The garden looks especially advantageous, because when the rose nurseries fade, conifers complete the picture and the garden remains forever green. Correctly chosen crown of trees, growth and shape of conifers give the garden a special charm. With the help of conifers, it is possible to create any design suitable for the buildings on the site.
What conifers go best with roses?
It is believed that the ideal combination with, since it does not interfere with the development of the root system of the rose and does not extinguish the rose, allowing it to gain strength and bloom every year.
Roses develop well with vertical conifers. These include: as well. The main thing is that the thuja do not grow in breadth, since in this case they cover the rose bushes. Well suited varieties: Blue Arrow, Moonglow, Sky rocket.
Fig. 1 Only roses and conifers, no other plants, the composition in the opinion of the site's editors is magnificent, nothing superfluous (photo from the site wcb.ru)
Fig. 2 A variant diluted with deciduous trees, shrubs and annuals (photo from the site wcb.ru)
For planting, it is necessary to choose less aggressive conifers so that over time they do not crowd out the rose bushes. Aggressive conifers and junipers are considered: Blue Alps, Blue Carpet, Gray Owl, Blue Danuba.
Before landing, be sure to outline the goal of what you want to get from the composition, highlight roses or just close an empty space... From this one should start from which of the conifers to choose for landing on the site: spherical or growing up.
The combination of roses and thujas - is such a neighborhood possible?
Thuja can be planted next to the roses, but at a distance of one and a half meters, since the root system of the thuja quickly grows, and it can destroy the rose. If the rose has been growing on the site for more than five years, then you can safely plant thuja, since the root system of the rose is already stable and nothing will interfere with it.
Photo source - www.thegracefulgardener.com
According to information from the rosebook.ru forum, it is not recommended to plant asparagus with roses, as it depresses the root system and the roses become invisible. And also, according to the notes of the forum user, the planted squash inhibits growth and when it was dug up, the rose began to grow. Do not recommend plant cloves and other cereals, lilies.
The members of the forum agreed that the rose loves freedom and it is best to grow it separately from everything.
How beautiful to plant thuja on the site
Thuja is unpretentious and practically grows in any conditions: in well-lit places or partial shade, but does not like very dark and northern places. For growing a fence, they use the Columna variety, thujas grow into a beautiful hedge.
To create a beautiful hedge, you should find out in advance how much the selected variety grows up and in breadth, the planting depends on this, so that even for several years the hedge remains beautiful.
For creating a hedge, the variety of emeralds is also great. The distance when planting each plant is 70 cm. It should be planted from the fence by a meter or one and a half meters. For three years, thuja grows into a tall, beautiful hedge. Thuja western smaragd, has a regular - conical crown, reaches up to 4 -6 meters in height and up to 1.80 in width. This thuja is always evergreen. Grows in any soil, grows best in the sun. The soil should be moist and fertile. Already fertilized seedlings are planted in the ground. Hardy and frost-resistant. Good quality of this variety - it does not turn yellow.
Thuja is suitable for planting with roses. But you must take into account the rule of building an ensemble. If three elements are involved in the landing, then the ensemble should combine no more than two colors. So, the constructed composition will look organic. If there are more colors, then the elements are combined into groups of three copies with the same colors.
The use of roses and conifers in landscape design perhaps, but a large area must be allocated for this. Due to the extensive root system in both plants, they are planted at a distance of at least one and a half meters- it contributes further development plants. It is recommended to plant thuja in a penumbra, and roses in lighter and more ceremonial places. The rose will not look good if planted in the shade.
Is it possible to plant roses between thuja along the fence?
Photo source - davesgarden.com, rose variety - "Iceberg". An example of a very beautiful a good combination roses and thujas along the fence.
First of all, the rule is that conifers should be planted at a distance of 1.5 meters from the fence, since when they grow, they can damage the installed fence. The development of a composition, where thuja and roses are soloed, looks very beautiful, but requires constant care. Plants must be pruned in time and monitored for their growth.
When planting, thuja are planted closer to the fence (albeit at an acceptable distance), since they create the main hedge, and roses are planted in another trench at a distance of one and a half meters. For planting, it is advisable to use ready-made, proven seedlings. Next rule- this is timely watering so that the root system is stable and does not dry out. When drawing up the composition, you can plant although in both of our examples varieties of climbing roses are used and they are planted in the background.
Photo from the site zs-z.ru. They let on the fence climbing rose, at a distance of a meter, thuja is planted and below the host is planted, which completes and sets off the composition.
In general, there are no obstacles to planting roses with thuja along the fence, but you should keep in mind: the neighborhood of these plants will require a lot of space. And pay attention to the height of the fence. It is no coincidence that in both of our examples it is very high.
Beds of roses and conifers: schemes
In order to plant a coniferous flower bed in landscape design, use this composition:
- A flower bed with a lawn or a flower bed in the form of a slide is taken as a basis;
- The decor can be stones or bark;
- Low-growing varieties of conifers are considered priority;
Source - dacha-vprok.ru
- On the first composition, the Globosa variety;
- Number two is the Selena variety;
- In the center, number three, cedar pine;
- Tsuga Canadensis is planted at number four;
- Junipers, cultivar Tamariscifolia, are planted at number five;
- Number six, planting pine, cultivar Pinus sylvestris.
Scheme from the site dacha-vprok.ru
How to create a mixborder?
A mixborder is the creation of a flower bed in groups, where each group of plants smoothly flows into another. The flower bed consists of three stages:
- Bulky plants are planted in the background;
- Tall plants;
- Plants without lush foliage.
Source - landas.ru
The planted flowering perennial plants in front of the thuja will look especially advantageous, at the very bottom of the composition, a creeping thuja or horizontal juniper is planted.
A flower bed with roses and conifers (diagram):
Rice. from the site idei-dlja-dachi.com
In this composition, the juniper will accentuate the roses and make them stand out against the background of the entire flower bed. Sage helps light-colored roses look good. In case the sage grows it, it is possible to form any shape. The host, planted along the edge of the flower bed, complements the created composition.
