Designing trees: Designing with Trees – This Old House

Designing a Landscape with Trees

Plants are some of the easiest (and most sustainable) ways to make a landscape more vibrant and welcoming. Planting the right tree for the right place helps ensure that your tree will live a healthy life for years to come. The most successful designs are those that are planned and take climate and environmental factors into consideration.

The Right Tree for the Right Place

This guide will help you get started on creating a healthy and functional yard using trees and shrubs.

Plan Before you Plant

What do you want? Before you can narrow down your tree selection determine why you are planting a tree. Here are some of the most common reasons trees are planted in the home landscape.

Shade: Do you want to add shade to your yard? Pick a tree with a broad canopy that will cast a big shadow.
Beauty: If you want to enhance your curb appeal, consider planting something with vibrant color or unique texture. Ornamental and flowering trees are a great start.
Food: There is great satisfaction in harvesting your own fruits, nuts, or citrus trees. And you don’t have to wait 10 years to reap the benefits. Many fruit trees are available in dwarf varieties and can bear fruit in as little as 3-5 years.
Privacy: Trees work well as a privacy screen and soften harsh landscapes. They also last longer and are more affordable then installing a traditional fence. With so many fast-growing privacy tree options, it’s hard not to add more green to your yard.
Habitat: Wildlife are a sure way to bring life to any landscape. Whether its birds, deer, squirrels, or rabbits, there is a tree for every critter.

Ask an Arborist: Why Should I Plant Evergreens?

Once you know why you are planting a tree, you can start browsing trees from that category that will help you accomplish what you want.

DIY: A Beginner’s Guide to Landscaping

Selecting your Trees

There are numerous factors to consider when picking the right tree for the right place. Not only do you need to select a tree that is compatible in your hardiness zone, but you must keep in mind other factors that will affect your tree’s health.

Sun exposure: How much or how little sun your tree requires will help determine which side of your house to plant on, or which tree is suitable for your designated planting site. Ignoring sun exposure can result in a tree that wilts out from leaf scorch or a tree that dies from not being able to photosynthesize.
Location: As the saying goes, “look up, look down, look all around.” How big will your tree get at maturity? How far will the roots spread? Select a space that is appropriate for the size of your tree when it reaches maturity. And remember, not to plant too close to houses, utility lines, driveways, and other structures that can be damaged.

Pro Tip: If you’re not sure how far to plant from structures, a safe rule is to divide the mature spread of the tree in half and plant it that distance away from your home. If your tree will reach 40 feet high, then plant it approximately 20 feet away from your house. Always err on the side of caution.

Moisture: Another key factor to consider at your planting site is the amount of moisture your tree will get. Make sure to plant in a space that has adequate drainage and will receive enough moisture when watered.

Ask an Arborist: How do I Choose a Nursery Tree?

Designing your Landscape

Once you’ve selected the appropriate planting site and tree(s), it’s time to design your landscape. Trees and shrubs pair well together to add texture and dimension to your landscape. Diversity is key when it comes to planting. Opt for a variety of species and inter-plant them to reduce the chance of pests and disease. Native species tend to do better in terms of life longevity and health. Plant diversity is healthier for your trees, but it also creates stunning designs.

Brighten your Landscape with a Rain Garden

As you’re designing your landscape, think about the color and form the trees and shrubs will grow into. Don’t be afraid to mix evergreens with deciduous trees and shrubs.

Check out these landscape design plans developed by professional landscape architects. These do it yourself plans are easy to use and will enhance the look of your home, backyard, driveway, or garden.

Pro Tips

Mulch your trees after they are planted. Not only will it make your tree stand out, but mulch is important to retaining moisture in the soil and preventing the spread of disease.
Incorporate (existing) mature trees and (new) young trees into your design.
Plant species that are compatible with one another including shade-loving species that will thrive under the shade of a tree.

There are so many benefits to landscaping with trees. In addition to creating a striking landscape, your trees will increase your property value, lower home cooling and heating costs, remove pollutants from the air, cut stormwater runoff, and help lower stress. Planting a tree is a small act with a big impact.

Learn more about the benefits of trees.

Landscape DesignLandscaping with TreesShade trees

10 Trees Landscape Designers Love

In honor of Arbor Day, consider adding a beautiful and beneficial tree species favored by designers around the country

Consider how beneficial planting a tree can be. Trees shade and cool our homes and streets, helping to mitigate the heat island effect and reduce reliance on air conditioning and other energy consumers. Trees also provide food and habitat to wildlife, capture carbon dioxide from the air, provide natural play areas, enhance curb appeal and add beauty and a feeling of place to gardens and communities.

For Arbor Day, April 26, we asked landscape designers and architects from around the country to share tree species they like to include in their designs. The results include flowering native species and ancient ornamentals, slow-growing specimen trees and quicker screening solutions. And all of them provide distinct design solutions and environmental benefits.

FormLA Landscaping

1. Western Redbud
(Cercis occidentalis)
Native to Northern California, the Sierras, the San Joaquin Valley and the extreme southwest of California to Utah and Arizona

Loved by: Cassy Aoyagi of FormLA Landscaping in Los Angeles

Why this tree: “Western redbud brings ever-changing seasonal color to a garden,” Aoyagi says. Bright pink blooms emerge in late winter and early spring, with heart-shaped green leaves appearing soon after. In fall and early winter, the leaves transition to red and mahogany.

Special feature: The flowers attract hummingbirds and other pollinators — and can also make delicious additions to salads (western redbuds are in the pea family).

FormLA Landscaping

Growing tips: “Because western redbud takes up a smaller footprint, there is often a possibility to plant them in multiples,” Aoyagi says; the result is a grove-like effect. She suggests planting California fescue (a grass) underneath trees planted in multiples.

Where it will grow: Hardy to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 12.2 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 7 to 9; find your zone)
Water requirement: Moderate to low
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 3 to 15 feet tall and wide

Hire a pro on Houzz to plant a tree in your yard

Donald Pell – Gardens

2. Sweetbay
(Magnolia virginiana)
Native to the eastern coastal U.S., from eastern Massachusetts south to Florida and west to Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas

Loved by: Donald Pell in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania

Why this tree: “I love the versatility of this plant,” Pell says, adding that it’s easy to prune and can be planted close to patios or walkways. “I love the romantic experience we can create with gardens, and this plant allows for some of this interaction without feeling too wild. ”

Special features: The creamy white flowers produce a delicate citrus aroma from spring into summer; the slightly translucent leaves cast moderate shade.

Donald Pell – Gardens

Growing tips: “This plant is intolerant of anaerobic soils and prefers drainage, especially in wet winters, but it is extremely versatile,” Pell says. “Once established, this plant generally will need little care.”

Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 10)
Water requirement: Low (but the plant is often found in swampy sites)
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: Up to 35 feet tall and wide

Ginkgo Leaf Studio

3. Ginkgo Tree
(Ginkgo biloba)
Native to China

Loved by: James Drzewiecki of Ginkgo Leaf Studio in Cedarburg, Wisconsin

Why this tree: “It is a living fossil and a symbol of strength and longevity,” Drzewiecki says.

Special features: “It is an extremely hardy, pest-free tree, and therefore is popular as a street tree,” Drzewiecki says. Ginkgo trees are also known for their longevity.

Growing tips: “They tolerate almost any conditions but are noted as slow-growing trees,” Drzewiecki says. Plant male cultivars — he suggests ‘Autumn Gold’ — to avoid the unpleasantly odorous fruit that ginkgo trees can be known for.

Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 8)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade; plant in full sun for faster growth
Mature size: Up to 70 feet tall and 30 feet wide

Arcadia Gardens, LLC

4. Eastern Redbud
(Cercis canadensis)
Native to the central U.S. east to southern New England and south to Florida and Texas

Loved by: Anna Brooks of Arcadia Gardens in Stevensville, Michigan

Why this tree: Eastern redbud blooms early each spring, with bright pink flowers covering bare branches. “The new growth presents as little red hearts, and the dew clings to it like diamonds. Its fall foliage is a pleasant soft yellow that serves as a nice foil to the brilliant reds that are so often used,” Brooks says.

