Conifers in the garden landscape. Coniferous compositions in landscape design - photos of competent arrangement of evergreen plants

Pine is a bright representative of the forests of the northern hemisphere! Close representatives of the coniferous brotherhood and sisterhood: fir trees, junipers, larches, yews, cypresses, sequoias and many others, approximately 560 species. If we take into account flowering plants, these are few, very few, there are significantly more of them, and at the same time the presence of coniferous plants plays a big role both in nature as a whole and in human life.

Benefits of conifers

During the period of mass industrialization Natural resources did not pay attention as much as now, modern people strive to touch the healing properties of nature, decorating their available space with conifers of various types. Designers who decorate the landscape, amateur gardeners, and just owners personal plots, you can still take building managers to them, well, these are those strange people who are man’s friends, who appreciated them not for their beautiful appearance and healing aroma. But also for others beneficial features and benefits:

• A huge number of conifers grow well in shade and partial shade.
• The roots feel great on different soils, both on stones and in sand.
• Perfectly amenable to modeling, trimming and cutting.
• They emit beneficial phytoncides with their aroma.
• Protects from strong winds and strengthens the soil.
• They inhibit the reproduction of some viruses, bacteria, and sometimes destroy harmful insects.

Coniferous plants are very popular among landscape designers

However, when choosing a plant, you need to rely not only on personal preferences, but adhere to certain rules. So:

Three groups of conifers

Tall growing

An example would be:

• - has proven itself remarkably well as a hedge, growing up to 5 m.
• Juniper Skyrocket grows up to three meters, and even itself has a conical shape.
• Hoopsie is a prickly spruce. One of the tallest representatives of tall-growing species, reaches 15 meters in height.

Medium growing

There is a wide variety of conifers in this group. Most often used:

• Thuja is medium-sized - a kind of ball, the branches of which grow vertically.
• Golden yew grows well in the shade of other branched and coniferous plants.
• Yew berry is a fruiting shrub with beautiful needles.

Diversity of conifers

Low-growing shrubs and creeping varieties

Cute plants, at the same time the most affordable, and do not require constant care.

• Lombres is a spruce with emerald needles that spread along the ground.
• The pug is a miniature species of conifer that is distinguished by its soft and fluffy “pillow.”

Neighborhood of conifers

1. Thuja should not be planted near spruce. It will not allow the thuja to develop.
2. Cedars and pines do not get along with firs and spruces.
3. It is better not to grow larch with conifers of other species. Her relatives do not like her.
4. Birch and bird cherry should not be planted next to coniferous plants. Deciduous trees will not tolerate such a neighborhood.

Arm yourself with knowledge in growing conifers. Take into account its mature height and the appearance of its flowering crown.

Color variations from plants with coniferous cover also need to be taken into account. For a pleasant and beautiful appearance of conifers on the site, carefully study what the colors of your plants will be.

Are you going to use three plants (elements)? The color scheme can and should combine two colors: a bright spot is shaded by more neutral ones. Composition of several plants? Range of three colors. It is worth noting that conifers, which change the color of their needles depending on the season, are best planted separately.

What to do if there are 25 or more elements planned on the site? There is a wonderful option: distribute the plants into groups of two, three or five and plant conifers of the same shade in each group.

Creation of compositional solutions

When planning the composition of a garden on a personal plot, the landscape designer strives for harmony and, one might say, completeness. You can do it yourself in arranging the garden, following certain rules:

1. Planting of trees and shrubs is oriented to the east or west, but not to the north or south. This arrangement is desirable for conifers.
2. Symmetry and asymmetry are one of the compositional components. When the shapes of the crowns and the distances between plants are equal or close, there is symmetry. Natural naturalness, chaotic lines - asymmetry.
3. Shrubs and trees look majestic against the backdrop of neat paths made of decorative crushed stone in the middle of the lawn, on slopes, near ponds, among flowers and huge stones.

Combination of conifers with other vegetation

Rendering effects

When comparing tall and short plants that grow nearby, the tall ones will seem much taller than they are and vice versa; low plants will be lower compared to trees. To prevent the compositional solution from introducing a feeling of disorder, comparison of colors and shapes is achieved by using combinations of the same type or even species of plants.

Geometry

Planting designed in contrast looks organic. For example, short ones fit well with tall ones, or tall ones; pyramidal shapes can go well with spherical ones.

Ball-shaped cutting of conifers

Conifers are used in the design of mixborders, rockeries, living fences and hedges, etc. Let's look at a few.

Mixborders

What are mixborders? Translated from English as “mixed border” or “mixed borders”. Mixborder is a flower garden of plants that are planted in multi-rows and multi-tiered. So, to design a mixborder, first of all prepare a place for the largest plants. This will be your starting point.

Keep in mind that seedlings are planted in descending order of their adult height, so the highest ones are planted at the foot of the border. low growing plants.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes in geometry. curved lines will only enhance the slenderness of the trees and the beauty of the mixborder.

Hedge

With conifers, you can not only divide the site into completely different zones, but also create impassable jungle along the borders of the site. To do this, plants are planted in two or more rows in a dense checkerboard pattern. It is necessary to choose varieties for hedges that are easy and convenient to cut and give the desired shape to the crown. Choose one plant variety for each hedge.