Best neighbors for roses
The material offered in the video is quite controversial. Do the cultures suggested by the authors really look good with roses? And does everyone like such a garden-thicket?
Unusual forms of growth of coniferous shrubs and trees, contrasts of textures and shades of needles - not every gardener wants to arrange such a garden, but it will amaze any viewer. Conifers give the garden a sophisticated look, although this is unlikely to be of interest to fans of bright flowers. In addition to the color of the needles, it plays an important role - in the composition you need to obtain a harmonious combination of different habits.
When choosing conifers, it is important to know and take into account their growth rate and the expected size of an adult specimen. Many conifers cut well, so they can be easily formed in the form of pyramids, columns, balls, even spirals.
Composition of conifers in blue tones
The most large plant This coniferous composition is Scotch pine of the Waterery variety, 2-2.5 m in height and in diameter, with tough and short bluish-gray needles. In front of her is a specimen of a slow-growing, very frost-resistant Korean cedar pine of the Silveray variety of pyramidal shape. Its long needles have a silvery blue tint. In the corner of the composition there are three Cossack juniper varieties Tamariscifolia, undersized fast-growing shrubs with horizontally arranged branches, with needles of a bluish shade. To the left of them are two slow-growing dwarf hemlock varieties Jeddeloh with spirally arranged branches and a funnel-shaped depression in the center of the bush.
The composition contains several dwarf thuja Western two varieties - globular Globosa with green needles and "egg-shaped" Selena with light green needles. The space between the conifers is covered with a layer of decorative mulch made from spruce cones ground in a blender, about 10 cm thick. The coniferous composition does not require any maintenance. If, after a few years, Cossack junipers grow excessively, they should be shortened.
1 - western thuja (Thuja occidentalis), Globosa cultivar;
2 - western thuja (Thuja occidentalis), variety Selena;
3 - Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis), grade Silveray;
4 — ;
5 - Cossack juniper (Juniperus sabina), grade Tamariscifolia;
6 - Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), grade Waterrery
Some gardeners who are unfamiliar with the modern assortment of conifers consider them boring, "one color in winter and summer." Over the past decades, there has been a real revolution in the breeding of conifers, now the variety of varieties in terms of size and shape of the crown, color and texture of needles is simply amazing. Columns and balls, cones, cushion, weeping and creeping species and varieties of conifers different sizes, textures and colors - the choice is incredible.
- a great opportunity to showcase your collection of rarities. The choice of these or those conifers depends on both environmental conditions and the idea of \ u200b \ u200bthe composition. In partial shade, spruce, fir, microbiota, and some junipers grow well. For a sunny place, light-loving coniferous species are perfect, for example, pine varieties, blue spruce and junipers. A properly "constructed" coniferous garden will never seem monotonous.
Growing features
Spring. Hemlock twigs can sometimes freeze or dry out a little: in the spring they must be carefully removed to the living part of the shoot. If necessary, renew or add a layer of decorative mulch, this will have to be done every 2-3 years, in order to avoid damping, the root collar is never covered with mulch. Spherical conifers retain their shape well in young age, sometimes with age, some of them shoot separate elongated shoots, knocking out a clear geometric shape, they must be cut off in early spring.
Pines have a special shoot growth biology. Young shoots-candles appear at the end of May and grow rapidly, at first the shoots are still without needles, it will develop later. If you need to limit the size of the pine tree or make the crown more dense, pinch these candles while they are still soft and green. In this case, the plant will be well formed, the shoots will ripen by winter and form a normal growth the next year.
Summer. At the beginning of summer, cones appear on the cedar pine. Juniper Tamariscifolia Cossack grows very quickly, after a few years you will need pruning to keep it in line. In late spring or early summer, pruning with pruning shears is done with powerful, outstretched, overgrown shoots allotted to them.
Autumn. Thuja needles Globosa, green in summer, turns brown or becomes gray green color... It is advisable to shake off wet and heavy snow from it so that the branches do not break. If there is no such opportunity or desire, a harness against snowfall and snow breaks is needed, especially where there are snowy winters with heavy snowfalls.
Winter. The silhouettes of many conifers are especially visible in winter. It is the conifers that create the structure of the garden in winter and give it color; at this time of the year, their shape and color are especially visible and important.
Thuja western (Thuja occidentalis), grade Globosa
Height and diameter 1 m
The shape of the crown is round, green needles in summer, brown in autumn.
Decorative all year round
Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), cultivar Jeddeloh_
Height 50 cm, diameter 100 cm
Spiral branches, funnel-shaped depression in the center of the bush. Decorative all year round
Thuja western (Thuja occidentalis), grade Selena
Height 80, diameter 50 cm
Spherical shape, light green, almost pistachio, needles. Decorative all year round
Korean cedar pine (Pinus koraiensis), grade Silveray
Height 1.5 m
Long silver-blue needles
Decorative all year round
Juniper Cossack (Juniperus sabina), grade Tamariscifolia
Height 40-50 cm
Horizontally located branches, needle-shaped needles with a bluish tinge. Decorative all year round
Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), grade Waterery
Height and diameter 2-2.5 m
Tough and short bluish-gray needles
Decorative all year round
The spiny spiny Hoopsi has a dense crown of a wide pyramidal shape, it is a very showy and elegant plant with bright bluish-white, tough and sharp needles. The height of an adult tree is 3-4 m, diameter is 3 m, annual growth is up to 30 cm.
A beautiful thuja is planted to the left of it western varieties Smaragdc with a narrow conical crown. Its shoots are colored green in summer and winter. Between the Hoopsi spruce and the Smaragd thuja, four specimens of the slow-growing mountain pine Mops are planted with a globular shape with dark green, very short needles. Mountain pine Winter Gold is another dwarf, slow-growing spherical shape with a magnificent color of needles; in the Moscow region, it turns yellow during the first frost in September-October and returns its green color in the first ten days of May. Spruce black Nana is unusually graceful, rounded crown with light bluish-green needles in height does not exceed 50 cm. The extremely slowly growing balsamic fir Nana has dense dark green needles. Jeddeloh Cwe dwarf hemlock grows extremely slowly.
