Coniferous plants often become the basis of landscape compositions, as they remain decorative throughout the year. The garden, where coniferous trees grow, is distinguished by fresh, healthy air. The variety of shapes allows you to choose plants to suit your taste and fit them into the overall landscape. Individually planted large specimens and picturesque multi-colored groups of conifers are also admirable.

Coniferous trees

Coniferous trees They look impressive both in spacious parks and in small areas. Almost all representatives of this species do not shed bright green needles even in the coldest period, and instead of flowers they are decorated with cones, which add decorativeness to coniferous trees. Names of plants most often used in landscape design:

• Fir;
• Pine;
• Cypress.

Long-lived fir plant

Almost all firs resemble the growth form of spruce. The branches extending from a straight trunk form a regular cone. Oval cones form on the upper branches of mature trees. Some fir specimens live up to 700 years, and begin to form cones at about 30 years of age. Almost all types of this plant are large, they are well suited for decoration. large spaces. For a medium-sized garden, dwarf, slow-growing species are selected.

An example of such a compact plant is balsam fir, variety Hudsonia. A tree with fragrant needles, no more than a meter tall. The direct opposite of Hudson is the great fir, whose height exceeds 30 m.

Symbol of the New Year - spruce

Slender spruce trees with a conical crown and hanging cones are perhaps the most common coniferous plant in our latitudes and, of course, the most beloved. Undemanding to growing conditions evergreen trees decorate parks and city streets, and under New Year become guests in our homes. The range of decorative varieties is regularly updated. Suitable for garden decoration:

For the New Year, decorating compact varieties of spruce in pots rather than cut trees is becoming increasingly popular. After the holidays, such a Christmas tree can be planted in the garden or outside.

Unpretentious pine

A distinctive feature of pine is its fragrant long needles, arranged in bunches of up to 5 pieces each. The oils secreted by this tree are used to treat the respiratory system, so the design of sanatoriums is characterized by the presence various types pine trees In small areas, low-growing varieties are appropriate, while in forested areas, powerful specimens predominate. Pine prefers a sunny location and well-drained soil, but will grow in a shady forest or on a rocky mountain slope.

The refined beauty of thuja

The evergreen openwork beauty thuja comes from North America, where it is called the tree of life. This plant has many varieties, different sizes and shades. In addition, thuja is very plastic, which allows it to be given a wide variety of shapes. Of course, this plant is widely used in landscaping.

Arborvitae belong to unpretentious plants, grow well both in the sun and in the shade, on almost any soil. However, the most comfortable place for them will be a place protected from the wind with sufficient moisture. The plant especially needs water when planting. Thujas can be planted at any age from containers or from open ground, survival rate is high.

The most common is the thuja occidentalis, which has about 30 varieties. It is distinguished by frost resistance, a variety of shapes - pyramidal, spherical, weeping, and needle colors (green, yellow, with white tips). The height range is also large - from 0.6 to 20 meters.

Most popular varieties thuja occidentalis:

Both pyramidal and spherical thujas are well suited for creating hedges different heights. Since thujas lend themselves well to pruning, they can be used to form various topiary shapes, up to such as a spiral or even garden sculpture. The variety of colors and shapes of the crown allows you to create interesting compositions from thujas alone.

Variety of cypress trees

Thuja and cypress belong to the same family - Cypressaceae, and their maintenance conditions are similar. In appearance it is exceptional ornamental plant also resembles thuja. Among the cypress trees there are tall trees for a tall green screen, compact plants for a mixed border, and dwarfs for a rock garden.

The most common varieties:

It is easy to shape the cypress crown the required form using formative pruning.

Coniferous shrubs in the landscape

Widely used in landscape design and coniferous shrubs. Names of popular representatives of this species:

Due to the abundance of varieties and the inherent decorativeness of all of them, it can be difficult to decide which coniferous trees or shrubs to decorate the space with.

All coniferous plants are successfully used in mixed compositions together with decorative leafy and flowering shrubs. In this case, large conifers should be planted on optimal distance from other plants in order to preserve the decorativeness of the plant ensemble. Blooming roses and bright tulips look great against the background of green pine needles.

Miniature specimens decorate rockeries, regular flower beds and Japanese-style gardens.

Dwarf forms are often used in container compositions, combined with beautifully flowering and decorative perennials and annuals.

To implement unusual design solutions and creating an original landscape, many gardeners use conifers. Such crops give a noble appearance to the site and decorate the garden area all year round.

Let's consider the main types and forms of ornamental coniferous plants for the garden, and analyze the main principles of constructing compositions from evergreen shrubs and trees.

Coniferous plants on the site - unique chic and elegance of the garden

Conifers are noble plants that allow the garden to remain attractive and green all year round. Coniferous trees and shrubs look impressive both in spacious parks, gardens, and in small personal plots.

Almost all conifers are evergreen, only some species, for example, larch, shed their needles for the winter. The rest of the plants “renew” their needles gradually - once every few years, the dying needles fall off, and new ones grow in their place.

