We grow coniferous plants in our area. Coniferous plants for the backyard

Why do coniferous plants sometimes grow differently even in neighboring areas? In addition to the occurrence of groundwater, soil composition, wind roses, buildings and structures, lighting also affects plants. This is one of the main factors on which good development Your coniferous pets. So, you need to choose the right coniferous plants for your site, or rather, for sunny and shady places.

I am surprised that inexperienced gardeners buy conifers and bushes simply because they like them. without predetermining the most appropriate place for their landing. But every species, sometimes even some varieties, need certain conditions for growth. Otherwise, they will be exhausted, get sick, die. About one of these conditions - lighting, we will tell you today.

Remember that quality planting material- the key to good survival and healthy growth. Nursery EcoPlant I am always glad to help you in choosing and purchasing the most beautiful coniferous bushes and trees. I draw attention to the banners in the upper left corner of the page - behind this veil lies a huge world of conifers.

Pine lighting.
Now there are about 100 species of pines, they are all diverse, but varieties of Weymouth pine, varieties of mountain pine, and of course, different varieties of Scotch pine are very popular.

In the photo weymouth pine "Minima":

Most pines love sunny places. If you have a lot of shade on your site, then it is better to refuse pines, or at least try to plant a Weymouth pine in partial shade. Here it is quite normal develops in such places. The main thing is that the shadow is not complete.

By the way, variegated pine varieties also prefer light partial shade. Then their coloring becomes brighter and more beautiful.

Spruce lighting.
There are much fewer species of spruce - 50 species. And the popular ones are very Serbian, ordinary, Canadian (gray) and prickly spruce. They all have wonderful varieties that require lighting in different ways.

In the photo, the common spruce "Akrokona":

But basically fir trees do not like the open sun very much, especially in young age. Most likely sunburn. And be sure to plant Canadian spruce and all its varieties in the shade. Then you will sleep peacefully, the Christmas tree will take root perfectly. In the open, she will not survive!

That's just prickly spruce (or blue) grows well in lighted places. Let the shadow fall on it for several hours a day, but mostly the sun!

Light-loving spruces can also include varieties with golden needles or multi-colored growth. And if they are in the shade, then alas, the exotic color will be lost.

Lighting for junipers.
In total, there are about 70 types of junipers. But the following types are most common and loved by gardeners: Cossack, scaly, ordinary, horizontal, virgin, rocky and Chinese junipers. Most of them love the light! In full shade they will fade, wither away. Therefore, be sure to plant them in open areas.

In the photo, the Cossack juniper "Tamariscifolia":

But if you really wanted to plant a juniper in the shade, maybe there is such a shady place left, then I advise you to plant an ordinary juniper. He won't let you down, and you know why? Because it grows in nature in the undergrowth, and there is mostly shade.

But columnar, elongated junipers, due to this crown shape, can burn in the sun. Therefore, identify them in partial shade. Or that they are covered part of the day.

Tui lighting.
If you are not sure that you can choose suitable coniferous plants for your site so that they do not burn out in the sun and do not fade in the shade, then I advise you to plant the western one. These are ideal conifers for light and shady places. Even a complete shadow is not an obstacle to the normal growth of thuja.

In the photo, the western thuja "Smaragd":

But I note that it is still better to plant thuja varieties with variegated and yellow colors in lighted places. Then they will have colorful, healthy needles.

Illumination for hemlock.
In total, there are 10 types of hemlock, but the main favorite species is Canadian hemlock. And of course, its diverse and beautiful varieties.

In the photo, Canadian hemlock "Pendula":

This coniferous plant prefers only shade. And on the site there is always a place where nothing really grows, but I would like to embellish it. Canadian hemlock is just right for a shady place. It will grow well under the canopy of trees, near buildings in the shade, on the north side of the gazebo.

Plant coniferous plants in the right places, and you will eventually find yourself in a beautiful garden that you could only dream of!

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Shaded areas can be effectively used by planting them with fruit and ornamental plants. Various shade-loving shrubs for the garden will be a real find. They will decorate the territory with lush foliage and flowers, divide it into zones, and also delight with generous harvests of juicy berries.

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Features of garden breeds

Some shrubs feel comfortable in the shade. In a darkened area, they have a bright color, long and densely bloom. In conditions of abundance of light, shade-loving plants are not entirely comfortable. Their delicate leaves can burn in direct sunlight. Places unprotected from the sun are not suitable for shade-loving species. However, these plants need light. The constant deep shade under the northern wall of the house will be a difficult test for them. The best option is diffused light under the canopy of trees.

Unlike shade-loving species, shade-tolerant shrubs prefer areas that receive direct sunlight. But they do quite well in dark areas. Under the shade of trees, they may have less vibrant colors and fewer flowers.

Since most shade-loving shrubs naturally live in the forest, appropriate soil should be prepared for them. It should be fertile and neutral in acidity. These conditions are suitable for most species. Although there are some shade-tolerant shrubs that prefer acidic soil. When the earth meets the requirements of the plant, it will be lush and bright. If you choose a plant that grows well in this region, you will not need to create special conditions for it.

To plant a shade-loving bush, you need to choose a free area so that the plant is not crowded. Undersized specimens are best placed on a hill, this is done to strengthen and decorate the embankments. Their shape, height and flowering is regulated by pruning.

Between the trees, the soil can dry out a lot, as the crowns of the trees cover it from the rain. If the space around the bushes is filled with creeping shade-tolerant plants, the drying of the soil can be prevented.

High views are suitable for zoning the garden, masking unattractive buildings and equipping cozy places to relax.

Garden shrubs can be planted in multi-stage cascades, with higher views at the back and low ones at the front. Alley planting looks beautiful when the plants are planted at an equal distance from each other in 1 or 2 rows.

