I can remember taking plant identification courses in school and being overwhelmed by how different each plant is.  Setting aside their cultural differences, like what type of soil and exposure they prefer, let’s just think about the differences in terms of shape and size.

How we design and arrange plantings is a huge topic and should begin with basic design principles.  However, without first knowing fundamental plant information your planting designs are built more on a “wing and a prayer” rather than strategic planning.

Yes, the planting should be attractive and show the traits of any good design such as balance, unity, etc., but let’s not forget that these plants are living things and will grow to their natural size and shape.

Plant Information Is Cheap To Come By And Yet Incredibly Valuable

When you speak to a knowledgeable plant person they always talk in terms of how a plant will ultimately grow (shape and size), and also what environmental conditions it grows best in.  This way of thinking helps to design landscapes where the plants flourish and not struggle.  It also allows for proper spacing so the landscape will last for years without overcrowding.

Experience is certainly a great teacher, but it all starts with readily available plant information from books and online.  I keep two books in my truck for quick reference: Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs by Michael Dirr, and The Well-Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust.

Looking up a plant takes a few minutes, but those few minutes are probably the most valuable time you’ll spend in your planning.  Plus, you’ll find that after a while this information sticks in your mind and you’ll start considering plants as to how they actually grow.  You’ll be on your way to being a “plant-person” and a much better designer.

Are You Sure You Want That Plant There?

Hornbeam 'Fastigiate'

In the foundation planting pictured above it’s obvious the designer has creative talent, but lacks plant knowledge.

In the picture to the right is a Hornbeam ‘Fastigiate’.  This tree will grow to 30 – 40′ high and 20′ wide.  This is the tree the designer has in front of the window next to the door.

No doubt the designer saw this tree at the nursery, admired its “columnar” shape and thought: “This baby will soften the view of the house and stay nice and narrow”.  If this designer had opened a book, he or she would have realized “this baby” will grow out of this space in no time.

Colorado Spruce 'Montgomery'

Beware of the term “dwarf”.

There are a number of plants out there that are sometimes referred to as “dwarf” varieties.  Realize that this is a relative term and when you compare the size of the standard specie to the cultivated variety, you may certainly refer to the smaller one as “dwarf”.

A ‘Montgomery’ Spruce originates from the giant Colorado Spruce.  Yes, it does grow considerably smaller, but I’ve seen them 7′ high and 10′ wide on numerous occasions.  You see the little blue spruce in front of the Hornbeam in this foundation planting?… it’s a ‘Montgomery’.  I often hear this plant referred to as a dwarf spruce.  Real petite, right?

You see what’s happening here? (or going to happen?)

I hate to beat this point to death, but there’s one more blatant misuse of plant in this foundation planting.  I’m sure some of you already see it and were wondering when I’d get to it.

Cryptomeria

In our “case study” picture above, planted off the first left corner where the building juts back there is a Crytomeria.  This is another favorite plant of mine.  In fact, to the right is a Crytomeria I installed 25 years ago.  Although I knew the plant would get bigger, I was still naive in thinking it would stay within certain bounds.  Fortunately, the lower branches could be pruned to give this “monster” a raised canopy and allow it to work in this foundation space.

I can’t impress upon you enough the importance of plant knowledge in landscape design.  Experience, as was the case with the Cryptomeria, has taught me a great deal over the years.  But by referencing books and other sources I’ve learned a great deal and continue to discover new information.

A friend of mine in the business is now in his 80’s.  He’s been propagating and growing plants all his life.  I once complimented him on his knowledge and he said, “With all there is to learn, I’m just scratching the surface”.

We are losing trees everyday to construction damage.  For the most part, people are simply not aware of the different ways construction impacts trees.

If we think of damage at all, it usually means the obvious such as hitting the trunk or breaking a branch.  However, many construction activities that happen near and around a tree can have an adverse affect as well.

Proactive Planning Saves Trees

With research we have come to understand the complexities of how plants live.  We know how every aspect of their environment is linked to their health.

Sound familiar?  They are living things – just like us.

With this knowledge and understanding we can make decisions and do things proactively to protect trees.

Imagine this scenario.  A new home is planned on property that has beautiful, existing trees.  The homeowner and architect both appreciate the value of the trees and want to consider how they can be integrated into the overall plan.  Yes, some must be removed, but by considering the trees’ well-being right from the planning stage, steps can be taken to protect select ones.  This seems so logical, yet it’s rarely done.

From the homeowner’s perspective, and to be fair, it’s often a matter of just not knowing.  However, when it comes to those “professionals” who are planning and doing the work, we need to see more interest in protecting our trees.

One argument is that this “tree hugging” adds to the costs.  It’s been my experience that when you advise people on the value of their trees and how important it is to take these proactive steps, they often go along with your recommendations.