1 — ;
2 - prickly spruce (Picea pungens), cultivar Hoopsi;
3 - mountain pine (Pinus mugo), variety Winter Gold;
4 - balsam fir (Abies balsamea), grade Nana;
5 - Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), variety Jeddeloh:
6 - mountain pine (Pinus mugo), Mops variety;
7 - western thuja (Thuja occidentalis), cultivar Smaragd
Any mulch performs many useful functions - it prevents the growth of weeds, creates favorable conditions for the growth of roots, worms quickly settle under it, improving the structure of the soil. Not every mulch is decorative, properly selected will greatly decorate the appearance. coniferous compositions... It is best to use ground bark or wood chips for this purpose, especially beautiful mulch made from crushed spruce and pine cones. Whole small cones look impressive as mulch. Fine gravel looks beautiful as mulch; if you wish, you can use completely exotic materials, for example, glass balls or small fragments.
Growing features
Spring. For some conifers, especially for dwarf pines, regular cleaning of the crown from dry branches, fallen needles is necessary, it is advisable to do this every year or at least every year. If necessary, renew or add a layer of mulch, this will have to be done every 2-3 years, we do it carefully, without filling the root collars of plants, which can lead to their drying out. At the end of May, numerous young candlestick shoots appear in mountain pines. If you pinch them, the shape of the crown will be even more distinct. Some varietal conifers of a clear geometric shape sometimes suddenly give off shoots that break out of the crown, it is not difficult to correct this with pruners or scissors for cutting shrubs. After the end of the spring frost, the needles of the Winter Gold mountain pine change color and turn into delicate light green tones.
Summer. The composition does not require any maintenance. Just admire!
Autumn. Mountain pine varieties Winter Gold in late autumn changes color and becomes golden yellow, remaining so until spring.
Winter. Dwarf conifers are under the snow, rise and delight in color with bright green thuja western Smaragd 2-3 m high and bluish-white spruce spruce Hoopsi.
Black spruce (Picea nigra), grade Nana
Height 50 cm
Rounded crown with light bluish-green needles
Decorative all year round
Balsam fir (Abies balsamea), grade Nana
Height 50 cm, diameter of an adult plant is 2 m
Dense dark green needles
Decorative all year round
Colorado spruce (Picea pungens), cultivar Hoopsi
The height of an adult tree is 3-4 m, diameter is 3 m, annual growth is up to 30 cm.
Dense crown of a wide pyramidal shape with bluish-white, hard and sharp needles
Decorative all year round
Mountain pine (Pinus mugo), grade Winter Gold
Height and diameter 1 m
In the Moscow region, the needles turn yellow during the first frost in September-October and return their green color in the first ten days of May.
Decorative all year round
Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), cultivar Jeddeloh
Height 50 cm, diameter 100 cm
Spiral branches, funnel-shaped depression in the center of the bush.
Decorative all year round
Mountain pine (Pinus mugo), grade Mops
Spherical shape, height and diameter 1-1.2 m.
Dark green, very short needles. Decorative all year round
Thuja western (Thuja occidentalis), cultivar Smaragd
Height 2-3 m
Narrow conical crown, green needles
Decorative all year round
Slow-growing dwarf coniferous species - Canadian hemisphere Jeddeloh, in the shape of a hemisphere with a funnel-shaped depression in the center, are planted along the blind area of the house; spherical pine mountain Mini Mops and thuja western Danica; round graceful spruce black Nana with light bluish-green needles.
In the second row from the blind area, specimens of horizontal juniper are planted: this is a creeping shrub with long branches covered with bluish-green needles pressed to the ground. Behind it is a variegated small periwinkle, an evergreen perennial with long creeping shoots. Its glossy, bright green leaves have numerous golden yellow spots. Leathery leaves contrast effectively with coniferous foliage. Ground cover roses are planted along the front edge of the composition along the path, used the variety of Cordesa Cubana with apricot flowers, blooming throughout the season
Ground cover roses look very harmonious next to conifers. Small needles of various shades of green contrast remarkably in shape with the shiny foliage of periwinkle and roses.
1 - Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), variety Jeddeloh;
2 - mountain pine (Pinus mugo), Mini Mops variety;
3 - western thuja (Thuja occidentalis), variety Danica;
4 - black spruce (Picea nigra), variety Nana;
5 - periwinkle (Vinca minor), cultivar Aureo-variegata;
6 - horizontal juniper (Juniperus horizontalis);
7 - Ground cover rosa, cultivar Cubana
In recent years, varieties of ground cover roses have appeared with long flowering up to frost. These roses are winter-hardy, a light shelter is enough for them. They have decorative and elegant not only flowers, the general impression is very pleasant, many of them form a dense carpet of shiny foliage with numerous flowers. Ground cover roses differ in the type of shoot growth and the height of the bush, they can be from 30 cm to 1 m in height, they are spreading, occupying an area of several square meters, or very compact.
Growing features
Spring. If necessary, renew the mulch layer, this will have to be done every 2-3 years. For dwarf conifers, especially for pines, regular cleaning of the crown from dry branches, fallen needles is necessary, it is advisable to do this every year or at least every other year. In mountain pines, young candle shoots appear in large quantities. In principle, pinching for dwarf pines is not an urgent need, they will do without it, but if you want to make the crown denser and the composition perfect, do not reject this operation. Pinch the pine candles while they are still soft and green, do not worry, the shoots will ripen by winter and form a normal growth the next year. If you start pinching, then this will need to be done annually.
