The condenser is the part of the air conditioning unit that sits outside the house, often in the yard. Many homeowners are eager to landscape around their condenser because it's rather large and not terribly attractive. While it is possible to landscape in such a way that the landscaping hides the condenser, following some basic rules and good advice will ensure that the landscaping does not interfere with the functionality of the condenser. 

Give Your Condenser Space

The condenser needs room for air circulation in order to avoid overheating on hot summer days. When planting in the vicinity of the condenser, keep flowers and shrubs at least 2 feet from the condenser. Avoid planting anything near the condenser that produces a lot of organic waste. Dead leaves and twigs can get caught inside the condenser and clog the fins of the condenser.  

Finally, avoid planting anything near the condenser that will interfere with access to unit. Remember that you and the air conditioner repair person will need to gain access to the condenser for yearly cleaning and maintenance. 

Install a Wall of Shrubs

Shrubs that are allowed to grow together can form an effective barrier that will hide just about anything, including an air conditioner condenser. A wall of shrubs is also a useful landscaping tool because well-placed shrubs can help shade the condenser on hot afternoons, and will form a barrier that prevents dead leaves and twigs from blowing into the space around the condenser. 

The best shrubs to plant are those that grow slowly and therefore require less trimming. The less pruning you do, the less organic waste that may end up trapped in the fins of your condenser. For a good slow growing shrub, consider the English Boxwood. 

Focus on Evergreens

If you're looking for trees to plant around your condenser, evergreens are green year round, and therefore won't shed their leaves in fall like deciduous trees. Keep in mind that some evergreen trees, like White Pine, shed their needles after only one year, which can create almost as much organic waste as a deciduous tree. If you're going to hide your air conditioner condenser, spruce trees retain their needles for up to six years at a stretch and therefore make less waste to be cleaned up.  

Avoid Thorns

Thorny bushes and plants like roses and bougainvillea, though beautiful and dense enough to hide the condenser, can be a hazard for anyone working in the vicinity of the unit. To avoid painful mistakes, choose thornless varieties of flowers and bushes to hide your condenser. 

These tips will help you hide the condenser, and will therefore contribute to the beauty of your lawn. Talk to places like Ice Age Mechanical for more information.