Plants that ideally tolerate pruning and modeling and have a rounded crown are called standard crops by gardeners and designers. Such a spectacular form of garden plantings is a smooth trunk, a cascading waterfall of leaves and branches in the shape of a ball. If a flowering representative of the flora is chosen for the stem, then the composition looks like an elegant bouquet on a thin stem. To create this man-made miracle specialists pay maximum attention to the plant. They achieve this beautiful view two methods.

Creation methods

The standard is grafted onto an already even trunk, devoid of foliage and branches. It should be in perfect shape, without bends or rings. The plant can be specially grown for this purpose, but existing mature plantings with a suitable trunk shape can be used. Vaccination is carried out in mid-spring. There must be at least four buds on the cutting. A signal of successful grafting is the appearance of buds on the grafted trunk. By the end of the warm season, this seedling is already considered an annual growth. If the shoots deviate from the vertical course, they are tied to a small stick. Next spring Several buds can be pruned, stimulating best growth. Further care does not differ from usual. And within a year, the garden will be decorated with a mature seedling of a standard plant.

This method is effective during the period of active growth and development of young garden plantings. While the growing season is underway, the gardener needs to get rid of side shoots and provide support in the form of a stick or peg for the main one. This continues until the trunk of the seedling reaches the desired thickness. After the young plant reaches the required height, the crown itself is trimmed. This happens in stages, slowly: once every three to six weeks, until it gradually acquires the long-awaited rounded shape. During this period, new shoots will appear in place of the shoots that were cut off. Due to this, the top will thicken. The most suitable plants for this method are those grown from seeds.

By combining two plants on one trunk, breeders achieve from such a tandem greater tolerance to drought, immunity to pests and diseases, and by combining unusual crops you can get a tapeworm original form. Vaccinations are often carried out to “distant relatives”. This leads to additional beneficial properties. The standard form has a lot of advantages not only in decorative terms, but also in practical ones. This crown shape saves space due to its compactness, and the garden planting is more convenient to process and care for. It is easier to collect fruits from it without bending over to the lower branches.

Most suitable plants

In addition to the knowledge and skills of the gardener, the plant itself plays a significant role. There are a number of plantings that are ideal for creating such an original form:

Fruit plants

Gooseberry

Rose hip

Red and black currants

Juniper

Roses

Climbing varieties

Deciduous

Bird cherry

Common privet

Flowering shrubs

Buldonezh

Rhododendrons

Varieties of crown shapes

Standard plants are conventionally divided into several types:

• spherical crown;
• hemispherical crown;
• weeping crown.

Application in landscape design

A favorite technique of designers in decorating a suburban area is elegant standard forms of ornamental shrubs and medium-sized trees. They can turn the most ordinary plant into a real garden decoration. A thin straight trunk and a bright lush crown traditionally play the role of both a tapeworm and a participant. A cascade of falling branches creates natural harmony with a well-groomed lawn and the water surface of reservoirs. Popular arrangement of boles and entrance area. This gives sophistication and solemnity. This view will undoubtedly delight owners and impress guests.

An interesting trend in landscape design - arboreal architecture often uses standard plants as material for creating arches, pavilions, galleries and gazebos.

Preference is given to plants with a weeping crown and incredibly flexible shoots. To do this you need to create correct model frame and acquire the necessary garden plantings. During the first two years, the branches are tied to the frame in the right direction, then this living architectural work will grow and develop in the given way. It is only necessary to support this man-made creation. Such “living” structures stand out with their flowering, changing leaves, and perhaps even fruiting, and turn an ordinary suburban area into a real fairy tale.

One of the last fashion trends in landscape design - miniature standards. The beauty of a plant of this shape is emphasized by the undergrowth. It not only adds sophistication and sophistication to the garden planting, but also hides the not entirely aesthetic soil around the trunk. This is usually decorative mulch, gravel, stone chips and much more. The undergrowth is selected to match the color of the trunk or leaves. Echoing the inflorescences and shape of the leaves, an amazing effect of the integrity of the entire composition is created.

Evergreen needles in standard form not only look original, but also decorate the site all year round. In cold climates, thuja occidentalis, dwarf spruce, and prickly spruce, which are grafted onto a typical trunk shape, are suitable for forming a “ball on a stem.” Less used prickly perennials are juniper and fir. All of the above garden plantings for standard form require increased attention from the gardener, regular shaping and modeling. It is better not to plant sun-loving crops in the shade, in which case the spherical crown can turn into an “umbrella”.