In May, only after the ground has completely thawed, they remove an easy cover from the ground cover roses and give them nitrogen fertilization... Before planting ground cover roses, perennial weeds must be carefully weeded out, otherwise you will have to weed them out under the thorny shoots; to protect plantings from annual weeds, it is advisable to cover the soil under them with a black non-woven material. Ground cover roses are unpretentious, but still need care: like all roses, they need feeding and protection from pests and diseases.
Summer. It may be necessary to restrict the growth of shoots of horizontal juniper and periwinkle. Rose Cubana is interesting in color variability, its flowers are apricot-pink at first, as they bloom they brighten and become pale pink. The saturation of pink tones changes, on the bush there are simultaneously yellow, pink and orange flowers... The bushes are sprawling, branched, the height and width of the bush is 50-60 cm.
It is necessary to feed roses during budding before flowering, this dressing is carried out with a complex mineral fertilizer or an infusion of manure, green fertilizer works well, it is best to make it from fermented nettle. Be sure to feed the roses after the first wave of flowering, this is also done with a complex mineral fertilizer, manure infusion or green fertilizer from fermented nettle.
Autumn. Dense needles spherical thuja Danica, green and shiny in summer, turns brownish-green in late autumn. Feeding roses in early September is important potash fertilizers, potassium sulfate or potassium magnesium, it is made for better ripening of shoots and preparation of bushes for winter. Many varieties of ground cover roses are winter-hardy, but they need to be covered for the winter. Snow is a good protection, but so-called "black" frosts occur while there is still no snow.
Winter. Looking forward to spring.
Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), cultivar Jeddeloh
Height 50 cm, diameter 100 cm. Spiral branches, funnel-shaped depression in the center of the bush
Decorative all year round
Black spruce (Picea nigra), grade Nana
Height 50 cm. Rounded crown with light bluish-green needles. Decorative all year round
Small periwinkle (Vinca minor), cultivar Aureovariegata
Height up to 20 cm. Bright green glossy leaves with numerous golden-yellow spots, lavender-blue flowers.
Blooms in May-June for 25-30 days, decorative from snow to snow
Mountain pine (Pinus mugo), cultivar Mini Mops
Height 0.5 m, diameter 1 m Dark green short needles (up to 2 cm)
Decorative all year round
Thuja western (Thuja occidentalis), grade Danica
Height 0.6 m, crown diameter 1 m Spherical dwarf form
Decorative all year round
Juniper horizontal (Juniperus horizontalis)
Height 20-30 cm. Lowered to the ground, creeping shrub with long branches, densely covered with bluish-green needles. Decorative all year round
Rose ground cover (Ground cover rosa), cultivar Cubana
Bush height 30-40 cm, width 70-90 cm. Dark green glossy foliage; the flowers are first apricot-pink, then brighten and become pale pink, on the bush there are simultaneously yellow, pink and orange flowers.
Decorative all season
Weeping larch with ground cover plants
In the center of the composition, in the plan representing a square, European larch weeping on a trunk 2.5 m high. Species larch is a huge tree up to 20 m high; in gardens, its dwarf and grafted forms are most often used. This plant is excellently sheared, it can be used to form various geometric figures... Conifers are planted in one corner of the square - three horizontal junipers, low creeping shrubs with long branches pressed to the ground.
Another corner is occupied by purple broom, another creeping shrub with a green spreading crown of rising branches, densely covered with trifoliate leaves. It grows rapidly, reaching adult size in 3-4 years. It is surprisingly beautiful during flowering, when the branches are densely covered with purple or purple flowers. In the third corner, a curtain of low-grade Belvederc badan is planted with small (4-6 cm) leathery leaves and white flowers. Creeping shoots of a cotoneaster of a horizontal, rapidly growing shrub with dark green small leathery leaves, pressed to the ground.
1 - horizontal juniper (Juniperus horizontalis);
2 - horizontal cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis);
3 - European weeping larch (Larix decidua), cultivar Pendula;
4 - heart-leaved bergenia (Bergenia cordifolia), cultivar Belveder;
5 - purple broom (Chamaecytisus purpureus)
Many owners of suburban areas are fond of landscape design. As a result of their efforts, the space surrounding not only expensive cottages, but also simple private houses has noticeably changed. Today vegetable gardens and even orchards are gradually losing ground and giving way to lawns, flower beds, flower beds and unusual plant compositions pleasing to the eye. However, flower beds always attracted the attention of gardeners, and ornamental shrubs quite often they decorated plots, but if conifers were used in landscape design, it was not so often. Today they are becoming more and more popular.
There are rules for planting conifers that are well known to landscape designers. But since not every site owner has the financial ability to hire such a specialist, it is better to know these rules yourself in order to independently try to implement them on the site:
- A woody-shrub composition will only look holistic when the distance from the point from which it will most often be examined is at least two of its heights.
- The presence of a lawn as a background for conifers is most preferable.
- Often, conifers are planted near water bodies, so that, in combination with weeping deciduous plants, they make up a single original composition.
- The most effective, according to experts, is when coniferous compositions in the landscape design of the garden are oriented to the west or east.
Conifers go well with cereals, deciduous plants and flowers, including lilies. This composition by the pond looks natural and gorgeous.
The combination of roses and conifers looks great, but the problem is that thuja and other conifers, as a result of their vital activity, oxidize the soil, and roses treat acidic soils badly
Conifers can vary significantly in color. If you have to collect plants in a composition, you need to pay attention to the color of the needles, so that a kind of gamut is formed:
- If the composition includes three components, then only two colors can be present in it.
- A five-part composition should consist of no more than three different colors.
- If there are 25 or even more elements in the composition, they must be combined into groups of three copies, and the plants in one group should be selected according to a single color characteristic.
Only in this case, coniferous plants will make up an ensemble in which they will look harmonious without violating the integrity of the picture.
The material on the rules for the design of group and specimen plantings from decorative conifers will also be useful:
Numerous colors and shades of needles can create harmonious combinations if you take care of their compatibility with each other in advance.
