Landscaping With Shrubs – Bringing Shape And Color Into The Garden

by Paul Ciocoiu · August 4, 2016

If you want to give your garden a more diverse and attractive look by visually layering the natural décor, then shrubs are the perfect choice. Apart from their decorative role, shrubs also ensure some sort of privacy, blocking the neighbors’ curious looks over the fence. And since any garden goes hand in hand with colors, let’s see how landscaping with shrubs will give your favorite relaxing spot an original chromatic substance as well.

Go for shrubs that, apart from their unique silhouette, also enchant your eyes with colorful blooms. You have a broad range of blooming shrubs available, such as Butterfly bush or Buddleja davidii, Hydrangea paniculata, Oleander and Potentilla. Their flowers create spectacular contrasts against the green backdrop that will turn the garden into your favorite walking spot on those cool summer evenings.

Do not ignore the decorative potential of evergreens, especially in winter time when they bring color into an otherwise dull landscape. Thuja varieties are the first option, helping you create screen along the garden fence and keep intrusive eyes away.

Dwarf conifers can serve as versatile plants regardless of how much space you have. Three key ways to use them are as anchors of ever-changing planting vignettes, as vertical elements in a design, and in clusters with other dwarf conifers.

Choose a variety of evergreens to plant around the edges of your yard. They’ll give you year-round privacy and provide a beautiful backdrop for other trees, shrubs, and flowers that show off brilliant fall color.

Since we mentioned plants of different sizes, let’s now look at plants that develop different shapes as they grow. Some have a narrow, upright look; others are mounded; and others gracefully weep like this golden ‘Viridis’ Japanese maple. Combine plants with various habits to make your landscape more intriguing.

We have already taken a close look at them, but we are back to refresh your memory: the decorative tress with red leaves – different species of Japanese maple, The North-American Redbud, Prunus Schubert or Prunus America or the purple birch tree. They are certainly an aesthetic addition to your garden which can invigorate the whole natural landscape.