Coniferous flower bed in front of the house. How to make a mixborder from coniferous shrubs: ready-made flower garden schemes. Rules for creating a flower bed

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With the help of evergreens coniferous plants you can decorate and ennoble a personal plot or a flower bed near a residential building. This dignity of coniferous plants has been known for a long time, and therefore various kinds of evergreen decorations are so relevant. The beauty and originality of such green spaces is preserved throughout the year. This applies to both compositions of conifers and a single tree.

Most varieties of conifers well tolerate the lack sunlight and have a well developed root system, which allows plants to do without watering for a long time. Some varieties of coniferous plants take root well and develop on dry and stony soils.

The bulk of coniferous trees and shrubs perfectly tolerates a haircut. Some species of coniferous trees by nature have the correct geometric shape and do not need a haircut and complex care.

The role of conifers in the landscape of a summer cottage

Coniferous plants can perform a variety of functions in landscape design. It can be:

The design of a garden with coniferous plants can be both purely decorative and functional. In particular, with the help of juniper or thuja, you can create a beautiful living fence, which will hide from prying eyes a recreation area in the yard. For example, if you plant these shrubs very closely next to each other, you will get a magnificent hedge.

With the help of dwarf juniper, you can create low fence for playgrounds or large flower beds. Such a fence will not close the view and will create a visual border. In addition, it will create clean aesthetic effect framework.

Conifers with an unusual crown shape or color can be used as single decorations for the site. Such a "soloist" is able to decorate a yard or garden throughout the year. The background for such a tree can be a gravel coating or a grassy lawn.

A composition of ornamental plants for landscape design, framing a path or a fence, has another name for a mixborder. This element is very popular among gardeners. To create a mixborder you can combine conifers with ground cover plants, flowers, lawn grass. If a mixborder is created near a garden path, it is best to create it from dwarf forms of plants, then it is possible to capture the entire composition at once.

Such compositions are a ready-made original and at the same time very attractive solution for creating a landscape of a courtyard or suburban area. You can combine conifers in the country with suitable deciduous plants.

Gives a good effect play on contrasts of color and form plants. You can combine columnar and spherical arborvitae and complete such a composition with creeping juniper. Bright green color while it will harmonize with golden and deep dark green. This composition looks very attractive.

If you model the landscape composition correctly, the territory of your site will look very cozy and harmonious. A complete picture of a coniferous garden can be created if you adhere to the following rules:

It is best to orient landings to the east or west,

Not recommended overload landscapes with an abundance of shapes and colors- this will create a feeling of anxiety. It is best to limit yourself to two or three contrasting colors. Even on a fairly large area, it is better to limit yourself to alternating two shades and avoid chaos from all kinds of colors.

Gallery: conifers in landscape design (25 photos)

Creating flower beds from conifers

With the help of conifers of various shapes and sizes, you can arrange flower beds in your backyard or summer cottage. The design of such a landscape will depend on the size of the site, the shape of the flower bed and, of course, the skill of the gardener.

Exists several varieties of flower beds from conifers:

Alpine hill with conifers

With the help of decorative coniferous plants of different colors and sizes, you can perfectly decorate and small ponds on the site. The ideal option landscape design can be a pond or stream lined with conifers.

Spruce or pine, western thuja, balsam fir or ephedra has a spherical shape.
The conical shape can be maintained in Dove Spruce, Lawson Cypress, Serbian Spruce, or Mountain Pine.
The cylindrical shape is inherent in the eastern thuja, berry yew, virgin juniper.

Plants of various shapes can be combined in the country with creeping juniper species.

coniferous bonsai

Bonsai is a unique opportunity to take home your garden during the winter cold. Such trees are grown in special containers and require a lot of time, effort and attention. Such a task is only possible for experienced and patient gardeners.

The root system of such microconifers can be severely damaged in the harsh Russian winter. In the summer, bonsai can decorate a garden and a personal plot, but for the winter it must be moved to a room with a temperature of 1 to 12 degrees. Be sure to follow the rules of winter watering plants. Such painstaking work will be more than rewarded with a delightful and very aesthetic landscape of your dacha.

Advantages and disadvantages

All ornamental conifers are different a number of undoubted advantages.

Even on the most “agricultural” site, at least one prickly “saboteur” will certainly be found. Most often, forest guests act in this capacity, like common juniper, spruce or pine. But with the availability of a huge assortment of amazingly beautiful and perfect conifers, it is unreasonable to ignore the possibility of their use. In addition, plants grown in nurseries are easier to take root and grow faster.

Possible options

In the world of conifers, giants and dwarfs easily coexist - there are suitable plants for a garden of any size. And the richness of shades of needles allows you to create picturesque canvases from them.

grenadiers

Tall conifers conquer with their grandeur. They look best from a distance, when you can see the whole tree without looking up. But you can use them in compositions in small garden. In this case, the lower part will become the background for other plants, and the thicker it is, the better. The best sellers are European cedar pine, prickly spruce 'Hoopsii' (Hoopsii), one-color fir, thuja western 'Brabant' (Brabant), 'Aureospicata' (Aureospicata) and others. At a young age, while you can reach the top, these trees can dress up for the New Year.

Slow-growing varieties deserve special attention, reaching their characteristic height not by ten years, but by thirty. In addition, there are plants whose impressive size is still acceptable for a small garden.

