The use of coniferous plants in landscape design. Prickly secrets: creating a coniferous garden on your site Roses and conifers in landscape design

Many gardeners dream of growing coniferous plants in their garden. various types and varieties. Conifers in the garden along with decorative deciduous and beautiful flowering plants create indescribable beauty. And besides their beauty, conifers protect our garden from noise, dust and saturate the air with essential oils that are beneficial to our health.

A composition of coniferous plants is a group of coniferous species and varieties, planted according to certain rules of landscape design. To create such a composition on your site, you need to adhere to the basic recommendations, which we will now share with you.

Conifers in the garden can be planted in different corners of the site, but this will cause the group to have a different shape. If you want to create a composition with an all-round view, then the tallest conifers should be planted in the center of the group so that medium-sized and small conifers can be placed in the foreground. Then all plants will receive enough sunlight and delight our eyes, since everyone will be in sight.

If you want to decorate the entrance to a building or plant a composition near a wall, then the tallest plants should be planted in the background, respectively, low-growing and dwarf conifers should be planted in the foreground.

If you want to do a strip planting, then always plant tall plants in the background, and medium-height and low-growing plants will fit well between tall conifers, but planted closer to the foreground. Be careful not to plant plants of the same height next to each other. Plants of the same height and preferably of the same species are planted only in a green hedge.

Coniferous plants now delight us with a huge range of shapes and colors of needles. Creating a composition with completely different colors of needles, on the contrary, “breaks” it and does not group it. If you want to make a composition of three conifers, then it is advisable to plant 2 plants with the same color of needles and 1 plant with a different color.
If a composition of 5 conifers is envisaged, then it is advisable to use 3 different colors of needles (for example, 1 yellow, 1 blue, 1 gray, and 2 green).

To create a composition of conifers in your garden, you need to either grow the plants yourself, which is very labor-intensive, or buy them. And you can from our partners. In addition, we have all types of conifers in stock from which we will now make a composition!

In our example, most conifers will be tall trees, so they need to be planted at a sufficient distance from each other so that when they grow, they do not interfere with each other. To do this, we will use a characteristic that indicates the size of adult plants. And since there will be quite a distance between the conifers, you can fill it with shade-loving bushes and flowers. Bulbous and corm flowers look very beautiful near conifers.

A little about the formation of groups. IN landscape design It is customary to place plants in the following groups:
Picture 1.

Picture 2.

Picture 3.

Group of 5 plants. In the center (1) there are tall coniferous plants, on the sides (2 and 3) there are medium-sized and low-growing plants. Red lines indicate that all plants are visible from one side. Also from other sides.

Picture 4.

These are the most simple examples, which may be useful to you.
And now we offer you a ready-made composition scheme of eight coniferous plants. Let's create it following the example of the pictures. For this we use picture number 1 (with three plants) and picture number 3 (with five plants). On the left side you see plants planted according to a pattern of 3 pcs. - this is Crimean pine (4), Siberian cedar (5), and common spruce (2). On the left side, conifers are planted according to a pattern of 5 pieces. — thuja Smaragd (6), thuja Columna (7), balsam fir (8), blue spruce (1), Scots pine (3).

Brief characteristics of coniferous plants in the composition:

1. Prickly or blue spruce (Picea pungens) - height 20-30 m, width - 6-8 m. Annual growth 30 cm. The color of the needles is bluish, gray, silvery. The crown shape is pyramidal. The root system is deep, but on less fertile soil it is superficial. Loves moderately nutritious soil and sufficient watering. Increases decorativeness on podzolic, moist soils, but loses decorativeness on dry, poor, rocky or clayey soils. Wind-resistant, light-loving.
2. Norway spruce (Picea abies) - height 20-40 m, width - 6-8 m. Grows slowly until 10 - 15 years, then faster, 50 cm in height. The color of the needles is dark green. The crown shape is pyramidal. The root system is deep if it grows on loam and sandy loam. If the soil is often wet, the roots are shallow, which can cause damage from the wind. Loves moist air, moderately moist, acidic and well-drained soils. Grows well in the shade. In spring, young plants need to be shaded from the sun and protected from returning frosts. But in winter it is frost-resistant.

3. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) — height 20-25 m, width 7-10 m. Grows quickly, annual growth is 30-40 cm. The color of the needles is bluish-green, the shape of the needles is slightly curved. The root system is powerful, taprooted, does well on rocky soils, and is not afraid of strong winds. It is not picky about soils, but does not like soil compaction and strong salinity. Very photophilous. Actively releases essential oils and phytoncides, which purifies and ionizes the air.

4. Pallas or Crimean pine (Pinus Palasina) - height up to 30 m. The needles are long (18-20 cm), slightly curved, dark green. This pine is less frost-resistant than Scots pine. Annual growth is 30 cm. It loves calcareous soils, but also grows normally on sandy and crushed stone soils. It is photophilous, loses its decorative effect in the shade and is damaged by pests. The root system is powerful and deep, so it is not afraid of the wind. Drought-resistant, does not like stagnant water. Gas and dust resistant.
5. Siberian cedar or cedar pine (Pinus sibirica) - height 30-35 m, width 5-8 m. The first 20 years it grows very slowly, then the annual growth is 30-40 cm. The needles are dense, protruding, dark green with a bluish coating. The root system is powerful with a main short tap root and numerous lateral roots, and is not afraid of strong winds. Grows on any soil except clayey and purely sandy. But it prefers light loamy and loamy, slightly podzolized soils. Light-loving, shade-tolerant. The older the plant, the more light it requires. Loves moderately moist soil and moist air. Very winter-hardy. Cedar wood repels midges, mosquitoes, and moths.

6. Western thuja Smaragd (Thuja occidenalis Smaragd) - height 3-5 m, width - 2 m. Annual growth 10 cm. Crown shape - narrow, pyramidal, dense. The needles are dark green and retain their color well in winter. It is not demanding on soils, but grows better on fresh loams and limed soils. Sun-loving, can grow in partial shade. Frost-resistant. Looks good in containers and in green hedges. Purifies and ionizes the air.

7. Thuja western Columna ( Thuja occidenalis Columna)— height -10 m, width - up to 1.5 m. It grows very quickly. The needles are scaly, shiny, dark green; in winter they retain their color; in the shade the color darkens. It takes root well if you do not disturb the root system too much. It is not demanding on the soil, it grows on acidic and alkaline soils, the main thing is that they are nutritious and moist. Does not like dry soil. Photophilous, the crown is dense in the sun, sparse in the shade. The most frost-resistant among western thujas. Well suited for hedges due to its fast growth and height.
8. Balsam fir (Abies balsamea) — height 20 m, width -6 m. The crown shape is narrow pyramidal. The needles are dark green, shiny on top, with two whitish stripes below. Grows quickly. The root system is superficial, so it must be protected from strong winds. It is undemanding to soils, but prefers acidic ones. If you cover the lower branches with humus, they will take root. Does not like trampling the soil and breaking off branches. Sun-loving, but also grows well in partial shade. Frost-resistant.

Increasingly, in landscape design, a variety of coniferous plants are used to decorate areas, which create harmonious combinations with lawns, decorative foliage and flowering shrubs, perennial flower crops. This article is all about conifers for the garden; rules for creating harmonious compositions; to help gardeners, photos of various conifers with the exact names of the varieties.

Coniferous plants: types, cultivation techniques

The inclusion of coniferous plants in garden compositions allows you to create uniquely beautiful corners of the garden that remain decorative at any time of the year. The range of coniferous crops for landscaping is constantly expanding, including uniquely colored spruce, cypress and juniper trees.

Advice. Trees with needles different shades fits perfectly into garden design, creating a fresh spot against the background of other plants.

Decorative conifers for the garden are very popular in decoration landscape compositions due to its positive qualities:

Coniferous trees retain an attractive shape; as their crown grows, it only becomes thicker and more elegant.
Plants do not freeze even in the most harsh winters, decorating the winter landscape, coniferous trees and shrubs are easy to care for and hardy.
The powerful root system of these plants fully provides the conifers with moisture, so adult trees can be watered infrequently.
Conifers easily tolerate insufficient lighting and tolerate shading.
Many varieties of coniferous plants have a compact form that does not require special care.

Landscape design using conifers

Coniferous crops are so diverse that they can be used to create landscape compositions of any style; compact and miniature forms of conifers look appropriate in rock gardens and alpine hills.

