backyard
low growing ever green for sight line privacy Evergreen shrubs. Coniferous evergreen shrubs and broadleaf evergreens provide privacy for sightlines that are lower to the ground. Use shrubs to create a low screen around your patio or other sitting areas. How to plant. As with evergreen trees, space your planting of evergreen shrubs so that their branches slightly touch. This will give them room to grow in and will allow their branches to overlap some over time. Example Species ‘Sungold’ sawara cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Sungold’, zones 3 to 7), native to Japan. Caution: All parts are poisonous if ingested. Japanese holly (Ilex crenata, zones 5 to 8), native to Japan and eastern China. Caution: The fruit is slightly poisonous. Dahoon holly (Ilex cassine, zones 6 to 9), native to the U.S. Southeast. Caution: The fruit is poisonous. Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens, zones 8 to 11), native to the U.S. Southeast.
Layer hedges for privacy How to plant. To form a continuous hedge, space plants about half their mature width apart to provide full screening when pruned. For example, an English yew (Taxus baccata) that grows to a mature width of 10 feet should be planted 5 feet on center. (On center refers to the measurement between the plants’ root base.) Example Species Common privet (Ligustrum vulgare, Zone 4), native to Central and Southern Europe. Caution: The leaves and berries are poisonous. Yew plum pine (Podocarpus macrophyllus, zones 8 to 11), native to Japan and eastern China Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica, zones 7 to 11), native to southern China
ornamental grass for fill in Layered materials. Dense materials such as metal, stone, brick and concrete are by far the most effective at absorbing sound waves from traffic or industrial machines. Layer with lighter materials, such as hedges and wood fences, to block more sound than if the materials were used individually. Adding a more peaceful sound such as the splash of water can also help.
Layered materials. Dense materials such as metal, stone, brick and concrete are by far the most effective at absorbing sound waves from traffic or industrial machines. Layer with lighter materials, such as hedges and wood fences, to block more sound than if the materials were used individually. Adding a more peaceful sound such as the splash of water can also help.
3. Hedges. When choosing a plant for a hedge, consider whether you’d like total privacy in the form of a solid hedge or less privacy with one that is lighter and airier. For maximum privacy and sound suppression, select evergreens with a dense growth habit, such as arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis, USDA zones 3 to 7; find your zone), ‘Spartan’ Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Spartan’, zones 4 to 9) or cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus, zones 6 to 8), and space them half of the recommended planting distance apart. For lighter screens that allow light to pass through, choose evergreens such as fern pine (Podocarpus gracilior, zones 8 to 10) or ‘Silver Sheen’ kōhūhū (Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Silver Sheen’, zones 8 to 11).
3. Hedges. When choosing a plant for a hedge, consider whether you’d like total privacy in the form of a solid hedge or less privacy with one that is lighter and airier. For maximum privacy and sound suppression, select evergreens with a dense growth habit, such as arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis, USDA zones 3 to 7; find your zone), ‘Spartan’ Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Spartan’, zones 4 to 9) or cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus, zones 6 to 8), and space them half of the recommended planting distance apart. For lighter screens that allow light to pass through, choose evergreens such as fern pine (Podocarpus gracilior, zones 8 to 10) or ‘Silver Sheen’ kōhūhū (Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Silver Sheen’, zones 8 to 11).
Edge a garden bed. The top choices for low-growing hedges are boxwood varieties that have been cultivated to stay compact, such as dwarf English (B. sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’), Wee Willie (B. sinica var. insularis ‘Wee Willie’) and ‘Morris Midget’ (B. microphylla var. japonica ‘Morris Midget’) . Plant along garden borders to define planting beds or edge the beds of a kitchen garden
Multistem....Not all standards can be grown as multistem trees, but silver birch (Betula sp) is a favorite. As a standard tree, it would be far too large for a small garden, but it’s perfect as a multistem. Other good examples include the paper-bark maple (Acer griseum), snowy mespilus (Amelanchier lamarkii) and the Japanese angelica tree (Aralia elata ‘Variegata’).
Not all trees are suitable for pleaching, but linden (Tilia x europaea), beech (Fagus sylvatica), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) and fruit trees, such as apples and pears, are commonly pleached species. Pleached trees tend to be deciduous, though the evergreen oak (Quercus ilex) has been successfully pleached.
On a smaller scale, plants can work in conjunction with fences or walls to expand their height. This may be done with small, ornamental trees or large shrubs. Place them as needed for screening small spaces. Japanese maple (Acer palmatum, zones 5 to 8, shown here) serviceberry (Amelanchier spp), cornelian cherry (Cornus mas, zones 5 to 8), lilac (Syringa spp) and viburnum are a few candidates for this application.
Forest pansy redbud. With four-season interest Cercis canadensis, or forest pansy redbud, provides a great focal point in any yard. "This is especially true in the front yard," notes Sims, "where land mass tends to be smaller." Redbuds, like the one in this project by The American Gardener, are rated for full sun but, according to Sims, prefer afternoon shade. USDA zones: 5 to 9 Height: 20 feet Color: Blooms pink in early spring; turns purple in fall; deciduous Light requirement: Full sun Wat — katpur24
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