Decorative coniferous plants for the garden are very popular in landscape gardening. They are hardy, frost-resistant, have a beautiful clear shape and are easy to care for. In addition, conifers have the following advantages:

• good tolerance to insufficient sunlight;
• some varieties of conifers have a regular geometric shape and do not require regular trimming;
• well developed root system allows plants to exist for a long time without watering (some varieties can be grown even on rocky soil);
• it has been officially proven that the aroma of coniferous plants has a beneficial effect on the mental and spiritual state of a person;
• Conifers are universal, thanks to the wide variety of species and forms, plants can be used to create a wide variety of landscape compositions in areas of any size.

When planning to decorate your site with coniferous plants, you need to carefully select them. Before purchasing you need to determine:

• placing a tree or shrub on the site;
• the order of composition;
• climatic conditions of the region and soil composition of the site.

Based on the above criteria, the type, variety and shape of the coniferous plant is selected.

Coniferous plants for the garden: names of varieties and descriptions of species

The following types of coniferous plants are best suited for planting in the garden:

• yew (torreya, yew);
• cypress (juniper, cypress, thuja);
• pine (larch, fir, cedar, spruce).

Let's look at the most popular decorative types and varieties of conifers

Juniper(Juniperus), known as heather, belongs to the cypress family. A light-loving coniferous plant, but it also grows normally in partial shade. Juniper is not at all picky about the soil - it can grow on limestone, rocky slopes and sand. Decorative forms have a columnar or creeping crown. Juniper has a unique healing aroma. Most often, plants are planted in natural-style gardens or “rocky” landscape compositions.

The main decorative types of juniper:

• Common juniper- evergreen shrub up to 3 meters high, or tree - up to 12 meters. The plant is cone-shaped or ovoid, the bark is dark gray, and the shoots are reddish-brown.
• Juniper prostrate (horizontal)- the bush “spreads” along the ground, and does not grow upward. The height of the plant is up to 30 cm, the color of the needles is bright green, the cone and berries are dark blue. Horizontal juniper is often used in the design of alpine slides.
• Juniper Cossack- dioecious shrub up to 1.5 meters high. The plant spreads along the ground, forming dense thickets. It has soil-protective properties and is resistant to gases, smoke and drought.

Thuja(Thúja) belongs to the cypress family. These evergreen shrubs and trees (height - up to 70 m, trunk diameter - up to 6 m) are unpretentious in transplantation and tolerate urban smoke well. Designers fell in love with thuja because it can be given any architectural shape. The plant is used to create hedges and alleys.

• Thuja occidentalis Smaragd- conical variety of thuja. The crown of the plant is cone-shaped, branches weakly, medium density. Thuja is characterized by moderate growth, the height of a ten-year-old conifer reaches 2.5 m, an adult plant - 6 m, crown diameter up to 1.8 m.
• Thuja occidentalis Danica- dwarf spherical shape. Height adult thuja- about 0.8 m, crown diameter - 1 m. Plant growth per year - no more than 4 cm in width and 5 cm in height. The crown of thuja Danika is dense and has a regular geometric shape. The needles are scaly, soft, bright green. Thuja is used in rock gardens, on hills, in group and single plantings.

Larch(Larix) is the most common tree species in Russia, and on the planet as a whole. Under favorable conditions, the plant grows up to 50 m, the trunk diameter is no more than 1 m. The crown of the tree is loose and not dense. The needles are bright green, flattened, located on the shoots singly, spirally or in bunches. In autumn, larch completely sheds its needles. The tree is light-loving, frost-resistant, and under favorable conditions it can increase its growth by 50-100 cm per year. Low types of larch are used in rocky gardens, and tall ones are arranged in groups or planted individually.

• Fine-scaled larch- a coniferous tree up to 35 m high, the trunk diameter can reach 1 m. It grows well in dry, cold climates and tolerates shading well. The tree's branches are slightly twisted in a spiral, and the bark is reddish-brown in color.
• European larch- this species is durable (it grows for about 500 years). It takes root well on different types of soil: loamy, moderately moist, chernozem, podzolic, calcareous and crystalline rocks. Light green needles grow in bunches of 40-60 pieces.

Fir(Abies) has two features: the needles of the tree are flat, and the cones grow in an upward direction. tall plant pyramidal shaped with horizontally located branches. The genus includes about 50 species, of which the most decorative are:

• Korean fir- a wide-conical tree up to 15 m high. In young trees, the bark is smooth, gray with a purple tint; in adult plants, the bark cracks. The violet-purple buds look especially beautiful.
• Balsam fir- a coniferous tree of regular cone shape, plant height - up to 25 m. The needles are comb-shaped on the branches, the bark is smooth, gray-brown in color. The plant got its name due to its healing properties.

Pine(Pinus) is an important forest-forming tree. Pine is light-loving, frost-resistant, drought-resistant, and produces good annual growth. Thanks to its dense crown, the plant is very decorative and is successfully used in parks and gardens on calcareous, rocky and sandy soil.

• Pine Compacta Glauka- a dwarf form 0.5-0.8 m high. The branches are densely located, short, directed upwards. Pine grows very slowly. Color of needles with outside- bluish-green, on the outside - bluish-white.

Spruce(Picea) is a very unpretentious coniferous plant. IN coniferous gardens Blue spruce looks the most aesthetically pleasing.

