Trees require a rather substantial planting place so their roots can enlarge, although the spread and depth of roots varies among tree species. You may prefer to develop trees in containers if you’ve got a small yard or poor soil, but you must ensure that the planter is large enough to accommodate the tree at maturity. For best results, choose dwarf cultivars, which typically grow far more slowly and smaller than conventional species. You can construct your own tree planter using naturally rot-resistant timber, such as cedar or redwood. The finished planter measures approximately 36 inches tall by 33 inches wide.

Lay six 36-inch lengths of 2-by-6-inch redwood or cedar timber side by side vertically on a flat surface, pushing them as close together as you can.

Measure the entire width of the planks, which should be approximately 33 inches given the actual measurements of a 2-by-6-inch board. Cut two pieces of 2-by-6-inch lumber for this span, cutting with a 45-degree angled miter cut on each end so the surfaces of the planter piece with the sides of a photo frame. To achieve this, the base of this angle cut has to be the exact same length as the board measurement, with the top side of the plank approximately 2 inches longer.

Line up the mitered 2-by-6-inch planks using the top edge and bottom edge of this six 2-by-6-inch planks and screw into place with 3-inch wood screws, using two screws for each of these six planks. This completes one facet of the planter; you must create three more sides to complete the box form.

Stand up the four planter sides, then lining up the mitered ends of the flat boards. Drive 3-inch wood screws at an angle through every corner to assemble the sides.

Cut four 36-inch lengths from 2-by-4-inch lumber and screw them to the inside of each corner to add firmness to the planter.

Cut a square piece of three-quarter-inch plywood to fit over the base of the box, then using a circular saw. The square should be roughly 33-inches by 33-inches, but you should measure the measurements for accuracy before cutting the plywood.

Screw the plywood to the base of the planter box sides using 3-inch wood screws spaced 4 inches apart.

Drill several one-half-inch diameter drainage holes, spaced 6 inches apart, in the base of the planter box.

Line the tree planter box with black plastic sheeting to increase the rot-resistance of this timber. Poke holes through the plastic to line up with the holes through the plywood planter bottom.

Lay a piece of wire mesh hardware cloth over the dark plastic to prevent gravel and soil from falling through the drainage holes.

Spread a 2-inch layer of gravel or broken pottery pieces above the base of the tree planter.

Fill the tree planter using a potting mixture of equal parts sphagnum peat, compost and perlite or sand, leaving a few inches to the container border.

Plant the tree at the planter box to the same depth it had been implanted in the first container. Spread 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch on the surface of the potting mixture to help insulate the soil and retain moisture.

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Autumn weather can be unpredictable, however, one thing is guaranteed: the leaves of your deciduous trees will fall. Raking up fallen leaves keeps your yard tidy, prevents dead areas of grass and reduces places where unwelcome garden insects can nest. Bad landscaping choices beneath deciduous trees can mean extra work to clear the leaves and manage the danger of damaging the landscaping together with every pull of the rake’s tines.

Plants

The plants you remain under your trees should have the ability to withstand raking. This means deep or broad roots and tough leaves. Shallow-rooted plants can easily be pulled by a rake and delicate leaves can be torn, that will open the way for ailments to become in the plant. Once-established, ferns, like sword ferns (Polysitchum munitum), and evergreen shrubs, like winter daphne (Daphne odora) or Oregon grape (Mahonia sp.) , can be raked around and over without damage. Other good choices are perennials that die back before the leaves begin to fall, like coneflowers (Echinacea sp.) or black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta). Avoid selecting plants that bloom in the autumn, like chrysanthemums, since the raking will ruin the flowers.

Rocks

If planting deep-rooted plants beneath your tree is not possible because of the tree’s compact root system, then you are still able to add interest to the region by placing in rocks. A couple of medium-sized boulders situated with a few smaller rocks produces a natural-looking landscape under the tree. Since the rocks are heavy, they won’t be affected by raking them around them. Avoid creating a wall of rocks around your tree however. This can produce more work for yourself as you try to get behind the rocks to clean up the leaves. Instead, place a couple of classes of stones with enough room between the classes to pull a rake through. Do not pay for the entire area under the tree with river rock; in the summer the rocks retain heat and can overheat the tree’s roots.

