Conifers in the landscape design of the suburban area

Compositions with thuja in landscape design

Landscape design compositions with thuja are not limited to borders, hedges and alleys. The luxurious appearance of thuja makes it a completely self-sufficient decorative element, which is why this plant is often used as a tapeworm.

In addition, thuja serves as an effective culture for creating group compositions of 3-5 coniferous plants in landscape design. Ephedra of different colors stand out especially impressively from the environment. Such a group can be assembled only from thujas of different varieties or diluted with the design with spruces, junipers and firs.

Advice! Several coniferous groups can be placed in different parts of the garden so that the space feels like a single composition.

Thuja can be made part of a coniferous-shrub mixborder. As in its flower variations, the largest plants are placed in the background with a gradual decrease in height, as you move towards the front row. At the same time, in landscape design, it is desirable to vary the colors, texture and shape of the crown.

Advice! The number of conifers in such mixborders can range from 30 to 50%.

Thuja is also suitable for decorating flower beds and flower beds. In them, preference is usually given to compact crops of small size and contrasting colors. Alpine slides or a lawn can act as a basis for flower beds.

Advice! For additional decor, stones are placed on the flower beds with thuja, and the space between the design elements is filled with plain or multi-colored bark.

Plant selection

When you see a coniferous garden in the photo, it seems that it will not be difficult to create your own composition, but the first problems arise almost immediately - during the choice of plants.

Choose compact plants that have been specially bred for landscaping because their growth is not so vigorous and will not negatively affect the composition in the future. This will require specialized literature and catalogs that are published by large nurseries or industry associations. The most complete catalog in Russia is published by the Association of Russian Planting Material Producers, APPM.

The right choice of plants is the key to success

1. Tall growing. This group includes the common thorny spruce, which can reach 40 meters in height, the Serbian spruce with a narrow crown, the prickly spruce, including the blue form, the common pine, the Siberian pine (cedar), and the pseudo-pine.
2. Medium-sized. Thuja western and its varieties "Brabant", "Smaragd" and others, common pine "Norske Tip", mountain pine, common juniper of columnar forms, some varieties of spruce spruce.
3. Stunted. An array of mountain pine "Pumilio", common spruce "Nidiformis" (nest-like form), common juniper "Repanda" (creeping form pressed to the ground), horizontal juniper, microbiota ("Russian cypress" comes from the Far East) ...

Landscape designers primarily recommend giving preference to:

• various types and varieties of junipers: Cossack, rocky, virgin, 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 quite often grow too large, they do not have sufficient decorative qualities, so you need to buy varieties with known qualities.

For a low-maintenance garden (requiring a minimum of work during the year) in our latitudes, carefully purchase cypress, hemlock, pseudo-sug, microbiota, tuevik, cypress, cupressocyparis, fir, Kemfer larch, Japanese cryptomeria, swamp cypress, folded species and other rare species. By the size of an adult plant, conifers can be conditionally divided into three groups

According to the size of an adult plant, conifers can be conditionally divided into three groups.

The following common types can be ranked among large plants:

1. Thuja western. The plant, in favorable conditions, grows up to a height of 5 m, loves shaded areas, tolerates a haircut well. Often used as a hedge.
2. Juniper, grade Skyrocket. Aesthetic conical plant with blue needles. It can reach up to 3 m.
3. Colorado spruce, grade Hoopsie. Quite a popular variety, some specimens reach 15 m. She has thick needles of a silvery-blue color. Resistant to extreme natural factors.
4. Scots pine, Vatereri grade. Homeland - the Mediterranean, therefore it is quite thermophilic. Can reach up to 4 m.
5. Pincus pine, Sylvestris variety. A giant among conifers, reaching 40 m. This species has an even, straight trunk and a columnar crown structure. Very unpretentious.

1. Spruce Konik. Branched and very aesthetic evergreen tree. Growth is slow.
2. Yew berry. Compact shrub, dense needles. Popular due to the combination of rich greens and berries, red.
3. 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.

1. Norway spruce Lombers. Low-growing plant, dense needles, bright, emerald color.
2. Mountain pine Hampi. Used in rock gardens. An unusual property - the buds, at temperatures below freezing, are painted in beautiful reddish-brown shades.
3. Mountain pine, Mini Pug variety. It grows in the form of a kind of pillow.

