Flower and Shrub Gardening Overview

Let’s face it, there is nothing better in the spring and summer time than walking outside and feeling your senses light up with the wonderful fragrances of the season. From the first glimpses of pansies and dandelions, to the smell of lilac and roses, to the taste of fresh blueberries on your breakfast cereal the sensory smorgasbord from a flower and shrub garden puts its fingerprint on our lives.

 

Flower and shrub gardening has become almost trendy in recent years due, in part, to cable programming that has a channel for just about everything. With a wealth of information and resources at their fingertips, if the homeowner can think it up then it is possible. One has only to pick up some information sheets at the local greenhouse, purchase some plants and get to work. 

 

To some, planting of any kind can seem a daunting task. This need not be so. Knowing a few basic aspects of planting, coupled with ideas inside your head, is all that is needed to produce the desired effects. The location of the garden is one of the first things to consider when flower and shrub gardening. Not only is this important in terms of cosmetics, it is important to the flower or shrub. Some flowers and shrubs do well in full sun exposure, others will not do so well if exposed to heavy amounts of sunlight. On the contrary, some flowers/shrubs thrive in low sunlight exposure. Most plants are clearly labeled when purchased, so it is not as if one has to sit and look up Latin names for plants - so plant with confidence.

 

When contemplating the location in regards to cosmetics, one must consider the fragrance of the flower or shrub. An example would be planting an extremely fragrant flower in full sun. When heavily fragrant flowers are planted in full sun it intensifies their fragrance. So, in a manor of speaking, it maximizes the scent and the flower is used to its fullest potential. Wildflowers and herbs are great flowers for full sun exposure. Strategically placed, herbs can bring wonderful scents at every corner of the back yard. However, if placed too far from the house the scents will be dissipated by the spring and summer breeze. Keeping the scented flowers and shrubs closer to the house will maximize the scents, shielding them from the wind.