• Prickly spruce (blue) has a bright color of needles from light green to bright blue. Found in single plantings and landscape garden compositions.

In addition, dwarf forms and varieties of spruce are very popular: Glauca globosa, Glauca procumbens, Glauca prostrata.

Plant height is the main criterion for choosing conifers

Tall conifers

Tall specimens of coniferous plants can be planted in large and small areas. Often it is tall coniferous trees that take the leading role in the ensemble, and other plants are planted around them. Thus, a single harmonious composition is created.

When planting tall conifers, it is important to calculate the location correctly. Over time, the root system of the tree will grow and occupy a considerable area.

Popular varieties of tall conifers for the garden:

If the growth of a coniferous plant is too fast, it can be stopped. To do this, it is enough to pinch the shoots and prune. The formation of the crown must be carried out annually, otherwise the specimen will acquire irregular shapes and will look inconspicuous.

Conifers of medium height

If tall view Not everyone will decide to plant ephedra on their plot, but medium-sized shrubs and trees are very popular among summer residents and gardeners. Traditionally, these plants are planted along paths and at the entrance, creating hedges and complementing compositions with them.

Dwarf conifers and their forms

Breeders have developed stunning forms and varieties of dwarf coniferous plants for the garden, which can maintain almost the same height and shape for several years. The tallest dwarf species can reach 2 meters; compact plants, not exceeding 50 cm, are well planted in containers and tubs.

Clear geometric shapes highlight the structure of the rock garden. Dwarf conifers look beautiful in front of the entrance to the house and in compositions with ornamental grasses.

General rules for placing conifers in the garden

Landscape designers, when creating compositions from coniferous trees, adhere to the following rules:

Coniferous plants different types have a wide range of colors. When combining plants into a single design element, it is important to consider a number of rules for color combinations:

• A composition of three elements should contain no more than 2 colors.
• A composition of five elements will look impressive if it contains no more than 3 different shades.
• Compositions consisting of 25 or more copies must be divided into groups of 3 elements, in which rule No. 1 must be observed.

When arranging conifers, it is important to take into account the growth of plants and the state of the crown in adulthood, so that the harmony of the composition is not disturbed over time.

Compositions from coniferous plants

Coniferous mixborder

A mixborder is created along the path, against the background of a fence, house wall or hedge. When settling in coniferous mixborder They use plants of various shapes, colors and heights.

Low specimens are planted at the foot of the composition, tall conifers are planted in the center, and tall coniferous trees and shrubs are placed in the background.

The mixborder is created according to the following principles:

• the vertices of one or another row should not create a straight line;
• the height and width of the mixborder should be in harmony: the area with tall plants should be wider than the area with compact plantings;
• repetition of three to five elements makes the composition more rhythmic and interesting.

Hedge

When zoning a garden, hedges made of coniferous plants are often used. Such a fence can also be placed around the perimeter of the site. In landscape or modern style gardens evergreen hedge used as a backdrop for colorful perennials.

A dense functional hedge can be created by planting plants in a checkerboard pattern in 2-3 rows. A formed planting of Norway spruce is considered to be a fairly practical and less demanding hedge.

To divide the area into functional areas Medium-sized conifers, about 1-2 m high, are often planted.

All-round compositions

An all-round composition is a group of plants that should look equally impressive from any view. Most often, such compositions are placed on round flower beds, lawns and in paving openings.

Rules for creating a 360-degree composition from conifers:

1. The tallest specimen of a coniferous plant is planted in the center of the composition.
2. Plants of smaller height are planted around the central element at equal distances.
3. The height of the second row should be no more than ½ and no less than 1/3 of the height of the central conifer.
4. The height of the third and fourth rows should decrease proportionally, without covering the previous row and emphasizing its beauty.

When creating asymmetrical compositions, plants are placed in such a way that it is visually impossible to draw a straight line through three elements

Basics of planting and growing coniferous crops

In order for the ephedra to reveal its maximum decorative qualities, planting and caring for the plant must be carried out in compliance with some basic requirements:

In the article we talked about the structure and properties of wood and its areas of application. This publication describes in detail softwood, from larch to yew.

Coniferous wood

In construction, coniferous wood is most often used due to its larger size compared to deciduous trees strength, biostability and lower production costs.

In addition, coniferous tree trunks have more correct form with fewer defects. The most popular among conifers in construction pine, spruce, larch, fir And cedar.

Juniper And yew for production building elements do not apply. These breeds are valued as good finishing material and are used mainly for the production of carpentry and furniture.

• Larch

Larch (Larix) - coniferous tree from genus Larix of the pine family (Pinaceae). It is durable, lives up to 900 years or more and reaches a height of 45 m with a trunk diameter of 80–180 cm. It is found in nature in the east and northeast of the European part of Russia, in the Urals, in Western and Eastern Siberia, in Altai and Sayan Mountains.

This is the most common breed in Russia. It makes up 2/5 of the forested area. The breed is sound with resin passages. Has a beautiful texture. The annual layers are clearly visible in all sections. The sapwood is narrow, white with a slight brownish tint. The kernel is reddish-brown, sharply different from the sapwood. The medullary rays are not visible, the resin ducts are small and few in number.