Combinations and combinations

Despite the fact that conifers are often picky about environmental conditions, they are quite intolerant of other plants and each other. So, you should not plant cedar, pine or thuja next to spruce and fir, and larch will not tolerate any other conifers next to it. Birch or bird cherry are also undesirable neighbors for them, since they will take all nutrients from the soil. Bush and single roses look invariably impressive and stylish against the background of conifers. However, in such a combination, the flowers are endangered due to alkalization of the earth, so they need regular fertilization.

A beautiful and successful symbiosis is formed in conifers with deciduous shrubs, grasses and perennial flowers. Hydrangea or rhododendron are always the winning choices. The classic ideal combination is a simple combination of ephedra and grass lawn.

Creation of a coniferous paradise

When fitting conifers into landscape design, you must follow some rules:

• the tallest specimens are planted in the background;
• coniferous composition from different plants should not combine more than three forms of crowns;
• symmetry and precise geometric shapes are inappropriate when creating an evergreen free-plan group;
• the parterre strict composition should be strictly symmetrical and requires constant care and haircuts;
• an ensemble of coniferous plants does not need variegation;
• accents are required;
• the viewing area should be at a distance equal to twice the length of the composition;
• the wrong green neighbors can nullify the gardener's efforts.

Some of these rules require a detailed approach and specificity. If the first postulate is simple and clear, then the question of forms can be explained by the structure of the human eye. The abundance of shapes, as well as colors, creates a sense of uneasiness. A composition of three colors or two or three contrasting shapes looks much more pleasant and holistic. Pyramidal thuja brabant in the landscape design of the group is best placed in the background.Their severity is emphasized by the spherical forms of cypress, and in the foreground, the entire ensemble is soothed by creeping juniper or ground cover deciduous plants. Even if the territory for conifers is quite extensive, the rhythmic alternation of the same plants is better perceived, and not a set of all kinds of varieties and colors.

In order for the gaze not to wander through the composition, the beginning of contemplation should begin with an accent, which can create a tree or shrub of an unusual shape or color, slightly different from all the others. The starting point of the view is beautifully served by a small heather garden, which is beautifully combined with conifers. A boulder of an unusual shape, buried in the arms of a juniper, or an interesting solution of a garden lantern also attracts the eye and helps to perceive the entire composition as a whole and each plant separately.

The combination of the sizes of conifers in a group should be harmonious. A tall spruce is perceived at a great distance, while a small spherical thuja is interesting up close.

For the dignified development of conifers, it is necessary to take into account the influence that the plants have on each other. The neighborhood of spruce and thuja will oppress both plants. A beautiful specimen of larch will not tolerate anyone near it. This individualist loves to grow alone, just like the birch.

Larch

The combination of conifers with roses looks very beautiful. But this neighborhood may not be very comfortable for a rose.

Mulch as an element of the design of a coniferous garden

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

You can mulch with all kinds of materials: from shredded twigs and cut 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 to use fraction of the bark, having a size of 5 × 5 cm. Of course, the most spectacular is the pine bark. But, unfortunately, it is not often on sale and at the same time is very expensive.

So what are the goals we pursue by mulching our conifers? There are several of them, and, in our opinion, they are all important and functional.

• Moisture retention is the most important property of mulch. Even in the driest periods, with its help, the root system of plants will avoid overdrying.
• A five-centimeter layer of pine mulch will reliably shelter conifers 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 in it, 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 assimilate water from the surface of the earth.
• By decomposing, mulch improves the quality of the soil, helps the earthworms and numerous beneficial microorganisms living in it develop.
• In snowless frosty winters, a 5-8 cm layer of pine bark mulch helps to reduce freezing of the coniferous root ball. This is especially true in the first years after planting.
• Dumping plantings with a well-calibrated bark fraction is not only a correct design move in decorating a garden, but also a natural decoration of the lower tier of conifers.

These photos show photos of decorative coniferous trees decorated with mulch:

Subtleties of planting and care

Before planting a tree or bush, think that it will need more space in the future, so leave some room for the size of an adult plant. If the diameter of an adult shrub is, for example, three meters, then this is the minimum area that must be allocated for this variety. Several smaller seedlings can be planted on this area, which will quickly close with crowns and cover the ground.

It is important to leave enough room for conifers to grow. The planting density and the size of the clumps are determined both by the dimensions of adult plants and by the conditions by the size of the seedlings.

Most species need minimal care - systematic watering in the initial period and during drought, weeding, the land needs to be loosened and fertilized in a timely manner. You can pinch young shoots to form a crown.