Thuja as a hedge

Rockery

What is this? This is a kind of garden on a gentle slope, in which stones, shrubs or dwarf plants, flowers with tiny inflorescences are used. The most common styles in rock garden design are English, European, and Japanese. A rockery in the English style is distinguished from others by its restraint in compositional solutions. They are based on cereal plants, shrubs, wormwood plants, and small conifers. In the European style, plants typical of the middle zone are planted, such as balsam fir, juniper, dwarf spruce, cypress trees, barberry and boxwood. Japanese rock gardens are distinguished by an abundance of stone piles and minimal plant mass. Famous Japanese garden stones this is a rockery.

A gentle slope is the main criterion for choosing a place for a rock garden. A feature of any gently sloping garden is the ability for plants to grow in partial shade. Such a garden will be in harmony with nature, and most importantly, it will look beautiful near a gazebo or a small pond. If your site with pronounced differences is on a slope, and you really want a rock garden, then levels are created that even out the differences.

Correct location and planting of conifers

• Plan everything on paper, the dimensions of the paths, the heights of the plants, taking into account all the sizes of the stones and plants in adult form.
• Select coniferous tree species
• The most convenient period for planting plants is mid-spring, or even mid-April and early May. During this period, the seedling does not yet begin to actively grow and develop.
• Mark the boundaries of the area of ​​conifers. Anything will do for this: pegs, wood, stones. In the middle of the flowerbed, use marking ropes and pegs to indicate the boundaries of each plant and prepare recesses for them, or big holes, at least half a meter deep.
• Prepare the soil. It is advisable to mix the top layers of soil with peat and sand. The proportions are approximately a bucket of soil, a bucket of sand and half a bucket of peat. If soil from under non-coniferous trees is available, then add a bucket of such soil to the resulting mixture. This fertilizer is the best for a newly planted tree.
• Plant plants. At the bottom of the hole, add about 15 centimeters of pebbles or sand mixture, fertilizer or compost (preferably compost), half a bucket will be enough. If you add fertilizers, monitor the nitrogen content in it, since nitrogen fertilizers are contraindicated for conifers. The root of the seedling must be with a lump of earth in which it began to grow. Do not knock down or throw away the soil from the root, otherwise you will kill the plant ahead of time. After loading the root into the hole, add our prepared soil to the surface level and level it well. There is no need to compact it too much, the earth will settle on its own as much as it needs, and while it subsides, the roots will have time to get used to the new position and will be saturated with moisture and air.
• Cover the landing site with mulch. Mulching the soil is generally a beneficial process. You can use anything as mulch: plant bark, small pebbles, pine cones, sawdust and wood chips, whatever your heart desires and that will look beautiful in your composition. They even fit ground cover plants, such as creeping perennials and flowers.
• Watering. Plays an important role on initial stages growth, abundant watering. During drought it is doubly useful.
• Regularly feed the seedlings until the plants grow.

Conifers differ from other plants in their resistance. They tolerate cold and heat calmly, drought is also not as bad for them as other plants, and prolonged downpours only saturate the tree with moisture longer. Unlike other plants, conifers can protect themselves from various diseases. And the microclimate that conifers create near themselves can significantly reduce the number of insects. The air in the area becomes soft and filled with oxygen.

Caring for conifers (video)

In general, creating your own garden using conifers gives an overall completeness to the entire composition. You yourself have created something big, lasting and beautiful. In addition, next to you you have planted a large source of fresh air, and if there is a gazebo in such a garden, a relaxation area that can be compared to a trip out of town. By creating coniferous gardens, you have touched the secrets of nature, subject to the strict order of the Creator.

The composition of conifers in the country is becoming an increasingly common element of landscape design. This design of the areas adjacent to the buildings looks original and aesthetically pleasing. But the implementation of design projects using coniferous plantings cannot be called simple, since it requires not only artistic taste and imagination, but also theoretical preparation.

The topic of the article is not accidental, since conifers are popular in landscape design, but not everyone knows the instructions for planting, arranging and combining these plants. In this article we will talk about which plantings to choose and how to use them for their intended purpose in order to simplify the care of conifers in the country.

Plant selection

The science of decorating a summer cottage with ornamental plants is not easy. Therefore, beginners who decide to join landscape design are forced to combine practice with permanent search useful information. Meanwhile, planting conifers in the country can serve as a good start in the hobby of landscape design ().

Growing such plants is not particularly difficult if you make a choice in advance. suitable type. It would seem that determining which types of conifers are suitable and which are not is not easy, but in reality there will be no problems with the choice.

The fact is that all types of coniferous plantings used by domestic designers are derived from three varieties of trees and shrubs:

• juniper,
• pine trees,

The species bred by breeders are optimally adapted for existence in difficult domestic climatic conditions. It is not advisable to choose something from import catalogs or import it from abroad, since there is a high probability that an exclusive foreign conifer simply will not take root in our open spaces.

Advice: when choosing the optimal solution, purchase domestic products, the price of which, by the way, is more affordable.

Correctly selected conifers are characterized by a number of advantages, including:

• unpretentiousness in terms of soil on the site;
• no special lighting requirements;
• resistance to sudden temperature changes;
• unpretentiousness in terms of moisture content parameters;
• reasonable cost in comparison with other types of ornamental plantings;
• ease of maintenance, which is very important if a country house is used primarily for seasonal living.

Features of application in landscape design

Coniferous plants are rightfully considered one of the most popular plantings for design in the landscape. Such plants are widely used to create decorative scenes, alleys, hedges and a wide range of different compositions in combination with other plants.

We bring to your attention an overview of the main ways to use conifers in landscape design.

Mixborders

Mixborders in landscape design are usually called options for mixed and prefabricated flower beds.

Advice: In most cases, the main importance in the formation of a mixborder is coniferous shrubs and small trees. The main concept of mixed compositions is the compatibility and compactness of seemingly incompatible plant forms.