The wood contains essential oils (pinene), has a fairly strong pleasant odor and includes bioflavonoids and phytoncides - microscopic volatile substances that evaporate during the entire period of use and have a positive effect on health, preventing colds and viral diseases.

– an excellent building material, because it has high density and strength, there are few knots in it, it belongs to the group of biostable (does not rot or be affected by fungi). Larch is strong, elastic, hard, durable, and resists rot and insects well. Long-term exposure to water leads to an increase in the hardness of larch, which is why it was used for the construction of bridges and piers. All Venetian buildings stand on larch stilts.

Larch wood easily cracks during the drying process and splits. More difficult to process on a machine than other rocks (due to high density and resin content). Resinous substances make planing, polishing and varnishing somewhat difficult, but in general the wood can be painted and polished successfully after proper filling.

The best wooden buildings are built from this type of wood. It is used for carpentry, window frames and flooring.

Volumetric weight at standard humidity (12%) – 650–800 kg/m3.

• Pine

Pine (Pinus) . Eurasian woody conifer, grows in the territory from Scotland to Eastern Siberia. It occupies about 1/6 of the area of ​​all forests in Russia. Lives 400–600 years and in adulthood (120–150 years) reaches a height of about 30 m. The most common Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).

The breed is the most popular building material, because it has the most straight, even trunk. Pine is well saturated with antiseptics.

The rock is sound, with resin passages, soft, moderately light, mechanically strong, non-plastic. It is well processed and finished.

It has a slightly pinkish heartwood, which becomes brownish-red over time, wide sapwood from yellowish to pink color, clearly visible annual layers with a clear boundary between early and late wood, rather large and numerous resin ducts.

The wood is of medium density, medium hardness, fairly high strength and resistance to decay, can be processed well, and glues relatively well. Widely used in construction, mechanical engineering, furniture and packaging production, railway transport, for securing mine workings, etc.

It is used as a raw material for chemical processing to obtain cellulose and feed yeast; Pine timber is exported in large quantities.

Volumetric weight at standard humidity (12%) – from 460 to 620 kg/m3.

• Norway spruce

Norway spruce (Picea abies) – evergreen coniferous tree pine family (Pinaceae), 20–50 m high, with a cone-shaped crown and flaky brownish-gray bark. Lives up to 300 years. The trunk is round and straight.

It grows in damp places, on rich loamy soils, rising into the mountains to a height of up to 1800 m above sea level (forms pure spruce forests). Widely distributed in Central, Northern and Northeastern Europe above 69°N latitude, north of the Pyrenees to Russia and Scandinavia.

Other types: Ayan spruce (Picea ajanensis), Korean spruce (Picea koraiensis), Siberian spruce (Picea obovata).

Spruce is a coreless mature wood species. The wood is white with a yellowish tint, low resinous. Resistant to cracking. The annual layers are clearly visible. In terms of strength, density and resistance to rotting, spruce is in no way inferior to pine. However, it is more difficult to process compared to pine due to the large number of knots in it and their increased hardness.

Spruce is very susceptible to insect damage.

Spruce wood characterized by the largest value of the acoustic constant, which characterizes the emission of sound. Tannins are obtained from spruce bark. The wood is soft, easy to process, polish, and varnish. Used in the same areas as pine, but especially in the pulp and paper industry and manufacturing musical instruments.

• Cedar

Cedar (Cedrus) - a genus of coniferous evergreen trees of the pine family. Reaches a height of 36 m or slightly more and a diameter of 1.5 m. It grows in the mountains at an altitude of 1300–3600 m, forming cedar forests. Distributed in the Atlas Mountains, in northwestern Africa (Atlas cedar), in Lebanon, Syria and the Cilician Taurus in Asia Minor (Lebanese cedar), on the island of Cyprus (short-coniferous cedar) and in the western Himalayas (Himalayan cedar).In Europe, cedar is often grown in gardens and parks.

All types of cedar have similar wood colors. The light brown or yellow-brown heartwood, which weathers to a uniform brown color, differs from the narrow whitish sapwood.

Resinous (oily), with a pungent cedar odor. The annual layers are clearly distinguished by the contrast between the early and late wood zones. Medium texture. The grain is usually straight, although straight grain is more common in Himalayan cedar. Longitudinal sections of this cedar show uneven brown lines formed by frequent tangential rows of traumatic resin ducts. Resistant to damage by fungi and insects.

Cedar wood is soft and easy to process in all directions. Cedar dries quickly and without major problems. Before finishing work, the resin must be removed.

In the Urals and Siberia, cedar was used as a finishing material for homes. In Tobolsk, Tyumen and Turinsk, buildings decorated carved platbands from its wood. Cedar was also used for carpentry.

Today it is used only for exclusive interior work, in yacht finishing and interior decoration and for the manufacture wooden houses from logs (most often hand-cut).

Volumetric weight at standard humidity (12%) is about 580 kg/m3.

• White fir and Caucasian fir

White fir (Abies alba) . Coniferous evergreen pine family, 30–50 m high, with a narrow pyramidal crown. The trunk is up to 150 cm in diameter, with white-gray smooth bark. Places of growth - mountains of southern, central and western Europe, prefers very fertile soils.