1. In no case do not allow the root collar to go deep. It is necessary to check whether it is buried in the process of packing the plant in the nursery. You need to find the main, skeletal thick roots. The top of the roots extending from the trunk, like the spokes of a wheel, should be located at the level of the top of the ground.
2. Mulch the plantings with chopped bark, wood chips or needles 4 - 5 cm thick, without covering the root collar.
3. When you mix tall and short plants, it can be difficult to achieve harmony. To avoid the feeling of clutter, do not choose plants of many types and colors. It is better to use one or two species, or varieties, but in large quantities, than to plant the entire assortment of the garden center on the site.
4. Try to play with geometry by combining different shapes - for example, spherical and pyramidal plants.

Look at the trees growing naturally on and around the site. If these are pines, then the soils are most often sandy and light; ate worse tolerates dry soil.

Newly planted dwarf cedar (dwarf pine) and Scots pine (in the background).

When planting a plant with a lump of earth in the burlap and netting, after placing the seedling in its place in the hole, cut the top of the net and untie the burlap, find the main roots and make sure that the root collar is not buried. After that, remove the mesh from the top of the coma, fill up the soil around the coma, spill it with water. Top up the soil again and compact it with your foot.

After planting, it is better to mulch the near-trunk circle or the entire curtain (crushed bark, chips, cones or needles are taken as mulch - depending on what is available and what is convenient to use). Mulch helps retain moisture, maintain soil life and inhibits weed growth.

The thickness of the mulch should be sufficient, at least four centimeters. Water your plants regularly after planting, especially in hot weather. However, do not overfill them, especially in heavy soil. Roots, first of all, require oxygen, and should not be allowed to lock for a long time. The plant may die.

There is an excellent signal that will help to understand that thujas, decorative spruces and junipers feel great in a new area - this is the appearance of new growths. Coniferous plants grow actively in central Russia and in the North-West in late spring - early summer, then the growth of shoots stops. The second wave of growth, much weaker, occurs in August. You need to plant plants so that they do not interfere with each other.

Conifers - what are they

Conifers, with their diversity, confuse the gardener when choosing candidates for creating landscape forms. Tidying up knowledge about evergreens is the first step in planning a beautiful garden.

The whole variety of conifers is better represented, if they are divided into groups:

• Full-grown, the annual growth of which is 30 cm or more per year;
• Medium-sized and semi-dwarf individuals grow no more than 30 cm per year;
• Dwarf forms with an annual growth of about 8 cm;
• Miniature, which add 3-5 cm per year;
• Microscopic with an increase of no more than 1 cm per year.

On these grounds, the gardener determines the place that conifers will take in the landscape design of the site.

The first group of plants reaches a height of 3 meters or more at the age of ten.For example, ordinary spruce (Picea abies) at the 12th year of life represents a beauty 4 meters high, and its crown in the lower part reaches a diameter of about 3 meters.

The Lebanese cedar (Cedrus libani) from this group also belongs to the category of giants. At the age of 10, he can reach a height of 5 meters. In an adult state, and conifers grow for a very long time, it will be a 25-meter giant, which is a delightful sight.

Lebanese cedar

Semi-dwarf forms of conifers are by far the most attractive for garden or park compositions due to their versatility. They do not need a lot of space, but even from a distance of 10 meters, a group of such plants looks quite presentable.

Dwarf and miniature forms are suitable for small gardens, where a small area is allocated to plants and you need to observe the picture from a distance of no more than 5 meters in order to appreciate the beauty of each of its participants and the entire composition as a whole.

Microscopic evergreens are grown by indoor lovers gardens in Japanese style. An ensemble of these plants can be placed on a pedestal in a small patio.

It is also necessary to divide evergreens into groups:

• trees;
• shrubs.

Shrubs are common and dwarf. Cossack juniper (Juniperus sabina tamariscifolia) is a common inhabitant of parks and gardens because of its unpretentiousness and vitality. It does not reach more than one meter in height, but in width, if it is released and does not form a crown, it can occupy an area of ​​about five or more meters in diameter.

On the contrary, the horizontal juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) in the landscape design of the site plays the role of a thorny blanket that spreads along the ground, and reaches a height of no more than 15 cm.It grows rather slowly.

Juniper horizontal

Conifers and annuals

The easiest way is to surround coniferous seedlings of the same type of plants of the same color, but you can also create complex shapes, play with geometry, or enclose thorny pets with a plant border. They go well with evergreens salvia, viscariya, gypsophila, godetia, marigolds, calendula, nasturtium, daisies, annual flax, nigella, escholzia and others.

