How to Plant a Dogwood Tree on the Corner to Make Your House Look Wider

A flowering dogwood makes your house look wider and adds beauty to the landscape.

Landscaping is a way to add beauty to your home and increase its value. According to the University of Missouri, framing your house with trees, such as dogwoods, will make your house look longer. Dogwood trees are native to the U.S. and grow 15 to 25 feet in height. The tree flowers in the spring with white, pink, or red petals.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Compost
• Mulch

Instructions

1. Select a corner on the side of your house that gets partial shade and has well-draining soil. The dogwood needs some sun and some shade to flower and grow well. Make sure the tree is at least 20 feet from the corner of the house so it can grow to its full spread.

2. Add 3 inches of compost to the surface of the soil, and work it in to a depth of 12 inches to improve soil drainage.

3. Dig a hole as deep as the dogwood's root ball and three times as wide. Place the tree into the hole, and fill the hole with soil. Pat down the soil, and water the tree well.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose dogwood trees to frame low, one-story houses, but not two-story houses.

References

• University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension: Using Plants in the Landscape; Charles H. Williams; March 2001
• University of Missouri Extension; Tree Placement on Home Grounds; Christopher J. Starbuck; October 1999
• North Carolina State University; Flowering Dogwood; Erv Evans