Reasons to Plant Evergreen Trees in your Yard

Evergreen trees are extremely valuable in your yard. Evergreen means that the plant retains its foliage all year long. Even in the smallest areas they can help to prevent a look of bareness in the winter months. They also make a great windbreaks and shelters for small animals and birds that live in your yard. You can plant evergreens in early spring and also safely in late August and in September. You can also transplant evergreens in these same seasons. You do not want to transplant an evergreen unless it is at least three to four feet in height. Try to select evergreens that are best suited for your yard and your landscaping theme.

Dwarf and miniature landscape evergreens are an excellent choice for home landscaping projects. Very little trimming is needed for miniature or dwarf evergreens. They fit into today's more compact yards easily and they can be combined in their own endless mix of color and texture. There are enough cultivars available now that a person could have a bed of all dwarf blue conifers or all gold. Dwarf conifers are the ideal choice to use in a bed that will be seen from inside your home. They are also ideal to use as foundation plantings if acquired at a large enough size to be seen. While the dwarf evergreens start out very small and slow they won't usually overgrow their allotted space.

Unlike annuals or perennials, landscape evergreens will be there for you year round. As your shrubs and trees grow and become established they will need very little maintenance. They provide shade that inhibits the growth of weeds. In spring the colorful new growth on evergreen trees and evergreen shrubs is a delight. Often a lighter shade of color the new growth lends a bi-tone effect to plants. As new growth hardens off the shrubs become one solid color again, except for those that are actually bi-tones like the Snowtip Cedar. In the summer and the fall the dark green conifers are a lush backdrop for bright colored annuals and perennials. And what would winter be without a dusting of snow shown off on a rich green backdrop of evergreen shapes? This makes for a beautiful family Christmas picture in front of the snow topped evergreens.

Tall and narrow evergreen trees like Pyramidal Arborvitaes and Hetz Junipers add height and drama to the landscape. Use these next to a tall, two or more stories, building. In the yard and garden use them as a dramatic accent when you want a sweeping up toward the sky effect. They can also be effective in screening utility poles from view. Large evergreen trees like Native Spruce, Hemlock, Pine and Fir are best kept at a slight distance from buildings. Pruning such evergreen trees while still young will cause them to become chubbier and thicker growing. Use them to block unsightly views, as windbreaks, large hedges and noise blockers. Large evergreen trees create an atmosphere of calm. Having a group of evergreen trees in the yard is like having a group of friends always there waiting for your return.

Broad growing evergreen trees such as Techney and Nigra Arborvitaes, mid size Junipers, Muhgo Pines and Capitata Yews are quite versatile. They can all be used as specimen plants alone or in groupings. They make fine hedge stock. All can be used as foundation plantings around fairly large buildings. Any except the Muhgo Pine would be a good choice to hide service meters or screen from view any number of distracting items that might be eye sores in your yard.

Dwarf and Intermediate evergreen shrubs are excellent used as foundation plantings. Most of the dwarf and Intermediate evergreens are compact and dense growing. They fit well as accents in perennial gardens. Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Emerald Green Arborvitae and Holmstrup Arborvitae are often used in this way. There are several very compact growing Arborvitae and Chamacyparis that can be used as tiny specimen and hedges in and around the perennial garden. Hetz and Little Giant Cedar grow two and three feet tall. Their natural round shape and size adds a touch of whimsy to flower and evergreen shrub gardens.

Evergreen trees and shrubs provide nesting for birds during the warm weather and protected roosting sites during the cold of winter. Evergreens come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and you should be able to find one or two suitable to any yard. Choose from any of the firs, spruces, pines, junipers, hemlocks, and hollies to make your yard look bright and beautiful all year long.