Landscaping Planting Guides - Gardens Of Wisdom

If you're new to the wonderful world of home landscaping, you can't do better than to turn to well-respected landscape planting guides for their words of wisdom. Written by expert landscapers with decades of matching various species of plants to various environmental conditions, landscaping planting guides offer a wealth of information on not only plants, but also architectural elements to enhance your landscaping.

No matter what part of the globe you call home, you can find landscaping planting guides authored by indigenous experts. Loaded with facts about every imaginable form of vegetation, landscaping planting guides will tell you precisely how to keep your garden at its best throughout the year.

Types Of landscaping planting Guides

Landscaping planting guides can have either a general, or a specific, focus. If you have a passion for roses, you will have no trouble finding landscaping planting guides devoted to roses and roses alone. The rose guides will give you information on the thousands of rose varieties available, their growing habits; their colors, and the types of soil and drainage they prefer; their pest and disease resistance; and ways to combine them in plantings with the greatest visual impact.

You can find landscaping planting guides devoted to other plants as well; some of them will be more broadly based looking at the many varieties of perennials, while others will be devoted to gardening in small areas or pots. There are landscaping planting guides to suit any type of gardening, from water gardens to rooftop balcony trellises.

What To Expect From A landscaping planting Guide

Good landscaping planting guides will walk you through steps involved in establishing your garden one by one. If they do their jobs well, even someone totally new to landscaping can achieve glorious results; fantastic roses full of colorful blooms; or a perennial garden which looks completely different with each passing month. Good landscaping guides will also offer advice on how to take care of your garden when everything is dormant, so that all you plants will winter over in good condition and be ready to go again when spring rolls around.

The most thorough landscaping planting guides will also have chapters devoted to trees, shrubs, and ornamental grass. You can even find columns in your local paper which serve as excellent landscaping planting guides for gardeners in your area.

Written by those experienced overcoming in the challenges associated with the local growing conditions, these columns will cover such topics as which plants do well in the local climate. They can become one of your most invaluable resources in creating the perfect garden!

Choosing Pool Landscaping Plants

Choosing plants for your pool landscape is a difficult process that is unique to each individual, depending on decor, region and style. Some plants are more suited to different locations and others may have traits that are particularly detrimental to pool landscapes. Knowing which to choose to maximize the appearance and effectiveness of your landscape will help you enjoy and relax in the pool.

Shedding Leaves:

Trees and shrubs are notorious for shedding leaves, catkins, nuts, fruit, flowers and needles, which is bad news for pool owners. These discarded materials can find their way into your pool, regardless of whether you have a cover or not. Once in the pool, they can clog drains and prevent the pool from functioning properly. Because of this, plants that drop a lot of foliage should not be incorporated into the pool landscape, and if they are, they should be a long way from the actual pool.

Thorns:

Some plants, namely cacti, holly bushes and rose bushes, have sharp thorns that can cause potentially cause injury. When people relax around the pool, they usually have a large amount of skin exposed, which increases the likelihood of a thorn related injury. Additionally, the water can result in an increased amount of slips and falls, which would be even more painful if the individual landed in a thorn bush. While thorny plants can be implemented into the landscape, they should be kept near the back or away from frequently traveled areas. Landscaping rocks can help block these dangerous plants without hiding their beauty.

Roots:

Some plants, especially large shrubs and trees, can form root systems that travel long distances underground. These roots can eventually grow into the pool and cause a substantial amount of damage. For this reason, trees should be planted a long way from the actual pool if they are used in the environment.

Insects:

Flowering plants are a colorful way to add style to the pool landscape, though there is a hidden threat lingering within each blossom. The scent of nectar that inevitably attracts hordes of wasps, bees, flies and other insects. While butterflies and hummingbirds are also attracted, the danger of bees frequenting an area populated with nearly naked wet people is asking for trouble.

Size Matters:

The maximum size of the plant should always be considered when purchasing and planting pool Landscaping plants. Most plants are sold in their infant stages, and can grow several times their original size in the landscape. This can result in crowding and the death of other neighboring plants in severe cases. Research every plant considered to make sure it will have a happy home in the landscape.

Exotic plants:

Exotic plants are an easy way to add a unique and colorful aspect to your pool landscape. Most exotic plants, however, have stringent care requirements to survive in regions of the United States. This is fine for some gardeners, though others may find keeping the plants alive an overwhelming task. Some plants won't survive in your region regardless of the care provided. Once again, research your chosen plants and choose one that will thrive in your region with little care, unless you have lots of time to spare gardening.

