The best ornamental trees and shrubs for the garden

Gardens and summer cottages of the new wave - stylish cottages, with a comfortable area for recreation of the townspeople, surrounded by a beautiful landscape. A traditional summer cottage, the main function of which is to harvest, also necessarily includes a recreation area, lovingly decorated by the owners. It is for the spectacular design of the backyard, a beautiful lawn, a playground for children that ornamental plants and trees are needed, which are worth talking about in detail.

The role of ornamental shrubs and trees in the modern garden

Besides the natural aesthetic function - to give a person the pleasure of the beauty of nature, ornamental trees and shrubs are used by gardeners and designers to solve purely practical problems... Visual extension of a too narrow or very small area. Decoration of outbuildings, strengthening of slopes and talus. Zoning the site, creating dividing screens between the garden and the backyard area. Protection of the individual space of a small summer cottage from prying eyes, without erecting a fence.

Popular ornamental trees in the garden and in the country

The current trend in gardening is a beautiful, fruitful garden that does not require huge physical costs for the care and maintenance of decorativeness. The priority is the beauty and unpretentiousness of trees; the practical benefits of plantings fade into the background. This explains the popularity of new forms of fruit and forest trees presented by modern breeding:

• compact standard trees with a spherical crown;
• dwarf forms fruit and forest trees;
• weeping forms;
• columnar hybrids familiar trees.

An interesting novelty is the use of forest trees for decorating a summer cottage. For example, hornbeam seedlings are sold by nurseries at bargain prices. Hornbeam is great for creating hedges, decorative backdrops and walls.

To create spectacular compositions, lawn edging, trees of different heights are used:

• tall (up to 6 m);
• medium-tall (up to 3 m);
• undersized and dwarf trees (up to 1.5 m).

A backdrop is formed from tall trees (wall, or focal point), which is complemented by trees and shrubs below. From the undersized, the foreground of the composition is formed. Trees can be decorated with gravel, located on an open lawn, solo, or combined into relief, multi-tiered groups.

The tallest are planted in the background, then the middle ones. Low-growing trees and shrubs are placed in front.

Recognized leader - coniferous trees

Mature plants require little or no maintenance. Conifers are decorative all year round, including winter. In early spring, many species bloom with bright lilac candles, reminiscent of Christmas tree decorations.... Then comes the time of active growth, the young growth is much brighter than last year's branches. During this period, all conifers look especially elegant.

Spruce grows well on swampy soils, this is especially true for the Moscow region. Pine is drought-resistant, tolerates pruning well, which allows varying height and decorative shape. For low hedges, walls, yew can be recommended... Yew holds its shape perfectly, does not require significant pruning.

Tui

An unpretentious thuja can be safely chosen as the main decorative element of the garden, which will unite the plantings with a single idea. Thuja of different varieties will perfectly fit into a composition with undersized shrubs, variegated and flowering trees.

In the nursery, you can pick up varieties of pyramidal, elliptical, or spherical shape... The garden wall of thujas, planted with a smooth line, looks very interesting. This allows you to unusually beat even a standard summer cottage.

For the middle lane, varieties and hybrids of Western thuja are recommended. The unpretentious Brabant variety is suitable for the formation of a wall, backstage. A single thuja will grow wide, close planting of a thuja (after 0.5 m) will form too low a wall... The optimal distance between the seedlings of the Brabant variety is 1 m. An interesting variety is Wagner's thuja, which has a rounded shape, lower in growth. Tuya is very fond of shower, spraying, sprinkling.

Decorative maples

Most popular maple Canadian, Plane, Norway maple with burgundy foliage. They are great soloists on the open lawn, are good in compositions and against the backdrop of hedges.

Like most plants with a brightly colored leaf, decorative colored maples prefer a sunny spot. In the shade, the natural color will be faded... Maple prefers fertile soil with neutral acidity. Young seedlings should be covered for the winter. An adult plant of a frost-resistant variety will no longer require this.

Exotic for lovers

Magnolia

It can be formed as a bush, but a full-fledged tree with a picturesque crown can grow. Blooming magnolia is an exotic sight, most varieties have a delicate, vanilla-citrus aroma... Magnolia is covered with large flowers (bud length up to 12-15 cm). The color scale and shape of the opened flower differs very radically in different varieties of magnolia.