When forming mixborders with your own hands, try applying the following recommendations:

• Tall wild spruces, junipers and thujas should not be used in the composition.
• The optimal solution for implementing most ideas are low-growing plants, such as creeping juniper, narrow pyramidal thuja, dwarf spherical spruce, yew, and mountain pines.
• Rhododendron, low-growing barberry, dwarf spirea, heather, creeping cotoneaster, etc. can advantageously emphasize the aesthetics of coniferous plantings.
• When forming a mixborder using pine needles, it is advisable to use bulbous flowers in combination with ground cover plants. Such combinations are justified from an aesthetic point of view and based on agrotechnical aspects.

Flowerbeds

It is no secret that coniferous plants are used when creating flower beds. Such solutions have been relevant for a long time. But you need to understand that the optimal aesthetic effect will be guaranteed only with competent implementation of the design project.

• We plant only compact and low-growing plants in flower beds. However, the center of the composition can be highlighted by a bush or tree, the size of which will be above average.
• At the heart of the composition, in the absence of a central element, you can use the principle different forms and color contrast. For example, vertically located cylindrical elements can be emphasized or highlighted using dense creeping shrubs. If desired, within the same flower bed you can combine different plants with needles of different shapes and colors.
• In order to facilitate subsequent care of the flowerbed, slow-growing plantings should be used.
• As the main background, you can use ground cover plants, such as horizontal juniper, cross-paired microbiota, etc.

Rock garden

This type of landscape design is a miniature imitation of mountain terrain. A feature of such design projects is the use of those plantings that will create the impression of a natural landscape, in the formation of which man did not take part. It is not difficult to create such an effect with your own hands using coniferous plants in your garden plot.

The only recommendation in this case would be to use those trees and shrubs that grow in the mountains. Of course, adjustments will have to be made for the size of the plantings, so that the rock garden becomes a miniature semblance of mountains.

A good solution would be to imitate the transition of forest to alpine meadows. To do this, a hill is formed from dense soil without rocky inclusions, on which dwarf trees will coexist with lush grass.

Advice: When forming a rock garden, the optimal solution would be to use subalpine fir, Cossack juniper, western thuja, drooping thuja, pea cypress, mountain pine, etc.

Conclusion

Now that we have looked at how to use conifers in the landscape, we can take a new approach to creating the design of a personal plot ().

If you have any questions, you can find more useful information by watching the video in this article.

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The use of coniferous plants in landscape design is practiced everywhere. In addition to their high decorative qualities, conifers have another undeniable advantage - these crops are beautiful throughout all seasons, since in the winter they (with the exception of larches) do not shed their needles. If you care for such plants properly and trim the crown in a timely manner, they will be a worthy addition to your garden for many decades.

In all regions of the Earth, these noble plants are used for alleys, curtains and hedges. Even for southern gardens, so rich in evergreens, conifers are absolutely necessary - only they can effectively shade and create a background for exotic species. Moreover, some coniferous species have become characteristic elements of southern landscapes.

It is impossible to imagine the coasts of the Black and Mediterranean seas without cypress columns, Italian landscapes are unthinkable without pine-pine tents. The parks of China, Korea and Japan are always associated not only with, but also with their traditional cryptomeria. And in the design of northern gardens, conifers are completely irreplaceable, since there are no other evergreen plants here that can maintain garden compositions throughout the year. In spring, with their noble severity and seeming inviolability, coniferous plants contrast with the delicate foliage of deciduous species. In summer, they create the perfect backdrop for flowering grasses, shrubs and trees, shading them and countering their fickleness. In autumn, with their calm greenery, compositions of coniferous plants soften the brightness of falling leaves and give hope for the revival of elusive beauty. In winter, the role of conifers in landscaping the site becomes dominant - only they preserve the volume of the garden, maintain its proportions, without them winter Garden would be flat and boring.

On this page you can see photos of a beautiful landscape design at the dacha using coniferous plants, and also learn how to decorate the site.

The best decorative coniferous plants for the garden (with photos)

The best ornamental coniferous plants for gardens in the middle zone are yews and. The unusual needles and crown shape of these plants give the compositions a southern flavor and significantly distinguish them from local species.

Cultivars (varietal forms) of coniferous plants are of particular value. Their number and variety are truly innumerable. Almost all conifers introduced into cultivation have varieties with a changed growth pattern, with an unusual crown shape, type and color of needles.

Look at the photo - ornamental coniferous crowns can be anything - spherical, spread out, free-growing:

The needles are not only green, but also silver-blue, golden and even variegated. Sometimes varieties of the same species are so different from each other that it is not easy for even a specialist to recognize their relationship. The more varietal forms there are, the wider their variety, the more interesting the designer’s work, the more original and colorful the garden will be. The only thing that should not be forgotten is the compliance of the selected species with the climatic conditions of the region.

These photos show the best coniferous compositions in garden landscape design:

Compositions with dominant conifers and photos of garden landscape design

In the garden for decorative conifers an important task is assigned - thanks to their inviolability and monumentality, they become the main structural elements of the entire composition. Conifers are the dominants, the main high-altitude “points” of both the entire garden and any of its fragments.

As you can see in the photo, tall conifers in landscape design are always the first to attract attention in the garden:

Beautiful evergreen pyramids, pseudo-hemlocks, flawless columns - wonderful tapeworms. The noble forms of these slender trees are suitable for isolated planting against the backdrop of a meadow or large lawn. Powerful pines and... are undoubtedly good as tapeworms. The spreading crown, beautifully curved branches and powerful trunks of adult specimens of these plants are the best design for any large lawn. Old trees acquire enormous value - being the “patriarchs” of the garden, they emit a special aura.