Types of conifers

Typically, the following coniferous crops are used for landscaping: different varieties, differing in height, shape of branches, color of needles.

Pine

Pine is the most ancient representative of the green coniferous kingdom. Pines are not picky about soil, they are highly resistant to drought and winter cold, but they require a lot of free and light space. When planted in an urban area, pine trees react strongly to smoke and air pollution, so their widespread use in creating landscape compositions near an industrial area is very limited. Pines are conventionally divided according to height into three groups:

Tall - tree height reaches more than 10 meters.
Medium-sized - from 3 to 9 meters.
Low and compact forms– reach no more than 3 meters in height.

Habitual green color pine needles is not the only one; modern varieties of pine trees may have blue or yellow tint, there are species with two-tone colored needles.

Attention! All types of pine trees are used for landscape gardening, but a special group consists of compact species of mountain pine, which is widely used for planting as a tapeworm on an alpine hill.

Ate

Spruce is a coniferous crop that is perfect for planting in city parks and squares to create a variety of compositions. Spruce remains green in winter and summer, so parks with compositions of spruce trees acquire a special charm in winter. Spruce needles have different colors: green, blue, gray, which adds decorativeness to the created landscape compositions.

The huge variety of spruce crown shapes allows these trees to be used as group and solitary plantings; elfin trees are an ideal decoration for mixborders or rockeries.
Spruce varieties are suitable for creating hedges.

Fir

Fir is a tree with dense needles and original cones, indispensable for creating landscape compositions. For the normal development of the plant, it is necessary to create certain conditions for the fir:

Uniform soil moisture, avoid stagnation of water in tree trunk circles.
Fertile soil.
Places protected from the wind.
Fir does not tolerate air pollution.
Sheltering young seedlings from frost in winter.

Fir is the only coniferous crop that can reproduce by shoots. Near an adult tree you can always see rooted young shoots, which can easily be separated from the mother tree for separate planting.

Cypress

Cypress trees are very valuable for decorating urban and park areas. The plant may have different shape: filamentous, weeping, dwarf, in total there are more than 80 types of diverse crowns. The needles on the shoots of cypress trees can have a needle-like or scaly shape in various shades of green, blue and light green.

Cypress trees are highly resistant to drought, the plant is winter-hardy, adapts to any growing conditions, and tolerates shading.

Cypress

The slender Lawson cypress is most suitable for planting in cities; ideal compositions are created by landscape architects using varieties of Virginia cypress.

Juniper

Junipers are highly decorative and have a variety of species and shapes. Plants look great in compositions of different styles, including group plantings of conifers on green lawns and creating rocky slides.

The spiny needles of junipers are usually needle-shaped and can be colored in different tones of green or blue flowers. Often the needles have a specific bluish coating.

The most common and undemanding type of juniper is the Cossack juniper, which has scaly needles. This type of plant can most often be found on city lawns and rock gardens.

Juniper

Chinese juniper usually reaches a height of up to 10 meters, its slender crowns are painted in green or golden tones of various shades. The plant is used for single plantings and for creating decorative hedges.

Thuja

Arborvitae are most often used for urban landscaping. These plants are undemanding to growing conditions, give good growth, and are very decorative, especially during the period of fruit formation. Thuja has a different crown shape: pyramidal, spreading, columnar, which makes the species ideal for creating landscape compositions of different styles.

Thuja occidentalis is especially often used for landscaping urban areas, which has proven itself well when grown in difficult urban conditions. The variety of types of thuja occidentalis allows you to create ideal compositions from tall and short varieties.

Yew

Yew trees, which are usually planted in the form of hedges, can add special artistic expressiveness to park design. Yew – amazing plant, which has leaves reduced to needles and bright berries. In total, there are 8 species of yews in nature, most of which are characterized by decorative forms.

Yew berry is the most decorative look from the Tisov family. The plant is notable for its bright, dense green needles and red berries, which do not ripen on all plants. The thing is that the yew is a dioecious plant. All yews are characterized by slow growth; plants can live to a very respectable age. Except yew berry, medium yew and pointed yew are successfully used in landscape design.

Coniferous plants on the site: video

Conifers in landscape design: photos

Coniferous trees and shrubs are in great demand in landscape gardening, their photos can increasingly be found in magazines and websites dedicated to landscape design. They are frost-resistant, decorative, hardy, easy to care for and are distinguished by a variety of crown shapes.

