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Ideas around trees


15 Ideas for Landscaping Around Trees

By

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Lisa Hallett Taylor is an expert in architecture and landscape design who has written more than 1,000 articles about pool, patio, garden, and home improvement over 12 years. She has a bachelor's degree in Environmental Design and is certified in fine and decorative arts appraisal.

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Updated on 03/18/21

The Spruce / Michelle Becker

The ground underneath and surrounding a tree is often neglected, resulting in bare dirt, exposed tree roots, and a few volunteer plants that aren't necessarily welcome. Discover ways to landscape a forgotten area that will make the tree and what it shades much more appealing.

Finding a solution isn't a one-size-fits-all scenario. There's a concern for damaging the tree's roots, dealing with dry soil, irrigation (too much or too little), shade, limited space (those roots!), and dappled light. Keep in mind that not all landscaping requires plants: hardscape in the form of decks, gravel, or mulch might be just the right fix.

The traditional way of landscaping beneath or around a tree was to edge it in brick, stone, or rubber. If you wanted to get creative, you'd plant impatiens, begonias, and maybe a few shade-tolerant bulbs—until the area became overrun with weeds, the snails and slugs invaded, or it started to look just plain bad. The results are often surprising: you don't expect something to be planted in these spaces, but once they are, you realize that it's unused real estate that is just waiting to be beautified.

Get inspired by these smart and beautiful ways to landscape under and around a tree.

Landscaping around trees – 10 stunning ideas

(Image credit: Susie Watson Designs)

Landscaping around trees has seen a real progression in recent years.  Gone are the days of simply edging your tree with bricks or covering the exposed soil with gravel. Instead, there are plenty of colorful and architectural ideas to add character to your backyard ideas, rather than just dressing with stones, slate or bark.

If you're wondering where to start, these 10 ideas for landscaping around trees are sure to spark inspiration.

Landscaping around trees

Whether you're looking to add landscaping interest around large trees – such as some of the best trees for privacy and screening – or simply want to add color to trees grown in pots, there are so many options. These are our favorite ideas for landscaping around trees.

1. Underplant trees with bulbs to create seasonal interest

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Landscaping around trees can add interest even when the tree is bare. In fact, early bulbs will grow before the tree is in full leaf so you don't need to worry about battling with shade. Of course, underplanting a tree is not straightforward as there's a concern for damaging the tree's roots. 

Before you start, be sure to throughly mulch the base of the tree with organic matter, this will give you space to plant the bulbs without damaging the roots. 

'To have a succession of different bulbs from January to May, plant a variety, from the early blooming snowdrops, winter aconites and crocuses, through snowflakes, fritillaries and narcissi, to tulips, alliums, and camassias. ' advises garden expert Leigh Clapp 'Muscari or grape hyacinths naturalize well under trees and shrubs. Mix with primroses, daffodils, pansies and early tulips for a pretty combination'.

Once planted, your bulbs will continue to grow, multiply and reappear each year, making them a low-maintenance way to add floral landscaping around trees. Plus, as the bulbs disappear back underground once they've finished blooming, you can still mulch, feed and water your trees as needed.  

2. Create a relaxing spot by adding a bench

(Image credit: Susie Watson Designs)

Adding a circular bench around a large tree not only invites a shady spot to rest in but also provides a point of visual interest to the whole garden scheme. A fairly straightforward idea for landscaping around trees, there are many companies that craft beautiful benches for trees, from wooden designs that add classic country charm to ornate cast-iron designs that have an antique-feel and add traditional elegance to your space.

You can even get personalized designs that make for a beautiful gift and are sure to stay in the family for generations.

3. Use the shade provided by trees for an al fresco dining space

(Image credit: Future / Emma Lee)

If you're looking for garden shade ideas that are useful as well as attractive, utilize the shade a tree provides by creating an al fresco dining space underneath. 

'Your outdoor space should be a place for you, your family and your friends to enjoy. With this in mind, treat your garden like you would your home and fill your space with accessories that reflect your personality. Think about your concept, furniture and accessories to create a space that feels like a room,' Scarlett Blakey, interior design expert at Ophelia Blake .

4. Frame trees with hedging for an natural yet ordered look

(Image credit: Future )

Create a sense of order in your garden by landscaping around trees with a low hedge border. Neatly manicured, it frames the space and harks back to formal parterre designs. 

Framing your trees with box or privet hedging will add visual interest and serve to contain the bed into which your trees are growing – particularly if you've used a loose mulch like bark chippings or slate to suppress weeds. 

This look works particularly well if used over a larger area – rather than around one specific tree – and to disguise the seam between two different ground materials, such as lawn and plant border or path and plant border. 

