Shrubs - Guides
Shrubs can be among the longest-lived and most useful plants in a garden, but success depends on more than choosing one you like. The right shrub should fit your sun, climate, soil, moisture, mature space, and maintenance expectations. Good shrub care also means planting correctly, pruning at the right time, and recognizing problems before they become serious.
Choose Evergreen Shrubs That Fit the Space
Evergreen shrubs can provide year-round structure, screening, and privacy, but size matters. Before planting, check the mature height and spread rather than relying on the size of the plant at the nursery. For smaller gardens, explore small evergreen shrubs. Plants such as juniper and rhododendron can be excellent choices where their light, soil, drainage, and climate needs are a good match.
Keep Boxwood Healthy and Well Shaped
Boxwood shrubs are useful for hedges, edging, topiary, and formal structure, but they perform best when given good airflow, suitable drainage, and enough room to mature. Prune for shape rather than continually cutting plants back to fit an undersized space, and avoid overly dense growth that can encourage disease problems.
Get More from Flowering Shrubs
Flowering shrubs often perform best when their pruning schedule matches the way they bloom. Some flower on old wood, while others bloom on new growth, so pruning at the wrong time can remove the next season’s flowers. Start by choosing flowering shrubs suited to your site, including favorites such as hydrangea, lilac, viburnum, and roses. Combine different flowering times, foliage, berries, and bark to extend interest beyond the main bloom season.
Reduce Deer Damage Before It Becomes a Problem
If deer regularly visit your garden, plant selection can make a significant difference. No shrub is completely deer-proof, especially when food is scarce, but some are much less appealing than others. Gardenia’s guide to deer-resistant shrubs includes plants such as forsythia, barberry, and lavender. Where browsing pressure is high, combine resistant plant choices with physical protection for young or newly planted shrubs.
For healthier, better-looking shrubs, start with the right plant in the right place. Allow for mature size, water deeply while plants establish, mulch without piling material against the stems, and prune according to the shrub’s natural growth habit and flowering cycle. Good site selection prevents many of the problems gardeners later try to correct with pruning, watering, or treatments.