Conifers always play the main roles in creating a composition in any garden. Large and beautiful coniferous trees involuntarily attract the eye. It is with their planting that we must begin. garden layout, they become the skeleton of the future garden. But we must remember that when landscaping a site with coniferous plants, not only large verticals can be dominant. Plants will perform well in a limited space: on trunks of different heights; having a horizontal form of growth, or even creeping along the ground.

Pay attention to the photo - in landscape design, coniferous plants with a vertical growth form can emphasize the importance of any small architectural form:

At the same time, the plant itself, having such an advantageous neighbor. Often, conifers, which have not only a varied crown shape, but also their different colors, changing with the seasons.

Beautiful group compositions with coniferous plants in the garden

Creation of group coniferous compositions in modern gardens various types– a very interesting and responsible task. And here a harmonious combination of sizes, shapes, and colors of the plants that are supposed to be planted comes to the fore. In large gardens, it is rational to plant conifers in groups consisting of plants of the same species: arrays, wings. They will become the background not only for lawns, but also for smaller coniferous and deciduous plants. In regular gardens, conifers are usually used to emphasize the precise geometry of paths, hedges, small and large architectural forms. Such gardens and parks are interesting to visit.

How to create a correct, pleasing to the eye, beautiful composition of coniferous plants in a fairly limited space measuring 3-6 acres? First of all, you should not plant groups of species of the same species, it is boring and irrational, a small garden should be varied.

In small gardens, coniferous plants, as a rule, play the role of dominant ones. That is why thoughtfulness in their layout is especially important. The choice should be made on the most original conifers. Artistic groups created according to the principle of contrast of shape and color will look impressive.

In them, plants not only coexist, but also emphasize the originality and merits of each other through shape or color. The coniferous compositions on the site combine perfectly the needle-like needles of junipers, spruce and pine trees with the scale-like needles of thujas and cypress trees, with the flat glossy leaves of yews. In small gardens, fragments created on raised terraces look very advantageous. The artificially transformed terrain helps to position each plant in the most advantageous manner. Proper use geoplastic techniques will allow you to plant in a limited space sufficient quantity variety of plants.

At the same time, the correct combination of all kinds of shapes and colors will only enhance the naturalness of perception of this fragment.

As shown in the photo, selecting coniferous plants for the composition in small garden, miniature forms should be preferred:

But we must remember that after stable rooting, they also begin to actively grow. Miniature varieties grow much more slowly, but they still thicken over time. The plants close together, as a result of which the entire fragment becomes less decorative. At the same time, the plants themselves lose their attractiveness. Poor ventilation in such plantings can lead to the development of all kinds of fungal diseases.

For compositions with conifers in the landscape design of small gardens, containers are very relevant, as well as pot planting plants. This picture is very typical for compact European gardens. Unfortunately, in the middle zone, when creating miniature gardens in containers due to freezing of the earthen clod, there is a risk of losing the entire plant or any part of it. Another problem is the significant weight of the compositions, which makes it difficult to move them to a safe place for the winter.

These photos show the beautiful landscaping of the site with coniferous plants:

Mixborders with conifers in the design of the site

Conifers in landscape design are an ideal material for creating modern prefabricated mixed border flower beds. Harmoniously combining conifers with deciduous shrubs, herbaceous perennials, you can achieve very effective compositions. Special meaning they give the texture and color of needles, foliage and a variety of growth forms of jointly planted plants. Remember that the natural perception of the created mixborder depends on the correct ratio of lines, volumes, and color spots.

Rhododendrons, dwarf barberries, maples, mahonias, spireas, and oaks coexist and look great next to conifers in the garden landscape. Among the perennials we note bergenia, ferns, mountain weeds, dwarf hostas, cereals, and slipper orchids. Heathers, sedums, and thymes always look impressive in the foreground. A modern coniferous mixborder is a complex multifunctional fragment of a garden, where each plant plays its own special role.

When creating a mixborder for landscaping the central part of the garden with conifers, it is important to consider that it can be walked around and viewed from all sides. Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to the following rule - the largest conifers should be planted closer to the center of the composition, and lower ones to the periphery, observing a decrease in height.

With such a panoramic arrangement of plants in the “coniferous front” group, the composition becomes voluminous and easy to read. But such mixborders are quite rare. More common are fragments created against the wall of a house or fence. But they already have other configurations and purposes. In the background, one or several vertical dominants of decorative coniferous trees should be planted, most often offset from the center of the composition. Its central part, and again with an offset relative to each other, can be occupied by spherical and weeping forms of different heights.

In the foreground, the most dwarf plants are planted, as well as conifers that have a creeping growth form. In this kind of mixborders, when creating coniferous compositions in landscape design, you need to remember important role lawn It is he who will lead the beholder’s eye to what you have created. Its smooth surface and timely application are the key to success. Carpets of creeping conifers, primarily junipers, can also play the same role.

If the priority task is to cover up nondescript garden buildings, and the artistic component of the flower garden is of less interest, then an auxiliary background is created from uniform tall plants.

When planting conifers near the walls of a house with windows, as well as near garden paths It is necessary to take into account the growth rate and final size of trees and shrubs in advance. Otherwise additional work can't be avoided.

In conclusion, I would like to say that often spectacular modern mixborders do not obey the classical rules of landscape design. Like the garden as a whole, it is the fruit of your imagination and skill and will always reflect your individual preferences.

