1. How to landscape without doing anything at all

Start with a basic check on your property by asking yourself some very basic questions:

(a) What do you want to keep? The things you really love are excellent landscape content. They’re meaningful parts of your idea. You can literally design your whole landscape around these priceless features. These highly valued things are also good quality control, and will assist in your landscape design concept.

(b) What doesn’t need doing? This question alone will pay for your swimming pool. There’s a tendency to slash and burn in DIY landscaping, based on the theory that everything must be landscaped “on principle”. Wrong. A nice bit of lawn or a little tree can easily be incorporated into a good landscape design. The amount of unnecessary work also blows out your time frames, costs and patience, not always in that order.

2. Planning your landscape concept

The classic mistake of home landscaping is to work without a real vision for the concept. This can lead to a lot of hard work and problems when landscaping ideas clash with each other. A fountain may be planned with no idea of how to ensure the water supply because there’s now a miniature forest planted where the pipes need to go.

The best option is to start with a general concept. What do you want to include in your landscape? You’ve already got the things you want to keep, so use them as a basis for your design.

For example:

The beautiful tree you’re keeping needs a birdbath and a rockery with roses?
• How about a reflecting pool to go with the birdbath?
• A little round the garden path, following the features?

You’ve already got half your plan, and some leads for the rest.

3. The more thought, the better your design.

The key to the most beautiful landscapes is content, not masochism. The fabulous landscaping you see in the big lifestyle magazines is quality based design. Some of them are big places, but you’ll notice the landscapes are all simply and well laid out at their basic design levels.

4. The “How” factor

Always ask “how” you’re going to do your landscaping. If a feature looks costly or difficult, check your options before you spend a single cent. There’s always a way of achieving what you want, and it should be simple, cheap, and easy. If it’s not, keep looking.

Professional landscapers use the simplest, most cost-effective designs and construction methods. That’s why landscaping is one of the highest paid of all professions. It’s so good you can start picking your pool pump while you’re planning your own personal paradise.

1.Shrink Your Lawn

Those expanses of green turf take an enormous amount of resources. Eliminate some of your lawn and create a more natural landscape. You’ll ultimately use less water and reduce chemical use and save some money too. As well, you’ll do less mowing and raking.

2.Gather Rain Water

Harvesting rain water in barrels helps to conserve water and save money. Rain water is soft and pure and requires no treatment. You can use it to water your garden, your houseplants or even wash your hair with it.

3.Use Mulch

Mulched beds improve the appearance of any landscape. But more than importantly, mulch protects the plants’ root systems and adds nutrients to the soil. Mulch slows soil erosion, retains moisture and helps to prevent weeds. You’ll spend less time weeding and watering your garden and more time enjoying it.

4.Compost, Compost, Compost

Composting organic kitchen and garden waste produces rich humus and improves the soil. By composting you reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill sites, thus reducing greenhouse gases. You also save money on chemical fertilizers.

5.Choose Native Plants

Native plants are better able to withstand drought conditions and poor soil. They are also better able to resist pests and diseases, thus reducing the need for harmful chemicals.

6.Attract Pollinators to Your Yard

By growing a variety of plants you increase the number of different wildlife species that are attracted to your garden. Insects, bees, birds and bats contribute to a healthy ecosystem by transporting pollen from one plant to another during fertilization.

7.Plant Shade Trees

Planting deciduous shade trees near your house will help cut your air conditioning bills in summer. In the fall deciduous trees drop their leaves allowing more sun to shine into your home and so help to reduce heating costs. But, trees deliver more than cost savings; they are important carbon sinks and help to reduce global climate change.

8.Plant Edible Ornamentals

You can produce a beautiful landscape as well as tasty food for the table by integrating edible plants into your garden. For example, runner beans, ruby chard, globe artichokes, nasturtiums and garlic chives blend happily with purely ornamental plants.

