Overgrown plants in your landscape can detract from the appearance of you property. A common problem is shrubs against the house that have grown too high and are now covering the windows. One solution is to cut them back severely and let them re-grow. Make sure that the shrubs can take severe pruning without damaging the health of the plants by checking with a garden professional before pruning. Another solution is to replace them with lower growing plants. This will reduce the amount of pruning required or eliminate it altogether. To determine what height the plant needs to be, measure the height between the ground and the bottom of the window. This will allow you to choose the proper plant to suit the location. You should also determine the amount of sun or shade the area gets. It is important to know this because some plants will not do well in sunny areas and some cannot handle shady areas. When choosing plants for the corner of the house, make sure you decide how high and wide you want that plant to grow. This makes a huge difference in what type of plant you should use. A common mistake is planting a shrub when it is small, not realizing how big it will get. The same goes for accent trees such as Japanese Maples. Some varieties stay low and some will grow taller. It is common to see trees that have grown so large that they block the house or a beautiful view such as a lake, pond, natural area or mountain-view. Careful selection of shrubs and trees can reduce the chance of having these problems in the future.

Bring pictures to the garden center and have a garden professional give you advice about the proper types of plants available for each landscape situation. You may want to have a landscape designer customize a plan to fit your particular needs.

Happy Gardening