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          Shrubs are  the foundation of the  garden providing shape
          and form to the design  and the  basic  framework for the 
          planting plan.

          They give constant evergreen interest,  perform the tasks
          of  dividing  and  screening  and  add  character  to the
          general  design  of  the  garden.
        
          There is an infinite variety of leaf shapes and colours,
          flowers, scents,  forms and  habits.  Shrubs are  easily
          maintained  and  provide  year  round interest, seasonal
          variety  of flower and leaf  colour, and add maturity to
          the overall effect.

          Shrubs  help  to  soften  the  hard  edges of  buildings,
          garden structures  such as steps,  retaining walls, sheds
          and avaries etc.
	          
          Always  note  the  mature  size  of  a  chosen shrub, for
          although most shrubs can be  sucessfully moved at a later
          stage, it is always preferable to select the correct size
          shrub  for the  area and  save on  later labour intensive
          maintenance.

          Avoid  the urge  to overplant  to attain  a quick effect.
          Although  initially this  may look  good, eventually  you
          are going to have to do some thinning out.

          Planting  shrubs giving  them plenty  of room  to grow to
          maturity  will  ensure   attractive  specimens  and  your
          landscape will appear more natural.

          Shrubs  purchased from  a  garden  centre or  nursery are
          generally sold  in plastic containers and  can be planted
          out at any time of the year.

          Some deciduous shrubs  may be sold bare rooted and should
          be planted in the winter.

          Evergreen shrubs are almost never sold with bare roots.

          If you are unsure of the  flower colour of a shrub, it is
          advisable to  buy it when in  bloom. Evergreen shrubs can
          be  safely  planted  while   in  flower,  however  it  is
          preferable to plant  bare rooted  deciduous shrubs during
          their dormant period.

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