9.Use Local Materials

Rather than using exotic materials trucked in great distances for your landscaping projects, consider using stone, salvageable concrete, used bricks, and other recyclable materials found locally.

10.Choose Alternatives to Power Equipment

Instead of a power lawn mower consider using a push mower. Instead of a string weed trimmer use hand shears, a scythe or a hoe. Instead of a gas blower for leaves, use a rake or broom, or better still allow leaves to remain in place to decompose and add nutrients to the soil. Instead of a lawn, think about creating a meadow.

Curb appeal is not just about turrets or colonnades adorning your home’s exterior; it’s about flaunting what you’ve got. For those of us who didn’t inherit a Frank Lloyd Wright, we have the tips and tricks to give your facade architectural dimension without the architect. Our trick? The powers of paint. Here are suggestions about how to fix up a facade of your home with a fresh coat of paint. Whether you have a bland box structure or intricate detail that deserves attention, this information will help make your home the gem on the block.

How Can I…

Make my house facade more interesting?

If you want to make your home look more visually stimulating, start with painting shutters, doors, flower boxes and porch furniture. When choosing your accent color, make sure to pick one with a mixed hue, like a navy or green with black overtones—the color will change throughout the day, and add a sense of mystery and intrigue. You can make the house really reflect your personality by using colors that change from whimsical to sophisticated all in the span of 24 hours.

Downplay my front-facing garage?

Shift the visual focus. Direct the eye away from dominating garages by painting doors and exterior accents on the opposite side of the house with strong colors. If you have very large garage doors, consider painting them a lighter or darker variant of the main color of your house. This will make the doors look interesting but keep them from dominating the front façade. Remember when confronting this problem, that you ultimately want a house that says, “An interesting person lives here”—not one that says, “Three cars live here.”

Make small windows appear larger?

Make small windows appear larger by painting the window trim a light color to increase the feeling of light. Opt for a color that will contrast from the main body color of your house. Essentially, windows are “the sparkle in the eyes” of every home. People really relate to windows, so it is important to maximize their appearance.

Stand out behind the growth of our landscaping?

To overpower your fauna—instead of letting it overpower you—look for colors that will pop against the natural landscaping (i.e. no shades of green). Gratefully, most colors will complement most landscaping. As a side note, landscaping can be a great way to balance the front of the home or even cover up clumsy architecture.

Manipulate the size?

When painting your home, take into consideration that lighter hues will make a home feel larger, while darker hues downplay a home’s dimensions. For example, is your home too tall? If so, pick a body color in two different shades—the darker for the bottom, and the lighter for the upper level. The darker color will ground the home, giving your home a sense of solidity. The lighter color will pick up where the dark one left off, adding a lightness to the overall look and feel.

Bring it all together?

The last thing you want is a home that has colors that are all over the place. To bring everything together, start with the elements you know you won’t be changing (your roofing, brick, stonework, awnings, and landscaping). Then tackle the issue of selecting the color you will be using the most of (usually, this would be the body color, but on a brick home, it would be the trim). Next, based on intuition and your previously considered criteria, choose your accent colors. Following a distinct process like this will keep you from choosing unharmonious paints.

Written by James Martin

When putting a house up for sale, one of the most important factors you should consider is your home’s exterior as this is the first step to draw potential buyers. It’s what is known as curb appeal. Here are some changes that will make your home more attractive and functional, and they’re also the ones that will give you the most impact for your resources.

First, create an inviting walkway for your guests and potential buyers. Lay bluestone or any other type of slate over the typical concrete steps or walkways to add warmth to an otherwise cold entry.

Replace old columns

Most front porches have columns that are visually too small to support the roofs. Replace all columns that are 4″x4″ with larger ones. It will look and feel better if you do.

Change out your light fixtures

For some reason, porch lights are often hung at the wrong height and are not in good scale with the entry. When hanging sconces, put them a bit higher than your eye level to reduce glare. For those of you with unusually high entryways, try independent lights. It’s an easy way to add elegance to your home.