Many of these steps to protect trees add very little cost – they just require more care in how the construction work is done.

Things You Can Do To Protect Your Trees

The simplest step you can take is to stay as far away as possible from the tree(s).  The surrounding ground represents a balanced environment of soil layers and roots.  Setting up a temporary fence, stakes or markers can really help as reminders to “stay back”.

If construction traffic must go near the trees and root zones, use a thick layer of wood chips and/or plywood to make a protective road.

Construction often means re-grading an area near existing trees and other plants.  Realize that disturbing and changing existing grades can impact drainage, a major aspect of plant health.

Being aware and taking steps to mitigate these problems by using drainage tactics, retainment walls and other means can make the difference in the plants’ survival.

Tree Damage Beyond the Obvious

All living things, including plants, have complex systems.  Damage to these systems can come from different sources and affects.

The heat from construction equipment can damage plants.  Vapor and over-spray from cleansers and other solutions can hurt plants.  These substances can even be taken into the plant’s system through leaves, stems and roots.

If you remove some trees and plants from an area it will likely change the environment for those remaining.  More light and wind will come in; perhaps even erosion will occur.  Just pruning and thinning out trees can also cause more light and wind to enter an area.

A major landscape project with grading, construction and planting can impact existing trees and plants big time.  The installation of an automatic sprinkler system will undoubtedly change moisture levels in the ground.  If these existing plants are not acclimated to this moisture change, it could have an adverse affect on them.

There is alot to consider when doing construction near existing trees and plants.  The intrinsic value of their beauty and contribution to the environment makes it a no-brainer IMO.

If you’re worried about your trees and plants because of a construction project, leave a comment and maybe we can advise.

Yesterday I had the good fortune of meeting the company owner.  He happened to be working next door to my project.  After a howdy and handshake we ended up talking for a half hour.

It turns out he’s been in the landscape maintenance business for over 30 years.  He works with his son and and just one other crewperson.

I told him how his properties stood out and mentioned a few of them specifically.  He tells me he’s been taking care of these landscape’s for years; hardly ever getting a cancellation. I asked if I could recommend him to some of my clients and he said his schedule was pretty full.  Imagine that…in this economy.  This guy practiced the formula for success:

• Know what you’re doing (and if you don’t, learn it).
• Do it well and consistently.
• Be fair, honest and reliable.

We had no problem keeping the conversation going; sharing stories of some of the nutty things we see day to day.  This one “scene” he spoke of  struck me as valuable information for homeowners and maybe helpful advice for other maintenance contractors.

Here Today Gone Tomorrow

He tells me there was another landscape maintenance company in the neighborhood that installed new mulch on a property sometime in September.  He says he drove by the other day and watched as the same company was blowing the leaves and the mulch out of the beds.

I had to laugh because the picture to the left is one I shot over 2 years ago while witnessing a similar debacle.  And coincidentally enough, my mother’s landscape maintenance contractor recently did the same thing on her property.  Mulch was put down sometime in June and totally blown out of the beds in November.  Her $700 mulch job lasted 5-6 months.

Maintenance companies would argue they have to blow hard to move quickly and keep the costs down.  I would say this:  Just before the leaf blowing season send a note with your monthly bill that states:  “Fall leaf clean-ups can remove a good portion of the mulch.  If you wish we can operate our equipment at slower speeds to preserve the mulch, but this will add some time and cost to the work.  Please let us know if you’d like us to take the extra time.”

Homeowners would really appreciate this.  It shows concern and conscientiousness.  It makes them aware of the results of what you intend to do, and allows them to make a choice.

Yes, this could be a “do-it-yourself” job, but somehow I don’t think so.  There is enough larger

Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or a member of the trade, there is a fundamental principle of landscape design: complement, don’t compete. Frankly, this principle could be applied to most categories of design.

There is some subjectivity to this principle based for the most part on personal taste. As a designer I deal with this all the time.  The challenge is always to interject that “style” that reflects the homeowner’s taste and gives individuality to the design, but at the same time follows that basic principle: complement, don’t compete.

The two levels of “complementing considerations” in landscape design are:

1. How the overall design complements the home and the surroundings.
2. How the individual elements within the design complement and relate to one another

This planting is in a front yard.  The house is just to the right, and you can see the curb line in the foreground.  The background and setting is beautiful – look at the rolling hills and woodland.  Right away we have this great opportunity to echo these surroundings in our designed landscape and make the home appear nestled into the setting.

Good architecture strives to design homes that integrate with the land.  As landscape designers we should follow that goal and avoid creating settings that compete against the home for attention.

On the point of each element in the design complementing and relating to one another, look at the variation of the elements in the picture above.  It appears to be more of a collection rather than a composition.  As far as the artificial palm trees go, I’ll confidently let you come to your own thoughts on those.

