LANDSCAPE DESIGN
PLANT USE
When choosing landscape plants, its a good idea to know what your objective is in landscaping and how you want to use these plants in the landscaping design, to get the best results … BEFORE you go to the garden center and buy one plant!
This information will hopefully help you achieve the best result you are looking for.
- Make the best use of available space in the most attractive way.
- Select Plants: That best fit the design.
- Planning: Eliminates costly mistakes and will result in a more pleasant appearance
“There’s no need to develop the entire site at once”. It depends on:
- Budget ($$)
- Stages:($)
- Available Time (Years to complete)
CLIMATE ZONE
It is very common for the typical home owner to read a publication on plants and fall in love with certain plants they read about. Most of the time the reason is that these plants are different than the ones they usually see on an every day basis and thus provide a stimulating curiosity and desire to have. Unfortunately, some if not most of the plants are adapted to another climatic zone than use and will not survive (Eg: Apple trees from Oregon will not bear fruit in Louisiana because they need a certain amount of Chilling Hours to stimulate the flowering and fruit set). This will not only present a very disappointing feeling of failure in the landscaping development of the individual’s home but could be financially disappointing as well.
PERSONAL NEEDS
This is what a person desires in the creation of their own needs, whether its one tree in the front yard with only lawn or a tropical paradise with lush green plant adjacent to the home and into the yard. It’s the feeling an individual wants to create about the appearance of his/her home.
SHADE
NOT ALL PLANT ARE THE SAME! Especially when it comes to Shade/Sun requirements. It can be expensive and time consuming if you don’t make the right selections. Do your research before buying any plant.
One of the many use of trees is to create shade. Shade trees reduce summer heat, making outdoor living more pleasant. In addition, a shaded roof and walls mean lower cooling cost. With the proper selection and location placement of deciduous trees, the opposite it true. The deciduous trees in the cold winter months will allow sun to enter through the canopy of the tree and shine onto the home, thus heating the home and reducing heating cost as well.
HOME ORCHARD
Many homeowners enjoy growing plants for their edible fruit. Some examples of selected plants are: Strawberries – They make an excellent groundcover as well as providing a delicious treat. Blueberries – They make a nice hedge of border planting. Edible pears – Have attractive flowers in Spring. These plants are best used in the back yards away from high traffic area or along the sides of fenced yards.
SELECTING the Plants to be used in the Landscape
LOCATION/REQUIREMENTS of Plants within the Landscape
Some thing need to be considered in “Planning” your landscape:
What do you have to work with? Consider these factors:
- Sunny or Shady
- Is your site: Wet or Dry
- What are the Soil Characteristics
- Are there any Structures
- Natural Resources
- Existing Vegetation
- Microclimates (i.e. North side of the house etc.)
- Topography (i.e. hilly, flat etc.)
- $ in grading (Cut/Fill)
FOUNDATION PLANTS
Typically, these plants are permanent and are the ones and the plants may be considered the trees in the yard and the immediate locations adjacent to the home. With a few exceptions, foundation plants are usually evergreens. This means they never loose their leaves, or the few leaves they lose are not significant. Their sizes vary from 6-8 inches up to 6-8 feet in height. They should be larger for two-story homes so that they blend with the scale of the hone from the road point of few. They are placed in locations to accommodate the home structures design, whereas large 6-8 foot evergreen plant with dense foliage being place in front of a low window would not be an ideal placement. A smaller or low-growing plant to provide adequate visibility and a pleasing aesthetic value would be a better planting in this case.
Use foundation plants should be placed in a pleasing design in and around the base or foundation of your home with the intent of a permanency. They should accent the entrance, complementing the architectural style of your home, and give a feeling of unity between the house and property. They should also be hardy and require minimum maintenance.
SPECIMEN
A specimen plant is usually planted alone or planted in desired or locations to create interest and attraction and is usually in a highly visible area. This plant is selected for its distinct characteristics of either plant form, foliage color, flowering or growth characteristic to name a few. If planted with other plants, the plant selected should complement the Specimen and made sure to not overpower the attention of the Specimen plant and should be a low grower.
ACCENT
Similar to the Specimen Plant used but is not the main attraction. Use accent plants to attract the eye and create an interesting focal point. They usually have strong physical characteristics. They may have attractive foliage, fruit and flowers, or they may have an interesting shape.
