Fun Landscaping Ideas Around Trees

Beautiful trees in your yard provide a wide range of benefits, but these great landscaping ideas around trees will show you all of the choices you have. Design components that add color and texture to your landscape may be used to modify the area surrounding large trees, tree roots, or even tiny trees.

Mature trees are beautiful to behold, provide excellent shade for your yard, and may just be a fantastic component of the whole picture. Big trees, on the other hand, and their roots might present difficulties while keeping your grass and garden in good shape.

As a result, the tree’s roots will grab all of the moisture, and heavy branches may prevent sunlight from reaching the root system at the bottom of the tree, creating a hostile environment for other plants to grow in. This is why you frequently see barren, vacant areas around trees on lawns, parks, and other places.

If you think this is hurting the overall aesthetic and appeal of your home, or if you simply want some ideas for taking your landscaping to the next level, check out these popular suggestions.

landscaping ideas around trees

Landscaping Ideas Around Trees

Whether you have mature trees or young trees, there are ideas for every case. If you just know a few things about how to do it, you can work around the roots and the tree’s foundation and create a lovely landscape feature.

Some trees allow some light to enter through their leaves and branches, while others block it completely. Before you put anything at the tree’s base that requires sunlight to live, it’s crucial to understand how much if any light is getting through.

If you’re concerned that the color will ruin all of your hard work, consider these landscaping ideas for trees and under trees that block most or all of the sun. This will assist you in making the most of your outside area while still choosing a fantastic landscaping design around your own trees.

1. Decorate at the base of the tree

Here’s a landscaping project that is simple to execute. You may personalize the soil at the base of the tree in a number of ways. We’ll get into some of them in greater detail, but you can utilize mulch, plants that thrive in shaded areas, or a rock garden among other things to add curb appeal and a unique aspect to your garden.

With this method, you can also grow succulents or groundcovers in pots for a splash of color, whimsy, and fun. A few inches of mulch, some tiny stones, dry-tolerant plants such as succulents or groundcovers, and some nice lawn ornaments may brighten up a space considerably

2. Build a tree ring

Many of the suggestions we’re going through today necessitate the use of a tree ring. You may construct this with rocks, bricks, cinderblocks, pavers, and other materials. Whatever you choose to make your tree ring out of, be sure it’s done in such a way that it isn’t detrimental to the health of the tree.

landscaping ideas around trees

3. Create a walkway

You may create a pathway to and from your tree with pavers, bricks, landscaping rocks, or other materials. For added appeal, add colorful flowers and greenery on the sides of the walkway.

This concept may be combined with other suggestions on the list. For example, you may lay mulch around the tree’s base, then build a bench beneath it for relaxing in the shade, and complete it with a stone pathway.

If you’re trying to skirt around existing roots, you may space out pavers’ stones to make a passageway between them. Large trees have large roots, but smaller ones do as well; therefore, plan ahead and expect roots to grow over time, pushing some pavers or stones out of the way. You could need to redesign your pathway

4. Work around tree roots

Another option is to work around the existing tree roots. If you have visible tree roots, they may be a tripping danger as well as detract from the visual appeal of your yard. Exposed root systems are difficult to mow around. However, if you try to conceal the roots, it might actually suffocate them and kill the tree by preventing

Instead, you’ll need to think of inventive ways to get around the roots. Groundcover plants are one method to accomplish this. You may plant these in between the roots without harming them and over time, as the groundcover plants grow out, they will cover the exposed root areas while still permitting air circulation through them.

The non-edible variety is referred to as groundcover, while the edible kind is known as succulents.

Here are some plants that may be used as groundcovers:

  • Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
  • Hosta
  • Barrenroot (Epimedium)
  • Garden ferns
  • Spotted Deadnettle (Lamium maculatum)
  • Creeping Liriope (liriope spicata)
  • Pachysandra
  • Yellow Archangel (Lamium galeobdolon)
  • Sweet woodruff (gallium odoratum)
  • Bugleweed

Use a non-invasive species. English Ivy, for example, is commonly used in low-light situations but has become extremely invasive throughout the United States.

Mulch may also be used to protect exposed tree roots without suffocating or damaging them. You could also build a stone walkway or a boardwalk over the roots to shelter them while also providing a safe walking surface for pedestrians.