Gardeners love coniferous plants for their many other advantages:

many varieties of conifers tolerate limited sunlight well and develop well in partial shade
the well-developed root system of conifers allows them to tolerate long time Without watering, some types of plants grow well on rocky soils. In addition, due to powerful and developed roots, they can be used to strengthen slopes

Most conifers tolerate pruning well; they (some varieties of thuja look especially attractive in this regard) can be used to obtain a variety of shapes, which are often seen in photographs of regular English gardens. And some varieties of conifers by nature have geometric correct form, so they require virtually no maintenance

coniferous tree is a source of beneficial phytoncides, a walk in the garden with coniferous plantings has a beneficial effect on both the physical and psychological state of a person
Conifers tolerate smoky urban environments well
ripening cones will attract birds to the garden, filling it with life and movement

But the main thing that attracts conifers and shrubs, why design loves them is that with their green color they bring variety and liveliness even to a gloomy, gray and gloomy autumn-winter garden.

Coniferous plants: how to place them correctly in the garden

Conifers are universal plants; the abundance of forms and types allows them to be used in landscape compositions of different styles (you will find confirmation of this in our photos). In this case, the size of the plot will not become a problem - if in nature the conifers are tall enough, then decorative varieties and species used for landscaping rarely exceed 4 m in height. Design alpine slides It’s hard to imagine without low-growing conifers and shrubs (dwarf Hampi pine, Lobers spruce, Mini Pug pine, some types of thuja, coniferous shrubs).

The design of the site can give the coniferous tree the function of a color delimiter that will resist merging natural shades. Thus, conifers will help complicate color combination garden, make it richer and deeper. Often low-growing varieties thuja with dark needles is used as a border for a club, enclosing the flowers inside in a kind of green frame that sets off bright colors colors. Photos of gravel gardens always contain conifers, and in some places the stone can be replaced by cones or small cut bark.

Mixborder

Hedge

To zone a site, designers often use coniferous trees and shrubs. The result is not just beautiful barriers (in the photo they look monolithic wall), but at the same time – practically impassable, i.e. exactly the qualities required for perimeter fencing fence. To do this, coniferous plants are planted in a checkerboard pattern, arranged in 2-3 rows. Of course, to achieve the full effect, it will take considerable time, but the result will exceed your wildest expectations.

For zoning a plot (garden), medium-sized (1-2 m high) varieties are most often used, which will not block the overall perspective. In addition, an evergreen hedge will provide an excellent backdrop for flowering colorful perennials; this technique is especially common in modern or landscape style gardens.

Advice! To create hedges, it is good to use different types of thujas - thanks to the dense crown, it will be enough to plant them in one row, saving space.

All-round view composition

Coniferous plants combine well with grasses, flowers (especially lilies) and foliage plants. Coniferous shrubs They will look picturesque near ponds, where they will be accompanied by deciduous weeping plants. The intense greenery of the thuja with a bluish tint of needles with small spotted inclusions will be an excellent photon for junipers.

In order for a composition of coniferous plants to look impressive and harmonious, its design must include the following factors:

the best background for conifers will be a regularly manicured lawn

so that the composition of their conifers (both trees and shrubs) looks harmonious and holistic, a place for best review(location of the gazebo or observation deck) should be located at a distance of no less than 2 times the length of the composition

The most effective in landscape design is considered to be the location of coniferous species oriented to the west or east
geometric shapes - in landscape design it is good to use the principle of contrast, for example, placing pyramidal tall conifers next to one of the short ones spherical species thuy. This arrangement of trees of different heights will help achieve some visual effects - against the background of low-growing mountain pines, several even medium-sized thujas will look very tall

Coniferous trees and bushes are ideal material for topiary, with which they acquire geometric and fantastic shapes

More and more owners are now placing coniferous trees on their property. Vegetable gardens and orchards are shrinking every year, and in their place are flower beds, lawns and flower beds with interesting plant compositions. And if decorative flowers and shrubs have long been used by gardeners to transform their backyard, conifers have become popular relatively recently. In this article we will look at how to correctly and harmoniously create evergreen compositions, what are the features of planting, and also what is the care of coniferous trees and shrubs.

