Ensure plants match your property

Chris Kennedy looks at a Royal Star Magnolia tree in Scituate, Mass. Debee Tlumacki ghns

With the spring gardening season just around the corner, it may be time to start looking for a tree to fill that empty space in the yard. But before buying, shoppers should note the conditions in which they will be planting.

Chris Kennedy, owner of Kennedy's Country Gardens in Scituate, Mass., said tree shoppers should get a feel for the soil (sandy or claybased), sunlight and moisture conditions of their gardens.

Kennedy said, traditionally, customers look for either a shade tree or an ornamental flowering tree, depending on the space they need to fill. But he said a more utilitarian trend is taking root.

"This is an old practice, but it's become a little more in vogue with the green movement," Kennedy said. "You plant a tree near a house so that when the tree loses its leaves in the winter, it allows more sunlight, and in the summer it shades the house."