Landscape Plants For Hot Spots

Landscape plants that are heat-beaters are difficult to find. Some are just too prim to withstand the really hot summers of late. What equation should we use in determining the best for the situation? Check your garden after an especially long, hot summer to see what not only survived, but also have potential to be the backbone of your sizzling summer landscape.

I scouted my garden, after 100 plus degree heat, looking for these workhorses that plug away, even under the most trying conditions. There are shrubs that survive the heat, and even seem to welcome it. I wilted every time I stepped out, but these garden gems stay fresh. Granted, I did irrigate during this heat wave, but there are some other unhappy plants that didn't fair so well, even with water.

There are two exceptional landscape heat-beaters. The first defeaters are abelias. Back in their glory years, abelias were overused and abused. Public landscapes that got low-or-no-care became their planting beds, giving them the nickname "gas station plants." I have never stuck up my nose at a common plant. There is good reason favorites return to the garden line-up year after year and generation after generation. They look good under dreadful conditions. They endure heat and neglect. There are days, sometimes weeks, when we have to abandon the garden. Our disappearance, no matter how temporary, can be deadly to a team of rookies.

I have the old "gas station" abelias established in my landscape. They have fresh, shiny green foliage, ready for the fall post-season garden rebirth. They bloom on new growth, so in late winter I cut them back, and they reward me with spouts of white flowers on bobbing stems. They are not just for gas stations any more.

A new abelia has moved in. Abelia Silver Anniversary(TM) is pleasing in a pot with a deep red starflower and yellow blossoming melampodium. The silver and green foliage that arise from red stems trumps the abelia blooms. Who needs flowers when the foliage is so attractive? This abelia's new foliage is almost cream, a soft yellow that surges above cherry pink stems.

As this abelia matures, the leaves become somewhat mottled green and cream with a red tinge on the ends. The prime foliage is aged into creamy soft silver with splash-painted green centers. The whole plant is a watercolor vision Monet would appreciate. Silver Anniversary(TM) is a survivor. This summer, five straight days of above 100 degrees Fahrenheit has given it a trial by fire. It passes the test-unwilting color in a heat wave. What's more, these switch hitters perform equally well in the sun or shade landscape.

The second staunch performers are the perennial coneflowers. These summer stars, the Echinacea genus, is taking over more and more of my garden. By late summer, they cover themselves with a team of daisy-like flowers with beefed up centers. These raised cone centers are the axis for the pink flower petals. The pink petals supply the landing and launching pads for the visiting butterflies and bees.

I know in my heart that I should cut the stalks of coneflowers so that a fresh squad will come along, but every time I approach them, bumblebees and butterflies are happily visiting them. I go cut something else, something not so important to my buggy friends.
These lovelies must contain nectar and pollen until the very end of summer, when their cones are dry and the petals are paled and falling. I can't cut them then, either. The seeds, held high on the coned stem ends, are bird buffets.

There are so many different colors and shapes to the coneflowers now, and as an obsessed gardener, I want them all. I believe that if I had room, I could do a whole border in coneflowers. (Then I would have to give up some other love.) There are the pinks (called purple, but varying shades of pink to my eye) with every imaginable set of petal rays- up, down, flat, curved, fat, or skinny.

The, pink 'Magnus' has wide, stocky petals. He is as full as a pink sunflower with large flowers that show off from a distance. On the opposite side of the field, 'Lilliput' is loaded with small rosy flowers made up of two rows of petals. This miniature also shows off, just with the sheer numbers of flowers covering the plant.

There are some break-through colors for these once wildflowers, too. White (Fragrant Angel(TM)) and yellow (Harvest Moon(TM)). A favorite of mine, and one that will make your heart go pitty-pat, is Summer Sky(TM). To show it off best, locate it in your landscape with green companions, in part shade if you are in a section of the country prone to brutal sunlight, near a path where its blended colors of pink, coral, orange, and golden yellow can be admired up close. The blossoms are huge. The intermingled colors invite contemplation.

Even the stalwart black-eyed-Susans are looking a little tattered and worn right now. They will need some fluffing up. Some old pros will need replacing, which is not a problem, but an opportunity to try new plants, hmm...perhaps that new gaura, 'Crimson Butterflies?' What has survived in your landscape? Expand the team this fall.

