Choosing Trees and Shrubs

• Fall
• Outdoor Plants
• Spring
• Summer
• Winter

How often have you decided you loved the look of that little mini-tree in the perennial bed only to discover it overwhelmed the phlox, obscured the clematis and practically swallowed the dog within 2 years time?

It’s tricky to give your plant the space it needs to grow and still balance the size of all the other plantings too.

Because plants grow and affect each other’s growth, gardens are never really finished. We lose sunshine and thus sun-loving perennials; we remove monstrous, overgrown things and expose tender shade-lovers.

What can you do to envision how big things will grow?

Start by visiting established gardens, arboretum, parks, any of our distinguished Berkshire properties, and gardening friends. Then take photos of your favorite plants. Take many photos – film has never been cheaper! From a distance, get the whole from root to crown and up close, focus on the flower or leaf arrangement so you can get help identifying it (or remembering it’s name).

Case in point – the taller shrub to the left – that’s Rhododendron ‘Purple Gem’ and the 2 to the right? Those are PJM! They are almost identical but now at their maturity – very different sizes and shapes.

Do some research and make wise choices about what you install in your landscape.

You can research plants online by starting with your growing conditions and your aesthetic desires.  Visit our Plant Finder and input either a plant name or sort by desired characteristics.  Do the plants need to grow well in shade? Do you want something that stays less than 15 feet tall and flowers? Our Plant Finder can help you narrow choices down.

Tree can range in mature height from 30 feet to 100 feet eventually.  Shrubs are usually multi-stemmed and with a mature height, at most, 10-15 feet. Plan accordingly!

Here are a few starter shrubs that need relatively little care once established as long as they are planted in their ideal location.

Dwarf evergreens

Forsythia

Hydrangea

Rhododendron

Arborvitae

Once you have some ideas, you should observe what’s growing and how large things can be in your neighborhood. Luckily you’re in the Berkshires where research couldn’t be more pleasurable.

Here’s a list of just some of our favorite Berkshire properties and links to their websites. Enjoy the Berkshires!  Study these gardens throughout the year.  Learn what works beautifully, what doesn’t, and envision what more you can do in your own garden.

• Berkshire Botanical Garden – Stockbridge –BerkshireBotanical.org
• Bidwell House Museum – Monterey –Bidwell House Museum.org
• Chesterwood – Stockbridge –Chesterwood – A National Trust Historic Site
• Hebert Arboretum at Springside Park – Pittsfield –Hebert Arboretum
• The Mount – Lenox –The Mount – Edith Wharton’s Home
• Naumkeag, Mission House, Notchview, Monument Mountain, Bartholomew’s Cobble – Berkshire County –Trustees of Reservations in the Berkshires
• Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary – a MassAudubon property Pleasant Valley Link at MassAudubon
• Tanglewood – Lenox & Stockbridge –Plan a Visit to Tanglewood