Our Midwest yards would be pretty barren without the presence of elegant evergreens adding screening and winter interest. These strong and resilient trees decorate our yards, streets, and parks, providing year-round beauty to the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area. Here at Meyer Landscape, we encourage everyone to include an evergreen or two (or more!) into their landscape design. If their undeniable beauty and natural aesthetics weren’t enough to convince you, then these top 5 benefits of evergreens sure will!
Evergreens Add Year-Round Interest
Simply put, evergreens are pretty. But the best thing about their charming good looks is that they stick around all year long. Even in the winter, when the branches of your deciduous trees and shrubs are bare, evergreens proudly cling to their resilient foliage. While there’s value in nurturing a wide variety of plants and trees in your garden—both for your property and for the environment—you will definitely appreciate the company of conifers when winter comes. Enjoy the rich green foliage and blue-green hues all season long—a comforting reminder that winter doesn’t last forever. Plus, some varieties will provide additional interest with berries or cones, which will also attract birds for winter protection and cover, deer, and other wildlife to frolic in your garden.
Evergreens Improve Air Quality
Carbon dioxide, which is emitted through the burning of fossil fuels, is a heat-trapping gas that prevents warmth from escaping into space, keeping it here in our atmosphere instead. Through photosynthesis, trees remove carbon dioxide from our atmosphere, which they use to fuel plant structure and function. In return, they give off fresh, clean oxygen into the air. In short, trees are solely responsible for allowing us to breathe! While this is true for all trees, there’s a critical time of year when air pollutants are at their highest, yet photosynthesizing leaves are limited: winter! That’s where evergreens step in to save the day. When cold air prevents pollutants from escaping the atmosphere, they’re the only trees that continue to purify our air. In an urban area like the Quad Cities, evergreens are essential to keeping our air safe and clean.
Evergreens Provide Privacy
We all work hard to make our outdoor space one that’s comfortable and enjoyable for the whole family—not the whole neighborhood. No one wants their garden parties, backyard fires, and family gatherings to be on display, and luckily, privacy isn’t usually an issue in the summer when deciduous trees are full of leaves and shrubs are in full bloom. But that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t appreciate that same privacy for the rest of the year. (Especially those of us who keep the blinds open in the winter to let in that precious sunshine!) Dense coniferous branches and evergreen hedges provide a natural privacy screen to your yard, so you can enjoy winter activities with your family and early spring garden work without everyone knowing your business.
Evergreens Help to Conserve Energy
Not only do trees provide privacy, but they also naturally shelter your property. In the summer, trees help to shade your yard, so that spending time outdoors on hot days is safe and enjoyable. They also help to shelter our homes from the beaming sun, which can moderate temperatures and alleviate some of the work our air conditioners do.
Similarly, evergreens shelter our homes from the elements in winter. Cold winter winds send a chill throughout your house and keep your furnace pumping out heat to compensate. Tall conifers can block those gusts with their strong branches and sturdy foliage, giving your furnace a much-needed break and conserving energy in the process. Trees that look great and save you money? How can you argue with that! Just make sure you plant your conifers on the west side of your home. The wind in the Quad Cities Area is mostly eastbound during the winter, so a west-facing evergreen is the most efficient barrier.
There are Many Types of Evergreens
Now that you’re filled with the urge to plant some of these terrific trees on your property, the next best thing about them is that there are so many to choose from! Varying colors of green to blue and they add varying textures to the landscape. Need some space from the neighbors? Arborvitae and upright junipers are ideal for privacy hedges. Looking for a wind barrier? Try Norway Spruce, Green Giant Arborvitae, Colorado Blue Spruce, Concolor Fir or Eastern White Pine. For options with some extra winter interest, you might like the bright red berries of holly or yew, or the blue fruits of junipers. Low growing evergreen shrubs, like Creeping Juniper, and Boxwood are perfect for those with little space. With such a diverse group of plants, there’s bound to be a perfect pick for your landscape!
Our earth is always in need of more trees, the more the better! If you want to fill your yard with that fresh piney scent and take advantage of all the amazing benefits of evergreens, check out our garden center nestled into a unique natural setting on 25 acres in the middle of Moline, and we’ll help you with all your plant needs! Come stroll our park-like displays of plants, trees, and evergreens to meet your landscape needs. Our staff is ready to assist with all your landscape dreams.