So, Scotch pine ‘Watereri’ (Watereri) with beautiful bluish needles by the age of 30 has a height and width of about 3 m. The trunk that is not exposed from below allows it to be used as a screen and in a mixed hedge. A number of varieties of western arborvitae are often positioned as two or three meters simply because they grow too slowly. A striking example is ‘Smaragd’ (Smaragd), on the label of which you can often see the mark “up to 2 meters”. In fact, it grows more than four, but after 10 years.

If a pine or spruce is too big for your garden, or just planted out of place, there is a reliable, albeit time-consuming, way to contain the unbridled growth of a pet. To do this, a strong pruning or pinching of young shoots is carried out annually, with special attention paid to the apical ones. As a result, the trees look extremely beautiful and well-groomed. Unfortunately, you can’t skip a year or two, and even more so, you can’t completely stop the process - you will get strange freaks.

Tui and junipers can simply be trimmed with garden shears from time to time (not to be confused with a curly haircut!). Plants easily tolerate this operation and for the next few years completely do without your attention.

Middle class

Coniferous plants of medium size are fantastically diverse. Neat "balls" and "cones" of thuja western, low varieties of various firs and pines, numerous junipers - all of them are remarkably good and satisfy the most picky tastes. But besides them, there are much less common firs and such interesting species as pea-bearing cypress or Canadian hemlock. Medium-sized conifers fit perfectly both in large-scale gardens and in a “six-hundred” design, therefore they are always in demand.

It is the “middle peasants” that form the basis of coniferous compositions and are part of mixborders. Without them, it is difficult to imagine a heather garden or a small mixed flower garden, in which, for support in the winter, it is required to include a coniferous plant, peeking out of the snowdrifts, but not taller than average human height.

A globular thuja of the ‘Globosa’ (Globosa) variety, planted in a row along the path or in a symmetrical pair at the entrance to the house, has become a European classic. The Polish experience of planting along a mountain pine fence is interesting. Moreover, depending on the height of the fence, it is possible to choose between varieties different heights, width and growth rate: ‘Gnome’ (Gnom), ‘Pug’ (Mops), ‘Pumilio’ (Pumilio), ‘Mugus’ (Mugus). And fans of the “blue trees” can successfully use the compact prickly spruce ‘Glauca Globosa’ (Glauca Globosa) in compositions.

prickly rugs

Creeping forms exist in different types of conifers. Among them there are very low ones, the height of which is measured in just a few centimeters. First of all, these are varieties of horizontal junipers: 'Golden Carpet' (Golden Carpet), 'Prince of Wales' (Prince of Wales), 'Blue Chip' (Blue Chip), and ordinary: 'Green Carpet' (Green Carpet), 'Depressa Aurea' (Depressa Aurea). Such plants are especially good on retaining walls or small elevations.

Their taller counterparts (for example, juniper medium ‘Old Gold’ (Old Gold), m. scaly ‘Blue Carpet’ (Blue Carpet), cross-pair microbiota) reach a height of one and a half meters. More often they have raised or splayed shoots to the sides. But the m. Cossack ‘Glauca’ (Glauca) and the m. medium ‘Mint Julep’ (Mint Julep) with the same growth have a wide sprawling form.

Usually creeping conifers are used in combination with the usual tall forms in groups that decorate adjoining area or a front garden, but in recent times they were often planted in curtains as an alternative to the lawn. Indeed, some varieties of junipers and microbiota are quite capable of acting as ground cover plants. They look amazing both in a group planting and in a single planting - in the form of tapeworms. In any case, it is necessary to provide enough space for the "rugs" that are rapidly increasing in width, and, of course, it is impossible to walk on such "lawns".

On a small area with a prickly "pillow" you can decorate orchard, but keep in mind that collecting apples and plums in this case will not be easy.

Creeping forms also make beautiful and durable wide borders. On the one hand, conifers are able to mask paving errors, and on the other hand, they successfully fit into the green expanse of a lawn or into a violent motley community of a flower garden. When planting such borders, also do not forget to leave room for the development of plants. And for a more dense overgrowth in the middle of spring, after the snow melts, you can pinch or cut the ends of the shoots.

Winter and summer in the same color?

Contrary to the popular song about the Christmas tree, coniferous plants flaunt not only all shades of green. Among them there are forms with needles in golden and silver-gray tones. There are also variegated needles: interspersed with yellow or ivory. Not too rich, it would seem, the palette nevertheless allows you to create picturesque compositions that successfully replace flower beds, but consisting exclusively of coniferous plants.

Forms with green needles in the design of the garden play the role of separators that prevent the colors from mixing, but the “colored” varieties are designed to complicate the play of tones. For example, the bluish shade of the scaly juniper ‘Blue Carpet’ will correctly emphasize the “steel” color of the silver sucker. And to make these muted colors seem richer and brighter, it is worth planting a traditionally green coniferous plant nearby - in this case, it is mountain pine ‘Mugus’.

If you get carried away with beautiful varieties with colored and especially variegated needles, it is easy to overdo it, getting instead of a harmonious combination of colors an “explosive mixture”, not very noticeable in summer, but emphatically artificial the rest of the time. Therefore, visually select places for conifers in the garden better in autumn when a bright autumn outfit is in front of your eyes deciduous trees and shrubs, or in early spring so that other plants do not interfere with mentally imagining the whole prickly company at once.