Consider replacing the front door and windows

Make sure your entry door does not clash with the style of your home. If you have an arts and crafts bungalow, stick with a door appropriate to that style. If you have a contemporary home, your door should be contemporary. Don’t get caught up in the fads of the time. Consider, too, the style of the interior. This is also true of windows.

Replace your windows

If you have an older home, it will probably benefit greatly from the energy saved with new windows. Keep the style of the windows the same as the home’s architecture for the best outcome. Replacement windows are less expensive because they are made to sit inside the present frame. Most window companies can replace the windows in this manner in a single day.

Add dormers

Dormers break up a large growth expanse and provide depth and balance to the front of the home.

If repairing or redoing stucco, consider getting some of the foam core crown molding made for exteriors. A little goes a long way to dress up your home. You have your stucco man cover right over the crown molding for a plush look.

Add or replace shutters

Make sure your shutters are not too small for the window. They technically should be wide enough to cover the window opening when closed. Mount operable shutters slightly away from the home. Shutters will provide a decorative element that further defines the character of your home and gives it a custom look.

Add flower boxes to windows

Flower boxes help add color to a home’s exterior and make the windows appear taller from the street.

Replace older shrubbery that has grown too large for your home. If you want to make your home appear taller, use smaller shrubs. Watch out for shrubs that are overgrown as they can easily “swallow up” a small home.

Landscape all the way out to the street

For goodness sake, understand that the days of a straight hedge at the front wall of the house to the street are over. The same goes for lawn that stretches from the home to the street with practically nothing of interest. Remember that the exterior decor should utilize focal points and group your plants together. Don’t string them out, soldier fashion, along the front of your house or the sidewalk leaving the in between areas bare or endless grass.

Exterior lighting is important

Exterior lighting can warm the look of a home without creating distinct points of light. Where space is limited, well-placed exterior lighting can replace pendants or sconces at the entryways. The home will be further enhanced if the materials and lighting are of the same style as the home.

Improve your driveway and make it more appealing

Use saw cut, apron pavers or stamped concrete in place of regular concrete for the driveway itself. Try changing the location of the driveway so that it sweeps across the front yard, but is still functional. You want the view from the driveway to be of the home instead of the garage door.

To disguise the garage door, build a 2 ft. trellis or arbor with vines over the garage; it will give the garage a softer cottage look and feel.

For a side entry garage, plant evergreen trees to hide the turn around area next to the garage, putting the focus on the front of the house.

Frame a doorway with plants

Try using boxwoods, steeds holly, dwarf Alberta spruce, smaller holly trees or arborvitae. Potted plants can be moved around and taken with you when you move away.

Plant the right things in the right places

If low sunlight is a problem, don’t fight it. Low maintenance plants that can grow with little sunlight are azaleas, dwarfs and regular mondo grass, weeping Japanese maples, autumn ferns and hydrangeas. Your nursery can guide you on the varying needs of sunlight and water for each plant you buy.

For big results, think small

Trench the edges of your flower beds to create smooth sweeping lines. Freshen your mulch or pine straw. Get your lawn on a regular fertilizer program.

Simple low voltage lighting at entry points and specimen trees can add a lot of flair to the yard. Highlight and accentuate entryways with annuals.

Keep it simple

Don’t confuse guests. Have a clear and defined path from a parking area to the home’s entrance. Create paths out of stone or other materials that complement the house.

Study the color palette of your home

Determine the most complementary color for both body and trim of your home. Some houses look better with muted color schemes rather than the standard white trim. Consider an off white trim with a complementary color for the body of the house. I just passed a home with a white garage door, some white trim here and there, a fairly dark olive green body and a large black front door. The shutters on the windows and window trim was also black. Very stunning and quite unique.

