Flowering shrubs are a beautiful sight, but the bare earth underneath is less so. You can remedy this, for example, with a top layer of bark mulch, which must be renewed regularly. Alternatively, you can simply underplant your shrubs.

Plants under shrubs protect against weeds and drying out

Does underplanting shrubs really make sense?

Planting shrubs underneath is not only useful for visual reasons. If you plant ground cover there, for example, then no weeds can spread at this point. Planting also reduces soil erosion. But the most important thing is definitely the optics. Small spring flowers bring a bit of color to your garden very early in the year.

Which plants are suitable for this?

Plants that need relatively little space for their roots, tolerate shade well and can also cope with a lack of water are particularly suitable for the space under your shrubs. Well-leaved shrubs do not allow much water to get to the ground and provide plenty of shade.

Numerous spring flowers such as crocuses, snowdrops and winter aconites are not shade plants, but still feel at home under many trees and large shrubs. This is due to the fact that the shrubs do not yet have any foliage when the early bloomers are in bloom, so the small flowers get enough light.

Plants that do well under shrubs:

  • crocuses
  • snowdrop
  • winterlings
  • ground cover
  • Japanese rainbow fern
  • Spotted deadnettle
  • elf flowers
  • lily of the valley

What should I consider when planting under?

Underplanting is easiest to do when you are just planting your shrubs. On the other hand, it becomes difficult if your shrub has been growing for a few years and its roots have spread. Then you have to be careful not to damage these roots. It might help to fill up some soil.

So that the plants under a shrub can develop well in the long term, they need a little care. Make sure there is an adequate water supply and water the plants at least occasionally during a long dry period in summer. Remove fallen leaves and/or needles. Especially needle litter easily leads to acidic soil.

tips

Add some colorful accents to your shrub bed with some flower bulbs.

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Care tips