The standard form of a rose is often used as a tapeworm. The most popular hybrid tea representatives of the culture. Thanks to their incredibly beautiful and long (all summer) flowering, they decorate the garden and make a lasting impression. A rose tree can be either large or small. This allows gardeners to use them in different areas. The standard form allows the “queen of the garden” to bloom more abundantly and longer, creating a much-needed vertical in the garden. This is called the focal point and it is visible from any part of the garden.

Features of caring for the standard form

For many gardeners, planting a trunk is a tempting offer. But do not forget about the specific care that a plant with this crown shape requires. In addition to traditional watering, weeding, fertilizing and loosening, one cannot do without special pruning and special preparation of standard-shaped garden plantings for winter. In order for the plant to live up to its name and maintain its decorative form, it is necessary to completely exclude the growth of shoots. Experts monitor this with the utmost rigor. Wild shoots grow quickly, and can also make themselves felt not only along the length of the trunk, but also below the graft, and can even be visible from under the ground. The shoots are more viable; they are cut off at an early stage of emergence, otherwise the grafted part of the plant will stop receiving nutrition and simply dry out. Wild young shoots are especially dangerous during the first 3-4 years.

The standard in landscape design is valued not only for its beauty and originality of appearance, but also for its immunity to many diseases. A tall trunk becomes an insurmountable barrier to those pests and diseases that spread along with the soil and during watering. The advantages of this crown shape do not end there. At the very top, drafts and sunlight become more accessible. This also eliminates pain and allows you to maintain a decorative and sophisticated appearance.

Almost all standard representatives of the flora do not tolerate frost well. The trunks of elm, rowan, apple and maple are winter-hardy. Preparation for winter involves bending them to the soil. For roses, in this case, carefully dig up the root system. The grafted part can be trimmed (up to 20 cm is left) and covered together with the root. They use spruce branches. But a bush or tree cannot be bent down. They are carefully tied with non-woven fabric.

Video - Forming a trunk

Mountain pine is a very popular ornamental plant and occupies a leading position in the formation landscape design. A wide variety of varieties and shapes allow it to be used in any style of terrain planning.

Peculiarities

Mountain pine is a coniferous evergreen plant of the pine family, which has a powerful root system and a vertical taproot extending deep down.

Needle needles grow in bunches of two to five pieces, the crown has high branching, and the bark is prone to peeling.

The height of tall specimens is 3-4 meters, which is significantly less than the height of other types of pines. For example, the black pine "Fastigiata", also used in the formation of landscape design, has a height of 7-8 meters with a crown diameter of three meters, and the height of Scots pine sometimes reaches fifty meters.

Shrub species of mountain pine grow up to two meters, and creeping and dwarf species have a height not exceeding one meter. The crown of the plant can be openwork, spreading, umbrella-shaped, pyramidal and ovoid-blunted. The growing area of ​​mountain pine is in Southern and Central Europe.

Advantages and disadvantages

Mountain pine perfectly complements any decorative combination due to the following advantages:

• the breed is characterized by abundant release of phytoncides and essential oils, due to which it has healing, soothing and tonic properties comparable to therapeutic effects cedar and blue spruce;
• the plant is frost-resistant and tolerates temperature changes well, which makes it possible to use it in any climate zone, with the exception of Far North;

• the unpretentiousness of mountain pine, as well as the good survival rate of young shoots, allows this species to be planted in arid areas with infertile soil;
• the aesthetic appearance with a wide variety of crown shapes and tree sizes deservedly attracts designers and allows them to implement the most daring decisions in the design of the site.

The disadvantages of the species include intolerance to increased air pollution and excessive shading of the area.

Mountain pine varieties

When designing landscape designs, several varieties are used, differing in size, shape of the crown and cones, as well as in the appearance of the needles.

Varella

Due to their high drought resistance, trees of this variety are often used to decorate rocky slopes and large alpine hills.

Stiff dark green needles look good against the background of lawns and stone compositions.

Winter Gold

It is a shrub reaching a height of one meter and having a chic spherical crown.

A very spectacular plant that takes on a golden hue when autumn period and giving the space a festive look. In winter, the bush becomes the center of the landscape composition and noticeably transforms the dull appearance of the cold season, and small dark brown cones give the tree aesthetics and piquancy.