Coniferous plants for the garden

In addition to their beautiful appearance throughout the entire 12 months, conifers have the following positive characteristics:

significantly reduce dust and noise levels; hold back strong gusty winds;
give the microclimate in the backyard a softer character;
stop the development of certain viruses and prevent the excessive spread of bacteria and insects;
provide a high concentration of oxygen and phytoncides (they cope best with this task.

If not only the aesthetic side of the garden is important to you, but also a favorable microclimate, you should concentrate on conifers. Thanks to your wonderful views, graceful forms and varied crown volumes, open up great opportunities for implementing the most interesting landscape ideas in both large and small areas.

Video “Tips for buying conifers”

How to correctly compose compositions from conifers

Conifers will look quite harmonious and picturesque if surrounded by rhododendrons, deciduous and heather plants, and they can add brightness and contrast to the overall picture, and also allow you to modify the design of the garden from time to time. But there are exceptions, for example, bird cherry and birch trees have a negative impact on the proximity to pine needles. Ball-shaped and columnar plants look great. Thanks to them, many landscape architects create very difficult geometric figures, different height levels and interesting front alleys.

Composition of coniferous plants for the garden

Beautifully trimmed conifers divide the space into different zones, decorate alpine slides, ponds, and also give volume to the relief. Do not forget that in winter many types of conifers change their color.

To ensure that the landscape evokes positive emotions all year round, and there was no eye-popping effect, you should be very careful in choosing combinations of color and texture not only of conifers, but also of other types of shrubs and trees.

As the main plants to focus on, you should choose species with high level winter hardiness. Such conifers will not change under the influence of negative temperatures. Plants with a branched and wide crown should be placed in the background. To finish coniferous composition, landscape designers prefer to use low, creeping plants. Wide and spreading conifers help to hide from the eye not very beautiful elements on the site. For example, spruce or fir can perfectly hide an unsightly area in a fence, and thujas are perfect for creating a hedge.

Hedge

The use of conifers as an element of a hedge has already become a classic of landscape architecture. Very dense interweaving of branches with greenery all year round creates plantings that perfectly divide the territory into certain sectors or indicate the boundaries of the site itself, hiding everything unnecessary from prying eyes.

Coniferous hedge

To create decorative hedges, mostly pyramidal, spherical and columnar types are used.

If the task is to make the fence high, you should pay attention to such large trees as spruce, pseudo-hemlock, fir, larch, and pine.

Yew, thuja, juniper, araucaria, podocarp, taxodium, cypress, cypress, cryptomeria are used as plants for medium-height hedges.

If you need a border-type hedge, you can use dwarf species of mountain pine, thuja, cypress and juniper.

In order for the green fence to be uniform, you need to use one variety of plants, and if you want to add variety, you should alternate varieties with different colored needles.

A fence made from spruce in blue, silver and green colors will be very interesting. If thuja was chosen as the main plant, pay attention to the combination of “Smaragd”, “Brabant” and “Europe Gold”. In this case, hedge will simultaneously have a dark green, light green and golden color, which will leave few people indifferent.

Focus on the lawn

To add some zest to an ordinary lawn, you just need to place a conifer on it, preferably with a non-trivial crown shape. Almost any tall or medium-sized tree or shrub in the shape of a ball or cone will cope with this task perfectly. And also a beautiful topiary plant or bonsai, which is very popular in the East, will attract the eye.

Group plantings

Coniferous plants, combined in crown type, shade and size, planted in a single group, will look very impressive. Special attention the site design focuses on compositions based on contrast color range and geometric shape. An example is a combination of conifers in the shape of a ball along with columnar forms, diluted with creeping varieties. Fir trees with a blue tint, golden thujas and emerald-colored junipers planted nearby can also evoke a bright mood.

In the process of forming group plantings, do not forget that over time, a shrub or tree will grow and will darken and take away nutrients from the neighbor’s soil if they are placed too close. Understanding the nature of the plant being grown will help preserve the green space itself and the positive emotions from it for a long time.

Mixborders

Mixborders are prefabricated compositions from various types of plants. Often, conifers play a major role in this kind of planting or act as a decorative background for bright perennial flowers. Mixborders made from conifers and rhododendrons, heathers, spireas, creeping cotoneasters, low-growing barberries, boxwoods, and mahonias look very harmonious. Quite interesting is the combination of, in its own way, rough needles and meek leaves, which are diluted with fruits and bright flowering of ornamental bushes.

