More recently, it was believed that it would be more correct to decorate the garden with deciduous trees and flowers. “Fir-trees should grow in the forest,” - domestic gardeners were confident. But times and attitudes have changed and conifers in landscape design began to occupy one of the most significant places. Today, almost every owner garden plot dreams of her fabulous coniferous garden.
Conifers are very popular among amateur gardeners.
Many summer residents try to plant popular coniferous crops such as spruce, fir or pine in their garden. In seedlings, these conifers seem miniature, but do not forget that some of them can grow up to the size of a three-story house. This fact must be taken into account when determining the style of your coniferous garden. What else important points should become mandatory for the attention of the owners of these amazing plants? We decided to tell you the basics of the coniferous landscape for beginners.
Best of all, conifers are combined with cereal and deciduous flowers. Take a look at this splendor by the pond
When these coniferous trees grow and get stronger, this corner will turn into a real "coniferous paradise"
Pines - amazing plants- always green and unpretentious, fast-growing and diverse: spherical, pyramidal, shrub, creeping. These long-lived plants can be safely chosen by the most demanding gardeners to decorate their rock garden.
Conifers of different varieties have absolutely in different shades and if you think over the combination of colors in advance, then you will get an excellent coniferous composition in landscape design
What are the best conifers to plant in your garden?
Among the variety of coniferous varieties, there are those whose decorativeness is determined by young shoots (candles). For example:
1. Grow gold. This decorative pine is distinguished by the bright yellow color of fresh candles.
2. Candel light. The shoots of this variety are bright green. It looks impressive and grows quickly.
The pine variety "Panderoza" will be specially developed for the arrangement of garden and summer cottages. Its fluffy crown and long needles will not leave anyone indifferent
The pine variety "Nivaki" was bred in Japan and is the most popular plant in the homeland for creating a bansai garden.
main feature varieties - this is its plasticity, the plant can be given any form of growth
- Panderosa... It has very long needles and a fluffy crown, belongs to the so-called yellow pines, which for a long time were considered unacceptable for our climate. However, thanks to the efforts of modern gardeners, these species are not only successfully grown in our area, but also winter without shelter.
- Nevaki (bansai)... A variety originated in Japan. It is remarkable for its plasticity - it can take any shape when cutting.
- Black pine "Nana" "... This is the most unpretentious coniferous species. Has a fluffy crown, dark green.
- Velda... A creeping variety in which each shoot grows horizontally. If the velda is not cut, it can occupy up to 3 meters of area.
- Pinus flexilis "Pygmy"... A very nice looking plant with a dense crown. The peculiarity of the Pygmies is that the needles grow on the branches in dense bunches.
- Cedar... Cedars grow slowly for the first 2-3 years. They are good because, in addition to decorativeness, they have special kind bumps. The most common - Siberian cedar, but other species are also remarkable: Korean cedar, European cedar. A prerequisite for their growth is the sufficient presence of the sun - most of the daylight hours.
- Fir, thuja, juniper... These conifers are the favorites of our gardeners. They successfully decorate courtyards, grow at the entrance and even form a "hedge".
Conifers go well with roses. Just combine your rose garden with a couple of conifers and get a wonderful plot.
The best dwarf conifers
If your garden is not large enough to accept many coniferous varieties or the plot does not need shade, do not rush to abandon the idea of cultivating a coniferous garden. You can plant dwarf conifers:
- Spruce "Konika"... It is slowly growing ornamental plant fits even in the smallest area. The peculiarity of the growth of the Konik spruce is its low winter hardiness. To solve the problem of freezing, this species must either be well covered or grown in pots.
- Mountain pine... The plant is good because it lives well both in a shorn and in a free form, it loves partial shade and is not at all capricious. The only drawback of mountain pine is the high price.
Take a look at this site. Great, isn't it? But the plants were only not long ago planted and all the beauty is yet to come
Designer advice: If you remove a few skeletal branches from a pine tree, the rest will go up and form branches with beautiful caps. The style of the tree will be similar to Japanese.
- Balkan pine grows up to 3 m, which depends only on you. If you pinch the pine, it will be as tall and as shape as you need.
- Pine "Negishi" can become the real pride of your pine garden. The cones on its young shoots are bright lilac in color, which makes this tree look like an unusual flowering coniferous plant.