Usually seedlings are sold with a closed root system, so they can be planted in the ground at any time. But the rest period is optimal - late autumn or early spring.

Barberry and blackberry

Elderberry red is perfect for planting in a shady area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe garden. It is not demanding on the soil and can grow in almost any soil, even with excess moisture. In May or June, the elderberry is covered with small white flowers, collected in paniculate inflorescences up to 20 cm in size. During this period, it looks very impressive. From the end of July, red berries begin to appear on the plant. The fruits of the shrub are eaten and used in medicinal purposes. Red elderberry has the ability to repel mice. For her, it is better to choose a place protected from the wind. Decoctions are prepared from young shoots and flowers of the shrub to protect plants from pests.



The barberry planted in the backyard will become a source of valuable and tasty sour berries. The plant has a wonderful color of the leaves. Depending on the variety, it is yellow, purple, purple, green, variegated and with edging around the edges. This is suitable plant for creating garden compositions (mixborders) and single planting. It can be planted on the slopes and on the banks of reservoirs. A beautiful hedge is formed from the barberry. Due to the abundance of small spines, it will become impenetrable to animals. From dwarf varieties of barberry, you can create a magnificent border fence. The shrub lends itself well to artistic curly (topiary) haircuts. From it form balls, pyramids and other figures. This shade-tolerant plant is drought tolerant and wind tolerant, but does not like standing water in the soil.

Spreading gooseberry bushes feel great under the crowns of trees. They calmly tolerate the drying of the soil and are resistant to weather conditions. Fruiting steadily. Ripe berries gooseberries are red. Their scattering colorfully stands out against a green background. An excellent amber jam is prepared from the fruits.

Blackberries can be planted in the garden. This melliferous plant in August is covered with raspberry-like black berries. They have a great sour taste. The branches of the shrub can reach a height of 2 meters, so it must be planted at a distance of at least 2 meters from other plants.

On a garden plot in the shade of trees, hazel will easily take root. The shrub is unpretentious and with minimal care will regularly give generous harvests hazelnuts. Cultivated varieties may have different colors leaves and decorate the garden.



Ornamental crops

The bright color of the leaves and flowers of the shrub will transform a gloomy garden area covered with shade.

Few plants can compare with the beauty and abundance of flowering with rhododendron. They are literally buried in flowers from June to July. The shrub has beautiful glossy dark green foliage. The color of flowers, reaching a diameter of 3.5-4 cm, can be very different. The plant does not like wet soil and is intolerant of winds. For rhododendron, neutral ground must be acidified with special peat. The shrub calmly tolerates early spring and late autumn frosts. But for the winter, most varieties should be covered.



Luxurious hydrangea attracts attention with the size of the caps of inflorescences. Lush and openwork balls reach 25 cm in diameter. Hydrangea blooms from July to September, when other shrubs have already faded. Looks great alone or in composition with evergreen ornamental shrubs. The plant loves abundant watering, especially during the dry season. Not all varieties of hydrangea easily endure winter. Therefore, it is advisable to plant them closer to the buildings. tree hydrangeas capable of withstanding the harshest winters and deep shadow. ornamental shrubs for the garden, it is better to plant on lawns, near terraces and garden arbors, at the entrance to the house or in the front garden.

dogwood blossoms in early spring, in mid-March or early April, when there are no leaves on the trees yet. For a whole month, he will delight you with many lush pink or golden yellow flowers, densely covering the crown. Flowering dogwood looks amazing. Its early flowers attract many insects. This is an early honey plant. All summer, the shrub decorates the garden with emerald foliage, and by autumn it is covered with scarlet berries. They make wonderful jams and compotes. Dogwood is undemanding to growing conditions and is practically not susceptible to diseases. But for the winter it is recommended to cover it.

In spring, a magnificent mahonia will decorate the garden with golden large inflorescences. Its flowers look great against the backdrop of shiny dark green leaves. By the end of summer, the bush is covered with purple berries that look like grapes. Mahonia is easy to care for. The plant tolerates pruning very well. So that the bushes are thick and do not stretch upwards, they are cut after flowering. Magonia is resistant to pests. Shrubs for the garden are used in the design of rocky slides, borders and undersized compositions. Magonia looks beautiful as a single plant.



evergreen species

Shade-loving evergreen shrubs will decorate the garden all year round. They create hedges, borders, backstage, ornamental stripes (arabesques) and even garden figures.

Yew berry does not need careful care. It is frost and wind resistant. Grows in poor soils and easily tolerates drought. A variety of shapes are formed from the shrub, they create a hedge. He looks good in the group and how individual plant. Yew berry does not tolerate excess moisture in the soil.



Holly holly looks like a real Christmas tree. During the winter holidays, it can be dressed up and turned into Christmas tree. Viable plant easily takes root on different soils. During drought, it should be watered abundantly. It can grow even in deep shade. The branches of the shrub grow slowly and very densely. The plant is formed after the fruiting period. If you plan to collect fruits, then you need to plant several plants, as the shrub needs cross-pollination. Holly reaches its peak of beauty in late autumn. In winter, it is covered with green leaves and blood-red fruits.

Popular garden plant is boxwood. It must be planted in places protected from the wind. The shrub is especially vulnerable to spring winds. Boxwood is resistant to heat and grows on any soil. If the soil is poor, then the bush will grow small, but very dense. Figures, borders and hedges are formed from boxwood. It is recommended to cover the plant for the winter. For spherical shapes, special boxes made of wood or plastic with holes are used. Hedges and borders can be covered with cloth. Bushes for the winter should be tied up so that they do not break under the weight of snow. With the onset of heat, the insulation must be quickly removed so that the boxwood does not rot and get sick.

