Trees and shrubs can be strategically planted to act as a screen to hide everything from a neighbor’s shed to a central air conditioner unit in your yard, as we have done here at the Kuppersmith Project house. Keep these tips in mind when using landscaping around appliances:

  • When planting shrubs near an air conditioner or other appliance, be sure to take into account how large the plants will grow.
  • Allow enough room between the appliance and plant to keep from interfering with the operation of the unit and allow easy access.

Watch the video above to find out more.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

The Kuppersmith Project is the renovation of an 85-year-old classic American Tudor home. Keeping the rich character of that era is a real challenge. I want to choose the right products and materials that will make this home both energy efficient and family friendly.

One thing that’s great about planning all of your landscaping from scratch is you’re able to strategically place bushes and trees to provide a visual block to something that may not look so good. This is what we’re doing with this evergreen tree. It looks great right here on the corner, right by the master bedroom addition. But it’s going to block the view of the two air conditioning condenser units that will be sitting on those pads a little bit later today.

Now, over here we’re trying to create more privacy for the backyard and block out the view of the neighbors here, so river birch here. Two holly trees will do a very good job in screening all of that out. By the way, we’re also putting this great water feature, nice fountain right against the fence right there. Always looks good in a backyard. Then we have another river birch that will really flower out really nice, and then three magnolia trees here that will also bush out and block the view of the old building that we have behind it.

Now, just like we’re blocking the view of the air conditioning system, we’re also going to put a circle of shrubs around our Generac generator. It doesn’t look bad, but it will look a lot better with all of the plants all around it. But here’s a very important part of this, a lot of people plant plants around generators or air conditioning systems, but you’ve got to leave a little room for you to be able to work on them if any problems occur, but also for them to operate properly. You’ve got to have that air circulation around any air conditioning system or generator.


Further Information

  • Standby Generator Installed at Kuppersmith Project House (video)

Editorial Contributors
avatar for Danny Lipford

Danny Lipford

Founder

Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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