Fir is very similar to spruce, but unlike it, fir does not have resin accumulations. The color of the wood varies from yellowish-white to reddish-white with a gray tint. Fir trunks often suffer from atmospheric pollution, insects, animals that eat young shoots.

It is easy to process and covers well with most varnishes and paints. The tree is soft, moderately resistant to weather influences and not resistant to fungi and pests.

Volumetric weight in air-dry condition is about 450 kg/m3.

Caucasian fir (Abies nordmanniana) in its physical and mechanical properties it is in no way inferior to spruce, unlike Siberian fir, which has less density and strength. Used for making wood structures, musical instruments, often used together with spruce in furniture production.

Very common in house construction (especially Caucasian fir). Previously, shingles were made from fir (along with spruce) to cover the roof. Now these are mainly door and window blocks, floors, baseboards, friezes and many other products.

Volumetric weight at standard humidity (12%) is about 450 kg/m3.

• Juniper

Juniper (Juniperus) . Most junipers are shrubs, but in southern Karelia there are also tree-like forms up to 12 m high and 16 cm in diameter. The only representative cypress family (Cupressaceae) in the northern forests. It is found both in dry pine forests on sandy soil and in spruce forests, excessively moistened and even swampy.

It grows slowly, is frost-resistant, and light-loving. Does not tolerate smoke and soot well. Distributed in the northern and middle parts of the European territory of Russia, in Western Siberia, and enters Eastern Siberia.

Juniper is a sound species. Near the bark there is a narrow light yellow strip of sapwood, forming a wavy ring of irregular shape. Inside the ring is red-brown core wood. Over time, the sapwood turns dark yellow with a greenish tint, and the heartwood acquires beautiful olive-blue hues. On the end section of a juniper, the annual layers are clearly distinguished. The texture is beautiful, with a reddish tint, sometimes striped or wavy. Particularly impressive in cross section.

Juniper, unlike other conifers, does not have resin passages, so it easily accepts various dyes and is easily polished. Strong, heavy and dense juniper wood well processed by various cutting tools. The cuts are clean and glossy.

Juniper wood has slight shrinkage and practically does not swell when wet. It can be successfully used for very thin flat-relief and volumetric carvings; small decorative items, canes, sculptures, small crafts and toys are made from it. End cuts are used in inlay.

Volumetric weight at standard humidity (12%) is about 920 kg/m3.

• Tiss

Tiss (Taxus) - a very ancient breed. An evergreen coniferous tree from the yew family (Taxaceae), about 20 m high (the highest known height is 27 m), trunk thickness is 1 m. The crown is wide-spreading, very dense. The needles are soft, flat, dark green, located on the branches in two rows.

Yew berry and yew pointed

Yew berry (Taxus baccata) grows in the mountains of the Caucasus and Crimea. It is often called European, since it is found in almost all Western Europe. The habitat of yew berry also covers areas of Western Belarus (Belovezhskaya Pushcha), Western Ukraine (Bukovina), Southern Crimea, the Caucasus, as well as the Azores Islands, the mountains of Algeria, Asia Minor and Syria.

Second type - pointed yew, or Far Eastern (Taxus cuspidata) , distributed in the Primorsky Territory and Sakhalin. The wood is hard and heavy, almost impossible to rot. Sometimes on the yew there are nodules, densely covered with very short shoots with pale needles.

The lifespan of yew berry is up to 1500 years, and sometimes up to 3–4 thousand years. Sapwood and heartwood yew wood are very different from each other. The color of the core ranges from red-brown to orange-brown.

A characteristic feature of yew wood is tiny black dots, ideally grouped on the surface. The annual layers are sinuous and look like wide, dark rings.

Yew is easy to dry and process. Its wood is toxic and must therefore be processed with extreme care. It has a beautiful texture and is used for making furniture and as a finishing material, it is very durable and is used for various carpentry projects.

Volumetric weight at standard humidity (12%) is about 620 kg/m3.

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Many gardeners love to decorate their garden or summer cottage choose coniferous vegetation. After all, these are not only magnificent evergreen alleys for walking, but also healing air. In addition, conifers are unpretentious and perfectly complement the landscape, both in composition and individually.

Thanks to the fact that almost all coniferous trees and shrubs retain their appearance all year round your green garden will delight the eye at any time of the year, and will be the envy of your neighbors. With the help of conifers, be they giant or dwarf, you can create a noble and original landscape even in your small summer cottage.

Names of coniferous plants

In the Russian climate, the most popular and widespread coniferous plants are:

• fir;
• juniper;
• pine;
• cypress;

Ways to decorate a site

Coniferous “decoration” of an open space can be done in several ways:

To create an original, unique composition, you should first familiarize yourself with the characteristics of various coniferous plants and determine in advance their place on your site.

Coniferous plants for the garden: types and their descriptions

Combination of plants different varieties and species will create a unique landscape on your site, but it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of each group, its advantages and disadvantages. But not all types of conifers are suitable for decorating a garden plot.

Landscape designers have long identified types of coniferous plants that combine well with other trees and shrubs and at the same time take root well.

Basic representative of this species of conifers - yew. This plant has needle-like leaves arranged in double rows or asymmetrically. Yew can be either dioecious or monoecious. There are about twelve species in the yew family. They grow mainly in the Northern Hemisphere, since representatives of this genus of conifers are very demanding on the composition of the soil and air humidity.