Calmia is a favorite garden shrub in the USA, Canada and European countries. The evergreen leaves of Calmia resemble bay leaves. The shrub blooms beautifully with large inflorescences of pale pink and white flowers. Calmia is drought tolerant but needs to be watered frequently during hot weather. She needs acidic soil.

How to choose a shrub

It is recommended to give preference to disease-resistant and unpretentious plants that do not require special care. Many species require regular pruning to control shape and size. If you do not want to do pruning, it is better to choose a plant that does not require it. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the maximum height of the variety so that the plant does not grow beyond the boundaries allocated for it.

The shrub must be adapted to the available climatic conditions and soil. Under inappropriate conditions, the plant will be weak or die.

It is advisable to choose a plant that will decorate the garden all year round. Most suitable option will evergreen. Among deciduous shrubs, those that bloom profusely all summer, have attractive flowers, beautiful and tasty berries, and have a fragrant aroma, are especially popular. Such shrubs need to form a beautiful crown so that it looks aesthetically pleasing in winter.



Conifers and juniper

In addition to shrubs, you can use coniferous plants for the garden. Thuja is one of the most beloved plants of landscape designers. Interesting architectural forms are created from its crown. It is planted to create alleys and hedges. Look better dwarf species thuja. Rounded dwarf shrub Danica grows very slowly. It is great for small garden plots.

Juniper can grow in the shade of trees. The plant will fill the garden plot with an amazing aroma that has healing properties. The horizontal juniper, creeping along the ground, looks interesting. It is planted to decorate alpine slides.

Gray spruce looks very romantic. Its needles can have shades from light green to blue and golden. In gardens, dwarf conifers are usually planted.

Decorate a shady area will help shade tolerant trees. Large dissected maple leaves in autumn acquire a surprisingly beautiful color. The tree grows rapidly and forms a rounded spreading crown. Hornbeam and beech are also planted for landscaping. There are special garden varieties and forms. They are easy to cut and shape. They look great in a group and individually.

Evergreens decorate the garden and heal the air. Often, in case of ailments, walks through a coniferous forest or a park area are recommended. These are hardy and beautiful trees, but in the garden they feel a little different than in the wild. Despite their unpretentiousness, you still need to pay attention to them and provide care.

Coniferous plants for a garden and a summer residence

All coniferous plants are highly decorative, look great in group and single plantings. With a rich green color, they provide year-round attractiveness to the garden. However, not all conifers are evergreen. There are among them those who shed their leaves for the winter. But for most representatives, the renewal of the needles occurs imperceptibly: a new one immediately grows in place of the fallen one.

Tall

Tall conifers can play a major role in garden design. They serve as a background for other plants, spectacular in compositions with deciduous trees and shrubs. Often they are the solo plant of the garden. small size plot - not a reason to abandon tall conifers. In order to long years decorate the local area, it is enough to plant one tree. In 10-15 years, it will become an accent in the garden, invariably attracting attention.

Juniper Skyrocket

Evergreen conifers are an excellent choice for creating hedges, decorating rock gardens and rockeries

Vigorous shrub, notable for its cone-shaped crown. At the age of 10 years reaches 3 meters in height. In landscape design, it is most often used in single landings and as a vertical element of group compositions. With a tree height of 5–7 m, the diameter of its trunk is at least 1 m.

Sun-loving, does not tolerate shading. Prefers fertile, breathable soils. Winter-hardy, drought-resistant, has a powerful root system. The needles are small, with a bluish tinge. Suitable for growing in urban areas.



In recent years, Hupsi spruce has been considered a favorite of gardeners.

A representative of tall conifers, with a luxurious cone-shaped crown with blue needles. Grows up to 15 m tall, unpretentious and hardy. The diameter of the trunk of an adult plant can reach 5 m. It is distinguished by the rigidity of the needles, therefore it has the second name "prickly".

Strong spruce branches are able to withstand significant snow load. The tree tolerates the difficult conditions of the urban environment well, it is recommended for planting in parks and other recreation areas. Remarkably high growth rates: annual growth of at least 20–30 cm. In the garden, it is most spectacular in single plantings. The quality of the soil is undemanding, does not tolerate waterlogging.



The columnar crown of the thuja Brabant allows the plant to be used as a hedge

In the Russian climate it grows up to 3.5 m. It is not suitable for landscaping areas in regions with a dry climate. Moisture-loving, tolerates air pollution well. Recommended for creating hedges in cities and towns. Thuja Brabant can be planted in both sunny and shaded areas of the garden.

The tree is evergreen, the lower branches are located almost at ground level. The needles are bright green in color, medium hardness. The crown is narrow-pyramidal, dense. On average, it grows by 10 cm in width and 30 cm in height per year. The fruits are brown cones 8–12 mm long, oval in shape with a broadening at the base. Looks great in single and group plantings, recommended for the formation of alleys and hedges.



The difficult Russian climate is not a hindrance to the growth and development of fir One-color

Known as a tree with beautiful needles, dense pyramidal crown, oval cones dark purple color 80–120 mm long. The Monochrome Fir needles are much larger and brighter than those of other members of the genus. The average length of the needles is 70 mm. A distinctive feature is the same color on both sides. Fir grows up to 40 m tall with an annual growth of 15–20 cm.

It grows well on sandy loam and loam, prefers well-lit places. It is highly drought-resistant, recommended for planting in the southern regions. Among all types of fir, it has a reputation for being the most hardy and resistant to adverse environmental factors.