In summer, the needles have a rich emerald hue and give landscape combinations an elegant look. Often used to compose coniferous compositions, when decorating rockeries and as a hedge.

The plant is wind-resistant and harmoniously combines with heather and evergreen species.

Pinus Mugo Gnom

It is represented by a slowly growing shrub, which in forty years grows to a height of two meters and does not require constant monitoring of the shape of the crown and its regular correction.

The needles have a dark green color and are distinguished by their ability to shine and shimmer in the sun. This gives the tree a festive look and significantly enlivens the landscape.

Gnom goes well with rocky structures and can be planted in rock gardens, rock gardens, coniferous mixborders, as well as on loggias and open terraces. This variety is considered the most resistant to the influence of an aggressive external environment and heavy snow cover.

Pinus Columnaris

It has a cone-shaped crown and twisted curved needles, which gives the branches a solemn and elegant look. During the flowering period of the plant, the anthers of the male inflorescences acquire a bright yellow hue, which makes the tree elegant and unusual.

This variety does not tolerate dark spaces and is not recommended for planting in hot and dry climates. It is a slow-growing species and reaches a height of three meters over several decades.

Pine is well trimmed and can be used both as a single planted element and in group compositions.

Pinus Mops

It has a dense crown in the shape of a hemisphere and fits harmoniously into the garden design. The plants are frost-resistant, but cannot tolerate shade at all. Planted in open and well-lit areas.

The needles have a dark green color, on which a bluish coating is clearly visible. Due to the stability of the crown, the tree does not require painstaking and complex pruning.

Can be used to decorate rock gardens and gardens.

Pinus Mugo Mughus

It is a creeping semi-dwarf pine and is widely used in the formation of borders and hedges. It looks harmonious both as part of coniferous mixborders and mixed group combinations.

It animates the landscape well and withstands heavy snow cover well. Mature tree has dark brown miniature cones and is often used in the design of rock gardens. Plants of this variety require additional watering and do not tolerate shade.

Pinus Ophir

It is a dwarf shrub plant. Has very lush crown, acquiring a bright yellow hue in winter, and effectively shading other evergreen coniferous trees

The maximum growth of the tree is 80 centimeters; the plant is very sensitive to urban air pollution and is more suitable for decorating suburban areas.

Pinus Mugo Pumilio

It is a low bush with a maximum height of one and a half meters and a rich spreading crown.

It cuts well and is ideal for decorating mixed compositions with the presence of deciduous plants. "Pumilio" has stiff, short needles that grow in the form of a dome and have a very unusual appearance.

Pinus Mugo Chao-Chao

Is the most low-growing variety mountain pine. An adult plant barely reaches a height of fifty centimeters. The bright green crown has a regular hemispherical shape and is ideal for forming borders and when designing rock gardens.

Litomysl

This grafted mountain pine on a trunk is very popular when decorating a garden in Japanese style, as well as for the formation of an ecosystem of alpine slides.

The plant looks like this: on a long and thin trunk there is a spherical crown correct form, with fluffy, dark green needles.

The size of this dwarf tree does not exceed 30 centimeters. The plant is considered to be slow growing and gains only three centimeters per year.

Wood is unpretentious and is often used for interior decoration.

Mountain pine is important element in landscape design. Thanks to the variety of varieties and shades, a plant can be either the central figure around which the composition is composed, or act as an organic addition to a previously formed combination.

Achieve beautiful standard not very simple, as many people think. This is a kind of art. And doing this is as difficult as growing a bonsai. It takes years to achieve the ideal standard. Most likely, any person who has tried to form a standard tree has his own proven methods.

And I was no exception. Before creating a “masterpiece” from the trees available on my site, I had to study a large amount of material and try the methods described in it for forming a tree trunk.

Not everyone has an idea of ​​what a standard is. A standard is an artificially formed tree that has a straight trunk, freed from unnecessary branches. Such a tree looks like a tree trunk sticking out of the ground, the top of this trunk is a crown in the form of a geometric figure, usually in the shape of a ball.

The flowering crops of standard trees look original. Harmonious proportions can be achieved in two ways: grafting the missing branches onto a straight trunk, and using a haircut.

Standard trees can be chosen at any height, but usually they are from 1.5 to 2.5 meters. But there are exceptions. These are individuals that grow up to 5 meters. Such trees always attract admiring glances - both in spring and autumn.