Usually, when selecting conifers, it is not necessary to take into account seasonal color changes. The only exceptions are some species and varieties. Somewhat apart are larches, shedding their needles for the winter. So, in summer, the European larch ‘Repens’, which looks like a light green shock, from autumn to spring turns into a beige-brown disheveled “monster” of long bare shoots swaying in the wind.

Different conifers have original creeping varieties. These are, for example, Norway spruce ‘Formanek’ (Formanek), Scots pine ‘Hillside Creeper’ (Hillside Creeper), Mountain pine ‘Jacobsen’ (Jakobsen), Canadian hemlock ‘Prostrata’ (Prostrata) and many others.

Dwarf varieties are very popular with collectors and lovers of conifers. These charming "hedgehogs" are very, very modest in size, while possessing characteristic species features. Such plants are a real find for owners of small plots, allowing you to collect an impressive collection of coniferous "miniatures". They look especially impressive in rockeries or on alpine slide. Examples include Scotch pine ‘Nisbet’s Gem’, Norway spruce ‘Little Gem’, Korean fir ‘Piccolo’. The range of such varieties is very large.

Competitive selection

A healthy seedling is half the success, therefore, choosing planting material conifers, you need to be fully armed and approach this issue very responsibly.

Medical Board

Coniferous plants are best purchased with a closed root system. It is desirable that they be grown directly in a container or transplanted a long time ago, as evidenced by an earthen ball tightly braided with beige or light brown roots without the slightest hint of dryness. The exception is conifers dug out of the ground in early spring (April-May) or autumn (until October), and directly in front of you (this makes it possible to personally monitor the safety of the root system). Such plants should be planted in the garden as soon as possible, ideally on the first day.

Be sure to pay attention to the needles: a healthy plant does not have dry red needles. But the lack of intense color characteristic of some varieties may simply be a consequence of being in low light conditions.

In addition, you need to make sure that there are no thickenings on the shoots, and, if possible, on the roots. Resin smudges, growths, white “cotton” dots should also alert - all this indicates disease damage.

Access zone

Unfortunately, not every conifer is able to withstand the harsh Russian winters, therefore, when choosing, a map of plant frost resistance zones will serve as a convenient guide. The larger the number of the zone to which a particular species belongs, the more thermophilic it is. True, the “southerners” also have varieties that grow well in some gardens, despite their high sensitivity to frost. An important factor in this case is not so much a landing site protected from cold winds as a shelter with snow, therefore, most often stunted or creeping forms. For example, in the Moscow region, located on the border of the 4th and 5th zones, plants can overwinter even from zone 6.

Free cheese?

At the end of autumn, many stores sell plants at a discount. But a very tempting offer can turn into a complete disappointment, because there is practically no time left for normal rooting. In fairness, it should be noted that not all gardeners who buy conifers at sales find them dead in the spring. There are experienced amateurs who specifically hunt for such specimens. Residents of regions remote from the center, where each new plant is not only a rarity, but also a very expensive pleasure, also take the opportunity. Such plants after planting and in the first spring will need more attention and support in the form of stimulating rooting and anti-stress drugs.

False alarm

Although conifers are sometimes damaged by pests and diseases, there are incidental cases when healthy plants are mistaken for sick ones. For example, the cross-pair microbiota in the cold season has a completely unpresentable appearance: its needles seem “rusty”.

But this is just a characteristic this species and saving the plant from spring burns - by the summer, the ugly redhead will disappear, the microbiota will again delight with emerald greenery. When buying her seedlings in early spring or mid-autumn, this should be borne in mind.

A brown tint appears by winter in many golden forms of the western thuja. It usually disappears on its own, but plants can be helped by spraying with anti-stress drugs.

Landing announced!

When planting conifers in the garden, it is very important to follow the technology and take into account the characteristics of the growth and development of different species. This will help you avoid future disappointments.

Movement in depth

The size of the planting hole for conifers depends on the composition and fertility of the soil. On fertilized loose loam, there is enough volume twice the root system of the seedling. The poorer and heavier the soil, the deeper and wider the hole. On heavy loamy, in addition, drainage is made from broken bricks, gravel or pebbles. And the close standing of groundwater requires landing on bulk mounds.

When preparing the substrate for the planting pit, the determining factor is the immediate requirements of the plants. For example, western thuja and European larch prefer well-moistened nutrient soils, while horizontal and Cossack junipers grow well on dry sandy ones.

Sequencing

Plants with a closed root system are easier to plant. Spill the soil well, lightly squeeze the sides of the container (for a better clod lag), then carefully turn the pot upside down and pull out the seedling, holding it with your other hand. Straighten the folded roots and, if necessary, cut too tangled or dried roots, then plant the plant in a prepared hole. Be sure to ensure that the root neck is at the same level as in the container.

For plants with open roots, you should try to preserve the earthen ball as much as possible. Carefully unfold the burlap, carefully straighten the root system and place in the planting hole, gradually filling it with the prepared substrate. When filling the ground, compact it a little, then water it well and mulch it.

