From decorative trees such as evergreens, that just sit there and don't drop their leaves in fall, to fruit trees which can provide you with apples or cherries in season, the choices of trees for your landscape are endless.
A lush green lawn is one of the joys of a backyard - providing plenty of room for children to play tag or catch, for those with a green thumb to indulge in their passion for gardening. And then there's the people who simply like to sit on the patio and enjoy the beautiful landscape that has been created for them by others.
But whatever your landscape looks like, it has to be maintained, and one of the most time consuming tasks in caring for a front or back lawn is mowing. Unless you obtain a robot mower that does everything on its own (available now, these mowers cost more than the average homeowner cares to spend.)
One way to cut the maintenance time of mowing your lawn...is to reduce the size of the mowing area by breaking up the lawn with additions of flower beds, vegetable beds, herb gardens and trees.
If you currently have no trees in your lawn, and want to add some - not only to cut down on your mowing time but also because you think they might look quite attractive in your landscape - there are a few things you need to consider. First, just as you need to mow your lawn regularly every summer, come the fall - do you want to spend the first three weeks of the season constantly raking fallen leaves?
You will not be planting tree seeds, of course, but rather saplings that have already grown for a couple of years. These saplings can either be of decorative trees or fruit trees - each one requiring its own particular type of care.
Plant To A Plan
Once you've decided on what type(s) of trees you want to get, you'll know if they need a lot of sunlight, or only a little sunlight. Then you must decide where to put them in your yard. If you want trees that require a lot of sun - there's no point in planting them in an area that doesn't get enough sun.
Don't plant any trees within ten feet of your home. The root system can grow into your basement, for example, and during wind storms broken branches can damage your roof. (Once the tree grows that high, of course!) And never plant near overhead power lines.
On the other hand, don't plant trees too close to your sidewalks. Kids like to climb on trees - and if they fall off and break an arm it will be you who is liable, regardless of how many times you told those same kids not to climb on your trees.
Call Before You Dig
One you've decided where your trees need to be planted for the appropriate amount of sunlight, and for the appropriate type of soil and drainage - you must call your local utility company to find out if there are any power lines running through your property. Indeed, in most cases it is the law that you must do so.
By: Mr.Andrew Caxton -