Conifers will help to make even the smallest garden spectacular and very beautiful. They look great both individually and in composition. With the help of a coniferous tree or shrub, you can select a specific place on the site. Even a person who has not been engaged in landscape design before can set accents.
In addition, conifers have an undeniable advantage - they look great all year round. This means that the garden will look attractive not only in summer, when deciduous trees are in bloom, but also in winter, when the ground is covered with a layer of snow.
To create a beautiful composition, you need to familiarize yourself in advance with the properties of different conifers, their differences and characteristics.
Names and characteristics of coniferous tree species for landscape design
A wide variety of coniferous trees are used in landscape design: from traditional spruces and pines to thujas, dwarf firs and other interesting trees. The following are several common species that take root well in the climatic conditions of our country and at the same time do not require special care.
European and Japanese larch
Larch is a tree familiar to everyone, it reaches a height of several tens of meters. The peculiarities of the appearance of the crown depend on age: in young trees they resemble a cone, and with age they become closer to rounded.
Different species of larch are distinguished by their great resistance to different climatic conditions, so it can be grown practically throughout the entire territory of our country. Among summer residents, 2 types of this tree are common - European larch with light green needles and Japanese larch, the green of which has bright green tones and red-brown bark.
Larch is a tree familiar to everyone, it reaches a height of several tens of meters
Spruce prickly silver
Along with common spruce, gardeners especially like to plant prickly silver spruce on their plots. It has rather large needles, painted in a pleasant silvery-bluish tint. The tree looks great both in solitary plantings and in composition with other conifers.
Along with ordinary spruce, gardeners especially like to plant prickly silver spruce on their plots
Siberian cedar
Cedar is also called Siberian pine. The tree grows up to 40 meters in height, and the trunk diameter in girth is about 2 meters. The crown is almost always dense and often gives several peaks directed in different directions. The cones are purple in color, and as they ripen, they acquire a classic brown color. At the same time, the trees begin to give fruits only over the age of 60 years.
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IT IS INTERESTING
Ancient cedars are contemporaries of Russian emperors and the European Middle Ages, because trees live from 400 to 800 years!
Cedar is also called Siberian pine.
Balsam fir
Fir prefers sunny areas, but grows quite normally in conditions of weak shade. In summer cottages, balsam fir is especially common, which gives a pleasant aroma and, moreover, has medicinal properties. This fir the cones are painted in purple tones, which gives it a special charm.
Ways of caring for coniferous plantings
It is a mistake to believe that conifers do not need special care and can grow in any conditions. To prevent the plant from being threatened by disease, we follow the following rules:
We periodically apply nitrogen-free fertilizers. Small volumes of compost are most suitable.
Conifers cannot tolerate very abundant watering. Watering is necessary only when the soil dries up. The older the plant, the less watering it needs.
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Conifers respond well to mulching. Sawdust or small chips are suitable. It is best to add mulch before the onset of winter with a layer of at least 5 centimeters.
Strong scalding rays of the sun harm conifers by burning them. During the period of bright sun, it is worth covering the plantings with a covering cloth.
Stately, austere, neat conifers will adorn any garden. And the benefits of the smell of pine resin and the serenity make this garden a favorite resting place.
Gallery: conifers in landscape design (67 photos)
Compositions with conifers in the landscape design of a summer cottage
Conifers create great opportunities for garden design, many gardeners willingly use them on their plots. At the same time, to create a unique atmosphere, it is not necessary to choose many varieties at once. The main condition is the correct combination of size, color and shape. Even a combination of several shrubs can give a garden its own unique charm.
Simple coniferous design
If the site is small, this is not yet a reason to abandon conifers. Even a simple design based on these plants perfectly organizes the space and creates a kind of center of attraction in the country. Here a few ideas for creating such a design:
- The most obvious option is group planting of conifers. In this case, you can choose both plants of the same height, and different ones. It is important that they differ in color: for example, dark green and blue spruce will look great due to the contrast.
- If the choice fell on large enough trees, it is better to plant them in the most remote areas of the garden. Medium-sized shrubs can be placed in the corners, along the natural boundaries of different zones.
- If there are special corners in the country that are a kind of visiting cards, you can decorate them with conifers. For example, plant a thuja along the shores of a summer cottage or arrange a recreation area with the help of shrubs.