Special features: The tree’s umbrella shape provides midlevel screening and privacy. “Its dense canopy creates a perfect microclimate for a shade garden underneath, even in full sun,” Brooks says. Additionally, the trees often brim with wildlife activity. “Pollinators, wrens, nuthatches and chickadees love to hop through the canopy, especially when situated near a bird feeder.”

Growing tips: “Be sure to allow adequate space for the canopy to spread when planting. This [tree] isn’t suited for foundation plantings against buildings but develops a beautiful arching form given enough space,” Brooks says. “Redbuds prefer full sun but can be used at the edge of a taller canopy, as long as you’re okay with it reaching for the light. They grow in a variety of soils, and tolerate clay and black walnut spoiled soils. ”

Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: Prefers moist, well-drained soils but can survive in drier conditions
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 20 to 30 feet tall and up to 35 feet wide

Key Concepts for Tree-Friendly Design

As a consulting arborist, I am often called upon to diagnose and help “sick” trees in a landscape. The primary cause of health problems for many of the trees I look at are related to impacts from a landscape renovation or home remodel. Despite best intentions, many bad things can happen to trees during development or landscaping.

Here are some of the most common negative impacts I see:

Root loss or damage due to excavation
Soil compaction caused by driving or storing materials on bare soil.
Root suffocation from the addition of fill soil
Drought stress or drowning because of changes in irrigation or drainage
Bark injury or branch breakage caused by vehicles, supplies or equipment
Overpruning to accommodate new structures or plantings

In these “sick tree” cases, the client and the designer had actually wanted to preserve the trees, but no one had hired a Consulting Arborist during the design phase. Unfortunately, preventing impacts is much easier than mitigating them once they have occurred. We can’t easily put oxygen pores back into compacted soil, or re-attach roots that have been lost. The landscape design has a tremendous influence on whether existing trees live or die after a project.

Take the example below. Prior to landscape construction, these two trees were both in good health. The tree on the right lost more roots due to construction of a gravel patio in more than 50% of the root zone ending within a foot of the trunk. Most of its fine feeder roots were destroyed during the grading, and landscape fabric under the gravel excluded oxygen and water from the soil, inhibiting the growth of new roots. Consequently, the tree on the right suffered dieback and leaf drop throughout the canopy about a year after the project was completed. The tree on the left had a larger portion of its root zone undisturbed, so it remained healthy.

Key Concepts

With all that in mind, here are a few concepts to keep in mind for designing around mature trees:

The footprint of the finished project is not the limit of work

Structures do not just appear fully constructed in their ultimate locations. They have to be built, and this requires space. Excavation for a foundation will need a larger hole than that of the finished building footprint, which may cause more root loss or damage than anticipated. Aboveground, equipment and supplies will need room to move freely during the building process, so trees may have to be pruned more than is desirable. Understanding how the design will be built allows for better understanding of the potential impacts on trees.

Most impacts happen underground

Preserving roots and soil is paramount. How deep and how far from the tree do we need to consider?

Most roots grow in the top 2-3 feet of the soil.
Oxygen is just as important to roots as water, so most roots grow close to the surface. Even a shallow excavation can destroy fine feeder roots which provide necessary water and nutrients to the tree. However, the depth of roots is more related to soil conditions than tree species. A tree that is “shallow-rooted” in its native habitat may grow deeper roots if conditions are favorable.

Roots may grow beyond the edge of the canopy, or dripline.
Roots grow wherever they can access water and nutrients most efficiently and studies have found roots growing many feet past the edge of the canopy. Under conditions where the tree is partially surrounded by pavement, we can expect to find more roots in the unpaved soil than under the pavement, because of better access to rainwater and more oxygen in uncompacted soil. Rather than protecting roots and soil to the dripline, which may be altered by pruning, arborists use the trunk diameter as a basis for calculating the radius of the tree protection zone (TPZ). Diameter is measured at 54 inches from the ground using an arborist’s diameter tape or by measuring circumference and dividing by 3.14. (Note: for instructions on measuring diameters of multitrunk or leaning trees, visit this site.)A simple guideline for TPZ radius is generally one foot for every one inch of trunk diameter. For example, if the trunk diameter is 12 inches, the TPZ radius would be 12 feet. This means that for 12 feet in all directions from the center of the trunk, tree-friendly design and building practices are necessary for successful tree preservation. TPZ radius may vary depending on tree species and health or may be specified by local ordinance.

Design Ideas

Here are a few tools for the designer to consider when working around mature trees.

Support structures using post and pier construction or discontinuous footings to preserve structural roots that hold the tree up.
This is most effective when pilot holes have been made at the proposed limit of work within the TPZ to determine root location and depth.

Tree pits or islands.
If extensive grade changes are called for, trees will either be buried too deep or roots will be exposed or damaged. Keep trees at their existing grade with tree pits or raised islands the size of the TPZ or as advised by a Consulting Arborist.

Low-impact landscaping.
Specify small plants from the nursery – flats, 4-inch plants, or even broadcasted seed – within the TPZ to minimize root disturbance. Use surface irrigation to avoid trenching and of course, understory plants should have the same water needs as the tree they grow under.

Beware of false friends.
Pervious pavement and artificial lawns may seem like eco-friendly design elements, but their installation may still involve excavation and grading. Consult an arborist before including these elements within the TPZ.

Using geogrid instead of compacting soil.
The driveway in this photo was constructed using decomposed granite stabilized by geogrid and base rock laid onto uncompacted soil to preserve roots of this adjacent Coast Redwood tree.

Successful tree preservation requires a group effort. The most well-intentioned design can still fail to preserve trees if the building practices are not also tree-friendly. In a future article I’ll talk about guidelines for the contractor on the ground during the development process.

For More Information

There are many resources around this subject. A particularly useful one for designers, builders and arborists alike is the book Trees and Development: A Technical Guide to Preservation of Trees During Land Development, available from the International Society of Arboriculture.

Ellyn Shea is a consulting arborist in San Francisco.

Tips for Designing with Trees in the Garden

As a newcomer to our property, I spend untold hours gazing at our land; nearly all that I see are trees. Yes, there’s a field leading down to a swimming pond, with a beaver pond beyond. But the old pastureland left behind by the rugged souls who eventually traveled west in search of richer soils and gold is now a mixed forest of oak, maple, pine, and hemlock. Ever the designer, I long to make my own small mark on this special place by planting even more trees in the garden. Yet how do I step into this dance with Mother Nature?

Learn more:

Favorite Small Trees for Yards of Any Size

Fast-Growing Trees for Impatient Gardeners

Planting Trees in Fall

After all, planting a tree is one of the most audacious things a gardener can do. You are choosing the location of a prominent and long-lived plant, one that’s not easily moved once established. Even a single tree can change the microclimate of your yard over a relatively short time, often determining the scale and growth conditions for other vegetation. In ancient cultures, trees were revered as symbols of immortality; indeed, each tree you plant may outlive you and even your offspring.

Most of us have only limited space for anything as large as a tree. So how do we choose what to plant and where? It pays to think about trees in relationship to one another and to the other plantings in a garden. A good place to start is to identify all existing trees. Sketch a site plan, and record the location of all special trees on your property. Then list all the trees you admire. Finally, review your inventory and your list of dream trees. Begin to think about how existing and future trees, whether individually or within groups, might enhance the mood and structure of your garden.

A mixed grove. Planting a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees mimics the look of a natural woodland.

Feature a stand-out tree

Do you have what I call a “cosmic tree,” one that stands out as a special icon? In design terms, such a tree is often called a specimen—an individual tree planted for its distinguishing ornamental or symbolic qualities (photo, above). On our land, we have one cosmic tree: a huge specimen oak that probably acted as shade for sheep that roamed here so many years ago. It stands alone, shading our house and supporting an old tire that serves as a swing.

A cosmic tree doesn’t have to be large; the delicate dance of a well-pruned cutleaf Japanese maple (Acer palmatum var. dissectum, USDA Hardiness Zones 6–8) can pack as much punch as a towering copper beech (Fagus sylvatica f. purpurea, Zones 4–7). You can have more than one cosmic tree in a garden, but the trees should be placed so that each stands out.