Do you want to create a rockery or rock garden on the site? Conifers are best suited for this site.
Pro tip: For pine trees best neighbors- hosts, barberries and cereals.
How to plant a coniferous plant correctly
Even the most experienced gardeners often make mistakes when planting conifers. In order not to repeat them, we advise you to plant your pine trees according to the following scheme:
- Boarding time - late summer or early spring.
- You need to dig a hole 50-70 cm.
- We provide 20 cm drainage (gravel or expanded clay).
- Pour a bucket of water with a root formation stimulator into the pit.
- We take out the seedling from the pot with a lump, straighten the roots and define it in the hole so that the root neck is slightly above the ground.
- We fill the pine with soil with superphosphate (half a glass) and humus (1 bucket).
- We dig in the seedling so that we get a mound around the trunk and a hole for watering.
- Watering the seedling needs 2 to 4 buckets, depending on the size of the coniferous plant.
- When planting in spring, over the needles, you need to build a frame to protect it from the scorching rays.
Amazing and simple coniferous composition in landscape design in which all the basic rules are observed
Pro tip: You don't need a pit for a mountain pine. It is enough to cover the roots with stones and sprinkle with soil.
- The soil must be constantly maintained in a semi-moist state for at least the first months after planting.
- During the same period, the needles need constant water spraying.
- You can water and spray spruce with antifungal drugs.
- The needles love sandy soil, especially pine and spruce.
- Shaping (plucking) of young shoots is necessary in early summer.
Growing conditions conifers not difficult and quite feasible in our area. Create your coniferous compositions in landscape design and you will undoubtedly fall in love with them. And we wish you every morning to breathe in the unique pine aromas and admire the harmony of green thujas. Happy landings!
Evergreens provide many advantages in the arrangement of the site. Depending on the season, the weather conditions change, and with them the panorama of the landscape. The use of evergreen plantings enlivens the space even in winter, giving the backyard a stately and opulent appearance. These types of plants are successfully combined with deciduous shrubs for example with barberries, hydrangeas or rhododendrons.
How to apply evergreen planting in landscape design yard and what are their advantages, we will consider in this material.
The advantages of conifers
Planting evergreens in the area offers great advantages over other plants.
- Aesthetics. Conifers retain decorative appearance throughout the year regardless of weather conditions.
- Variety. Numerous varieties will help create lively compositions different forms and colors.
- Unpretentiousness... Such green spaces do not require constant maintenance. They grow on all types of soil, do not need a lot of sun heat and regular watering, so any part of the yard is suitable for planting.
- Environmental friendliness. Conifers emit essential oils enriching ambient air rich forest smell.
We take into account the shapes and sizes
When using evergreens in the landscape design of a summer cottage, their spatial characteristics are taken into account. It is important to consider the shape as well as the size that the plants will reach after a certain period of time.
The use of one or another type of evergreen depends on the correct combination of geometric proportions. For example, it is good to combine straight paths with squat and voluminous plantings, and a reservoir with low fluffy trees.
Also, without fail, take into account the overall dimensions of the site. Large ones are decorated with large plants, and small ones are decorated using dwarf varieties.
What types of conifers to choose
If the size of the site allows, the following evergreens are planted:
- Thuja western. The height of the tree reaches 5 meters. To give it an arrow-like shape, the branches are cut. Thuja is used to create hedges. The only requirement is the shading of the landing site.
- Juniper Skyrocket... Reaches a height of up to 3 meters. The shrub is popular for its unusual color of needles with a bluish tint.
- Spruce Hoopsie. Grows up to 15 meters high. Suitable for single and group planting. Thanks to its silvery color with a bluish tint, it gives the composition an incredible look.
The plants listed above belong to the category of large plantings and are used in spacious areas. But for small areas, low-growing varieties with crowns of different shapes are suitable.
Of course, this is an incomplete list of conifers that are used in landscape design. Among the many species and varieties of evergreens, it will not be difficult to choose plants for decorating a summer cottage. 
Design options
With the help of conifers, they create various compositions that fulfill aesthetic and practical functions.
- Hedges.
- Lawn decor.
- Group landings.
- Mixborders with conifer elements.
