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	Shrubs & Trees In any gardener's tour of the Vineyard country side it will quickly become apparent that there a few very popular types of shrubs and trees that homeowners rely on for looks, durability, and, yes, "keeping up with the Jones's." Some of the most common types to be found and their maintenance requirements are:
	Shrubs - Privets - There may be more privet hedges per square mile in Edgartown than anywhere else on earth. About as nice a natural fencing as one could have, privets, to look their best, need 3 - 4 prunings a season. IlG has become quite adept at turning an old overgrown privet hedge into a once again dense mass of growth. It takes about a season. A privet hedge can be maintained at any height ranging from 3 to 15 feet. Lilacs/Wisteria - Do very well here (very wind tolerant) but tend to be found at older homes which are or were year around residences - blooming time is mid spring. Lilacs thrive in a sweet soil. Where ever you live, do not plant a lilac next to a hydrangea or rhododendron whose soil requirements are at the other extreme. Boxwood/Ilex - A very common evergreen foundation planting. Requires a couple prunings a year to maintain a neat shape.				Hydrangeas - Very popular due to the late July/August blooming period. The predominant type is niko blue although a few lace caps are to be found. Hydrangeas want to be fed (HollyTone®) twice a year and want to be pruned twice a year in the early spring and fall. they can be maintained between 2 and 6 feet. We plant more hydrangeas each year than any other plant. Rhododendron - Although a spring bloomer, rhody's make an excellent foundation plant and we plant many each year. We feed them in the spring. Holly - Only the bush type. Dark green color is achieved by a twice a year feeding of HollyTone®. Requires a couple of prunings a year to remove the growth spikes formed by the plant. Yews - All types. One or two prunings are required to maintain a bush's height.
			Don't ..plant an azalea unless adequate water is assured. Summer rainfall is no guarantee; ..plant a mountain laurel on the Vineyard. They detest the salt air and will not live more than 2 - 3 years regardless of how well cared for.
		Trees Holly's - Are outstanding performers on the Vineyard. Evergreens - Almost all types do well including pines, spruces, hemlocks, cedars, and arborvitaes. But if it is a pine tree in a windy location it had better be a japanese black pine and not a white pine. Olives (Russian and Autumn) - Its almost a sacrilege to purchase one since they grow like weeds. Olives serve as barrier fencing on many Vineyard properties. Deciduous Trees - Unless the location is extremely protected, I will not recommend these. And even then, there is very visible damage each year to tall trees from salt laden wind.