Assess your roofs

Asphalt roofs look best in either black or slate gray. For more informal homes, pressure treated cedar shake roofs have wonderful color and texture. Slate roofs give a premium look to any home. Raised-seam metal roofs are a great option for homes that seek to achieve a distinctive older look.

Enhance the trim

Add wood pediments over the windows or over the front door. There are several sources for ready-made trim that is designed for standard sized openings.

Upgrade your door’s hardware

Go to premium hardware companies and look at the options for door latches. Georgian-style homes should have polished brass fixtures, while country French and many cottage-style homes can use fixtures with darker finishes, such as oil-rubbed bronze or pewter gray.

Do your research

For older houses, look for lighting fixtures that look like old carriage lanterns or gas lanterns. Finishes should be black or aged copper. For an extra special look, replace the glass with seedy glass and use lower wattage bulbs. If you have a larger budget, consider installing a gas line to make the fixture a real gas lantern.

Avoid clutter

Stay away from helter-skelter objects in your yard. Pick a focal point or two for the art and leave the rest to more clean and understated design.

Think about function

If you want to use your yard for entertaining or just lazy days sipping sweet tea, make sure you have nice, clean seating and an easy to grow garden.

Keep it clean

Periodic pressure washing will remove molten debris off siding, decks, driveways and walkways leaving a pristine facade on your home

Add planters

Put seasonal plants in pots that will spill over with color and make the front door a focal point.

Make it Low maintenance

Hardier plants will continue to look attractive in the colder months of the year, giving your yard year-round appeal.

Methods for increasing curb appeal

Curb appeal can be accomplished by any number of methods including the installation of exterior decorations, re-painting, extensive attention to the landscaping. Several television programs have been created to explore ways for homeowners and building contractors to increase the curb appeal of their properties for a more profitable sale.

What constitutes true “curb appeal”? While the term embraces everything between your front door and the street, it doesn’t take much to make dramatic style improvements, whether by adding flower boxes, sprucing up the mailbox, or constructing an elegant driveway.

With a little faith in your vision, and a few tips, you can transform a dowdy exterior to an inviting, welcoming entranceway.

Kousa Dogwood Trees (Japanese Dogwood Trees)

Japanese, or “kousa” dogwood trees (Cornus kousa) can be grown in zones 5-8. Their usually white, star-shaped blooms appear later in spring than do the flowers on other dogwoods. Fall foliage is purplish-red. The red berries of kousa dogwood trees persist into winter and are eaten by wild birds. Average height and spread of 15′-30′.

A variation is provided by the “Satomi” kousa dogwood tree (Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’), which bears deep pink blossoms in spring. Height 25′.

Flowering Dogwood Trees

Cornus florida is the indigenous flowering dogwood tree in the U.S., where it is commonly referred to simply as, “flowering dogwood tree,” as if there were no other. Such is the fondness for this fall foliage standout among landscaping enthusiasts in the U.S.

“Cherokee Chief” flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’) offer an impressive array of landscaping benefits. The lower branches of this “bird magnet” have a horizontal branching pattern, which in itself lends interest to the landscape. “Cherokee Chief” dogwoods grow to a height of 20′-25′ and a spread of 12′-15′. This dogwood tree puts out red blooms in spring, while its fall foliage ranges from reddish-bronze to purplish. Zones 5-9.

Economic turmoil and the declining value of houses has a lot of people worrying about their personal property values. We continue to experience uncertainty as we look at the current status of our country’s economic health. Instead of worrying and obsessing over what’s happening to property values, it’s time to take active steps towards improving value today and for the future.

Adding attractive landscapes and improving the curb appeal of property can enhance the property’s value overnight. It may not fetch the optimal asking price right now, but landscaping can be a valuable asset today and tomorrow. The great thing about landscaping is that a large space is not necessary to enhance property value. A small garden area or several small areas are just as good as one big open area.

