As part our our landscaping services, we supply and install a wide variety of shrubs to our Calgary customers. We are often asked to recommend plants that grow well in this zone 3 climate. There are a number of very hardy shrubs that do particularly well in Calgary's climate. There are also a number os shrubs that are very difficult to grow here like many cedars that are really meant for a more temperate zone 4 climate like British Columbia. Upright cedars are very popular and should only be planted in a well sheltered area away from the wind. Cedars do well against houses in corners protected from harsh winds. If you take a look around at many properties you will see cedars being used as a windrow or a border. These cedars are often planted on the edge of peoples yards with no protection from the elements. That's why most of these cedars look beautiful for about a season or so before winter comes and they die off. You can spend thousands on cedar windrows and in most cases it is
thousands of dollars wasted.
Junipers 
Instead of upright cedars you may want to consider an upright juniper. Most junipers are much hardier than cedars and do better in Calgary's climate. There are a number of upright junipers to consider including moonglow, medora, cologreen wiichita, and skyrocket. Some of these upright junipers are often confused with cedars and many people cannot tell them apart. For photos of juniper options check out our trees guide calgary page. Consider using junipers in your landscape and chances are they'll be a part of your landscape for years to come.
This Landscaping Calgary web site is owned by Chinook Landscaping in Calgary.