When you have a shrub or a bush in your home garden. It is best you maintain it well to enjoy its flowering and design. Many gardeners love having certain shrubs around their home due to how they thicken after some time and give the home a beautiful landscape design. Therefore, choosing a suitable shrub is a great alternative especially if you do not need the commitment of planting different trees. The great advantage of having a shrub is that they require less maintenance, thus they are a great addition to your garden. Below are some of the factors to consider when choosing which shrub is suitable for your garden.
The visual effect
Firstly, considering the visual or the color effect among the many shrubby species is vital. Especially if you love a garden surrounding that that is bright than just a plain green shrub. Also as you consider the visual effect. It is important to regard how the shrub you choose fits with the overall garden look. In most instances, while choosing a shrub for any garden, one that has colorful leaves or flowers is given priority. For instance, you can try growing azalea for spring color. Optionally, you can choose bright yellow-greens, solid greens, reds or even blues for your shrubs from the many shrub species available. All in all, for a perfect visual effect, try combining different colored shrubs they never disappoint.
Health benefits
As many forms of shrubs are too varied. It is important as you choose you consider what forms you want and research them in detail. Especially, if you are considering a shrub due to its holistic benefits. This is one way to choose a shrub for your home garden as you will continually enjoy the benefits they offer. As an example, shrubs can be planted for their aromatic flowers or foliage. Fortunately, shrubs with this aroma-therapeutic effect are in many species. For instance, the Rocky Mountain Juniper, Laurel, common Myrtle among others. Their essential oils that give out the fragrance make these three among the common pieces. Nonetheless, you need to consider such a shrub if it is convenient for every member of the family as this shrub fills every part of your garden with fragrance.
Compatibility with your climatic zone
The compatibility of the shrub you choose with the local conditions is important. To know whether it can thrive in your area or not. This includes ensuring that they have no issues with your home garden soil and the overall garden environment. No matter how much you want a certain shrub species. If it is not compatible with your climatic zone. Chances are there is no hope for it to grow even though you fertilize it more to boost its growth. This will only waste your time and energy while you can still choose a different shrub that will still please you with its color, benefits or other interesting characteristics. Therefore, depending on your area, you can check your zone map to know different plant hardiness areas to know which shrub is suitable for your zone.
Form and leaf texture
Another factor to consider is the form and leaf texture of the garden shrub you want. Once you understand these two aspects of the shrub you desire. It is easy to choose the shrubs you can plant together that will complement and accentuate each other’s leaf texture and form perfectly. Some of the forms you can identify shrubs with are the hedge like conventional tree let forms to the multi-stems types. While their leaves are from large fans type, hairy types, to needle-like types that reflect the shrubs diversity. Whether they are rough or textured, large or small it is vital to consider this aspect of the shrub leaves.
The growth and size rate
Have you ever planted a shrub and then it overgrew the space you intended for it? Chances are you did not consider the size and growth rate of that particular shrub before planting it. Such issues are the reason you should remember to consult about the growth rate and the size the shrub grows to. This will prevent future problems like a shrub growing to the extent of breaking your fence or growing to a size that is not representable at all. Hence, take into account how fast the shrub grows and this can help you know how to plan your garden landscape. For instance, if you plant two types of shrubs alternatively that have different growth rates. This will ensure that you have two shrubs with different life spans as they develop at different speeds hence accentuating each other. Take this into consideration to avoid future disappointments.
Pest susceptibility
Last but not least, it is important to consider if the shrub you want is susceptible to pests or not. On the other hand, you can play safe and consider disease-resistant shrubs if you do not want the hassle of the need for pesticides time and again. Also, if you have chosen permanent shrubs, semi-permanent species the more you should consider the susceptibility to pests beforehand. However, most are long live species and you can opt to choose native ones if possible which are known to be the best pest resistance shrubs.
Given the above factors, it is obvious that choosing a suitable garden shrub is not as easy as it seems. One of the overall questions that you can ask yourself is. How can the shrub thrive regarding the framework of your garden and plans? If the answer to this question is positive, it is right to proceed with purchasing and planting the shrub of your choice. For instance, some shrubs like the red robin have perfect leaf form and texture. Plus, their red leaves provide a perfect visual effect for growing them plainly or with an alternative shrub for that beautiful color effect. After all, planting the right shrub is worth it either the benefits accrue over time or are long term.