A Beautiful Lawn

Summer Flowering Shrubs (1/2)

Summer Flowering Shrubs For your landscape to remain beautiful throughout the seasons, you need to have something of interest in each season. Therefore, the first step in a do-it-yourself landscaping project is for you to conduct a research. The intention is to have some flowering trees during summer and spring, fall foliage over the autumn season and those that are favorable for winter. You have to choose shrubs that are drought tolerant so that as you plant them in spring, they will not succumb to the summer heat. As for flowers, consider the light and soil necessities before buying any prospective flowers for your lawn. It is very important to match the flower types to their space for beauty and consistency. There are quite a number of summer flowering shrubs that are easy to grow and maintain thus producing a very brilliant bloom even in the face of the glaring summer heat. These include the following;

Butterfly Bush – This shrub can be equated to the lilac given their similarity in colors that is purple, pink, blue, lavender and white. The shrub has a very wonderful fragrance. Their bloom season is much longer than that of lilacs. They can go all the way from summer to autumn. The bloom is especially prolonged if you remove the older flower clusters as soon as they start fading. to 4'wide & 6' tall, some larger.

Carolina allspice – This shrub produces very beautiful flowers with a deep red color. The flowers emit a spicy fragrance which can be enjoyed across the yard. This is a low-care plant that is naturally very tough. It can grow very well in a full sun condition or in partial shade. It requires soil that is well drained. can get rather large, up to 5 feet wide & 10 feet tall

Hydrangea paniculata – Among the hydrangeas, this species is the easiest to grow. As summer advances into autumn, the shrub will normally produce some feathery bunches of white flowers. The flowers then fade to pink and green shades. Whatever the spot, these rugged shrubs will fit perfectly. They do well in partial shade or full sun with soil that is very well drained. Hydrangeas are just phenomenal when it comes to landscaping. 6to 8' tall & wide is average

Oleander – This is a sub-tropical shrub that is very easy to care for. The shrub bears flowers during summer and these appear in shades of red, pink, lilac, white and yellow. This shrub is quite fail-safe such that you will commonly find it grown along highway sides in areas endowed with warm weather. It is however important to take note that this plant is quite poisonous. It grows well in full sun and well drained soil conditions.

Planting these summer flowering shrubs will ensure that there is bloom in your yard throughout the summer season despite the prevailing heat.

Warm Season Ornamental Landscape Grasses (2/2)

Ornamental grasses are a nice low maintenance addition to almost any landscape. They are  easy to care for as they tend to be relatively disease and pest free. Most varieties require little watering or fertilizer. There are many different sizes and shapes to choose from.Smaller ones are often used as ground covers while larger ones can be used as ground cover while larger ones can be used as privacy hedges. Mid-sized varieties often make nice borders for landscape beds.

Warm season grasses start to grow vigorously  in the late spring  and early summer when things start to heat up. They tend to need less water  and are relatively low maintenance. Most flower in the late summer and fall. Here are  a few examples of more commonly used warm season ornamental grasses.

Molinia caerulea - Variegated moor grass - Green & white color. Part to full sun. Zone 5-9. Purple flower. 12-18"  tall and wide.

Panicum virgatum - Switch grass - Dark green color. Full sun. Zone 4-9. Pink flowers. 3' wide & 4-5' tall..

 

Pennisetum alopecuroides - Fountain grass - Green color. Full sun. Zone 5-9. White flower. 2-3' tall and wide. Needs regular watering.

Schizachyrium scoparium - Blue heaven -  Blue green color. Part sun/shade. Zone 3-8. Blue flowers. 2'wide & 4' tall.  Red color in the fall.

 

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Cool Season Ornamental Landscape Grasses (2/2)

Ornamental grasses are a nice low maintenance addition to almost any landscape. They are  easy to care for as they tend to be relatively disease and pest free. Most varieties require little watering or fertilizer. There are many different sizes and shapes to choose from.Smaller ones are often used as ground covers while larger ones can be used as ground cover while larger ones can be used as privacy hedges. Mid-sized varieties often make nice borders for landscape beds.

