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Easy landscape around trees


9 Ways to Landscape Around Trees

With the right landscaping design, a tree can help grow a secret garden, add charming curb appeal, and even make the perfect resting spot.

Stumped for ways to make the most of your crepe myrtle, peach tree, or bottlebrush tree? Our nine ideas for landscaping around trees include Discover how these seven design ideas will help you landscape around trees and turn your front yard into a gorgeous standout.

9 ways to landscape around trees

1. Grow a shade garden

Photo credit: Mark Levisay, CC BY 2.0

You may have once avoided sprucing up your tree’s trunk with beautiful flowers because you thought the shade would ruin all your hard work. But get those gloves on and those trowels out, because there are plenty of shade plants that will love the space beneath your tree.

Hostas, magnolias, impatiens, and coral bells will make excellent additions to your shade garden.

After dressing your trees up with a gorgeous garden space, consider creating a stone path that guides you through the garden.

A path makes maintaining your garden much more accessible, and it also invites visitors to take a closer look without stepping on your new plants.

2. Just add mulch

Photo credit: Olya Adamovich, Pixabay

A layer of mulch covers exposed roots and adds a splash of color at the base of your tree. What color? What kind of mulch? That is all up to you.

If you plant crocuses or other flowers in the mulch around your tree you’ll have bursts of color in springtime. Or stick with hostas for some green amid the brown or other-colored mulch beneath the green of your tree.

3. Plant some flowers

Photo credit: kolibri5, Pixabay

Your tree doesn’t have to stand alone in your yard. Flowers add some company for your tree, and the pink, purple or red petunias or yellow daffodils planted in the shade underneath all those branches will draw you and visitors’ eyes.

If you really want to go crazy, make your tree the focal and high point (literally) of a flower bed in your front yard or back yard.

4. Build a retaining wall

A retaining wall around your tree can add a uniform look to the yard and create a stunning focal point. Instead of bare roots and patchy grass at the base of a tree, a retaining wall made of pavers or stone will add great beauty and charm to your tree.

Retaining walls are also creative solutions to hilly terrain or erosion problems near your tree.

5. Design a deck or patio around the tree

You’ve heard of trees growing inside homes, so why not have one grow through your outdoor living space? Building your patio or deck around a tree adds a significant dramatic effect, and your neighbors will be jealous they didn’t come up with the design first.

A tree growing right from your outdoor living space creates an even deeper connection with the environment as you lounge on a couch just 2 feet away from a giant plant. Not only will a tree on the deck or patio add excitement and serenity, but it will also provide excellent shade and coverage.

Keep in mind that a tree growing from your outdoor living space can be a high maintenance landscape design. Trees often change shape as they grow, which may affect the area on your deck or patio.

If a tree’s trunk continues to grow, your deck’s boards may snap. Trees will also produce tree litter that needs cleaning and may make your wooden structure prone to termites.

6. Night lighting

Photo credit: Media Director / Outdoor Lighting by Robert E. Taft Landscape Architecture / CC BY-ND 2.0

Why let all your hard work disappear when the sun goes down? When designed right, landscape lighting can accentuate the design around your trees, highlight your home’s architecture, and even provide security when you need to step outside.

Landscape lighting around your trees is also a perfect way to set the mood. Are you looking forward to a relaxing dinner with friends? Get those appetizers ready, flip the switch, and invite everyone outside on the deck for a beautiful evening.

Have the surrounding trees light up the sky and turn off the lights near the door, because who wants to worry about flying beetles getting in the house when company is over?

7. Create a quiet spot

Photo credit: LEEROY Agency, Pixabay

The cool shade beneath your tree makes it the perfect spot to set up a quiet space to read a book, enjoy a cup of tea, or write in a journal. You can turn this quiet space into a place entirely made for you.

Do you enjoy resting in a hammock, or do you prefer a comfortable seat on a bench? What plants would you like to have near you as you relax under your tree and take in your outdoor space? Perhaps a small water feature by your feet will put you in the perfect mood, or a birdbath.

8. Plant a succulent garden

Photo credit: Rie Sadohara, Pexels

Though most succulents prefer sunlight, several hours of direct sunlight and scorching temperatures may burn these plants. Your tree plays a vital role in their growth by offering them a protective covering from too much sunshine and hot weather.

