Shrubs for your Garden!

Shrubs for your Garden!

By Arun Pratap Singh

It is not the size of the plant that makes it either a tree or a shrub. Shrubs are usually differentiated from the trees by the fact that they lack a single trunk that the trees have. Like the trees, they can be deciduous, coniferous, or evergreen. Dwarf shrubs can be of height just half a foot to 3 feet while taller shrubs can have up to 15 to 18 ft of height. Shrubs play a vital role in turning a patch of ground into a garden. As a permanent framework around which showy annuals and perennials are interwoven year by year, they add interest and variety with their leaves, flowers, berries and sometimes brightly coloured bark. The flowering shrubs produce bundles of joy with the beautiful flowers, while the fragrant ones delight our noses. Shrubs are very popular amongst gardeners on account of their great diversity in colour of flowers, height, flowering seasons and ease in propagation. They are good substitutes to trees in smaller gardens. They are also used as hedges, as screens, focal points, and as mini trees. They enhance the beauty of any garden, big or small. Rose is the most common shrub grown in gardens throughout the world.

SELECTION OF SHRUBS

Homeowners must be aware of basic shrub characteristics to make wise selections. Each plant or plant group must serve a useful purpose to achieve a well-designed landscape. People usually select plants with bright flowers or unusual foliage. Only a limited number of unusual or accent plants can be used effectively in the landscape and their location must be skilfully planned. A complete landscape plan should be developed before the plants are purchased. Shrubs are selected on the basis of ultimate size, plant form, foliage characteristics, flower colour, season of bloom, and adaptation to the planting site. Knowledge of these characteristics allows the designer or home gardener to choose proper plant materials to create the desired landscape. Shrub growth habit is quite variable and can be categorized as broad spreading, spreading, globose, upright spreading, upright or columnar. Shrubs are evaluated by their adaptability to the environmental conditions of the landscape site. Environmental conditions include the amount of sunlight (full sun, partial shade, or shade) and tolerance to salt spray, particularly in coastal areas. Soil characteristics of the site may restrict shrub selection and some shrubs will only thrive if the sites are irrigated and fertilized regularly. Some shrubs tolerate poorly drained soils while others grow best in dry sandy soils.

FLOWERING SHRUBS

These shrubs produce flowers and are grown for the mass effect and carpeting purposes. They can give a spectacular look to any garden. Various shrubs flower at different times of the year and one may pick them in a way that there can be flowers almost any time of the year. When deciding what type of shrub to plant, the answer depends on what you need in your landscape. Rounded shrubs like boxwood and holly work really well for borders. Vertical shrubs, such as Hollywood juniper, work in front of windowless walls (You wouldn’t want a tall shrub in front of a window). Arching shrubs, such as butterfly bush, can stand alone by themselves.Some common flowering shrubs in North India and especially in Uttarakhand are Hibiscus rosa sinensis (Gurhal), Hibiscus mutabilis, Achania malavaviscus (Hibiscus like red flowers which do not open), Brunfelsia hopeana (Commonly called Francisea with Light violet changing to lavender and then to white on fading), Gardenia, Ixora Parviflora (very beautiful terminally clustered flowers in red, pink, orange. white and yellow ( Flowers in hot season, not suitable for the hills and often dies during winter in Doon), Pentas (red, pink, violet or white flowers throughout the year), Jatropha podagrica, Lagerstroemia indica (Commonly called Sawani and flowers in summer and monsoon), Plumbago capensis (purple flowers round the year), Nerium indicum (Called Kaner), Poinsettia pulcherrima (Red, pink or cream white bracts). Commonly called Christmas plant as it flowers during Christmas time and continues to flower till March. Jasminum sambac (Motia and the double one is called Mogra), Tabernaemontana (Chandani), Camellia japonica, Azalea, Hamelia patens, Nyctathes arbortristis (Night Jasmine of Haar Shringar), Forsythia spp, Buddleia, Calliandra (Powder Puff), Thungbergia, Beloperone (Dwarf shrub flowering all round the year), Cestrum (Raat ki Rani), Justicia (Round the year flowering) and Thevatia peruviana (Yellow flowers, called Peela Kaner). In the hills, it is common to see Privet, Fuchsia, Azalea, Camellia, Keria Japonica, Lagerstroemia indica, Forsythia, Myrtle and Gardenia.Winter FoweringBarleria cristata, Calliendra spp, Plumbago rosea, Olea fragrans, Euphorbia pulchrrima, Poinsettia pulcherrima and Cassia alata are some of the winter flowering shrubs commonly grown here.For FragranceCestrum nocturnum (Raat ki Rani), Cestrum diaurnum (Din ka Raja), Jasminum sambac, Jasminum auriculatum, Olea fragrans, Camellia, Buddleia and Gardenia are some of the highly fragrant flowered shrubs commonly grown in Uttarakhand. For FoliageAcalypha, tricolour, Nandina domestica, Codium variegata (Commonly called Croton, not suitable for hills, take extra care during winter in Doon), Excoecaria bicolour, Euphorbia continifolia, Juniperus chinensis, Golden Duranta are some of the shrubs grown for their ornamental foliage. Shrubs for the hillsAcuba japonica, Keria japonica, Hydrangea, Azalea, Camellia, Buddleia davidii, Forsythia spectabils, Gardenia, Juniper, Nerium Oleander (All the above mentioned can be grown in Doon and Haldwani too), Fuchsia magellanica, Laburnum, Myrtus communis (Myrtle). Privet, Juniper, Spirea, Cherry.Specimen ShrubsThese shrubs are planted singly or in groups in the beds on the lawn to create a picturesque effect. They have elegant foliage and produce beautiful flowers. Bougainvillea, Hibiscus, Hamelia Patens, Thevatia peruviana, Lagerstroemia, Cassia artimisoides, Calliendra, and Crotons are some suitable shrubs for this purpose. For Borders and hedges For shrubbery border, an area of the garden devoted exclusively to shrubs is chosen. Formal hedges are chosen to secure privacy and provide partition. A lot of effort is required to maintain hedges. Duranta, Lawsonia (Mehandi), Lantana and Hibiscus are also used for border shrubbery or as hedges. In addition, Wild Rose is also commonly used for this purpose. In the hills, Gardenia and Azalea are commonly used as hedge plants.

PLANTING SHRUBS

Location: Some shrubs like Mussaenda, Azalea, Fuchsia, Gardenia, Pentas and Impatiens need partial shade. Others like Crotons and Mussaenda need protection from frost. Hibiscus, Poinsettia need full sun to grow. Taller shrubs should be planted as focal point while dwarf ones should be planted as border or along the beds.

Soil: Loamy garden soil with good drainage is best for most shrubs, but most of them can tolerate any kind of soil provided it has good drainage. The ground should be prepared at least 15 days prior to planting. Dig the pits at least two ft deep and two ft wide. Refill the pits with mixture of Garden soil, Coarse Sand, Cattle dung manure and leaf mould in equal proportions. Dust the mixture with Lindane dust to prevent damage by termites and other soil insects. Most shrubs can be planted in monsoon or spring months.

Pruning of Shrubs: Shrubs need pruning in order to be kept in shape as well to keep them flowering. Winter flowering shrubs are pruned at the end of the summer season while summer flowering shrubs are pruned at the end of winter season. All the superfluous growth, old or weak branches are best cut at the ground level or as low as possible.