Importance of Foundation Planting

I believe we have to thank the gardeners of yore for the excellent term ‘foundation planting’. This involves special care, which is necessary since the trees or specimen shrubs once planted, are hardly desired to be moved. If at all they are badly sited, it takes a lot of effort and renovation to replant them. I would always give priority to the vistas of the garden obtained from the house. It is surprising what a large percentage of pleasure one derives from a garden comes from seeing plants from a particular view point. A warning which should not be ignored at all is to always plan the planting of big trees as far away from the house as possible.

The slender stem and small head of a young tree must be related to the mature specimen it will surely become and accordingly planted. A tree with a spread of 4 feet, when planted may have one of 30 feet in about fifteen years time! With regards to the hedges, many shrubs and trees can be used for hedging purposes.

I have already referred to the fast-growing Cupressacyparis leylandii, a superb conifer for a windbreak, and any garden could do with the good old beech. The tree turns such a lovely green in summer and the glorious golden-brown of the leaves in winter is a constant source of pleasure.

Those who own property that has cattle in it, should consider a boundary hedge. Hawthorn may not be the best to keep out children, dogs, etc. But there are many options easily available. Lonicera nitida, the Chinese Honeysuckle, makes a line dense hedge, likewise Chumnecypari: lawswziana  or Lawson`s Cypress and, of course, yew, although slow-growing.

The advantage of all the options mentioned is that they need clipping only once a year. In the case of the ubiquitous privet, green or golden, the trimming and clipping has to be done at least four times annually. The quick- growing hedge varieties are in a class of their own.

For hedges within the garden, there is hardly anything in comparison to the flowering shrubs like forsythias, berheris, flowering currant, fuchsias, pyracantha and taller-growing roses like Queen Elizabeth. The color that these add to the garden is always welcome. If the shrubs chosen for such purposes are deciduous, they are less effective as a screen in winter. Indeed, a flowering hedge can add much gaiety to a garden.