Hi.. We live in a small townhouse and have a tree and a couple green patches infront of the house. The tree seems to not be doing very well and I am concerned. Further to that, would be great if we can plant some bushes / shrubs in the green patches. I don’t knownmuch about gardening and thought I’d find some help.
We receive numerous questions from homeowners requesting advice in selecting perennials and shrubs
Choosing perennials and shrubs for one’s garden can be daunting — the options are limitless. Knowing your growing conditions ie, type of soil: clay, sandy, loams, sun exposure, climate, etc., will help to narrow the choices of plants, especially if you are looking for tried and true ‘low-maintenance’ varieties. ‘The right plant in the right place’ will keep garden care to a minimum. Therefore, it is important that one determine soil conditions, light patterns, available moisture, prevailing winds and temperature ranges before making plant choices. One must also consider the potential mature sizes of the plants.
Another consideration is how much time you wish to spend maintaining the garden. Do you want a low maintenance garden, or do you want a mixture of flowering shrubs and perennials?
Once you know the light conditions of your front yard and the type of soil you have, it will be easier for you to select perennials /shrubs that will thrive in your front yard. We have a number of Garden Guides that describe shrubs which grow under different light and soil conditions. See Ornamental Shrubs for Various Light Conditions
Since native plants are hardy, low maintenance and support pollinators, you may wish considering planting a native garden. Lorraine Johnson’s book 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens along with our Garden Guide on Gardening with Native Shrubs may be useful.
An earlier post: Beginner Gardener gives as lot of useful information and suggestions.
Lastly, without knowing the type of tree you have, or a photo it, is difficult to determine what could be wrong with your tree. Does the tree receive water? Have you seen any insects on the tree? You may wish to post another question with a photo of your tree and a description of the issue.
Good Luck with your garden project.