An attractive and exciting landscape design absolutely must include shrubs. These plants offer several outstanding benefits, whether forsythia, hydrangea, viburnum or another shrubbery.
Some top reasons to incorporate shrubs in your landscaping design or garden are:
They offer privacy.
While shrubs are often featured in the front of homes and buildings, where they shine is in the backyard. That's because you can get some pretty decent privacy from these plants, depending on which type of shrub you choose.
Lilacs and forsythia, for example, can grow to great heights and provide a barrier between you and a nosy neighbor or an unsightly back alley. Some people even use shrubs around their pool or hot tub to enjoy these features in private.
They create the perfect habitat for wildlife.
Wild creatures like birds and bees love having shrubs around. They'll make their homes in them or use them as a place to hide and escape when on the run from predators. Many birds prefer nesting within the safety of a shrub's branches rather than risk creating their nests in more-exposed trees. Birds and bees may also use shrubs for pollen, nectar, or other food.
Flowering shrubs add pops of beautiful color to your landscaping design.
Shrubs are more than just useful for privacy and as homes for wildlife. One of their main qualities is that they provide beauty. A strategically planted garden featuring shrubs will surely attract attention.
One tip about shrubs' visual splendor is choosing a range of flowering and blooming periods. This way, one or several of your shrubs will continuously bloom throughout the year. It's a lovely way to note the seasons' passing and feel in touch with nature.
You should also select shrubs in a range of sizes, as this variation in height will provide much-needed diversity and interest to your landscape.
You'll want to plant your shrubs where they'll provide shade in the warmer months to reduce cooling costs. In the winter, you can benefit from the passive solar heat gain provided by shrubs, reducing your heating costs.
They can increase the value of your property.
Any landscaping will increase your property's value, but shrubs offer an exceptionally unique benefit because they're more of an investment in time and money. Growing shrubs takes time and dedication; their initial cost is more than that of smaller plants. With shrubs strategically planted around your home, you're sure to attract serious buyers and sell your property for a maximum price.
Shrub Planting and Maintenance Tips
Choosing shrubs that will thrive in your part of the world is essential. Check your climate and conditions against the labels on the shrubs you are considering, and only choose those suitable for your soil type and region. We recommend purchasing and planting shrubs in the spring or early summer. Caring for shrubs is relatively straightforward.
Lastly, make room for your shrubs to grow — up and out and underground when planting. You'll want them far enough away from walls and your home so they don't grow directly into the property. Likewise, put enough room between shrubs, so they don't smash into each other as they get bigger.