Good News – Bad News

Since a majority of the work I do is renovation, the “good news – bad news” line often comes up. And, just as it would for the design above, the short of it is: “The good news is most of the plants you have here we can transplant and reuse.  The bad news is you’ll have to incur the cost of the labor, equipment and some new materials to get the proper look.”  Most homeowners have a positive outlook and write it off as a learning / home improvement experience.  The notion that a good design will not only improve the look & value of their home, but last for many years, helps to ease pain.

Speaking in general terms, a number of the plant types and elements in this design would be better suited to an “interest garden”.  An interest garden is one that is designed to deliberately draw attention.  This could be your goal by a patio.  Or perhaps you’d like to create a focal point out in the backyard.

In the situation of this front yard, (again speaking in general terms) I would select three or four natural plant types (i.e. not ornate & unusual) and create groupings that are unified and complement each other.  I would also specify some large growing shade trees to give scale to this wide open space.

Here’s another aspect of this site that any designer would note and put right at the top of his or her “things-to-consider-list”.  There is limited space to work with.  The overall depth of the front yard is shallow to begin with, and on top of it there’s a sidewalk.

Nice house though, right?  Look, you have to work with what you have.  Here’s the good news.  If you know your plant material well, you have a palette of living elements to compose a screen planting that not only screens, but also creates a greater feeling of depth.

Identify Your Needs and Objectives

In most instances your design objective begins with one major need.  In this case it’s privacy, privacy, privacy.  But is that all?  And if it is are you looking at that aspect thoroughly?  Just what is it you’re trying to screen?

If you look at it from two perspectives: 1) from the outside, public area looking in and 2) from inside the private property looking out, it causes you to really think about exactly what is undesirable about these views.  Clearly identifying the specific shortcomings helps you think through the solutions.  Take your time and walk around both on and off the property.  View it from every angle possible.  Take pictures and look them over several times. The best solution doesn’t always jump right out at you.

Select The Proper Plants That Meet Your Objectives

First things first.  Planted in front along the sidewalk are four conifers (evergreen trees).  We’ve all seen the growth potential of trees in this category, i.e 50′+ in height by 12′+ in width.  Already this screening solution is doomed to a relatively short life.  And, it is unrealistic to assume that pruning will keep these “monsters” in check.

I see a different solution using mid-sized ornamental trees.  Notice that already there are 2 ornamental trees being used.  They appear to be a birch and a purpleleaf plum.  Their upper canopies are doing a nice job of diffusing the view to the upper portion of the house.  And, if you’re looking out the 2nd story dormers, these trees “intercept” your view out into the street.  Plus, these trees can grow unrestricted to their full potential while their trunks take up very little space. Adding one or two more along the front would complete the “upper screen”.

The four large growing conifers can be easily transplanted to new locations where they can develop without space limitations.

The privacy issue at ground level should be addressed using another category of plant.  Remember to first visualize plant design solutions in terms of “form”.  In that sense I envision an evergreen understory of plants that weave under and around the ornamental trees.  These evergreen shrubs should have more of an upright habit of growth (so as not to get too broad), yet not grow too tall…perhaps in the 6′ range.  If you wanted to, you could provide a few “windows” of view by using lower growing plants at intervals along the way.

Earlier I mentioned creating a greater feeling of depth and dimension.  Doing so in a limited space also helps to give the illusion of having more space.  Big, fat evergreen trees growing closer and closer to you every day do not help in the “create a feeling of depth” department.  Whereas the ornamental trees offer a cozy feeling with their branches overhead while space is preserved underneath.  And if you select your understory plants carefully, they too will not impose into precious open space.

Nix The Berm

I’m not always against creating earth berms in the landscape.  There are circumstances where their use offers aesthetic and functional benefits.  However, in this setting of limited space a berm actually works against you.  Get rid of the berm and plant at normal grade level.  It will look more natural (and less contrived), feel more spacious, and the plantings will undoubtedly do better (especially in the long-term).

Leyland Cypress is a hybrid created between Cupressus macrocarpa and Chamaecyparis nootkatensis.    I promise that’s the last technical statement I’ll make.

Here’s the skinny on Leyland.  It’s basically a nice looking evergreen.  It’s hardy to Zone 6, which is our zone here in NJ.  Start heading north and its hardiness gets marginal.  Planted in the right conditions (sunny with well-drained soil) this plant will grow like a weed.

Even though there is an orchard ladder set up next to them, for the sake of all our readers I’ll state that these Leyland Cypress are being trimmed.  I remember driving by this house when the landscape contractor was installing this “grouping” of Leyland and thinking to myself, “Does this landscaper and homeowner know what they’re getting into?”  I’ll bet that was 6 or 7 years ago and I remember the trees being about 10′ tall.  I think you can see that these guys are now well over the 2nd story of this house – and that’s with being trimmed every year.  By the way, they’re no where near maturity.  In fact Leyland Cypress will easily get to 60 -70′ and then beyond.

