Shrub

What is the best shrub to plant in front of our home. we just had a new home put in and trying to figure out the best shrub to plant that don't grow 10 foot tall. i would like to go in between with some color too what do you think?

Thanks,
Linda

Anne's Response:

There is no one answer for shrubs in front of a home. It will depend on how much light the plants will have, whether the base soil is sand or clay, the style of the home and the size of the space to be covered. The current style is to use a combination of several types of plants rather than a row of the same plant. Many landscapers are designing the area with one set of plants next to the house, a second set of slightly shorter plants in front of those and then a groundcover at the base to fill in the space between the shrubs and the lawn. You can mix flowering shrubs such as azaleas, camellias, pieris, abelia and osmanthus with hollies, boxwoods, juniper, Otto Lutken Laurel and cryptomeria. The best solution is to go to a good independent nursery or garden center that has a good selection of plants and try some combinations to find something you like.