NOTE
When combining different types of conifers and shrubs, it is important to take into account the conditions of their growth. For example, a light-loving thuja should not be placed in the shade of large trees.
Pine trees in the garden (video)
Thuja and juniper in landscape design
Small conifers such as thuja and juniper have long been common in garden landscaping. The reason is not only in the decorative potential, but also in a rather unpretentious way of life. Here are some ideas to help you you can successfully fit these shrubs into almost any garden:
- First of all, these plants make it possible to perfectly arrange country paths, as well as a living area.For example, if you place several pots around the perimeter of a country house, this will perfectly organize the space and separate the building from the garden.
- Since the juniper covers the soil well, it can be used in almost all places in the garden that for some reason have not been developed.
- With the help, you can also organize a magnificent hedge. If you plant it in a row at small intervals, you get a gorgeous green wall that can beautifully separate one area of the garden from another and also creates the effect of a small forest.
Pine
About 115 species of pines (Pinus) are known in the world, but seventeen are widespread in Ukraine, and only eleven of them are cultivated. Pines differ from other coniferous trees with fragrant needles, located on the branches in bunches of 2 - 5 pieces. Depending on their number, the species of pine is determined.
Important! Outdoors, pine roots dry out within 15 minutes. It is better to plan the planting of pines in April-May or mid-September.
For garden collections, breeders have developed many miniature forms with slow growth. In large-scale forest park zones, giant natural species of pines are more common. In small adjoining territories and in the backyard, undersized varieties of pine trees will look spectacular. Such evergreen bushes can be identified in a rock garden, on a lawn or in a mixborder. The varieties of mountain pine are popular, which in the wild is found on Western European slopes and reaches a height of 1.5 to 12 m:
- "Gnom" (characterized by a height and crown diameter of 2 m, needles up to 4 cm long);
- "Columnaris" (shrub up to 2.5 m in height and up to 3 m in width, needles are long and dense);
- "Mops" (trunk up to 1.5 m high, branches form a spherical shape);
- "Mini Mops" (shrub reaches up to 60 cm, grows up to 1 m in diameter, cushion crown);
- "Globosa Viridis" (pine bush height and width about 1 m, ovoid shape, needles up to 10 cm long).
How to make a fence from coniferous trees
One of the most successful, time-tested design moves is associated with the formation of hedges from some conifers. Such a living fence performs two functions at once:
- It successfully frames the summer cottage path and gives the whole garden a unique look.
- On the other hand, a hedge perfectly protects the garden from winds, which is relevant in the steppe zone.
When selecting specific representatives of conifers to create a hedge, you need to proceed from the size of your own summer cottage. If an ordinary spruce is quite suitable for large, high fences, then in most cases, the fence is made from less tall shrubs:
- common juniper and virginian;
- prickly spruce;
- thuja western;
- yew berry.
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Whichever trees or shrubs are chosen to create the fence, it is important to adhere to a few rules:
- Trees need to be trimmed every year. The cutting technology depends on the specific type and season.
- To make the fence dense enough, the plants must be planted at a minimum distance from each other. As a rule, 30-50 cm.
- It will be especially beautiful if you strengthen the base of the hedge by raising it above the ground with the help of large light stones.
Thus, the variety of conifers and shrubs allows you to choose the most suitable species for the landscape of any summer cottage. Conifers are not only large trees familiar to everyone, but also graceful decorative forms that fit perfectly into the design of the garden.
Fir
Fir is a magnificent tree from the Pine family (Pinaceae). Among other conifers, it stands out with purple cones and flat needles growing upward. The needles are shiny and soft, they are dark green on top, and each one is marked with a white stripe below. Young seedlings grow for a very long time, and from the age of 10, development accelerates and lasts until the roots die off.Despite the prevalence of fir, many find it difficult to answer whether it is a coniferous or deciduous tree. Among gardeners, varieties of decorative balsamic fir are in demand:
- "Columnaris" (columnar);
- "Prostrate" (branches grow horizontally, their length is up to 2.5 m);
- "Nana" (tree up to 50 cm high and 1 m wide, round-flattened crown);
- "Argenta" (needles are silvery, each needle has a white tip);
- "Glauca" (blue needles with a waxy bloom);
- "Variegata" (yellow spot on the needles).