A succulent garden can add gorgeous texture and color to your landscape, as these plants grow in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Before getting your hands dirty and planting a succulent garden near your tree, it’s essential to know the basic gardening tips of these plants.

9. Edging

Edging is an excellent way to highlight specific areas of the lawn, hold in mulch, and keep any curious pets from digging around the tree’s roots. If you want visitors to see your stunning oak tree, consider edging the tree’s base with small stones or bricks and adding layers of textured mulch. The mulch enhances the tree’s beauty and health, while the edging holds the mulch in place and makes the base of the tree pop.

Edging also can be a barrier to protect the roots from people, pets, and lawn mowers. Hedges can make an excellent barrier that accentuates the tree while also limiting access.

FAQs About Landscaping Around Trees

1. Are exposed roots bad for my tree?

Surfacing tree roots may make your tree vulnerable to the sharp blades of a mower. When equipment damages your tree roots, your tree becomes susceptible to disease due to open wounds.

Exposed roots may also prevent grass from growing, become a tripping hazard, and even lift structures.

2. How can I landscape around exposed roots?

Mulching around your tree can be a great way to cover up roots and landscape around your tree. To help prevent tripping, consider building a walkway around the trees’ roots to guide visitors and provide a safer path.

Piling on soil may seem like a great idea, but you’ll suffocate your tree this way. Like you, your tree’s roots need oxygen to breathe. Avoid adding a thick layer of soil and stick with the mulch instead.

3. How much mulch should be around a tree?

The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension recommends spreading mulch in an even layer 2 to 3 inches deep around your tree. Do not layer more than 3 inches of mulch as over-mulching can kill your tree.

The mulch should extend outward to at least the tree’s drip line, the circumference of the tree canopy where water drips onto the ground. Avoid piling the mulch against the tree trunk, as this encourages disease, insects, rodents, and root problems.

Pull the mulch back a few inches from the trunk to allow good air circulation.

4. Can you put landscape fabric around trees?

Some gardeners swear by landscape fabric, while others vow never to lay it on their lawn again. Those in favor of landscape fabric use it to prevent rock mulch from sinking into the soil, limit erosion, and reduce weeds. Because trees don’t require any digging maintenance, gardeners prefer to use landscape fabric for trees rather than gardens or flower beds where digging will often ruin the material. Organic mulches also require routine maintenance and replacements, whereas you can replace an inorganic mulch like landscape fabric about once a year.

Cons of landscape fabric include decomposition gradually clogging the fabric’s drainage pores, a lack of biodiversity, and minimal organic materials. For a healthier soil, consider using an organic mulch like wood chips or shredded bark.

5. How can I control weeds around my tree?

Keep the lawn mower and weed wacker in the garage. Using mechanical means to control weeds can cause severe damage to your tree. The blades of a mower or trimmer could injure the tree’s base and potentially disturb the movement of water and nutrients through the tree. A wound in the bark or wood also makes your tree more vulnerable to fungal disease.

Safer solutions for controlling weeds around your tree include mulching or applying herbicides. Mulch suppresses weed growth by preventing sunlight from reaching the weeds.

Herbicides, such as glyphosate (Roundup), can be effective at killing weeds and have low toxicity to humans, according to the Trees for Energy Conservation Extension. Keep in mind that glyphosate can damage plants with green foliage, so it’s best not to let the herbicides come in contact with non-target plants. Users must wear personal protective equipment and follow all safety guidelines.

When to call a landscaping pro

While many of these tree landscape ideas can be turned into fun DIY projects, hiring a landscape professional near you is a valuable option.

Working with a professional helps eliminate costly mistakes, gain further landscaping ideas, and ensure that you are not risking your tree’s health.

The last thing you want to do is build a landscape design on your own and later find out mismanaged curb appeal damaged your favorite tree.

Main image credit: Skitterphoto, Pexels

Jane Purnell

Jane Purnell is a freelance writer and actor in New York City. She earned her B.A. from the University of Virginia and enjoys a warm cup of French press coffee.

Posts by Jane Purnell

12 Best Tips for Landscaping Around Trees

The Challenges Around Trees

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While mature trees bring shade and beauty to a residential landscape, the ground around their trunks can become a barren blight. Blame thirsty roots that draw up all the water and heavy branches that prevent sunlight from reaching the soil, making it tough for other plants to thrive. Fortunately, with the tips ahead, you can transform those desolate spots, adding color, texture, and other design elements—while maintaining the health of the tree—to make your yard the envy of the neighborhood.