- Evergreens in rockeries.
- Container garden and bonsais.
Hedges
Such coniferous plantations serve throughout the year, and not only in the warm season. They are used both for fencing a site and for zoning. separate parts space.
Conifers with a spherical, pyramidal or columnar crown, which tolerate cutting branches well, are best suited for a hedge.
Evergreen varieties are selected depending on the purpose of the hedge. Spruce, pine, and fir are suitable for fencing the site. If you need a fence of medium height for zoning, then use different varieties thuja, juniper, yew or cypress. To create low green borders, dwarf species are chosen.
Thematic material:
Varieties of silvery or bluish tones will help to highlight the hedge against the background of other plantings. The main requirement when creating a live fence is the use of fast-growing conifers of the same species.
Lawn elements
If green lawns are laid out on the site, then they can be supplemented with conifers. At the same time, they choose high-growing or medium-sized varieties with expressive crown shapes. For planting on the lawn, pyramidal and arrow-shaped, as well as spherical varieties of conifers are suitable.
These plants look great alone. A neatly trimmed lawn will serve as a decorative frame and background for separately growing trees and shrubs.
Group landing
Instead of a banal round flower bed with roses, a group planting of conifers is often used, where the plants are combined according to the shapes and colors of the crown. Ensembles based on the contrast of shades and configurations are expressive. For example, columnar varieties of evergreens are combined with spherical and creeping ones. A good option- combination of thuja, silver spruce and juniper in one composition.
An expressive effect is achieved when deciduous species are combined with conifers. Hydrangea bushes perfectly coexist with them.
Group plantings are also obtained original, in which conifers with needle and scaly leaves are combined.
When planning such compositions, take into account the size of mature trees and shrubs. Indeed, many evergreens can reach large dimensions.
Mixborders with conifer elements
Mixborders - compositions using different types plants, including evergreens. At the same time, coniferous inclusions often occupy the central place of a prefabricated flower bed or act as a background for perennial flowers.
A win-win option is a combination in one mix of conifers along with deciduous shrubs, for example, hydrangea, barberry, cotoneaster and others.
When creating a mixborder, it is important to consider plant compatibility. Fallen needles change the acidity of the soil, and some deciduous plantings may simply not be suitable for such a neighborhood.
But hydrangea gets along without any problems with spruces and junipers. On disembarking this decorative flower it is even recommended to add coniferous soil. Hydrangeas love shady areas with acidic soils.- just those conditions that create coniferous plantings.
Evergreens in rocky gardens
Today, rockeries and rock gardens are often used in landscape design, which require the presence of conifers.
Which plants to choose depends on the size of the rocky garden. In small rockeries, creeping varieties are used, and if space allows, they include dwarf pines and spruces.
Thuja, junipers, firs and other undersized conifers become truly adornment of rocky gardens.
Evergreens, which can easily tolerate cutting branches, are great for topiary. After all, it is here that decorative figures of bizarre shapes are created from trees and shrubs, up to the image of people and animals.
The popularity of evergreens in topiary art is also explained by the fact that dense and dense needles make it possible to form objects without problems complex configuration... At the same time, you can create masterpieces all year round.
Container gardens and bonsais
Our climatic conditions do not always allow the use of some varieties of conifers. Trees growing in southern regions, are sensitive to temperature extremes, and even an indicator of zero degrees leads to their death.
The way out of this situation is to plant plants in containers, which are displayed on the site in the warm season and harvested for the winter in unheated room... The same rule applies to coniferous bonsai.
Each variety of plants requires a certain amount of soil, which must be taken into account when planting in containers. Dwarf and creeping species of conifers feel good in a confined space. Moreover, the larger the plant, the more spacious the container is chosen.
The advantage of these gardens is that the decoration can be updated over time by simply changing the arrangement.
For landscape design, the use of conifers will be an excellent option to diversify the design. In addition, such plantings are unpretentious in care and are pleasing to the eye all year round. One or more types of evergreens will transform country cottage area, turning it into a cozy place to relax.
On long winter evenings we plan and draw planting schemes - says FORUMHOUSE user LidiiaS. Today we will talk about how users of our portal create compositions from conifers.