European cedar pine looks good and takes root near water bodies

A close relative of the Siberian pine, which is often confused with cedar due to its external similarity. It grows up to 25 m high, the trunk diameter of an adult plant is 100–150 cm. Shade-loving, but can grow in sunny places. The needles are long, elastic, dark green with a bluish tint on the back of the needles.

The European pine blossoms in June, the fruits are dark brown cones. This tree is a long-liver, its average life expectancy is 300–500 years.



Canadian yew needles are sickle-shaped

Shade-loving tall plant growing up to 2.5 m tall. The needles are thick, dark green, longer at the base of the branches than at the top. The crown is pyramidal, up to 2 m in diameter.

Good for molding. The plant is frost-resistant, with an annual growth of up to 5 cm. The bark, branches and needles are poisonous due to the presence of a toxin alkaloid. The wood is hard and durable.

Undersized (dwarf)

Dwarf conifers for the garden - a product of many years of selection of specialists from different countries. Plants of this type are rare in nature. Low conifers are one of the spectacular plants for the garden, and at the same time the most problematic. The reason is that at wrong choice landing sites, dwarf ones can give a good annual increase. The plant in this case may be taller than specified by the standard.



The golden needles of the thuja Amber Glow change shade depending on the time of year

Low-growing shrub with a spherical crown and needles golden color. The average height is 80–90 cm, annual growth is within 5–6 cm.

To save decorative properties the shrub must be planted in sunny areas of the garden. In the shade, the needles take on a green tint.

Amber Glow has good frost resistance, but requires shelter for the winter. The bush looks great as a soloist and in composition with flowers and deciduous plants. Recommended and heather gardens.



Thuja orientalis Aurea Nana can be grown in containers to be used in decorating terraces

An evergreen tree with a beautiful ovoid crown, dense and branched. Feature - pointed crown. Grows up to 170 cm tall. The annual growth is 5-6 cm. The crown diameter is 80-90 cm. The needles are golden-green in the warm season, in winter - with a bronze tint.

The plant is unpretentious, grows well on any soil, except for stony and heavy clay. Prefers well-lit places, moist air-permeable soils.

Possibility of landing in partial shade. For the normal development of the plant requires regular watering. A small thuja is suitable for the formation of low hedges, in urban conditions it is grown as a border.

Thuja western Caespitosa



In 1923 in the Irish greenhouse botanical garden thuja Caespitosa was discovered in Dublin, its origin is unknown

One of the shortest coniferous plants, reaching a height of no more than 40 cm. The crown is dense, cushion-shaped, semicircular in shape. Differs in low intensity of growth: by the age of 15 it is a tree 30 cm high with a crown width of 35–40 cm. The branches are erect, the needles are dense.

Thuja western Danica



With regular pruning, the crown of Danica's thuja becomes thick

Dwarf thuja, characterized by extremely slow growth. By the age of 20, it reaches 60 cm in height and the same in crown diameter.

In the warm season, the needles of the tree are bright green, with the onset of cold weather it acquires a brown tint. Recommended landing in places protected from the wind, in partial shade.

For the winter, the plant needs shelter, and in the summer protection from sunburn. The root system is superficial, in the first two years after planting regular watering is required. trunk circle thuja is recommended to be mulched to retain moisture.



AT modern gardens thuja western Hoseri is widely used due to its unusual crown shape

Evergreen undersized thuja, bred by Polish breeders. It has a spherical dense crown.

A multi-stemmed plant with dense scaly needles, changing by autumn green color to bronze brown. The tree is frost-resistant, but in the first 3–4 years after planting it needs shelter for the winter.

It tolerates crown molding well, has a small annual increase. Recommended planting in well-drained fertile soils. Tuya Hoseri needs regular watering.

Creeping

Creeping conifers are otherwise called creeping. The most common area of ​​application in landscape design is the decoration of gardens and adjacent territories as a "prickly lawn". Some types of juniper are horizontal and reach a height of only a few centimeters and are used as ground cover plants. From creeping conifers of medium height, spectacular evergreen borders are arranged.



The ground cover juniper Blue Chip has a high winter hardiness.

Juniper horizontal Blue chip is one of the most popular varieties of creeping conifers. A plant with small and dense needles of silver-blue color. It grows rapidly, forming a continuous prickly carpet.

The shrub is characterized by an average growth rate, by the age of 10 it reaches 20 cm in height with a crown width of 30–50 cm. The shoots grow evenly in different directions, the tops slightly rise above the ground level.

Juniper Blue chip is a powerful air purifier that heals the atmosphere within a radius of 10 m from the place of growth. Widely used for decorating rockeries and rock gardens, it feels good on stony soils.

It is drought-resistant, but watering is necessary to obtain a high decorative effect. The soil should be well-drained, stagnant moisture is undesirable. Light-requiring, recommended for planting in rocky gardens, decorating retaining walls and small hills.



The branches of the flat crown of the juniper Green Carpet are tightly pressed to the ground

Dwarf juniper Green Carpet has soft, dense light green needles. The shoots are arranged horizontally, intertwined with each other, covering the ground with a dense fluffy carpet. By the age of 10, it grows up to 20 cm tall. The crown is wide and flat, up to 150 cm in diameter. Planting on sandy and calcareous soils, sandy loam is recommended.

The plant thrives in full sun, but prefers partial shade. During the summer heat, sunburn is possible. It lends itself well to molding, after which the crown becomes thicker and more beautiful.

Not a single weed survives under the dense carpet of Green Carpet juniper branches.



Frost-resistant juniper Prince of Wales is unpretentious to the soil

The undersized creeping juniper Prince of Wales grows up to only 15 cm in height. In this case, the diameter of the crown reaches 250 cm.

Effective in group and single plantings, recommended for rocky hills and rock gardens. Differs in high winter hardiness, does not freeze out in the conditions of Siberia and Far East. When used as a ground cover plant, the recommended planting pattern is 2–3 bushes per 1 m 2.