Growing Bamboo As a Landscape Plant

Bamboo is one of the most versatile plants in the world. The wood from bamboo is extremely light, strong, and durable, yet it grows far faster than even much softer woods. For all of its marvelous strength as a building material, it can also be processed to create some of the softest fabric available today. All of this is in a plant that is also very disease-resistant, easy to grow, and quite beautiful. For these reasons and more, it is quickly becoming a popular choice as a landscape plant. Big bamboo is especially popular as a privacy plant for it's extraordinarily quick growth. With a little care, it can be an excellent addition to your garden or landscape.

Choosing the Right bamboo plant for You

The main considerations when choosing your bamboo should be hardiness. This is a pretty simple thing to factor in, as any reputable nursery or plant source will be able to tell you the hardiness by zone of any bamboo they sell. When choosing your bamboo, keep in mind the eventual height and potential for invasiveness. Many types of bamboo spread rapidly, and this can become a problem in coming years. To reduce this, either choose a bamboo that is of a non-running or clumping type or install a spread barrier. A spread barrier can be just a sheet of thick plastic (about 40 mil) creating an underground border defining the edge of the area in which you want your bamboo to be spread. Bury your plastic from the surface to around three feet deep to block the rhizomes from spreading the plant underground. The height to which some big bamboo varieties grow can also surprise many new growers. Most common varieties can be trimmed fairly easily to a wide range of heights, but trimming the top ten feet off of a thirty-five foot tall plant can be somewhat difficult. Thus, it is sometimes best to keep upward growth limitations in mind when choosing your bamboo if you won't be willing or able to trim it down.

Planting bamboo

Choose a spot for your bamboo that gets a fair amount of sun; either full sun for part of the day or filtered sun all day. Most bamboo types do well near water, but don't thrive with wet roots, especially when young. For most bamboos, plant in a moderately acidic, loamy soil. In very heavy soil, digging organic material into the dirt where you are planting can make a big difference, as can heavy mulching (which will attract earthworms, who will loosen the soil for you). Depth and hole size will vary depending on the type of bamboo you're planting, so following the instructions of your plant source is best. Generally, though, you'll dig a hole to about the same depth as the root ball and break up the soil around it to allow the roots room to grow out. Water thoroughly once you've filled in around the root ball, and keep the plant watered for the first several weeks, taking care not to overwater (the ground should be moist but not wet a few minutes after watering). Too little water is better than too much water for newly transplanted bamboo, but keep in mind that new bamboo in hot or windy weather will need more water. The best time to plant bamboo varies by area, but spring is usually best, as it will give the bamboo plant lots of time to establish itself before winter comes. However, in mild climates most of the year works well, and even in cooler climates nearly any warm part of the year will work, so long as there is time for your bamboo to get established for winter.

Bamboo plant Care

Bamboo is a pretty versatile, adapting plant, and if you've chosen the right type for your area and planted it in a good spot, it should do well with very little care once established. However, if you want to maximize growth, there are three important parts of bamboo care to keep in mind: mulching, fertilizing, and watering. A thick mulch can do a great deal to protect the roots of your bamboo, especially if you are growing bamboo that is only borderline hardy to your area or if planting later in the year, and it can also provide nutrients and help the soil to stay moist. Just about any organic mulch will work. The leaves that fall from your bamboo throughout the year, and especially in spring, are best left on the ground where they can act as part of the mulch and recycle nutrients back into the soil. Grass is the best mulch for bamboo, but hay and wood chippings are also great choices. For quickest growth, fertilize in the Spring after the plant is well established. A general chemical fertilizer is OK, but a light layer of cow manure (or any other cool manure) will work better (as well as being cheaper and better for the environment). bamboo does pretty well without too much water, but if you want your plants to thrive throughout the dry seasons, you'll need to water them regularly, letting the ground dry out between waterings.

Bamboo is an extremely tough plant, capable of surviving many types of mistreatment. It is also a beautiful plant with unique characteristics that make it a perfect plant for privacy, sound dampening, or just as an accent for almost any property or garden.

Facing The Landscape Sun

The direction in which your house faces (north, south, east, west) is termed its exposure. This fact is of utmost importance in planning your garden. First of all, you will have to locate plants that will grow successfully in shaded areas according to the exposure; second, the position of shade trees will be most satisfactory if you determine before planting the spots where they will do the most good.

Generally speaking, a house whose front faces southeast is best adapted for the American type of home landscape. A more detailed discussion of this subject, will appear in a succeeding chapter.

Surroundings

Just as individuals are apt to reflect the habits and characteristics of their environment, landscape design should to some extent conform to the standards set by the surrounding area. This statement holds true only if the general surroundings happen to be pleasant. If, however, the land adjoining or close by to yours happens to be an eyesore, your landscape plan will emphasize seclusion and try to block off the undesirable view.