Mixborder of conifers

Mixborder of conifers

When designing mixborders, it is necessary to study in more detail the consequences of the proximity of conifers and deciduous plants. After the needles fall, the soil becomes more dense, which can negatively affect other green spaces. Plants from the family of rhododendrons, ferns, daylilies, daffodils, hazel grouse, and woodlands are perfect as neighbors for conifers. From fruit crops It should be noted blueberries and blueberries, for which pine litter is only a plus.

If the territory of the area being improved is quite large, many landscape architects design a certain part in the style of a natural forest. The large area makes it possible to place deciduous and coniferous trees that are not always compatible without compromising their growth. For grass cover, shade-tolerant ground covers such as periwinkle, tenacious or unpretentious cereals such as red fescue and bluegrass are perfect.

Conifers in a stone garden

Conifers have their own special and honorable place when creating a rock garden or rock garden. They add variety to the overall picture of the garden group, giving it a new shape and proportions. Visually stretching the arrangement upward, mountain pines and spruces in the shape of a cone, as well as compact firs in the shape of a ball and creeping groundcover, attract attention to the composition of stones.

For the most part, to make the rocky structure more natural, conifers of small height are used. The very beautiful and dense silhouette of the “Little Gem” or “Moll” spruce is quite often used by gardeners or landscape designers. Among pine trees, varieties such as “Winter gold”, whose fluffy cushion grows up to 100 cm in width and reaches 50 cm in height, and “Mops”, which resembles a thick ball, are very popular. For planting thuja rock gardens, dwarf varieties “Danica” and “Tiny Tim” are used.

Conifers in topiary

Topiary art involves figuratively trimmed trees and shrubs. In most cases, these are regular geometric shapes, but you can also find images of animals, household items, or scenes from Everyday life. Coniferous trees are the most popular plants for this, as they have a very dense needle structure, which can be changed in almost any way by cutting.

Conifers in containers

Due to the fact that not all conifers are able to withstand harsh winters and die out when negative temperature, many gardeners grow them in containers. These are mainly varieties from tropical regions. Containers with plants coniferous They can decorate any part of the garden, and after a while you can simply rearrange them. In this simple way it is possible to introduce novelty into appearance your personal plot. In winter, containers with conifers should be moved to a cool room where they will not freeze. Greenhouse, glass balcony or closed veranda perfect for this.

Landing rules

Conifers and roses

Conifers with an open root system should be planted in spring or early autumn, and with a closed root system - at any time.

During the replanting process, it will not hurt to add root growth stimulants, such as Kornevin, which is sold in any garden store.
In terms of depth, each hole for seedlings should not be more than 90 cm, and at the junction of the trunk and root it should exactly correspond to the ground level.
The distance between seedlings depends on the type of plant, but it should not be less than 90-100 cm. Otherwise, when the conifers grow up, they will interfere with each other's required amount sunlight, which will negatively affect the appearance and growth rate.
Add to the soil used sand mixture and clay.
3-4 weeks after planting, the plant should be fed with mineral fertilizers.

Conifer care

Even before the first strong rays of the sun in spring, conifers should be protected from burns. To do this, they are wrapped in a special shade or white spandbond. A few weeks after the resumption of the growing season, it is recommended to feed the plants with special fertilizers. Basically, these are granules with useful microelements, which should be scattered around the trunk in slightly loosened soil. We should not forget that it is very easy to overfeed conifers, so you need to strictly follow the proportions indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging with minerals. It is also worth loosening the soil around the trunk from time to time.

During particularly dry periods, do not forget about watering, which should be carried out in a small hole at the root collar, which will allow all the liquid to be absorbed. It is also very important to water the soil generously before frost sets in so that the plant can gain the necessary amount of moisture for the winter months.

Removing dry and dead branches is an important procedure that will not only restore a beautiful appearance, but also improve air circulation in the crown. And to form a thick crown, shoots should be cut by 1/3 every year.