In the first few years of life, the crown has a cushion shape, later creeping shoots grow. Fruits in small cone-shaped berries. In the warm season, the needles are green with a bluish tinge, in winter it acquires bronze tones.



In the hot period, the common juniper Depressa Aurea needs abundant watering and sprinkling of the crown.

undersized coniferous shrub Aurea depression is characterized by high growth rates among creepers. Annual growth up to 15 cm. The maximum height of an adult plant is 50 cm, the crown diameter is 200 cm.

The branches are slightly raised up, the tips hang down to the ground. The needles are dense, golden-yellow in color, brown tones begin to prevail over time. In the cold season it becomes brown. The plant is undemanding to the quality of the soil, winter-hardy, grows well in shade and partial shade.



The slow-growing variety of juniper Golden Carpet was bred by breeders in 1992

Juniper horizontal Golden Carpet is one of the popular creeping plants for decorating rock gardens, garden compositions and forming coniferous flower beds.

The height of the bush does not exceed 15 cm, the diameter of the crown is 150 cm. The needles are dense, golden in the upper part of the shoots, and yellow-green in the lower part, facing the ground. It is recommended to plant in places well lit by the sun: in the shade this plant loses its decorative effect. It grows well in any soil, but prefers moist and well-drained.

Photo gallery: conifers in landscape design

Coniferous plants are widely used in landscape design, not only because of their decorative effect. Representatives of this group are distinguished by good winter hardiness, shade tolerance, saturate the air with healthy phytoncides.



Dwarf forms of conifers are popular in the design of alpine slides

Dwarf species will enliven and decorate a rocky hill. The crown of these plants tolerates pruning well and keeps its shape for a long time. As an accent, 1-3 medium-sized conifers are planted, emphasizing the decorativeness of the rock garden.



A lawn is often used as a background for a coniferous composition.

A composition of conifers with a cone-shaped and spherical crown is an adornment of any site. These plants blend well with deciduous trees and shrubs.



When combining conifers and flowers in a flower bed, it is necessary to take into account the requirements of plants to the soil

Single plantings of conifers give flower beds a note of presentability. With bright green needles, they emphasize and shade the beauty of flowering flower beds.



When creating a composition from conifers, the tallest specimens are placed in the background

A frequently used technique is a combination of medium and tall conifers with creeping ones. In this way, a spectacular piece of taiga is created in the garden.



Coniferous plants tolerate curly haircut well.

The art of crown formation will help to create a plant of unique beauty in the garden. It will become the highlight of any composition, emphasize the respectability and well-groomedness of the site.



Coniferous ornamental plants adorn the garden path all year round.

Low conifers with a spherical crown are original prickly flower beds, most spectacular in single plantings. This approach can be used when making garden paths and paths.



Tall conifers can delimit garden compositions

Tall conifers are an excellent backdrop for rock gardens and rockeries, rocky areas, flower beds.



Coniferous plants are widely used in landscaping parks

Tall and dwarf conifers are an essential element of large-scale compositions. They look great against the backdrop of manicured lawns.



Coniferous hedges are not only beautiful, but also functional.

Linear plantings of tall conifers help to zone the site, create a spectacular, but passable barrier.



For many owners of garden plots, the land is in the shade. It can be a forest zone, and a shadow from some buildings. In order for the grown plants to look healthy and delight the eye with their beauty, it is necessary to select exactly shade-loving representatives of the flora or rather hardy to the shade. We will talk about conifers, the growth of which is not strongly dependent on the degree of exposure to sunlight.

Yews are considered the most shade-tolerant conifers. It can be either Canadian yew or berry. The first is a shrub of rather low growth - no higher than one meter. Its crown reaches a span of about one and a half meters.

This plant loves acidic or slightly alkaline soil, it is important to provide it with good drainage. It is also better to choose a fairly fertile land.

Young representatives of the Canadian yew have strictly pyramidal shape, however, with age, it gains some looseness and grows significantly in width. This plant has hard and strong shoots that are upright growing. The needles on them differ in size - at the base of the shrub it is much longer than at the top.

Canadian yew grows quite slowly and is resistant to winter cold. It has many roots that are not very deep.

Berry yew - is a creeping shrub. He still smaller size than its counterpart - up to half a meter in height, but its width can be five meters. The branches of the plant extend horizontally from the trunk and are pressed to the ground. The length of the needles is about three centimeters.

This bush grows quite slowly, it loves moisture. With strong shading, growth can be inhibited, so experts advise planting it in partial shade. Yew is very fond of fresh soil with excellent drainage and medium fertility.

Before boarding this plant you need to take into account the fact that its needles, as well as the fruits are poisonous to all mammals, including humans.

Microbiota

This plant belongs to the cypress family and can grow in the sun and in partial shade. The microbiota does quite well in fairly shaded areas of the garden. This shrub has thin, highly branched shoots that are tiered one above the other. On the shoots of the microbiota there are many small scale-like needles. It grows rather slowly, not exceeding one meter, while its maximum width is two meters. The needles of this plant are rich in medicinal essential oils.
The microbiota is very unpretentious - it is resistant to drought and frost. Also, it does not require any special soils, however, it will not grow in saline soil and with stagnant moisture. Propagated by cuttings and layering, in addition, there is the possibility of propagation by seeds.

