Arthur A Jones & Assoc, Company

As with anything, there are negatives. "Temporary" also means seasonal removal and replanting. This attribute makes an annual garden both more expensive in the long run and higher maintenance than its perennial counterpart. (Fortunately, annuals have very shallow root systems, so planting and...

A carefully planned perennial border provides the gardener with a sense of anticipation like no other landscape planting. Because there is a perennial that blooms for every season, you can easily plan for a constant, ever-changing flower show in your landscape. Varying foliage textures and hues...

A perennial is any plant that lives year after year, storing up energy in its roots during its dormant period, typically winter, and then renewing itself in the spring using that stored energy. Trees and shrubs have such life cycles, but the distinction "perennial" generally refers to herbaceous...

Unlike annuals and perennials, groundcovers cannot be defined by their life cycle or, for that matter, by any other scientific qualification. Traditionally, the designation "groundcover" has referred to any spreading plant used to cover a specific area of the landscape. There are many shrubs,...

Some of the other reasons that a gardener might use annuals, aside from the fact that they provide constant interest all season long, also have to do with the very nature of the annual life cycle. Annuals, by nature, are temporary. This attribute makes them perfectly suited for those gardeners who...

In most gardens, trees, shrubs and turf form the backdrop or foundation of the landscape. Ideally, these elements work together with herbaceous perennials and annuals to form a complete, dynamic appearance. More typically, though, perennials and annuals do the decorator's work, adding interest and...

Aside from the aesthetic draws, trees and shrubs offer a more practical set of qualifications. A stand of trees or large shrubs can block a large percentage of street noise and significantly reduce wind and water erosion. Trees' natural biological processes (such as transpiration and...

Those of us who love gardening realize many of the joys that plants provide. We savor the emotions evoked by the heady scent of a gardenia, or that first cloud of cherry blossoms at the end of a long winter. Plants make artists out of us, allowing us to create of our outdoor spaces...

Aside from the aesthetic draws, trees and shrubs offer a more practical set of qualifications. A stand of trees or large shrubs can block a large percentage of street noise and significantly reduce wind and water erosion. Trees' natural biological processes (such as transpiration and...

When we think of landscaping, we tend to think primarily of the plants. Many times we fail to move beyond that to include stone and other hardscape materials in our plans. Whether you are creating a waterfall, fishpond, creek bed, stacked wall, or patio, the use of stone can be an inexpensive way...