Soil

Your choice of design and of plants will also be controlled by the soil. For our purposes the two most important types of soil are (a) acid ( sour) and (b) alkaline ( sweet). The easiest thing to do is to work only with those plants that are best suited for your particular soil. However, some plants are so attractive and so well suited to home landscaping that you will feel it is worthwhile to change the type of soil in a part of the property to accommodate them. In fact, this practice is so common today that it is all but taken for granted.

You must also consider whether your soil is wet or dry. Poorly drained, wet soil is among the worst calamities that can befall any home gardener; stagnant water renders soil all but useless. Other wet soils produce good results because they have excellent aeration.

At the opposite end of the scale are the very dry soils ranging all the way to desert conditions. Here, of course, the list of plants that can be used is severely limited. Fortunately, the characteristic architecture of homes in arid regions is also limited and the plants that are in keeping with the climate and soil conditions also go well with the architecture. So, it is important for them to know all the great indoor plants.

Just as acid soil can be made alkaline, and vice versa, we have worked out ways to handle certain natural forces so that they are not too damaging to our efforts to beautify the landscape. The home gardener in Texas, for example, knows that their main problem is to sustain landscape plants successfully through the hot, dry season. To do this they apply a mulch which keeps the soil cooler and conserves its moisture for a longer period. As a result of such practices, there are in the nation's hot, dry sections beautiful home landscapes that "defy" nature.

Minimizing Salt Damage To Landscape Plants

When snow is falling and it's the middle of the night, contractors aren't thinking about landscape plants on the site they're clearing, their main concern is having the streets and sidewalks safe by morning. This doesn't mean they shouldn't be more aware of the effects of some of their actions during these times but it's more understandable when mistakes are made. As a homeowner however, you can take a little more responsibility for where you place your snow as you work to clear your walks after the storm

An awareness of what can happen to plants and turf from the use of chemicals during these events should not be understated and some work done up front may save some frustration in the future.

Chemicals Used.

**Sodium Chloride (rock salt)--applied mostly to roadways only, is very toxic to plants

**Calcium Chloride and Magnesium Chloride-- applied to sidewalks is less toxic but will cause damage at high rates.

You may have little say in how much of these deicing materials are used during a storm but there are a few things you can do to minimize damage.

o Talk with your contractor about concerns over your landscape and have them make an effort to limit chemical use when appropriate. Just having the conversation will put an awareness in their minds. This type of management is not only good for your landscape but it may also save you and your community money throughout the winter.

o Ask your contractor to install deflectors on their spreaders used for sidewalks. This will keep the bulk of the chemical directed onto the sidewalk and less spreading out to your grass edges. The main reason for dead grass along sidewalk edges and roadway edges in the spring is because of all the accumulated salt that built up in the soil over the winter.

o Talk with your contractors about turning off roadway salt spreaders when stopped at a traffic light or stop sign. In many communities and retail centers, there is a planting bed usually with flowers at these key locations. As the contractor spreads salt , they frequently stop at these areas, and in most instances, the spreaders continue to run saturating the soil. Over time, salt builds up to such high quantities , it kills most flowers and damages plantings later in the year.

Some things you can do to minimize damage :

o Irrigate- Salts are easily leached thru soils so watering these areas can help reduce the amount of damage.

o Gypsum- Gypsum applied along grass edges and planting beds where you've had issues in the past will help. Does not work as well after the

fact. Be proactive and put down before the first storm. Gypsum helps the salt leach or filter away

o Plow or shovel away from plantings- Talk with plow operators about piling snow in certain areas. Snow plowed from salted streets will have a

How to Garden and Landscape With Xeriscape Plants

Xeriscape translates to dry landscape. That is somewhat deceiving as it is not about dry landscaping, but efficient gardening. When we use proper techniques to landscape and garden, we actually save money, time, energy and water over the life of the garden.

The basic principles of Xeriscaping are:

Planning Soil preparation Reducing turf areas plant selection Proper irrigation Mulching

In planning, group plants according to their water and lighting needs. Place taller plants in back areas with the shorter growers in the front. It is better to water plants infrequently, yet deeper than to water lightly and often.