Height and shape of the crown
When creating ensembles, it is necessary to take into account not only the color of the plant, but also its height in adulthood, as well as the shape of its crown. To predict the appearance of a composition for the future, one should, armed with knowledge, choose in advance from those plants that can offer modern market or nurseries.
Of course, both the height of an adult plant and the shape of its crown must be taken into account so that after a while the composition does not lose its original attractiveness and does not turn into thickets.
Tall species of conifers
The following types can be attributed to the number of fairly tall plants:
- Western thuja. The plant grows to a height of 5m, prefers shaded areas, can be trimmed. Often used as a hedge.
- Juniper Skyrocket. A pleasant conical plant with soft blue needles. It grows up to 3m high.
- A very popular variety that can grow up to 15m. Possesses dense silvery-blue needles. The plant is resistant to negative natural factors.
- Scots pine Vatereri. Its homeland is the Mediterranean, so we can say that it is especially adapted to the southern climate. It has a twisted spherical shape, grows to a height of 4m.
- Pine Pincus Silvestris. A real coniferous giant that grows up to 40m in height. It has a straight trunk and a columnar structure. It is in demand due to its absolute unpretentiousness.
If rapid upward growth is undesirable, you can adjust the size of the plants by constantly pinching its shoots, but this must be done regularly: every year. Otherwise, you can get a freak plant.
Who would have thought that such a compact plant could eventually turn into a 15-meter giant. But this circumstance must be taken into account when landing
Medium-sized plants for coniferous compositions
Highly tall plants rarely does anyone decide to use it in an internal composition. Rather, they form a hedge, zoning or enclosing an area. But medium-sized conifers are deservedly popular with landscape designers:
- . This branchy and very showy evergreen tree is in demand as it grows slowly and looks attractive.
- Berry yew. A compact shrub with dense needles, it looks great on the lawn and is popular for its combination of luscious greenery and bright red berries.
- Western thuja. A very beautiful and compact ball, the branches of which grow densely in the vertical direction in relation to the trunk.
- Golden yew. It can grow in partial shade, feels great in the vicinity of tall and low-growing plants. It has the shape of a bowl and has yellowish-green or golden needles.
As a rule, it is these plants that form the basis of the compositions. Successfully complemented by low-growing conifers, they look great at either end of the garden.
It is medium-sized plants that often form the basis of all kinds of compositions. Look at this tree, which begs for a Japanese-style garden
Green thuja with vibrant red berries brings back memories of wonderful New Years when this color combination becomes the most popular
Low-growing and creeping conifers
When fishing for such a plant, you need to provide sufficient space for its development. After all, such conifers do not grow up, but in breadth, capturing space and forming a kind of prickly lawn.
- Norway spruce Lombers... Despite this name, this spruce looks quite extraordinary. This is a stunted plant with dense emerald needles.
- Western thuja Tini Tim. This plant loves light, but does not require abundant watering. It looks like a ball rolling onto the path.
- Mountain pine Hampi. The plant serves as a decoration for rock gardens. It expands to the sides. Its buds at negative temperatures acquire a decorative reddish-brown hue.
- Mountain pine Mini Pug. It grows in the form of a fluffy pillow. Effective and pleasant to look at.
Low-growing conifers in garden design can be especially attractive if properly cared for. It is they, in combination with medium-sized ones, who are able to create an indescribable atmosphere. japanese garden, its flavor.
Although this spruce is called ordinary, but outwardly it looks more like spruce branches, which carpeted the surface that the designer had allocated for it.
Mountain pine Mini Pug strikes with its diminutiveness and adaptability to the most extreme growing conditions. Certainly, she deserves to become a garden decoration.
We compose compositions of conifers
Conifers go well not only with each other, but also with deciduous shrubs and trees, creating interesting compositions. For a combination of plants, there are rules that you need to know when forming a site design.
Conifer mixborders
The mixborder can be positioned where, according to your vision, it will be especially appropriate. It is important not to be afraid to do as you want. The landscape only benefits from the manifestation of the designer's individuality.
Prepare a place for the largest plants at the edge of the composition, then the seedlings are arranged in decreasing size, so the smallest specimens are planted at the foot of the mixborder. You should not try to maintain the geometric accuracy of the landings. Curvature will only emphasize the pristine beauty of the composition.
This attractive composition contains all the rules that should not be violated, creating a harmonious ensemble of conifers in the garden.
The natural harmony of the mixborder must be respected: the width of the area for tall and large plants must exceed the area reserved for small-growing plantings. The seedlings may include plants that differ in the color of the needles and the shape of the crown. Sometimes on the plots you can see extremely beautiful and diverse collections of conifers.
Thorny hedge
Sharing suburban area into zones, many designers also use conifers. With the help of them, you can create a functional fence around the perimeter of the site. For this, the plants are planted in two or even three rows, staggered. From ordinary spruce, an absolutely impassable barrier can be obtained.
Fences can also be beautiful, but this does not diminish their inaccessibility. It will take time for such a hedge to appear on the site, but the result is worth it
Against the background of Christmas trees or thuja they look good. By creating different combinations of plants, you don't have to worry about artificial decoration of the site: it will be beautiful and evergreen at any time of the year.
Rules for planting conifers
Careful preparation of the place where the plant will be planted is very important. His health depends on this, and, therefore, the beauty of the site. If there is stagnation of water in some place of the site, plants should not be placed there. Each variety has its own requirements for the composition of the soil. This point should be clarified and taken into account when you are just starting to choose varieties for planting.
As you can see, the coniferous seedling does not need to be deepened much. It is enough that in the hole prepared for it there is that part that we call the root
The most suitable period for planting is from late April to early May. At this time, the seedling does not yet enter into an active growth season, which means that it will more easily transfer the transplant and will feel good in a new place.
You need to place fertile soil in the hole under the seedling, then tamp it well and place the plant in it at the root, not deeper. After planting, the ephedra needs watering. Care must be taken to ensure that the soil does not dry out.