In the picture to the right are Leylands that were planted a couple of years ago.  Would you believe this house is right across the street from the house in the picture above?  And by the looks of it they’re not even trimming them.

It’s like I always say, “Know your plants” and “Use the right plant in the right place”.  Leyland is not necessarily a bad plant.  It could have its use in a particular situation where you have tons of room and need a quick growing evergreen screen.  But here, in both these landscapes as corner groupings near the house?…not the best choice.

I took this picture while driving behind a landscape company’s truck. Can you see the foliage sticking up out of the back of the truck?  There is a nursery/supplier nearby and I suspect they picked up these plants at that nursery and are headed to their job.

It is so important to cover and protect while transporting plant material, especially deciduous plants.  Subjecting the plants to the extreme exposure and winds of road travel without a tarp or other cover will cause the plant to dessicate, i.e. lose excessive amounts of moisture. There is a good chance these plants will be harmed enough to show visual signs of stress, partially or totally defoliate, and maybe even die.

I know of one nursery/supplier that will not let you leave their yard without properly covering the plant material you just purchased.  And yet it amazes me that a “professional” landscape company would not have their people trained in one of the most basic rules of the trade.

If you are a homeowner and transporting plant material, bring an old sheet, painter’s tarp or purchase an inexpensive tarp at a hardware store.  If you’re in the trade, make sure your trucks have tarps in their tool boxes and train everybody on the how to protect plant material.  Anticipate the different types and sizes of plants, and the different ways they should be covered.

Nursery plants are in a compromised state to begin with.  Do everything you can to protect them.

Here’s another example of improper spacing and use of plants.  Certainly you can learn from this example with regard to these specific plants, but take this lesson and apply it to every planting consideration.

The 3 Weeping Cherries you see will each aspire to get 15 to 20′ wide…easily.  They are planted approximately 8 to 10′ apart from one another.  Let’s imagine 6 or so years from now and what this “grouping” of cherries will look like.  Their natural form is weeping and spreading to give the look of an umbrella-like shape.  Suffice it to say they will be growing into one another and the graceful shape will be lost.  In my opinion Weeping Cherry is more appropriately used as a single specimen plant.  Maybe there are circumstances where the scale of the project is huge, and creatively you could arrange a grouping with generous amounts of space between each, but more often this is not the case.

I should also point out that behind these cherries is a grouping of Leyland Cypress.  Leyland Cypress is a monster grower.  These fast growing evergreens will only add to the mess of our soon-to-be commingled plants.

What To Do:

This planting appears to have been done recently.  As soon as possible or within the next couple of years I would transplant the Weeping Cherries.  Perhaps one of the three could be replanted in a more forward position, away from the Leyland Cypress.  The other 2 could be relocated on the property or moved to another landscape where they are needed.

If you look-up Blue Atlas Cedar you’ll find that it matures in the neighborhood of 50 to 75′ high and 35 to 50′ wide (pic to the left).  You see where I’m going with this, or should I say “where the tree is going”. These are the homeowner’s options: A) Transplant the tree sooner than later to a wide, open area, or B) Commission an experienced person in pruning to keep this plant as compact and “stunted” as possible for as long as possible.  Maybe…just maybe the plant will be controlled enough in that space for 10 years or so.  The logical solution is to transplant the tree, but if you consider the cost of “professionally” moving a tree like this, the decision is not so clear.  I’d estimate the move to be between $900 and $1200.

For me, knowing a plant’s mature size is a combination of some research (books, internet), but also experience.  I say experience because I may have different conclusions on plant size based on years of observing a certain plant’s growth.  But when in doubt, I defer to the average projections the research is pointing to.  Now let me just say that there must be a practical interpretation of these size projections.  If in your arrangements you were to space your plants “by the book,” you’d have an inordinate amount of space between them.  There are certainly happy mediums.  But this is a vast topic and one we’ll talk about further in future posts.

These two pictures give an example of improper spacing between large growing shade trees and large growing conifers.  I can understand the motivation to bring in variety, but there obviously was no forethought to how these distinctly different plant types would coexist in the years to come.  Both the conifers (evergreens) and the shade trees will want to get huge.  Now they appear quite “happy” together.  However, in several years the spreading boughs of the evergreens will reach into the widening canopy of the shade tree.  The results will not be pretty as each one becomes disfigured from the other’s competition.

Take a look around.  I’m sure like me you’ll see many examples of this common mistake.  It doesn’t have to happen – with a little planning and foresight these plants can develop into the beauties they were meant to be.