Plant varieties that are low maintenance and will work within a Xeric landscape are herbs such as lavender, sage, rosemary, thyme, chives and oregano as well as other perennials like yarrow, Russian sage, salvia, daylilies, ameria, gaillardia, veronica, sedum, aster, phlox, and echinacea. Shrubs such as junipers, spiraea, lilacs, honeysuckle, hibiscus, caragana, cypress, barberry, nandina Firepower, boxwood, viburnum, and mock orange. Trees to look for are green ash, Grace smoketree, Japanese red maples, magnolias, river birch, oaks, flowering cherries and tulip poplar. Ornamental grasses do work well in this environment, although they will require regular watering during their first year after planting so that the root system does not dry out. After establishing their root system, they become almost drought tolerant.

Mulch should be applied in late spring to early summer to help keep the ground cool and moist. Good choices for mulch are shredded bark mulch, pine needles, straw, aged compost, and aged manure mix. Use pine needles with caution as mold can build up underneath when used in shaded areas. Using rocks as mulch, including lava stones, should be reserved for less sunny, shadier areas as the rocks absorb heat during the day and release it during the evening/cooler periods, which in summer often kill the plants.

Climbing Plants and Vines to Enhance a Landscape Design

If you want to know what's up in gardening trends, look no further than climbing plants and vines! Climbers are a great element to include in a landscape design. They can be trained to climb numerous structures of your choosing such as trellises, arbors and pergolas, decks, railings, and more. climbing plants and vines can be strategically placed throughout the garden to cast shade or provide privacy as needed. Best of all, climbing plants will draw the eye upward, adding a vertical element to a horizontal landscape.

If you want to get started with climbing plants and vines, it's a good idea to evaluate the options first. Your climate, soil type, and particular situational needs should all be taken into consideration when choosing a climbing plant. So what are some common types of climbing plants and vines? We'll explore some of the more popular options that you might want to consider.

Wisteria:
Wisteria is a beautiful flowering vine that grows rapidly in the sun. If you live in a climate that experiences winter, wisteria is a good choice, as it's hardy up to Zones 4 or 5. As it grows, wisteria can become very woody and dense. After a few years of growth, wisteria will need a strong supporting structure. Be careful where you plant wisteria. Because of its rapid growth, size, and weight, you'll want to be sure to plant it somewhere where it won't do any damage to your home or property. Large wisteria vines, when left unchecked, can easily collapse a deck or other structure.

Trumpet Vine:
Trumpet vine can be found in two varieties, Chinese trumpet creeper and standard trumpet vine. The former of these is a tropical, hardy only to Zone 8. The latter, common trumpet vine, is hardy to Zone 5. Like wisteria, trumpet vine is a rapid grower and prefers a sunny location. Trumpet vines will produce beautiful, showy flowers in midsummer, and colors vary from scarlet or orange to yellow. Trumpet vines grow and cling to their supporting structures with root-like attachments. It's important to provide good support for trumpet vines when they are first getting started, as they can grow quite large and heavy over time.

Ivy:
Almost all of us have seen buildings that are partially obscured by ivy growing up them. There are several different types of ivy, but all are fast growers and will cling easily to walls and stone work. Take care when planting ivy, however, as it is famous for damaging the structures that support it. Ivy roots can ruin the masonry work on a building, particularly when the vines are removed. Ivy is also very dense, which means it will cast shade on the building's walls. This can lead to mold growth on siding or shingles.

Clematis:
Clematis is a very popular climbing plant, and for good reason. There are dozens of varieties to choose from, many are hardy to Zone 5, and all produce beautiful flowers throughout the spring and summer months. Clematis is generally easy to grow. It prefers shade on its feet and sun on its vines. While this may sound complicated, it's easier to accomplish than you might think. Simply plant your clematis in a sunny location, and then plant a small shrub at its base to provide the needed shade on the lower part of the clematis.

Wisteria, trumpet vine, ivy, and clematis are just a few of the popular climbing plants that can be found across North America. Don't limit yourself to these four plants, but rather consider them as a starting point from which you can branch off into other species and varieties. Whatever climbers and vines you choose, be sure to plant them in an appropriate location and provide plenty of good support, if needed. Your climbing vines will reward you over time by becoming a beautiful focal point in your landscape or garden.

Suit Your House - Choosing Landscape Plants

The plants you select and plant in your landscape can create a dramatic effect to accentuate the positive or ruin its charm.

Choose plants to Suit the House

If a house is high and narrow, use tall, spreading shrubs such as lilac or honeysuckle placed beside the front corners. This "pulls it down," especially if you plant smaller shrubs next to them to taper off to ground level.

Emphasize upright lines of Georgian or Colonial doorways by framing them with columnar cedars or junipers, or "pull them down" by planting low, globular cedars or mugo pines. If the house is wide and rambling, use soft, spreading deciduous shrubs to match its lines and upright, columnar ones to break the monotony.