Before rooting, spray the seedlings in the evening hours and water them in a timely manner, preventing the soil from drying out in the trunk circle. After planting, and then annually on the eve of spring (end of February, March), conifers are protected from sunlight by a screen with stretched burlap. In the first year, do not fertilize the plant, supporting it with stimulating rooting and anti-stress drugs. In the next - add to trunk circle humus and compost soil, feed with mineral fertilizers.

When buying a seedling, you need to know exactly its type and variety. This is necessary not so much in order to provide the plant the necessary conditions how much to determine frost resistance. So, the eastern thuja, often found on sale, winters well only in the southern regions - all your efforts will be in vain. The same fate awaits Lawson's cypress and some other species. In order not to be mistaken in the absence of a signature, it is better to first find out what the plant you have chosen looks like.

Anticipating the future

A common mistake when planting conifers is that they are too close to each other or to other plants. Buying a small seedling is preferable in terms of survival, but very risky in terms of placement. After 5-10 years (depending on the growth rate), the plant can greatly increase in size and either block everything that was successfully located in the background in the first years, or cover its neighbors with overgrown shoots. It is worse if coniferous species were also planted around: their transplantation can be very painful and even harmful - the plants are already adults. Knowing the exact size of an adult specimen will help to avoid an unpleasant situation. And you can fill a temporarily empty place with the help of herbaceous plants or fast-growing and easily propagating shrubs such as Japanese spirea.

Because of the same slip under the crowns of conifers, bulbous ones often remain “buried”. For example, a pretty juniper grew and grew, and around it were daffodils, which delighted with rapid flowering in the spring. But one day they stop blooming, and juniper roots do not allow digging deep-seated bulbs. And you have to make a choice between saving a slow-growing coniferous plant or a beautiful variety of daffodils. As a rule, bulbs are sacrificed, so it is better to plant them in the distance and take timely measures to dig and transplant.

Vertical forms of conifers do not look good if they are lower than herbaceous plants growing nearby. In the case of fast-growing species, it is better to put up with disharmony for a couple of years than to deal with transplants later.

But it is preferable to plant dwarfs and slow-growing varieties at some distance from both herbaceous neighbors and shrubs and surround them with ground cover species or stones.

Many conifers love the sun. However, in the spring, some varieties may suffer from burns, so they are planted in partial shade. In shaded places, ordinary and Cossack junipers, microbiota and western thuja with the usual green color feel good. Plants are more friable than in full sun.

Evergreens provide a lot of advantages in the arrangement of the site. Depending on the season, the weather conditions change, and with them the panorama of the landscape. The use of evergreen plantings enlivens the space even in winter, giving the backyard a majestic and rich look. Such types of plants are successfully combined with deciduous shrubs, for example, with barberries, hydrangeas or rhododendrons.

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

Advantages of conifers

Planting on an evergreen site offers great advantages over other plants.

Aesthetics. Conifers retain their decorative appearance throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions.
Diversity. Numerous varieties will help create lively compositions of different shapes and colors.
unpretentiousness. Such green spaces do not require constant maintenance. Grows on all types of soil, does not need in large numbers solar heat and regular watering, so any part of the yard is suitable for planting.
Environmental friendliness. Conifers allocate essential oils, enriching the surrounding air with the rich smell of the forest.

Consider shapes and sizes

When using evergreens in the landscape design of a summer cottage, their spatial characteristics are taken into account. It is important to take into account the shape, as well as the size that the plant will reach after a certain period of time.

The use of one or another type of evergreen depends on the correct combination of geometric proportions. For example, it is good to combine straight paths with squat and voluminous plantings, and a pond with low fluffy trees.

It is also mandatory to take into account the total size of the site. Large ones are decorated with large plants, and small ones are decorated using dwarf varieties.

What types of conifers to choose

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

Thuja western. The height of the tree reaches 5 meters. To give it an arrow-shaped shape, the branches are cut. Thuja is used to create hedges. The only requirement is the shading of the landing site.
Juniper Skyrocket. Reaches a height of up to 3 meters. The shrub is popular due to the unusual color of needles with a bluish tinge.
El Hupsi. Grows up to 15 meters tall. Suitable for single and group planting. Thanks to the silvery color with a bluish tint, it gives the composition an incredible look.

The plants listed above belong to the category of large plantations and are used in spacious areas. But for small areas, low-growing varieties with crowns of different shapes are suitable.

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

Design options

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

Hedges.
Lawn decor.
Group landings.
Mixborders with conifer elements.
Evergreens in rockeries.
Container garden and bonsai.

Hedges

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

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

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

Thematic material:

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

lawn elements

If green lawns are broken on the site, then you can supplement them coniferous crops. At the same time, high-growing or medium-height varieties with expressive crown shapes are chosen. For landing on the lawn, pyramidal and arrow-shaped, as well as spherical varieties of conifers are suitable.

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

Group landings

Instead of a banal round flower bed with roses, a group planting of conifers is often used, where plants are combined in crown shapes and colors. Ensembles based on the contrast of shades and configurations are expressive. For example, columnar varieties of evergreens are combined with spherical and creeping ones. Good option- a combination of arborvitae, silver spruce and juniper in one composition.

An expressive effect is achieved by combining deciduous species with conifers. Hydrangea shrubs coexist well with them.

Group plantings are also original, in which coniferous plants with needle and scaly leaves are combined.