Going to the nursery in the spring and buying all the seedlings you like is a common but worst option. You need to start creating a composition with a detailed study of the place on the site and drawing up a plan.
Ttt777ttt FORUMHOUSE user
At a minimum, draw your own planting plan, taking into account the plant habit, soil requirements and lighting.
Designers usually recommend not to be limited to a plan, but also to photograph the place of the future coniferous group from all points from which you will admire it. Look at the photos until you understand what kind of picture you want to see there.
The tallest trees are planted in the background so that they do not obstruct the view of those below.
The height of the plants should increase with distance from the viewer.
The composition will be fully perceived at a distance equal to two of its heights. Usually this distance is sown with a lawn, and this combination allows you to kill another hare: against the background of the lawn, any tree looks more advantageous.
If it comes about groups with a circular view, which can be viewed from all sides, then the largest tree is placed in the center, in the second and subsequent rows the height of trees and bushes should be proportionally reduced. The point is that they do not cover, but emphasize the decorative qualities of each other. Therefore, each subsequent row should be at least half the size of the previous one.
Many conifers grow slowly, and sometimes the composition of a composition with a spruce in the garden reaches its peak of decorativeness only after ten years. You can plant trees and thuja closer to each other, and after a few years, partially cut down those that will interfere. And you can plant very small "more spacious" and patiently wait until they turn into the beauty and pride of the site. The anticipation is brightened by planting arrays of perennials, roses, and so on. Until the tree skeleton grows up, they will fill the space and delight your eye with flowering and texture. The first or second way to choose depends on the nature of the owner of the garden.
vaska67 FORUMHOUSE user
That is, it is completely unnecessary, having planted the little ones at once at great distances from each other, all the time before they grow, sigh over the half-empty space.
This composition with spruce on the site will reach the peak of decorativeness in a few years.
When planting conifers in a composition, one must take into account their future sizes, so that they do not have to be crowded further, to close up with crowns.
Mountelf FORUMHOUSE user
For plants of one layer - at a distance equal to the sum of their radii in an adult (at least 10 years, and for large trees - 20-30 years).
Ttt777ttt FORUMHOUSE user
Type in the search engine the size (habit) of thuja Smaragd, for example. We look at the width of the plant, divide it in half and get the distance from the center of the planting hole to the edge of the crown. We measure from this point half the width of the next seedling - this will be the center of the planting hole number two.
Kristofer FORUMHOUSE user
Just do not overdo it, otherwise it will look like this. The bottom picture is only the planted conifers, the top picture - after five years.
That is, the crowns of plants in the composition will close, but this should happen "not next year and not at the level of a meter from the ground."
Experts recommend not to forget that color is one of the ways to gather a group of conifers into one whole. Don't get too carried away different colors needles and different shades of green: “in childhood they didn’t draw,” the designers say in such cases.
There is a simple rule: a very small composition (three plants) - two colors, five - a maximum of three is needed; in a large composition, plants are placed in groups of the same color.
Coniferous groups are often diluted not only with perennials, but also with deciduous plants - this gives the garden new colors, evokes new feelings, makes the garden design more interesting and multifaceted. What the distance of a deciduous bush should be depends on whether they should fall under the crown of the tree. So, the crowns of spruce and fir reach the ground, which means that the bushes must be planted for the diameter of the crown. Many shrubs in the garden look good when practically intertwined with each other. That is, more accurate distances can be calculated after you have completed the first part of the work: decide on a set of crops and varieties and their approximate location.
Ready-made coniferous compositions. Schemes
Here are options for ready-made compositions with conifers:
Composition from coniferous plants, scheme No. 1.
- Juniper ordinary "Stricta"
- Calyx-leaved bicarp "Darts Gold"
- Derain white "Aurea"
- Juniper rocky (virgin) "Blue Arrow"
- European larch (falling) "Pendula"
- Soft cuff "Auslese" + Tulips
- Japanese spirea "Gold Mound"
- Low-growing berry yew
- Cypress spurge.
Almost all home garden owners are fond of creating. With a little effort, they transform their homes, ennoble them and create an almost fairytale atmosphere.
At the same time, it is not so important whether you are the owner of a luxurious mansion or a modest country house. After all, you can create a masterpiece on any site, even if it does not differ in a large area.
