The Very Versatile Evergreen: How to Choose the Right Shrubs for Foundation Plantings, Hedges, Privacy Fences, and Knot Gardens

We all crave swoon-worthy gardens, right? And creating curb appeal rates high on the garden project list for many homeowners, particularly with new construction. But when left to the designs of a builder, cookie-cutter foundation plantings may leave you feeling uninspired at best—and battling poorly chosen shrubs in worst-case scenarios. After all, with hundreds of rapidly rising new subdivisions, most builders add foundation plants as an afterthought, without much emphasis on design and curb appeal.

Whether you’re selecting plants for a newly-built home or renovating a garden, foundation plantings should frame the house, compliment the architecture, and anchor the home into the landscape. By choosing evergreen shrubs to add color and texture, foundation plantings can enhance the architectural style of the home—without overwhelming it.

Select evergreen shrubs that enhance your home’s design. For a layered look, add taller plants in the back, closest to the house, or as anchors in the outer corners of the foundation. Place a focal point, narrow evergreen shrubs to frame the entrance, drawing the eye to the front door. But always check plant tags or online specifications for the mature size of the plants to ensure your shrubs won’t overwhelm the space.

“Good fences make good neighbors.” The narrator of the famous Robert Frost poem “Mending Wall” wonders why his neighbor favors fences, when surely a wall between his apple orchard and the neighbor’s pine trees is unnecessary. But sometimes, a little garden delineation solves a world of neighborly grumbling. And evergreen hedges make a perfect solution for building friendly–but practical–green fences.

An evergreen hedge marks property boundaries, while still allowing for neighborly chats. Besides adding texture and color to your garden, hedges make the perfect backdrop for flower gardens. Plus, hedges benefit wildlife, providing shelter, a place to raise young, and a food source (depending on which evergreen varieties you select.) And who wouldn’t prefer a pretty evergreen hedge instead of an uninspired chain-link fence? (Although, if you need to contain a pet, it’s easy to dress up a chain-link fence with a cover of evergreen shrubs.)

When creating your evergreen hedge, decide whether you’d like a dense, tight row of foliage—or if you’d prefer a lighter, looser structure. Whichever style you prefer, planting an evergreen hedge adds color, beauty, and texture for your living fence.

Are you looking to add a bit of privacy to your backyard? Maybe you’d like to block the view of a neighbor’s unsightly shed, or perhaps you’re hoping to create a buffer from a noisy street. A living privacy fence can help.

Creating a privacy hedge not only adds beauty to your garden and eliminates prying eyes, but evergreen shrubs provide shelter for wildlife as well. And, depending on what shrubs you choose, you might delight in watching nesting birds raise their young in the spring, then feeding on berries throughout the winter. Evergreen privacy fences can also serve as windbreaks, helping protect your garden from harsh, cold gusts.

Before you create a living privacy fence with shrubs, consider the location. Make sure you’re planting within your property lines, and avoid planting shrubs near power lines or over underground utilities. Always read the plant tag for the mature size of the shrubs to ensure they’ll fit the space as they grow.

Check your shrubs often for any signs of pests or diseases to keep your privacy fence healthy and looking lush and lovely. Prune only lightly the first year. As the hedge grows, prune to shape the hedge to your aesthetic preference, while also cutting out any dead wood to keep the hedge looking its best.

Did you return from a European tour of chateau gardens, obsessed with formal knot gardens? Have you spied lovely herb gardens outlined by clean, clipped rows of boxwoods? Or are you obsessed with your friend’s gorgeous cottage garden, with beautiful, billowing blooms contained by short, neatly trimmed living fences? No matter where you found the inspiration, creating a knot garden makes a lovely garden addition.

The term knot garden refers to a type of garden design featuring intricate patterns created using low-growing plants. Originating in England and popular during the medieval and Elizabethan era, knot gardens were designed to segment different foods and herbs in the kitchen garden. The plants’ arrangement resembles interwoven knots or geometric shapes, giving the garden a formal and structured appearance. Eventually, low-growing shrubs were incorporated to create a more permanent look. And, as the popularity of knot gardens grew, their designs and uses also morphed, with gardeners adding their favorite flowers, elaborate topiaries, fountains, sculptures, and more into the space.

Whether you want an elaborate, formal knot garden reminiscent of Versailles or crave clean, geometric lines for a sophisticated, modern garden space, knot gardens provide endless options. Before you begin digging the first hole, however, assess your space. Measure the area where you plan to plant, then spend some time designing the garden on graph paper or using an online program. A physical design will help you plan the borders and twists and turns of your knot garden, as well as aid you in planning plant placement.