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Overview

Planting trees and shrubs provides plenty of exercise -- digging and lifting will work muscles you didn't even know you had. As for benefiting the environment, trees and shrubs shelter wildlife and filter the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.

Shrubs are surprisingly versatile, offering color, structure, privacy, shelter, and food for wildlife. But how do you choose -- and what works best for your yard? A photo gallery of options is a great start; you'll find dependable choices and helpful advice to guide you toward making a good decision. Springtime is a prime time for many shrubs to put on a colorful and welcome show in the landscape; learn the best plants to choose to add blooms to brighten those early-growing season days. Lilacs are another shrub that offers fragrance in springtime and pretty foliage the rest of the growing season. Bloomerang lilac is a prolific rebloomer -- and one you might want to try for your flowerbeds. Autumn is also a good season to let shrubs shine; discover varieties that add an explosion of deep-color hues to your yard. Shrubs often have short bloom times, but many reward with fantastic foliage. Hydrangeas are prolific and suitable for nearly every region; learn how to tend them best with an ultimate hydrangea guide. Shrubs offer structure and boundaries in your landscape; uncover the best flowering shrubs to use as hedges.