Drained soil ensures active growth for plants, and thanks to a powerful root system, they receive a sufficient amount of necessary substances.

It is recommended to plant yew trees in areas well protected from the wind and preferably in partial shade. With this arrangement, the plant will have a brighter, more saturated color. Yew does not grow on acidic soils, as well as in wetlands.

Cypress

Among the twelve representatives of this family There are both trees (mostly) and shrubs. They are also divided into frost-resistant and heat-loving plants. This type of conifers requires special attention, which consists in meeting certain conditions.

All types of cypress trees are easy to grow from seed. Thanks to their spectacular appearance, representatives of the cypress family have gained immense popularity among landscape designers.

Upon landing in a sunny area the plant will have an unpresentable yellow color, therefore, in order to protect the dark green crowns from burning, it is better to place the cypress in a shaded place.

Pine

For the most part representatives of the pine family have quite large sizes (up to 50 m in height) and therefore are not always suitable for garden design. They will look especially ridiculous in a small area. Therefore, before giving preference to one or another species of the pine family, it is necessary to clarify its future dimensions. These plants are mainly found in wildlife and are generally distributed in Europe and Asia.

Main the advantage of pine trees is that they tolerate heat very well, and so is frost. The root system of this conifer is quite well developed and tends to grow actively. Therefore, it is necessary to allocate in advance a large place on the site where the ephedra will not interfere with the growth and development of other plants.

Representatives of the pine family delight the eye with the rich green color of their needles all year round and do not require special care.

Tall species of conifers

Among the fairly high ones are the following species:

If you do not want to have a too tall coniferous plant on your site, you can regulate its growth by pinching the shoots. But this must be done every year in order to avoid the appearance of a freak plant in the garden.

Medium-sized conifers

Conifers Medium-sized plants will serve as an excellent landscape decoration your garden. They perfectly complement small flower beds, maintaining their presentable appearance in winter period. Typically, these coniferous plants are planted near entrance doors and along paths, which adds symmetry to the design of the site.

Particularly popular among medium-sized conifers are:

• golden yew;
• globular thuja Globosa.

Dwarf coniferous plants for the garden

First of all, it should be clarified that it is far not everyone is so called dwarf conifers they are. So, a dwarf spruce can grow up to 2 meters tall. But this is rare - usually dwarf species coniferous plants reach a height of no more than a meter. They look great when combined with decorative grasses and stones.

The most common varieties are:

• Korean Piccolo fir;
• Hampi mountain pine;
• Spruce Lombers.

Features of caring for coniferous plants

In order for conifers to please the eye both in winter and summer, they require constant care. The location of the plant plays an important role. Ideal place for planting is a semi-shaded place in the corner of the garden. The soil must be sufficiently moistened, and its level of fertility can be average, since you can always add the missing elements yourself by applying appropriate fertilizers. However, any rule has its exceptions - pines grow better in the sun, while yews and spruces feel quite comfortable in the shade.

If you only planning to plant coniferous trees and shrubs, then you don’t need to worry about the lack of black soil on your site - they will only need 20–25 cm of fertile soil. As a last resort, add a small layer of black soil and some fertilizer. It is also recommended to mulch the soil - this will save it from sudden freezing when frost sets in and protect it from weeds.

Useful with the properties of coniferous plants were known to people five centuries ago. This is confirmed by the found tablets ancient civilization- Sumerians. By planting just a few units of yew or juniper in your garden. You will set up a “health resort” right next to your home, and coniferous plants will “thank” you for your care and attention for many years to come.

When creating landscape design Coniferous plants are actively used. Evergreen shrubs and trees look attractive at any time of the year. They are unpretentious; you don’t have to spend a lot of time and effort on caring for them. With the help of coniferous crops, you can decorate any area, creating a unique design.

Coniferous plants for the garden and cottage

Evergreen shrubs and trees are considered unpretentious, but each species needs to create the most suitable conditions for growth and development. When choosing, you need to pay attention to the size of the plants and the rules for placement on your personal plot.

Tall

In large gardens, parks or adjacent areas they look impressive. tall plants coniferous type. If there is not much space, then the tree can become the center of the composition. Other plants are placed around it to create a harmonious ensemble.

When planting tall species, it must be taken into account that the plants will eventually occupy a large area. Their root system grows well. Tall trees will provide shade, so shade-loving crops are planted next to them.

Spruce Hoopsii

Popular types of tall conifers include blue spruce. The Hoopsie variety is valued for its attractive appearance and predictable growth. When planting, you can immediately guess what size the spruce will be in a few years. Upon reaching 30 years of age, the height of the spruce will be 10 m, and the crown will grow to 4 m in diameter. Spruce grows up to 15 m in height and 5 m in diameter.

When planting, preference should be given to sunny areas. The needles of the Hoopsie spruce are prickly and thick, and the shoots are strong and flexible. The needles grow up to 3 cm in length. The branches are covered with a dense layer of silver-blue needles. Many note the special attractiveness of this tree in late spring and early summer, when young light blue branches appear.

