The Role Played by Shrubs and Other Plants
Shrubs
The backbone of almost every enclosure planting usually consists of shrubs. Shrubs fall into three general classes by ultimate height of growth: low growers, one to four feet; medium growers, four to seven feet; and tall growers, seven to fifteen feet. Where the wall of green is to be wide and high use medium or tall growers. Where it is to be low and narrow use medium or low growers. It is very important to select shrubs from the proper height groups if results are to be in accordance with our original conception for our outdoor living room.
When the border is to be six feet or more wide, an interesting effect is secured by planting taller growers in the rear and low growers in the front. This arrangement enables the use of more varieties and gives us facers for our larger shrubs. Perennials, however, are often used in front of shrubs to accomplish the same purpose and in the outdoor living room where the cheerful color of flowers is so welcome there may well be liberal provision for such an arrangement.
In addition to the importance concerning ultimate height, there are a few general rules in selecting shrubs for our outdoor living room's informal wall of green:
• Plant in masses. Groups of three, five, or more of one variety result in a unified effect instead of a spotty appearance.
• Use the coarser leaved and more vigorous growers in backgrounds and distant places. In the outdoor living room, many shrubs are intimately viewed in the foreground and these might better be the more refined varieties.
• Think of sequence in bloom. By choosing varieties carefully, flowers can last the entire season in an outdoor living room.
• Use showy-leaved varieties in limited number only, if at all, and place them only where accent is needed. Remember the function of the shrub is to contribute to the beauty of our outdoor living room as a whole.
• Do not overlook the ornamental value of fruits. Many shrubs have berries that are more ornamental than their flowers; as an added bonus, the berries attract birds.
• Consider each shrub for its habit. Is it upright or graceful, dense or open in growth? There is a proper place for each.
No matter whether your outdoor living room wall is an informal border or a clipped hedge and made up of one type or all types of plant materials, the following factors are exceedingly important:
• Consider soil and exposure. Some plants do not thrive in poor dry soils. If we have poor soil or difficult exposure, select varieties that are recommended to grow under similar conditions. Use only varieties that are hardy and can be counted upon to produce the expected results.
• Consider sun and shade in your outdoor living room. Certain varieties will grow well in shade while others do not. Use only shade lovers in shady places.
While the modern nursery is a veritable storehouse of plant materials that offers an endless choice of suitable plants for the informal border, any nurseryman will tell us that only a certain few varieties make the best hedges and these vary for different sections of the country. Consequently, hedge plants need to be selected with special care to get just the right plant for our particular purpose in the outdoor living room.