Trees in your backyard can offer many benefits, including improving curb appeal, providing shade, and increasing security & privacy, and adding value to your home. In addition, according to a study published by MDPI, being around trees can offer several psychological benefits, improving your mental health. If you’re looking for a landscaping project for your home this summer, below are top tree and shrubs ideas that you can use to spruce up your home. And by getting a free estimate tree service, you can put your concerns about the cost of your project to rest.

Plant Ornamental Trees and Shrubs

One of the top landscaping ideas for your backyard is to use trees and shrubs to add a pop of color. Of course, you can use any tree to improve the beauty of your home. However, ornamentals are an excellent choice, as they can add immense beauty to your property with their brightly colored flower petals, leaves, and berries.

You can use various trees and shrubs to add beauty to your home. For example, you can use flowering plants such as tulips, dogwood, cherries, crabapple, crepe myrtle, and others whose blooms will turn your backyard into a paradise. You can also plant evergreen trees and shrubs, keeping your home looking lively all year round. Lastly, you can plant fragrant trees like magnolias and apple trees, adding beauty to your home with their fantastic scent.

Of course, you should consult an arborist before planting ornamental trees and shrubs in your backyard. This will help you identify the best flowering plants that do well in your area. A tree professional can also help you choose ideal trees based on other factors such as easier maintenance, faster growth, and pest and disease resistance. On top of that, they can also offer you a free estimate tree service, which you can use when planning for your backyard landscape improvement project.

Use Trees and Shrubs to Add Shade

Using trees and shrubs to add shade is another top landscaping idea to try this summer. With well-placed trees in your backyard, you can block the sun’s heat, creating calm and relaxing outdoor living spaces. According to Energy.gov, trees can also act as windbreakers, which in addition to shading, can help reduce your home’s energy consumption by up to 25%.

Of course, not every tree will be perfect for adding shade to your backyard. Therefore, you should consult a professional about the best trees and where to plant them. In addition, you should seek a free estimate tree service to give you an idea of how much your landscaping improvement project will cost.

When adding shade to your backyard, excellent ideas include planting trees with dense foliage and overreaching branches or shorter trees and shrubs for spot shading. You can also plant trees near outdoor living spaces such as the deck, patio, and swimming pool. Of course, whatever option you choose, you’ll need reliable tree care services to keep your shade plants growing strong and healthy and your yard neat.

Create a Living Fence

If you want more backyard landscaping ideas, consider planting a living fence. Using trees and shrubs for fencing is a great way to add privacy to your property. In addition, according to the University of Washington, trees help to reduce crimes, making them perfect for increasing your home’s safety. Also, a green fence can offer several other benefits, such as shading, cleaner air, a relaxing atmosphere, and improved curb appeal. Many local professional tree care services can help you with the installation and maintenance of a green living fence.

One thing to note is that not every tree will be ideal for fencing your home. Therefore, it’s good to speak to local certified arborists to help you choose the best trees and shrubs for your setup and region. However, some good options include lilacs, bamboo, boxwood, cypress, thuja, privet, holly tree, butterfly bush, and forsythia.

Besides perimeter fencing, you can also use trees and shrubs for landscape fencing. For example, you can use a live fence instead of privacy walls around outdoor living spaces like the swimming pool, patio, and deck. You could also use hedges to separate hard landscaping features from your green areas. Besides adding beauty to your backyard, these ideas are cost-effective, but getting a free estimate tree service can give you a better idea of the project costs.

Landscape Around Your Trees

Many homeowners often neglect the areas around and under trees and shrubs. As a result, these areas can become an eyesore due to exposed roots and stray weeds. The good news is that you can utilize this space with several tree landscaping ideas, which can help you to spruce up your backyard.

One of the top ways to use the space around your trees and shrubs is by planting a lawn. The greenery from the grass and the shade from the trees can help create a clean, neat, and beautiful backyard. In addition, the shade from the trees and shrubs can protect your grass from extreme heat, thus fostering healthy growth. Of course, before planting the turf, you should purchase top soil for lawns, thus ensuring more vigorous growth.

Besides a turn, you can hire a lawn and garden service to cultivate flowers, herbs, or even edible plants around your trees and shrubs. Additionally, you can plant smaller trees and shrubs, creating a layering effect that adds depth and interest to your backyard. But, of course, you’ll need to care for these new plants and the existing trees and shrubs; hence, requesting a free estimate tree service from a professional is a good idea.

Add Outdoor Furniture Around Trees and Shrubs

Besides planting grass and plants, installing outdoor furniture is another excellent landscaping idea for utilizing the space around your trees. The shade and cool breeze from trees and shrubs offer a wonderful atmosphere for the perfect outdoor relaxation area. Likewise, installing outdoor furniture pieces can bring interest to your trees and enhance the aesthetic appeal of your backyard.

