Landscaping and landscape design goes beyond just creating beautiful designs. As a professional designer, its not only my job to create designs but also to envision every possibility of the mature landscape in years to come.

And while most elements will remain what they are for years to come, the one thing that most do it yourselfers and some professionals overlook is the space that tiny little sprouts will occupy when they become mature plants and trees.

Trees serve a number of obvious purposes in the landscape. Creating shade, wind blocks, noise reduction, boundaries, and focal points are just a few. Once I have established where Ill need trees for these purposes in a design, I have several other considerations before I can designate their permanent home.

Planting without considering the space that the mature full grown plants and trees will occupy can become more than just an inconvenience. It can be costly.

Things to consider.

Around Play Areas

A shaded canopy over play areas, sand boxes, etc. may be desired for shade from afternoon sun. However, you need to consider the mess that birds and other critters will drop right into your childs play area if the canopy extends over it.

The solution to this is to place large shade trees a distance from the area in line with the travel of the sun. If you know the trees you plant and how far the mature canopy will extend, you can still plant for shade without exposing your kids to unsanitary conditions.

Around Pools

Keeping a pool clean is hard enough without a mess of leaves and branches. And while most pool areas are sunny locations, it is sometimes desirable to have a space near the pool where one can escape the sun.

Unlike play areas though, you may not want to shade the entire pool landscape from the afternoon sun. Therefore you shouldnt plant large shade trees in direct line with the travel of the sun. Design as to create a shady area to one side or the other. This is also another spot to eliminate top rooting trees around concrete. Evergreen types are usually your best bet for around pools.

Roots And Concrete Footings And Foundations

While infrequent deep watering as opposed to frequent shallow watering will help deter top rooting trees, some trees are still determined to seek out other sources of water which may be on the surface or moist areas under structures.

The seeking roots of large trees are a powerful force that can break sidewalks, foundations, and even lift walls out of place. This is the biggest and most costly mistake I see. Know your landscaping trees before you plant them next to your home.

Under Power Lines Know whats overhead.

Property Lines And Easements This one can make enemies out of neighbors.

Underground Utilities, Sewers, And Septic Tanks

Besides the roots being able to break pipes and lines, you dont want to have to move or destroy a mature tree to fix a leak. Locate lines and plant away from them. Some trees can spread out much further underground than they do up top. Know whats underground.

Perspective

You need to keep in mind the mature size of trees in proportion to the size of your home and other landscaping elements. Large trees can dwarf a small home and small trees can look like shrubs placed around a very large home. Know the mature size of trees and keep them in perspective.

Hiding or framing a home

Consider the view from the street and other areas and consider the purpose of your trees. If you wish to seclude your home, you dont need much thought for that. However, if you only wish to frame or accent your home, youll again need to consider the mature size and placement of your plantings.

Parking Areas

Heres another opportunity for birds and critters to make a mess of things. If possible, plant in accordance with the travel of the sun. And once again, know the mature canopy of your trees.

Usefulness And Cost Effectiveness

If youre going to make an investment in landscaping, look for ways to make it work for you. Placed properly, large trees can shade your home and reduce your cooling costs and vise versa. You can intentionally create shade for your shady garden, screen and divide areas, reduce noise, and a world of other applications if you just give it some thought.

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

Shrubs tend to be the centerpiece of most peoples front yard gardening. I think thats because shrubs are easy, but theyre also expected. Homes without a row of shrubs lining the front look kind of naked and unloved.

But it can be difficult choosing the right shrubs for your yard. There are so many possibilities and so many conditions in front yards that no one shrub is going to be perfect for every situation. I think what most people are looking for in their shrubs, though, is something that is easy to care for.

Shrubs are something you dont want to have to think about, you just want to plant them and have them survive with a minimum of watering and pruning. And if youre looking for easy-care shrubs, evergreen shrubs simply cant be beat.

Evergreen shrubs are the perfect combination of easy good looks and minimum care. They look good year round, which is perfect for something thats in your front yard where everyone can see it all the time.

