As a designer, it’s hard to not notice and take notes of design elements and ideas. I learn a lot this way. One thing that has jumped out to me over the years has been the use (or lack thereof) of evergreen-types of shrubbery, tree, and hedge selections. I notice that in particular where I lived for many years in the upper Midwest, the preference for evergreens in landscapes sets design in a level I’d dare say is higher than landscapes that don’t preference evergreens. The reasons for this are numerous. I’d like to outline them so that people who are choosing what to plant think twice when...