TREE AND SHRUBSLeaf it to me

Avid gardeners…What kind of shrubs don’t have deep roots?

I want to plant some green shrubs (I really want japanese boxwoods) around my house to make a hedge…BUT my septic system has a pipe that runs on one side through my proposed garden. Is there a shrub or plant I can use that won’t grow into my pipe over time?
I can’t skip the area, it will look very funny.
p.s. I have full sun, good soil that drains well, I’m just afraid of plant roots getting into the pipe as they mature..

You could have a mix of perennials, including bulbs, that don’t have deep root systems. Your choice is partly limited by the type of soil that you have, your climate, and which direction the soil is exposed to, eg shady or in full sunlight. If you’re in a tropical location, you have way different options available to you too.

That said, there are some good easy plants, that can give lots of colour and impact, and you don’t need to just grow shrubs, as mixed borders often have more interest and impact.

Even the old favourite roses are fairly shallow rooted, and come in a range of styles, including miniatures, shrubs and climbers – they generally benefit from sun/partial shade. A good evergreen shrub group are the Rhododendrons and Azaleas, again available as miniatures, with much smaller root systems, than when mature. Some of these prefer acid soil, so great if your soil is this type- otherwise supplement and add loads of mulch, as they all have very shallow fine roots. These flower at different times of the year, mostly in early summer time, and with different colour ranges.

For some winter colour, Winter Jasmine is a low growing trailing shrub, though can be trained as a climber. Its root system is shallow, and it’s evergreen. Could be trained anything from a couple of feet, to around 10′ in height http://www.nichegardens.com/images/plants/jasminum_nudiflorum.jpg Great for when everything else is bare in mid winter.

Spring bulbs are great, as these have bulbs that multiply each year, and remain just 3 or 4 inches below the soil surface. These can be planted in groups, to the front of shrubs, for colour, mainly early in the year. Consider anything from snowdrops, Crocus http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/Crocus-bulbs.jpg, dwarf or taller Narcissus http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/Narcissus/Narcissus_rufusXcyclamineus.jpg and Daffodils, and Lilies in summer http://www.stargazerperennials.com/images/new_gran_cru_lily_copy.jpg.

Bearded Irises, a little like bulbs, with swollen roots that are on the top of soil, flower in summer, in different colours – http://images.whiteflowerfarm.com/iris-perennial-plants-fall.jpg http://www.frontrangeliving.com/garden/images/irisbluesgroups4199.jpg there are Dutch Iris bulbs that flower in spring, and you could use both http://www.hadecoflowers.com/images/flowers/dutch_iris.jpg.

Clematis climbers are shallow rooted, and there are varieties for shade or sunny spots. http://www.thriftyfun.com/images/articles/Clematis.jpg http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.about-garden.com/images_data/1491-hybrid-clematis-nelly-moser.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.about-garden.com/a/en/1491-clematis-nelly-moser-clematis/&usg=__PwUFUZ9y1stVBYY9yRWQOO_NVqE=&h=210&w=210&sz=18&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=CXQ5dAO3WFhq7M:&tbnh=106&tbnw=106&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dclematis%2Bnelly%2Bmoser%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dopera%26rls%3Den%26um%3D1 Really varied colour range, some striped. Avoid Clematis montana – a lovely plant, but it’s very vigorous.

Otherwise, consider protecting your pipe work, with a barrier, if possible, to widen your choice of plants.

Overall, go for colour in various seasons, mix some climbers with other shorter plants, and vary or group colours together, as well as get a mix of foliage. If you like something and it works with what you have, go for it, finding a particular colour that you really appreciate – don’t settle for the colours I’ve posted photos to.

Hope this helps. Good luck! Rob

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