5. Contain planting by adding a raised border

(Image credit: Future / Polly Eltes)

Constructing a border around your tree will mean that you can raise the level of the soil around the trunk. Doing this not only provides valuable nutrition to the tree but also allows you to underplant without damaging the roots of the tree. What's more, it creates an organized aesthetic that works well with a manicured lawn or alongside a gravelled drive.

6. Build a patio around the tree

(Image credit: Future)

Patio areas have been increasingly popular additions to our gardens, offering a low-maintenance space for al fresco dining, entertaining and relaxing. If you are looking for patio ideas, considering adding or extending a patio, then it is good to know that you can incorporate large trees into your design. 

However, there are a few things to bear in mind. Your trees roots will run under the area you are planning on paving. If your tree is old and its roots system well established, then the roots are unlikely to cause you any serious issues. However, it the tree is younger, be aware that they may cause disturbance to the patio in the future as the roots grow. Consider raising the level of the patio by lining with a few inches of extra sand to help buffer the roots. 

Pavers are also a better choice when building a patio over tree roots as they are more flexible than alternatives like poured concrete. This way if there is any movement, the pavers can easily be relaid, something that is more difficult with concrete patios.

7. Incorporate the tree into your decking

(Image credit: Future/Mark Bolton)

Deck ideas are great for landscaping around trees; in the long-term they are also the lowest maintenance, too. Adding a decked area to your garden opens it up to a whole host of design opportunities. A softer alternative to paving, it harmonizes with trees and planting to create the perfect space for relaxing. 

By surrounding the base of the tree, you don't have to worry about weeds, while the added height of the deck also means that the tree's roots are very unlikely to have an impact on the stability of the deck as they grow. 

8. Consider landscaping around espaliered trees

(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)

Espaliered trees are trained to grow against a wall and as such have a large, rectangular border around the base. Since the tree is flat to the wall, the area beneath it is less shaded than under a conventional tree.

Opt for plants with shallow roots for landscaping around trees as they will not disturb the root system of the tree. Lavender, zinnias, pansies and marigolds are all great choices for underplanting trees.

9. Create a peaceful oasis by positioning a swimming pool under your tree

(Image credit: Courtesy of Joseph Richardson Landscape Architecture)

Embrace the serenity of the natural world and create your own spa at home by using tall trees to frame an infinity pool. Landscaping around trees this way provides pool landscaping ideas that are private and shaded, and also offers a relaxing backdrop to your leisurely swim.

10. Welcome nature by encouraging a meadow to grow under your trees

(Image credit: Future/Max A Rush)

Cutting grass under trees is a challenge, often requiring you switch off the mower and cut it by hand. However, letting the grass grow longer at the base of your trees eradicates this struggle while also giving back to nature. Why not go a step further and make wildflower seeds bombs to scatter underneath? Pick a seed mix that comprises poppies, sweet alyssum, cosmos and evening primroses, it will quickly transform your backyard into one packed with wildlife garden ideas.

What is the best thing to put around the base of a tree?

Shade loving plants or bulbs are the best thing to put around the base of a tree for an easy and instant fix. Hostas, dicentra and primoses are all shade loving plants that will add a burst of greenery below your tree, plus will all produce stunning flowers. Alternatively, ferns are an evergreen choice that will create a rustic, woodland feel to your garden. Interplant with erythronium to add colorful blooms come summer.

'When planting beneath trees, remove any weeds and scratch the surface of the soil with a garden fork, as the soil can be very compacted, taking care not to damage any roots,' advises PL garden expert Leigh Clapp, 'select shade-loving plants with compact root systems so they don’t compete with the tree for nutrients and pay attention to watering and fertilising as plants establish. '

What to put around trees to prevent weeds?

You can put everything from a gravel or bark mulch to building a decking around a tree to prevent weeds.

While weed suppressant fabrics are good for preventing weeds, they make it difficult to feed and fertilize your tree, so it is not a good idea if your tree is young and still needs lots of support to grow. Alternative options for young trees include top dressing with bark chippings which will decay over time and provide the tree with nourishment. Another option is to allow a wildflowers meadow to grow as when the wildflowers meadow is established, it will naturally suppress the weeds.

For larger trees, you can afford to cover their root system a little more as they won't be as dependent on fertilizer and organic mulch (though this is still good for them from time to time). Consider building a decking or patio around the base of the tree to create a relaxing space that will also be weed-free.

Having graduated with a first class degree in English Literature four years ago, Holly started her career as a features writer and sub-editor at Period Living magazine, Homes & Gardens' sister title. Working on Period Living brought with it insight into the complexities of owning and caring for period homes, from interior decorating through to choosing the right windows and the challenges of extending. This has led to a passion for traditional interiors, particularly the country-look. Writing for the Homes & Gardens website as a content editor, alongside regular features for Period Living and Country Homes & Interiors magazines, has enabled her to broaden her writing to incorporate her interests in gardening, wildlife and nature. 