An orchard. A more formal planting of a single species or a few species of trees, as in an orchard, conveys a sense of order.

Echo the look of a grove

Beyond the placement of a single stand-out tree, trees in a garden setting are often clustered within some type of grouping. There are many ways to organize groups of trees, ranging from informal plantings to more formal arrangements.

First, let’s look at how trees are usually clustered in natural or informal settings. Forests and groves are typically composed of three parts: a stand of trees that make up an expanse, paths that cut through this expanse, and clearings or glades that let in light and air. A bamboo grove, a rain-forest jungle, and a cathedral pine forest are all stands of trees of a single or mixed species.

When composed of many species, a grove feels natural, like the mixed woodland around our home. When I create perimeter plantings to give privacy to a home, I usually plant a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs. This simulation of a natural grove encloses the property in a way that feels naturalistic and offers a range of textures, colors, and flowering times throughout the year (drawing, top).

If you have a wooded area on your property, it might feel like a wild thicket or just an amorphous shaded haven. With some thoughtful editing and the addition or emphasis of one or more specimen trees, a meandering path, and a clearing—however small in scale—you can re-create the feeling of a forest in your own backyard.

An allée. Bordering both sides of a path, an allée consists of formally spaced trees, usually from a single species.

Create a sense of order

Ordered stands of trees are usually of one or a few species, such as an orchard or an Italian boschi—domesticated groves that are designed to fit the size constraints of a garden. Within a French bosquet, clipped hedges surround “green rooms,” with openings cut into shapes such as circles, star patterns, and ellipses. Mazes, parterres, and formal garden rooms require a strict geometric pattern for planting the trees or shrubs that create a specific form. Along the perimeters of a path, an ordered grove of trees becomes an allée (drawing, bottom), an avenue, or even a tunnel.

Formal plantings usually look best when they are visually related to the geometry of a house; the lines of an orchard, for example, could be parallel or perpendicular to the lines of your house. But sometimes it’s fun to create a sudden surprise on your property— a “fairy circle” of trees planted in the back scruffy corner of your lot, for instance. Having something “perfect” within an imperfect setting creates a sense of dynamic tension.

This year, I’m planning to plant an allée of sugar maples along the length of our lane. I imagine our future grandchildren running playfully under the maples’ towering canopy, marveling at the vivid colors of their leaves in the autumn light.

—Julie Moir Messervy is a garden designer, lecturer, and the author of The Inward Garden.

Top 6 Free Landscape Design Software Tools

If you’ve ever fancied yourself as an amateur landscape designer, or you’re thinking about making changes to your yard but are unsure if they are a good idea, getting yourself acquainted with some free landscape design software might be the best thing you do this year.

In this article, we’ll go into details the best landscape design programs that are free on the market so that you can do the design job for your garden right away.

Landscape design software can be a downloadable program, an app, or a browser-based tool that facilitates the design of an outdoor space, such as a backyard, a driveway, or a deck. These can be aimed at different markets, from homeowners and DIY enthusiasts to professional landscapers and architects. A landscape design tool seems to be much more complex than a garden planner tool. And many landscape programs can be used to plan a garden as well.

The purpose of landscape design software can vary depending on the user. Some people will use these tools to accurately transfer an idea from their mind onto a screen or a printed piece of paper, as a means of helping them visualize what their garden might look like before they commit to making any permanent changes. This is a huge help because it means you can make design decisions virtually rather than in reality, which could save you time and money compared to if you jumped straight in to physically landscaping your garden and made a mistake. Similarly, for a homeowner, a landscape design software gives you the opportunity to fully consider all of your design options and allows you to maximize your space.

Depending on the software you use, there will be an inventory of items available that you can place in your landscape to see how they look and fit. With everything being properly proportioned, this allows you to properly see what will work well in your space, and what sort of changes you realistically have the space for. Some programs also have pre-designed templates, which can give you a starting point for your design if you’re unsure of what sort of look you want, and these templates can also be useful for inspiring ideas.

If you plan to complete your landscaping project yourself, a landscape design program can help you to stay organized and on track. Some software is able to direct you to online or local stores that stock the items you will need for your project, which can be helpful in terms of saving you the time and frustration of searching around for products. Some software will also print an entire list of the items you included in your design, which is helpful for when you go shopping so that you don’t forget anything, and these lists will also help you to fully understand the extent of what you will need for your project, as well as helping you to draw up a likely budget.

If you are not a DIY enthusiast, you might instead prefer to employ a contractor to complete your landscape project. Landscape design software can be helpful in this instance as a means of accurately conveying to your contractor exactly how you would like your garden to look. Anyone who has tried to describe a hairstyle to a stylist rather than take a photo to the hair salon will know that it is easy for spoken descriptions to get lost in translation, and the same can be said of landscape design.

You might think that sketching up a quick idea with pencil and paper would work just as well, but proportions can be incorrect and spaces not accurately represented. If you want a guaranteed way of ensuring your contractor fully understands what you want your finished outdoor space to look like, then a model created using landscape design software is your safest bet. Most programs will allow you to print your designs, while some also have sharing capabilities so you can forward designs to contractors via email, or share them on a community platform. These features are also helpful as they enable you to share designs with friends and family to get feedback and suggestions before you proceed with any real changes.

Landscape design software is also enormously helpful for professionals in the design industry, including builders, gardeners, and architects. In fact, many of these professions rely on good landscape design software to be able to share their ideas with prospective clients. Being able to easily produce models of what a client’s space will look like if they proceed with plans helps to sell their design and accurately convey ideas to clients. Landscape design software is also able to save designers a huge amount of time, as they can enable users to quickly pull together designs in a much more rapid fashion than drawing designs with pencil and paper.

While considering the usefulness of landscape design software, it’s also important to understand its limitations. Free software is unlikely to offer the plethora of features that a paid-for design tool will include, and there are some things that free software just won’t be able to achieve, but for many people, free landscape design software will have many benefits.

See immediate results

Landscape design software allows the user to accurately visualize what their finished project will look like in a matter of minutes, so they can see what will or will not look good in their space without making any real changes.

Easier decision making

By seeing what their finished landscape will look like, the homeowner will more easily be able to decide if they want to go ahead with their project.

Inspire ideas

Landscape design software encourages the user to try out different options that they may otherwise have never considered. It can also offer templates if you are struggling with inspiration.

Maximize space

By entering the square footage of your garden and drawing out its shape, you can see on an accurate scale what changes would be possible. You can also move things around and try things at different angles to see what will give you the best use of your space.

Stay organized

By having a plan to follow and a list of items you will need, your project is more likely to run smoothly, making for a less stressful experience that gets completed on time.

Sketch Free

SketchUp

This is a free version of the popular program targeted at architects, landscape designers, and construction professionals. It is designed to work as an extension of the drawer’s hand, allowing the user to draft their ideas and see them right through to design completion. Designs can be mapped out in 2D or 3D models, using any web browser. Designs can be saved at any point or shared between accounts to aid with collaboration. Some of the things this program is able to include 3D modeling, editing, and rendering.

Though this software will be predominantly used by industry professionals, it is available to anyone to use for free and can be easily accessed and played around with. One of the best things about this program is how simple and user-friendly it is. Many users of this tool found it easy to navigate, even if it was their first time attempting 3D modeling. However, the simplicity of this program is also its greatest downfall, as it lacks the capability to produce more complex designs. Some users found this inhibited their creative abilities and meant they had to go elsewhere to fully realize models of their designs, or upgrade to the full version to unlock more complex features.

Users of this program, for the most part, are very impressed with it, with many claiming it is an essential tool when working in graphic design, landscaping, interior design, architecture, or engineering. Its shareability is unrivaled, with the capability to import and export designs in a wide range of different formats. The program itself requires a powerful processor to function as it is intended. Slower systems may find the software slow and clunky. One of the main complaints amongst users, aside from limited features on the free version, is the program’s inability to work well with curved designs. Rather than use one single curved line, it creates curves from many tiny small lines, which confuses the design and causes it to struggle to comprehend what you are trying to achieve. It also makes the saved files significantly bigger and more difficult to load or send.

