Shrubs that Soften the Building

Shrubs that will soften the lines of the house or buildings have a round, oval, or irregular shape. These shrubs break the strong vertical lines at the corners of the house, rather than call attention to them.

Shrubs will soften the lines at the corners of your house. Where windows are close to the corner, select dwarf shrubs that will not grow higher than the sill.

Never select shrubs that create an accent for corner plantings. Consider a brightly colored foliage on shrubs during the summer or fall as an accent. Do not plant upright-growing pyramidal evergreens, such as Junipers, for planting at the corners of your 5 home. The shape of these plants creates an accent which will detract from the foundation planting. Instead of softening the harsh vertical lines at the corners of the house, pyramidal-shaped shrubs call attention to them.

Use small ornamental trees to add a softer appearance to wall corners. Place these trees far enough away from the house that the branches will not rub against it when the tree is fully grown. Place low facer plants in front of the taller shrubs to give the corner planting more depth.

Floor length windows at the corners require low groundcovers or very dwarf shrubs below them. A small ornamental tree will assist in softening the corner, if you want some shade on the window. Extending the groundcover around the tree will make the mowing much easier.

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TRANSITION PLANTINGS

Plants used as a transition are simply those shrubs or ground covers that pull together the plantings at the corners or accented entryways. These shrubs are used to soften the lines of the house, where the walls meet the ground.

Use shrubs that will not call attention to themselves by having bright foliage or coarse leaf texture. These shrubs also help to hide any exposed foundation walls along the house. Transition shrubs should be low-growing or dwarf in size. If the siding of your house extends to the ground without leaving the foundation walls exposed, a groundcover may be all that is required to add depth to the foundation planting.

Shrubs help hide unsightly construction

... and soften harsh house lines.

CONTINUOUS BLOOM FOR YOUR LANDSCAPE

Whether you are selecting shrubs for the foundation plantings around the house or for a shrub border in your yard, choose shrubs that will bloom at different seasons. Most of the flowering shrubs that are available bloom during the spring. Once some shrubs have finished blooming, they have no other ornamental features. The interest in your landscape will be lost, unless you have selected some summer-blooming shrubs. Attempt to design your landscape so you can have continuous shrub bloom from early spring through late summer.

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SHRUB ORDER OF BLOOM

EARLY SPRING

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Medium)

Redbud Chinese

Willow, Pussy

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Tall)

Cherry, Nanking

Crabapple, Sargent

Forsythia

Magnolia, Star

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Small)

Honeysuckle, Winter (Fragrant)

Quince, Flowering

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Dwarf)

Quince, Japanese Flowering

Forsythia, Bronx

BROADLEAF EVERGREEN SHRUBS

Magnolia, Southern

LATE SPRING

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Tall)

Cranberrybush

Dogwood, Gray

Honeysuckle, Tatarian

Lilac

Maple, Amur

Olive, Autumn

Pearlbush

Pea Shrub

Plum, Flowering

Snowball

Viburnum

Wayfaring Tree

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Medium)

Barberry

Bayberry, Northern

Beautybush

Cotoneaster, Large Flowering

Deutzia, Lemoine

Dogwood

Honeysuckle, Morrow

Honeysuckle, Zabel

Jetbead, Black

Privit

Sand Cherry, Purpleleaf

Scotch Broom

Spirea, Bridalwreath

Spirea, Vanhoutte

Viburnum

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Small)

Almond, Flowering

Barberry, Japanese

Cotoneaster, Spreading

Kerria

Lilac, Dwarf Korean

Spirea, Garland

Spirea, Thunberg

Weigela

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Dwarf)

Barberry, Crimson Pygmy

Cotoneaster, Cranberry

Deutzia

Pea Shrub, Pygmy

Quince, Japanese Flowering

Spirea, Snowmound

BROADLEAF EVERGREEN SHRUBS

Barberry, Wintergreen

Mahonia, Oregon Grape

Pyracantha

Viburnum, Leatherleaf

EARLY SUMMER

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Tall)

