Paired with the proper planter, a tree can become a living sculpture to artfully transform your garden year-round. Mr. Pascoe matches petite trees with new-to-market planters to make the most of both.

Philadelphia’s tree-planting program is up and running for another year. The TreePhilly program gives saplings to property owners in hopes of building an “urban forest,” said Kathryn Ott Lovell, the ...