SketchUp is globally known as one of the best landscape design software; however, to get the best out of this program, you will need to upgrade to the paid version, which costs $695 for a lifetime license. The free version is a great way to try out the software before you commit to the subscription, or for students or small businesses to create impressive 3D models. Designers looking for more complex tools will probably need the full version.

Gardena’s My Garden

The garden planning web-based app by Gardena is a functional landscape designing tool that is also fun and easy to use. To start off, you can draw the size and shape of the area you want to design, such as your backyard, or you can choose a pre-designed template to work with. You can then select your surface material, for example, lawn, decking, or gravel. From there, you can drag and drop numerous items into your design, such as trees, water features, planters, and outdoor lighting. One of the key features of this software is its ability to help you plan out an irrigation system to keep your plants and lawn happy and healthy. This is a useful tool, as it customizes a suitable system based on the size of your space, but it’s also a handy way for Gardena to encourage you to buy their garden care equipment such as water hoses and sprinklers.

One of the main advantages of this software is how easy it is to use, and should be simple to navigate for anyone who is at ease with basic technology. It has an intuitive interface that is user friendly and requires no training or practise. This program will be ideal for anyone looking to get a rough idea of what they could do with their landscape and an idea of what the finished design will look like. It lacks a great variety of plants and doesn’t come with the care information that many other garden design software comes with.

Plan-A-Garden

Better Homes and Gardens

This landscape design software from Better Homes and Gardens is targeted at homeowners and DIY enthusiasts more so than landscaping professionals. It’s a completely free tool to use; all you need to do is sign up with your email address on their website. The tool runs through a wizard with the user as soon as you get started, so that all of the features of the software are explained and shown how they can be used. This is great for anyone new at using this type of design software, but it’s also a great feature for experienced designers so that you know exactly what the tool is capable of before you get to work. To begin, you can choose a background from a selection of stock images that most closely resembles your home. You can then select from a number of surface coverings, and add objects into the space using a drag and drop method, with items such as fire pits, sheds, and swing sets.

One of the best things about this designer is the sheer number of different types of plants it includes, making it especially useful to anyone who wants to be specific about the trees, shrubs, and flowers they have in their design. It also features care information for plants, which will help the user keep their garden in excellent condition once they have carried out their physical design. Another great feature of this app is that you can adjust the climate settings to fit in line with your own local climate. In doing this, the planner will then only suggest to you plants that are appropriate for growing in your climate, taking the guesswork out of planting for anyone who is less experienced with plants or unsure which species will grow best in their area. The planner operates in 3D design, but you can, at any time, switch the planner to a birds-eye view to see the design from a different angle.

The biggest drawback about this planner is that when in 3D mode, you can only see your model from one angle and cannot navigate sideways or around to see how your space will look from a different standpoint.

One of the things users love about this app is its ability to print not just the design model, but also a list of all the items you will need to complete your design in real life. This is especially handy if you want to landscape your garden yourself, as you will have an instant list to take with you when you go shopping. Alternatively, you could give the print outs to your hired landscaper to make sure that they fully understand exactly what you want from your new garden.

Showoff.com the Visualizer

The Visualizer is a free downloadable program offered by Showoff.com, which is suitable for Windows operating systems. This tool allows the user to upload a photo of their current property and make changes to it in order to visualize what their landscape might look like after a redesign. This is a great tool for homeowners to use to try out different looks before they make any real changes to their yards, but it’s also great for real estate agents as they can show prospective buyers what a property might look like if they were to buy it and renovate the exterior and landscape.

The software is easy to use, and in fact this is one of the best elements of the tool. Users love how intuitive it is, and how quickly they can see and understand what possible changes would look like on their very own property. The software has a large library of items you can add to your landscape, such as plants and garden furniture, and it also has a number of pre-designed plans to help you get ideas and inspiration if you are struggling with knowing where to start. Where this program excels compared with similar design software, is its strong online community. Once you have designed your landscape you can upload it to the community forum where other like-minded people can comment or make suggestions on your design. This is great if you are looking for potential ideas or adjustments on your design, or even if you are just wanting some reassurance that your design looks good and is practically feasible before you start making physical changes in your yard.

The only minor problem that some users have found with this tool is that some model renderings don’t look realistic, and it can be hard to actually visualize what the real finish will look like. The main drawback of this program is that it is only compatible with Windows systems, and therefore not available to everyone.

ISCAPE App

This is a free downloadable app that is only available on the Apple App Store, making it only accessible to those with iPhones or iPads. It is very straightforward to use and is intended for homeowners and DIY enthusiasts as a means of enabling them to get a rough idea of what their landscape could look like, before committing to actually starting any work. It is a great tool for people who want to give their landscapers or builders a clear idea of what sort of design they would like to achieve in their yard, as a visual plan is much more effective at conveying design ideas than trying to describe it with words.

The app has sharing capabilities so that you can easily forward your design to your contractor, or share it with friends to get their opinion. This app will also tell you which retailers sell the items you’ll need to embark on your landscaping project, which could be a useful timesaver to prevent you from trawling the internet or local shops.

Users of this app love how easy it is to use, and being able to throw together some landscaping ideas in a short space of time. It has a limited collection of plants you can use in the design, which may prove frustrating if you wanted to precisely plan out which plants you wanted to put where. The app is best for anyone who just wants to put a rough draft together of their landscape design, without spending too much time getting into specifics. As it is only compatible with mobile Apple devices, the app isn’t available to everyone. It is completely free to download; however, it may offer in-app purchases.

DreamPlan Home Design

This is a free downloadable design software that is compatible with Mac and Windows operating systems. It allows users to create designs for both the surrounding landscape and the interior of their homes, with 3D modeling along with floor plans and blueprints. This is an intelligent piece of design software that is self-explanatory to use, making it suitable for even people who are not experienced with technology. It offers a range of features, including importing models to work on and customizing terrain.

The software helps the user figure out how to best use their space, and provides them with an accurate look of what they can expect their actual garden to look like after the work has been completed. Users can add various features to their landscape, including swimming pools, plants, and trees. This is a basic program targeted at homeowners and lacks a lot of more complex functions that may be required for design professionals. The minimal features of this tool are what helps to keep this software simple to use, but a commercial version is available to buy, which would be more appropriate for those in the landscaping or property design industry, or anyone wanting to produce a more detailed and complex design.

15 Ideas for Landscaping Around Trees

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Lisa Hallett Taylor is an expert in architecture and landscape design who has written more than 1,000 articles about pool, patio, garden, and home improvement over 12 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design and is certified in fine and decorative arts appraisal.

Learn more about The Spruce’s
Editorial Process

Updated on 03/18/21

The Spruce / Michelle Becker

The ground underneath and surrounding a tree is often neglected, resulting in bare dirt, exposed tree roots, and a few volunteer plants that aren’t necessarily welcome. Discover ways to landscape a forgotten area that will make the tree and what it shades much more appealing.

Finding a solution isn’t a one-size-fits-all scenario. There’s a concern for damaging the tree’s roots, dealing with dry soil, irrigation (too much or too little), shade, limited space (those roots!), and dappled light. Keep in mind that not all landscaping requires plants: hardscape in the form of decks, gravel, or mulch might be just the right fix.

The traditional way of landscaping beneath or around a tree was to edge it in brick, stone, or rubber. If you wanted to get creative, you’d plant impatiens, begonias, and maybe a few shade-tolerant bulbs—until the area became overrun with weeds, the snails and slugs invaded, or it started to look just plain bad. The results are often surprising: you don’t expect something to be planted in these spaces, but once they are, you realize that it’s unused real estate that is just waiting to be beautified.

Get inspired by these smart and beautiful ways to landscape under and around a tree.

01
of 15

Tree With Hanging Chair

Eric Staudenmaier/ Halo Interior Design/ Houzz

This massive, 80-year-old coral tree (Erythrina) in Orange County, California, had been neglected before the current owners bought the property. To retain its beauty, the tree requires quarterly shaping and lacing by an arborist. Easy-care ferns are planted underneath. The real attraction of the yard, designed by Halo Interior Design, is the hanging chair, which draws attention to those sculptural branches. Irregular slate pavers and grass are underneath the chair and branches.