You can use outdoor furniture in many ways to utilize the space around your trees and shrubs. For example, you can place chairs beneath large trees, build benches around them and install swings and hammocks. These ideas can help you create fantastic outdoor areas where your family can relax and bask in the shade during hot weather.

Another fantastic idea to improve the landscape design of your backyard is to create an al fresco dining area with your trees. For this project, you can place tables and chairs under your trees and shrubs, or build more permanent structures, creating a beautiful and romantic dining spot. Of course, you’ll need to properly care for trees and shrubs to maintain a perfect dining atmosphere. Therefore, you should visit a professional offering a free estimate tree service for the necessary tree care solutions.

Use Your Trees and Shrubs to Create a Garden Art

According to the University of Florida, trees and shrubs have many aesthetic qualities that you can use to improve your landscape design. Therefore, trees and shrubs are excellent features to add to your backyard to enhance its appeal. And the best way to use them is by creating living garden art.

One of the top ideas for a living garden art in your backyard is an arbor. You create one by planting trees with reaching and arching branches on both sides of a space, thus creating a natural arbor. You could also build an artificial arbor with wood and metal, then add interest and color to it with creeping shrubs and plants. Whatever option you choose, a garden arbor can be an excellent focal point in your backyard that adds natural beauty and enhances the appeal of other landscape features.

Another excellent idea for creating art in your garden is using live trees and shrubs to create sculptures — also known as tree shaping or arborsculpture. According to Pacific Horticulture, this is an ancient tradition but has reemerged recently, and you can use it to create breathtaking live structures. Of course, such a project will take time and be expensive, so you should visit a professional for a free estimate tree service beforehand.

Keep Your Trees and Shrubs Looking Healthy

Planting trees and shrubs can improve your home’s curb appeal and value. However, they might also harm your property if you don’t care for them. Therefore, hiring tree care solutions is an excellent idea to enhance your backyard’s landscape this summer.

Trimming is one of the top services you can hire to care for your trees and shrubs. It can help foster your plants’ healthy growth by eliminating sick, dying, or excessive limbs. Trimming your trees also keeps them looking neat, which can improve the aesthetic appeal of your backyard. Lastly, trimming overhanging branches can protect your house and other landscaping features near your trees.

Besides trimming, you must keep your trees and shrubs well-watered, especially in the hot weather. You can do this manually or hire garden sprinkler services to install an automatic irrigation system. And besides your trees and shrubs, you can use the sprinklers to water your lawn and other garden plants, thus creating a healthy and beautiful backyard.

You can hire several other services to care for your trees and shrubs. For example, depending on the condition of your trees — and backyard — you might need mulching, pest & weed control, pruning, planting, transplanting, tree health inspection, and tree restoration. Therefore, you should call a professional for a free tree estimate service on the required solutions.

Use Landscape Lights to Enhance Your Trees

Most homeowners only enjoy the beauty of trees and shrubs during the day. However, with creative tree landscape lighting ideas, you can use your trees to enhance the appeal of your backyard and the entire home, even at night. And on top of improving your home’s beauty, the lighting can help to make your property safer.

One of the top landscaping ideas is to use uplights to illuminate your trees and shrubs. This can make them glow at night, creating a beautiful, dramatic, and relaxing atmosphere in your backyard. You can also use spot or color-changing uplighting to highlight a focal tree in your backyard garden, creating a beautiful night scene.

Besides uplighting, you can use downlighting on your trees, creating dramatic shadows in your backyard at night. Additionally, you can use your trees and shrubs to install downlight fixtures, adding security to your home at night. Lastly, you can hang string lights on your trees and shrubs, creating a romantic atmosphere, especially around outdoor dining spots, gazebos, patios, and decks.

Get Rid of Some of the Trees and Shrubs

Trees and shrubs may add beauty to your home, but having too much of them can also harm its aesthetic appeal. On top of that, some trees growing in your backyard can affect the curb appeal, natural light, and safety of your home. Therefore, in some cases, the best way to improve your backyard’s landscaping is to hire a local tree removal professional.

One of the top situations when you may need to hire tree removal services is if you have trees and shrubs that are an ugly eyesore. This can include dead, rotting, diseased, or pest-infested trees; removing them can, thus, restore the beauty of your backyard. In addition, you can remove trees and shrubs blocking the view and natural sunlight or taking up too much space in your backyard. The tree removal costs will vary depending on your trees and the situation, but you can call a professional for a free estimate tree service to get an accurate figure.

You may also need an emergency tree service to remove trees and shrubs in your backyard during urgent situations. This can include trees that are dangerously leaning towards your house or in the event of tree damage during storms. In addition, you may need emergency tree removal if your tree roots are causing damage to your home’s foundation.

Trees and shrubs can offer your home many benefits, from enhancing its beauty to providing privacy and security and creating a relaxing atmosphere. Therefore, a tree project is an excellent idea to spruce up your backyard this summer. So, call a professional for a free estimate tree service today and start planning your home improvement.