RELATED: 10 of the Best Trees for Any Backyard

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DO maintain the existing soil level at the trunk.

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One common mistake that homeowners make is to create a raised border around a tree and then fill it in with soil to create a planting bed. The additional soil around the trunk can cause the bark to rot, leaving the tree susceptible to disease and insect infestation. If you want a raised bed, consider constructing an inside border one to two feet away from the trunk to keep the soil from smothering the base of the tree.

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DON’T add soil over turf.

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If making a garden bed, dig out any existing lawn grass before adding soil. You may assume that grass would simply decompose under the soil, but if it’s thick it can create a layer of dense thatch that blocks water and oxygen from reaching the tree roots. By removing grass before building the bed with soil, the tree roots will receive the nutrients they need to keep the tree healthy and strong.

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DO select plants adapted to the special light conditions under the tree.

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Some trees, such as maples and magnolias, allow dappled sun through their boughs while others, including most evergreens, permit virtually no sunlight near their trunks. Before choosing plants, observe the amount of shade under the tree at different times of the day. Deep-shade plants such as ferns and hostas can thrive nearest the trunk, while semi-sun varieties like lily of the valley and coral bells can grow under the perimeter of the tree’s branches.

RELATED: 15 Plants for Where the Sun Don't Shine

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DON’T damage tree roots when planting.

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Trees including white oak and hickory send down deep roots, but others, such as maple and cypress, have roots just beneath the surface, or, in some cases, even extending above the ground. Cutting into these roots with a shovel can severely damage a tree. Instead, use a hand trowel and carefully scoop out as much soil as you need to fit new plants into place. If you run into a root, stop digging and select a different spot for the plant.

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DO mulch when establishing plantings beneath a tree.

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Whether you’re creating an entire raised bed or just tucking a few ferns here and there, the tree’s roots will continue to absorb the lion’s share of the water in the soil. Adding two to three inches of mulch around the base of new plants will help keep moisture in the soil so you won’t have to water constantly. Use either commercial mulch, such as pine straw or wood chips, or recycled dried leaves.

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DON’T pile mulch against the tree trunk.

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The same rule that goes for soil goes for mulch–don’t cover the base of the tree trunk. Leave eight to 10 inches of bare ground around the tree trunk when adding mulch.

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DO consider bricks and rocks as a plant alternative.

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Sure, plants are pretty around the base of a tree, but they require water and maintenance in the form of regular fertilizing and occasional trimming. If you’d haven’t time to care for plants, consider an attractive arrangement of rocks; this is an especially good option for trees with roots that extend above the ground, which make planting difficult. Create an outside border of bricks, large stones, or commercial edging to keep small rocks from tumbling out on the lawn. Remember to leave eight to 10 inches between the rocks and the tree trunk.

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DON’T use solid plastic sheeting under rocks.

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Plastic landscape sheeting creates an impermeable barrier between the rocks and the soil. While this helps prevent weeds from growing between the rocks, it can damage trees, blocking oxygen and water from reaching the roots. A better option is to use porous landscape fabric beneath the rock layer and then pull stray weeds by hand should they appear.

RELATED: Don't Make These 8 Mistakes in Your Front Yard

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DO incorporate a large tree into an outdoor living area.

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If you wish to put a deck or a patio where a large tree already thrives, you needn’t cut it down to proceed with your construction plans. Building around the tree will give you the best of both worlds: The deck or patio will provide attractive landscaping and you’ll have instant shade for your entertaining area.

RELATED: 6 Fast-Growing Shade Trees

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DON’T crowd the tree with a deck or patio.

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The inside perimeter of a deck built around a tree should be a minimum of two feet from the tree’s trunk to allow the trunk to grow, farther if you anticipate more growth. The inside border of a patio (because it’s solid and will block water and air) should be three to seven feet (or more) away from the tree to give the roots plenty of surface area to absorb water. Plants or rocks can be used to landscape the space nearer the trunk (see above).

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DO add relaxing elements to under-tree landscaping.

