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Shrubs add year-round structure and presence to a landscape. Learn how to use them effectively in your garden no matter what kind of look you're going for. Here are some ways you can add a bit of flair to your yard.

Back yard of a contemporary Pacific Northwest home featuring a deck a spanning creek-like water feature with a landscaped lawn and custom patio fireplace in the background.

Close up of delicate white flowers with green leaves

Pair with Annuals

When you think of shrubs, you might envision large woody plants that are just one step down from trees. And some of them fit that description. But others don't. There are many low-growing and dwarf varieties available these days. The big benefit: the shrubs remain even after the annuals have died.

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Grow Beside Perennials

If you like to grow tall perennials, then you know how valuable a few large ornamental grasses can be as a backdrop. Shrubs offer the same benefit — only you won't have to wait until fall for them to peak.

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Backyard with lamp post and mulch path, lilac hydrangeas lining the path

Decorate an Outdoor Room

A wall of green wouldn't do much for prettifying your patio. Instead, choose a flowery hydrangea, which, once it reaches its full glory, holding onto its blooms for weeks on end so that visitors can enjoy the spectacle. Even after the blooms fade, they still remain attractive.

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Back up a Garden Structure

A white obelisk might get lost against the house, but putting a bayberry behind the garden structure acts as a backdrop, setting off the garden structure with dramatic flair.

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Garden obelisk with many plants around it

Topiary shrub with rock garden and other plants in the background

Act as Garden Art

Topiary is one way of turning a shrub into a work of art. It can be something simple, like a globe-shaped boxwood, or something ornate, like you'd find at a botanical centre. Either way, you're creating an instant focal point and conversation starter.

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Attract Wildlife

Shrubs are invaluable for attracting birds and other wildlife. Evergreens offer year-round shelter and deciduous shrubs often bear fruit, nuts, or seeds for food. And all provide potential material for birds building nests.

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Table and chairs set up in a backyard with birdfeeders hanging from the tree

Provide Privacy

A row (or two) of arborvitae accomplishes more than a wall or stockade fence. It provides privacy, yet it looks as if it's part of the garden. The same could be said of juniper, yew, or any other evergreen used as a screen.

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Complete a Picture

When creating a landscape mosaic, shrubs complete the picture, helping transition from taller trees to low-growing ground covers and turf grass. While the pines, spruces, and hemlocks are attractive in their own right, they are "grounded" by the dwarf conifers and barberry in front. In effect, they look more at home.

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