DIY Network

Shrub Border From "Ask DIY" episode ADI-704

Horticulturist Walter Reeves offers advice on selection and planting of viburnum -- an ideal shrub for creating attractive borders.

Q: I want a shrub border in my backyard but am confused by all the choices. I need something that will help add privacy.

A: (from Ask DIY gardening expert Walter Reeves) The choices are many, and can indeed be confusing. Here's a suggestion for a family of shrub that's well suited for adding privacy, and grows well in regions throughout most of the country. The family is viburnum. Some varieties within this family are evergreen, some are deciduous; some have berries, some have flowers and some are fragrant. Here are some Walter's top choices from the viburnum family.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F
	Figure G
	Figure H
	Figure I
	Figure J
	Figure K

Varieties of Viburnum

• Chicago Luster viburnum is a variety from the group known as Arrowwood viburnum. It can grow to a height of 10' to 15', and bears attractive blossoms (figure A). It's deciduous, so it loses its leaves in winter. Before they drop, the leaves take on a beautiful cabernet wine color.

• Black Hall viburnum bears large white flowers in the spring, as well as green berries (figure B). The berries fade to a bluish-black in the fall, and birds love to eat them. If left unchecked, this variety grows to the size of a small tree. If you want to keep it shrub-sized, you may need to keep it well pruned.

• Allegheny viburnum is deciduous, so it loses its leaves in winter . But because it grows so full, it makes a great screen (figure C).

• Leather-Leaf viburnum grows to 10' or 20' in height and has deep-green leaves (figure D). It's evergreen, so it retains its foliage all year.

• Rusty Black-Hall viburnum is also deciduous (figure E ), and grows berries that will attract birds. This variety has a burgundy fall color.

Planting Viburnum

Materials:
Shovel
Spading fork
Top soil
Soil amendments (humus, cow manure, sand)
Trowel, knife or pruners
Viburnum shrub

Steps:

1. For our planting demonstration, the variety chosen is a double-file viburnum. This particular variety bears a large number of single flowers that bloom at about the same time of the spring as dogwoods.

2. To plant the shrub properly, begin by digging a large hole. Depending on your region , the soil at the bottom of the hole may be hard clay (figure F). Fortunately the roots of viburnum, like many shrubs tend to grow shallow and horizontally. So make the hole deep enough to cover the root ball completely but, more important, make the hole wide enough to fill with loose dirt that will allow the roots to grow outward in a large area. Typically it's recommended to make the hole about three times as large as the root ball, but it's actually better to dig it five or six times the width of the root ball to ensure healthy root growth.

3. It will help when planting the shrub to add some amendments to the soil such as topsoil, humus, sand and cow manure (figure G).

4. Once you've dug your hole and prepared the soil, remove the shrub from the pot and inspect the root ball (figure H). Typically the root growth will have been compressed by growth inside the pot.

5. Use a sharp implement such as a trowel, knife or pruners to divide and loosen the roots (figure I). For a plant that is badly rootbound, you may need to use a shovel to do this.

6. Once you've loosened the roots, place the root ball into the hole (figure J). Plant the shrub so that the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil.

7. Fill the hole with the loosened soil that was removed from the hole, along with any soil amendments you have mixed in.

8. Once you've filled the hole and packed the soil down, mulch around the base of the shrub using pine straw (figure K) or a similar mulching material. The mulch will the soil retain moisture and will help combat weeds around the base of the shrub.

9. Planting tip: If planting on a slope or hillside, form a berm on the downhill side of the plant to catch rainwater and runoff as it runs down the hill.

RESOURCES :
Easy, Practical Pruning: Techniques for Training Trees, Shrubs, Vines, and Roses
Model: 0395815916
Author: Barbara Ellis
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-351-5000
Email: tradecustomerservice@hmco.com

Taylor's Master Guide to Landscaping
Model: 0618055908
Author: Rita Buchanan

Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-351-5000
Email: tradecustomerservice@hmco.com

Landscaping: Principles and Practices
Model: 082736735X
Author: Jack E. Ingels

Delmar Learning