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Living landscapes

When considering shrubs and trees, spring is a great time to plan.

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Spring draws us outside.

With daylight-saving time behind us and warmer temperatures on the way, now is a great time to survey the landscape and plot and plan for new shrubs and perennials.

Your landscape is a valuable asset to your property, so make sure you understand its components.

From the terrain, lifts, hills slopes and valleys, size and shape of your property, soil health and moisture content, you’ll find the best route to lush landscape success comes from working with – rather than against – the cards Mother Nature deals you.

Be intentional about what you plant and where you plant it. Being realistic about your time and investment, as you prioritize the views you’ll enjoy the most.

Do you envision an English cottage garden with native wildflowers, trellised roses, clematis or other specimen plantings? How about a more formal shaped landscape with boxwood and carefully sculpted ornamental shrubs?

From statement ornamental plants and shrubs, statues and benches to a cozy corner for morning coffee there is great value in the planning process.

Planning is as important as planting, especially when making changes, large or small. Maybe you crave an expansive outdoor living space meant to entertain and engage family, visitors and friends often.

Regardless of your plan, keep the fundamentals at your fingertips and refer to them often as you build your own landscape paradise.

Site and soil

Full sun, shade and partial sun are components of your property’s sun exposure.

These conditions are just as important to thriving shrubs and perennials as they are to growing fabulous annual flowers, herbs and vegetables.

“Know your location. The first thing you need to do is observe your sun exposure. Is it full sun with super hot [long days] or lots of shade? Do you have morning sun or afternoon sun,” said Andrew Eckhoff, general manager at Bountiful Acres in Buckingham Township.

Is the site on which you want to plant sloped or flat? Is there a trough were water ponds or puddles? Is your soil condition typically wet or dry? How rich is the soil in which you want to grow new plant material, as well as nourish established plants?

Knowing the natural contours of your planting site, as well as the soil conditions and sun exposure goes a long way to ensuring your perennials and shrubs flourish.

Before you plant

Eckhoff said knowing whether you have a deer problem, as well as the sun exposure and how well soil drains are among the top questions you should be able to answer before buying new plant material.

“Ever since Covid people have been home more, and they are looking to screen the yard for more privacy,” Eckhoff explained.

Consider adding small shrubs, flowering trees and fast growing screening material to the landscape.

“Arborvitaes and Norway spruce are my two top evergreen sellers for privacy and screening. They are large and fast growing,” he said.

Native plants and other varieties

The continued popularity of native plants like coneflowers, false indigo, native milkweeds and Virginia bluebells, among many other varieties, is expected to increase.

“There has been a resurgence of interest in natives, and I think that’s here to stay. Coneflowers are very trendy with more varieties” from which to pick, Eckhoff said.

Succulent plants like sedum and hens and chicks can be used as groundcover or in mixed containers. These are options in the perennial landscape, too.

Growing lavender

For those who love the notion of a French countryside, few plants signal location like lavender.

Eckhoff said a newer variety of lavender is perfect for gardeners in Bucks County who have had previous trouble growing this popular perennial plant.

Lavender, a native plant of the Mediterranean, prefers hot conditions and well drained soil.

“Phenomenal is a lavender variety tolerant of our conditions here in Bucks County,” he said, “and it grows really well.”

Climate reset

Because trial and error is a big part of working a garden or landscape, Eckhoff said it’s better to go into the process with as much information as possible.

With milder, drier winters in recent years – especially this past winter – many plants may seem “confused,” said Margaret Pickhoff, a commercial horticulture educator in the Bucks County Wrightstown Township office of Penn State Extension Service.

“We’re having an interesting winter where temperatures have been incredibly mild, and we’ve only had a [few] instances of intense cold snaps,” she said.

Pickhoff normally would recommend pruning during this time of year. Instead she’s urging caution, especially for woody plants and shrubs.

“[Pruning] is a stressful activity for plants, and it’s best to do it when the plant is dormant and when pests and diseases are not present,” she explained.

Because many shrubs and plants have already started their new growth cycles, be extra cautious about pruning them, or seek the advice of a landscape professional, horticulturist or a county Garden Hotline, served by the Penn State Master Gardener program.

Pruning

For small trees and woody shrubs, it should be OK to remove older, damaged or diseased stems or consider “opening up the canopy of trees with pruning cuts,” Pickhoff said, though time to safely prune this season is running out.

If trees have already begun growing in earnest, she said it’s best to hold off any hard pruning.

“Our seasons are changing. Typically fall is rainy so planting in September and October, when summer is coming to an end and you’re expecting a lot of rain,” is a better option, she explained.

In recent years spring rain in Bucks County is more concentrated, rather than the gentle and extended period of spring rains of previous years, she said.

Have a watering plan ahead of planting trees and shrubs to anticipate warmer and drier than normal temperatures, especially if your schedule means spring planting.

Dividing plants

Think about different colors and textures when adding to established gardens.

Spring and fall are ideal times for dividing perennial plants – but it’s equally important to know in which season your perennials prefer to be handled.

When it comes to dividing perennials, keep this rule of thumb in mind:

• If a plant flowers in the spring, divide and replant or share pieces in the fall.

• If the plant flowers in fall, it’s safe to divide in spring.

Pickhoff recommends dividing most perennials every three to five years, depending upon the size, plant type and variety.

Spring is still for planting

Pickhoff recommends starting small when adding new materials to an existing landscape in the spring.

“Some plants are needy, especially during those first few years. Think about how much work and time you’ll have, unless you’re hiring professionals you plan to engage for maintenance services throughout the year,” she said.

“It’s tempting to buy a ton of new plants after a dark winter, but you want to make sure that new material will survive – and thrive – through the summer” and beyond, Pickhoff said.


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