Look how beautiful the coniferous compositions on the site shown in these photos are:

Beautiful landscape design with coniferous plants and photos of rock gardens in the country

Coniferous trees and shrubs in landscape design are the most valuable material for decorating any type of rock garden. They look especially natural in landscape-style rocky gardens. In such compositions, images of mountain plateaus, peaks, rocky valleys and gorges are connected through a variety of conifers. Compactly growing columnar varieties of western thuja, yew, juniper and pine are suitable as tapeworms. Planted at different levels, they visually increase the volume of both the rock garden itself and the garden as a whole.

But of course, the main forms of ornamental coniferous plants for rocky landscapes are spherical, or as gardeners also like to call them, “cushion-shaped” crops. “Witches’ brooms,” found in nature on spruce, pine, fir, and larches, most often have just this shape.

They, grafted onto the corresponding rootstocks of species plants, gave birth to numerous miniature varieties. Conifers with this growth form will look most natural in “pockets” between stones, filling voids and masking defects in the rocky structure. Conifers will be good in landscape design and in the foreground of a “mountain valley”, flowing around rocky outcrops and enhancing the naturalness of these elements.

Weeping forms look great on the ledges of terraces and on the tops of free-standing groups of stones various types spruce and hemlock. The lacy flowing branches of the latter are especially graceful and harmonious. On rocky hills, high-altitude alpine plants will be excellent partners for conifers. The dwarf varieties of Thunberg barberry are not inferior to them. Bright-leaved varieties of barberries look great among the stones, tinting the green picture created by conifers.

These photos show the design of a rocky garden using conifers:

Coniferous plants in the landscape: decorative collections

Collecting conifers is both an interesting and responsible activity. It, like any other type of collecting, is subject to general rules. A collection is not a random collection of something, but a systematic association based on a specific feature. When starting to create a coniferous collection in the landscape design of a summer cottage, you need to determine for yourself the basic principle of placing collected plants in the garden.

There are gardens in which coniferous plants are planted in continuous multi-meter arrays. Other plants in them are given the role of just extras, and the main role is played by unusual and rare conifers. A more complex and interesting task is set by a gardener who seeks to subordinate the placement of his collection to the general style of the garden. Here, each plant is given its exclusive place.

We must remember that over time, a gardener’s preferences for certain plants may change, therefore, without disturbing the style, something new will have to be planted into the already established structure of the garden.

After the end of the first, accumulative stage, as a rule, there is a rethinking of what has already been collected. The gardener suddenly begins to understand that many conifers, which form the basis of his collection, have a very similar habit, and the catalogs of most nurseries are full of their names. Well, if you have already learned to see and understand this, then it’s time for a more rigorous and precise selection of plants. Be prepared to part with some of your pets. At the same time, make sure that decorative coniferous plants for the garden take their rightful place in the plots of your less experienced gardener friends. And in your own garden, the vacated spaces will be occupied by new, more complex and rare varieties.

As a rule, collectors are energetic people. They try to travel all over the world in search of treasured plants, visiting coniferous arboretums, nurseries, and private gardens of enthusiastic people just like them. But this is followed by a reward in the form of new and rare plants, ideas for growing them, new design solutions. Be aware that the collection virus may fly past your garden. But if he visits him, then do not expect peace, be prepared to live according to his laws. Don't be intimidated by this and believe me, creating collections is an interesting and exciting activity.

A few tips to help you create your own unique collection of coniferous plants.

• The collection is not created at once. It takes many years to create. Accept that the main thing in collecting is the process; by definition, achieving the final goal cannot be achieved.
• Develop a working concept for the collection you are creating, outline the types and varieties that you would like to have in it.
• The basis of the coniferous collection in our modest-sized gardens should be compact varieties.
• It is impossible to remember the names of all varieties; in addition, sometimes you can simply forget them. Plates indicating the species and variety, statistical records are indispensable attributes of each coniferous collection.
• Unnamed plants are a minus of any collection, and conifers are no exception.
• The collection cannot consist only of rare plants. Coniferous “extras” will only emphasize the greatness of the “main characters” - rarities. But remember that after the end of the first, cumulative stage, you will increasingly have to turn to the 10-step rule, the essence of which boils down to selecting the most characteristic, recognizable plants for your collection.
• Compact varieties of rhododendrons, barberries, and maples will be excellent companions for your conifers. Also in rocky gardens, under coniferous plants, there is always a sufficient number of convenient seats for the Alpines.
• Communicating with other collectors and visiting their gardens will diversify your knowledge and, accordingly, improve your collection.
• Don't be afraid of risk. Create optimal growing conditions for rare, borderline coniferous species and cultivars in your garden. Subsequently, they can become a decoration of your collection.
• The rarest and most valuable varieties of conifers, as a rule, have the most unusual shape and unpredictable color. They are easily recognizable.

Conifers in the landscape design of a summer cottage: alleys, hedges, borders

In the landscape design of a site, conifers are one of the the best plants for creating alleys, hedges and even borders. There is nothing surprising here, because most of them retain a compact crown shape until old age. An inexhaustible source is varietal conifers. For alleys and hedges, species with a pyramidal, columnar and pin-shaped crown are especially valuable - these plants clearly maintain a line and practically do not need formative pruning. Dwarf pyramidal and spherical shapes are an ideal material for creating low hedges and borders.

For high evergreen alleys, when landscaping with coniferous plants, pines, spruces, fir and pseudo-hemlocks are surprisingly good, for lower ones - yews, thujas and junipers.