How to play with a tree on the site: 10 landscape ideas

Gone are the days when the soil around the tree was covered with stones or bricks were laid out along the border of the near-stem circle. There are many more interesting (and sometimes even useful) ideas on how to make a tree growing on the site more attractive and decorative.

We've rounded up a dozen fairly simple yet interesting ideas that will make your garden more colorful.

Flowerbed in the trunk circle

The easiest way to play with a tree growing in the area is to place a flower bed under it. However, this can only be done under an adult tree: it is better to mulch or sow the near-stem circle of a young seedling, for example, with green manure.

What flowers can be grown under a tree? First of all, these are bulbous: daffodils, tulips, crocuses, muscari, etc. In early spring, when they decorate the garden with their bright flowers, the trees are still leafless or just beginning to blossom and do not provide a dense shade.

In addition to bulbs, shade-tolerant plants with a shallow root system feel great in the near-trunk circle: hosta, fern, periwinkle, evergreen begonia, etc.

Raised bed or flower bed

A variant of the circle flower bed is a raised flower bed or bed set around a tree. Lined with brick or stone, it adds decorativeness to the tree and makes it more visible. If you add bright plants there, then such a group will become the highlight of your garden. Such structures will be especially in place in areas with uneven terrain.

By the way, if there is not enough space on your plot for a full-fledged garden, you can plant not only flowers, but also vegetables near a tree.

Terrace or decking around a tree

If you decide to build a terrace or flooring in your summer cottage, do not rush to cut the trees growing in this place. They can be very interesting to beat.

In order not to harm the tree, when building a terrace, leave a hole larger than the current size of the trunk, because. the tree continues to grow. Otherwise, wooden flooring will not interfere with it in any way: through the gaps between the boards, water for irrigation and air will easily penetrate to the roots, moreover, which is also very useful, the earth in the trunk circle will always remain loose, because. no one will walk on it.

Armchairs, tables or simply pillows are placed on the site, turning the area in the shade of a tree into a comfortable rest area.

Relaxation area under the tree

Dinner with the family at a round table hidden in the thick shade of a huge tree… Who doesn't dream of such an idyll? And it’s not difficult to build such a recreation area if a tree grows on the site. The easiest option is to simply put a set of garden furniture under it. However, the legs of the table in this case will constantly fall into the ground.

There is a more reliable option, although it requires more investment of money and labor, - the creation of a special platform with a hard surface. It is covered with stone, brick, concrete tiles, paving stones, decking and other similar materials. Such a dining area will serve you for more than one year.

Trunk furniture

Quite an interesting design idea - the arrangement around the trunk of a large tree of furniture. Most often, benches are made in this way. You can make a round bench, for example, from pallets, wooden beams and slats, or even from old chairs. If desired, you can create a whole dining group - benches with a table.

Gabions around the trunk

Infrequently, gabions are also used in summer cottages - large metal mesh structures filled with stones. But in vain. Making them is not very difficult (although time and effort, of course, will be required), and they look very impressive. Moreover, it can be not only free-standing stone structures, but also quite practical benches framing a tree. To make it comfortable to sit on such a bench, its upper part is covered with wooden planks or cushions for garden furniture.

Trunk circle mulching

A simple trick that will not only add decorativeness to the tree, but also benefit it, is the mulching of the trunk circle. Before starting work, the area near the trunk is cleared of debris and weeds, if necessary, level and lay a layer of spunbond. Then the prepared surface is covered with pebbles, marble chips, crushed bark, cones and other material. Mulch will protect the soil from overheating, keep it moist longer, improve air and water permeability of the soil.

Tree swing

Do you have children in your family? Give them joy - equip a swing in the country. You can buy a large hanging chair, or you can use a more budget option - make a wooden swing with a suspension of durable twine (that's exactly what we had in our childhood) yourself. For the seat, you need a rectangular board, on the sides of which holes are drilled. A strong rope is inserted into them - and the simplest swing is ready. If desired, you can add a backrest and even armrests to them.

They can be hung on a special support. But if it is not there, then any strong branch of a large healthy tree will do. If two trees grow nearby, you can nail a crossbar to them and hang a swing on it.

Hammock in the garden

What better place to relax and read a book on a hot summer day than in the shade of a tree? If you don't like sitting down and prefer a more comfortable position, hang a hammock. The role of the second tree, on which the cord from the hammock is attached, will be performed by a post dug in at a short distance from the trunk.

For lovers of special comfort, instead of a hammock, you can hang an impromptu bed made of pallets on a tree. However, one must be very careful when choosing a branch: not everyone can withstand such a weight.