Cool season grasses start to grow in the very early spring when things begin to thaw. they grow in the spring and the fall, but may go dormant in the higher temperatures of summer. Most flower in the spring or early summer. Here are  a few examples of more commonly used cool season ornamental grasses.

Festuca glauca - blue fescue - blue/ green leaf color. Partial shade, does not do well in full sun. Zone 4 - 11. Grows to 10" by 10"

Helictotrichon sempervirens - blue oat grass - blue/ green leaves, brown flower . Full sun. Zone 4- 9. Grows to 2' wide, but can be as tall as 3'. Deer resistant, but may need regular watering in hotter weather

koeleria macrantha - june grass - dark green leaves, pink flower. Full sun. Zone 3- 8. Grows to 2'. Drought tolerant, but does not do well in clay soil.

Sesleria autumnalis - autumn moor grass - green leaves, purple flower. Full sun to partial shade. Zone 5-8. Grows 18"' tall and wide.

 

Easy to Follow Guide for Planting a Landscape Tree

When to Plant

Two things are important to freshly planted trees - moderate temperatures and rainfall. Ideally, any plant will have time to acclimate and to establish roots in their new enviroment before being exposed to any extreme weather. For those reasons, the best times to plant a tree are very early in spring (before leaves start to form) or towards the middle of the fall (after leaves have stopped growing). At these times, most of the energy of the tree will be spent on root growth. This is not to say that these are the only time to plant - just when the conditions are the best to do so. Locally (Southern Indiana) and with proper care, we may start planting in early March and continue until late November. In areas farther south with milder winters, planting may be done at any time of year.

Dig the hole shallow and wide - The biggest mistake people generally make when planting is digging the hole too narrow and too deep. the hole should not be deeper then the root ball of the tree being planted, but it should be 2-3 times as wide as the current root structure of the tree. A couple of inches of sand mixed into the bottom of the hole will help with drainage. In clay soils, it is important to score the sides and bottom of the hole. If this step is not done, you may just be creating a ‘bowl’ that will hold water and your tree will slowly rot from the trapped moisture.

Remove the tree from its container - If you are planting a B&B (ball & burlap) tree or a container tree, you should be careful to transport it from the bottom and not to pick it up by the trunk. A potted tree should be put on its side to remove the container. Try to gently loosen and gently spread roots before planting. If the roots are growing in circles at the botom of the plant, it may be necessary to make some cuts at the bottom of the rootball in order to spread the roots prior to planting. If the roots are left bound up, they will not expand and grow. The tree will  not get any larger and will eventually die. B&B trees with natural burlap should have the burlap loosened and pulled away from at least the top half of the root ball (natural burlap repels water). If the wrapping is plastic or you are not sure, it should be removed entirely.

Plant tree at the correct height - the spot where the tree roots start to expand away from the trunk of the tree is called the trunk flare. The trunk flare should be visible when the tree is planted. It is better to plant the tree a little high as opposed to a little low - there will be settling over time.

Back fill around the roots -  Amending the soil (adding compost/peatmoss/topsoil) before it is put back in is fine, but do not overdo it. You want to pack the soil back in the hole just firmly enough to hold the tree in place. Getting oxygen to the roots will go a long way in helping the tree establish - be weary of over compacting the soil around the base of the tree. There will be soil left over when you are done.

Staking - Some larger or top heavy trees may need to be staked after they are planted. Trees may also be staked where wind is an issue. Two stakes on opposite sides of a tree are usually enough.  Stakes should be driven into the ground outside the area that was dug up to plant the tree. Use wire looped (once only) around the tree and attached to the stake. A short section of hose - cut and used as a ‘sleeve’ for the wire - should be placed between the wire and the tree. This prevents the wire from cuting into the bark of the tree and causing damage. Tension on the wire should be firm but not tight. Staking the tree prevents the rootball from shifting and tearing the newly established roots as they grow. Common mistakes to avoid: stakes too close to the tree, over-tightening the wires and not protecting the tree bark from the wire.