Against the background of variegated mixed colors, conifers can be lost, especially if they are not high. But monochrome plantings are able to favorably set off their greenery.

Often, conifers are planted where they want to minimize the maintenance of the garden, but preserve its decorative effect. This can be achieved by sowing unpretentious annuals directly into the ground. Of course, not all of them are suitable for this, but even in the conditions of the middle lane there is a lot of choice.

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Features of the composition

In landscape design, as a rule, specially grown dwarf plant species are used, which are not cheap, therefore it is better to start with drawing up a sketch of the future composition on paper. One of the primary factors is undoubtedly the size of the area allocated for planting, as well as the features of the terrain. Despite the known unpretentiousness, it is best to plant conifers on the western or eastern side of the site.

When creating a layout, you should pay attention to the geometry of the planned composition. Elements should be harmoniously combined in shape and size

As a rule, the largest are the semantic center and are located in the middle or at the very beginning of the composition. It is better to place the difference in heights and shapes in descending order: from the larger and more massive to the outskirts, avoiding sharp jumps.

Attention should be paid to the choice of colors. Conifers can be quite different from each other, providing a fairly wide palette both within the original green color (from pale green to dark blue-green tones), and having a variety of mixed shades - yellowish, blue or purple

To prevent the canvas from getting clumsy, designers advise:

• choose no more than two colors for a composition of three elements;
• take three colors for a five-element composition.
• if there are more components, it is recommended to arrange them in groups according to color matching.

An important point is the functional purpose of the future landing. If the goals are purely aesthetic - decorating a corner of a summer cottage or a desire to try your hand at landscape design, then the best choice would be to create a rockery, a flower bed or an alpine slide. More practical options are mixborders or hedges, which help not only to protect their territory from strangers, noise and dust, but also to zone the space in an original way.

Rockery is a gently sloping garden without pronounced differences in tiering, when decorating which dwarf trees, stones, bushes, flowers and small pebbles (most often gravel) are used. There are three types of rockeries:

• European;
• English;
• Japanese.

In English, preference is given to grasses, bushes and creeping conifers. The Japanese emphasize the drawing of stones and gravel, occasionally diluted with green spaces. European rockery is most common in the middle lane. Its semantic center, as a rule, is a vertical conical or oval ephedra, around which the rest of the elements are placed - stones, creeping shrubs, spherical trees below.

The principle of creating an alpine slide is the same as that of rockeries - a combination of conifers with stones and other types of vegetation to create a miniature imitation of wildlife. However, the alpine slide requires more light, and the cascading structure gives it its charm. In such a composition, a pronounced tiering and arrangement of elements in descending order are visible.

A flowerbed with conifers will be an excellent option for decorating a small garden plot or a country cottage. This version of the composition is especially loved by gardeners because it can be placed with minimal cost on a standard several hundred square meters.

The main types of flower beds are:

• A large flower bed, usually located on the outskirts of the site. In the foreground, the composition is supported by medium-sized shrubs and creeping species.
• A compact flower bed, a subspecies of which is also a mobile model, is located in a small area and is a miniature rockery. The composition also includes flowers and stones.
• The landscape flower bed is stylized as an untreated wild coniferous forest in miniature. For decoration, they usually use untreated stones, driftwood, mosses.
• A symmetrical flower bed is planted from the center, where the tallest plant is located, descending through 1-2 plants of medium height to the lowest - creeping species of thuja and juniper.

The growing popularity is gaining hedges and mixborders from coniferous thuja and juniper. Such a fence not only reliably protects the site from unwanted visitors, traps dust and exhaust fumes, but also looks invariably stylish and elegant. And from dwarf species, you can plant small barriers, with the help of which it is convenient to zone an area or to fence off flower beds.

What types of conifers to choose

Also, do not forget about the other elements of the planned composition - deciduous, flowers, hosts, which will affect the choice of color and size of coniferous.

Coniferous plant species are conventionally divided into three large groups:

• tall;
• plants of medium height;
• undersized.

Pine is one of the most common and well-known trees. It is unpretentious to soil and climate, but requires a lot of space for its luxurious crown. There are many varieties of dwarf pines, including the creeping mountain pine, which allows it to be used both in compositions and as a lonely growing tree. Among the popular ones are the dwarf fluffy pine with the name Nana, the spherical twisted Vatereri and the Panderoz with long yellowish needles.