Hoopsie spruce varieties differ:

• love for sunny areas;
• frost resistance;
• good adaptive abilities;
• unpretentiousness to soil mixtures.

It is advisable to periodically fertilize the soil in which spruce trees grow. When creating a landscape design, experts recommend shading Hoopsie with an emerald-colored lawn. These spruce trees go well with weeping species of deciduous trees and shrubs.

Spruce Hupsi tolerates haircuts well

A slow-growing conifer that many people like is Korean fir. IN natural conditions mature trees grow up to 12 m in height. Distinctive characteristics:

• the presence of soft, dense needles, the edges of which are rounded;
• the length of the needles reaches 2 cm;
• the needles are glossy, bright green on top, 2 silvery longitudinal stripes are visible below;
• the cones are arranged vertically, they begin to grow on young trees, the height of which is 1–1.2 m;
• young cones have a violet-purple color, over time their color changes to dark brown.

The tree is demanding in terms of soil moisture and fertility. In the first years of life, it is recommended to create partial shade for it; at a more mature age, it can grow in open areas.

Korean fir is a shade-tolerant plant.

Columnar Serbian spruce can grow up to 45 m in height. Upon reaching 10 years of age, the coniferous tree grows up to 10 m, the diameter during this period is 2 m. Its branches are short, the lower ones are inclined to the ground.

The branches are covered with flattened dark green needles. On the underside they have 2 stripes of a bluish-white hue. The cones are blue-black, their color changes to brown when ripe.

Serbian spruce is unpretentious to growing conditions; it is characterized by good frost resistance and relative smoke and gas resistance. For normal growth and development, the plant needs regular watering, but it tolerates dry periods better than ordinary spruce trees.

This coniferous tree is classified as shade-tolerant. It is used in group and single plantings.

Serbian spruce is best planted on loamy soils

Thuja Smaragd

Thuja variety Smaragd is popular among landscape designers. Its height reaches 5 m, while its diameter does not exceed 1–1.5 m. Smaragd is a coniferous tree with a regular cone-shaped crown and branches growing vertically.

Thuja is a slow-growing tree. In a year it adds no more than 20 cm in height and 5 cm in width.

Caring for Smaragd thujas is not difficult, but they require constant watering, and it is undesirable to allow the soil to dry out. If the plant is located in sunny areas, the crown will be dense and the needles will be bright. It can grow in shaded areas, but the crown will become sparser.

The needles of Thuja Smaragd are shiny and bright green.

Juniper Skyrocket

Skyrocket is known as the pencil tree. The plant reaches a height of 6–8 m, and a width does not exceed 1 m. Its shape is columnar and narrow. The branches of this type of juniper grow vertically. The needles of the plant are gray-blue in color; they can be needle-shaped or scaly.

Skyrocket is planted in small garden plots. When choosing a place for growing, it is better to give preference to open areas that are well lit by the sun.

You can grow juniper in areas with a deficiency nutrients

Dwarf

With the help of small plants you can create a unique landscape design even in a small area. Traditionally, they are placed along paths, in the corners of garden plots with a lawn, or used as an element of complex compositions.

Compacta Glauca pine

Dwarf cedar pine Great for creating landscape design. The main characteristics include the following:

• when grown in middle lane height does not exceed 3 cm, width - 1.5 m;
• the needles are bluish-green in color, the needles are 8–9 cm long;
• the branches grow densely, they are directed upward.

When creating heather and stone gardens, dwarf pine Compacta Glauka is used. Plants look good on alpine roller coaster and in plantings on lawns. This type of pine is best grown in moderately acidic and moderately moist soils.

When planting pine trees, preference should be given to well-lit, sunny areas

mountain pine

Two types of pine trees are popular among homeowners.

Winter Gold is a hemispherical pine. Its crown is squat and unevenly developed on the sides. In the summer, pine needles mountain pine light green, and in winter it acquires a yellow-golden color. At 10 years of age, the plant height is 0.5 m and the crown diameter is 1 m.

The Ophir variety is distinguished by its regular rounded shape. But after a few years of growth, the pine may become a little lopsided and more spreading. Mature 10-year-old plants are usually no more than 0.5 m in height, and they can be about 1 m in diameter.

Mini Mops mountain pine variety is considered no less popular. It is used to decorate areas. Pine grows very slowly, the annual growth is 2 cm. When it reaches 10 years of age, the height of the conifer does not exceed 40 cm. Mini Pug needles are dark green, young shoots are light green. The branches form a flattened, spherical crown.

The Mini Pug plant is a light-loving plant; it can tolerate a little shade, but with a constant deficiency sunlight its growth deteriorates and the tree may dry out. Pine is undemanding to soil and grows even on soils lacking nutrients. Tolerates frost and wind well.

Gardeners, if desired, can shape the crown of mountain pine; the plant tolerates haircuts well

Spruce Barry (Barryi)

Popular slow-growing species include the common Barry spruce. In young, low-growing plants, the crown has a rounded shape. Over time, the branches grow to the sides. By the age of 30, the spruce becomes about 2 m in height.

The needles of the Barry variety are dark green; brown-orange young shoots appear in the spring. Spruce is shade-tolerant and can be safely planted in shaded areas. Coniferous trees take root and grow better on loamy and sandy loam well-drained soils.

