Landscaping/Hiding the air conditioner units

[raammartin]

After being in our home nearly two years we are finally going to finish landscaping around the rest of the house. One side of the house we are landscaping has two air conditioner units (a large one and a smaller one) that sit side by side. There is about 1 - 1 1/2 feet of space between the two units. How do I landscape around that? Can I plant something in between the two units and if so what? Is there some type tree that we could plant there that wouldn't get very big, but that would be nice? I'm not really interested in installing some sort of trellis around them to hide the units from the street. Ideas anyone?

Thanks so much!

 

[dlfan1313]

You could always plant a hedge around both units, Plum Yews would work very well for this purpose for many reasons, though they tend to be a bit on the pricey side. Alternatively you could use a more tradtional hedge plant like Boxwoods, Laurels or an Arborvitee. Or if you are not interested in spending a lot of time shearing a formal hedge you could use a low maintenance plant such as Mohonia to screen them. Or perhaps in place of a hedge you could simply plant one large shrub that will hide the A/C units from sight. I live WA. so I'm not at all familiar with plants that would work well in your area. I would personaly advise against planting any thing in between them. The area seems too small for any shrubs not to mention that you would not be able to see them anyway. Placing a tree threre might work but again there would be some problems with that. Tree roots are more then capable of damaging the concrete slabs as well as your foundation. They also may clog the air intake vents on the A/C units. Also, a tree may not get enough water, especialy in the first few seasons, to survive. I hope this helps you at least a little bit. GOOD LUCK!!!!

 

[PrincessMommyof2]

You would need to post your zone. You could try a dwarf evergreen, like a pine. I would NOT plant anything between them. It'll just hinder the air flow. An alternative to boxwoods are dwarf boxwoods. I love them. At Christmas time, I sheer them (discreetly) to have a cute wreath for my front door. And since they only reach 3-4 feet, it's not too much of a bother to keep them trimmed.

 

[raammartin]

You could always plant a hedge around both units, Plum Yews would work very well for this purpose for many reasons, though they tend to be a bit on the pricey side. Alternatively you could use a more tradtional hedge plant like Boxwoods, Laurels or an Arborvitee. Or if you are not interested in spending a lot of time shearing a formal hedge you could use a low maintenance plant such as Mohonia to screen them. Or perhaps in place of a hedge you could simply plant one large shrub that will hide the A/C units from sight. I live WA. so I'm not at all familiar with plants that would work well in your area. I would personaly advise against planting any thing in between them. The area seems too small for any shrubs not to mention that you would not be able to see them anyway. Placing a tree threre might work but again there would be some problems with that. Tree roots are more then capable of damaging the concrete slabs as well as your foundation. They also may clog the air intake vents on the A/C units. Also, a tree may not get enough water, especialy in the first few seasons, to survive. I hope this helps you at least a little bit. GOOD LUCK!!!!

Thanks so much for the advice. I don't want a traditional hedge. I'd much prefer something more natural/woodsy looking if that makes sense. I have a few plum delights on the front and I like their shapes or lack there of.

 

[raammartin]

You would need to post your zone. You could try a dwarf evergreen, like a pine. I would NOT plant anything between them. It'll just hinder the air flow. An alternative to boxwoods are dwarf boxwoods. I love them. At Christmas time, I sheer them (discreetly) to have a cute wreath for my front door. And since they only reach 3-4 feet, it's not too much of a bother to keep them trimmed.

I'm in zone 8. I like the sound of the dwarf evergreen. Thanks for that suggestion!

 

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