For A Shady Spring Garden, Consider Planting This Blooming Tree

Many homeowners who like to garden often find that their yards can come with challenges, especially if they like to grow a wide variety of plants. Light tends to be one of the most common issues. Many times, it comes down to not enough light or way too much. But what can you do if your backyard garden area doesn't have the shade you need to grow your favorite plants? You can always plant shade trees. If you have the space, and you want to provide some much-needed shade for your spring garden, quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides) are a great choice. Not only will they provide your garden with some relief from the scorching sun, but they are also quite beautiful with their pretty blooms and color-changing foliage.

Quaking aspens are fast-growing shade trees, which is a good thing if you want them to have some height for spring. To help give your garden a little relief, you will want to plant them between your garden beds and the sunniest spot of your yard. The first year, they will grow only a foot or two, but they can eventually get up to 50 feet tall and about 30 feet wide. Like the paper birch, which is a shade tree that can't be beat when it comes to bark beauty, the quaking aspen has a beautiful creamy white trunk that is quite outstanding in the landscape. The most unique features of this tree are its leaves, which almost sing in the breeze, and the striking foliage colors in the fall. It blooms in early spring with little furry things called catkins. The canopy is usually full by late spring or early summer, which is great for shading plants in your spring garden. 

Quaking aspens tend to be a little more challenging to grow, but if you're up for it, they make a great addition to any landscape. Planting one or more of these trees in the fall is a good idea if you want them to be established for spring. They can be grown successfully in USDA Hardiness Zones 1 through 7. The best way to successfully grow a flourishing shade tree, like the quaking aspen, is to provide it with the best location. These trees have a shallow horizontal root system, so it is best to plant them far from your home's foundation. Quaking aspens do well in full sun, and if you are planting in the fall, you need to make sure to do it before the ground freezes. They do best in well-drained soil and are tolerant of most soil types. Just remember to keep up the watering, as these trees are only moderately drought-tolerant.

What you'll need to watch out for, though, is any sprouts that might appear thanks to the tree's shallow root system. To prevent additional and unwanted trees from growing in your yard, just remember to remove any suckers as soon as you spot them. This might require a little vigilance on your part. You'll also want to keep a lookout for pests such as borers and leaf miners, and treat these accordingly. Nevertheless, this amazing tree can provide some much-needed relief from the blazing summer sun for you and your family. This will make working out in your garden a lot more tolerable on hot days and help protect those more delicate plants, as well.