For hedges, as a rule, choose plants that can withstand shaping pruning - yews, spruces, thujas and junipers. For planting, they use relatively cheap non-grade material, which seems to be justified from an economic point of view, but this is only at first glance. The fact is that these plants subsequently require expensive, professional pruning. And do not forget that this procedure will have to be repeated annually. It is much more rational to use compact varietal forms that do not require cutting.

As can be seen in the photo, in landscape design with conifers, almost all species and cultivars with a dense pyramidal, columnar, ovoid or spherical crown shape can be suitable for this purpose:

Only dwarf dense bush varieties are suitable for creating borders. Of course, a border made from such plants will not be cheap, but it will be durable and amazingly beautiful. Dwarf varieties of cypress, juniper and spruce trees are extremely impressive, but, undoubtedly, they become the main material for borders. spherical varieties thuja. It is necessary to remember that in winter they must be protected from snow.

Rounded crowns easily fall apart and break under its weight. Finding a suitable replacement for damaged plants is usually extremely difficult; the aesthetics of such a border are hopelessly lost.

Varieties of decorative coniferous trees for landscape design

The changing seasons color the dominant shades of green in coniferous compositions with bright, unusual tones. In some conifers this color change is very short-term, in others it lasts for several months. Pine and spruce conifers are most suitable for site design.

These varieties of mountain pine are very popular among collectors (Pinus mugo) How Ophir, Winter Gold, Zundert, Gold Star, Golden Glow, Schweizer Tourist, Little Gold Star, Starkl, Hostyn Gold, Laarheide, Lemon.

As a rule, the growth of the current season in the Ophir variety turns yellow first, at the end of August. Then it's everyone else's turn. This rich golden color will last in such plants until spring, gradually painting the entire plant golden.

Look how beautiful such compositions of coniferous plants look in these photos:

Another group of mountain pine varieties is very interesting. Entering it: Kokarde, Rositech, Fruchling Gold, Chameleon, Sunshine, Dikobraz.

Their young spring growths that have just completed the growing season are brightly, but not as uniformly colored as the varieties from the previous group. They become striped, yellow-green. This color will last until autumn.

Scots pine varieties are very impressive (Pinus sylvestris) Trollguld, Candlelight, var. lapponica Fritche, Jakutsk, Meffengofd, Moseri.

In late spring and early summer, Trollguld turns yellow-golden, while Candlelight turns the needles milky-cream tones. This color, changing its intensity, will delight you until next spring. And P. sylvestris var. lapponica Fritche, Jakutsk, Meffengofd, Moseri will turn golden in late autumn and turn green again at the end of spring.

In the last couple of years, golden varieties of Weymouth pine have appeared in our gardens (Pinus strobus) Louie, Wendy, Golden Candles.

The Louie variety has it almost all year round, changing its intensity depending on the time of year. The bright yellow branches of these trees look great in decorative coniferous compositions both against the backdrop of a snow-white winter blanket and in early spring. At the moment, not enough information has been accumulated on the Wendy and Golden Candles varieties. It is believed that closer to winter, from the base to the periphery of each branch, the needles on them should turn golden.

Varieties of lodgepole pine are very rare in our gardens. (Pinus contort a) Taylor's Sunburst and Golden Striker , which are a decoration for any coniferous composition.

Look at the photo - in May, the young growths of these ornamental coniferous plants become bright golden, by the end of summer they lose this rich color, becoming light green in September:

The listed varieties have common spruce ( Picea abies) growths in May turn golden. For almost everyone, it persists for several months, losing its intensity over time. But the very compact variety of Norway spruce Aurea WB turns golden in autumn, while the varieties Rydal and Cruenta have young growths of bright crimson for about ten days in May. Growths of the same unusual color also dwarf variety Spring Fire. But at the moment, due to the complexity of it, it is practically inaccessible to Russian gardens. I would like to believe that only for now.

Varieties of prickly spruce ( Picea pungens) Bialobok, Fruchlings Gold, Maigold, Byczkowski, Nimetzl in mid-May, for two weeks, almost simultaneously, young growths are painted in creamy-yellow tones of varying intensities. Given the general similarity of these varieties, we will point out some of their individual characteristics. In Maigold, unlike all the other listed varieties, the needles themselves are green-blue in color, and the growths are painted in yellow-gold tones.

This is especially noticeable if you manage to plant this variety in close proximity to Albospicata or Fruchlings Gold. Ayl variety Nimetz's growths are colored a little later than the others. Their bluish-cream color gradually becomes snow-white.

A wonderful variety of eastern spruce ( Picea orientalis) Aurea, which from the end of May to mid-July turns the growing growths golden.

And of course, one cannot help but say a few words about larches and. With the onset of the first cold days and with the arrival of night frosts, larches become the most noticeable figures in the coniferous garden. Their bright, light yellow, and later rich red crowns will definitely attract your attention. And here it doesn’t matter what type the one you like belongs to.

Larix kaempferi)

American Larch ( Larix laricina)

And if you managed to “tame” metasequoia glyptostrobus in your garden, then no other plant can replicate its autumn yellow-peach color. This is an undisputed favorite in the October garden.

Mulch as an element in the design of a coniferous garden

Previously, mulching was practically not used when growing coniferous plants. But over time, numerous trips to European gardens forced me to take a different look at this aspect of gardening. It turns out that mulch is an excellent design element. coniferous garden.

You can mulch with all kinds of materials: from twigs processed in a shredder and mowed grass to pine nut shells and coconut fibers. But the most effective mulch is the bark of larch or all kinds of pine. The most convenient fraction of bark to use is 5x5 cm in size. Of course, the most effective is pine bark. But, unfortunately, it is not often on sale and is very expensive.

