Trees can indeed be high maintenance, particularly when grown in a garden, requiring frequent care and precise pruning to maintain both their health and aesthetic appeal. However, the situation shifts favorably when considering low-maintenance shrubs. These resilient plants not only enhance the beauty of your landscape but also thrive with minimal intervention.
If you’re seeking a more convenient way to surround yourself with greenery, consider contacting a company specializing in Tree Removal services to clear your garden space. In its place, opt for planting low-maintenance shrubs like dwarf spirea, potentilla, or barberry.
These hardy shrubs not only introduce a burst of color and texture to your garden but also necessitate less attention compared to their high-maintenance tree counterparts. By making this thoughtful choice, you can strike a harmonious balance between a visually appealing landscape and a garden that demands less ongoing maintenance.
Essentially, shrubs offer many benefits and very few chores, which is part of why they’re a great option for low-maintenance landscaping. But all shrubs are different, and it’s important to know which ones you can prune extensively and which ones require minimal maintenance.
Every garden owner knows that pruning is an important and necessary step in caring for your plants, shrubs, and trees. They can either get this job done by local landscaping professionals, or take up the task themselves.
Opting for the first choice often guarantees impeccable service with a near-zero margin for error. Professional landscapers are often known for possessing the expertise and experience to execute tasks such as tending to plantings flawlessly. However, individuals who are more inclined toward the second option should have great skills in this forte as pruning shrubs requires careful attention to avoid inadvertently damaging the plants during the process.
Such people should also be aware that not all plants are pruned the same way. Some need to stay full and bushy, while some need to stay low to the ground. So, how do you know which plants need to be pruned and which can go without pruning?
Deutzia
You’ll know it is time to prune your shrubs when they are growing too tall, when they’re blocking windows or doors or if you need them to improve air circulation. However, some shrubs don’t require much attention. Deutzia is one of those shrubs. The dwarf shrub is resistant to diseases, pests, and even drought, making it a great choice for low-maintenance landscaping. It has good resistance to both disease (especially rust and powdery mildew) as well as pests, like aphids, scale, and mealybugs.
Witch hazel
The witch hazel shrub, Hamamelis virginiana, is a shrub that generally grows wild in North America. It has been used for thousands of years for all kinds of medical purposes. It is probably the only plant scientifically proven to improve skin health-or at least that’s what researchers at the University of Vermont found. The shrub’s leaves have been studied extensively and have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, rejuvenating, and healing properties.
Spirea
Spirea is a broadleaf shrub, meaning it has been left on the small side. These small leaves don’t show much damage during cold winters but may discolour and turn brown in the summer. This shrub does best in soils that are moderately moist and well-drained, but as with most shrubs, pruning is important. Spirea needs pruning to encourage new growth and to maintain its size, shape, and appearance.
Sasaella pygmaea
Sasaella pygmaea commonly known as “mini bamboo, is one of the common plants in many homes. These plants should be pruned in the early spring before new growth begins. A shrub should be pruned selectively, removing dead or diseased branches and reshaping them as necessary. This will help keep the shrub healthy and looking its best. Furthermore, if maintaining your mini bamboo turns challenging for you, you can apply the services of a bamboo new jersey maintenance company (or a similar company nearby) to help contain the growth of the plant.
Forsythia
Forsythia (forsythia) is a deciduous woody shrub native to the northern hemisphere and is a great addition to any yard. Like many other shrubs, Forsythia grows best with regular maintenance, like pruning. But unlike other shrubs, it is not very susceptible to pests and diseases. It has the ability to tolerate low temperatures and poor soils, making it a good choice for zones 4-9. Its flowers come in a range of pink, white, purple, and red, and the leaves are usually dark green.
Summersweet
Summertime is the ideal time to plant a shrub. Not only do you get to enjoy its beautiful flowers, leaves, berries, and fruit, but if the plant is pruned correctly, it can continue to provide colourful interest well into the future. Summersweet is a fabulous shrub for borders and along pathways, and since it flowers all summer long, it can easily keep up with foot traffic. And unlike other shrubs, you don’t have to prune it frequently, if at all. In fact, Summersweet can be pruned annually, only if necessary.
Ninebark
Ninebark (or sometimes spelt ninebark) is a medium-sized deciduous shrub or small tree, usually growing to 10 to 15 feet in height with a spread of around 20 to 30 feet, but can grow larger in warmer climates. It is native to the eastern half of the United States and is the only species in the genus Neisseria. The native range extends from southeastern Quebec and Ontario to Florida, west to Missouri, north to Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin, and south to Texas.
Potentilla
Potentilla is a fabulous shrub, but it gets a bad rap. Many people think it’s best to prune Potentilla back hard in winter, so they plant it at the wrong time of year, and then they say it doesn’t look good. But that’s easy to do. Prune almost anything hard, and it won’t bloom well, and that’s likely why Potentilla gets a bad rap. But, if you’re patient, you can plant it at the right time of year, in the right location, and watch it grow and bloom.
Weigela
Weigela (Sambucus nigra), or Black Elderberry, is a shrub that grows small, round, leathery leaves. The colour of the leaves may range from green to dark purple, depending on the variety. The flower clusters may appear white, pink, pink, blue, or lavender. Black Elderberry grows to a height of 2 to 3 feet, with an equal spread. The shrub does well in full sun or partial shade and is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9.
Shrubs are popular landscaping plants because they’re easy to care for, provide year-round interest, and require low watering. Many shrubs are small enough to plant along a pathway, border a yard, or as informal hedges. Some are especially attractive when grown in groups, such as the shrub palette known as hedging.