Thanks to their ability to maintain a decorative appearance throughout the year, as well as their unpretentiousness to soil and weather conditions, resistance to diseases and pests, coniferous trees have taken a special place in creating a wonderful landscape. Taking note of the proposed options, the garden will delight you from spring to infinity, with the proper level of care

Flower beds, green lawns, hedges and large single shrubs are the basis of landscape design. But everyone wants that even in winter, when most plants fade and lose their foliage, it is important that the green area remains alive and attractive. This function is performed by coniferous compositions in landscape design and single evergreens. But some conifers do not get along next to each other and deciduous trees. To avoid annoying mistakes, professionals share their secrets with those who love gardening.

Flower beds and decorative perennials have long been used by gardeners in landscaping city yards and suburban areas. Abroad, gardens and vegetable gardens have long been abandoned in favor of neat beds decorative spicy greenery and compact vegetable crops. In the East, for many centuries the Japanese have been practicing a “rock garden” with sakura, red maple, wild grapes and low-growing conifers. The culture of gardening courtyards and thoughtful landscape design is actively taking root in our country.

Central Russia is the natural environment of many species of pine, larch, cedar and juniper. A little further south, Mediterranean cypresses, thujas and other heat-loving evergreen tree-like conifers are perfectly cultivated. Surprisingly, except blue spruce trees and some other pyramidal forms of this conifer, no other related plants were used. The exception was the resorts of Crimea and the North Caucasus, where even in Soviet times, parks and alleys were decorated rare species evergreen forms.

Today, decorative forms of coniferous plants are increasingly used in landscape design and gardening of household plots. Asian and Mediterranean forms, through the efforts of domestic and Dutch breeders, are adapted to our climatic conditions. Although evergreen heat-loving plants are increasingly decorating our plots, many conifers native to Italy, Korea and Japan need to be sprinkled with sawdust on the roots and wrapped around the crown for the winter, as in the photo.

It is very convenient to purchase cultivated compact forms for landscape design with coniferous compositions through catalogs and a specialized retail network. Although this is expensive in complex landscaping, it has its advantages:

the root system of a seedling in a pot or tub is protected;
each plant has a “passport” or brief instructions care;
If you follow the recommendations for watering and cultivation, 100% rooting of the young conifer is guaranteed.

Attention! If at a retail outlet they offer slightly yellowed plants from a number of identical plants, do not buy them - this is the first sign of the seedling dying! Even if planted in fertile soil and intensive watering, it will not be possible to revive it, with rare exceptions. Such material can only be taken for free - in addition to a batch of other plants to be planted somewhere near the edge.

Coniferous composition on a summer cottage

If you are not sure that the purchased garden forms take root, in the first year you can hire a professional gardener who will take care of the “young growth”. When rooted thujas, juniper and ornamental spruces overwinter and in the spring they put out young, slightly colored branches - a signal that the conifers feel great in a new place and do not need careful care.

Advice. Do not forget that any tree-like plant during the period active growth needs to additional watering(especially in dry summers), feeding and wrapping the crown during frosts.

Competent care and thoughtful planting of young evergreen seedlings in landscape design using conifers is a guarantee that the site will be beautiful at any time of the year. The main thing is that they do not shade each other and do not oppress less viable forms with their phytoncides. For example, other conifers do not coexist near a single larch or gradually degrade.

Decorating a cottage with coniferous plants

Landscape design with coniferous plants

It is desirable that the basis of the composition be a single tall or medium-sized plant surrounded by 2-3 coniferous forms of contrasting forms. A green lawn or small gravel is an excellent background for such planting. It can be supplemented with compact flowering perennials or ornamental fruit-bearing shrubs, which can be adjusted annually by pruning.

Attention! You should not plant large conifers, fast-growing and spreading forms in the center of the site and under the windows of the building. Otherwise, in 5-6 years they will turn into forest wilds, creating excess shadow near the flowerbed or front garden.

Several identical conifers should not be planted randomly; it is better to place them along an alley or as a hedge. Compact spruce trees or similar plants go well with weeping plants. deciduous trees near an artificial pond on the edge of the garden, as in the photo.

Landscape design in coniferous composition

Cottage design with coniferous plants

Variations of coniferous forms

For most people, coniferous plants are fir trees and pine trees, which are usually decorated for the New Year holidays. They also include Siberian and Lebanese cedars, but the difference is not known to ordinary people. What the branches of larch, thuja, cypress or juniper look like is anyone's guess.