The whimsicality of magnolia is greatly exaggerated; for successful cultivation, it is enough to follow a few rules. When planting magnolias, special attention should be paid to the root system and the choice of planting site. It is necessary to buy magnolia with a root ball (in a plastic container), preferably in a nursery or garden center... When planting, try not to injure the roots of the seedling. Magnolia is very fond of the bright sun, does not tolerate drafts and winds. The optimal landing site is under the southern wall of the house, any outbuilding. He does not like calcareous soils, so such lands must be acidified with peat. There is no need to care for an adult plant, only minimal sanitary pruning. For growing in gardens of the middle lane, deciduous forms of magnolia, and the corresponding hybrids are recommended.

Sakura

The Japanese relative of the familiar cherry, is famous all over the world for its magical flowering. The growing conditions for sakura and magnolia are identical. A sunny place without drafts; neutral or slightly acidic soil... Like ordinary cherries, sakura will need seasonal spraying from pests, abundant watering, and significant pruning.

Sakura does not have to be bought, it reproduces well by cuttings... It is much cheaper than buying a seedling. In August, the stalk is grafted onto a traditional cherry (or sweet cherry) by budding method (with an eye, a kidney).

Decorative forms of fruit trees

The apple tree familiar to everyone has many decorative subspecies that bloom more abundantly than simple apple trees. Blooming with scarlet flowers, Ola's apple tree is simply flooded with flowers so that you cannot see the branches.

Ornamental varieties are grown in the usual agricultural technique, familiar to gardeners for caring for traditional apple trees. Fruits - small (heavenly) apples adorn the garden until late autumn... Yellow, red, purple - look great on the branches. They attract birds to the garden, this is a modern option for a natural solution to the pest problem. From heavenly apples, an original jam is obtained. Particularly interesting are weeping forms, with a variegated and colored leaf.

Ornamental shrubs in landscape design

The shrubs in the garden technically fulfill the natural function of the undergrowth. From an aesthetic point of view, shrubs harmoniously complement garden trees and flower beds, performing the role of middle management. This is an extensive class of diverse plants, we will focus on especially popular species.

Junipers: type and variety of bushes

Emphasized decorativeness, a wide variety of forms and varieties, the names of the most common are given below. By releasing phytoncides, junipers significantly purify the air. In sunny weather, a healing aroma hovers near such a plant.... A common plus of junipers is frost resistance. Bath lovers will find young juniper twigs useful, which are added to bath brooms for aroma.

Variegata

The recognized varieties include Variegata juniper... Flat, with scaly azure needles, and contrasting sandy tassels at the end. The shrub is shade-tolerant, but in a sunny place the decorative brushes of the Variegat will be brighter. An adult plant in a sufficient area will look like a lush flower bed.

Cossack

An unpretentious smoky plant, prefers light soils, looks great in a composition with variegated hosts, common and tree peonies. Loves loosening and sprinkling of branches... When transplanting, the pit should be 2 times the size of the root ball. Junipers do not resist pruning, although they do not need to be pruned.

Rocky Sky Rocket

Tall Blue Juniper - Rocky Sky Rocket... In diameter up to 1 meter, in height up to 7 meters. It looks like a slender tree, vaguely resembles a cypress.

Glauka

Low Glauca Juniper (up to 30 cm), can grow up to 3 meters wide. The powerful root system of this plant allows you to strengthen the slopes, if necessary. This is a suitable plant for the foreground of a garden composition.

Mint Juliet

The fastest growing medium juniper, Mint Julit, reaches 3.5 m wide, up to 1.5 m in height... The Blue Carpet is an active aggressor, occupying a vast area. Reacts to pruning with increased growth. This must be taken into account when planting, but you can use it for your own purposes.

Barberry - add bright accents

An interesting bush shape, delicate branches, bright foliage inherent in various varieties, allows barberry to lead among the colored shrubs. Blooms actively in spring. The crown of purple, red, lilac, lettuce color in summer, incredibly transforms in autumn... This is a real carnival of colors, from lemon to wine-colored foliage, scarlet bunches of fruits. Barberry berries are an excellent seasoning for pilaf and meat dishes.

