20 Landscaping Around Trees Ideas With Flowers, Greenery and Pretty Borders

Looking for landscaping around trees ideas that go beyond a plain patch of grass? Think purple flowers, leafy borders and little paths winding past the trunk.

These gardens give you plenty to work with, whether you like a simple circle or a bed filled with color.

You can keep things simple or go all out. Just choose plants for your actual light and climate.

Keep the trunk flare exposed, avoid disturbing roots and don’t raise the soil level around an established tree.

Pretty ways to landscape around your trees

purple flowers and stacked stones

We’re starting off strong with these gorgeous purple flowers. I love how they sit in little clusters around the broad trunk, with tall green leaves below.

Read also: 20 Sloped Backyard Garden Ideas With Pretty Paths, Flowers and Terraces

The uneven pinkish-gray border is just as pretty. If you like this look, borrow the flower color and loose outline without building soil up against your tree.

pale pebbles and a curved edge

Don’t want to fill the whole bed with flowers? This pebble-covered circle gives you a different idea.

Cream, gray and tan stones sit inside a curved row of pale blocks.

The left side has a gap with loose blocks beside it, so this isn’t a fully finished border. I’d keep a clear space around the trunk rather than copying the stones right against the bark.

blue blooms and a little birdbath

This garden may just be one of my favorites here. I love the blue flowers beside the bright yellow-green leaves.

That little birdbath tucked between the plants is such a sweet detail.

If you have several trees close together, consider one shared bed like this instead of a separate circle for each trunk.

brick circle and bright flowers

How pretty is this brick border? The mix of faded red and gray looks lovely with the small red, white and yellow flowers inside.

Use the colors as inspiration for a low border at the existing ground level. A raised enclosure like the one pictured needs an arborist’s advice before you build it around an established tree.

a tipped pot of pebbles

How cute is this? The tipped pot looks like it’s spilling pebbles into the garden.

There’s even a little dragonfly-shaped pebble arrangement beside it!

I especially love the pale stones against the dark ground. Try a small decorative spill near the outside of your bed if you want that same playful detail.

a simple gray ring

If you like a neat outline without lots of decoration, this one is for you. The pale gray blocks form a wide circle around the split trunk, with no flowers inside.

For a simpler alternative to the raised wall, you could mark out a broad bed with a low edge. Keep the tree’s original soil level unchanged.

hostas and chunky rocks

I am obsessed with these leafy layers. The large hostas sit behind smaller cream-edged clumps, with chunky rocks all around the outside.

You don’t need lots of flower colors to borrow this idea. Try mixing broad green leaves with smaller variegated ones where your growing conditions suit them.

big boulders beside the patio

If you are looking for a garden with big, bold details, then this one is for you. Large rounded boulders surround the tree while smaller stones trace the outer bed.

The little pink flowers are my favorite part beside all that rock. The chairs on the nearby patio make this more than just a tree border.

pink flowers by the sidewalk

The flower lovers are going to love this! Bright pink, pale pink and white blooms fill the curved bed, with little touches of orange closer to the trunk.

Read also: 20 Painting Ideas and Visual Studies for Step by Step Painting for Beginners

I love how the flowers continue along the white fence behind it. Repeat a few colors in a nearby border if you want to try the same idea.

a white swing and garden ornaments

How cute is this white swing with its red seat? The pebble bed below includes stepping stones, small leafy plants and a whole collection of little ornaments.

That tiny white truck is adorable. If you want a swing too, have the tree and proposed attachment checked by a qualified arborist rather than relying on a branch’s appearance.

silver leaves and purple blooms

I love this mix of silvery foliage, purple flowers and bright pink blooms. The cream-edged leaves around the outside are just as pretty.

Try repeating your chosen colors in little groups rather than placing each color in one big patch. That’s the detail I’d borrow from this bed.

palms along a flower-lined path

Why stop at one tree? This row of palms has orange, pink and white flowers running along the path beneath it.

The curved flower beds are so pretty beside the straight walkway. If you’re planning around a row of trees, repeat a few flower colors along the route instead of treating every tree differently.

ferns and little pink flowers

Don’t want to go overboard with the colors? No problem!

This bed keeps things mostly green, with small pink flowers dotted around the outer half.

I love the long fern fronds in the middle. There’s also plenty of dark ground showing between the smaller plants, so the bed doesn’t look crowded.

broad leaves and flat rock ledges

This is another gorgeous leafy garden, but the border is a little different. Broad, flat rocks overlap around the edge instead of forming an even row.

The blue-green hosta leaves are my favorite part. I’d keep that mix of large leaves and smaller cream-edged plants if borrowing this look.

a wide mulch circle

If you’re looking for something visually simple, go with a broad circular bed and a small group of strappy green plants. This one has a wide stretch of reddish-brown mulch between the greenery and the lawn.

You don’t have to fill every bit of open space with another plant.

woodland beds and stepping stones

I am in love with this garden. The tall trees, loose flower beds and open lawn give you so much to look at without putting a little ring around every trunk.

The stepping stones across the foreground are a lovely detail. For a wooded yard, consider planting along the edges while leaving an open grassy route between them.

a winding path through the bed

Don’t want another round tree bed? This wavy outline is such a pretty alternative.

Flat stepping stones curve past the trunk, with small plants tucked along both sides.

I especially love the pale striped leaves near the front. Sketch out your own curves first so the path can work around existing roots.

one long scalloped border

This is a lovely way to bring a row of trees into one garden bed. The edge curves in and out along the lawn, with small shrubs and leafy plants spaced across the brown mulch.

Read also: 20 Vegetable Garden Row Layout Ideas and Garden Border Inspirations

Keep those generous gaps if you prefer a more open look. Check each plant’s mature size before deciding how far apart yours should go.

lime leaves and striped greenery

Who says you need bright flowers? I am obsessed with the lime-green leaves and cream-striped clumps in this bed.

The finer fern-like greenery looks so pretty between them.

If you want a mostly green garden, this gives you plenty of leaf shapes to consider without adding a whole rainbow of blooms.

a low border and pastel flowers

Last but definitely not least, we have this sweet circular flower bed. I love the blue, lavender and pale pink blooms beside those bright green leaves.

The low tan border keeps the outline simple. A few rounded stones sit between the plants too, which is a lovely little detail to borrow for your own garden.