Coral trees are primarily found in Southern California and Hawaii and are admired for their beautiful flowers that grow in colors ranging from greenish white to yellow to vivid shades of orange and red.
02
of 15

Calming Cohesive Garden

Stephen Suzman/Zeterre Landscape Architecture

A brilliant lime green Japanese maple tree, Koto No Ito, is surrounded by a labyrinth of boxwood hedges, heuchera, and Korean no-mow grass. Designed by Zeterre Landscape Architecture, this garden in Oakland, California, was created over a 15-year time period. The goal: to create five distinct gardens within the property that are tied by a common taste and materials that complement the home’s architecture. The low wall was constructed with New Haveli limestone in aqua from Rhodes Architectural Stone.

Japanese maple trees are valued for their small-to-medium size, making them ideal for raised beds, large containers, and patios. Their leaves provide year-round interest and can be found in assorted colors, like orange, scarlet, yellow, and bright green.

Heucheras (coral bells) are compact perennials with roundish leaves that have scalloped edges. Grown for their colorful foliage, Heucheras are striking in rock gardens, in front of shrubs, as masses in borders, and in containers. Colors include light and medium green, deep red, orange, and variegated varieties.
03
of 15

A Tree With a Deck

Tim Davies Landscaping

What do you do with a mature tree in the backyard with wide-spreading limbs? Instead of leaving the area below the tree bare, Tim Davies Landscaping built a deck around it. That gives the homeowners of this property in Floreat, Australia, more space to enjoy their yard and provides a stunning showcase for the architectural branches of the tree.

Is It Healthy for the Tree?

Building a patio or deck around a tree can actually help it, according to Austin Tree Experts. Among the benefits of a wood deck surround:
- Reduced soil compaction to the tree’s root zone. Years of compaction by foot traffic can be a stressor. A deck provides a buffer or completely eliminates compaction.
- Elevated wood decks get rid of foot traffic on soil under trees.
- Small gaps between planks allow water and oxygen to easily access the soil and roots.
- Leaves will still be able to slip through the board cracks, recycling nutrients back into the soil.
04
of 15

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Flo’s Gardens

In a corner of a cut-stone paved yard in Brooklyn, a mature plum tree provides shade and seasonal color. Flo’s Gardens designed a low stacked stone raised bed contains the tree, which is underplanted with shade-tolerant hostas and firecracker plant ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’.

Deciduous flowering plum trees produce stunning floral displays in winter or spring. Some also produce fall color, like deep, smoky purples.
05
of 15

Oaks and Nettles

Donna Lynn Landscape Design

A sandstone cobble border makes a planer for these coast live oaks at a home near Santa Barbara, California. Created by Donna Lynn Landscape Design, the space was underplanted with silvery spotted dead nettle (Lamium maculatum) and edged with spreading bugleweed (Ajuga reptans).

Despite the name, dead nettles are very much alive. Natives of Europe and Western Asia, these vigorous growers have tooth-edged leaves and produce flower clusters in white, pink, or yellow.
06
of 15

Under the Aloe Tree

Michael Romero/Succulent Designs LA

A heat-loving South African tree aloe (Aloe bainesii) is surrounded by large stones, rocks, and gravel, along with golden barrel cactus in this garden designed by Succulent Designs LA. Aloes and other succulents create a natural, beautiful setting. This multi-branched tree has a massive trunk and performs well in Mediterranean gardens. While it’s a fast grower and is drought tolerant, the tree aloe likes water and good-draining soil, along with compost.
07
of 15

Courtyard Tree

Jack Coyier/EPT Design

A silk floss tree (Chorisia speciosa) is underplanted with foxtail ferns and a no-mow, grasslike, ground cover. Created by EPT Design, a low concrete bench acts as a retaining wall for this tree. Its rectangular shape is repeated in the long pavers that stretch on a sea of river rocks. Plants behind the ferns are tropical cannas; to the right are drought-tolerant Agave attenuata.
08
of 15

Vineyard Property

Carson Joyce Douglas

Olive trees at a California vineyard home are underplanted with sesleria ‘Greenlee’, olea ‘Little Ollie’, Westringia fruticosa ‘Smokey’, and artemisia ‘David’s Choice’. Designed by Carson Douglas Landscape Architecture, this driveway area was mulched with a native redwood. Santa Barbara sandstone boulders add textural interest.

The olive trees, Olea europaea, are Mediterranean natives that grow well in California and parts of southern Arizona. They were introduced to mission gardens hundreds of years ago and prized for the oil that the fruit produces. These slow growers are most attractive when grown in deep, rich soil. If bothered by the sometimes-messy fruit crop, olive trees can be thinned each year, which also displays their striking branch patterns.
09
of 15

Rustic Garden

Carson Douglas Landscape Architecture

Rustic Corten steel planter edging holds a raised bed that includes this central multi-trunk olive tree along with assorted local stones and rocks. Other plants include carex and Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’. along with native grasses. Designed by Carson Douglas Landscape Architecture, the property is in Alpine, California, inland to San Diego.
10
of 15

Shade Trees

James Theisen/Hively Landscapes

The beds of this formal, tree-lined path are livened up with lime green hostas and white-blooming shrubs. Hively Landscape Design of Dover, Pennsylvania, added shade-lovers like hostas and rhododendrons that always do well under the canopies of trees, especially if they are pruned and maintained.
11
of 15

London Back Garden

John Davies

A small outdoor roof terrace in Central London’s new section of Swiss Cottage was given a contemporary look by John Davies Landscape Design. Inspired by New York’s High Line, Davies envisioned the spaces as gardens in the sky that provide private and luxurious spaces for relaxation. Trees are planted in basalt terraces and include Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) and Osmanthus burkwoodii. The Osmanthus is pruned and trained into an umbrella form for a neat, manicured look.
12
of 15

Patio Trees

SCA-LARC/ Houzz

A mature tree in the corner of this peaceful yard in Sherman Oaks, California, became part of a raised flagstone patio. Designed by SCA-LARC, the space is also used for a portable barbecue and keeps the space from getting soggy or neglected. Tying it all together are paths of flagstone pavers that edge the garden borders and direct the flow of traffic throughout the yard.
13
of 15

Tree Deck

J. Michael Tucker/Ohashi Design Studio

Building a deck to incorporate two serpentine oak trees gave this house near Oakland, California, more privacy. Instead of removing the oaks, ODS Architecture created a seamless indoor/outdoor experience and added more living space.
14
of 15

Mature Olive Trees

Garden of Eva/ Houzz

Mature olive trees in this Los Angeles backyard are surrounded by gravel and a thick carpet of lawn and more pea gravel for excellent drainage. Designed by Garden of Eva, the yard is filled with drought-tolerant plants and hardscape. Trees are affected by drought and owners often fail to water them, thinking that established specimens will survive. Young trees should be watered twice per week, while established trees should be watered directly beneath the foliage and canopy. Also, apply mulch to retain much-needed moisture.
15
of 15

Cottage Garden

Lisa Hallett Taylor

A whimsical cottage garden in Orange, California, includes lots of details in its landscape design. Every free space of dirt is used for planting carefully chosen perennials, vines, and bulbs, along with garden statuary and ornaments. Soil is amended and rich for the variety of specimens in each bed.

Orchard landscaping and tree planting

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Landscape design of an orchard

An orchard is a planting of fruit trees and shrubs of various sizes. This is a very attractive object for any personal plot. Almost everyone can afford it, the main thing is to have enough space. In spring, the flowering of apple trees, cherries, plums cannot be compared with anything, and closer to autumn, properly cultivated plants will delight their owners with a rich harvest. For those who have decided to equip such a garden on their site, one of the first questions that arises is its layout. Not only the growth rate and quality of plant fruiting, but also the appearance of the garden will depend on the correct landscape design.

