Uses and Types of Landscape Shrubs
1 To Create Privacy
You can plant shrubs as a “living fence” to shield unsightly views, provide a visual and sound barrier from the road or your neighbours, or create a private retreat in your yard. Choose evergreen shrubs for a year-round barrier, flowering shrubs for colour and fragrance, or a combination of the two.
2 To Provide All-season Interest
Selecting a variety of shrubs that flower at different times, produce attractive fruit, have colourful fall foliage and are evergreen (or have attractive bark) means you'll have something to enjoy year-round.
3 To Provide a Focal Point
By planting shrubs of different shapes and heights, you'll add a new dimension to your garden canvas. Whether they're flanking an entrance or anchoring a perennial bed, shrubs complement structures and provide a visual focus to gardens.
4 To Save on Heating and Cooling
Cut back on heating costs by planting evergreen shrubs to break prevailing cold winds, which usually come from the north or northwest. In the summer, tall shrubs that shade south-facing windows, walls and air conditioners can reduce electricity used for cooling.
5 To Add Texture and Form
There's an enormous variety of shrubs to choose from: tall and narrow or short and stout; evergreen or deciduous; needled or broad-leaved; big flowers, small flowers or no flowers; fragrant or unscented; pruned to a formal hedge or allowed to sprawl. Whether you prefer a formal look or a more free-form garden, there are shrubs to suit your style.
6 To Increase Curb Appeal
Attractive landscaping can increase the value of a home by thousands of dollars, and shrubs are an economical and low-maintenance choice for improving the look of your landscape.
7 To Attract Outdoor Guests
Shrubs provide nesting sites and shelter for songbirds and other garden denizens, and fruiting shrubs provide winter food for birds.