This is interesting. Each variety of conifers has its own subspecies, with large variations in the color of cones or berries, crown shape and needle length. Italian weeping pine trees are the same as pine trees, but the needles can reach 20-30 cm in length. And there are coniferous forms with large purple cones and small red cones, reminiscent of roses. For landscaping arboretums, juniper with blue edible berries is used, and the variety with bright red fruits is poisonous. Young twigs decorative fir trees may have a light green, golden or blue tint, examples are in the photo.

Coniferous composition on a summer cottage

Decorating a cottage with coniferous plants

When selecting coniferous compositions in landscape design, it is advisable to become more familiar with the species diversity of these relict plants. Botanists claim that conifers or gymnosperms reigned during the time of dinosaurs, replacing the era of tree-like horsetails and ferns. But they also find it difficult to answer how many natural varieties and subspecies these representatives of the kingdom of flora and fauna have.

Scientists annually discover new endemics in impenetrable virgin forests, which are used by breeders to breed decorative subspecies.

Landscape design with coniferous plants

Landscape design in coniferous composition

The main classification of conifers in nurseries is based on crown shape:

spherical;
ovoid,
spiral;
spreading flat-topped;
crying;
pyramidal;
columnar;
oval;
creeping (flat);
squat;
rare crown.

The following forms are also distinguished:

tall;
medium height;
short;
creeping.

Attention! Over time, low-growing plants will look like medium-sized ones, while dwarf and compact conifers will take up more space. You should not plant them densely, so as not to spoil the original idea in the landscape design.

Cottage design with coniferous plants

Coniferous composition on a summer cottage

How to compose compositions?

Conifers are quite unique plants in many respects. They rarely get sick and are subject to attacks by pests, and withstand the vagaries of the weather. Most do not require particularly fertile soil, although each species has its own preferences. Some shed their needles like larch, others bloom pink in landscape design, like the Crimean thuja. All these forms are classified as evergreens, and most purify the air, filling it with phytoncides that are destructive to pathogenic microflora. Compact trees, densely covered with needles, are quite impressive both in single plantings and in a general composition with other “neighbors”, as in the photo.

Decorating a cottage with coniferous plants

Landscape design with coniferous plants

The design of the site is usually divided into several zones, where certain types of plants will be in the center of the composition. Depending on the purpose, from a catalog or in a garden supermarket, you can choose or order different conifers. Most often they offer compact, dwarf and low-growing forms.

Attention! To suit your taste, you can choose any variety of pine, spruce, fir, cedar, larch, thuja, cypress or juniper. But there is one condition - they must be adapted and acclimatized to a specific region. Not all of them are organically perceived in the vicinity of decorative and fruit-bearing trees and shrubs.

Most evergreen forest beauties are in harmony with those trees and shrubs with which they usually coexist in the wild. These are oaks and birches, maples and rowan trees, hawthorn and rose hips.

Attention! You should not plant several conifers from different geographical zones nearby at once; this often looks unnatural.

“Northerners” can suppress stunted and dwarf forms native to the Mediterranean and Far Eastern regions with their phytoncides. And selective and hybrid forms will be oppressed by their natural relatives. Lebanese cedars and Siberian larches are considered the most “quarrelsome”.

Cottage design with coniferous plants

Coniferous composition on a summer cottage

Gardeners have noticed that most evergreens thrive in the shade, so they are planted behind the house on the north side. However, this does not apply to Mediterranean endemics and varieties of Christmas trees with light needles, which fade in the shade.

Cones are a natural dining area for many wild birds, which willingly flock to the site in winter and late autumn, filling the yard with joyful chirping. However, natural fertilizer after treating with seeds can spoil the appearance of a well-groomed coniferous composition in landscape design.

Most cultivated forms lend themselves well to “haircutting”; they can be given the most bizarre shapes - from elephants to precise spirals. But some coniferous plants get sick even if one branch is broken.

Decorating a cottage with coniferous plants

Landscape design with coniferous plants

Landscape design in coniferous composition

If you want to improve personal plot evergreen sculptures, you need to choose the right dense forms with small branches and short needles. You will also have to look for specialists who create real masterpieces. You should not experiment with living plants if you are not sure that such “creations” are within your power.

Take a close look at the examples in our photo gallery. Perhaps these ideas will inspire and suggest a new concept for the design of your site.