When I moved into my current home, the front yard was filled with a bunch of evergreen boxwood shrubs. These little evergreens are super-easy to grow and will look good with almost no care. If you take the time to water them occasionally, they will reward you with more growth.

Though theyre called evergreens, boxwood shrubs grown in the sun will actually turn orange in the winter. I think theyre prettier than the plain old green ones, and we actually kept our boxwood that were in the sun and got rid of the ones in the shade (they turn green again when it warms in the spring).

We replaced the boxwood shrubs we got rid of with evergreen azaleas. Azaleas are one of the stars of the shady garden, producing beautiful and bright flowers in the spring. The rest of the time they look nice, too, with small, waxy, dark green leaves. The azaleas are a little more work than the boxwood was; we water them through the summer and apply acid once or twice a year. Still, not much effort for solidly beautiful shrubs.

Another good choice for shade is hydrangeas, which have big puffballs of flowers in the late spring or early summer (some also bloom in fall). Hydrangeas are fun because the plants that bloom pink or blue can actually bloom different colors depending on the condition of the soil. A low pH (acid soil) makes blue blooms, while a very alkaline soil makes hydrangeas bloom pink. Even if you buy a plant that is supposed to bloom the other color, the pH of your soil may give the plant other ideas. (Like azaleas, not all hydrangeas are evergreen, so be sure to check the label.)

Holly shrubs are another good choice, and they make a nice hedgerow if you have an expanse of house that you want to cover up. Theyll need pruning to stay looking nice and to keep their shape, but they are worth it because they make these beautiful, large, lush shrubs that have berries in the winter, which bring color to the yard and attract birds.

Leaving the world of evergreens, for an informal sunny garden, butterfly bush is a great choice. These shrubs have huge cones of colorful flowers that bloom in high summer and are very attractive to butterflies (and bees, so be careful planting these if someone in your household is allergic to bee stings). Some varieties of butterfly bush are huge, growing up to six feet tall and five or six feet wide. If you dont have room for that kind of commitment, smaller hybrids are now available.

Those shopping for shrubs in the Deep South for sunny spots should also consider crape myrtle. These large bushes or small trees make great quick-growing hedges. New cultivars bloom twice a year or have extra-long blooming periods. This is another great shrub for attracting butterflies and other fun insects.

Easy-care shrubs make a great foundation for your flower garden, whether in the front yard or back yard. When these reliable performers are in place you can focus your attention on the fun stuff: planting and caring for your flowers and other plants.

Many of the tasks that need to be done in the garden are the same for most types of plants. So if you’ve recently added roses to your garden, you will find that you’re already many of the required tasks to keep them healthy and flourishing. Still, there are some particularly things that need to give your roses the proper care and attention they need. Here are some tips to remember when maintaining and cultivating your rose garden.

When you’re first planting out your rose garden, make sure you allow plenty of room between the rose bushes. Leave at least eighteen inches between standard garden varieties, up to thirty inches between bushes, and as much as eight to twelve feet between climbing roses. Miniature roses aren’t as fussy, and can be planted as close as twelve inches apart. If your roses are smothered and competing for the available food and water, they won’t thrive and reward you for your effort.

It’s important to give your rose garden plenty of water. Roses are very thirsty flowers, and it’s important to make sure you always saturate your roses when watering. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that sprinkling your rose bush with the house for five minutes a day is sufficient. Take the time to soak the soil around your rose bush thoroughly, so that the water can seep down deep into the soil and supply plenty of water for your roses to drink.

Roses love the sunshine, so make sure you plan your rose garden to maximize the amount of sunlight your roses receive. However, rose blooms can get burnt by the sun, so if you live in an area that’s particularly sunny and warm, you might want to be careful about which breeds of roses you plant in your garden. Your local nursery should be able to help. Even so, most roses like to receive at least six hours of sunlight a day, so plan accordingly. If your garden is a little shadier than that, take the time to choose shade tolerant varieties.

By planning your rose garden sensibly in the first place, and then taking the time to give your roses what they need, you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful rose garden that all your friends will envy.