Your backyard patio was built for entertaining and your poolside patio has the elements of a fine resort. Don’t let uninvited guests ruin your plans.
The wrong landscaping can do more than just muck up your pool or create a cleanup on your patio. Trees with fast-growing, shallow roots can tear up your paving, walls and fountains, while brittle branches can crush your trellis or fence.
When planning landscaping in your backyard to complement your hardscaping consider the following criteria:
- Determine your space. The spot must have enough room for the tree to expand its canopy and stretch out its roots.
- Evaluate its purpose. Are you looking for shade for your patio? Are you looking for privacy for your pool? Do you want a tree that doesn’t drop its leaves or fruit?
- Test your soil. Make sure you have the right environment for your selected trees so their roots don’t root around for nutrients.
- Envision your plan fully grown. Make sure you aren’t planning your design without room to grow.
Here are some hardscape-friendly trees for your Baltimore County home.
Green Giant Arborvitae
This fast-growing evergreen is a great choice for privacy in your backyard. It is hardy and tolerates most any social and can work great together as a “green” green privacy fence.
Sugar Maple
If you are looking to shade your patio and add interest and color in the fall, the Sugar Maple is a great option. It grows up to 75 feet and has a spreading canopy. This tree needs room to expand so make sure you have the yard size to accommodate it.
Dogwood
This tree is popular because of it beauty all year long. It is flowering in the spring and offers a nice red foliage in the fall. This would not be ideal near the pool as it drops its blossoms and leaves and would make pool cleanup an issue.
American Holly
This gorgeous tree offers something year-round. Its small white spring blooms turn to red berries add interest to your backyard all winter.
American Beech
The only beech tree found in North America, the beech tree is slow growing but can reach heights up to 80 feet. It has a smooth trunk and does well in shaded regions. Care must be taken for location of planting as the root system is shallow and wide spreading.
Japanese Maple
This popular scarlet-red maple will grow in shard or sun and its shape and coloring is great near your patio. It come in dwarf size as well.
Here are some trees to avoid planting near a house or hardscape:
- Oak
- Weeping willow
- Poplar
- White Ash
- American Elm
You can find the best trees and shrubs to plan in your area at the Arbor Day Foundation. Check out this interactive tool to find out what gardening zone you are in.
At Lerch Brothers Landscape Contractors we can help make your landscape vision a reality. From architectural planning to examining materials to project completion, Lerch Brothers is committed to cultivating artfully crafted and beautifully designed spaces you will enjoy for a lifetime