How to Maximize Curb Appeal of Your Home

Curb appeal is what attracts visitors and potential buyers to your home. They are interested in what they see and the landscape makes a big difference in their opinions. When a home has attractive curb appeal, it draws visitors and potential buyers inside if a home is on the market. If the home is not for sale, the curb appeal still adds tremendous value to the home and creates a welcome message for visitors and family members. Either way, it’s a great way to enhance property values.

Some ways to optimize curb appeal for personal property include:

1. Aerate soil at least annually to allow fresh water and nutrients to reach deep down into the roots of your grass. You’ll have healthier, green grass.
   De-thatch the lawn to remove those dead grass clippings and other debris that create a barrier between thirsty roots and fresh water and oxygen from the air and sky above.
2. Don’t water too frequently. Instead, consider watering less frequently but allow the water to flow slowly for a longer period of time. This allows the roots to absorb the water better and leads to healthier growth.
3. Make sure to fertilize twice each year – in the spring and again in the fall. Depending on the geographic location and type of soil, there are different types of fertilizer from which to choose. Check with a local nursery, home and garden stores, home improvement store, or other experts to help determine the best type to use.
4. Assess the lawn and determine a plan for spots where grass refuses to thrive such as shady areas or places with lots of tree roots. Constantly replanting and working an area only to find the grass dead again is no fun. Instead of grass, consider other decorative types of plants, pots, or garden elements and avoid the hassles of stubborn spots.
5. Compost is a good product to help improve the nutrient levels in the soil and will help grass grow healthier and greener.

Once a plan is in place to prepare soil and the lawn for better curb appeal, it’s time to think about getting started with some plants and other things as points of interest.Consider the following tips for added curb appeal that also increases property value:

1. Plant trees where it makes sense – but not too close to the house. Over time, a tree can add tens of thousands of value to property! Although it may not seem very worthwhile today, young trees planted today will be extremely valuable in years to come.
2. Create focal points of interest that fit the size of the lawn. Don’t overdo it with over-bearing plants, hanging vines, and shrubbery. The focal points should always be appropriate for the space.
3. Use potted plants for variety and to spice up smaller areas of the lawn, or use them on porches, decks, steps, and other places throughout the yard. Plants nestled in mulch, wooded areas, or around steps and patios can be very attractive.
4. Consider plants that come back each year so you don’t have to replant. Then use them as the backdrop for annual plants and potted plants added to the area.
5. Don’t forget about the value of rocks, stones, pebbles, bricks, arbors, and other elements that add interest and can be used as a focal point in a small or large area. Stepping stones add a quaint, welcoming feel to most any yard.
6. Paths throughout a wooded area or around a yard can be quite inviting. They are alluring and add a sense of mystique and calm to an outdoor space.
7. Unique elements such as bird feeders, hummingbird feeders, wind chimes, ornamental garden statues, benches, and other things can heighten the welcoming effect of a home.

Bring the outdoors inside too – when it comes to curb appeal, make sure to take advantage of indoor spaces where gardens and lawns can be viewed. Create conversation spaces indoors around windows and areas that expose the outdoors and draw it inward.
Before deciding nothing can be done to improve curb appeal, increase property values, and enhance a home’s existence, take a look around at the landscape. Consider how small areas can be enhanced and create focal points that create a welcoming feeling to visitors. And don’t forget how valuable landscaping can be when it comes to helping reduce air pollution – contributing to the health of the environment.

Property values are an important part of owning a home – but enjoying a home today while living in it is just as important. Leverage curb appeal today for more home equity and increased property value tomorrow.

Living Fence

This is a great option that works well on small lots or large lots. A row of shrubs or bushes can serve as a great privacy divider, and this type of fence works well if you don’t want to have any maintenance beyond occasional pruning. While this fence does not work for pets, it does look nice and will help ramp up your curb appeal quite a lot. Look for colorful bushes, or if you want a year round fence, evergreen shrubs are a great solution.