Canadian hemlock

This coniferous plant is very shade-tolerant. In addition, it is frost resistant. A feature of the Canadian hemlock is the love of moisture. In order for the plant to develop well, it is advised to plant it in a very fertile and fresh soil, in addition, it must also have a moderate level of humidity and be mulched, which has a slightly acidic reaction. Drainage is required, as stagnation leads to decay of the cortex system and, accordingly, to the death of the plant. Hemlock feels best in partial shade, however, it grows well in completely shaded areas. You should not grow it in urban areas, as it is very sensitive to air pollution. The plant does not tolerate saline and calcareous soil, as well as dry soils.

Fir

Balsam fir "Nana" and Korean fir are distinguished by a very high degree of shade resistance. The first plant is very similar to the spruce familiar to everyone, it grows quite quickly, has a wide-ended shape.

Korean fir feels great in the territories middle lane. Its needles shine very beautifully and have two-tone coloring- darker at the top, and white at the bottom. The tree can reach fifteen meters in height. Even in young plants, cones appear that have a specific bright purple color.

Balsam fir has a cone-shaped crown, lush horizontal branches that rise vertically closer to the top. In height, it can reach twenty-five meters, and grows very quickly. It has soft and fragrant needles.

Both of these species grow well in soil with good drainage and moderate moisture levels, as excessive moisture is detrimental to them. The soil must be well fertilized. Fir trees tolerate transplanting well, but in their younger years they must be mulched and hidden with spruce branches from frost. A plant is considered an adult when it reaches the age of fifteen.

Juniper medium

This plant has a rather slow growth rate, its maximum height does not exceed forty centimeters. The diameter of the crown of this shrub reaches one hundred centimeters.

Juniper medium has a sprawling creeping crown, and its needle-shaped needles can have a different color depending on the variety. It is not very picky about the characteristics of the soil and the flow of moisture, while good drainage is required.

The earth should not be saline, not overdried. This plant loves partial shade, grows poorly in heavily shaded areas.

Juniper can be used to decorate small gardens, create single plantings, it is great for urban gardening. It lends itself to shaping for bonsai, it is well cut curly. Some varieties are used in growing hedges.

coniferous plants- one of the most undemanding and ornamental plants in the garden: they are beautiful all year round, durable, do not lose their decorative effect for decades, do not require special care, do not need regular pruning and shaping, supports, systematic feeding and spraying, unlike deciduous shrubs, they do not need rejuvenation .

If conifers are planted in accordance with the requirements for growing conditions, then caring for them is as follows:

• watering in drought or regular watering on dry sandy soils;
• application (optional, but desirable) of nitrogen (and preferably complete) fertilizers in spring and summer 2-3 times per season;
• shelter for the winter of non-hardy species;
• pruning dried and heavily bare old branches.

If only winter-hardy species are planted (and their assortment is quite diverse), we can say that coniferous plants require the least care compared to all other types of plants for decoration.

Omitting biota, cypresses, cryptomeria and other conifers that are not frost-resistant in the conditions of central Russia, we will give a brief description of winter-hardy coniferous plants and the features of their use in decorative design.

Spruce. All spruces are quite unpretentious, grow well in the shade and in the sun, prefer moderately moist soils: they cannot stand stagnant water, they do not like dry soils. Blue and silvery forms need the sun, in the shade the color is lost. Prickly spruce, Serbian and others large species planted in groups, in small gardens - singly on the lawn. Low and dwarf species and forms look good in coniferous gardens and rockeries. The most popular spruce is the conical shape of the blue spruce, or Canadian spruce, "Konika". Numerous forms of blue spruce differ both in height (from 0.8 m to 4 m) and the shape of the crown, and in the color of the needles (from light and dark green to bluish and golden). Of the various forms of spruce, or European, for private gardens, low decorative forms are of the greatest interest: serpentine - 'Virgata' (up to 5 m high), nest-shaped - 'Nidiformis' (1 m), cushion-shaped - 'Echiniformis', 'Maxwelii' and others (0.6 m), prostrate - 'Procumbens' (0.5 m) and various dwarf forms with a variety of color needles.

- photophilous, fast-growing breed, not demanding on soils. Larch European and fine-scaly, or Japanese, have garden forms: “colored”, dwarf, creeping, weeping and serpentine. Good in a single landing and groups of low species - in rocky garden and on the lawn. Tall forms are not recommended for planting in small gardens.



Liesuga (pseudotsuga)- a fast-growing tall breed, extremely unpretentious. It is light-requiring, undemanding to soils, puts up with the conditions of the city. Used for group and single landings. Low and dwarf forms are planted in the garden of conifers and on a rocky hill.



Varieties of popular cypress - pea and Lawson - can grow in light shade on fertile soil, hygrophilous, do not tolerate drying well. There are more than a hundred garden forms that differ in the size and shape of the crown, the color of the needles; dwarfs for rocky hills, compact plants of medium size and trees above 5 m. Outwardly very similar to thuja. Cypress trees are still relatively uncommon in our gardens. And, accordingly, there is little data on the winter hardiness of these plants. It is better to cover them for the winter, while size allows, in order to avoid damage or death of the plant. At the same time, it turned out that the pea cypress ‘Boulevard’, previously considered in our country houseplant, winters near Moscow without shelter.

All types of junipers have similar growing conditions: they are photophilous, tolerate light shade, are very unpretentious, can grow on limestone, rocky slopes, sands, although they prefer garden soils moderate humidity, better than other conifers tolerate drought. Among the junipers there are both creeping forms and columnar ones. They are planted in rock gardens, natural style gardens, dense groups and tapeworms.



- a tall tree with a beautiful conical crown, similar to spruce. Unpretentious, shade-tolerant. Prefers deeply cultivated soils of moderate moisture. Beautiful in the alleys, in a free-form group and in a single landing. Low and dwarf forms are appropriate in a rocky garden.



