The key to successful landscaping? Planning and task-scheduling! It all starts with good ideas and long-term vision, so get started and let your imagination take root! Begin with the structural elements in your landscaping and plant the deciduous trees and large conifers first. Next up, the shrubs and climbing plants. Once those are in, you're ready to plant your perennials, annuals and bulbs.
Soil type
Soil texture and soil structure will determine how well your plants grow as well as their resistance to insects and disease. Soil varies enormously from one area to another, as does the soil's temperature, its capacity to retain water, and the minerals it contains. It is highly recommended to have your soil analyzed so that you have the information you need to determine which soil amendments are required. You'll also be better equipped to make decisions about the flowers, shrubs and trees you should plant.
Growing conditions
In order to make the right choices about plants and landscaping, you need to consider:
- Sun exposure
- Lot size
Set the stage: the different roles your plants can play
Trees constitute the framework for your landscaping. Think ahead, because when they've grown up a little, trees add style and character as well. In some cases, trees will increase property values. Trees create intimacy, shade, and generate fresh air. Focal point, windbreak, or screen: trees do it all.
Conifers are trees with structure, but they also add beauty to landscaping. Because they stay green year round, they will attract the most attention through the winter. Conifers are natural noise barriers and air purifiers, make great hedges and block the wind.
Shrubs are the furniture of the garden. They set the tone for a flower bed, they decorate buildings, create borders, hedges and screens, define space, and ground your landscaping design.
Climbing plants enhance all gardens. They are particularly useful in small gardens where they can help create vertical green space. They are beautiful when planted to highlight arbors and pergolas.
Perennials are the rhythm and harmony section of your garden, creating an important part of the decor whether interspersed among other plants or filling the flower beds. Flowering periods follow one after the other, creating an ever-changing palette of colours and textures from spring to late fall.
Annuals complete the decor with their floral panache and vast range of colours. Annuals allow you to change your garden's look every year for immediate gratification! Place them in attractive pots for more versatility.