Ranch style houses call for low shrubs and trees that have a rounded or horizontal branching form. You can also use more contrasting textures and colors with these homes than with older ones.

Plants Alter Proportions

Plants can do much to modify the proportions of the house and the size of the lawn. Just as narrow houses can be made to appear wider by planting shrubs and candle bush beside them, or wide wall spaces can be broken up by upright-growing shrubs, so parallel lines of flower borders or street trees give an illusion of added length. On the other hand, any line that cuts across our line of vision, such as a hedge or a terrace slope, foreshortens distance and gives breadth.

Plants in the center of a lawn draw our attention and seem to reduce the size of the lawn.

Small areas appear larger if you use shrubs with foliage of tine texture. Large areas need large shrubs with stout branches and large coarse-textured leaves for proper proportion.

Take advantage of the textures and colors of shrubs to lend emphasis to particular spots. Variegated, golden, or red foliage stands out against the darker green of other shrubs and holds attention. A large-leaved, coarse-twigged shrub stands out boldly against a background of finer foliage. Profuse bloom, particularly of light color, also draws attention for its period but it may spoil the general effect if it is in the wrong spot.

Maintaining Growing Landscape Plants in a Home Setting

The drip line of your roof is an important factor in locating foundation plants even in regions which do not get much or any snow and ice. Falling rain should reach the plants, so, except in unusual cases, they should be placed at least a foot beyond the drip line. At first they may look as though they were sitting out there by themselves, but in time, as the branches spread and the plants get larger, they will gradually reach back to the house and occupy all the space provided for them.

Plants under Eaves

When under unusual circumstances, you have to place plants under the broad eaves of a mod em type house, it is perfectly all right to do so if you make sure of a constant and sufficient supply of water for them. Do not wait until the soil is bone dry before applying water; set up a regular schedule of watering (adjusted to the weather, of course) so that the plants will never be in danger of injury from drought.

Mulch

If you do not choose to maintain a ground cover under the plants, the next best thing is a layer of mulch which will keep the soil cooler in hot months and keep a supply of moisture in the ground over a longer period. This practice is absolutely essential to success in regions where several months of hot, dry weather are the rule.

The temptation to grow flowers in the midst of the foundation planting is widespread. My own view is that theoretically and ideally there should be no flowers in the public area, including the foundation planting. However, the desire for flowers is so strong that it is next to impossible to convince the average home owner that he should not have some annuals or perennials in his front yard.

Landscape Gardening - Choosing Plants With Colored Foliage

There is a large range of plants with colored foliage available to the gardener today. Reddish-purple, golden-yellow, silver, and grey-leaved plants, not to speak of the many types of variegated leaf, abound in nurseries and garden centers. Amongst all the plant forms - from trees to ground covers, one can find varieties that have brightly colored leaves. The challenge is to use them wisely and not be carried away by false notions of novelty or originality.

In fact, peppering the garden with such plants is the first sign of design naïveté. Green is the foliage color that should dominate most planting schemes, while plants with colored foliage should be used very sparingly as an emphasis, a contrast, and even a focal point in the garden.

There are of course endless variations of unusually colored leaves, but they can be reduced to four main groups. As a gardener in a Mediterranean country, I will restrict my examples to those with which I am familiar.

*Red or deep-purple foliage generally creates the most striking effect, but over-use can make the garden look depressing and somber. Prunus pisardii is a small plum tree, while the large shrub, Cotinus coggygria, is well known beyond Mediterranean climates. For mild winter regions, I suggest Euphorbia cotinifolia, which if kept at about 1-2 meters by annual pruning, is particularly beautiful. Let's not forget also, the mainstay, Berberis thunbergii.

It may also be worth considering bedding plants with red-purple foliage, such as the varieties of Joyweed (Alternanthera) which can really "hold" an herbaceous border through the long, hot, Mediterranean summer. This plant should be used as an annual anywhere but in the mildest of winter climates.

* plants with golden-colored leaves make for a less dramatic, but perhaps more subtle contrast with the mass of green foliage. For subtlety, it is best to study the size and shape of the leaf, before rushing in with a colored plant. These should be as similar as possible to the green-leaved plants. Hence, the feathery texture of Melaleuca "Revolution Gold" or Melaleuca "Green Dome", combine well with junipers for instance and other species of Melaleuca.

An amazingly beautiful shrub is Duranta erecta "Golden". It has small, oval leaves, and so goes well with such shrubs as Cotoneaster, Sumac, Pistachio, and Myrtle. planting it next to a course-leaved bush like Hibiscus, would be a mistake in my view.

