Plant & Tree Choices For Intermediate Gardening

Landscaping Equipment used to install plants and trees provide the crowning achievement for any intermediate gardener taking their skills to the next level. There is much to choose from in plant selection, too, as landscape shrubs and plants come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors, and blooming patterns. Contributing to the effect of any well planned garden space is variety, drawing the eye from low-growing ground cover to mid-size flowering shrubs, trees and ultimately, larger shade trees for dramatic effect. The intermediate gardener will already have a storehouse of gardening equipment to work with, although you may want to purchase additional landscaping tools as required.

Variety Is Key

As suggested above, selecting a wide variety of plants, shrubs and trees is ideal for creating an interesting color and texture palette for your yard. For example, deciduous or evergreen ground cover provides a sweeping expanse near and far, often with color if using items like lirope spicata. So, too, do small flowering plants such as tulips, crocus, hyacinth and daffodils provide lively color, not to mention, breathtaking fragrance.

Ideally, you will want to vary annuals with perennials, depending on growing cycles and seasons for your particular area. Before beginning any landscape design, it is important to know your ‘hardiness zone,’ which indicates what plants grow best in what geographic location.

Light And Shade

Besides geographic concerns, an integral element of any landscaping equipment inventory is a book listing light and shade plants in various sizes. For example, the hosta plant loves shade and with its variegated leaves, accents lower groundcover impatiens, also a shade worshiper. Together, the two set off any garden nicely.

Mixing It Up

American holly, ferns and daffodils can provide a vibrant color and texture sweep for your yard. From the happy yellow of daffodils to the lushness of ferns, all balanced by the sturdy red berries of the intermediate height evergreen tree will offset azaleas and rhododendrons on the opposite side of the yard.

Of course, it is important to choose what plants are preferable to your tastes, from the infinite combinations that exist. Besides seasonal, geographical and color, understanding a plant, shrub or tree’s physical characteristics is essential to placement in your yard as well. Another thing to consider is trees are not easily moved so you may want to select plants and shrubs you like and arrange them around existing trees, though many people still plant larger trees in new locations.

Trees

When adding trees, you may need to purchase special landscaping equipment such as a Hole Digger and Auger by General Equipment. Hole Diggers come in either a 1-man or 2-man option, with the 2-man diggers providing a greater circumference for larger trees. Small ornamental trees such as the dogwood or crape myrtle offer a lovely flowering cycle and would require only a 1-man Hole Digger. Medium and large trees will require the 2-man digger when planting, say, a Bradford Pear, Sugar Maple or Oak.