In addition, do not forget that lawns, flower beds and various color compositions rather than standard gardens and orchards. Gradually, they fade into the background, and you can not see them so often.
Just a few years ago, landscape designers used flower beds and ornamental shrubs as decoration for garden area... At the same time, coniferous compositions were practically not used.
However, every year their popularity is increasing more and more, therefore, landscape design with coniferous compositions can be contemplated on almost every site.
Rules for planting conifers
Due to the high cost of the services of professional landscape designers, many home owners have to independently deal with the arrangement of their backyard territory. Having studied enough material on correct design site design, you can be sure of success.
But at the same time, it is worth considering the nuance that you have to work with conifers.
There are some planting rules related to coniferous, which are not recommended to break if you want to get a really beautifully arranged garden as a result. Let's consider these rules in more detail.
The distance from the point from which the tree and shrub species will be surveyed to the composition should be 2 of its height. This way your composition will look more holistic.
If you are going to use conifers for design, then it would be wiser to give preference to the lawn. It will be a great background to complement the composition.
In the event that there is a reservoir on your site, you should plant coniferous shrubs nearby. Combined with weeping deciduous plants they will look quite original, beautiful and elegant.
According to experts, compositions of conifers should be placed with an orientation to the east, west. Such a composition will look more natural and harmonious.
Do not plant flowers such as roses in close proximity to conifers. And although the designers confirm that such a combination looks very impressive, it is worth remembering that any conifers oxidize the soil. And roses, as you know, do not take root well on oxidized soils.
As you can see, these simple rules it is quite simple to comply. Therefore, do not neglect them.
Do not forget that only plants and trees planted in accordance with all the rules will be able to delight you for many years and decorate your garden.
Color combinations of conifers
Did you naively believe that all coniferous plants and trees look the same? You were wrong. In fact, there are many plants that belong to this breed, and differ in color.
That is why various compositions are often used, in which there are more than two specimens of plants that differ in color.
Combination different colors gives an amazing effect that cannot leave anyone indifferent.
However, do not rush to use the first multicolored plants that come across. After all, you need to achieve the creation of a kind of scale, and this can be done only if you adhere to a few design tips:
- in the event that you are going to include 3 components in the composition, you should not use more than two colors;
- if the composition includes 5 elements, it is necessary to increase the number of colors to three;
- more bulky compositions, which consist of 25 or more components, should be divided into small groups (approximately 3 copies each). Each group must correspond to a single color characteristic.
The composition collected in this way will look like a single ensemble. Each of the selected colors will contribute to the creation of a coherent and harmonious picture.
Photo of coniferous compositions
Today, landscape design has become a favorite hobby of many owners of land plots and private houses. It is thanks to their efforts that the space that surrounds many private houses in recent times began to transform significantly.
On some household plots vegetable gardens and even ordinary orchards begin to gradually lose ground and give way to decorative lawns, bright flower beds and unexpected plant compositions that delight their owners.
But if flower arrangements have always been held in high esteem by our gardeners, and some, unpretentious shrubs have always been often found on the plots, then coniferous evergreens in landscape design are not so widely used yet. Although their popularity is growing.
Conifers in landscape design make it possible decorate the adjoining space aesthetically pleasing and rich, in addition, the garden will look like this in all seasons.
The ever wider use of coniferous shrubs and trees in landscape design is due to their properties: plants are harmonious both in single plantings and in compositions all year round, most species and forms are unpretentious to soils, tolerate severe weather conditions, less than deciduous, are susceptible to pests and diseases.
In addition to the already mentioned aesthetic effect, such landings differ favorably:
- Good absorption of street dust and noise;
- Windproof properties;
- Improving the microclimate in the local area;
Suppression of the reproduction of pathogenic viruses and bacteria, due to the release of biologically active substances by all parts of the plant;
Air supply all year round significant amount of oxygen as most conifers are not deciduous.
Therefore, if there is a dream of a green surrounding space, in which the most favorable microclimate for people will be provided in a natural way, then compositions of coniferous shrubs and trees in landscape design will be optimal solution... Moreover, there is always the opportunity to pick up plants of the most unexpected shape and any size of crowns, this allows you to create any compositions on your site.
