Many times we buy plants on impulse then find there is nowhere in the garden that really suits them. Before buying plants carefully examine your garden to see how much sun and shade it gets, whether the soil is well drained or waterlogged and whether your aspect is sheltered or windswept.

You’ll then be equipped to go and buy the best plants for your situation; shade-loving plants for the sheltered areas, sun-lovers for the warm spots, drought-resistant plants for the parched areas which may be either sunny or shaded, and swamp plants for the poorly-drained parts.

But wait! Test your soil first, to determine the pH level of your soil and what kind of nutrients you need to add, if any. Is the soil acid or alkaline? Most plants prefer soil that is slightly acidic, but there are some that must have alkaline soil to grow. You can alter the soil’s pH level, but it’s much easier to simply plant for the soil you have.

Now you are ready to plant. Well – almost. Will you plant in groups or singly? If you buy ‘one of everything’ your garden may seem rather spotty. Group plantings are organised, harmonious and you can vary the color for interest.

If you think of a tree house, you would probably think a small boxy wooden abomination dangerously secured high up in the only large tree in the garden. If you wanted to get creative, you could give it a door, maybe some carpet, perhaps a TV even? But since it will probably just get trashed by the kids and abandoned, why bother?

So it’s not every day that someone rinses 3.5 million pounds on one, imagine how many rope ladders and trap doors you could get for that! With that much money you could build a giant, five storey, elevated mansion suspended across plenty of trees. Well guess what, the Duchess of Northumberland commissioned a fantasy just like that to be built in the grounds of Alnwick Gardens which is used in the filming of Harry Potter.

Spreading across 6,000 sq ft with 4,000 sq ft of walkways and bridges, the gigantic treehouse is suspended 56 feet in the air. They have also found space for a 120-seat restaurant, three conference rooms, several classrooms, a cafe and countless turrets. It even has, worriedly, an open fireplace

If you know anything about landscaping and landscape design, then you are aware that evergreens (bushes or trees that don’t drop their leaves or needles) are the foundation of proper form and function. But what evergreens are the best for the typical home landscape and are they high or low maintenance?

So as you make your plan, think about these evergreen plants in your design.

Evergreen Yews

These guys are extremely over-planted in my opinion but they still are good for any landscape. When I refer to them being over planted I mean that pretty much every landscape from Chicago to Atlanta is anchored with them. They have dark green foliage and the new growth is neon colored. They have very little issues with insects or disease and will live for 80 years if cared for properly. They can also take a heavy shearing year after year with no visible effects on health.

Arbovitae

Since ours in an age when sadly, most of us simply do not have the time necessary to properly care for a tree which needs tending, you may have noticed a growing number of artificial trees about. You havent you say? Thats probably because newer artificial trees are just so realistic that you may not have even noticed that the tree you were admitting was in fact artificial! In fact, a lot of artificial trees produced currently incorporate real bark and other wooden elements for added realism. They are created by expert craftsmen and look simply amazing.

These trees are so life-like that they are the next best thing to nature itself and will attract birds and butterflies to visit amidst their leafy canopies and branches. Much of the popularity of these trees is undoubtedly due to the ease of care and the low maintenance that they require. Instead of fertilizing, watering, trimming, and providing adequate sunlight, you can bring the look of tropical splendor to any indoor space with only a bit of dusting needed on occasion, to sustain the look.

Any corrective pruning should be finished in February. Remember to paint all wounds over one inch in diameter with a pliable water-proof paint. This prevents drying out and checking of the wood and resultant decay and also prevents the entrance of disease or insects.

Do not prune the early flowering shrubs such as forsythia, lilac, spirea, quince, currant, red bud, peach, etc., until after flowering as any material removed now will reduce the number of flowers. Prune these after flowering to encourage new growth for blooms next year.

This is the month to do shearing or pruning of evergreens as they are usually unsightly after this operation, but with the beginning of new growth, they are unsightly for a shorter period of time. Prune the flowering shrubs that bear their blooms on new wood like althea, vitex, crape myrtle, and buddleia – this will stimulate flower production.

Whatever pruning you do, especially on your shade grapes trees, be sure you know what you are doing or call a recognized tree surgeon. Do not butcher your trees or allow inexperienced “tree surgeons” to do so. Irreparable damage can be done and often results in the death of the tree.