Elder, Golden

Fringe Tree, Red

Mockorange, Big Scentless

Privit

Smoke Tree (Purple Fringe)

Tamarisk

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Medium)

Deutzia

Lilac, Late

Lilac, Persian

Mockorange

Viburnum

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Small)

Beautyberry, Japanese

Hydrangea, Annabelle

Mockorange

Spirea, Anthony Waterer

Spirea, Froebel

Spirea, Redflowering Japanese

BROADLEAF EVERGREEN SHRUBS

Euonymus (Patens)

LATE SUMMER

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Tall)

Crapemyrtle

Rose-of-Sharon

Tamarisk

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Medium)

Butterfly Bush

Tamarisk, ‘Summer Glow’

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Small)

Abelia, Glossy

Hydrangea, A. G.

Mockorange

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Dwarf)

Chenault Coralberry

Cinqefoil

Hypericum

Spirea, Anthony Waterer

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SHRUB BLOOM COLOR

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Tall)

WHITE

Cranberrybush

Crapemyrtle

Dogwood, Gray

Elder, Golden

Honeysuckle, White Tatarian

Lilac, Common

Lilac, Peking

Pearlbush

Privit

Redbud, Chinese

Rose-of-Sharon

Snowball

Viburnum

PINK

Crapemyrtle

Fringe Tree, Red

Honeysuckle, Red Tatarian

Honeysuckle, Rosy Tatarian

Plum, Flowering

Rose-of-Sharon

Smoke Tree (Purple Fringe)

Tamarisk

Willow, Pussy

YELLOW

Barberry, Mentor

Maple, Amur

Olive, Autumn

Pea Shrub

PURPLE-LILAC

Lilac, Chinese

Lilac, Common

Rose-of-Sharon

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Medium)

WHITE

Butterflybush

Crabapple, Sargent

Deutzia, Lemoine

Deutzia, Pride of Rochester

Dogwood

Honeysuckle, Morrow

Jetbead, Black

Magnolia, Star

Mockorange

Privit

Sand Cherry, Purpleleaf

Scotch Broom

Spirea, Bridalwreath

Spirea, Vanhoutte

Viburnum

PINK

Bayberry, Northern

Beautybush

Butterfly Bush

Cherry, Nanking

Cotoneaster, Large Flowering

Crabapple, Sargent

Deutzia, Pride of Rochester

Honeysuckle, Zabel

Lilac, Late

Lilac, Persian

Magnolia, Pink Star

Scotch Broom

Tamarix, ‘Summer Glow’

Weigela

YELLOW

Barberry

Forsythia

Scotch Broom

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Small)

WHITE

Almond, Flowering

Honeysuckle, Winter (Fragrant)

Hydrangea, A. G.

Mockorange

Quince, Japanese Flowering

Spirea, Garland

Spirea, Thunberg

Viburnum

PINK

Abelia, Glossy

Almond, Flowering

Beautyberry, Japanese

Cotoneaster, Spreading

Hydrangea

Quince, Japanese Flowering

Weigela

YELLOW

Barberry, Japanese

Kerria

PURPLE

Hydrangea (blue)

Lilac, Dwarf Korean

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS (Dwarf)

WHITE

Deutzia, Slender

Hydrangea, Annabelle

Mockorange, Dwarf

Spirea, Snowmound

PINK

Chenault Coralberry

Cotoneaster, Cranberry

Deutzia, Rosepanicle

Quince, Japanese Flowering (red)

Spirea, Froebel (crimson)

Spirea, Anthony Waterer

Spirea, Redflowering, Japanese

YELLOW

Barberry, Crimson Pygmy

Cinquefoil

Forsythia, Bronx

Hypericum

Pea Shrub, Pygmy

ORANGE

Quince, Japanese Flowering

BROADLEAF EVERGREEN SHRUBS

WHITE

Azalea

Euonymus (Patens)

Magnolia, Southern

Pyracantha

Rhododendron

Viburnum, Leatherleaf

LILAC

Rhododendron

PINK

Azalea

Rhododendron

YELLOW

Azalea

Barberry, Wintergreen

Mahonia, Oregon Grape

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