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

Mixborders with conifer elements

Mixborders - compositions using different types of plants, including evergreens. At the same time, coniferous inclusions often occupy the central place of a prefabricated flower bed or act as a backdrop for perennial flowers.

A win-win option is a combination of conifers in one mix along with deciduous shrubs, for example, hydrangea, barberry, cotoneaster and others.

When creating a mixborder, it is important to consider plant compatibility. Fallen needles change the acidity of the soil, and some deciduous plantings may simply not be suitable for such a neighborhood.

But the hydrangea coexists without problems with spruces and junipers. When dropping this decorative flower it is even recommended to add coniferous soil. Hydrangeas love shaded areas with acidic soils.- just the conditions that create coniferous plantings.

Evergreens in rock gardens

Today, rockeries and rock gardens are often used in landscape design, which provide for the mandatory presence of conifers.

Which plants to choose depends on the size of the rocky garden. In small rockeries, creeping varieties are used, and if space allows, they include dwarf pines and spruces.

Thuja, junipers, firs and other undersized conifers become truly an adornment of rocky gardens.

Evergreens that tolerate shearing with ease are great for topiary. After all, it is here that decorative figures of bizarre forms are created from trees and shrubs, up to the image of people and animals.

The popularity of evergreens in topiary art is also explained by the fact that dense and dense needles make it possible to form objects without any problems. complex configuration. At the same time, you can create masterpieces all year round.

Container gardens and bonsai

Our climatic conditions do not always allow the use of some varieties of coniferous plants. Trees growing in the southern regions are sensitive to temperature changes, and even an indicator of zero degrees leads to their death.

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

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

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

For landscape design, the use of coniferous plants will become great option diversify the layout. In addition, such landings are unpretentious in care and delight the eye all year round. One or more types of evergreen plantations will transform the summer cottage, turning it into a cozy place to relax.

Coniferous plants are used as landscaping of alleys, backstage, garden plots. Conifers have a number of advantages over other plants.

Benefits of coniferous flower beds:

The main advantage of a flower bed with conifers is its evergreen species in any season. It is enough to look at the photo of a flower bed of coniferous plants to make sure this postulate is correct;
Availability of flowerbed design development and subsequent preparation for planting;
Ease and ease of care with conifers;
Possibility of preserving plantings in a flower bed for several years. Conifers are predominantly perennials and do not require annual renewal;
Saving material costs for creating a flower bed and caring for it;
Saving time on maintaining the appearance of a flower bed of conifers at the proper level.

The choice has been made, it's time to start forming a flower bed from conifers. This process consists of several stages.

Arrangement of flower beds from coniferous plants:

Development of the design of a flower bed with conifers;
Selection of conifers;
Elaboration of the scheme of flower beds from coniferous plants;
Preparation of soil for a flower bed;
Planting coniferous plants themselves.

Despite the richness of the choice of coniferous plants, in landscape design there are uniform principles for the formation of a flower bed from conifers.

Design principles coniferous flower beds:

Priority is given to undersized and compact plants;
The game of contrast of form and color is taken as the basis;
Against the background of ground cover plants, slow-growing dwarf conifers are planted;
A lawn and an alpine slide serve as a base for a flower bed;
Stones act as an addition to a coniferous flower bed;
Bark is chosen as a decor for a flower bed from conifers.

By following these principles, you can avoid many common mistakes of amateur gardeners. For example, plants are planted without taking into account the ability to further growth and too close to each other. In the future, this leads to the fact that some of them grow quite quickly, blocking the access of sunlight to other plants and even to themselves. residential building. As a result, disharmony in the size of plants becomes noticeable, and the general appearance of the flower bed loses its original charm.

Pine, spruce, fir or juniper are chosen as the basis for flower beds from conifers.
Shrubs, combined with conifers, are rhododendrons, barberries, spireas, ericas, boxwoods.
For the composition, such perennial herbaceous plants as cereals, ferns are also suitable.
Phlox, thyme, bryozoan, creeping tenacious, sedum are chosen as ground cover plants that form the background of flower beds.
The combination of plants in flower beds with conifers is better illustrated by photos than any descriptions.

When preparing the soil for a flower bed, it should be borne in mind that a feature of coniferous plants is their unpretentiousness and ability to take root in any land. Nevertheless, it would be wiser to take care of the soil in advance and mix leaf or soil turf, adding peat and sand to them. Special mixtures for coniferous trees, sold in gardening stores, will also come in handy.

Pits for plants are dug to a depth of about 60-70 cm and lined with prepared soil mixtures. Pebbles are used as drainage.
After planting coniferous plants, it is necessary to compact the soil and mulch. If necessary, you can add an additional layer of earth.

The scheme of a flower bed of coniferous plants involves, as a rule, 12 design options. Every gardener, whether amateur or professional, can develop his own composition. But before proceeding with this, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with their main types.

compact. In this scheme, coastal juniper is planted in the foreground, mountain pine and western thuja are placed in the middle of the flower bed. A feature of this composition is its small size, which allows, and thus decorate them.
Big. The flower bed is ideal for large spaces and is usually placed in areas adjacent to fences. In this composition, 2 varieties of common juniper are planted along the fence, and in front of them - western thuja, junipers are located on its sides, in the middle - mountain pine, barberry and again juniper, but already scaly, and further along the edge - horizontal juniper 2 species;
Horizontal. Its feature is the mandatory requirement of a flat flat surface for landing. In its creation, 3-4 types of junipers are used, for example, molded virgin, Prince of Wales, Andorra Compact;
Flowerbed in forest style. Allows you to create the impression of a natural landscape. Rock juniper and mountain pine, as well as Canadian and common spruce, are ideal for such a natural flower bed.