Lighting

Lighting adds safety and interest to the garden, but can be a headache when leaves fall. Any lighting beneath deciduous trees must be wireless, like solar lights, or so the wires have to be completely underground. Exposed wires are sure to get tangled in rake tines. At the very least, this will definitely break the wire, but might cause electric shock. You also need to select lights that don’t generate heat, like LED lighting, since dry leaves can catch fire if they pile onto heat-generating incandescent lights.

Mulch

Consider wisely when selecting a mulch for a deciduous tree. Large bark chips and medium-sized bark dust might look appealing, but are easily pulled up together with the leaves as you rake. Fine bark dust remains in place better than other mulches since it doesn’t get caught up in a rake’s tines as easily. When mulching beneath a tree, keep the mulch 6 inches away from the trunk to decrease decay. The mulch ought to be spread to cover the entire area under the tree canopy. Also, keep your mulch layer 3 to 4 inches deep; mulching deeper than this suffocates the dirt and reduces the quantity of oxygen available to the tree roots.

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If your backyard is the place where you relax, play develop vegetables, your front lawn is the window on the planet and represents your very best face to the world. “Curb appeal,” the phrase real estate professionals use to describe an attractive front lawn, applies to a welcoming landscape that always looks its best when seen from the street. Landscape your front lawn to provide year old curb appeal with easy-to-maintain, distinctive plants.

Shrubs

Shrubs must soften the corners of the house and form hedges to define the lawn. Evergreens and front doors flanked with arborvitae can mask bases, far as Victorian ladies covered their table legs, but voluminous shrubs finally engulf a house, obscuring the residents’ perspective of the planet. Mix compact evergreen native junipers (Juniperus spp.) Or camellias (Camellia sinensis or C. sasanqua) using dramatic deciduous blue hibiscus (Alyogyne huegelii) or late spring-blooming spice bushes (Calycanthus occidentalis). Define a edge with shade-tolerant, summer-blooming oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) or sun-loving, spring-blooming lilacs (Syringa spp.) Plant several different shrubs in groups of three to add variety to shrub borders.

Borders

Front lawns full of blossoms can make a lawn look cluttered and small, but borders can make it look well-tended. Add well-behaved shrubby perennials like lavender (Lavendula spp.) In circles to add variety and depth to a border established by shrubs. A border of shrub roses (Rosa spp.) , also called landscaping roses, completes the cottage impression of a colonial-style house when planted along a picket fence. Northern California native rose meadowsweet (Spirea splendens var. Splendens) is a drought-tolerant spirea that produces rosy blossoms over shiny green leaves throughout the summer.

Perennials

Pick perennials that punctuate rather than just fill space. They have to “pop” to be able to add curb appeal. Whether planted in borders or across the front walk, plants must lead the eye toward the door. Select plants like hostas (Hostas spp.) and daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) That create an architectural accent with dramatic foliage. Plant bulbs, such as daffodil (Narcissus spp.) and iris (Iris spp.) In a few big, odd-numbered clumps rather than spread out so they provide emphasis. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) also rise in neat clumps and provide long-lasting blooms.

Ground Cover

Lawns take a beating in dry Mediterranean climates — so much so that artificial grass is easily accessible to homeowners who desire a perfect-looking lawn. Others plant grasses like creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra var. littoralis or F. rubra var. rubra), hard fescue (F. longifolia var. Brevipila) or chewings fescue (F. rubra ssp. Fallax commutate) — slow-growing, drought-tolerant varieties which are easy to keep looking neat. Low-growing plants like Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) and creeping thyme (Thymus “Elfin”) create uneven lawns for front lawns with minimal foot traffic. Native options for ground cover include Point Reyes ceanothius (Ceanothius gloriosus var. gloriosus), Little Sur manzanita (Arctostaphylos edmundsii ‘Carmel Sur’) or pinemat manzanita (A. nevadensis).

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