Create Living Walls for Your Garden

Before you hardscape valuable garden space, ask yourself if a tree or shrub can perform the function just as well.

From low hedges to single-specimen barriers to towering windbreaks and privacy screens, some of the most attractive garden plants do double duty as architecture for your landscape. Consult the chart below to see which plants might help fill a need in your garden.

Hedges	Informal Screens	Single Specimens
Typically evergreen shrubs or trees.	Plants with showy blooms, fragrance, and/or fall color.	A well-placed single plant or tree.
Separate areas of the garden, act as windbreaks, or outline property divisions.	Offer privacy and visual interest. Those with thorns can offer security as well.	Block an unappealing view, provide shade, or draw the eye.
Trimmed or shaped to maintain uniform appearance.	Retains natural shape and (often) loses leaves in winter.	Taller varieties (10+ ft) provide privacy as well as interesting silhouette.