Planting and leaving
For planting and growing compositions from coniferous plants, certain rules have already been formulated, which are well known to both professional botanists and landscape designers. But, since some site owners want to do the decoration on their own, while others simply do not have the financial ability to hire a qualified specialist, it is necessary to start the process of creating a composition from conifers from the theoretical part.
When planning the landing, you must immediately take into account that the finished landscape compositions will look whole, if the distance from the place from which they will be most often inspected is at least two of their heights.
The essential point is the careful preparation of the site for planting the plant. It will depend on it further development, and therefore the beauty of the whole composition. Unsuitable for planting places on the site that are subject to periodic flooding. It must be borne in mind that each species develops best on a certain soil composition. This needs to be clarified even at the stage of choosing species for your garden plot.
In terms of timing, the most optimal time for planting is the period with last numbers April to early May... At this time, coniferous shrubs and trees have not yet begun to actively grow and, as a result, it is easier to tolerate a transplant and take root in a new place.
When digging a hole, it is necessary to calculate its depth so that when planting a seedling, it is located in it no deeper than the root collar (this is the border where the trunk passes into the root). After planting, you need to water it abundantly, this is done to ensure the best contact of the soil with the roots, that is, you need to water it regardless of the moisture content of the soil. For the next month, the soil around the plants should not be allowed to dry out until it begins to develop its root system in a new place.
Most conifers are not very capricious when grown, but they, like other artificially grown plants, need care... In hot years, it is required to cover young plants from sunburn, especially for various firs. In winter - carry out measures to protect southern, introduced species from frost (this is a shelter for low-growing plants, and snow retention, etc.). Saplings are sold with a closed root system (with a lump of earth or in a container) and with an open one (bare roots). If the planting takes place in the spring, and the roots are open, you need to pay attention to the presence of young roots.
Laying out the lawn to create a background for conifers will significantly improve the overall visual perception... Often, conifers are planted next to water bodies, so that, together with weeping deciduous plants, they make up a common original composition.
- various types and varieties of junipers: Cossack, rocky, Virginian, Chinese, etc.;
- spruce: prickly, European;
- pines: mountain, black, ordinary.
Those. those species of conifers that are common in the wild in our forests without any care. Naturally, wild plants are quite common grow too large, they do not have sufficient decorative qualities, so you need to buy varieties with known qualities.
Junipers, pines and North American thorny spruces are quite light-requiring, undemanding to the level of moisture and soil fertility. If the flower bed is in shade for a significant part of the daylight hours, it is recommended to choose zoned (that is, those that have been tested and are suitable for growing in your region) varieties of berry yew, European spruce or western thuja.
For a low-maintenance garden (requiring a minimum of work during the year) in our latitudes, carefully purchase cypress, hemlock, pseudo-sugary, microbiota, tuyevik, cypress, cupressocyparis, fir, Kemfer larch, Japanese cryptomeria, swamp cypress, folded species and other rare species.
According to the size of an adult plant, conifers can be conditionally divide into three groups.
Tall species of conifers
Large plants include such common types:
Medium-sized plants for coniferous compositions
- Branched and very aesthetic evergreen tree... Growth is slow.
- Berry yew. Compact shrub, dense needles. Popular due to the combination of rich greens and berries, red.
- Golden yew. It tolerates partial shade well, is combined with tall and low-growing plants. Grows in the shape of a bowl, needles are yellowish-green, green or golden. They often serve as the basis for compositions.
Low-growing and creeping conifers
For such forms of conifers, it is very important to have sufficient space for development, because they do not grow up, but in a horizontal plane, forming something similar to a kind of lawn.
- Norway spruce Lombers. A low-growing plant, dense needles, bright, emerald color.
- Mountain pine Hampi. Used in rock gardens. An unusual property - the buds, at temperatures below freezing, are painted in beautiful reddish-brown shades.
- Mountain pine, Mini Pug variety. It grows in the form of a kind of pillow.
Compatibility
Despite the unpretentiousness of most species of conifers to growing conditions, it is necessary to form compositions based on them taking into account some features. Many conifers are characterized by their "aggressiveness". Aggressive species are called, which in the process of evolution developed the ability to secrete substances that suppress the development of other plants. In conifers, this feature allows in nature, with their very slow growth, to compete with fast-growing species. That's why:
Near larch, all conifers feel bad, although they can be planted, but at some distance.
