I'm really excited about my first landscaping project, but I've hit a bit of a snag. I'm trying to figure out the best way to arrange my garden beds around a tree I'll be planting in my backyard. The tree will obviously take quite a while to mature, around 15 to 20 years. All the native perennials I want to plant prefer full sun, but I don't want to place them way outside the tree's future drip line. My question is: Is there a standard approach for deciding where to plant perennials based on the tree's growth stages? Would it be reasonable to estimate the tree's canopy size at around 4-5 years and base my plantings on that? I'm a total novice at this, so I might be overthinking it!
3 Answers
Honestly, not many perennials will still look good after 20 years! Just plant what you enjoy right now, focusing on what's thriving in your current environment. Remember, plants can die or get replaced for a bunch of reasons over time, so don’t worry too much about the long term.
You know, it's a solid plan to think about what you have now! Go ahead and plant perennials that suit the current conditions in your yard. You can always move them later as your tree grows. Just make sure to space the tree correctly for when it's fully mature.
I totally understand your concern! Like, if you plan for the tree’s size in 20 years, you might end up with an unattractive yard for all that time. It's way better to plant for the tree's current size and then adjust periodically as it grows. You'll have a much better-looking yard while you wait for the tree to catch up!