A five-centimeter layer of pine mulch will reliably cover coniferous plantings from weeds and seed germination.

Adding a 2-centimeter layer of finely processed pine bark fraction (1 x 1 cm) under the main, larger pine mulch enhances the formation of an extensive network of additional suction roots, which not only contribute to the growth of the crown and increase the mass of the main root system, but also help the plant more actively absorb water from the surface of the earth.

As mulch decomposes, it improves the quality of the soil and helps the earthworms and numerous beneficial microorganisms that live in it to develop.

In snowless, frosty winters, a 5-8 cm layer of pine bark mulch helps reduce freezing of the coniferous root ball. This is especially true in the first years after planting.

Filling plantings with a well-calibrated fraction of bark is not only the right design move in garden design, but also a natural decoration of the lower tier of conifers.

Evergreens provide many advantages in landscaping. Depending on the season, weather conditions change, and with them the panorama of the landscape. The use of evergreen plantings enlivens the space even in winter, giving the garden plot a majestic and rich appearance. These types of plants go well with deciduous shrubs, for example, with barberries, hydrangeas or rhododendrons.

How to use evergreen plantings in landscape design yard and what their advantages are, we will consider in this material.

Advantages of conifers

Planting evergreens on a site provides great advantages over other plants.

1. Aesthetics. Conifers retain decorative appearance throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions.
2. Variety. Numerous varieties will help you create living compositions of different shapes and colors.
3. Unpretentiousness. Such green spaces do not require constant maintenance. Grows on all types of soil, does not require large quantities solar heat and regular watering, so any area of ​​the yard is suitable for planting.
4. Environmental friendliness. Conifers emit essential oils, enriching the surrounding air with the rich scent of the forest.

We take into account 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 take into account 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’s a good idea to combine straight paths with squat and voluminous plantings, and a pond with low, fluffy trees.

The overall dimensions of the site must also be taken into account. Large areas are decorated with large plants, and small ones are decorated using dwarf varieties.

What types of conifers to choose

If the dimensions of the site allow, the following evergreens are planted:

• Thuja occidentalis. The height of the tree reaches 5 meters. To give it an arrow-shaped shape, the branches are trimmed. Thuja is used to create hedges. The only requirement is that the planting site be shaded.
• Juniper Skyrocket. Reaches a height of up to 3 meters. The shrub is popular due to the unusual color of its needles with a bluish tint.
• El Khupsi. Grows up to 15 meters tall. Suitable for single and group planting. Thanks to the 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 they are suitable low-growing varieties with crowns of different shapes.

Of course, this is an incomplete list of conifers that are used in landscape design. Among the numerous species and varieties of evergreens, it will not be difficult to choose plants for decorating your summer cottage.

Design options

With the help of conifers, various compositions are created that perform aesthetic and practical functions.

1. Hedges.
2. Lawn decor.
3. Group plantings.
4. Mixborders with elements of conifers.
5. Evergreens in a rock garden.
6. Container garden and bonsai.

Hedges

Such coniferous plantings serve throughout the year, and not just in the warm season. They are used both for fencing a site and for zoning individual parts of space.

Conifers with a spherical, pyramidal or columnar crown, which tolerate cutting their branches, are best suited for hedges.

Varieties of evergreen plants are selected depending on the purpose of the fence. Spruce, pine and fir trees are suitable for fencing the site. If you need a medium-height fence for zoning, then use different varieties of thuja, juniper, yew or cypress. To create low green borders, dwarf species are chosen.

Thematic material:

Varieties of silver or bluish tones will help to make the hedge stand out against the background of other plantings. The main requirement when creating a living fence is the use of fast-growing conifers of the same species.

Lawn elements

If there are green lawns on the site, then they can be supplemented with coniferous crops. In this case, tall-growing or medium-height varieties with expressive crown shapes are selected. Pyramidal and arrow-shaped, as well as spherical varieties of conifers are suitable for planting on the lawn.

These plants look great alone. A neatly trimmed lawn will serve as a decorative frame and background for separately growing trees and shrubs.

Group plantings

Instead of a banal round flower bed with roses, group planting of conifers is often used, where the plants are combined in 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 is to combine thuja, silver spruce and juniper in one composition.

An expressive effect is achieved by combining deciduous species with coniferous ones. Hydrangea bushes go well with them.

Group plantings that combine coniferous plants with needle-like and scaly leaves are also original.

When planning such compositions, the size of mature trees and shrubs is taken into account. After all, many evergreens can reach large dimensions.

Mixborders with elements of conifers

Mixborders are compositions using different types of 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 to combine conifers in one mix 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 such a neighborhood may simply not be suitable for some deciduous plantings.

But hydrangea gets along with spruce and juniper trees without any problems. Upon landing this decorative flower it is even recommended to add coniferous land. Hydrangeas love shaded areas with acidic soils.- exactly the conditions that coniferous plantings create.

Evergreens in rocky gardens

Today, rock gardens and rock gardens are often used in landscape design, which require the mandatory 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, dwarf pines and spruces are included.

Arborvitae, junipers, firs and other low-growing conifers truly adorn rocky gardens.

Evergreens that can easily tolerate pruning are excellent for topiary. After all, it is here that decorative figures are created from trees and shrubs fancy shapes, down to the depiction 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 of complex configuration without any problems. 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 coniferous plants. Trees growing in the southern regions are sensitive to temperature changes, and even a temperature of zero degrees leads to their death.

