Trees

A fundamental element of any landscape plan. The proper position, selection, and placement can set the stage for an entire landscape design. Trees are the most permanent plants we grow. Trees greatly enhance a landscape, and help to define it. They probably impact our property more than any other plants. Most will live for 50 years or more and become beloved fixtures in our memories. Because they are such a long-lasting addition to the landscape, special care should be taken when selecting and planting trees in the landscape. To give your trees a long and healthy life, be sure to plant them in the proper spaces and give them proper amounts of water.

Trees also provide shade, frame a property, provide seasonal color with leaves and bark, can bloom with fruit and flowers – and even act as sound barriers and provide privacy. From towering elms and oaks to delightful dogwoods and stylish Japanese maples, our trees delight and serve us in many ways. Their leafy crowns dazzle us in spring and fall with spectacular bursts of color. During the sizzling summers, they shade and protect us, and even in the desolation of winter, their sculpted branches are both artistic and inspiring when framed against the stark sky.

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Shrubs

With their structure, stability and permanence, shrubs add to the foundation of your garden. Shrubs can help guide us with our other plantings and set the tone of our gardens. Regal boxwoods are at home in a formal landscape, old-fashioned lilacs look wonderful in a cottage garden and sculptured topiaries create a whimsical look and feel in any garden. Often, evergreen shrubs serve as a frame to draw our attention to the beautiful blooming plants around them. But, many shrubs go beyond their supporting roles to seasonally become the star of your garden with an explosive burst of color or a sweet fragrance. Think of azaleas and rhododendrons, whose dramatic and prolific blooms help make April one of Washington’s most beautiful months. Or dramatic hydrangeas with their huge blossoms that shout “look at me!”