Not all conifers show frost resistance. There are also real sissies who are used to the humid and warm Mediterranean climate. In winter, you need to take care of them.
Conifers are not picky plants, but they also require care. In the hot summer, they need to be protected from sunburn, and in cold winter those specimens that are not frost-resistant should be covered.
Saplings can be with a closed root system and with an open one. If planting is in spring and the roots are open, look for fresh white shoots. Such a plant is ready for planting.
For a holistic perception of the decorative effect of a tree-shrub composition, it is necessary that the distance from the point of view to the composition itself is at least two of its heights. The lawn will help to maintain the visual distance, against the background of which conifers look the most advantageous. Many designers recommend creating coniferous compositions on the banks of reservoirs, but in this case, it is necessary to enter decoratively into the group deciduous plants, preferably with a weeping crown shape.
To visualize the conceived project, you can take photographs of the site from those points from where you most often admire the garden. Looking at the finished picture, limited by space, you can immediately see what the landscape lacks.
The height of the conifers in the decorative group should decrease as they approach the observer. Coniferous compositions oriented to the east or west look most impressive.
There is quite big choice conifers by color. Those who like to experiment with color should remember that the different colors of the members of a small coniferous group ruin the composition. Therefore, in a group of conifers of three plants, it is recommended to use only two colors; in a group of five plants, no more than three colors can be used. But in large coniferous groups (more than 30 plants), you can combine plants with different colors, but at the same time, combining them into mini-groups of three pieces of the same color.
Coniferous mixborder
Always created against the background of a house wall, fence, hedge or along a path. To create a coniferous mixborder, plants are selected in such a way as to maximize the variety of heights, crown shapes, and colors.
In the background, the tallest plants are planted, closer to the center of the medium-sized plant, and the lowest specimens at the foot of the mixborder. But this, in no way, does not mean that the plants need to be planted strictly in a row. Conditional rows in a complex border twist like snakes, and plants move slightly towards a higher or lower position.
When forming a mixborder from conifers, you need to carefully monitor so that the tops of one or another row do not create a straight line.
The width and height of the mixborder must be in natural harmony. This means that the part of the mixborder where the taller plants grow should be wider than the one where the shorter ones grow. The shallower the depth of the mixborder, the more the height fluctuations of the plants should be.
The repetition of three to five elements in large compositions makes the compositions rhythmic, and therefore more interesting. But the rhythm is set not by monotonous repetition, but with the help different forms and inclusions.
Mixborder is one of the few types of plant compositions that allow you to collect an excellent collection of conifers of different growth, crown shape and color of needles.
Hedge from conifers
Coniferous hedges are quite common. In the gardens regular style, which is quite rare in the Russian landscape, the coniferous hedge remains just a hedge, but the landscape style and Art Nouveau make it possible to use evergreen hedges as a backdrop for colorful perennials.
Conifers can be used to form dense formed and unformed hedges. To create a dense functional hedge, plants are planted in 2-3 rows in a checkerboard pattern. The most impenetrable evergreen hedge is considered to be a formed checkerboard planting of ordinary spruce.
Compositions of coniferous circular view
A group of plants, the decorative effect of which must be visible from all sides of the view. Such compositions are placed in paving openings, on a lawn or round flower beds. The group can be irregular shape or symmetrical.
The largest plant is planted in the center of a symmetrical coniferous composition, around it at the same distance - smaller plants, while the height of the second row should be at least 1/3 and not more than 1/2 of the height of the central plant. The accents must be strictly adhered to. This rule also works for non-symmetrical groups. The height of the following rows should be proportionally reduced, emphasizing the beauty of the previous row, without covering it.
Creating an asymmetrical 360-degree view is the most delicate work designer. Here you need to provide an overview of the group from all angles, so that with a new turn, a new composition appears. The simplest option is a group of 3 - 5 plants. Plants must be placed in such a way that it is visually impossible to draw a straight line through three points. The asymmetrical coniferous group of three elements includes three crowns of plants of different height and shape. Moreover, one of them should have a creeping shape, which most emphasizes the asymmetry. In a group of five plants, you can include two identical ones, but you need to place them a little apart.
Even in the most "agricultural" area, at least one prickly "saboteur" will certainly be found. Most often, forest guests act in this capacity, like the common juniper, spruce or pine. But with the availability of a huge assortment of conifers, amazing in beauty and perfect in shape, it is unreasonable to ignore the possibility of using them. In addition, plants grown in nurseries take root more easily and grow faster.
Options are possible
In the world of conifers, giants and dwarfs easily get along - suitable plants can be found for a garden of any size. And the richness of shades of needles allows you to create picturesque canvases from them.
Grenadiers
Tall conifers conquer with their greatness. They look best at a distance, when you can see the whole tree without lifting your head. But you can use them in compositions in a small garden. In this case, the lower part will become the background for other plants, and the thicker it is, the better. The sales leaders are the European cedar pine, the prickly spruce 'Hoopsii' (Hoopsii), the single-colored fir, the western thuja 'Brabant', 'Aureospicata', etc. At a young age, while you can reach the top, these trees can be dress up for the New Year.
Slow-growing varieties deserve special attention, reaching their characteristic height not by ten years, but by thirty. In addition, there are plants, the impressive size of which is still acceptable for a small garden.
So, the Scots pine 'Vatereri' (Watereri) with beautiful bluish needles by the age of 30 has a height and width of about 3 m. The trunk, which is not bare from below, allows it to be used as a screen and in a mixed hedge. A number of western thuja varieties are often positioned as two to three meters, simply because they grow too slowly. A prime example serves as ‘Smaragd’ (Smaragd), on the label of which you can often see the mark “up to 2 meters”. In fact, he grows more than four, but after 10 years.
If a pine or spruce tree is too big for your garden, or is simply planted out of place, there is a reliable, albeit time-consuming, way to curb the rampant growth of your pet. For this, strong pruning or pinching of young shoots is carried out annually, and Special attention is given to the apical. As a result, the trees look extremely beautiful and well-groomed. Unfortunately, you can't skip a year or two and even more so completely stop the process - you will get strange freaks.