The way out of this situation is to plant plants in containers, which are placed on the site during the warm season and removed for the winter in unheated room. The same rule applies to coniferous bonsai.

Each plant variety requires a certain volume of soil, which must be taken into account when planting in containers. Dwarf and creeping species of conifers feel good in a limited space. Moreover, the larger the plant, the more spacious the container is chosen.

The advantage of such gardens is that the design can be updated over time simply by changing the arrangement.

For landscape design, the use of coniferous plants will be an excellent option to diversify the design. In addition, such plantings are easy to care for and pleasing to the eye all year round. One or more types of evergreen plantings will transform country cottage area, turning it into cozy place for relax.

Until recently, it was believed that it would be more appropriate to decorate a garden with deciduous trees and flowers. “Christmas trees should grow in the forest,” domestic gardeners were confident. But times and views have changed, and conifers in landscape design began to occupy one of the most significant places. Today, almost every owner of a garden plot dreams of his own 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. When seen as seedlings, these conifers seem miniature, but do not forget that some of them can grow to the size of a three-story house. This fact must be taken into account when determining the style of your coniferous garden. What other important points should become a must-have for owners of these amazing plants? Basics coniferous landscape For beginners, we decided to tell you.

Best of all, coniferous plants are combined with cereal and leafy flowers. Take a look at this beauty by the pond

When these coniferous trees grow and get stronger, this corner will turn into a real “coniferous paradise”

Pines - amazing plants- evergreen and unpretentious, fast-growing and varied: spherical, pyramidal, shrubby, creeping. These long-lived plants can be safely chosen by the most demanding gardeners to decorate their rock garden.

Coniferous plants different varieties have completely different shades and if you think about the combination of colors in advance, you will get an excellent coniferous composition in landscape design

What conifers are best to plant in your garden?

Among the variety of coniferous varieties, there are those whose decorative properties are determined by young shoots (candles). For example:

1. Grow gold. This decorative pine tree features 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 Panderosa pine variety will be specially bred for gardening and summer cottages. Its fluffy crown and long needles will not leave anyone indifferent

The Niwaki pine variety was bred in Japan and is the most popular plant for creating a bansai garden in its homeland.

main feature varieties are its plasticity, the plant can be given any growth form

• Panderosa. It has very long needles and a fluffy crown; it 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 spend the winter without shelter.
• Nevaki (bansai). A variety bred in Japan. It is notable for its plasticity - it can take any shape when cut.
• Black pine "Nana". This is the most unpretentious coniferous species. It has a fluffy, dark green crown.
• Velda. A creeping variety in which each shoot grows horizontally. If the veld is not cut, it can occupy up to 3 meters of area.
• Pinus flexilis "Pygmy". A very pleasing plant with a dense crown. The peculiarity of Pygmies is that needles grow on branches in dense bunches.
• Cedar. Cedars grow slowly for the first 2-3 years. They are good because, in addition to being decorative, they have a special type of cones. The most common - Siberian cedar, but other species are also noteworthy: Korean cedar, European cedar. A prerequisite for their growth is sufficient sun exposure - 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 “living” hedge.

Coniferous plants go well with roses. Just combine your rose garden with a couple of coniferous plants and get a beautiful area

The best dwarf coniferous varieties

If your garden is not large enough to accept many coniferous varieties or the area does not need shade, do not rush to abandon the idea of ​​​​growing a coniferous garden. You can plant dwarf conifers:

• Spruce "Konika". This slow growing ornamental plant will fit even in the most small area. The growth characteristic of the Konika 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 good thing about this plant is that it lives well both trimmed and free, it loves partial shade and is not at all capricious. The only drawback of mountain pine is its high price.

Take a look at this area. Wonderful, isn't it? But the plants were only planted not long ago and all the beauty is yet to come

Designer tip: If you remove several skeletal branches from a pine tree, the rest will go up and form branches with beautiful hats. The wood style will be similar to Japanese.

• Balkan pine grows up to 3 m, which depends only on you. If you pinch the pine tree, it will be the height and shape 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 rock garden or rock garden on your property? Conifers are best suited for this area

Pro tip: The best neighbors for pines are hostas, 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 this scheme:

1. Planting time: late summer or early spring.
2. You need to dig a hole 50-70 cm deep.
3. We provide 20 centimeter drainage (gravel or expanded clay).
4. Pour a bucket of water with a root stimulator into the hole.
5. We take the seedling out of the pot together, straighten the roots and place it in the hole so that the root neck is slightly above the ground.
6. We fill the pine tree with soil with superphosphate (half a glass) and humus (1 bucket).
7. We dig in the seedling so that we get a mound around the trunk and a hole for watering.
8. Watering a seedling needs from 2 to 4 buckets, which depends on the size of the coniferous plant.
9. At spring planting A frame needs to be built above the needles to protect it from scorching rays.

An amazing and simple coniferous composition in landscape design in which all the basic rules are followed

Pro tip: Mountain pine doesn't need a hole. It is enough to cover the roots with stones and sprinkle with soil.

• The soil must always be kept semi-moist for at least the first months after planting.
• During this same period, the needles need constant water spraying.
• You can water and spray spruce trees with antifungal drugs.
• The needles love sandy soil, especially pine and spruce.
• Young shoots need to be molded (plucked) in early summer.

The conditions for the growth of coniferous plants are not difficult and are quite feasible in our area. Create your own coniferous compositions in landscape design and you will undoubtedly love them. And we wish you every morning to inhale the unique pine aromas and admire the slenderness of green thujas. Happy landing!