creating
"outdoor rooms" on a property. A number of deciduous shrubs, such
as burning bush, can be trained and shaped into formal hedges. Shrubs
with stiffly upright or unruly growth habits are not attractive
when heavily pruned but make handsome screens if left "natural"
or lightly pruned.
Trees
and shrubs in an informal massed planting can do double duty, providing
a screen and a pleasing composition on their own. A row of columnar
trees, such as Lombardy poplars, effectively screens nearby objects
that are tall or large, such as a neighbor's house. By placing a
single tree in the line of sight, you can block a view of a distant
object from a picture window, patio, or other specific vantage point.
Wind can be annoying to people and damaging to plants. Carefully
placed trees and shrubs, planted singly, in groups, or as hedges,
can break the force of prevailing winds.
Shrubs
for shaped hedges: Flowering Quince; Willow Leaf Cotoneaster;
Privet; Barberry
For natural screens: Rugosa Rose; Sweet Pepperbush; Burning
Bush; Red-Stem Dogwood; Highbush Blueberry
Planting
for Pleasure-
Useful as deciduous trees and shrubs can be, we often choose to
grow them because of the pleasure they give. Flowers are prominent
among those pleasures. They can be exotic, like those of the star
magnolia or deciduous azalea; simple, like pussy willow or winter
jasmine; or fragrant, like viburnums, sweet pepperbush, or winter
honeysuckle.
Flowers
are fleeting, so consider other qualities when making choices. Leaves
provide color for months-greens of every hue, the shimmering two
tone foliage of aspens, the deep purple of copper beech. A number
of trees (red maples, for instance) are striking when buds appear
in early spring. Maples, sourwood, and others earn their place with
spectacular fall foliage colors. Fruit, nuts, and seed pods, both
edible and ornamental, recommend certain trees (crab apple) and
bushes (plum) for both humans and wildlife. In winter the striking
bark of sycamores and crape myrtle catches the eye, as do the wispy
shoots of weeping cherries or willows.
Eye-catching
trees: Redbud; Scarlet Oak; Sour Gum; Hawthorn; Tree Lilac;
Paper Birch
Attractive shrubs: Blueberry; Mock Orange; Red-Twig Dogwood;
Shrub Roses; Chokeberry
The
right plant for the site-
Because trees and shrubs are long-lived and often expensive plants,
you want to make sure they are well suited for the conditions on
your site. Consider their preferences for temperature, sunlight,
water, and soil. If you live with sweltering summers, drying winds,
high humidity, or drought, take those conditions into account, too.
Trees
and shrubs must be able to withstand the rigors of seasonal change.
The most common measure of this ability is the minimum temperature
a plant can survive. Horticulturists have divided the country into
11 "hardiness zones," based on average minimum temperatures. The
hardiness zone rating is frequently noted on plant labels and in
catalogs.
Given
the large amounts of water required by many trees and shrubs, it
makes sense to select those whose needs correspond to the normal
rainfall in your area. It is also difficult to alter large areas
of soil for the extensive root systems of many trees and shrubs.
Homeowners in the Southwest, where soils are typically alkaline,
should avoid azaleas, for example, which are more at home in acidic
soils.
Don't
forget to consider the mature size of the plant. A full-grown sugar
maple can overwhelm a small lot; shrubs that tuck in nicely beneath
a picture window when young can block the view in a few years. Rather
than devote yourself to years of nonstop pruning, choose plants
whose mature size will be in keeping with their place in your landscape.
Well-chosen
trees and shrubs are more likely to succeed for you and to require
less regular care. Knowledgeable staff at a nursery or garden center
can help identify plants that will serve your purposes while doing
well in your conditions.