Mulch -  A 2-inch layer of mulch around tree will help keep moisture from escaping. Take care to leave a 1- to 2-inch ring around the base of the tree that does not have any mulch. A short dam around the outside edge of the mulch will help collect rain water and direct it to where it is needed.
   

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6 Flowering Pear Tree Popular for Landscaping

Flowering pears ( pyrus calleryana)  are very fast growing trees used in many residential landscapes. They have showy white flowers that bloom early in the Spring  before leaves appear. their pyramidal teardrop shape makes them easy to identify and they do well in the dense clay soil that is common in our area. Many varieties exist  and a few are covered below.

Aristocrat Pear - zone5-9 - One of the larger varieties of pear that grows as wide as it does tall (25'-50') .  Trunk and branches grow thicker & tree is not as susceptible to wind damage as Bradford. Purple/red leaves in the fall.

Bradford Pear - zone 5-9 - Cheapest and easiest to find of the pears & can grow to 40'. Sensitive to wind damage.  After a certain age they tend to fall apart under the weight of ice from winter storms. Red purple or yellow in the fall. There are too many other readily available and better varieties to recommend this one.

Cleveland Select - 5-9 - A smaller pear tree (20' - 30')  that tends to have more flowers than other varieties. Grows tighter and narrower than most ( to 15' width). Also has the advantage of bearing no fruit. Red and purple fall foliage. Our favorite among the pear trees.

Jack Pear - (Jaczam) - One of the smallest varieties. Dwarf Jack trees grow only to about 15'  tall and is known for its improved disease resistance. Crimson red fall foliage.

Redspire pear - 5-9 -  Similar to Bradford in height (35' +), but grows in a narrower more defined shape. Larger flowers than other pears. Leaves have a slight red tinge to them - yellow and orange fall colors.

   

Autumn Blaze Pear - 4-9 - Distinguishable from other pears by its round spreading growth and may get as tall as 30' .  Known mostly for its brilliant red fall color.  It is the most cold weather tolerant of the callery pears  and is much less prone to breakage & damage from winter storms.

 

 

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7 Examples of Low Cost Landscape Trees

A short compilation of some of the more common  trees that are  used locally  in residential landscaping. These are frequently found at box stores ( Lowes, Home Depot, Rural King) & can be  bought for $20 to $30 range for trees that are 3' to 5' tall. Most are low maintenance. These are ornamental trees that are planted for their aesthetic value - usually showy flowers, fragrance or leaf color.. Each group can cover a wide range of varieties - this is just a general overview. Some groups will be broken down in greater detail in subsequent articles.

 

Flowering Plum - (prunus cerasifera) zone 5-8 - Dense growing 15-25 foot tree with fragrant whitish pink to light purple flowers that tend to bloom in the early spring. Thundercloud variety had reddish purple leaves.

Eastern Redbud - (Cercis canadensis) - zone 4-9 - grows up to 15 feet tall and has purple/lavender blooms. Flowers in early Spring before leaves start to grow.

Dogwood - (cornus florida) - zone 5-9 - Slow growing to about 15 feet high but can be larger in the right comditions.They generally start to bloom in April with varieties having flowers that are white pink or red.

Flowering Pear - (Pyrus calleryana) - zone 5-9 fast growing tree. Some varieties grow to 10-15 feet tall but others can go as high as 50 feet. Bright white flowers in early Spring before leaves appear Easily identified by their unique pyramidal teardrop shape.

Crabapple - (malus) zone 4-9 - These trees grow moderately - most often to around 15 feet tall and wide ( can be larger). Spring flowers that are usually white pink or red. there are many, many varieties and the newer ones tend to be disease and pest resistant.

Star Magnolia - (Magnolia stellata) - zone 4-9 - Slow growing to 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Very fragrant early Spring flowers that are usually white but may have a pink tinge to them.

Flowering Cherry - (Yoshino, Kwanzan, Okame)  zone 6-9 - Three common Spring blooming varieties. Very fast growing trees that can grow 20 - 40 feet tall  (usually on the lower end of this range). Pink or white flowers.

 

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