Gathering information at the preparatory stage of planning

Before proceeding directly to planning an orchard, landscape designers of the PozitivProekt company recommend determining the following important factors:

Available area . It should be borne in mind that usually for normal well-being, an adult fruit-bearing tree requires an area of \u200b\u200bat least four square meters.
Relief . It is believed that a flat surface or a very gentle slope is most suitable for an orchard. Low terrain is characterized by the fact that cold, humid air stagnates in it, so fruit trees here will get sick.
Soil characteristics . The soil for the orchard must be fertile, because the trees have a large root system, they need a lot of nutrients. If your site is on clay, sandy or rocky soil, the idea of planting fruit trees will have to be abandoned. It is also necessary to analyze the depth of groundwater: if they are too close to the surface of the earth, the root system will suffer.
Light and shade, sheltered from the wind on plot . Usually a large amount of light and heat has a positive effect on the growth and fruiting of fruit crops. The site must be protected from the wind, as in a too open area, active air movement will interfere with the normal pollination of trees. In addition, the wind dries the soil, can damage the branches. Thus, you need to take care of protecting your future garden from the winds. A solid fence, dense plantings of tall shrubs, and properly located outbuildings can help.

Planting Chart

Landscaping is necessary to visualize and reinforce all the details that can be forgotten if they are in the mind.

PozitivProekt specialists recommend starting from home, if it already exists on the site or you are guessing where it will be placed. The contours of all buildings, the presence of which is not in doubt, are plotted on the diagram in accordance with the scale. Next, it should be noted on the plan of the place where other trees are already growing, based on the calculation.

If the house and buildings already exist, then the contours of these objects on paper will also symbolize protective walls from winds and snow. And if you include in the scheme the future house to be built, then take care to take into account the presence in front of the facade, on the edge of the front garden. The size of this object depends on the total area of the site: in spacious areas it can be 6-8 squares. In cramped front gardens, flower beds can be planned, and in large areas, bushes and trees, including fruit trees, will be quite appropriate.

Planting trees in an orchard can be carried out in even rows, obeying the correct geometric shapes – such a layout is called regular. Another option – planting plants in such a way that the result is the impression of a natural environment – is landscape planning. A wide variety of crops will coexist with fruit trees in the garden: from bushes to herbaceous perennials and flowers.

Traditional orchards may consist only of trees, or may consist of trees adjacent to shrubs. The agricultural technology of these crops allows you to combine them, which saves space, improves the decorative properties of the site and increases the yield of delicious berries and fruits. Orchards can be from monocultures, an example of such plantings is the well-known apple orchard in the estate of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy “Yasnaya Polyana” or the no less famous cherry orchard in the play of the same name by A.P. Chekhov.

It makes sense to organize such a garden if there are considerable free areas on the site that you set aside for such plantings. The goal in this case will either be to collect large crops, or to grow varietal crops. In this case, a regular garden is planned: trees are planted in rows.

It is believed that the most favorable place for large trees, which include apple and pear trees, is the north-eastern part of the site. Cherries and plums should be placed further, so they will be under the protection of large-sized.

Think over the layout in such a way that as a result of planting large-sized trees there will be no conflicts with neighbors. If the seedlings are placed at the very border of the site, then after some time they will begin to obscure the plantings behind the fence, which may cause dissatisfaction with the neighbors. You will not lose in area if, having slightly moved the fruit trees themselves, place such shade-tolerant berry crops as blackberries or raspberries at the very border.

Planting trees in an orchard

Landscaping work begins with site preparation and marking. If the site is not cleared and there are stumps or thickets of wild bushes on it, then after uprooting this material should be burned, and the ash should be collected – it will come in handy as a fertilizer in the preparation of planting pits.

Specialists of the Moscow company for landscape design and design “PozitivProekt” would like to draw your attention to the fact that when planting trees, one should move from the general to the particular. First, the exact marking of the entire garden is done: places are marked for each planting hole. Sufficient space is allocated for each tree. Do not be embarrassed that there is too much free space around the seedlings: when they grow up, the picture will change. It is necessary that adult plants not only do not touch each other with crowns, but also do not create an excessive amount of shade, and also that their root system can develop without interference.

When choosing plants for an orchard, owners of household plots in central Russia can choose winter-hardy varieties of trees. Here are some varieties that winter well in our conditions:

apple trees: Moscow Grushovka, Kitaika, Arkadik, Scarlet Anis, Gift to Grafsky, Antonovka ordinary;
pears: Chizhovskaya, Cathedral, Memory of Anzin, Otradnenskaya;
plums: Hungarian Moscow, Mashenka, Skorospelka, Yakhontova Garmnia, Red Zyuzinskaya;
cherry: Lyubskaya, Bulatnikovskaya, Shubinka, Rusinka, Dawn of Tataria;
cherry plum: A gift to St. Petersburg, Yarilo, Cleopatra, Vladimir comet, Timiryazevskaya, Rocket Seedling.

Apple trees are the most popular in Russia, so it makes sense to choose several varieties of this tree. For example, plant summer, autumn and winter varieties, then in your garden there will be something to see and eat almost all year round. It is worth noting that today it is possible to plant large-sized plants, that is, already adult plants, and not seedlings. Using this service, you can get a garden that will bypass the time of the ugly duckling and immediately appear before its owners in all its glory, and very soon it will begin to delight you with large harvests.

Trees and shrubs in landscape design

Improvement and landscaping of the territory

Planting and sale of large -breasters of trees

Landscaping and design

Ready -made landscape project of the site

Rent of equipment and delivery of bulk materials

Sales of plants

Landshaft Consolidation0078

Irrigation, lighting

Plot drainage

Lawns

Territory subscriber maintenance

Sale and planting of seedlings of large trees in Moscow!

Buy large-sized, large and mature trees from the plant nursery at a promotion in September!

Z-lines. ru Services Landscaping and design

07/23/2013

Trees are attractive on their own, but in a good landscaping project they become an incredibly beautiful component. They not only diversify the landscape of the site, but make it more interesting. The shade of a tree is not comparable to the shade of any awning or umbrella. Even a lone tree or bush on the lawn becomes a visual center and distracts the eye from the green monotony. Birds can settle on it, which will bring a lively touch to the overall landscape. In addition, trees and shrubs have such an important advantage as minimal care after rooting.

Try to plan the plantings in layers either horizontally or vertically. Lawns should be broken up spacious in order to provide enough space for more than one row of plants: some should be placed in front, some in the back. This layering effect, where some plants are partially covered by others, gives the garden depth.

It is possible that the most difficult thing in the selection of tree seedlings is to stop at one in the huge variety offered by trade. But this is necessary: it is a lonely tree, viewed from all sides, that is seen most effectively. If you want to have several trees, you should place them in small groups, but not disperse them throughout the lawn.

Of course, a lawn with a tree is beautiful, but planting it is not always easy. In no case do not place a tree exactly in the middle of the lawn – this is the most disadvantageous position. This option is sometimes acceptable in strict front gardens. A tree can cover up some undesirable view or use it to visually combine the site with the picturesque surroundings. A tree planted at the edge of a lawn can create the illusion of deep space behind it.

In addition to the solidity that trees give to the landscape, some trees have a beautiful color, some trees have a pleasant aroma, most have decorative leaves and beautiful outlines. In its process, landscape design also uses such a practical property of trees and shrubs as the ability to protect gardens from the wind, close from prying eyes and mask an undesirable view. The forces and means invested in their landing are justified many times over.

Coniferous trees are decorative due to their evergreen crown. They are able to decorate the landscape even in winter. As a rule, they are planted in the winter. It is necessary to save and move along with the tree its “native” clod of earth. In this case, the root system of an adult plant is less injured. The choice of coniferous trees is great and is determined in each case individually.

Deciduous trees perform decorative functions mainly in summer. Their choice is more diverse than among conifers. Also, their external characteristics are more diverse, such as beautiful flowering, dense aroma, decorative fruits. The undoubted advantage of deciduous trees is their ability to give a person edible fruits.

A hedge, along with shrubs, can bring a triple benefit: providing pollen and nectar for beneficial insects, garden decoration, food supply for birds. Traditionally, they are placed in the border. It is convenient to plant shrubs or hedges along one side of the site, often along the outside, to create a continuous green massif.

Fruit and berry bushes and fruit trees stand out as a separate group. Their landing in the first place can pursue utilitarian goals. Organize the space, allocate a separate zone for them. Such an arrangement provides certain conveniences when caring for them, including when treating with fertilizers or chemicals, as well as when harvesting. If the harvest is not the final requirement, then these plantings can be arranged and arranged so that they are decorative elements included in the overall composition.