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A mature tree with ample headspace beneath its branches is just begging for a charming stone bench, birdbath, or hammock. If you have the space, turn the area beneath a shade tree into a delightful spot for enjoying a cup of tea and a good book after a long day’s work.

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DON’T neglect the nighttime scene.

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After all the hard work that went into landscaping around your trees, don’t leave them in the dark when the sun goes down. Make the most of your new yard design by adding a few well-placed accent lights around the base. By installing solar or low-voltage landscape lights to softly illuminate plantings and rocks, you’ll incorporate a whole new design element in the project.

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Trim the Trees

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Give your trees the star treatment.

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How to draw a landscape with trees correctly?

Paintings with summer landscapes are a favorite but difficult topic for beginners. The catch here is in the bright green of the trees. Many people paint greenery in a landscape using just two or three solid colors. From this, the picture becomes simply childishly painted. How to draw a landscape with trees correctly?

In fact, the color of "green" trees in a landscape may not be green at all.

And in some areas very "gray-brown-raspberry".

Let's look at the principle of painting green trees on the example of a selection of paintings by Mark Hanson.

I specifically measured and rendered the color of different areas of greenery separately so that you can adequately assess their shade.

1) The first picture shows us bright pure shades of green, the color of which can even be equated to those available in the paint set.

This is how beginners usually write without mixing colors. However, such a situation with bright greenery is quite rare in nature.

This is cloudy even lighting, the beginning of summer, when the foliage is still young, and approximately equal distance to all landscape objects.

2) At other times of the year, the greenery will be (already) not so bright. And the color of the leaves of different trees varies.

In a landscape, you are likely to find more yellowish young greens, darker, like pines, and cooler, like willows or olives.

Be sure to find the difference in shade of a particular tree species.

3) Bright sunlight radically changes the picture. If on a cloudy day we see a more or less uniform shade in the color of the crown, then in the sun the color in the light and in the shade is strikingly different.

In the light, the color brightens and becomes warmer. In the shadows it becomes less saturated and dark.

In this picture you can also see the color change of the tree in the near-far category. The shadows on distant trees become lighter and cooler than those near them.

4) As the distance to the trees increases, their color generally changes significantly compared to the neighbors. It changes from green to gray.

This is due to the fact that the air mist separating the viewer and the tree becomes thicker, the color dissipates, and the color of the milky, blue or lilac atmosphere is mixed with the green color of the crown.

See what richness and complexity of shades the author displays in this work.

5) The situation changes even more if complex lighting conditions are involved: dusk, sunset, dawn, night.

In this case, there are no conditions for green development. We can see blue-green, gray or even red trees.

Note that there is no green in this picture, even though we are well aware that these trees are green.

However, our mind thinks in the usual categories - tree and grass are green, the sun is yellow, the sky is blue. And even if the eye tells us otherwise, the hand will still reach for the green color to depict the tree as green.

How can we help our mind "see" color?

A very simple tool will help you. Take a small strip of paper or cardboard and poke a hole in it the size of a hole punch.

Aim this hole at the green area you want to see the color of. The color piece, separated from the overall picture, will be clear to you.

It's especially useful to measure color this way when you're painting distant trees. After all, there they significantly change their green hue, and the mind refuses to believe in it.

Try it now!

Take a photo of a tree or look out the window with a strip. If you are looking at nature in reality, then place the instrument about 30-50 cm from the eyes. For convenience, cover one eye. For the measurement to be accurate, the strip of paper must be white, well lit. Then you can easily measure the hue and lightness.

And the next time you decide to paint a landscape with green trees, be sure to measure the color of the greenery you see.

Good luck in drawing beautiful green landscapes!

Share this article with your friends, they will be grateful to you!

And I will be pleased to read your comments, whether this information was useful to you!

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How to draw a tree step by step with a pencil: easy instructions for children

Author: Semeyniy Ochag Publishing House

Many beginning artists face the problem of depicting nature. Especially often the image of trees becomes a stumbling block.

Such objects familiar to the eye are actually very difficult to draw, since tree crowns do not have a clear geometric shape, but consist of many small details: branches, leaves, fruits and flowers. To achieve realism of the image is possible only with the correct arrangement of light and shadows.

Painted pictures of trees in different techniques differ in color and detail, so inexperienced landscape painters should learn the basics of drawing and little tricks.