*plants with variegated leaves are probably the most ill used amongst inexperienced gardeners. Again, the mistake is to plant too many of them, thereby turning the unusual into the common. They are most effective in shady corners, where they create a dappled-light effect, but they tend to look sickly in full sun,

*Grey and silver-leaves are perhaps easier to use without descending into banality. They are most appropriate in Mediterranean style gardens, but seem out of place amongst lush, tropical plants. Grey-leaved shrubs should be planted in very small numbers, although some species, such as Grey Owl Juniper, or the fabulous Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens) can be superb, especially in contrast to red-leaved plants.

Silver-leaved plants really come into their own in herb gardens, where they appear most at home. From an aesthetic point of view, in addition to a culinary or herbal one, plants like Lavender, Artemisia, and Sage are great, while grey-leaved grasses, such as Festuca glauca, are useful additions to an herbaceous border.

Three Dependable Landscape Plants For Fast Privacy Screens In Dry Gardens

Many people are rediscovering the joys of staying home. Your garden can become the perfect place to provide a peaceful sanctuary to escape from the world and unwind. Screen plants can provide privacy in your garden, hide an unsightly area and provide shade. Hopseed Bush, Brush Cherry and Italian Cypress are three shrubs or small trees that are useful for screens, grow fast or are drought tolerant. Some plants have all three qualities!

When creating your backyard paradise these screening shrubs can also help create 'walls' to establish separate sections in a garden, so you can create different 'garden rooms' in your yard. Two of these are also good for planting in narrow spaces between houses to help block out the world. Try these versatile plants in your Patch of Heaven:

HOPSEED BUSH (Dodonaea viscosa)
USDA Zone: 9-11
Sunset Zone: 7-24
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate to low, drought tolerant

Hop Seed bushes come with leaves in either bright, lime green or dark purple. Both versions have leaves about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide and are very shiny on multiple shrubby branches. These drought tolerant shrubs are fast growers to about 10 feet tall and almost as wide. They take full sun to part shade. Once established in the garden (1-2 years) they can survive on rainfall alone.

Hopseed bushes have a growth habit that is a bit airy, with lots of small branches and the long leaves add to the lacy feel. They can be trimmed as hedges or espaliers for a slightly denser effect. These are good for layering to create a full, lush feel in the border. They are perfect for the back of the bed (where the sprinkler won't reach), along fences or as border screens. In late spring they develop large, papery seed pods, usually light brown, which hang on for weeks and provide a dramatic effect. Although the seed pods break down quickly in the soil, I do not recommend planting these bushes near pools.

BRUSH CHERRY, CAROLINA LAUREL CHERRY (Prunus caroliniana)
USDA Zone: 7 - 9
Sunset Zone: 5 - 24
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate to low

Brush Cherry is another dependable, versatile garden shrub for quick screens and hedges. These shrubs can grow up to 30 feet tall and 10 - 12 feet wide. Although I have seen mature stands of Carolina Laurel grow even taller. They can grow in full sun to part shade. Once established they can survive drought conditions. However, in desert areas they prefer less sun and will appreciate more water during the hottest summer weather.

Brush Cherries have a dense growth habit with lots of branches so they take well to heaving shearing as a hedge and can even be used for topiaries. Left untrimmed, they will still maintain their neat, shrubby shape, but the interior growth will not have leaves. They can also be trained as small multi-trunk trees. New growth is a pretty reddish rusty color in the spring. They get sprays of white flowers followed by clusters of small, bright red cherries. The cherries can stain concrete and make a mess. If you don't have enough birds in your area to take care of the cherries for you, just trim off the flowers before they set. This will also relieve the plant of the stress of producing seeds.

ITALIAN CYPRESS (Cupressus sempervirens)
USDA Zone: 7 - 9
Sunset Zone: 4 - 24
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Moderate to low, drought tolerant

Italian Cypress trees are a familiar staple in the city, growing along border lines as tall screens. They grow up to 60 feet high on single trunks and are generally 1-2 feet wide but mature plants can be much wider. All cypresses prefer full sun, but will tolerate part shade and can survive on little water once they are established in a year or two.

Italian cypress are perfect shrubs for problem areas. They grow tall but they're thin, so you can tuck them into narrow spaces. Their trunks will eventually reach about 12 inches around, so your narrow bed should at least be that wide. Their growth habit is sleek and cylindrical, with most of their leaves pointing up. They lose a small amount of needles during they year, but litter is not a big problem with these trees. They do not grow very fast the first year, but they will make up for their lack of growth in the second year. Continually trimming the tops will result in a slightly fatter shrub, but they are fairly care free, needing no trimming.

