Conifers for landscape design

Conifers have a beautiful and neat shape, and also produce an incredibly fresh and pleasant aroma. That is why many designers and ordinary summer residents love to use these plants on a private landscape. Varieties are very differentiated by their color, configuration and size, and therefore they can be combined with any garden design. Consider the most remarkable and popular of them - what to give preference to and how to care for selected plants.

As a rule, when it comes to conifers, a beautiful green cone looms in the imagination. But this, as you know, variations in the structure of the crown are not limited. Say, the western thuja Danica appears in the shape of a ball, and Kolumna appears in a slender column. There are also weeping configurations, such as the European larch Pendula.

The natural appearance of most conifers can be varied in your own way, because they lend themselves well to pinching and cutting. Everything will depend on the skills and ideas of the gardener: you can cut a cute animal, or you can - a spiral column.

Before buying a tree, take an interest in the height of an adult plant. Conifers in this regard are in no way inferior to their deciduous counterparts - you can choose a tall or dwarf representative. Gymnosperms do not grow very fast, but in the long run, inappropriate growth can lead to difficulties. This parameter will dictate the location for landing.

The color palette of coniferous vegetation is diverse. You can choose the necessary varieties in blue, silver and even yellow. In this case, the tone of the plants varies not only based on the selected variety, but also on the season, as well as the location in which they grow.

Closer to the winter, most varieties become darker. In spring, as in the case of deciduous, conifers acquire a gentle bright tint. This image is very elegant, and in the spring the garden will become especially beautiful.

The gamma of yellow is emphasized by bright sunshine. At the same time, in a shaded place, such gymnosperms will not be so attractive. Larch becomes yellow in the fall, like deciduous trees.

The bulk of the evergreens prefers areas with a lot of light. To a greater extent this applies to some species of juniper, pines and larch. Penumbra is suitable for ordinary juniper, fir, arborvitae and spruce. Microbiota, Tsuga and Yew can receive a minimum of light.

It is important to know that some representatives of conifers are burned from the spring rays of the sun. This is because the active sun stimulates the movement of juice, and, since the soil has not yet had time to heat up, the root system is not able to saturate the plant with the necessary moisture. Due to insufficient fluid, the needles dry out and become more red. Such plants need a light shade.

Most gymnosperms love moist soil and respond well to moist air. Try to plant vegetation near artificial or natural reservoirs. However, the wet, damp terrain, which is characterized by proximity to groundwater, is also not suitable for these trees or shrubs.

It is best to land on loose soil with low acidity. Otherwise, it is worth providing effective drainage. Thuja needs moisture more than others, while spruce or pine grow well in dry soil, but with good watering.

Choose a plant based on the climatic conditions in which your site is located. Such varieties perfectly tolerate winter: Sakhalin and Siberian fir; Siberian cedar, ordinary pine; prickly, canadian gray spruce; Siberian larch; western thuja; Cossack, Siberian, ordinary juniper; cedar elfin.

Such plants do not need thorough preparatory procedures in anticipation of the winter season. However, in the case of dry autumn, they should be watered abundantly. Also, so that strong gusts of wind and snow do not damage the branches of the thuja, tie its crown with twine.

When planning the design of the site, it is worth considering the possibility of the coexistence of various plants:

- Larch must be planted separately from other conifers;

- Lush roses are especially attractive against the backdrop of evergreen vegetation, but for beautiful flowers this arrangement is highly undesirable due to the increased acidity of the soil around gymnosperms;

- Thuja will not tolerate the spruce tree planted next to it;

- Spruce, do not grow fir near cedar or pine;

- Conifers will grow slowly, if you make cherry or birch their neighbors - they will deplete the soil.

Combine evergreen vegetation with flowers that tolerate acidic soil, cereals, as well as deciduous trees and shrubs. A picturesque image of the site can be obtained thanks to conifers on the background of the reservoir, especially if weeping trees stand nearby.

To create a winning and harmonious composition, rely on the following indicators:

- The correct geometry of configurations - honed shapes will be beautifully combined with each other. For example, place a tall pyramid-shaped conifer near a spherical thuja. Thus, you get a contrast multi-tiered layout;

- Gymnosperms that are oriented to the east or west side of the world will look especially impressive;

- Please note that a full review of the composition of conifers will be achieved from a distance that is 2 times longer than the duration of this landscape construction;

- You definitely won’t lose if you choose a stone or a neat lawn as the background for the conifer.

Evergreen vegetation goes well with most design decisions:

- The Japanese garden will be decorated with curly pines, complemented by stunted coniferous plants, shrubs and stones;

- The classic regular garden will complement topiary, conical, columnar conifers;

- In a rockery or kindergarten decorated with gravel, dwarf representatives will look beautiful;

- Natural compositions will support all types and varieties of gymnosperms;

- A small container garden capable of transforming dwarf evergreen trees;

- A courtyard in the style of a rustic, country, with structures of beautiful wood, natural stones will look very nice if you decorate it with emerald branches;

- The Scandinavian house will very effectively shade a stone garden with conifers of various varieties;

- The territory, decorated in a modern style, filled with straight lines, chrome objects, emphasize neat vegetation of strict forms.

In addition to the fact that gymnosperms fill the air with a pleasant aroma, help in creating a specific style solution, they can also perform various functional roles.

For example, conifers are great for creating an elegant hedge. It can be tall plants planted right next to the main fence, or small bushes enclosing a flower bed. Also try to mark the lines of garden paths, just plant compact bushes around the perimeter and cut them regularly.

A mixborder of large flowers, colorful bushes will complement conifers and shrubs of various shapes and colors. They can be in the center of the composition or become a kind of background for it. In addition, the evergreen representatives of the flora are attractive in themselves, and therefore they can be used separately from other plants or supplemented with low-growing plants that do not attract a lot of attention. Such a decision is especially appropriate in an open area.

It is important to take into account that the crumbling needles will make the soil more acidic in composition, and a tall tree with a dense crown forms a dense shadow - not every plant will have such conditions.

Coniferous trees are excellent helpers in dividing space into separate zones. Designate a recreation area with a bench or a swing with figured bushes or trees - it will come out very naturally and harmoniously.

Having given preference to juniper, fir or pine, you will not only noticeably transform the site, but also provide the territory with a beneficial smell with useful phytoncides, which will contribute to better health of the owners and guests of your private territory.

It is difficult to cover all aspects of the use of beautiful conifers in a personal territory. But, as one wise saying goes, it’s better to see once than hear a hundred times. We wish you inspiration and enjoy your viewing!