— fast growing tree. Very unpretentious, grows on poor sandy soils. Unusually photophilous, does not tolerate shade. Tolerates drought well. Scotch pine is used in single or group plantings. In small gardens, low garden forms are planted, spherical and columnar, dwarf.



Low-growing mountain pine and its dwarf forms also photophilous and unpretentious. Planted in rocky gardens, on a sandy slope.



Differs in shade tolerance. Does not tolerate stagnant moisture and drought. It is not demanding on soils. Fast growing breed, relatively resistant to smoke and soot. There are low and dwarf forms, forms with bluish needles. Planted singly or in a group, in the garden of conifers and in the rocky garden.



European cedar pine, or European cedar(not to be confused with the true cedar - Atlas, Himalayan, Lebanese, which do not winter with us), - a slowly growing tall majestic tree. At a young age, shade-tolerant, grows on moderately moist soils. Decorative dwarf forms with a height of 0.4 to 0.8 meters are planted on alpine slides.



- shrub 3-5 meters high. Photophilous, undemanding to soils. Sensitive to dry air and soil. Used in rocky gardens and on slopes. The form with bluish needles is the most spectacular.



is an extremely slow growing plant. Unpretentious, extremely shade-tolerant. Grows on moderately moist soils containing lime, but can also grow on dry ones. Drought tolerant. By the way, a drought-resistant and at the same time shade-tolerant plant is a rarity in the plant world. It can grow in extreme conditions, under the canopy of large trees. It is suitable for industrial areas, tolerates air pollution, and grows well under normal conditions. There are about a hundred varieties, from ground cover plants to columnar trees. The shrubby form of yew berry is widely used for hedges, free and sheared (it tolerates pruning well). The columnar shape is an exceptionally elegant tapeworm.



Grows in sun or partial shade in any sufficiently moist nutrient soil. It tolerates excessive moisture, in dry shady places the crown thins. It tolerates shearing well, planted in hedges. A large number of variety of garden forms allows you to use thuja in all kinds of decorative design. The often occurring browning of large areas of needles significantly reduces the decorative effect of plants. In the conditions of central Russia, only the western thuja and its forms are frost-resistant. Thuja orientalis and folded (giant) freeze slightly.



The most unpretentious and decorative are yews, spruces, firs, junipers and pines. These coniferous plants have so many garden forms and species that are completely different from each other that, choosing only from them, you can design a garden for every taste.

When used in the design of thuja and cypress trees, some caution is needed, which is explained large quantity garden forms, similar to each other. In the absence of catalogs in Russian, it is impossible to identify the plant with a guarantee and, therefore, it is impossible to know its final size, crown shape, care features and degree of winter hardiness.

Garden forms of coniferous plants (spherical, weeping, columnar, "colored", etc.) are more demanding on growing conditions than natural species and, as a rule, are more photophilous and less winter-hardy. Grafted standard forms will require more attention than self-rooted ones.

Coniferous plants with the correct crown shape (conical, columnar, spherical, pyramidal) have asymmetry with respect to the cardinal points: the north side of the plants looks worse, the branches are shorter and less frequent than on the south side. It is advisable to place conifers so that the view is from the southern, more advantageous side.

Conifers grow at different rates. When planting them in a single composition, it is necessary to take into account not only the final size that the plants will reach after several decades, but also the growth rate, otherwise after a few years you will find that fast growing plants the foreground is overtaken in growth and obscured by slow-growing conifers, which in the final version should be higher than the first, but after many years. Similar growing conditions for most conifers allow them to be planted together without violating the principle of biological unity.

Worth knowing and remembering

For normal development, coniferous plants need a sufficiently deep (at least 60 cm) layer of moisture-absorbing and breathable structural soil. When planting conifers on heavy clay soils to the bottom landing pit a 20-centimeter layer of drainage is laid, consisting of a mixture of gravel (pebbles, gravel, broken bricks, etc.) with sand.

Cypress and arborvitae are very sensitive to soil and air moisture, they do not tolerate overdrying. In some species, even a single overdrying of the soil can lead to yellowing and dying off of part of the needles (pea cypress). Recommended weekly spraying and watering: 1-2 buckets per plant. In dry summers, the number and frequency of watering and spraying are doubled (*). The rest of the conifers need additional watering only in drought. Spruces, firs, larches are watered at the rate of 1-2 buckets (depending on size) per week per plant throughout the dry period. Junipers, yews, pseudo-hemlocks and young pines - 2-3 times throughout the summer. Adult pines do not need additional watering even in drought.

Forms of coniferous plants with an atypical needle color (yellow, bronze, golden, bluish-blue, silver) in the shade lose their color partially or completely, but this does not apply to white-and-white plants.

Very young pines can grow in partial shade, but if over time they do not make their way to the sun, they will wither and die.

Young coniferous plants for the first year or two after planting are best covered for the winter with spruce branches and snow on top. Adult plants (from those listed above) are quite frost-resistant and do not need shelter.

You should never buy coniferous plants with bare roots, they will surely die. Seedlings must be packed with a clod of earth or in a container. Unlike deciduous plants, conifers cannot restore turgor when soaked in water. In a dying coniferous plant, the needles can hold on for a long time without crumbling, creating the illusion of a living plant. For this reason, it is necessary to carefully examine the coniferous plant, and buy it only if fresh growth is visible and the tips of the branches remain flexible and do not break. At the same time, some browning or browning of the needles in autumn is quite natural, the plant is preparing for winter, so it is better to buy conifers in the spring, when the growth of the roots of the current year is visible, and not in the fall, when it is difficult to distinguish a dying plant from one preparing for winter.