Thuja and junipers can simply be trimmed from time to time with garden shears (not to be confused with a curly haircut!). Plants easily tolerate this operation and for the next several years they completely dispense with your attention.
Middle class
Medium-sized conifers are fantastically diverse. Neat "balls" and "cones" of western thuja, low varieties of various spruces and pines, numerous junipers - all of them are remarkably good and satisfy the most picky tastes. But besides them, there are much less common firs and such interesting species as pea cypress or Canadian hemlock. Medium-sized conifers fit perfectly both in large-scale gardens and in the "six hundred" design, therefore they are always in demand.
It is the "middle peasants" that form the basis of coniferous compositions and are part of mixborders. Without them, it is difficult to imagine a heather garden or a small mixed flower garden, in which for support in winter period it is required to include a coniferous plant that looks out of the snowdrifts, but at the same time not higher than average human height.
The globular thuja of the Globosa variety, planted in a row along the path or in a symmetrical pair at the entrance to the house, has become a European classic. Interesting Polish experience planting along the fence of mountain pine. Moreover, depending on the height of the fence, you can choose between varieties different heights, width and growth rate: ‘Gnome’ (Gnom), ‘Pug’ (Mops), ‘Pumilio’ (Pumilio), ‘Mugus’ (Mugus). And fans of "blue trees" can successfully use in their compositions the compact prickly spruce ‘Glauca Globosa’ (Glauca Globosa).
Spiky rugs
Creeping forms exist in different types conifers. Among them there are very low ones, the height of which is measured in literally a few centimeters. First of all, these are the varieties of horizontal junipers: 'Golden Carpet', 'Prince of Wales', 'Blue Chip', and ordinary: 'Green Carpet' (Green Carpet), 'Depressa Aurea' (Depressa Aurea). Such plants are especially good on retaining walls or small elevations.
Their taller counterparts (for example, juniper middle ‘Old Gold’ (Old Gold), m. Scaly ‘Blue Carpet’ (Blue Carpet), cross-pair microbiota) reach a height of one and a half meters. More often they have shoots raised or spread out to the sides. But M. Cossack ‘Glauca’ and M. middle ‘Mint Julep’ (Mint Julep), with the same height, have a wide spreading shape.
Usually, creeping conifers are used in combination with the usual tall forms in groups decorating the adjoining area or front garden, but recently they have often been planted in clumps as an alternative to the lawn. Indeed, some varieties of junipers and microbiota are quite capable of acting as ground cover plants. They look amazing both in a group planting and in a single planting in the form of tapeworms. In any case, it is necessary to provide enough space for the “rugs” that are rapidly increasing in width, and, of course, it is impossible to walk on such “lawns”.
In a small area, you can decorate an orchard with a thorny "pillow", but keep in mind that picking apples and plums in this case will not be easy.
Creeping shapes also produce beautiful and durable wide curbs. On the one hand, conifers are able to disguise paving errors, and on the other hand, they successfully fit into the green smooth surface of the lawn or into a lush, motley flower garden community. When planting these curbs, also remember to leave room for plant development. And for a denser overgrowth of the middle in spring, after the snow melts, you can pinch or cut the ends of the shoots.
In winter and summer in the same color?
Contrary to the popular song about the herringbone, conifers flaunt not only all shades of green. Among them there are forms with needles in golden and silvery-gray tones. There are also variegated needles: interspersed with yellow or ivory. Not too rich, it would seem, the palette nevertheless allows you to create picturesque compositions that successfully replace flower beds, but consisting exclusively of conifers.
Forms with green needles in garden design play the role of dividers that prevent the colors from mixing, but the “colored” varieties are designed to complicate the play of tones. For example, the bluish tint of the ‘Blue Carpet’ juniper will correctly emphasize the “steel” coloration of the silvery oak tree. And to make these muted colors appear richer and brighter, plant a traditionally green coniferous plant nearby - in this case, it's mountain pine ‘Mugus’.
If you get carried away with beautiful varieties with colored and especially variegated needles, it is easy to overdo it, getting instead of a harmonious combination of colors "explosive mixture", not very noticeable in summer, but emphasized artificial in the rest of the time. Therefore, it is better to visually select places for conifers in the garden in the fall, when there is a bright autumn outfit of deciduous trees and shrubs in front of your eyes, or in early spring, so that other plants do not interfere with mentally imagining the whole prickly company at once.
Usually, when choosing conifers, you do not need to take into account seasonal color changes. The only exceptions are some species and varieties. Larches, shedding needles for the winter, stand somewhat apart. So, in summer, the European larch 'Repens', similar to a light green shock, from autumn to spring turns into a beige-brown disheveled "monster" of long naked shoots swaying in the wind.
Different conifers have original creeping varieties. These are, for example, 'Formanek' spruce, 'Hillside Creeper' pine, 'Jakobsen' mountain pine, 'Prostrata' Canadian hemlock and many others.
Dwarf varieties are very popular among collectors and conifer lovers. These charming "hedgehogs" are very, very modest in size, while possessing characteristic species characteristics. Such plants are a real find for owners of small plots, allowing them to collect an impressive collection of coniferous "miniatures". They look especially impressive in rockeries or on an alpine slide. Examples include Nisbet's Gem pine, Little Gem spruce, Piccolo Korean fir. The range of such varieties is very large.
Competitive selection
A healthy seedling is half the success, therefore, when choosing planting material for conifers, you need to be fully armed and approach this issue very responsibly.
Medical board
Conifers are best purchased with a closed root system. It is desirable that they be grown directly in a container or transplanted for a long time, as evidenced by an earthen lump tightly braided with beige or light brown roots without the slightest hint of dryness. The exception is conifers dug out of the ground in early spring (April-May) or autumn (until October), and directly in front of you (this makes it possible to personally control the safety of the root system). Such plants should be planted in the garden as soon as possible, ideally on the first day.