Video: conifers for alpine slides

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

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

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

On this page you can see photos of beautiful landscape design in the country with the use of coniferous plants, as well as learn how to decorate the site.

The best ornamental coniferous plants for the garden (with photo)

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

Of particular value are cultivars (varietal forms) of coniferous plants. The number and variety of them is truly incalculable. Almost all conifers introduced into the culture have varieties with a modified growth pattern, with an unusual crown shape, type and color of needles.

Look at the photo - at the decorative coniferous crowns can be any - spherical, flattened, free-growing:

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

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

Compositions with dominant conifers and photos of garden landscape design

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

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

Beautiful evergreen pyramids, pseudo-hemlock, impeccable columns are wonderful tapeworms. The noble forms of these slender trees are suitable for isolated planting against the backdrop of a meadow or large lawn. As tapeworms, no doubt, powerful pines are also good, and. Spreading crown, beautifully curved branches and powerful trunks of adult specimens of these plants - best decoration any large lawn. Old trees are of great value - being the "patriarchs" of the garden, they radiate a special aura.

In creating a composition, conifers in any garden always play a major role. Large and beautiful coniferous trees involuntarily attract the eye. It is with their landing that you need to start garden planning, it is they who become the skeleton of the future garden. But we must remember that when planting a plot with coniferous plants, not only large verticals can be dominant. Plants will perform well in a limited space: on unevenly high boles; having a horizontal form of growth, or even completely creeping along the ground.

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

At the same time, the plant itself, having such a winning neighbor. Often conifers are the soloists in gardens, having not only a varied crown shape, but also its different colors, which change with the seasons.

Beautiful group compositions with coniferous plants in the garden

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

How to make it so that in a rather limited space, measuring 3-6 acres, to create the right, pleasing to the eye, beautiful composition from conifers? First of all, you should not plant groups of rocks of the same species, it is boring and irrational, a small garden should be varied.

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

In them, plants not only coexist, but also emphasize the originality and dignity of each other in shape or color. Perfectly in coniferous compositions on the site, the needle needles of junipers, firs and pines are combined with scaly needles of arborvitae and cypress trees, with flat glossy yew leaves. In small gardens, fragments created on raised terraces look very advantageous. The artificially transformed relief helps to place each plant in the most advantageous way. Competent use geoplastic techniques will allow planting a sufficient number of various plants in a limited space.

Wherein the right combination all kinds of shapes and colors will only enhance the natural perception of this fragment.

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

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

For compositions with conifers in the landscape design of small gardens, container and potted planting is very relevant. This picture is very typical for compact European gardens. Unfortunately, in middle lane when creating miniature gardens in containers, due to the freezing of an earthen coma, there is a risk of losing the entire plant or any part of it. Another problem is the significant weight of the compositions, which makes it problematic to move them for wintering in safe place.

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

Mixborders with conifers in the design of the site

Conifers in landscape design - perfect material to create modern prefabricated flower beds-mixborders. Harmoniously combining conifers with deciduous shrubs, herbaceous perennials, you can achieve very spectacular compositions. Particular importance is attached to the texture and color of needles, foliage and the variety of growth forms of jointly planted plants. Remember that the natural perception of the created mixborder depends on the correct ratio of lines, volumes, color spots.

Rhododendrons, dwarf barberries, maples, magonias, spireas, and oaks coexist and look great next to conifers in the landscape of the garden. Of the perennials, we note bergenia, ferns, Goryanka, dwarf hostas, cereals, slipper orchids. In the foreground, heathers, stonecrops, thyme always look spectacular. A modern coniferous mixborder is a complex multifunctional fragment of a garden, where each plant plays its own special role.

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

With such a panoramic placement of plants in the "coniferous front" group, the composition becomes voluminous and easy to read. But such mixborders are quite rare. More common are fragments created near the wall of a house or fence. But they already have other configurations and purposes. In the background, one or more vertical dominants from 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 that have a creeping growth form. 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 smooth surface and timely is the key to success. The carpets of creeping coniferous plants, primarily junipers, can play the same role.

If the priority is to cover nondescript garden buildings, and the artistic component of the flower garden is of less interest, then the auxiliary background is created from homogeneous tall plants.
When planting conifers near the walls of a house with windows, as well as near garden paths it is necessary to take into account the growth rate and the final size of trees and shrubs in advance. Otherwise additional work can't be avoided.
In conclusion, I would like to say that often a spectacular modern mixborder does not obey the classic rules of landscape design. Like the garden as a whole, it is the product of your imagination and craftsmanship and will always reflect your individual passions.
See how beautiful the coniferous compositions presented in these photos are on the site:
Beautiful landscape design with coniferous plants and photos of rock gardens in the country
Coniferous trees and shrubs in landscape design are the most valuable material for decorating any type of rock garden. They look especially natural in landscape-style rocky gardens. In such compositions, images of mountain plateaus, peaks, rocky valleys and gorges are connected through a variety of coniferous trees. Compactly growing columnar varieties of western thuja, yew, juniper and pine are suitable as tapeworms. Planted at different levels, they visually increase the volume of both the rock garden itself and the garden as a whole.
But of course, the main forms of ornamental coniferous plants for a rocky landscape are spherical, or as gardeners like to call them, “cushion” cultures. “Witch brooms”, found in nature on spruce, pine, fir, larch trees, most often have just this shape.

They, grafted onto the corresponding rootstocks of species plants, gave life to numerous miniature varieties. Conifers with this form of growth will most organically look in the "pockets" between the stones, filling the voids and masking the defects of the rocky structure. Conifers will be good in landscape design and in the foreground of the "mountain valley", flowing around rocky outcrops and enhancing the naturalness of these elements.
On ledges of terraces and on tops separately standing groups Weeping forms of various types of spruce and Canadian hemlock look great on stones. The lacy falling branches of the latter are especially graceful and harmonious. On rocky hills, alpine alpine plants. The dwarf varieties of Thunberg barberry will not yield to them either. Bright-leaved varieties of barberries look great among the stones, tinting the green picture created by conifers.
These photos show the design of a rocky garden using conifers:
Coniferous plants in the landscape: decorative collections
Collecting coniferous plants is both an interesting and responsible occupation. It, like any other type of collecting, is subject to general rules. A collection is not a random collection of something, but a systematic association on a specific basis. Starting to create a coniferous collection in the landscape design of a summer cottage, it is necessary to determine for yourself the basic principle of placing the plants to be collected in the garden.
There are gardens in which coniferous plants are planted in continuous multi-meter arrays. Other plants in them play the role of just extras, and the main part is played by unusual and rare conifers. A more complex and interesting task is set by the gardener, who seeks to subordinate the placement of his collection to the general style of the garden. Here, each plant is assigned its exclusive place.
It must be remembered that over time, the gardener's preferences for certain plants may change, therefore, something new will have to be planted in the already established structure of the garden, without violating the style.

After the end of the first, accumulative stage, as a rule, there is a rethinking of what has already been collected. The gardener suddenly begins to realize that many conifers, which form the basis of his collection, have a very similar habit, and catalogs of most nurseries are full of their names. Well, if you have already learned to see and understand this, then it's time for a more rigid and accurate selection of plants. Be prepared to part ways with some of your pets. At the same time, make sure that decorative coniferous plants for the garden take worthy places in the plots of your less sophisticated gardening friends. And in your own garden, the vacant spaces will be occupied by new, more complex and rare varieties.
As a rule, collectors are energetic people. They try to travel all over the world in search of treasured plants, visit coniferous arboretums, nurseries, private gardens of enthusiastic people like them. But this is followed by a reward in the form of new and rare plants, ideas for growing them, new design solutions. Be aware that the collecting virus can fly past your garden. But if he visits him, then do not expect peace, be prepared to live according to his laws. Do not be afraid of this and believe me, creating collections is an interesting and exciting experience.
A few tips to help you create your own, unique collection of conifers.
The collection is not created all at once. It takes many years to create it. Resign yourself to the fact that in collecting the main thing is the process, by definition there can be no achievement of the final goal.
Develop a working concept of the collection being created, outline the types and varieties that you would like to have in it.
The basis of the coniferous collection in our modest gardens should be compact varieties.
It is impossible to remember the names of all varieties, in addition, sometimes they can simply be forgotten. Plates indicating species and varietal affiliation, statistical records are indispensable attributes of each coniferous collection.
Nameless plants are a minus of any collection, and conifers are no exception.
The collection cannot consist only of rare plants. Coniferous "extras" will only emphasize the greatness of the "main characters" - rarities. But remember that after the end of the first, cumulative stage, you will increasingly have to turn to the 10-step rule, the essence of which is to select the most characteristic, recognizable plants for your collection.
Compact varieties of rhododendrons, barberries, maples will be excellent companions for your conifers. Also in rocky gardens, under coniferous plants, there is always a sufficient number of comfortable seats for alpines.
Communication with other collectors, visiting their gardens will diversify your knowledge and, accordingly, improve your collection.
Don't be afraid of risk. Create rare, borderline coniferous species and cultivars optimal growing conditions in your garden. Subsequently, they can become an adornment of your collection.
The rarest and most valuable varieties of conifers, as a rule, have the most unusual shape and unpredictable color. They are easily recognizable.

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

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

For hedges, as a rule, plants that can withstand formative haircuts are chosen - yews, spruces, arborvitae and junipers. For planting, relatively cheap off-grade material is used, which seems to be justified from an economic point of view, but this is only at first glance. The fact is that these plants subsequently require an expensive qualified haircut. And do not forget that this procedure will have to be repeated annually. It is much more rational to use compact varietal forms that do not require shearing.
As you can see in the photo, in landscape design with conifers, almost all types and cultivars with a dense pyramidal, columnar, ovoid or spherical crown shape can be suitable for this purpose:
Only dwarf dense bush varieties are suitable for creating borders. Of course, a border of such plants will not be cheap, but it is durable and surprisingly beautiful. Dwarf varieties of cypresses, junipers and firs are extremely spectacular, but the main material for borders, no doubt, are spherical varieties of arborvitae. At the same time, it must be remembered that in winter they must be protected from snow.