When you are planning on having your shrubs survive on rainfall, it is best to encourage deep root development early on by soaking your plants every few days instead of sprinkling the topsoil every night. Even established plants appreciate a deep soak during a heat wave, when the weather has been over 100 degrees, or when it has been especially dry and windy.

All three of these plants are growing happily in my heavy clay, alkaline soil in hot and sunny Southern California. Good luck and happy gardening!

How To Make Money At Home Growing Small Landscape Plants On 1/20 Acre Or Less

Small town, big town, it doesn’t matter, if you have a small area in your backyard that you can use for planting, then you can make money growing small plants at home. Actually you can make pretty good money on 1/40 of one acre. That’s an area about 30 feet by 40 feet.

You will be amazed at how many plants you can fit in an area that small, and at how much money you can make. Even apartment dwellers can do this! If you live in an apartment, just to get a feel for how fun and rewarding a tiny nursery can be, find somebody with a little piece of ground that they will either let you use, let you rent it, or do a joint venture with you.

Is there really a market for small plants? The market is huge, something like 4 billion dollars last year alone, and the demand is tremendous. As a small grower, you have a tremendous advantage over the larger nurseries, their overhead is very high. As a backyard grower, yours will be almost nothing.

You might be asking; "I live in a small town in a rural area, how many plants can I really sell?"

Tens of thousands if you want to. Most people don’t realize it, but large wholesale growers are the largest buyers of small plants in the country. They sell so many plants that they just can not produce them fast enough themselves, so they buy them from wherever they can find them. Just pack them up in a cardboard box and ship them anywhere you want.

I routinely buy large quantities of small plants and have them shipped thousands of miles to my house. Why do I buy plants if I know how to grow them myself? There are a lot of reasons, but one is because I am impatient and don’t like to grow Japanese Maples from seed. I can buy Japanese Maple seedlings for as little as 75 cents and all I have to do is pot them up and watch them grow.

I also buy large quantities of flowering shrubs that I would like to start propagating myself. I buy them for 50 cents, pot them up, and often sell them the next year for $4.97. But in the meantime I take cuttings from them to propagate for next year’s crop. Then I never have to buy that variety again.

Those are the same reasons that many wholesale nurseries are always looking for great deals on small plants. When they find someone like you, growing in their backyard, they are delighted because they know they can buy what they need for less money from a small backyard grower than they can if they buy from a large nursery.

It only stands to reason, your overhead is almost nothing, you don’t have to raise the price of your plants to pay for buildings, hundreds of acres of land, trucks, tractors, and dozens of employees.

How much money do you need to get started? Almost none. All you have to do is root some cuttings, and you’re on your way! There are dozens of easy plant propagation techniques that are so easy to learn that young children can do them, and with great success, I might add.

This propagation information is available to you free of charge at www.freeplants.com

The size of the area you need to get started is really up to you, but an area about the size of a picnic table is a start. I’m serious. I root my cuttings in flats that are about 12” by 15”, and can get between 100 and 150 cuttings per flat. In an area about the size of a picnic table you should be able to root several thousand cuttings at a time.

And guess what? As soon as they are well rooted, they have a value and can be sold immediately! Isn’t that cool? Typically a rooted cutting is worth about 50 cents. Let’s see now, 1500 cuttings at 50 cents each, that’s $750!!! Wow!!! The wheels should be turning now.

But you don't have to sell 50 cent plants, you can grow them until they’re bigger and get more money for them. That’s what I do, I pot them up in small pots and they sell like crazy right from my driveway at $4.97 each.

This spring we sold over $25,000 worth of $4.97 plants right from our driveway. One of the people that bought my Backyard Nursery E-book held a sale this spring and sold $2,800 worth of plants her first weekend. She was ecstatic! Of course we also sold plants for much more than that. I used to grow Japanese Red Maples and we sold those for $45 each, and they sold like hot cakes!

This is one of the most fun and rewarding home businesses you could ever get involved in. My kids have learned work ethics, the value of a dollar, and skills that will last them a lifetime. Any time they needed a little extra money all they had to do was step out the back door and earn the money they needed.

It costs very little to get started, and the rewards can be quite high. It’s certainly not a get rich quick plan (because there is no such thing!), but plenty of people have done very well in the nursery business. All it takes is determination and hard work. You can learn it as you go along. It’s much easier than you think.