Purchase of plants
Conifers for creating compositions can be bought both in special nurseries and in garden shops.
Digging in natural forests and groves is not worth it, because, firstly, it may turn out to be illegal (if this territory belongs to some biosphere reserve), and secondly, it is unpredictable what an adult plant will be, even within the same species, wild specimens can be very different (it depends on many factors and heredity), thirdly, it is possible to introduce new types of pests into your garden.
You do not need to purchase a plant just because it is beautiful and cute. Recommended necessarily learn latin name, first inquire about the size and habit of an adult plant and buy only those plants that are suitable for a particular site.
Conifers, especially of small age, are strikingly similar and only a specialist can distinguish them outwardly. This is a rather expensive purchase, designed for more than one year, so you should prepare for it in advance, arm yourself with a catalog with descriptions and photographs. Very often one has to see the disappointment of buyers of extremely expensive, grown in western nurseries, topiary (formed by special pruning of seedlings) forms, when they are created from species not zoned in our latitudes.
It should not be forgotten that it is advisable to buy conifers with a lump of earth, dendrological nurseries sell them in burlap or wire mesh, the most the best way- grown in a container, they are possible plant in any season... Naturally, you need to buy seedlings only in reputable garden centers, after checking the general condition of the needles and the quality of the root system. Many novice gardeners were "burned" by purchasing cheap cupressocypresses and cypresses in pots, which are often sold in supermarkets; they often stand there, without watering, for weeks. After such conditions, these delicate plants recovering is extremely difficult, most often they die during the first wintering.
As for the price of seedlings, conifers, most often, cost more than deciduous ones, container ones - more expensive than those grown in the ground, grafted and topiary ones - more expensive than those grown without forming, etc. Designers most often recommend purchasing several accent, central plants (size about 1.0-1.5m high), to give the flower bed volume, and buy the rest small (no more than 40 cm). But at the same time, you need to be prepared for the fact that dwarf species grow extremely slowly (sometimes less than one cm per year) and having planted them very small, you will need to expect the required decorative effect from them for many years.
Coniferous compositions in landscape design
The principle of constructing a landscape composition from conifers
For correct planning compositions from conifers, initially it is required to decide exactly where it should be located, what kind is needed, what elements will be included in it. And after that, choose plants that meet the characteristics necessary for the formation of the composition, taking into account the existing conditions.
The facade of the house and the front garden, as a rule, are the first to be seen by guests, so its design should be somewhat solemn and necessarily elegant, it is appropriate here landscaping with basic elements regular style, which is based on the symmetrical arrangement of all components or a repetitive rhythm. It will be better when the assortment of species here is too diverse.
The main, accent plant is a pyramidal, standard plant, which in an adult state reaches a size of no more than 2.5-3 m (based on the size of the flower bed). Then, symmetrically from it, plants of the second order (subaccent) are placed on the sides, with dimensions up to 1-1.5 m. Between them, you can (without deviating from the previously outlined pattern) plant dwarf and open conifers, compact decorative leafy shrubs and ground cover.
In informal plantings, compositions of conifers are recommended to be placed on the lawn in the form of a flower bed - "island", include them in the mixborder along the edges of the site, interspersed with decorative leafy plants, thus zoning the space. Here it is more optimal to select the plant habit according to the “irregular versatile triangle” system.
After that, the remaining space is filled with plants as their importance and external saturation decrease. In the foreground, the flower beds are planted with lower plants, and in the center - higher and more voluminous. It is advisable to choose plants with different colors of needles so that the flower bed does not look boring. If the accent plant has a silvery color of needles, you do not need to plant a variety of the same color next to it. Do not forget about the illumination of the flower bed and various seasonal plants. Early bulbous plants will look great against the background of bright greenery.
For landing on alpine slide or in flower beds with various annuals and ground cover, miniature varieties with spherical and cushion forms of growth can be used, as well as ground cover species that cover the ground with a carpet or cascade down from the retaining walls.
To create a harmonious landscape composition, certain rules must be taken into account.