Pencil technique

Pencil technique includes both black and white graphics and more realistic color drawings. How to draw a tree with a pencil is a common question for beginners. The technique has its own nuances and features, without knowing which it is very difficult to make a picture of a non-amateur level.

Black and white drawing

Step-by-step instructions on how to draw a tree with a graphite pencil is a great help for those who want to learn how to draw.

  1. Start with a sketch of the trunk and outline of the tree, without small details.
  2. After that, you can start drawing the branches of the tree by creating their outlines. You should know well the structure of the depicted plant: the thickness, number and shape of the branches. This is the only way to achieve a realistic image.
  3. Next, you should detail the crown and branches, depicting the leaves along the contour. Closer to the branches of the leaves should be more than from the outer edge. Also, the upper and outer leaves should be lighter than the lower part, since the sun illuminates the top of the tree.
  4. With the help of dark hatching it is necessary to draw the textured bark of the tree and its roots.
  5. The final touch in creating the picture will be adding a shadow on the ground.

The best way to add sun glare to a pencil drawing is with a sharply cut quality eraser. In this way, you can add more volume to the picture.

Drawing with colored pencils

Drawing a tree with colored pencils is quite easy. You also need to start with a sketch - a pencil outline of the trunk and crown. Next, the outline must be shaded with a green pencil, shading the lines so as to get an even green background. Closer to the top, it is better to use a pencil 2-3 tones lighter. In the same way, you need to depict the grass.

Lightly color the barrel with a brown pencil. A well-sharpened dark brown pencil draws branches in the crown, as well as the texture of the trunk.

Use a dark green pencil to draw individual leaves on the tree. In some places, they should overlap the branches to add realism to the tree. Individual blades of grass are drawn with the same pencil.

Watercolor

Watercolor drawings are distinguished by their elegance and light, unobtrusive beauty. Watercolor is a very common material that everyone gets acquainted with in early childhood. However, not everyone learns how to properly work with these paints.

Summer landscape

A step-by-step guide for beginners will show you the main steps and how to work with watercolors.

Start by creating a pencil sketch. Next, it is important to moisten the space inside the circuit with plain water using a cotton pad. This is necessary to create a smooth overflow of one paint color into another.

For the top of the crown and the upper parts of individual branches, you will need light green or olive paint, and for the lower leaves - dark green or indigo. The paint should not be applied in strokes, but in large, bright drops.

With a thin brush, individual leaves are drawn along the edges of the crown - since the paper is dry behind the outline of the sketch, the leaves will turn out to be well-defined.

When painting the trunk, branches and roots, 2-3 colors can be used, smoothly merging into each other. At the same time, the paints from the crown and branches should mix a little.

The ground is painted last - green grass and darker shadows are applied to wetted paper.

Winter landscape

To depict a winter landscape, artists most often use images of snow-covered coniferous trees in their paintings. Drawings of evergreen firs and pines are beautifully executed in watercolor technique.

Work should begin with a pencil sketch, which will show the branches, trunk, outlines of the crown and snow caps on the branches.

Next, you need to mix the colors needed for the image of the needles and paint over all the snowless places on the tree with a thin brush. Strokes should be thin and non-uniform to give the painted needles a natural look.

After mixing paint for coloring branches and trunk. These details are also painted over with a thin brush.

Light blue applied around the tree to represent the sky. You can start drawing the background only after the image of the tree has completely dried, otherwise the even contours of the image may blur and float.

To depict a shadow on the snow, you should add a little dark blue pigment to the paint that was used to paint the sky. So the shadow will turn out much more realistic.

Oil Pastel

Oil pastel is a difficult medium to work with, but when used correctly it produces rich hues and unrivaled color transitions. For the best result, you need to get professional advice on how to easily draw a tree with oil pastels.

Oil Pastel Basics

Oil pastel is unpretentious to the material on which it will be applied, so the picture can be painted on canvas, wood, stone, metal, thick paper. Pastel is well applied to any material and does not crumble over time.

To achieve different shades of color, several layers of pastels are used, superimposed one on top of the other. Excess paint can be scraped off with a blade or any sharp object - this makes it easy to correct the image.

Oil pastel works take up to several weeks to dry - the drying time depends on the thickness of the paint layer.

Learn more