PVC Fencing

This is quickly becoming a favorite alternative among many homeowners. PVC fencing can range in price, but it is generally cheaper than other materials. The maintenance level for this type of fencing is very low, and you won’t ever have to worry about painting it. Keep in mind however, that in extreme cold, PVC may crack on impact.

Wrought Iron Fence

If you’ve got a lot of money to spend and you’re looking for a great vintage feel to the outside of your home, a wrought iron fence is the perfect solution. These now come in many styles and colors and they are very easy to install. However, they may rust or corrode, depending on how well you take care of them.

Wooden Fence

A wooden fence is a cheap alternative, at least at first, but beware, there is a lot of maintenance involved with them. You’ll need to either paint or stain the boards right at first, and then redo it every few years. If you live in a particularly windy area or where inclement weather is common, you may even need to fix the fence every year.

Brick Fence

This is probably the most expensive fence you can get, but on the plus side, it will last for many years, if not decades. This is a great fence if you need a lot of privacy, but it will be labor intensive to install if you decide to do it on your own. Bricks can crumble, but generally, brick fences are durable, long lasting and guaranteed to look nice for a long time.

These are just a few of the options that are currently available for fencing. If you’re unsure of which material is right for you, let your budget and the amount of work you want to do on the fence be your guide.

Consider the landscape as if it were a living room. The floor would be formed by low-growing plants and ground-hugging constructions, like lawns and ground covers, patios and pavement. They form the base of any landscape. But what about the rest of the landscape, the walls and ceiling? That’s where trees, shrubs, and climbing plants come in.

Walls

Shrubs and vines, as well as related constructions such as fences, form the walls of the room. They help define its boundaries, separating your yard from your neighbor’s and one garden area from another. This is most obvious when plants are grown as a hedge, but even informal plantings of shrubs will help define bounds between various areas.

A simple cluster of shrubs, for example, can separate the children’s play area from a quiet rest area or the service area with its shed, garbage cans, and clothesline. Formal hedges, because of the obvious barrier they create, are most often used to define property lines.

Shrubs can also offer a screen for privacy, or they can block unsightly views. Deciduous shrubs are good choices for screening: They offer privacy during the summer months yet allow a maximum amount of winter sunlight to penetrate your yard at a season when light is at a premium. If the goal of the screen is to block an undesirable view, evergreens — both conifers and broad-leaf — are the plants of choice, since their cover is permanent. Taller shrubs can also be used as windbreaks or to create a bit of shade in an overly sunny spot.

Vines are used much like shrubs, except they must grow on some sort of support, such as a fence or trellis. A hedge may need many years to grow high enough to block a view. You can create the same effect in a year or two by planting a vining plant at the base of a fence. If you can’t put up an attractive fence, a simple chain-link one with vines planted at the base will offer security without being obtrusive.

Vines are also useful in places where space is lacking. Most shrubs quickly attain a diameter of three to five feet; this can seem a waste of space in a tiny urban yard. Vines grow vertically: Most cling so closely to their support that they take up only inches of horizontal space.
For security purposes, you might want your wall to be composed of plants with spiny leaves or branches. A fire thorn or barberry hedge, for example, can be as effective a barrier as a chain-link fence but far more attractive.

Ceilings

After the “floor” and “walls” have been taken care of, the outdoor living room needs a ceiling. Although the sky can serve as an outdoor ceiling, it can be too much of a good thing. The vastness of the sky keeps a garden from feeling intimate.
Trees block out part of the sky, defining the sky’s borders. Trees also contribute structure to the garden. Trunks and branches act as posts and beams to bring the sky down to a more human scale. For this management of the sky, trees have a purpose in every landscape, even the smallest one.