Excessive soil waterlogging is harmful to Barry spruce

Thuja Danica

In their dachas and areas near private houses, many people plant evergreen thujas. The Danica variety is one of the most common. The plant has the shape of a ball. At the age of 10 years, its diameter is 0.4 m. Maximum size adult shrubs - 0.8 m in height and 1 m in diameter.

TO distinctive features thuja Danica include:

• the needles are shiny, bright, dark green;
• cones are round in shape, brown in color, 8–12 mm in size;
• the needles have a flat, scaly shape and are located vertically;
• The root system is superficial, there are several deep roots.

Thujas can grow in partial shade and sun without problems.

In brightly lit areas, thujas will be brighter and denser

Spruce Conica

Thanks to its attractive appearance, many people plant Konik spruce in their dachas and gardens. The variety is distinguished by a fluffy, dense crown, an ideal cone-shaped shape, which is obtained naturally no haircuts.

Features of the species:

• under natural conditions, Konika grows up to 3–4 m, when planted in parks, gardens, and dachas - up to 2 m;
• light green spruce needles are soft, needles no more than 1 cm long;
• annual growth is about 6–10 cm in height, 3–5 cm in width;
• spruce trees should be planted in sunny places; in the first years after planting, it is recommended to shade the plants with south side white spunbond;
• Grows well on neutral and slightly acidic soils with plenty of moisture, but reacts poorly to waterlogging.

Landscape designers often plant Konica spruce trees in the foreground; they look good when placed alone or in groups.

Spruce has a small stature due to strong branching and a short distance from one internode to another

Creeping

They are often used as a decorative element in rocky gardens. creeping plants. With their help you can add volume to landscape flower beds.

Juniper Wilton

IN flower arrangements at country houses, garden plots many people add horizontal junipers. The Wilton variety spreads low on the ground. At the age of 10 years, it rises above the ground by no more than 15 cm. In width, it can grow by 2–3 m. The needles of the Wilton juniper are silver-blue.

Wilton is one of the varieties that can be safely grown in an urban environment. It is undemanding to the composition of the soil, frost-resistant and tolerates temporary droughts well.

It can be planted as a single plant or in group plantings. Wilton looks good in rock gardens and rock gardens. This species looks impressive if its branches hang from the retaining walls.

Juniper Plumosa

The Chinese juniper variety Plumosa is a creeping variety. But it reaches a height of 30–50 cm. The plant spreads over the surface by 2–2.5 m. Old branches lie on the ground, and young shoots rise from them at an angle of 45°.

The branches of juniper Plumosa are feather-like. In summer-autumn the needles are gray-green in color; in winter the needles acquire a purple tint. The variety is light-loving, but it also grows well in shaded areas. In the shade the color becomes light green. Juniper is undemanding to soil.

Juniper is suitable for acidic and alkaline soils

Canadian hemlock

Hemlock is a conifer belonging to the pine family. Landscape designers like to use weeping hemlock species for individual or group plantings, which are located on rocky areas, near ponds, and in open areas.

A popular slow-growing hemlock variety, Prostrate. It belongs to the creeping cushion-shaped plants.

Variety characteristics:

• the needles are tender, small, green;
• annual growth up to 6 cm;
• at the age of 10 years, the Canadian hemlock grows up to 50 cm in height; it spreads over 1 m on the ground.

It is better to plant hemlock Prostrate in partial shade. She needs coolness and high humidity. The plant does not tolerate heat and drought well. Moist soils with a slightly acidic reaction are ideal for planting; it is important that they contain a large amount of nutrients.

Spruce Loreley

The Lorelei variety belongs to weeping species common spruce. Its trunk is arched, the lower branches spread along the ground. Spruce becomes creeping after grafting into the root collar. The branches rise in height by no more than 0.6 m, then the shoots descend and spread over the surface of the ground.

For planting, it is better to give preference to sunny areas, although spruce also grows in partial shade. The soils should be drained, slightly moist; sandy and loamy soils are suitable.

When forming a landscape design, it is necessary to take into account that the Lorelei spruce variety looks good in areas with varying heights.

Stagnant moisture is harmful to spruce

Microbiota cross-paired (Decussate)

The cross-paired microbiota belongs to the cypress family. It can be grown in difficult climatic conditions, she is not afraid of strong winds, rocky soils and shadows. Branches in natural conditions can rise up to 1 m in height, but when grown in gardens and dachas, its height usually does not exceed 60 cm.

On young shoots of microbiota, the needles are needle-shaped; over time, they become scaly. In summer the needles are dark green, and in winter the color changes to copper-brown. When planting cross-paired microbiota, preference should be given to shady areas. The plant looks good in single plantings in the center of the lawn, in mixed compositions when planted along lawns, flower beds, slopes, and coastal areas.

The microbiota shoots form a flattened shape with clearly defined tiers

Photo gallery: conifers in landscape design - site design ideas

Coniferous crops are actively used to create individual landscape design on sites. When planting, it is necessary to take into account what soils the plants prefer and how they relate to sunny and shaded areas. Only plants with the same care can be planted nearby. Compositions made from conifers, with a properly formed design, will delight owners for many years.