1. The planting pit should be larger than is needed to hold the spaced-out roots of the shrub??on average, at least twice the size of the pot or roots.

2. As you dig out the pit, separate the topsoil, piling it beside the hole for fining back around the roots. Discard the harder, clay subsoil and any stones larger than 1 inch in diameter. Try the shrub in the hole to check that it is deep and wide enough to accommodate the roots.

3. Loosen the soil in the base and around the sides of the planting hole with a pitchfork to allow roots to penetrate and water to drain.

4. Soak container-grown shrubs or the rootball the day before planting. Tease out and loosen any roots that are tangled into a tight ball. Damaged or broken portions of root should be removed using a sharp knife or hand pruners and the cut ends dusted with flowers of sulfur. With bare-rooted plants, including trees, spread the main roots in all directions.

5. Place a layer of old, well-rotted farmyard manure in the base of the hole to help hold moisture. Mix a handful of bonemeal fertilizer through the topsoil.

6. Plant the shrub at the same depth as it was in the pot with its collar at soil level.

7. Return the soil, layer by layer, working it around the roots while taking care not to damage smaller, fibrous roots. Lumpy soil may tend to leave air pockets causing the death of any roots that grow into them.

8. Give the soil a final firming with your foot and tread the surface around the tree down into a “dish” shape so that water does not run off before it has had time to penetrate the soil.

9. Water the shrub to settle the soil around the roots.

10. A 2-inch surface mulch of composted bark applied to damp soil will help retain moisture around the roots and deter weeds from germinating.

Further Readings:

• How to Feed and Lime in Your Garden
• HOW TO ADD COLORS TO YOUR GARDEN BY PLANTING DIFFERENT SHRUBS

After the plant has settled in the soil, secure it to the stake with a tie and pad. The pad acts as a buffer between the stake and the branch, protecting the bark from rubbing. Buckle ties are easy to use, but remember to pull the end of the strap back through the clip to prevent it slipping. Straps that are fed through slits on either side of the pad need to be nailed to the stake. Wire will cut into the bark, so avoid using it, even as a temporary tie. Check ties regularly to ensure they are not too tight. Depending on the speed with which the trunk expands, ties may need to be slackened in spring and again in autumn.

1. Make the planting hole larger than the root area of the tree to allow room for the roots to spread out. Keep the topsoil in a separate pile to the subsoil??you will know when you hit subsoil as it is harder and of poorer quality. Fork up the base of the hole to improve drainage and to allow the roots to penetrate the subsoil.

2. When the hole is ready, unwrap the roots of the tree (don’t do it earlier or they will dry out) and place the tree in the hole.

3. If a stake is going to be needed, work out the best position so that it won’t interfere with the roots. Positioning the tree in front of the stake will hide the stake from view. Remove the tree before you drive in the stake to avoid damaging the roots.

4. Spread a layer of well-rotted farmyard manure in the base of the hole??this will help get the tree off to a good start and retain moisture when it needs it. Cover with 6 inches of topsoil.

5 Put the tree back in the hole and spread out the roots. Prune any broken roots back to healthy tissue, taking care not to damage the small fibrous roots. Dust the cut ends with flowers of sulfur to prevent disease entering the wounds. Plant the tree at the same depth as it was in the container??there will be an obvious soil mark on the bark to guide you.

6. Mix a couple of handfuls (3-6 oz) of bonemeal and some well-rotted farmyard manure into the topsoil.

7. Backfill around the roots, shaking the tree to settle the soil. Firm the soil with your foot to exclude air pockets, and “dish” the surface so that it collects water in the area immediately above the root zone. Water well after planting to settle the soil around the roots. For the first season, keep the soil in the vicinity of the roots well watered and spray the foliage to prevent the tree from drying out and wilting.

8. Use a strap and pad to hold the tree firmly to a timber stake.

Further Readings:

• How to Take Care of a Barren Fruit Tree
• How to Use and Arrange Plants in Your Garden

Shrubs are different from each other, so you should know which shrubs to go with for your garden. Your landscape will bring diverse results with diverse kinds of shrubs. Your plan should be a little futuristic focusing on what you really want and what would you get by planting a certain type of shrub. Shrubs are all about adding beauty and color to the garden and here a few most recommended shrubs you might want to go for.

Azalea tops the list; these are flowering shrubs that stay at the peak of beauty at the time they bloom. You would only get a flower per stem but stems are quite a lot meaning that it is going to be a color-mania at their bloom time. Acidic garden soil best suits these shrubs and they need a shady position to grow. Azalea does have a few various species as well so a little research is required to see what would suit you and which ones need pruning regularly.

Then comes the hardy shrub rose, this shrub type is also popular because of its different colors. They do not ask for deep and expensive maintenance and are disease resistant as well unlike the other roses. The best part is that these shrubs bloom almost in every season spreading their beauty and colors in your garden. They do not really have any planting requirements so plant them anywhere you want to see a beauty boost in your garden.

Hydrangea plants also count as shrubs adding lots of color to the existing beauty of your garden. They would suit around the borders and relatively in large bunches; most gardens seem to be incomplete without this shrub.

Many people have misconceptions about shrubs being color-less or just green, let me tell you that along with the above mentioned shrubs almost all the others carry fantastic colors with them and that is why they are so important for a garden to look bright and blossoming.

Traditional autumn or spring planting presents none of these difficulties. All that is required is that each plant is firmly planted in a hole which is of sufficient dimensions to ensure that the fibrous roots are not cramped or congested. Some herbaceous plants become totally dormant during the winter and do not even leave a reminder of their presence in the form of a woody with­ered flower stalk. These all require marking with a small cane after planting. The soil all looks the same once the plants are in as it is very difficult to remember what was planted where. Liberal applications of slug pellets amongst the most vulnerable plants like lupins and delphiniums is a necessary pre­caution, for plants like this produce succu­lent shoots during early spring which are the delight of these slimy predators. A ring of weathered soot or ash around each group of vulnerable plants is a good slug deterrent.

Freshly acquired plants are ready pre­pared for planting, but if you are reorganiz­ing your own border you will obviously wish to retain some of each of your existing stock. Most will be capable of division, the easiest and most reliable means of increas­ing them and ensuring that they remain true to type. Some border plants produce single vigorous tap roots and are indivisible. These are the ones that are usually reproduced from seed or short stem cuttings. Plants with an abundant growth of fibrous root are the ones most suited to division. Established clumps of perennials should be carefully lifted with a garden fork and as much of the surplus soil as possible shaken off the roots.