Shape geometry
Contrasting combinations
By combining contrasting colors and shapes, different visual effects can be achieved. Against the background of small plants, large trees will be striking; in the transitions of various sizes and outlines of crowns, you can smooth out the lines of the exterior.
Asymmetry and symmetry
The use of conifers in landscape design implies a combination of the incompatible. That is, you can decorate the site with both symmetrical compositions and unexpected asymmetric elements that will look quite harmonious.
Currently displayed a large number of conifers differing in color. Those who like to experiment with colors should remember that contrasting colors components of a small coniferous group can "ruin" the composition. Therefore, experts advise in groups of conifers, of three plants, to use no more than two colors; in groups of five seedlings, no more than three colors can be planted. But in significant coniferous groups (more than 30), you can plant plants with different colors, while not forgetting to combine them into small groups of three plants of the same color.
Height and shape of the crown
When creating compositions, you need to take into account not only the color of the seedling, but also its dimensions in adulthood and the outline of its crown. In order to predict the type of composition in the future, one should first study the characteristics of the proposed varieties before buying them.
Types of songs
Mixborder
The mixborder can be placed where, in accordance with the wishes of the owner of the site, it will look best. Do not be afraid to do as you want. From the manifestation of individuality garden landscape only wins.
For the largest plants, it is necessary prepare a place at the very edge of the future composition, then the plantings are arranged in descending order, therefore the smallest plants are planted at the base of the mixborder. There is no need to strive to maintain the same geometric accuracy of the plantings. The curvature will only emphasize the pristine beauty of the composition.
The natural harmony of the mixborder must be observed: the width of the plantings of large plants must necessarily exceed the space that is allocated for undersized plantings. The plantation may include specimens that differ in the color of the needles and the outline of the crown.
Coniferous hedge
Hedge, using conifers, create quite often. In plantings of a regular style, which is rarely found in our latitudes, a coniferous hedge is nothing more than a hedge, but landscape style and modern makes it possible to apply evergreen hedges as a background for bright perennials. Conifers can be used to form dense formed or unformed hedges. In order to create a dense green hedge, the plants are placed in several rows, in a checkerboard pattern. One of the most impassable hedges is considered to be the formed checkerboard planting of spruce.
Compositions of coniferous circular view
Compositions of a circular view are called landings, the decorative effect of which should be viewed from all sides of the view. Compositions of this kind are usually planted in paving openings or on round flower beds. Planting plants, maybe any - irregular shape or symmetrical... The largest plant is placed in the center of the symmetrical composition, around it on equal distance- types of small dimensions.
For asymmetrical groups, the same principle applies: the height of each subsequent row should gradually decrease, thus emphasizing the visual perception of the previous row. The formation of an asymmetrical composition is one of the most complex work for a landscape designer. It must provide an overview of the landing from all angles.
For example, consider the option using Scots pine as an accent plant. It is necessary to choose the variety of this tree, reaching a height of 2-2.5 m, with small bluish-gray needles.
A specimen of a slow-growing, rather frost-resistant Korean cedar pine is planted in front of it, a pyramidal variety with long needles of a silvery-blue hue is desirable. In the corner of the composition, you can place three Cossack junipers. To the left of them, plant two slow-growing dwarf ones. Several western thujas can be added to the composition. The space between the plants is covered with a layer of decorative mulch; it is aesthetically pleasing to use ground spruce cones as it. Such a composition does not need special care.
Compositions with a geometric crown shape
In such a composition, a prickly spruce with a bluish-white color of needles will look good. The height of the selected variety should not be more than 3-4 meters.
To the left of it, you can place the western thuja, a variety with a narrow cone-shaped crown. Between the spruce and thuja, four plants of a slow-growing mountain pine, a spherical variety with dark green needles, will look good. There are mountain pine varieties with an original property - their needles, with the first frosts, turn yellow, and the green color returns in spring.
In addition to those listed, there are also a huge variety of different compositions and combinations of plants. This article lists only a few of the most common ones.
Conclusion
Here, in short, are the basics of creating coniferous compositions. But this information is only an invitation to a world full of creativity and beauty landscape design, in general, and the creation of coniferous compositions in particular.
Any person is able to turn both a significant area and a small area near the house into a unique and unique composition of living plants. It is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance - a little patience, knowledge and your own imagination.