Evening lighting in the garden

Life in the garden should not end after sunset. Evening lighting will help prolong it. It can be not only expensive lamps, but also ordinary garlands hung on trees. The right design will help enhance the beauty of the trees, create coziness and ensure safety when you are outdoors.

Bright lights against a dark sky are the perfect way to create a special mood and spend a wonderful evening with family or friends.

We hope that you will definitely want to implement some of the options we have proposed.

Arranging tree trunks: design ideas

Author Maria To read 5 min Views 2. 5k. Published by

The usual landscape of a neglected area under tall trees in the garden is gradually becoming a thing of the past. Laconic sketches from a solid green lawn, a flower garden, undersized or creeping green spaces come into fashion. The most creative gardeners make a recreation area with terraces and benches under the roots of trees.

Content

  1. General principles of design
  2. “Black steam” in the garden
  3. Mulching
  4. DECRIPTION
  5. Decorative plantings
  6. Terrans and flooring
9000 and berry plantings need regular watering and top dressing. At the same time, their root system goes deep, and also “spreads” to the width of the crown. If an apple tree is 4-5 m high and has a crown span of 4 m, then watering provides for a zone within a radius of 5-6 m.

What not to do:

During drought, fruit trees need not just a lot of water, but a lot - to effectively wet the ground under a tree, 4-5 m high, 2 buckets are not enough. You will need to put a sprinkler fountain for 1-2 hours. Which can lead to short-term waterlogging of the beds around the trunk. This must be taken into account and planted only those plants that are not afraid of excessive watering.

Important! The size of the trunk circle increases as the tree grows. The more spreading the crown, the more it will be necessary to process the area under it. In apple trees, walnuts, the crown span can be up to 6 meters.

"Black steam" in the garden

In fact, this is a well-fertilized, loose earth that contains only the nutrient organic matter that the tree needs. This variant of the design of the near-stem circle is preferable for young plantings, when the tree needs maximum nutrition for growth and development. In this case, any vegetation that can take nutrients is removed.

Keeping "black fallow" in the garden in perfect condition is not easy, especially if there are not 2-3 trees, but not a dozen. This is a constant fight against weeds, loosening after watering and rains, which is very laborious. In industrial gardens, agronomists recommend for young plantings just this method of decorating near-stem circles, positioning it as a more comfortable option for the plant. But an individual gardener needs to take into account his strength - in addition to daily work in the beds and the adjacent territory, it will take 1-2 days a week to come to grips with the ground under the trees.

The most common and lightweight option for summer residents who have little time to care for large plantings. Suitable for mulch:

Mulching

The first three options are also an addition to the nutrition of the root system, overripe they give nutrients to the soil at the same time making it loose. The disadvantage of using them will be a small aesthetic - the tree trunks look more like a kind of compost heap, and not an exquisite landscape design option.

Coarse shavings from spruce trees or bark remain the best choice. This is both protecting the soil from drying out and a good option for grooming the land. But it should be remembered that chips, chips or sawdust take nitrogen from the soil, useful for growth and green mass, and the bark changes the acidity of the soil. If the tree is provided with regular top dressing or monitors the pH by alkalizing with dolomite, then powdering the near-stem circle with wood waste is a completely acceptable version of the design of the near-stem circle in plants.

Important! Mulch does not guarantee complete protection against drying out or weed germination. But caring for her is much easier than caring for the "black steam".

Sodding

A dense lawn cover is ideal for a lazy gardener, all that remains is to monitor the height of the grass and mow it in time. It looks almost perfect, but there are difficulties with fertilizing under the trees - it will not work to plant fertilizers into the soil.

You can leave mini-holes around the perimeter of the tree circle, or periodically raise the sod and put fertilizer under it.

Decoration with decorative plantings

The flower bed looks very nice according to the diameter of the near-stem circle. But it is required to follow the rules:

To save space in the garden, you can plant seasonal herbs (dill, lettuce), but there is no need to talk about beauty and aesthetics.

Perennial creeping plants (ground covers or conifers) almost eliminate the need for regular weeding around the trunks. But they create additional difficulties - if necessary, trim the crown, you will have to put the stepladder directly into the landing. Therefore, the best option is compact annual flowering flowers (dahlias, zinnias, marigolds, marigolds, spring bulbs). In addition to the contrast of flowers, they attract bees to the garden to pollinate fruit trees.

Terraces and decks

An open terrace can be built around the tree by lining it with boards. This option looks very practical, aesthetically pleasing and saves usable space. It is enough to raise the terrace to a height of at least 80-100 cm, and make a cut of 60-100 cm around the trunk so that you can water and feed the tree.

Conclusion

The design of the space near the trunks of tall trees can be different. It all depends on the capabilities of the gardener, his visual preferences and the time allotted for tending the garden.

Learn more