Woodland Landscape

• A green woodland landscape provides a relaxed natural setting with cool shade for sitting and reading or entertaining on a hot summer's afternoon. Cull out any trees which are diseased or are being overshadowed by taller specimens; competition for light and nutrients would doom these trees to failure in future years anyway. Cutting away lower limbs to leave a high canopy will allow soft green dappled light to reach the ground, and ensure that the area does not feel closed-in or oppressive.
  
  Plan meandering paths and softly shaped sitting areas. Set down a layer of landscaper's weed cloth or several layers of cardboard, then top with a natural-looking material like bark mulch. Masses of low-lying green plants and groundcovers like ferns, ivies, violets or lily-of-the-valley will complete the woodland landscaping atmosphere, and require little to no maintenance.
  
  

Sculptural Shapes

• Dense green shrubbery can be used in the landscape as a sculptural material, with hedges, geometrically trimmed bushes, or fantastical topiaries creating a wealth of visual texture and motion. Box and holly plants have glossy leaves which respond well to the annual pruning required to maintain a sculptural look, while junipers and other small-needled conifers can be regularly clipped to grow into spiral or globe shapes. Prune selectively, being sure to thin some limbs back to the main stems rather than simply shearing off the outside of the plants with hedge shears, because routine shearing can cause the interior of the plant to die off. Vines trained to trellises and forms, or espaliered trees, also create a formal, sculptural green landscape which can complement both country estate styles and stark modern architecture.
  
  

Privacy Plantings

• A wall of green can block prying eyes from seeing the goings-on in your yard, and can help to diffuse traffic and neighborhood noise, creating an island of privacy. Firs and hemlocks offer rich, dark green glossy needles and a softer look, while prickly junipers, cedars, and spruces come in a wide variety of green-spectrum shades from yellow to blue. Many conifers grow extremely tall, losing the effect of a privacy hedge over time as they lose lower limbs. The Canada hemlock can withstand regular shearing and remain dense, making it an ideal choice for privacy hedges. Plant conifers in well-drained soil, as most varieties are averse to having their roots remain wet.
  
  

Background Plantings

• Green trees and plants provide an ideal natural background for bright-colored annuals, perennials, and flowering shrubs. Don't plant your green background material in a straight, flat line, however; mass shrubs and small trees in groups of three or five, creating staggered shapes that will set off your border plantings. Selecting a few individual specimen plants to be planted singly amidst a colorful bedding helps blend the foreground plantings with the green background. Turn your green plantings into a functional part of your landscape, by planning heights and masses tapered to draw visitors to your front door and outline safe walkways to your cars, mailbox or gate.