Barberry looks great in single and group plantings. The front garden, the alpine slide, the edging of the meadows - all these compositions will successfully complement the barberry of the variety and colors you like. Barberry of different heights (from 30 cm to 1.5 m) can be interesting to beat in a prefabricated mixborder... Barberry Thunberg is good in combination with conifers. The undersized cushion-shaped barberry Green Carpet is used for Japanese-style rocky compositions.

Barberry grows well in an open, sunny place, not picky about soils. Does not tolerate stagnation of soil input, when planting the barberry, a high-quality drainage cushion should be provided.

Japanese quince Henomeles

Low-growing shrub (up to 80 cm) inlooks very exotic, blooms profusely with orange-red flowers... In summer and autumn, it is decorated with fruits that resemble paradise apples. Used for flower beds and rose gardens.

Red viburnum

A familiar shrub that never ceases to delight with its beauty and useful berries. Viburnum is very good in bloom, in autumn it turns crimson-yellow, red clusters of berries glow in the sun.

Kalina loves shady places, the bush can grow quite extensively. This property of viburnum can be successfully used to decorate outbuildings, blank walls of sheds. Loves good watering, land for planting is mixed with humus (1×1)... The land under the viburnum bush should be mulched with tree bark, this will help the moisture-loving plant to develop.

It grows wild in central and southern Europe, in North Africa, in the European part of Russia, mainly in its middle part and in Asia Minor. Rarely found in the west and north of Russia. Kalina can be found in Central and Western Siberia, as well as in the eastern and northern regions of Kazakhstan. Viburnum vulgaris does not grow in Central Asia and the Far East.

Garden hydrangea

Familiar from indoor forms, the Large-leaved garden hydrangea is a godsend for lovers of bright, actively flowering plants. Large inflorescences (12-15 cm) bloom in July, remain on the branches until autumn. An adult wisteria bush is not tall (up to 1 m), can reach two meters in diameter, this must be taken into account when planting... Large inflorescences are white, greenish, crimson, pink and even blue.

Hortense loves enough lit places, but direct sunlight is harmful to her. You will need moist, slightly acidic soil, abundant watering, top dressing. When planting, peat, sand, coniferous forest land are added to the earthen mixture. Feeding the hydrangea with iron preparations, amateurs achieve a bright blue color of the inflorescences from the hydrangea... It is advisable to mulch the trunk circle with needles, use slightly acidified water for irrigation. For the winter, the hydrangea should be covered.

Interesting novelty: columnar fruit trees

The compact, productive trees, strewn with fruits of the usual size, have fascinated many gardeners. Columns bear fruit in the second year, take up little space, and are easy to care for... The lifespan of such a tree is up to 15 years, in contrast to the usual longevity of ordinary trees of fruit and stone fruit crops.

What are the columnar trees

Columnar apple - undersized, dwarf (relative to the standard) standard tree... Proven, high-quality varieties - Arbat (medium-ripening red apple), Bolero (winter), Gin (summer variety).

On sale are seedlings of columnar trees of the latest selection: plums, cherry plums, pears, peaches. The main problem is the instability of the variety.The dying off of the lower branches, changes in the shape of the crown (the formation of a "broom"), freezing of growth buds, the degeneration of the variety. Sellers are outright fraudulent. If you decide to grow columns, buy adapted seedlings from proven regional nurseries.

Features of planting and caring for fruit fruit trees

Columns are very comfortable for handling and maintenance, organizing drip or spot irrigation. The growth of an adult fruit tree is about 1.5 m, grown in the usual agricultural technology, like ordinary fruit and stone fruit trees... Depending on the variety, seedlings are planted at a distance of 0.4 - 0.7 m from each other. The distance between the rows is 2 - 2.5 m. You will need seasonal pruning, pest control, top dressing, loosening of the root circle.

After planting a one-year-old seedling, the plant will show its variety in the first year. To do this, leave on the tree 2-3 flower ovaries, it is better to remove the rest of the flowers in the first year... The seedling needs strength to adapt to a new place, to form a healthy root system.

Selection does not stand still, popular varieties are constantly being improved... Whether experimenting with original novelties, or choosing a decorative variety that has been proven over the years, this is a constant temptation for the gardener. Based on your taste preferences, you can choose an original decoration for your favorite garden.