Be sure to pay attention to the needles: a healthy plant does not have dry red needles. But the lack of an intense color characteristic of some varieties may simply be a consequence of being in conditions of insufficient illumination.
In addition, you need to make sure that there are no thickenings on the shoots, and, if possible, on the roots. Leaks of resin, growths, white "cotton" dots should also be alerted - all this speaks of the defeat of diseases.
Access area
Unfortunately, not every conifer is able to withstand the harsh Russian winters, therefore, when choosing a convenient guide, a map of the zones of frost resistance of plants will serve as a guide. The larger the number of the zone to which a particular species belongs, the more thermophilic it is. True, among the "southerners" there are varieties that grow well in some gardens, despite their high sensitivity to frost. An important factor in this is not so much the landing site protected from cold winds, as the shelter with snow, therefore, stunted or creeping forms most often survive. For example, in the Moscow region, located on the border of the 4th and 5th zones, plants can winter even from zone 6.
Free cheese?
At the end of autumn, many shops sell discounted plants. But a very tempting offer can turn into a complete disappointment, because there is practically no time left for normal rooting. In fairness, it should be noted that not all gardeners who buy conifers on sales find them dead in the spring. There are experienced amateurs who specifically hunt for such specimens. Residents of regions remote from the center, where each new plant is not only a rarity, but also a very expensive pleasure, also take advantage of this opportunity. After planting and in the first spring, such plants will need more attention and support in the form of stimulating rooting and anti-stress drugs.
False alarm
Although conifers are sometimes damaged by pests and diseases, there are occasional cases when healthy plants are mistaken for sick ones. For example, the cross-paired microbiota in the cold season has a completely unpresentable appearance: its needles seem "rusty".
But this is just a feature inherent in this species and saving the plant from spring burns - by summer the ugly redhead will disappear, the microbiota will again delight with emerald greens. When buying her seedlings in early spring or mid-autumn, this should be borne in mind.
A brown tint appears towards winter and in many golden forms of western thuja. It usually goes away on its own, but the plants can be helped by spraying with anti-stress medications.
Boarding announced!
When planting conifers in the garden, it is very important to follow the technology and take into account the characteristics of the growth and development of different species. This will help avoid future disappointments.
Moving inward
The size of the planting pit for conifers depends on the composition and fertility of the soil. On fertilized loose loam, there is enough volume, twice the root system of the seedling. The poorer and heavier the soil, the deeper and wider the pit. On heavy loamy ones, in addition, drainage is made from broken brick, gravel or pebbles. A close standing groundwater requires planting on bulk mounds.
When preparing the substrate for the planting pit, the determining factor is the immediate requirements of the plants. For example, western thuja and European larch prefer well-moistened nutritious soils, and horizontal and Cossack junipers grow well on dry sandy soils.
Sequencing
Plants with a closed root system are easier to plant. Spill the soil well, lightly squeeze the sides of the container (for better lumping), then carefully turn the pot upside down and pull the seedling out, holding it with your other hand. Straighten the folded roots and, if necessary, trim off tangled or dried roots, and then plant the plant in a previously prepared hole. Be sure to make sure that the root collar is at the same level as in the container.
For plants with open roots, you should try to preserve the earthen lump as much as possible. Gently unfold the burlap, gently straighten the root system and place it in the planting hole, gradually filling it with the prepared substrate. When falling asleep, compact it a little, then water it well and mulch it.
Before rooting, spray the seedlings in the evening and water in a timely manner, preventing the soil from drying out in the near-stem circle. After planting, and then annually on the eve of spring (end of February, March), the conifers are protected from the sun's rays by a screen with stretched burlap. In the first year, do not fertilize the plant, supporting it with stimulating root formation and anti-stress drugs. In the next - add humus and compost soil to the trunk circle, feed with mineral fertilizers.
When buying a seedling, you need to know exactly its type and variety. This is necessary not so much to provide the plant with the necessary conditions as to determine frost resistance. So, the eastern thuja, which is often found on sale, winters well only in the southern regions - all your efforts will be in vain. The same fate awaits Lawson's cypress and some other species. In order not to be mistaken in the absence of a signature, it is better to first find out what the plant you have chosen looks like.
Anticipating the future
A common mistake when planting conifers is that they are too close to each other or to other plants. Buying a small seedling is preferable in terms of survival rate, but very risky in terms of placement. After 5-10 years (depending on the growth rate), the plant can greatly increase in size and either block out everything that was successfully located in the background in the first years, or cover its neighbors with overgrown shoots. It is worse if coniferous species were also planted around: their transplanting can be very painful and even harmful - the plants are already adults. Knowing the exact size of an adult specimen will help to avoid an unpleasant situation. And you can fill the temporarily empty space with the help of herbaceous plants or fast-growing and easily propagating shrubs such as Japanese spirea.
Because of the same slip under the crowns of conifers, bulbous ones often remain "buried". For example, a pretty juniper grew and grew, and around it were daffodils, which in the spring delighted in rapid flowering. But one day they stop blooming, and the roots of the juniper do not allow digging deep-seated bulbs. And you have to make a choice between keeping a slow-growing coniferous plant or a fine variety of daffodils. As a rule, bulbs are sacrificed, so it is better to plant them at a distance and take timely measures for digging and replanting.
The vertical forms of conifers look bad if they are below the herbaceous plants growing nearby. In the case of fast-growing species, it is better to put up with disharmony for a couple of years than to subsequently engage in transplants.
But dwarfs and slow-growing varieties are preferable to plant at some distance from both herbaceous neighbors and shrubs and surround them with ground cover species or stones.
Many conifers love the sun. However, in the spring, some varieties can suffer from burns, so they are planted in partial shade. In shaded places, common and Cossack junipers, microbiota and western thuja with a usual green color feel good. Plants thus appear looser than in full sun.