Trees have other uses as well. No other characteristic of trees is as obvious in the landscape as the shade they provide. Through their ability to filter sunlight and to cool the air through evapotranspiration, leaves can reduce the temperature by up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit on a hot summer day. Shade also protects from excess sun that can annoy your eyes and be dangerous for the skin. So every garden should have at least one shady nook. Some trees are known as “shade trees.” These are usually taller trees with a broad crown. Smaller trees can also provide plentiful shade, although you may prefer to remove some of the lower branches for sitting.

Putting It all Together

With the structure of your “living room” — floor, walls, and outdoor ceiling — now clearly defined by the lawns and woody plants it contains, you have the base on which to build your landscape. All you have left to add is the “furniture”: flower beds, accent plants, and the like.

Defining Woody Plants

Woody plants come in all shapes and sizes, from tall and upright to low and creeping. Aside from producing wood, these plants have one thing in common: persistent stems, meaning the stems survive from one year to the next. This distinguishes woody plants from herbaceous (nonwoody) plants like perennials, which die back to the ground each year. Although many woody plants lose their leaves in the winter or dry season, the stems survive and produce new leaves the following year. Trees, shrubs, and most vines are woody plants, but the boundaries between each group are not always clear.

Trees Versus Shrubs

Although most people recognize a tree when they see one, defining what does and does not constitute a tree is not easy. This is particularly the case when distinguishing between a tall shrub and a small tree.

One common definition of a tree is a perennial plant that bears only one single woody stem (the trunk) at ground level. Size is not a determining factor in this definition. A tree can reach 100 feet or more in height or only one foot for miniatures. In practice, however, a very small tree is likely to be treated as a shrub. Woody shrubs have several stems rising from ground level. Shrubs are also usually smaller, often 3 to 12 feet tall. There are many obvious exceptions, such as trees with multiple trunks that can be very hard to distinguish from tall shrubs. Other plants can be either trees or shrubs depending on how they are grown. These general definitions, however, do help to distinguish between the two groups.
Humans also influence plant growth by pruning and other practices. For example, a gardener may prune off all the secondary stems of a shrub, leaving one to three main trunks, thus creating a “standard” (tree-form shrub). A gardener may also repeatedly cut back young trees, forcing them to branch at their base, turning them into shrubs. Nature does the same thing. Some plants that normally grow as trees will take on a shrub form at the northern limits of their range. Each winter their top growth is pruned back by cold, causing them to develop multiple branches rather than a main trunk. Subshrubs are plants with woody stems, yet they die back at least part way to their roots each year. Subshrubs are usually treated as perennials. Some true shrubs, such as butterfly bush, will behave as subshrubs in cold or extreme climates.

Vines

Vines can be separated into three main categories: woody vines, with permanent above-ground stems; perennial vines, which die back to the ground each winter and then sprout again in spring; and annual vines, which start anew from seed each year. A woody vine can be considered a shrub that needs some sort of support to grow well. Some woody vine (including many types of clematis) die back to the ground each year, just as subshrubs do, especially under harsh climatic conditions. Only woody vines are covered in this section.

Deciduous or Evergreen?

Trees, shrubs, and woody vine are classified as either deciduous or evergreen. Deciduous woody plants usually lose their leaves in the fall. In warmer climates leaf loss can occur at other times in the year, notably at the onset of the dry season. Evergreen plants remain clothed in foliage throughout the year. They do lose their leaves, but gradually rather than all at once; they are never completely barren. Some woody plants are classified as semievergreens. Their leaves are persistent in most conditions but fall off in harsh ones, especially in cold or very dry climates. Deciduous plants often have attractive fall colors. Evergreens present a continuous display of green foliage, even when deciduous plants are bare.

The term “evergreen” is often mistakenly thought to pertain strictly to conifers (cone-bearing plants). This is not the case. There are broad-leaf evergreens, including boxwoods and most rhododendrons, and deciduous conifers, such as larches and bald cypress. In many plant catalogs, woody plants are divided into three categories as to their foliage: deciduous, broad-leaf evergreens, and needled evergreens.

Source:Dutchmaster Nurseries Blog