Shrubs are a great way to add some depth and pizazz to your yard or garden without too much hassle. They are pretty hearty, so they are easy to take care of and they don’t require too much upkeep.
They are an essential part of the ecosystem in your garden. They are great at providing habitat for all sorts of critters that will benefit your garden, and they can improve the stability of your soil as well as provide shade.
Aside from all of that, shrubs are an excellent representation of a gardening element that has form and function. Not only are they beautiful to behold, they can also be great for providing privacy, or creating pathways.
If you weren’t before, you are probably thoroughly convinced by now that you need shrubs in your garden. However, there are so many varieties out there that choosing one can make a person’s head spin! That’s why we’ve provided this guide. A good way to choose a variety of shrub for your project is simply by the process of elimination. We will help you figure out which varieties you shouldn’t be using, so you can zero on one you should.
Be sure to visit this guide for some essential tips that are also mentioned here.
Hardiness Zone
Firstly, you will want to consider the “hardiness zone” you are in. This can be determined from a map drawn up by the USDA that is helpful for gardeners to determine which plants are most likely to do well in their area. Using this map can help you narrow down a lot of shrub varieties right from the get go!
Light Conditions
After you determine the hardiness zone in your area, you’ll want to take a look at the amount of shade vs. sunlight in your yard. Draw up a map of your backyard and designate areas according to the amount of sunlight they receive. You’ll want to assign each as receiving full or partial sun, or none (shady).
Once you know what type of sun exposure your backyard gets, you can narrow down your choice even further, and begin to plan.
Keep in mind, plants in areas of your yard that are exposed to the north will rarely receive direct sunlight, so if this is the case, you’ll want to choose shrubs that don’t require a lot of sunlight. Conversely, south facing sections of your yard will receive substantial direct sunlight, so it will be important to put sun loving shrubs in these areas.
Use shrubs that prefer partial sun in east facing areas as they will only receive sunlight in the morning, while if you are planting shrubs facing the west you’ll want to choose a variety that can withstand the full heat of the afternoon sun.
Soil Conditions
You will need to consider the condition of the soil in areas you plan on planting your shrubs. Soil is most often described as being either loamy, sandy, or clay. Most shrubs will not thrive in a soil that is mostly clay. If you find heavy clay soil in your desired planting site, you may want to improve it by adding a layer of compost on the top six inches.
Moisture
Most shrubs used for landscaping don’t like to be planted in areas where there is too much moisture accumulation. You will want to be sure that there is a soil that drains well in the area where you would like to plant your shrubs.
Color Selection
To narrow down the list to your final contenders, think about what you want your shrubs to actually look like!
Landscaping shrubbery comes in so many different colors, shapes and sizes. Now that you have narrowed down the list to shrubs that will do well in your desired planting areas, you choose the ones that you think will look the nicest!