by Randy Moore

Winter is a great time to look at the structure of your garden.

I want to share some garden structure ideas with you.

What is garden structure? When I tell someone about garden structure, they immediately think about an arbor, pergola, trellis, greenhouse, pond, fountain and a lot of other “structures.”

The structure I am going to share with you is the garden. Most people do not think of the plants in their yard as the actual structure or foundation; they tend to look at them as accents to the house.

Let’s look at Mother Nature and use a forest as an example of structure. You probably do not think about structure driving by a forested area.

Let’s start with the trees. Look at them as the walls and ceiling. They provide obstacles that block a view and force you to walk around them to see what is beyond. The canopy provides cover and shade for the under-story.

Imagine for a moment how this looks, large 50- to 80-foot trees, lush canopy of leaves and dappled shade on the ground, perhaps grass or clover growing beneath. Looks calm and tranquil.

Well let us take it a step farther. Although it looks calm and tranquil, perhaps acre after acre begins to look monotonous, and dare I say it, “boring.”

The structure of our forest needs more. Let’s add some smaller 10- to 20-foot trees and large shrubs, both deciduous and evergreen. The forest now takes on a more cozy feeling.

Now let us add another layer, smaller shrubs and perennials closer to ground level. While we are closer to the ground, let’s add some grasses and ferns to complete our look. Now our forest of trees takes on a much more interesting and complete look.

Now that we have an idea of Mother Nature’s structure, let’s take this information and use it in our home garden structure.

Step outside your front or back door and look at your yard. What do you see? Perhaps it is a fence, driveway, walkway, patio, deck, a few foundation plantings, a tree or two, plants bordering your fence. That is the parameter of your yard you have to work with.

Is it calm and tranquil? Is it a monoculture of a specific plant bordering your property or fence, or a collection of a large variety of plantings that have a misplaced chaotic look? How tall are your trees, or how tall will your new sapling become?

When most people move into a new home, they want an instant landscape, which is fine for a while. When creating or refurbishing garden structure, remember gardens evolve.

Look at your yard as it will be in five, 50 or even 100 years. If you take this approach, you can save time and money.

Start first with your upper canopy, the large trees or what will become large trees. Planted in the right place can lend beauty while offering money savings to your heating and cooling bills. By planting evergreens on the north and northeast side this will protect your home from winter winds and reduce heating costs.

By planting deciduous trees on the south and southwest exposure, you provide shade in the summer to reduce cooling cost and reap the solar benefits from the warm sun in the cold of winter.

Remember, if your yard or property is not big enough to plant an 80-foot tree with a 50-foot spread, do not plant it, as someone in the future will have to cut it down.

If the 4- to 5-foot tree you are thinking of planting will grow to have a 50-foot spread, do not plant it 10 feet from your house. Proper plant, proper place — always choose a plant that will fit your parameters.

If your yard cannot handle an 80- by 50-foot tree, think on a smaller scale. You can get a cohesive look using 10- to 20-foot trees and larger shrubs.

RANDY MOORE owns Avant Landscape Design in Courtland. He can be reached at AvantDesign11@yahoo.com.