5. Rock gardens around trees

Rock gardens may be used to enhance the area around a tree’s base in a number of ways. Rock gardens, as well as bricks and stones, are an excellent plant choice if you already have plants in other areas of your yard. Instead of living plants, consider rock gardens when you need to improve the landscaping surrounding a tree.

Rocks, on the other hand, are excellent for establishing a foundation beneath a tree. However, if you use them incorrectly, you might harm your tree. Before laying your stones around the trunk of the tree, leave at least 8 to 10 inches clear of the tree’s surface.

6. Add a water feature

Adding a water feature, as shown in the image above, is another entertaining landscaping option around trees or tree roots. Have you ever heard that water features and shade don’t go well together? It really depends on your location. There are certain situations and environments where having your water garden beneath a tree might be advantageous.

For example, in Texas and other areas of the southern United States, where the summers are extremely hot, this is a very popular option. In locations with exceptionally hot climates, such as this one, it’s not unusual to see water features beneath trees or in the shade.

If you choose this approach, keep in mind that maintenance will be critical, especially if leaves are falling into the water garden and onto the pool. It will be necessary to change the filters on a regular basis, as well as clear pathways or rake leaves off your lawn to prevent them from blowing into the water feature.

7. Mulch the base of the tree

If you mulch around the tree’s base, you’ll get a clean, finished appearance while also being really simple. Mulch is also a low-cost alternative, making it ideal for tight budgets. You may use whatever color, type, and quantity of mulch you want. It truly is that simple!

8. Garden between two trees

If you have two trees in your yard and there isn’t enough space between them for anything else, consider creating a garden between the two. To complete the look, add a bench or chairs for relaxing and reading a book, some flowers, and plants that thrive in shaded areas, as well as rocks or mulch to round it out.

Creating a peaceful, beautiful place to unwind is a fantastic method to add value to your home while also providing new purpose for the area.

9. Grow a shade garden

There are certain plants and blooms that perform well in low-light situations, such as those beneath a large, old tree. Planting these low-light loving plants beneath your tree may help you create your own shade garden. Hostas, impatiens, coral bells, and magnolias are all excellent choices. Here are additional perennials

10. Build a raised garden bed

You may surround the tree’s base with a basket or wall and construct a higher garden bed for an interesting design and efficient use of space. A raised bed will protect the tree’s roots while also giving you a location to grow flowers or plants of your choice. You may even keep it basic by growing grass on your elevated garden bed.

11. Cinderblock garden beds

Cinderblocks are an essential tool for any backyard gardener. Ground cover plants may be an excellent option to use in cinderblock garden beds around tree bases, or in between trees in your yard. These bricks can also be used to partition off areas or create a complex appearance in your landscape and garden.

12. Container gardening as an alternative

Another option is to use container gardening and place them carefully around the tree. This may also be done in a cold climate with plants or flowers that must be brought inside during harsh months and then returned outside when the weather improves.

This method enables you to be more adaptable. Container gardening also gives you the option of moving plants from shade to sun as needed, allowing you to utilize space beneath your trees while still exposing them to sunshine when they need it.

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13. Add some night lighting

Even when the sun goes down, you won’t lose sight of your efforts if you add a little night lighting to the region beneath your tree. To lighten up the areas surrounding your trees, gardens, and even the outside of your property, you may use solar lighting or electric landscape illumination. This may be just what you need to tie everything together

Additional landscaping ideas for locations around trees

It’s also vital to keep the existing soil level of the tree’s trunk. A lot of homeowners build an elevated border around a tree base and then fill it with dirt to make a planting area. This appears attractive at first, but it is incorrect since the surrounding extra dirt will cause the bark to decay. This can lead to illness or infestation

If you want a raised bed, follow one of the methods above, or make an inside border of about one to two feet away from the trunk before adding your soil to prevent smothering the tree’s base.

It’s also crucial not to put dirt on top of your grass or turf. If you’re going to plant in an area that has previously had grass, dig it up and remove it before laying your soil.

At this point, we’ll conclude with some landscaping ideas around trees.

Exploring the finest landscaping ideas for trees may help you preserve your trees and make them more attractive while also enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the rest of your property.

Even with a tiny sum of money, you can accomplish a lot if you know what to do. We hope that these ideas will inspire you to get started on your own landscaping project. Getting inventive is part of the thrill. You may add a genuine touch of beauty to your landscape even around existing trees by carefully preserving the tree’s base and roots

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