Creepers that create cozy corners give a special charm and unique comfort to the plot. Creepers can decorate fences and buildings. Vertical landscaping is very practical: it occupies a minimum area on the ground and, at the same time, such green walls are an excellent decoration. With low technological demands, creepers are able to give a lot of greenery in a short time.

If you want to present a particular area of the landscape in a more natural way and grow tall grass with wildflowers or bulbs on it, do not try to plant exotic trees here. More naturally in this place will look trees or shrubs that are typical in the area.

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Database design: hierarchical structures. Trees in SQL

The material of this article served as the basis for one of the chapters of the book “DBMS for the programmer. Databases from the inside”. A version of the article for a scientific publication was published in the journal “Information and Control Systems” No. 6 2013, it contains more theoretical information and formulas.

* * *

Examples of tree structures can be
found in different subject areas: classification of goods,
contractors, product packaging, job hierarchy,
administrative-territorial division, genealogical tree,
finally, just an enumeration tree of options or a tree of classes.

In general, it all comes down to modeling multi-layer communication
“master-slave”
“ancestor-descendant”
“general-specific”. talking
in a more rigorous mathematical language, we model a graph without cycles.

Without delving into graph theory, in the framework of the article we will consider the most frequently
occurring options for the implementation of tree structures in databases.
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and above (any edition) is used as an example, but,
Once you are familiar with the general principles, you will be able to
transfer the implementation to any other DBMS.

This is an intuitive way to organize a tree: we close the table link to itself (reflexive link), fig. 1.

Fig.1. Implementation based on the adjacency matrix

As is known from theory, a graph can be represented as a matrix
adjacency, where at the intersection of the i-th row and the j-th column is “1”,
if between the nodes (vertices) of the graph, with numbers i and j, respectively,
there is a connection (edge, arc), or “0” otherwise. matrix can
be represented as a list (set) of pairs with numbers
(identifiers, codes) of vertices according to the principle: there is a pair – there is an arc,
no pair – no connection.

Root vertices are modeled by making entries
with a NULL reference to an ancestor (in this case, “Upstream Code”
area”). Frequently used selections require
support for recursive queries. If the DBMS does not support such
queries, then the selections will have to be built using the mechanisms
temporary tables and stored procedures (functions). Consider examples
requests.

Selection of a subtree by a given node (hereinafter in the text
using MS SQL Server 2005 syntax):

 WITH Subtree ([Territory Code], [Higher Territory Code], Name, Level)
AS (
  SELECT [Territory Code], [Priority Territory Code], Name, 1
  FROM Territories
  WHERE [Higher Territory Code] = 40288000 -- subtree root or IS NULL for whole tree root

  UNION ALL

  SELECT Territories. [Territory Code], Territories.[Priority Territory Code], Territories.Name, Level + 1
  FROM Territories
  INNER JOIN Subtree ON Territories.[Higher Territory Code] = Subtree.[Territory Code]
  WHERE Territories.[Prior Territory Code] IS NOT NULL
  )
SELECT [Territory Code], [Priority Territory Code], Name, Level
FROM Subtree

Retrieve all ancestors (path to node from root):
AS (
SELECT [Territory Code], [Priority Territory Code], Name, 1
FROM Territories
WHERE [Territory code] = 40288000 — node

UNION ALL

SELECT Territories.[Territory Code], Territories.[Priority Territory Code], Territories.Name, Level + 1
FROM Territories
INNER JOIN Subtree ON Territories.[Territory Code] = Subtree.[Higher Territory Code]
)
SELECT [Territory Code], [Priority Territory Code], Name, (
SELECT MAX(Level)
FROM Subtree
) – Level
FROM Subtree

Checking if a node is in a subtree defined by its own
root (for example, whether this product is included in the group of one of the top
levels, “Brush” in “Repair Tools”):

 WITH Subtree ([Territory Code], [Higher Territory Code], Name, Level)
AS (
  SELECT [Territory Code], [Priority Territory Code], Name, 1
  FROM Territories
  WHERE [Territory Code] = 40288000 -- node to check for occurrence

  UNION ALL

  SELECT Territories. [Territory Code], Territories.[Priority Territory Code], Territories.Name, Level + 1
  FROM Territories
  INNER JOIN Subtree ON Territories.[Territory Code] = Subtree.[Higher Territory Code]
  )
SELECT result = CASE
    WHEN EXISTS (
        SELECT 1
        FROM Subtree
        WHERE [Territory code] = 40260000 /* subtree root */
        )
      THEN 'The node is in a subtree'
    ELSE 'The node is NOT in the subtree'
    End

Advantages and disadvantages

Simplicity of structure (tables/links/minimum number of fields)	1/1/3
Direct sampling of all children of the node	yes
Direct subtree fetch (all descendants of a node)	no, recursion
Forward selection of the path from the node to the root (all ancestors of the node)	no, recursion
Quickly determine the number of all children of a node	no, recursion
Quick level detection	no, recursion
Sorting order of nodes	no
Quick insertion of new nodes	yes
Fast moving subtree	yes
Subtree quick deletion	yes, cascaded
Storage redundancy	no
Number of tree levels	unlimited
Additional integrity support (other than referential)	not needed

I must say right away that the method promoted by Joe Celko (Joe
Celko) and misunderstood called nested sets (nested
set), this scheme has no relation. Therefore, to avoid
confusion, I even changed the informative name “nested sets”
to something simpler.

In this scheme, a tree is represented by nested subsets,
the root level includes all subsets – the nodes of the first
level, those, in turn, nodes of the second level, etc. On the image
the territory hierarchy might look like this.

Fig.2. Representation of a hierarchy as nested subsets

In relational form, the schema will look like this.

Fig.3. Implementation of the subset method

Integrity is maintained by triggers that overwrite
the list and levels of ancestors of the given node when it changes. For
deletion of sufficient declarative referential integrity (cascading).
An example of filling tables.

Territories
Area code	Designation
1	St. Petersburg
2	Moskovsky district
3	MO Novoizmailovskoye

Subsets
Set code	Subset code	Level
1	1	1
2	1	1
2	2	2
3	1	1
3	2	2
3	3	3

But you have to pay for excesses. Data integrity will be maintained
triggers that overwrite the list and ancestor levels of the given node
when it changes. For a delete operation, a declarative one is enough
referential integrity (cascade delete) if your DBMS has it
supports.

If the pattern is an adjacency list that does not contain
no redundancy, then for the subset method per level
so many additional entries in the subset table will be required,
how many elements are at a given level of the tree, multiplied by
level number (the vertex is considered the first level). Number of records
grows in arithmetic progression.

However, it is worth looking at examples of all the same typical queries,
how the benefits of redundancy become apparent
storage: requests are short and fast.

Selecting a subtree at a given node:

 SELECT [Subset code], Level
FROM Subsets
WHERE [Set ID] = 123 -- subtree root
ORDER BY Level

Select all ancestors (path to node from root):

 SELECT [Set Code], Level
FROM Subsets
WHERE [Subset ID] = 345 -- node
ORDER BY Level

Checking if a node is in a subtree:

 SELECT result = CASE
    WHEN EXISTS (
        SELECT 1
        FROM Subsets
        WHERE [Subset ID] = 345 /* node */
          AND [Set ID] = 211 /* subtree root */
        )
      THEN 'The node is in a subtree'
    ELSE 'The node is NOT in the subtree'
    END

Advantages and disadvantages

Simplicity of structure (tables/links/minimal number of fields)	2/2/5
Direct sampling of all children of the node	yes
Direct subtree fetch (all descendants of a node)	yes
Forward selection of the path from the node to the root (all ancestors of the node)	yes
Quickly determine the number of all children of a node	yes
Quick level detection	yes
Node order in sorting	no
Quick insertion of new nodes	no
Fast moving subtree	no
Fast Subtree Deletion	yes, cascaded
Storage redundancy	yes
Number of tree levels	unlimited
Additional integrity support (other than referential)	needed, simple

tree, there are three ways: you can traverse the nodes in the prefix,
infix or suffix order. Prefix tree traversal order
recursively defined as follows: first the root of the tree, then
the nodes of the left subtree in prefix order, and finally the nodes of the right
subtrees in prefix order. Difficult? Take a look at fig. 4 and all
will become very clear.

