Transform Your Landscape or Garden: 7 Lesser-Known Tips

The right tree in the right spot elevates an ordinary patch of earth into a serene sanctuary, adding shade, beauty, and a tangible connection to your space. But incorporating trees into landscaping and garden design requires careful planning and ongoing maintenance to help transform your garden or landscape.

Below are seven lesser-known tips for adding trees to your space effectively.

1. Embrace multi-stemmed and clumping forms: Instead of always choosing single-trunk trees, consider multi-stemmed or clumping varieties. These forms provide unique sculptural interest and a softer, more natural look. They also often allow better light filtration under their canopy, which supports more diverse underplanting.  
2. Integrate trees with hardscaping: You could, for example, design a deck around an existing tree, create a custom bench encircling a trunk, or use permeable pavers around the root zone to allow for growth while providing a solid surface. This technique blurs the line between built and natural elements.
3. Think “winter bones” and bark interest: Varieties with striking bark or compelling branch structures become living sculptures in the colder months, providing year-round appeal when other plants are dormant.
4. Create “outdoor rooms” with tree canopies: Use the canopy of trees to define distinct outdoor “rooms.” A large shade tree can create a natural ceiling for an outdoor dining area, a quiet reading nook, a children’s play space, and a sense of intimacy and comfort that walls can’t replicate.
5. Consider edible or productive trees: Beyond traditional ornamentals, integrate fruit, nut, or edible-berry trees. This adds a functional element, promotes local food production, and introduces a different seasonal interest. Espaliered fruit trees against a wall are a beautiful and space-saving example.

Finally, think beyond your immediate enjoyment when planting trees in your yard or garden. Choose healthy trees that mature beautifully and become a legacy for future owners.

For more help with planting trees in landscaping and garden design, see our blog post on the subject here.