This tree is widespread in the middle lane and is also quite picky about keeping conditions. In landscape design, both ordinary spruce and its numerous varietal varieties are used.The most famous is the blue spruce, which, due to the unusual color of the needles, always looks beautiful and solemn. A tall Hoopsie spruce reaching a height of up to 15 m or a fluffy Serbian Christmas tree will also be a good choice for a large-scale composition.

More compact options are the medium-sized Canadian conic spruce, frost-resistant tompe spruce, weeping inversa or dwarf species, for example, the miniature pillow-shaped nidiformis, white-sided with a characteristic white fringing of branches, or Lombers spruce.

This tree is distinguished by its dense needles and characteristic cones on the branches, which makes it a real pearl of any flower bed. However, unlike the previous ones, fir is quite demanding on the soil, does not like polluted air and cold weather, and needs regular watering.

Thuja and cypress

These trees adapt well to urban conditions, tolerate pollution and frost, and are unpretentious in care. Thuja has a scaly structure, while cypress can be both scaly and needle-like. A distinctive feature of these plants is a huge variety of crown shapes, which allows them to organically fit into any composition. The most common type of thuja is the western breed, which has both tall and dwarf forms.

Due to the dense crown, cypress and thuja are ideal for creating hedges and mixborders.

Juniper

Junipers are quite varied in shape and size, ranging from tall, ten-meter trees to creeping shrubs. They are united by specific prickly and scaly-needle needles.

The most common and unpretentious is the Cossack juniper, suitable both for use in compositions and for creating hedges. Typical juniper colors are green and bluish with a bluish bloom, although some Chinese junipers have a rare golden hue.

Yew is deservedly considered the most decorative of conifers. It is distinguished by wide long needles, reduced from leaves, as well as bright berries. Despite its relatively slow growth, yew is often used as the basis for living fencing. The main types used are berry, medium and pointed yew.

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 shade of the landing site.
• Juniper Skyrocket. Reaches a height of up to 3 meters. The shrub is popular due to the unusual color of the needles with a bluish tint.
• Spruce Hoopsie. It 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 role of conifers in landscape design

• The popularity of conifers and shrubs is so great because of their benefits. Namely:
• almost all varieties tolerate long-term exposure to direct sunlight;
• many types of coniferous crops retain their shape even without human intervention;
• thanks to powerful roots, trees and shrubs do not need constant watering;
• plants exude a pleasant aroma;
• they are versatile and can be planted as a single planting or as part of a group.

When choosing a suitable crop, you must pay attention to the following conditions:

1. A clear choice of the place for their landing.
2. Features of weather conditions in a particular region.
3. Landing type. It can be a group or a single tree.
4. The composition of the land used.

Important! The advantage of planted conifers in containers is that they can be replaced at any time.

In addition, conifers of trees and shrubs emit useful substances for the human body. The air in these areas contains more oxygen. An extensive root system prevents landslides, reduces the likelihood of washing away fertile soil by melted snow.

Time-tested ready-made design solutions will be a good help for beginners. So, for example, a lawn wriggling like a river will look like a win-win, the "banks" of which are compositions of various types of spruce and juniper. Tall conifers in the background will look beneficial in such a composition.

The hedge of high pyramidal thujas looks majestic and stern. A graceful contrast in such a composition will be bright rose flowers, coquettishly covered with a mixborder of bush juniper. A simple and stylish solution would be to plant a small round flower bed that looks festive and beautiful by combining different varieties and colors of conifers.

Mixborders with ephedra in site design

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

Rhododendrons, dwarf barberries, maples, magonia, spireas, oaks coexist perfectly in the garden landscape next to conifers. Among perennials, we note badans, ferns, mountain goats, dwarf hosts, cereals, shoe orchids. In the foreground, heathers, stonecrops, thyme always look spectacular. The modern coniferous mixborder is a complex multifunctional piece of the garden, where each plant plays its own special role.

With such a panoramic arrangement of plants in the "coniferous parade" group, the composition becomes voluminous and easy to read. But these mixborders are pretty rare. Fragments created against a wall of a house or fence are more common. But they already have different configurations and purposes. In the background, one or more vertical dominants of decorative coniferous trees should be planted, most often with an 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, which have a creeping growth.

In this kind of mixborders, when creating coniferous compositions in landscape design, it is necessary to remember the important role of the lawn. It is he who will lead the eye of the beholder to what you have created.

Its flat surface and timely haircut are the keys to success. Carpets of creeping conifers, primarily junipers, can play the same role.

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 the final size of trees and shrubs in advance. Otherwise, additional work cannot be avoided.

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

See how beautiful the coniferous compositions on the site presented in these photos are: