Conifers and shrubs are in great demand in landscape gardening, their photos can increasingly be found in magazines and sites dedicated to landscape design. They are frost-resistant, decorative, hardy, unpretentious to care for and differ in a variety of crown shapes.
Gardeners love conifers for their many other advantages:
- many varieties of conifers tolerate limited sunlight well, develop well in partial shade
- the well-developed root system of conifers allows them to tolerate well for a long time without watering, some plant species grow well on stony soils. In addition, due to the powerful and developed roots, they can be used to strengthen the slopes.
- most conifers tolerate shearing well, they (some varieties of tui look especially attractive in this regard) can be used to obtain a variety of shapes that are often found in photos of regular English gardens. And some varieties of conifers by nature have a geometrically regular shape, so they practically do not need care.
- coniferous tree - 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 a smoky urban environment well
- ripening cones will attract birds to the garden, filling it with life and movement
But the main thing is what attracts conifers and shrubs, for which they are "loved by design" - with their green color, they bring variety and liveliness even to a gloomy, gray and gloomy autumn-winter garden.
Conifers: how to place in the garden correctly
Conifers are versatile plants, the abundance of forms and species allows them to be used in landscape compositions of different styles (you will find confirmation of this in our photos). At the same time, the size of the plot will not be a problem - if in nature the conifers are high enough, then decorative varieties and the types used for landscaping areas rarely exceed 4 m in height. Design alpine slides it is difficult to imagine without undersized conifers and shrubs (dwarf Hampi pine, Lobers spruce, Mini Pug pine, some types of thujas, coniferous shrubs).
The design of the site can endow the coniferous tree with the function of a color delimiter that will resist the fusion of natural shades. Thus, conifers will help complicate the color combination of the garden, make it richer and deeper. Often undersized varieties tui with dark needles, they are used as a border for the club, enclosing the flowers inside in a kind of green frame that sets off the bright colors of the flowers. In the photo of gravel gardens, conifers are always present, while cones or medium-sized cut bark can replace the stone in places.
Mixborder
Hedge
For zoning a site, designers often use coniferous trees and shrubs. It turns out not just beautiful barriers (in the photo they look like a monolithic wall), but at the same time they are practically impenetrable, i.e. just the qualities required for perimeter fencing fence... For this, conifers are planted in a checkerboard pattern, placing them in 2-3 rows. Of course, it will take a lot of time to achieve the full effect, but the result will exceed the wildest expectations.
For zoning a site (garden), medium-sized (1-2 m high) varieties are most often used, which will not cover the overall perspective. In addition, an evergreen hedge will act as an excellent backdrop for blooming colorful perennials, this technique is especially common in Art Nouveau or landscape-style gardens.
Advice! To create hedges, it is good to use various types of thuja - thanks to the dense crown, it will be enough to plant them in one row, saving space.
360 degree view composition
Conifers go well with cereals, flowers (especially lilies) and deciduous plants. Coniferous shrubs will look picturesque near reservoirs, where they will be accompanied by deciduous weeping plants. The intense greenery of thuja with a bluish tint of needles with small speckled blotches will be an excellent photon for junipers.
In order for a composition of conifers to look effective and harmonious, its design should include the following factors:
- the best background for conifers is a regular, well-groomed lawn
- so that the composition of their conifers (both trees and shrubs) looks harmonious and holistic, a place for best view(location of the gazebo or observation deck) should be located at a distance of at least 2 lengths of the composition
- most spectacular in landscape design location is considered conifers oriented west or east
- geometric shapes - in landscape design, it is good to use the principle of contrast, for example, arrange pyramidal tall conifers next to one of the low-growing spherical species of thuja. This arrangement of trees of different heights will help to achieve some visual effects- against the background of low-growing mountain pines, several even medium-sized thujas will look very tall
Conifers and bushes perfect material for a curly haircut, with the help of which they acquire geometric and fantastic shapes
Conifers in the landscape design of a summer cottage have been used for a relatively long time. Coniferous groups are distinguished by a highly decorative appearance and are perfectly combined with deciduous and flowering plants, which makes it possible to create very beautiful and original ones on a personal plot and a summer cottage.
Basic rules for placing conifers in the garden
Tall conifers can be used in the garden as tapeworms, as well as when creating alleys or large group compositions. Varieties and types of coniferous crops with changes in the nature of growth processes and having a crown are especially highly valued. unusual shape, as well as those differing in an unusual type or color of needles with a long preservation decorative qualities.
As a rule, such plants are characterized by low height or belong to dwarf forms.... A wide variety of varieties and species allows for landscaping mixborders, as well as decorating the backyard landscape and garden spaces with ground cover plants. A successful combination with many other cultures allows you to effectively and quickly decorate rock gardens, paths along the house or the coastal zone of natural and artificial reservoirs with your own hands.
Conifers in the landscape design of the suburban area
The use of such plants in the landscape design of a backyard or garden plot is justified for many reasons:
- conifers do not change their color and do not lose their visual appeal all year round;
- varieties and hybrid forms differ in a variety of colors and shapes;
- such crops are able to retain dust very well and reduce external noise;
- special substances secreted by needles inhibit the spread of bacterial and viral infections;
- able to enrich the air with oxygen and a significant amount of phytoncides.
Regardless of what varieties of forms are used to decorate the landscape, such vegetation is attractive and very useful. Typically, collections include of different strength growth of conifers.
How to use ephedra in landscape design (video)
Stunted species
All undersized species are presented:
- dwarf species with an annual growth rate of 80-150 mm;
- miniature species with an annual growth of 30-80 mm;
- microscopic species with an annual growth of no more than 30 mm.
The most popular undersized species and varieties in landscape design:
- common spruce Beech. Has a dense flattened crown, an increase of one and a half centimeters and apical branches. Growth is predominantly wide;
- Kempfer's Blue Dwarf larch is a very short and slow-growing cultivar with a round and dense crown and hanging ends of branches;
- Canadian hemlock Tracilis variety "Oldenburg" refers to slow-growing dwarf forms about 25-30 cm high and a crown diameter of 40-50 cm;
- dwarf variety "Los" with stanza type of growth and highly decorative bluish-green needles;
- miniature fir of the noble variety "Abies procera" is one of the most popular conifers;
- Canadian hemlock variety "Jeddeloh" is currently the most common dwarf form with a semicircular shape and spirally arranged branches;
- dwarf thuja western variety "Danika" with a height of no more than 80 cm has a dense and spherical crown with a diameter of 100 cm with a scaly, dense, light green or brownish-green crown.
Depending on the level of illumination, soil and climatic characteristics and care, the height of the crop may vary.
Medium-sized conifers
Plants of medium vigor are less demanding in maintenance and harmoniously complement deciduous shrubs, and also go well with different types of roses.
The most popular medium-sized types and forms in landscape design:
- Serbian has flexible thin shoots hanging along the stem;
- Blue Diamonds has a tall, thin trunk and a neatly formed conical crown;
- Canadian spruce of the "Piccolo" variety is distinguished by a bright and elegant above-ground part with the presence of emerald-green needles, which casts blue under the sun's rays;
- evergreen spruce "Konika" has a very attractive and original appearance, as well as slow growth, which is why it is very popular in our country;
- medium-sized fruiting berry bush yew has very beautiful needles, which makes it look great when decorating the local area and recreation area;
- medium-sized thuja is an unusual spherical plant, consisting of dense and vertical branches;
- golden yew is characterized by a cupped crown shape and needles in a yellowish color, and is also perfect for growing in shaded areas.
Landscaping is not always able to look full if the overall design picture is not complemented by tall conifers.
Tall conifers
For decoration with tall plants, planting of thuja, pine and spruce is often used, which are distinguished by their unpretentiousness and durability.
The most popular tall species and forms in landscape design:
- Vatereri pine is an evergreen large shrub with a columnar, dense or looser, umbrella-shaped, very picturesque crown and a reddish trunk;
- The blue sun-loving Hoopsii spruce has a stable and predictable growth, reaching a height of 10 m with a width of 4 m;
- The "pencil tree" or Skyrocket juniper is an upright shrub or tree up to 12 m high by 5 m wide;
- evergreen shrub with a spherical aerial part up to 4 m high and no more than 5 m wide with golden-yellow or greenish-yellow needles;
- thorny tall spruce "Hoopsie" reaches a height of 13-15 m and has dense needles of silver-blue color;
- »Reaches a height of 3 m and has a very beautiful conical crown with blue needles;
- western thuja most often used in the creation of hedges, easily tolerates haircuts and reaches a height of 5 m.
Tall conifers should be planted in strict accordance with technology and taking into account their growth force.
Creeping varieties
In recent years, it has become especially popular when decorating small backyard gardens ground cover or creeping highly decorative varieties are increasingly used:
- spruce "Lombers" ordinary is one of the most popular and demanded shrubs creeping on the ground with an attractive emerald green coloration;
- European larch variety "Repens" is a very attractive low-growing creeping plant with weeping branches lying on the ground;
- thuja "Timi-Tini" is a spherical, rather drought-resistant plant that does not require special attention and abundant watering;
- mountain pine "Hampi" is most often used for decorative design of rock gardens, and in winter the buds on the plant acquire a very attractive red tint;
- pug miniature is able to grow on the surface of the ground with a very attractive and uniform fluffy pillow.
No less popular are pillow-shaped and weeping spruces, as well as "Blue Forest", with a height of 20-40 cm with needle-shaped and very prickly needles.
How to make a composition of ephedra (video)
Compositions from conifers: options and compilation rules
Ephedra are great in combination with other conifers and green spaces. Before composing compositions, it is very important to determine the width of growth of such a culture and the characteristics of care.
Deciduous shrubs and conifers
Decorative landscape compositions on a personal plot must necessarily include a wide variety of elements that look the most attractive and advantageous.
It should be remembered that not all cultures get along well with each other, and that is why, when combined on one site different representatives flora, it is very important to take into account their basic biological characteristics. This rule especially applies to varieties of juniper, which can be affected by "rust".
Arrangements of thuja and conifers
Vegetation with blue needles looks great against a green background. In such compositions, thuja should be planted in the background, and the foreground should be decorated with dwarf thuja and rocky juniper.
Tall coniferous vegetation in the form of spruces and pines, located near garden stairs or retaining walls, supplemented by medium-sized thuja and low-growing deciduous crops. It must be remembered that pine with cedar and thuja with spruce take root quite hard, so such combinations should be minimized.
Conifers with roses and other garden flowers
Coniferous crops are beautiful not only in themselves, but also very well combined in all kinds of compositions with a variety of decorative deciduous or flowering plants. They serve as an excellent backdrop for beautifully flowering deciduous crops such as roses, rhododendrons and hydrangeas. The palette of colors, shades and textures can be very diverse.
Beautiful compositions of conifers
When performing the arrangement of conifers, it is very important to take into account the growth characteristics of the plant. d, as well as the state and development of the crown of culture in adulthood, which will not allow the harmony of the composition to be disrupted over time. Experts recommend when creating yourself landscape composition adhere to the basic principles of contrast and place popular low-growing crops with spherical crown.
In the role of the top, the prickly spruce of the Bialobok variety, as well as the western thuja of the Smaragd and Yellow Ribbon varieties, the common juniper of the Hibernica and Meyer slots, or the berry yew have proven themselves to be the best. Conica gray spruce can dominate very effectively. The second tier can be planted with plants various forms crowns. In coniferous mixborders, cultures of various heights, crown shapes, and crown coloration should be selected.
Group plantings can be diversified with bright flowering rhododendrons, evergreen haulteria, heathers or variegated shrubs.
Protecting the coniferous garden from the sun and frost
In winter, conifers suffer the least from low-temperature regimes, and the main danger for them is frosty and drying wind. Special attention require varieties grown in areas with little snow and frosty areas, as well as in Siberia and the Far East.
It is advisable to bring a container not too bulky plant indoors for the winter. If necessary, you can cover the street container culture with ordinary spruce branches, creating a kind of "hut". Conifers of open ground require insulation trunk circle a layer of sawdust, straw, peat or pine needles, after which the stem is wrapped non-woven fabric or burlap.
Polyethylene is not suitable for a winter shelter. It is advisable to install screens or screens in order to protect against gusty winds and spring sun rays. A sprawling coniferous plant needs to bind branches and build a canopy or screen. Such adult crops as cedar, yew, fir, spruce and pine need shelter for the winter.
How to plant conifers (video)
For growing almost any variety of conifers in a backyard landscape, areas that are well protected from cold gusty winds and bright sunlight... It is best to acquire such plants in nurseries where the culture has already passed the initial stage of adaptation to agro-climatic conditions in a particular region.
Today, conifers are increasingly used by owners of summer cottages and country houses for . This happens because this type of plant tolerates different climatic conditions well, and is also unpretentious to different types of soil. Conifers can decorate any site, they look great both in a single copy and as part of groups of trees or bushes. In addition, this species is resistant to most diseases that garden trees often suffer from.
The role of coniferous crops and their area of application in landscape design
Conifers have a variety of positive qualities, thanks to which they play a significant role in the improvement of the site. Here are just some of the advantages of this type:
- They are able to fill the surrounding space oxygen and phytoncides.
- Protect territory from the wind.
- Capable of effectively absorb noise become dust barrier.
- Create special microclimate around the cottage.
- Fill the air pine needles aroma and moisturize it.
Conifers have a wide variety of species and shapes. This versatility makes it possible to use them, creating landscape compositions of a wide variety of styles. Moreover, the size of the backyard area in this case will not be a problem. After all, there are decorative varieties of conifers that are no more than 4 meters in height. This distinguishes them from wild relatives, which in nature can reach an impressive height of several tens of meters. 
When planting conifers in the backyard territory, you need to follow the recommendations of specialists, this will allow the trees to harmoniously fit into the backyard landscape. Many land owners now hire gardeners for this kind of work. However, you can do it yourself, saving money. Here some tips for planting conifers from landscape design professionals.
What should you keep in mind before boarding?
Planting conifers on the site, like many other things, begins with preparatory process... This is very important point which should be taken seriously. After all, it will depend on the preparation plant health and appearance.
If it is noticed that in some place of the site there is stagnation of water, in no case is it unnecessary to plant a tree here. Remember each variety of conifers presents special soil requirements... That is why you need to get as much information as possible before buying. about a specific breed.
Planting plants on the site is best between the end of April and the beginning of May(approximately from April 20 to May 10). The fact is that during this period, the young seedling did not yet have time to enter the active phase of growth. That's why young plant it will be much easier to transfer the transplant and quickly get used to the new soil.
It is known that conifers are rather picky trees and shrubs, but this does not mean at all that they do not need care. In the hot season, young seedlings of coniferous species must be hidden from the bright sun. In winter, non-frost-resistant varieties must be covered so that they do not freeze.
Seedlings for planting can be purchased as with open and closed root systems... If planting begins in springtime, you need to pay attention to the presence of fresh (white) shoots. If they are, this tree is completely ready for planting.
Coniferous mixborders
Today, the so-called are often used to create a beautiful landscape on the backyard territory. This is a special version of the flower garden, which uses various plants... The main idea of such a composition is to create a compact and at the same time combining different shapes design.
That is why in mixborders do not use tall conifers (thuja, pines, tall spruces)... Most often, creating such a composition, they planted: dwarf and spherical spruce, creeping, yew, mountain pines.
Here, for a change, you can plant:
- undersized,
- dwarf spireas, etc.
From flowers in mixborders use bulbous plants... The combination of such species allows you to create not only an aesthetically beautiful sight, it also makes it possible to strengthen the territory agrotechnically.
To create a mixborder, you need to perform a number of necessary steps:
- So, first of all, you need to decide in what place on the site the composition will be planted.
- Another mandatory requirement is the development of the project and the creation of a drawing of the future mixborder. This will allow the site owners to calculate future costs and purchase the necessary seedlings.
- When the above activities are completed, you can start working. It is better to start planting in the last days of April. This work usually takes from a few days to a week.
Concerning mixborder cost, then a lot depends on what the owners want to get in the end. Here is the approximate cost of an average coniferous mixborder:
- Fir - 1pc. (3000-5000 rubles).
- Juniper medium - 2 pcs. (1000-3000 rubles).
- Winged berescet - 3 pieces (850-1000 rubles).
- Mountain pine mugus - 1pc (5000-25000).
- Derain white - 2 pieces (from 210 rubles).
A complex multi-level composition, difficult to implement without the participation of a professional landscape designer.
What is the best way to combine ephedra?
When creating a landscape design for a backyard, a large number of coniferous species can be used. For example:
- Mozhevelnik.
- Cypress.
- Pine.
- Cedar.
As mentioned above, these species themselves are quite unpretentious. However, during the planting process, you need to carefully look at which plants are in the neighborhood. It's all about what is certain types trees and bushes that are next to conifers do not make the best impression. So, for example, such plants include birch and bird cherry... Here are some rules, thanks to which the plants on the backyard will feel much more comfortable:
- When landing, you need to consider the climate of the area(cypress won't grow if it's too cold).
- Most conifers cannot grow if they are nearby larch.
- Thuja will not look good near the spruce.
- If there are a lot of conifers in this area, you do not need to plant them nearby. In other words do not plant a pine tree nearby with a cedar, or a fir.
Coniferous species in the garden can go well with, some deciduous as well as flowers... For example, an ephedra decorated and located on the shore will look just great.
Examples (schemes) of landing
In this article, we will give several popular schemes for planting conifers in the backyard. These are the simplest, but win-win compositions, following them it is impossible to make serious mistakes.
Scheme 1.
Today, landscape design has become a favorite hobby of many owners of land plots and private houses. It is thanks to their efforts that the space that surrounds many private houses has recently begun to significantly transform.
On some household plots vegetable gardens and even ordinary orchards are gradually losing ground and giving way to decorative lawns, bright flower beds and unexpected plant compositions that delight their owners.
But if, flower arrangements have always been respected by our gardeners, and some, unpretentious shrubs it was always often found on the plots, then conifers evergreens in landscape design are not used so widely. Although their popularity is growing.
Conifers in landscape design make it possible decorate the adjoining space aesthetically pleasing and rich, in addition, the garden will look like this in all seasons.
The increasingly widespread use of coniferous shrubs and trees in landscape design is due to their properties: plants are harmonious as in single landings, and in compositions all year round, most species and forms are unpretentious to soils, tolerate severe weather, less than deciduous, are susceptible to pests and diseases.
In addition to the already mentioned aesthetic effect, such landings differ favorably:
- Good absorption of street dust and noise;
- Windproof properties;
- Improving the microclimate in the local area;
Suppression of the reproduction of pathogenic viruses and bacteria, due to the release of biologically active substances by all parts of the plant;
Air supply all year round significant amount of oxygen as most conifers are not deciduous.
Therefore, if there is a dream of a green surrounding space, in which the most favorable microclimate for people will be provided in a natural way, then compositions of coniferous shrubs and trees in landscape design will be the best solution. Moreover, there is always the opportunity to pick up plants of the most unexpected shape and any size of crowns, this allows you to create any compositions on your site.
Planting and leaving
For planting and growing compositions from coniferous plants, certain rules have already been formulated, which are well known to both professional botanists and landscape designers. But, since some site owners want to do the decoration on their own, while others simply do not have the financial ability to hire a qualified specialist, it is necessary to start the process of creating a composition from conifers from the theoretical part.
When planning the landing, you must immediately take into account that the finished landscape compositions will look whole, if the distance from the place from which they will be most often inspected is at least two of their heights.
The essential point is the careful preparation of the site for planting the plant. Its further development will depend on this, and, consequently, the beauty of the entire composition. Unsuitable for planting places on the site that are subject to periodic flooding. It must be borne in mind that each species develops best on a certain soil composition. This needs to be clarified even at the stage of choosing species for your garden plot.
According to the terms, the most optimal time for planting works is the period from the last days of April to the beginning of May... At this time, coniferous shrubs and trees have not yet begun to actively grow and, as a result, it is easier to tolerate a transplant and take root in a new place.
When digging a hole, it is necessary to calculate its depth so that when planting a seedling, it is located in it no deeper than the root collar (this is the border where the trunk passes into the root). After planting, you need to water it abundantly, this is done to ensure the best contact of the soil with the roots, that is, you need to water it regardless of the moisture content of the soil. For the next month, the soil around the plants should not be allowed to dry out until it begins to develop its root system in a new place.
Most conifers are not very capricious when grown, but they, like other artificially grown plants, need care... In hot years, it is required to cover young plants from sunburn, especially for various firs. In winter - carry out measures to protect southern, introduced species from frost (this is a shelter for low-growing plants, and snow retention, etc.). Saplings are sold with a closed root system (with a lump of earth or in a container) and with an open one (bare roots). If the planting takes place in the spring, and the roots are open, you need to pay attention to the presence of young roots.
Setting up a lawn to create a background for conifers will greatly improve the overall visual experience. Often, conifers are planted next to water bodies, so that, together with weeping deciduous plants, they make up a common original composition.
- various types and varieties of junipers: Cossack, rocky, Virginian, Chinese, etc.;
- spruce: prickly, European;
- pines: mountain, black, ordinary.
Those. those species of conifers that are common in the wild in our forests without any care. Naturally, wild plants are quite common grow too large, they do not have sufficient decorative qualities, so you need to buy varieties with known qualities.
Junipers, pines and North American thorny spruces are quite light-requiring, undemanding to the level of moisture and soil fertility. If the flower bed is in shade for a significant part of the daylight hours, it is recommended to choose zoned (that is, those that are tested and suitable for growing in your region) varieties of berry yew, European spruce or western thuja.
For a low-maintenance garden (requiring a minimum of work during the year) in our latitudes, carefully purchase cypress, hemlock, pseudo-sug, microbiota, tuevik, cypress, cupressocyparis, fir, Kemfer larch, Japanese cryptomeria, swamp cypress, folded species and other rare species.
According to the size of an adult plant, conifers can be conditionally divide into three groups.
Tall species of conifers
Large plants include such common types:
Medium-sized plants for coniferous compositions
- Branched and very aesthetic evergreen tree. Growth is slow.
- Berry yew. Compact shrub, dense needles. Popular due to the combination of rich greens and berries, red.
- Golden yew. It tolerates partial shade well, is combined with tall and low-growing plants. Grows in the shape of a bowl, needles are yellowish-green, green or golden color... They often serve as the basis for compositions.
Low-growing and creeping conifers
For such forms of conifers, it is very important to have sufficient space for development, because they do not grow up, but in a horizontal plane, forming something similar to a kind of lawn.
- Norway spruce Lombers. A low-growing plant, dense needles, bright, emerald color.
- Mountain pine Hampi. Used in rock gardens. An unusual property - the buds, at temperatures below freezing, are painted in beautiful reddish-brown shades.
- Mountain pine, Mini Pug variety. It grows in the form of a kind of pillow.
Compatibility
Despite the unpretentiousness of most species of conifers to growing conditions, it is necessary to form compositions based on them taking into account some features. Many conifers are characterized by their "aggressiveness". Aggressive species are called, which in the process of evolution developed the ability to secrete substances that suppress the development of other plants. In conifers, this feature allows in nature, with their very slow growth, to compete with fast-growing species. That's why:
Near larch, all conifers feel bad, although they can be planted, but at some distance.
Purchase of plants
Conifers for creating compositions can be bought both in special nurseries and in garden shops.
Digging in natural forests and groves is not worth it, because, firstly, it may turn out to be illegal (if this territory belongs to some biosphere reserve), and secondly, it will be unpredictable adult plant, even within the same species, wild specimens can be very different (this depends on many factors and heredity), thirdly, there is an opportunity to introduce new types of pests into your garden.
You do not need to purchase a plant just because it is beautiful and cute. Recommended necessarily learn latin name, first inquire about the size and habit of an adult plant and buy only those plants that are suitable for a particular site.
Conifers, especially of small age, are strikingly similar and only a specialist can distinguish them outwardly. This is a rather expensive purchase, designed for more than one year, so you should prepare for it in advance, arm yourself with a catalog with descriptions and photographs. Very often one has to see the disappointment of buyers of extremely expensive, grown in Western nurseries, topiary (formed by special pruning of seedlings) forms, when they are created from species not zoned in our latitudes.
It should not be forgotten that it is advisable to buy conifers with a lump of earth, dendrological nurseries sell them in burlap or wire mesh, the most the best way- grown in a container, they are possible plant in any season... Naturally, you need to buy seedlings only in reputable garden centers, after checking the general condition of the needles and the quality of the root system. Quite a few novice gardeners were "burnt" by purchasing cheap cupressocypresses and cypresses in pots, which are often sold in supermarkets, they often stand there, without watering, for weeks. After such conditions, these delicate plants are extremely difficult to recover, most often they die during the first winter.
As for the price of seedlings, conifers, most often, cost more than deciduous ones, container ones - more expensive than grown in the ground, grafted and topiary - more expensive than grown without forming, etc. Designers most often recommend purchasing several accent, central plants (size about 1.0-1.5m high), to give the flower bed volume, and buy the rest small (no more than 40 cm). But at the same time, you need to be prepared for the fact that dwarf species grow extremely slowly (sometimes less than one cm per year) and having planted them very small, you will need to expect the required decorative effect from them for many years.
Coniferous compositions in landscape design
The principle of constructing a landscape composition from conifers
For the correct planning of a coniferous composition, it is initially required to decide exactly where it should be located, what type is needed, what elements will be included in it. And after that, choose plants that meet the characteristics necessary for the formation of the composition, taking into account the existing conditions.
The facade of the house and the front garden, as a rule, are the first to be seen by guests, so its design should be somewhat solemn and necessarily elegant, it is appropriate here landscaping with basic elements regular style, which is based on the symmetrical arrangement of all components or a repetitive rhythm. It will be better when the assortment of species here is too diverse.
The main, accent plant is a pyramidal, standard plant, which in an adult state reaches a size of no more than 2.5-3 m (based on the size of the flower bed). Then, symmetrically from it, plants of the second order (subaccent) are placed on the sides, with dimensions up to 1-1.5 m. Between them, you can (without deviating from the previously outlined pattern) plant dwarf and open conifers, compact decorative leafy shrubs and ground cover.
In informal plantings, compositions of conifers are recommended to be placed on the lawn in the form of a flower bed - "island", include them in the mixborder along the edges of the site, interspersed with decorative leafy plants, thus zoning the space. Here it is more optimal to select the plant habit according to the “irregular versatile triangle” system.
After that, the remaining space is filled with plants as their importance and external saturation decrease. In the foreground, the flower beds are planted with lower plants, and in the center - higher and more voluminous. It is advisable to choose plants with different colors of needles so that the flower bed does not look boring. If the accent plant has a silvery color of needles, you do not need to plant a variety of the same color next to it. Do not forget about the illumination of the flower bed and various seasonal plants... Early bulbous plants will look great against the background of bright greenery.
For landing on alpine slide or in flower beds with various annuals and ground cover, miniature varieties with spherical and cushion forms of growth can be used, as well as ground cover species that cover the ground with a carpet or cascade down from the retaining walls.
To create a harmonious landscape composition, certain rules must be taken into account.
Shape geometry
Contrasting combinations
By combining contrasting colors and shapes, different visual effects can be achieved. Against the background of small plants, large trees will be striking; in the transitions of various sizes and outlines of crowns, you can smooth out the lines of the exterior.
Asymmetry and symmetry
The use of conifers in landscape design implies a combination of the incompatible. That is, you can decorate the site with both symmetrical compositions and unexpected asymmetric elements that will look quite harmonious.
At the moment, a large number of conifers have been bred, differing in color. Those who like to experiment with colors should remember that contrasting colors components of a small coniferous group can "ruin" the composition. Therefore, experts advise in groups of conifers, of three plants, to use no more than two colors; in groups of five seedlings, no more than three colors can be planted. But in large coniferous groups (more than 30), you can plant plants with different colors, not forgetting to combine them into small groups of three plants of the same color.
Height and shape of the crown
When creating compositions, you need to take into account not only the color of the seedling, but also its dimensions in adulthood and the outline of its crown. In order to predict the type of composition in the future, one should first study the characteristics of the proposed varieties before buying them.
Types of songs
Mixborder
The mixborder can be placed where, in accordance with the wishes of the owner of the site, it will look best. Do not be afraid to do as you want. The garden landscape only benefits from the manifestation of individuality.
For the largest plants, it is necessary prepare a place at the very edge of the future composition, then the plantings are arranged in descending order, therefore the smallest plants are planted at the base of the mixborder. There is no need to strive to maintain the same geometric accuracy of the plantings. The curvature will only emphasize the pristine beauty of the composition.
The natural harmony of the mixborder must be observed: the width of the plantings of large plants must necessarily exceed the space that is allocated for undersized plantings. The plantation may include specimens that differ in the color of the needles and the outline of the crown.
Coniferous hedge
A hedge, using conifers, is created quite often. In plantings of a regular style, which is rarely found in our latitudes, a coniferous hedge is nothing more than a hedge, but landscape style and modern makes it possible to use evergreen hedges as a backdrop for bright perennials. Conifers can be used to form dense formed or unformed hedges. In order to create a dense green hedge plants are placed in several rows, in a checkerboard pattern. One of the most impassable hedges is considered to be the formed checkerboard planting of spruce.
Compositions of coniferous circular view
Landings are called compositions of a circular view, decorative effect which must be viewed from all sides of the review. Compositions of this kind are usually planted in paving openings or on round flower beds. Planting plants, maybe any - irregular shape or symmetrical... In the center of the symmetrical composition, the largest plant is placed, around it, at an equal distance, there are species of small dimensions.
For asymmetrical groups, the same principle applies: the height of each subsequent row should gradually decrease, thus emphasizing the visual perception of the previous row. Forming an asymmetrical composition is one of the most difficult jobs for a landscape designer. It must provide an overview of the landing from all angles.
For example, consider the option using Scots pine as an accent plant. It is necessary to choose the variety of this tree, reaching a height of 2-2.5 m, with small bluish-gray needles.
A specimen of a slow-growing, rather frost-resistant Korean cedar pine is planted in front of it, a pyramidal variety with long needles of a silvery-blue hue is desirable. In the corner of the composition, you can place three Cossack junipers. To the left of them, plant two slow-growing dwarf ones. Several western thujas can be added to the composition. The space between the plants is covered with a layer of decorative mulch; it is aesthetically pleasing to use ground spruce cones as it. Such a composition does not need special care.
Compositions with a geometric crown shape
In such a composition, a prickly spruce with a bluish-white color of needles will look good. The height of the selected variety should not be more than 3-4 meters.
To the left of it, you can place the western thuja, a variety with a narrow cone-shaped crown. Between the spruce and thuja, four plants of a slow-growing mountain pine, a spherical variety with dark green needles, will look good. There are mountain pine varieties with an original property - their needles, with the first frosts, turn yellow, and the green color returns in spring.
In addition to those listed, there are also a huge variety of different compositions and combinations of plants. This article lists only a few of the most common ones.
Conclusion
Here, in short, are the basics of creating coniferous compositions. But this information just an invitation to a world full of creativity and beauty landscape design, in general, and the creation of coniferous compositions in particular.
Any person is able to turn both a significant area and a small area near the house into a unique and unique composition of living plants. It is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance - a little patience, knowledge and your own imagination.
Whatever the size of the site, there will always be conifers for it, without which no garden can be considered complete. Today's abundance of varieties and species allows you to experiment and create new coniferous compositions in the landscape design of small and large gardens.
Conifers, with their diversity, confuse the gardener when choosing candidates for creating landscape forms. Tidying up your knowledge of evergreens is the first step in planning a beautiful garden.
The whole variety of conifers is better represented, if they are divided into groups:
- Full-grown, the annual growth of which is 30 cm or more per year;
- Medium-sized and semi-dwarf individuals grow no more than 30 cm per year;
- Dwarf forms with an annual growth of about 8 cm;
- Miniature, which add 3-5 cm per year;
- Microscopic with an increase of no more than 1 cm per year.
On these grounds, the gardener determines the place that conifers will take in the landscape design of the site.
The first group of plants reaches a height of 3 meters or more at the age of ten. For example, ordinary spruce (Picea abies) at the 12th year of life is a beauty 4 meters high, and its crown in the lower part reaches a diameter of about 3 meters.
Norway spruce 
The Lebanese cedar (Cedrus libani) from this group also belongs to the category of giants. At the age of 10, it can reach a height of 5 meters. In an adult state, and conifers grow for a very long time, it will be a 25-meter giant, which is a delightful sight.
Lebanese cedar
Semi-dwarf forms of conifers are by far the most attractive for garden or park compositions due to their versatility. They do not need a lot of space, but even from a distance of 10 meters, a group of such plants looks quite presentable.
Dwarf and miniature forms are suitable for small gardens, where a small area is allocated to plants and you need to observe the picture from a distance of no more than 5 meters in order to appreciate the beauty of each of its participants and the entire composition as a whole.
Semi-dwarf spruce 
Dwarf larch 
Miniature cedar
Microscopic evergreens are grown by hobbyists indoor gardens in Japanese style. An ensemble of these plants can be placed on a pedestal in a small patio.
It is also necessary to divide evergreens into groups:
- trees;
- shrubs.
Shrubs are common and dwarf. The Cossack juniper (Juniperus sabina tamariscifolia) is a common inhabitant of parks and gardens because of its unpretentiousness and vitality. It does not reach more than one meter in height, but in width, if it is released and does not form a crown, it can occupy an area of about five or more meters in diameter.
On the contrary, the horizontal juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) in the landscape design of the site plays the role of a thorny blanket that spreads along the ground, and reaches a height of no more than 15 cm. It grows rather slowly.
Juniper horizontal
Pros and cons
The merits of conifers include:
- ease of care;
- garden decoration at any time of the year;
- lack of fallen leaves;
- lack of inflorescences that need to be cut;
- an abundance of shapes, sizes and colors;
- the ability to form any shapes using cropping;
- improvement of the surrounding air;
- durability.
In some sources, the disadvantages of coniferous crops include the unpredictability of their growth and appearance in adulthood. The right approach when growing conifers, it eliminates all the disadvantages of their content. If the planting site and the type of plant are chosen taking into account its needs, size and climate, then the gardener can only process the treatment against diseases and pests in time and feed his coniferous pets a couple of times a season with delicious fertilizer for health and fluffy.
Willow Hakuro Nishiki Willow is a familiar plant and is often used for landscaping. But the instances, ...
There is a plan!
With the help of conifers, the garden can be given completely different shapes. Fast-growing conifers for landscape design of the site will be appreciated by lovers of quick results.
A well-planned project is half the battle.
The entrance area of the site can be decorated in a ceremonial style: the clear forms of trimmed thujas of a spherical and conical shape greet guests and hosts near the entrance to the house. They are surrounded by a well-groomed lawn or colored, chopped bark in discreet shades.
For thuja to please the eye with fresh greens, they need proper care and an attentive attitude. A fairly common situation is when, dry and look unkempt (do not confuse these cases with the golden varieties of this plant).
A live fence made of sheared thuja will help divide the garden into several different zones... Behind the two-meter thuyu wall, the continuation of the site will not be visible, and the winding path will mysteriously hide and beckon further into the garden.
Quite a frequent and popular guest. They are well suited for cultivation in urban conditions, as they withstand increased air pollution.
Such large-scale structures and large trees will be appropriate if there is enough space.
Conifers in garden landscaping should not look alien and unnecessary. After evaluating the space reserved for conifers, a good gardener will first examine the varieties that are suitable for specific purposes.
In a small garden, groups of medium-sized and semi-dwarf plants look good against the background of a lawn or gravel dump. For lack of space, a coniferous mixborder is created along the fence. In the background, you can place several balls of western thuja (Thuja ossidentalis), between them a creeping semi-dwarf juniper (Juniperus horizontalis "Glauca"), and in the foreground there will be a neat spruce "Conica" (Picea glauca albertiana "Conica") with its small size and bright green needles. It goes well with the golden ball of the Japanese Golden Princess (Spiraea japonica). For color harmony, you can add a dwarf oriental with golden foliage (Thuja orientalis "Aurea Nana"). In early summer, all this splendor is adorned with pink spirea flowers.
Coniferous mixborder 
Semi-dwarf juniper 
Eastern dwarf thuja
Creation of a coniferous paradise
When fitting conifers into landscape design, you must follow some rules:
- the tallest specimens are planted in the background;
- coniferous composition of different plants should not combine more than three forms of crowns;
- symmetry and precise geometric shapes are inappropriate when creating an evergreen free-plan group;
- a strict parterre composition should be strictly symmetrical and requires constant care and haircuts;
- an ensemble of conifers does not need variegation;
- accents are required;
- the viewing area should be at a distance equal to twice the length of the composition;
- the wrong green neighbors can nullify the gardener's efforts.
Some of these rules require a detailed approach and specificity. If the first postulate is simple and clear, then the question of forms can be explained by the structure of the human eye. The abundance of shapes, as well as colors, creates a sense of uneasiness. A composition of three colors or two or three contrasting shapes looks much more pleasant and holistic. Pyramidal thuja brabant in the landscape design of the group is best placed in the background. Their severity is emphasized by the spherical forms of cypress, and in the foreground, the entire ensemble is soothed by creeping juniper or ground cover deciduous plants. Even if the territory for conifers is quite extensive, the rhythmic alternation of the same plants is better perceived, and not a set of all kinds of varieties and colors.
In order for the gaze not to wander through the composition, the beginning of contemplation should begin with an accent, which can create a tree or shrub of an unusual shape or color, slightly different from all the others. The starting point of the view is a small heather garden, which is beautifully combined with conifers. A boulder of an unusual shape, buried in the arms of a juniper, or interesting solution garden lanterns are also eye-catching and help to perceive the whole composition as a whole and each plant separately.
The combination of the sizes of conifers in a group should be harmonious. A tall spruce is perceived at a great distance, while a small spherical thuja is interesting up close.
For the dignified development of conifers, it is necessary to take into account the influence that plants have on each other. The neighborhood of spruce and thuja will oppress both plants. A beautiful specimen of larch will not tolerate anyone near it. This individualist loves to grow alone, just like the birch.
Larch
The combination of conifers with roses looks very beautiful. But this neighborhood may not be very comfortable for a rose.
Conifers in different roles
Many gardeners give preference to conifers when decorating a plot, because these plants can play a variety of roles:
- Hedge;
- Solo part;
- Mixborder;
- Alpine slide or rockery;
- Ensemble;
- Container garden.
An evergreen hedge can be functional or aesthetic. If you need to separate the resting place from prying eyes, columnar junipers or thujas will do this role very well. Tightly planted to each other, they will create a beautiful and impenetrable wall, which will look organic in the green mass of the site.
A dwarf juniper or cypress tree will make a wonderful fence for fencing a playground or flower bed, which will not block the view, but will create a beautiful frame.
As a solo artist, conifers or shrubs with an interesting crown shape, the color of the needles or an exotic type of fruit are used. A better combination all at once for the decorative effect of the soloist throughout the year. The background for the artist can be lawn, gravel or decorative chips.
A composition, that is, a "mix" of plants along a path or fence, forms a kind of border, and all together this is called a mixborder. This garden element is very popular with gardeners. It can be decorated with conifers or a combination of conifers with flowers and ground cover plants. It is better to decorate the mixborder near the path in dwarf and semi-dwarf forms so that the eye covers the entire group of plants at once.
Alpine slides or rock gardens in the recent past were a favorite decoration of garden plots. On any, even a very small, piece of the garden, amateurs tried to create something similar to the Alps with an obligatory assortment of ground cover and conifers. To create a rock garden that would naturally fit into the landscape of the site is not an easy task, but quite feasible. It is much easier - a combination of plants and stones. For this element of the landscape, you do not need to build mountains, a beautiful boulder and evergreen plants, correctly matched to it, are enough. A dwarf mountain pine in landscape design will feel like at home if surrounded by several stones interesting shape or coloring. Ground cover flowers or creeping junipers are planted between stones and conifers. In this case, plants and stones located on pebbles look more natural.
Compositions from conifers are the simplest and most beautiful solution for revitalizing a lawn or patio.
Ephedra can be combined with deciduous plants suitable for growing conditions. The unpretentious and beautiful deer-horned sumac (Rhus typhina) with its feather-like leaves will look great against the background of strict spruces in summer, and in autumn its scarlet colors against a calm green background will attract the eyes of even a sophisticated gardener.
In group compositions, contrasts of form and play of color play a major role. Columnar thuja with bright green needles are perfectly combined with balls of golden thuja, and creeping deep green juniper completes this composition, spread out on the lawn.
There are conifers that a gardener would really like to see in his green kingdom. But not all conifers tolerate frost and lower temperatures. In this case, container forms of conifers come to the rescue. They can be used to decorate a patio or add to an already finished composition in the garden. The container form of plants allows you to combine incongruous. In this form, the dream of a duet of roses and spruce is quite feasible.
Present the finished result and go! You will succeed!