How To Choose The Right Shrubs For Your Yard

As planting season arrives, one area that homeowners often need help with is choosing shrubs. Most people enjoy low maintenance plants — the idea of always pruning to keep a shape, deadheading, and treating for disease or insects is not how any of us want to spend our time. Here’s what to consider when choosing shrubs for your landscape.

1. Sunlight

If you have at least six hours of sunshine, your area is considered full sun and you will have a plethora of shrubs to choose from. If less than six hours of sun, consider plants for part shade, and less than four hours, full shade. This is important because some plants — lilacs, for instance — need full sun to flower profusely.

2. Drainage

Likewise, how is the drainage where you are planting? Well-draining soil will lend itself to growing most shrubs. For an area that might have more clay soil or doesn’t dry out quickly, consider plants that don’t mind their roots staying moist.

A good example is the Shadblow Serviceberry. It blooms beautifully in early spring and provides small edible fruit and stunning fall color. Not necessarily attractive to deer, it is native here, and can take moist soils.

3. Size

Another thing to keep in mind when selecting the perfect shrubs for your yard is mature size. When you come to Countryside Flower Shop, Nursery, & Garden Center and spot just the right shrub, make sure its mature size fits where you want to put it and has room to grow to its full potential.

4. Purpose

What do you want this shrub to do? Do you want it to act as a living privacy fence or walkway hedge, or offer spring flowering, summer flowering, fruit-bearing benefits, or great fall color? Stop in to see the acres of shrubs at Countryside, and meet with one of our Nursery professionals so we can help you choose the right shrubs for your landscape.

For more information, please contact:

Countryside Flower Shop, Nursery & Garden Center : 5301 E. Terra Cotta Ave (Rte 176) : Crystal Lake, IL : 815.459.8130 : www.countrysideflowershop.com