The use of coniferous plants in the design of the garden is very diverse. Coniferous plants can be planted in groups of free form and singly on the lawn, in small modular compositions of 3-5 plants, in a separate coniferous garden as an undergrowth of coniferous forest, in hedges and alleys, low and dwarf forms - in a rocky garden and on slopes. In small gardens, you should not plant a lot of tall conifers (spruces, firs, false trees, larches, cedars). Over time, they turn into large trees that take up a lot of space, provide full shade, and, as a result, suppress the surrounding plants. The most suitable range of conifers for such a garden is undersized plants creeping and columnar form in combination with 2-3 large plants or, if the size of the site does not even allow this, at least one tall conifer as an accent. A garden of low coniferous plants alone can be boring. Most conifers have a naturally beautiful crown shape and do not need to be shaped. But firs, arborvitae, junipers and yews can be cut to create hedges or topiaries in the garden with regular layout. Some plants are only corrected in their natural form: thuja is usually sheared in the form of a cone, thuja western f. globosa - in the form of a ball, although they can be formed differently. The formed yew, due to slow growth, can retain its shape for a long time.

The sheared conifer hedge common in Western countries will require more care than free-growing hedges. In addition, a trimmed thuja hedge in good condition is not common, usually it is covered in brown spots that stand out on a flat correct surface. In a free-form hedge, it is easier to hide flaws. A clipped hedge from a shrubby form of yew berry is flawless, but it grows too slowly and in our climate does not exceed 120 cm.

A garden of conifers on a rocky hill is a common design option. As a rule, low, dwarf and creeping forms are planted. Relatively tall plants- only columnar. The taller the plant, the narrower the crown should be. The growing conditions here are special. Groundwater is far away rainwater quickly flows down the slopes, not having time to be absorbed, so there is always a lack of moisture. Of the lovers of dry soils - one pine and Cossack juniper, overdrying is not useful for the rest of the conifers. The problem of watering can be solved by digging 2-3 vessels with small holes in the bottom next to the planted plants. It is watered by filling the vessels with water, which slowly soaks into the ground through the holes and gets to the roots, and not to the foot of the rocky hill, as happens with the usual method of watering. Convenient to use as containers plastic bottles from under the water, cut to a height of 12-15 cm. It is easy to collect the right amount, it is not difficult to pierce holes, they will not be damaged by frozen water in winter, a narrow neck can be masked.

The garden of conifers does not require special care, but even the most undemanding plants overgrown with weeds. Conifers on well-groomed black earth look, of course, beautiful, but maintain coniferous garden free from weeds is not easy. Planting well-chosen ground cover plants greatly simplifies care. Often planted sedums, yaskolka, styloid phloxes, carnations, arabis, shavings and other ground cover plants - not quite good option: plants with small narrow leaves do not form an expressive contrasting combination with needles. In addition, the listed plants need different growing conditions than conifers. Ground covers require a dryish, poor in organic matter, but earth containing lime. Conifers need moist and nutritious soil. Moreover, conifers will obscure the ground cover, which is very demanding on lighting conditions. It is easier to weed everything in a row than to pick weeds from the ground cover.

Forest ground cover plants, in terms of their agrotechnical requirements, are more in line with coniferous ones. Grow in shade and partial shade on moist nutrient soils. The best of them is the hoof. Evergreen heart-shaped glossy dark green leaves beautiful background, forming a contrasting combination with needles. The wild hoof is easily propagated by division of rhizomes and seeds, in 2-3 years it forms a dense cover, under which weeds do not grow. You can plant a tenacious well covering the ground, but flower stalks up to 25 cm high can obscure the creeping species of coniferous plants. Under the lowest conifers, you can plant a small-leaved loosestrife (meadow tea) tightly pressed to the ground. Its rapidly growing shoots in one summer cover the ground with a dense carpet. It is very good when you need to close a large area for a short time. Ground cover species of veronica are used in the same way as loosestrife. Periwinkle is somewhat tall, can obscure low conifer species and does not suppress weeds at all. Lilies of the valley are appropriate for large trees with thick stems. It is not necessary to plant yellow and variegated plants: a calm dark green background in the most advantageous way emphasizes the shape of the crown and the color of the needles.

Under conifers above 1.5-2 m, creeping shrubs can be planted - magonia, cotoneaster, honeysuckle. The combination of conifers with heathers is successful, especially since in natural conditions they often grow together. Erics are more finicky and will only create additional problems.

Conifers look very beautiful next to boulders, stone blocks. The use of crushed stone or pebbles as a backdrop or mulch to discourage weed growth is highly controversial. Keeping rubble clean with needles falling all year round can be more difficult than weeding.

Plants with colored needles will decorate any garden. Usually they are used as accents, planted singly or in small groups. Blue, white-motley and silvery conifers surrounded by plants with dark needles are especially picturesque. It is understandable passion for "colored" forms of coniferous plants - all are beautiful. Only conifers of yellow and especially bronze color often cause bewilderment: a stand-alone plant with yellow needles looks very impressive, but planted among natural green plants seems sick or dead.

Smart gray-blue or silver plants they try to plant them closer in front, forgetting that if dark green plants are planted behind them, the space of the garden is visually reduced. To make the garden seem larger, bright green plants are planted in the foreground, and plants with muted gray-green and blue-gray needles are planted in the back.

(*) It should be noted that the recommended fertilizers, loosening, additional watering and spraying of moisture-loving conifers, of course, will benefit all plants, especially young ones. If this is not done, nothing bad will happen to conifers, except that they will lag behind in growth compared to more well-groomed specimens. Only stagnant waterlogging is unfavorable for all conifers and prolonged overdrying of moisture-loving species, and the lack of moisture will only affect the needles (yellowing and dying off in the depths of the crown), artificially aging the plant, which may be interesting. So conifers can sometimes be left for any period without any care.