Fig.4. Tree traversal route in prefix order

Storing the tree traversal route in prefix order is
the same way that its respected author Joe Celko (or his
interpreters), apparently by misunderstanding promotes under the name
nested sets. By
misunderstanding, because from fig. 4 it is clear that we are talking about sets here
does not go. However, this discrepancy with the names does not in the least reduce
practical value of the method.

The square in the figure indicates the node, the number in its left corner
is the sequence number of the route stage when entering the node, and the digit
on the right – when exiting, i.e. when all are passed in the same way
descendants. As you can easily see, the numbers of descendants are always located in
interval between the corresponding ancestor numbers, arbitrarily
distant. Keeping the tree traversal order (Fig. 5), this wonderful
property can be used in typical queries, avoiding recursion.

Fig.5. Detour route storage implementation

Obvious difficulty – recalculation of the detour order when
adding new or moving existing nodes (deletion can be
ignore). The trigger will have to implement sequential order
bypass with optimization. But, for example, if an element of the
lower level, you still have to recalculate everything that
“above” or “to the right”, and this
can be compared to recomputing the route through the entire tree.

Subtree selection by given node:

 SELECT T1.*
FROM [Territories 3] AS T1, [Territories 3] AS T2
WHERE T1.Input BETWEEN T2.Input
    AND T2.Exit
  AND T2.[Territory code] = 123 -- subtree root
ORDER BY T1.Input

Select all ancestors (symmetry with previous query
regarding BETWEEN):

 SELECT T1.*
FROM [Territories 3] as T1, [Territories 3] as T2
WHERE T2.In BETWEEN T1.In AND T1. Out
      AND T2.[Territory code] = 345 -- node
ORDER BY T1.Input

Check if node is in subtree:

 SELECT result = CASE
    WHEN EXISTS (
        SELECT 1
        FROM [Territories 3] AS T1, [Territories 3] AS T2
        WHERE T1.[Territory code] = 456 /* node */
          AND T2.[Territory code] = 123 /* subtree root */
          AND T1.Input BETWEEN T2.Input
            AND T2.Exit
        )
      THEN 'The node is in a subtree'
    ELSE 'The node is NOT in the subtree'
    END

Advantages and disadvantages

Simplicity of structure (tables/links/minimum number of fields)	1/0/4
Direct sampling of all children of the node	yes
Direct subtree fetch (all descendants of a node)	yes
Forward selection of the path from the node to the root (all ancestors of the node)	yes
Quickly determine the number of all children of a node	yes
Quick level detection	yes
Sorting order of nodes	yes
Quick insertion of new nodes	no
Fast moving subtree	no
Fast Subtree Deletion	yes
Storage redundancy	yes
Number of tree levels	unlimited
Additional integrity support (other than referential)	needed, complex

Optimization: storing numbers with “holes”
numbered.

To make it easier for the interpreter to process
program text, and, secondly, so that numerous operators work
an unconditional GOTO jump to a line with such and such a number, and the operator corresponded to the line. The program was modified during its life, new operators were added to it. Therefore, experienced programmers numbered lines not 1,2,3…, but 10, 20, 30. This made it possible to insert a new line without completely renumbering all subsequent ones.

I think you already understood the principle: number the entrances and exits from
nodes with some interval, for example 100 or 1000, which is largely
degree depends on preliminary estimates of the number of stored strings.

The idea of the method is to store the path from the vertex to the given
node explicitly and as a key. For example, the hierarchy of territories on
Figure 4 could look like this:

Territories
Designation	Path
St. Petersburg	1
Moskovsky district	1.1
Novoizmailovskoe municipality	1.1.1
Municipality Kuznetsovskoye	1.1.2
Nevsky district	1.2
Rybatskoe municipality	1.2.1
Central District	1.3

This method is the most obvious in terms of
element codification: each node receives an intuitive
meaning, the code itself and its parts carry a semantic load. Similar
properties are important in classifications intended for a wide range of
use, for example in standardized area directories
(OKATO), sectors of the economy (OKVED, NAICS), medical diagnoses (ICD
– International Classification of Diseases) and in many other
areas.

Fig.6. Implementation of storage of materialized paths

The situation with queries is more complicated. They are concise, but not always
are efficient because they may require a substring search.

Selecting a subtree at a given node:

 SELECT *
FROM [Territories 4]
WHERE Path LIKE '1.2%' -- subtree root
ORDER BY Path

Select all ancestors:

 SELECT *
FROM [Territories 4]
WHERE '1.2.1' /* node */ LIKE Path + '%'
ORDER BY Path

 SELECT T1.*
FROM [Territories 4] T1, [Territories 4] T2
WHERE T2.Path LIKE T1.Path + '%'
      AND T2.Name like 'MO Rybatskoye'

Checking if a node is in a subtree:

 SELECT result = CASE
    WHEN EXISTS (
        SELECT 1
        FROM [Territories 4] AS T1, [Territories 4] AS T2
        WHERE T1.Name = 'MO Rybatskoe' /* node */
          AND T2.Name = 'Nevsky district' /* subtree root */
          AND T1.Path LIKE T2.Path + '%'
        )
      THEN 'The node is in a subtree'
    ELSE 'The node is NOT in the subtree'
    End

Optimization

Knowing in advance the maximum number of levels and the maximum
the number of direct children, you can do without separators using
numerical codes with a fixed breakdown into groups of digits. empty
bits are filled with zeros.

A similar system is used in many intersystem
classifiers, for example, related to the state standard
OKATO
(All-Russian classifier of objects of administrative-territorial
divisions) or
NAICS
(North American Industry Classification System – North American
system of classification of branches of the economy).

Advantages and disadvantages

Simplicity of structure (tables/links/minimum number of fields)	1/0/2
Direct sampling of all children of the node	yes
Direct subtree fetch (all descendants of a node)	yes
Forward selection of the path from the node to the root (all ancestors of the node)	yes
Quickly determine the number of all children of a node	yes
Quick level detection	yes
Sorting order of nodes	yes
Quick insertion of new nodes	no
Fast moving subtree	no
Fast Subtree Deletion	no
Storage redundancy	yes
Number of tree levels	limited to
Additional integrity support (other than referential)	needed, complex

	Lists adjacency	Subsets	Storage bypass route	Materialized path
Simplicity of structure (tables/links/minimum number of fields)	1/1/3	2/2/5	1/0/4	1/0/2
Direct sampling of all children of the node	yes	yes	yes	yes
Direct subtree fetch (all descendants of a node)	no, recursion	yes	yes	yes
Forward selection of the path from the node to the root (all ancestors of the node)	no, recursion	yes	yes	yes
Quickly determine the number of all children of a node	no, recursion	yes	yes	yes
Quick level detection	no, recursion	yes	yes	yes
Sorting order of nodes	no	no	yes	yes
Quick insertion of new nodes	yes	no	no	no
Fast moving subtree	yes	no	no	no
Fast Subtree Deletion	yes, cascaded	yes, cascaded	yes	no
Storage redundancy	no	yes	yes	yes
Number of tree levels	unlimited	unlimited	unlimited	limited
Additional integrity support (other than referential)	not needed	need	need	need

Joe Celko.
trees
in SQL. Some answers to some common questions about SQL trees and
hierarchies
Vadim Tropashko.
trees
in SQL: Nested Sets and Materialized Path
Joe Celko. Joe Celko’s SQL programming style. Per. With
English St. Petersburg: Piter, 2006.

Sergey Tarasov, October 2006

The article was also published in “PC World” No. 3, 2007 Journal
version of the article on the publication’s website

Design of wooden houses, prices and terms

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Calculate the estimate Request a call

Moscow

+7 (495) 120 18 50+7 (903) 766 02 22

St. Petersburg

+7 (812) 748 91 88+7 (905) 20 20 700

Novorossiysk

+7 (8617) 777 100+7 (929) 850 02 52

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