FILLERS
These plants may be considered a form of ACCENT Plants. These are the plants that create interesting Designs and Flows of the landscaping. It is usually created by placing plants that complement the Foundation, Specimen and Accent Plants in color, texture and growth characteristics. Besides the border plants, the location of these plants are placed in front of the Foundation Plants and are the first ones you see. They are placed to create interesting curves and “Outdoor/Lawn Rooms”. Unfortunately, the initial use of Fillers also increase the financial burden of the landscape, however the finished product may be desired by the home owner and an individual may justify this and may want to increase the Landscaping at a latter point in time as per a Master Plan if they decide to. Other important factor to consider is the size of the home in relationship to the yard.
BORDER and EDGING
You may wish to define the limits of your planting area by adding a border or edging plants. Because these plants are low growing and usually evergreen, plant them along the border of your garden to give definition and form. A green border will provide and warm and full affect of the overall appearance of the garden as compared to one with no green border. When used to hide the legginess of taller plants they are called facer plants.
GROUNDCOVER and LAWN SUBSTITUTES
Use Groundcovers where grass will not grow, such as in the dense shade of tree canopies or where grass would be difficult or unsafe to mow, such as a steep bank. Groundcovers can be deciduous or evergreen. Usually, they grow to a height of less than 18 inches. When fully established, most groundcovers require little maintenance and are quit durable. In contrary, at the time of establishment, Groundcovers will need careful attention especially to watering, weeding and occasional mulch addition.
ANNUALS, PERENIALS & BIENNIALS
ANNUALS: LIVE ONE SEASON (SPRING-SUMMER; FALL-WINTER)
- HARDY ANNUALS: Planted in FALL (i.e. Winter Annuals) and lives to Spring
- EX: Pansy, Dianthus, Petunia, Snapdragon
- TENDER ANNUALS: Planted in Spring (March) (Summer Annuals)
- EX: Zinnia, Marigolds, Salvia
PERENNIALS: Plants that Live and Bloom for MORE THAN ONE YEAR.
- HARDY PERENNIAL: Live and Bloom for MANY YEARS.
- EX: Violet, All Bulb-like plants
- TENDER PERENNIALS: Live and Bloom for more than one year BUT are usually killed during the winter months UNLESS POTTED and brought into shelter.
- EX: Begonia, Coleus, Vinca
CARE OF SUMMER ANNUALS
When its time to fertilize, its best to perform a soil test to avoid any unnecessary problems and expense.
In general, you are convinced that you have to fertilize, you could fertilize with a complete “Slow-release” fertilizer with a proportion rate such as 10-5-15, plus Sulphur (S) and Iron (Fe) at a rate of 1-2 lbs. per 100 square feet. Use Sulphur in alkaline soils and lime in acidic soils. Distribute fertilizer evenly and water well. Heavy concentrate liquid fertilizer sprayed on foliage may cause burning so water well after fertilization. [Re: The Bush May 1989]
CONTAINER PLANTS for PATIO or PLANTER
The first thing anyone should know and remember is that a container plant is like a baby, besides receiving an occasional rainfall; it is dependent on you to provide it with available water, especially during the hot summer months. Besides that these planting can create a very interesting and rewarding affect in your overall landscaping design.
Remember, there will be a day when the plant will need replacing. Its a live and growing plant and, with time, the roots will become root bound which result in poor performance of the plant.
HEDGE, SCREEN and BACKGROUND
Hedge, screen and background plants are usually medium or large shrubs or trees. Use them to surround an outdoor area and create privacy. You can also sue them to hide views or to separate areas, such as driveways from a patio. As a result, they sometimes create a background that gives a sense of an outdoor wall.
Evergreen trees and shrubs make excellent wind screens to protect you and your home from harsh winter and summer winds. The leaves of many evergreen trees and shrubs also absorb sound and muffle noise. A screen planting can make your landscape a more tranquil place.
WIND and SOUND BARRIER
Plants of this type are usually evergreen and grow very thickly. Plant wind barriers on the northwest side of your home to slow the chilling winds of winter. When planted along the sides of noisy streets, they reduce traffic sounds.
Example of plants that can be used are: EVERGREENS: Ligustrum, Viburnum, Jap. Yew. COLOR: Formosa Azalea.
WALLS and FENCES
Often plants are placed at the base of walls or fences to grow on them. These plants climb by aerial roots, such as Ivy, or are trained to grow against the wall as an espalier. Plants used in this way soften the stark appearance of a blank wall or featureless fence.
Example of plants that can be used are: EVERGREENS: Ligustrum, Viburnum, Jap. Yew. COLOR: Formosa Azalea.