Rounded crowns easily disintegrate and break under its weight. It is usually extremely difficult to find a suitable replacement for the affected plants; the aesthetics of such a border are hopelessly lost.
Varieties of decorative coniferous trees for landscape design
The successive seasons of the year color the dominant shades of green in coniferous compositions with bright, unusual tones. In some conifers, this color change is very short-lived, in others it stretches for several months. The most suitable for site design are pine and spruce conifers.
Such varieties of mountain pine are very popular among collectors. (Pinus mugo) how Ophir, Winter Gold, Zundert, Gold Star, Golden Glow, Schweizer Tourist, Little Gold Star, Starkl, Hostyn Gold, Laarheide, Lemon.
As a rule, the first, at the end of August, the growths of the current season turn yellow in Ophir. Then it's everyone else's turn. This rich golden color will last in such plants until the very spring, gradually painting the whole plant in gold.
See how beautifully such compositions of coniferous plants look in these photos:
Another group of varieties of mountain pine is very interesting. Entering it: Kokarde, Rositech, Fruchling Gold, Chameleon, Sunshine, Dikobraz.
They have bright, but not as uniform as in the varieties from the previous group, the young spring growths that have just completed the growing season are colored. They become striped, yellow-green. This color will last until autumn.
Very effective varieties of Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) Trollguld, Candlelight, var. lapponica Fritche, Jakutsk, Meffengofd, Moseri.
Trollguld turns golden yellow in late spring/early summer, while Candlelight turns its needles milky cream. This coloration, changing its intensity, will delight you until next spring. And P. sylvestris var. lapponica Fritche, Jakutsk, Meffengofd, Moseri turn golden in late autumn and turn green again in late spring.

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

The Louie variety has almost all year round, depending on the season, changing its intensity. The bright yellow branches of these trees look great in decorative coniferous compositions both against the background of a snow-white winter coverlet and in early spring. By varieties Wendy and Golden Candles on this moment insufficient information has been collected. It is believed that closer to winter, from the base to the periphery of each branch, the needles on them should turn golden.
Very rare varieties of twisted pine in our gardens (Pinus contort a) Taylor's Sunburst and Golden Striker , which are the decoration of any coniferous composition.
Look at the photo - in these ornamental conifers in May, young growths become bright gold, by the end of summer losing this rich color, becoming light green in September:
In the listed varieties of common spruce ( Picea abies) gains in May turn golden. In almost everyone, it persists for several months, eventually losing its intensity. But the very compact variety of Norway spruce Aurea WB turns golden in autumn, while in varieties Rydal and Cruenta, young growths will be bright crimson for about ten days in May. The growths of the dwarf variety Spring Fire have the same unusual color. But at the moment, due to the complexity in it, it is practically inaccessible to Russian gardens. I would like to believe that only for now.
Varieties of prickly spruce ( Picea pungens) Bialobok, Fruchlings Gold, Maigold, Byczkowski, Nimetzl in mid-May, for two weeks, young growths are painted almost simultaneously in creamy yellow tones of varying intensity. With the general similarity of these varieties, we will point out some of their individual characteristics. In Maigold, unlike all the other listed varieties, the needles themselves are green-blue, and the growths are painted in yellow-gold tones.
This is especially evident if you manage to plant this variety in close proximity to Albospicata or Fruchlings Gold. Ayl cultivar Nimetz growths stain a little later than the others. Their bluish-cream color gradually becomes snow-white-blue.
Beautiful variety of oriental spruce ( Picea orientalis) Aurea, which from the end of May to mid-July turns the growing growths into a golden color.
And of course, one cannot fail to say a few words about larches and. With the onset of the first cold days and with the arrival of night frosts, larches become the most prominent figures in the coniferous garden. Their bright, light yellow, and subsequently rich red crowns will definitely attract your attention. And here it does not matter what kind the one you like belongs to.
Larix kaempferi)
American Larch ( Larix laricina)
And if you managed to “tame” the glyptostrobus metasequoia in your garden, then no other plant is able to repeat its autumn yellow-peach color. This is the undisputed favorite of the October garden.
Mulch as an element of decoration of a coniferous garden
Previously, when growing coniferous plants, mulching was practically not used. But over time, numerous trips to European gardens made me take a different look at this aspect of gardening. It turns out that mulch is an excellent design element for a coniferous garden.
You can mulch with all kinds of materials: from twigs processed in a shredder and mowed grass to pine nut shells and coconut fibers. But the most effective mulch is the bark of larch or all kinds of pine. The most convenient fraction of the bark to use, having a size of 5 × 5 cm. Of course, the bark of the pine tree is the most spectacular. But, unfortunately, it is not often on sale and at the same time it is very expensive.
A five-centimeter layer of pine mulch will reliably cover coniferous plantings from weeds and seed germination.
Adding a 2 cm layer of finely processed fraction of pine bark (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 absorb water from the surface of the earth.
As it decomposes, mulch improves the quality of the soil, helps the earthworms living in it and numerous beneficial microorganisms to thrive.
In snowless frosty winters, a 5-8 cm layer of pine bark mulch helps to reduce the freezing of the root ball of conifers. This is especially true in the first years after their planting.
Filling plantings with a well-calibrated fraction of the bark is not only the right design move in the design of the garden, but also a natural decoration of the lower tier of conifers.