Spring is the time when flowers bloom on the trees, and autumn is the time when large fruits appear.
In addition to beauty, standard trees have the following advantages:

1. Helps to save space due to the compact crown;
2. Easy processing of the peri-trunk space;
3. It is always convenient to harvest from standard fruit-bearing trees.

Standard method of cutting a plant

Most easy method Forming a trunk - forming the required crown. This method can be mastered even by gardeners without experience, but who dream of having a standard miracle tree.

This method requires systematically removing side shoots from the trunk. This process can take a long period of time. But the result will definitely please the owner of the site.

• To form such a tree on your own, you need to adhere to some rules:
• seedlings for planting on your site must be selected with a smooth, even trunk;
• after planting, the plant should be tied to a metal support;
• as the tree grows, it must be constantly tied to a support until it reaches the desired height;
• Once the required height is reached, the top must be pinned.

After completing the above steps and removing the top of the tree, side shoots will begin to grow. This usually happens quite quickly. Young shoots also need pinching. It is after this that the rounded crown of the tree is formed.

Standard grafting method

Grafting allows you to form a beautiful standard tree. But this method is quite labor-intensive compared to the first one. To carry out this procedure, you need two seedlings. One of them is the rootstock, which will be the trunk, the second is the scion - the future crown.

For successful grafting, you must first select a seedling that is suitable for the role of rootstock. Usually, cultivated plants of the same type are selected; the only difference is that the rootstock must be genetically stronger. For example, it is better to graft a rose onto a rose hip, a weeping elm onto a rough one.

There is a second, more complex method, in which closely related plants are grafted, but different types. For example, pear trees are grafted onto a rowan tree trunk. This also has its advantages: such pears begin to bear fruit much earlier than their ungrafted relatives (2-3 years after planting).

Things to remember

To create a beautiful standard tree, you need to listen to these tips. And then these trees will become the highlight of the landscape of any garden:

• First you need to grow a trunk: tie it up until it reaches the required height.
• You need to select a cutting for grafting in such a way that it has 3-4 live buds. This needs to be done in April.
• On the scion, an oblique cut is made above the upper bud, while in the lower part you need to make 2 cuts, forming a wedge.
• After the wedge is inserted into the standard, it is advisable to tie the place where they connect with polyethylene tape, and cover the damaged areas with garden varnish.

Stamping and mulching

If a standard is needed to decorate a site, then it is better to form it on the lawn, where the trees look most advantageous. It is better to free the tree trunk space from lawn grass and mulch it. To do this, the surface of the earth is covered with fine material, covered with film or paper.

It is advisable to mulch fruit trunks with peat, sawdust, you can use pebbles and sand. The mulch thickness should be 10–12 cm. In summer, the soil warms up faster through the mulched layer, and in winter it is protected from freezing. It is very valuable that mulch retains moisture in the soil and the growth of weeds.

Caring for standard trees

A fruit and berry garden needs special care. Cracks in dead bark are the best place for pests to breed. Because of them, the surface of the trunk is susceptible to the formation of mosses and lichens.

In autumn, during leaf fall, the trunk must be freed from dead pieces of bark. This can be done with a wire brush. In this case, you should be careful: it is forbidden to damage the healthy bark.

It is safe to whitewash only the trunks of mature trees that have rough bark. It is better not to whitewash logs with a smooth surface. Excess foliage must be systematically removed. This is required not only to maintain shape, but also to fruit tree did not direct strength and juices to the formation and development of new buds and shoots.

In custody

A standard tree is not only a decoration for gardens and parks. It is very easy to create such beauty with your own hands, without resorting to expensive and hard-to-find means.

If you try a little, standard trees will delight the eye with their unusual appearance and healthy fruits.

​Similar articles​

​Standard trees will help you create your own unique site design.​

​Thuja occidentalis ‘Govea’​

Coniferous arches

​Soft cuff ​At the bottom of the cutting, cut off the needles, exposing the cutting by 2-2.5 cm.​

Conifers on a trunk

​Decorative garden compositions​​Plants in this composition are selected in such a way that all the main existing forms crowns and particularly pronounced types of crown color. Placement on a scree of gray gravel allows you to fully demonstrate the decorative qualities of plants in full. Using some ground cover plants is the connecting link of the entire composition and only emphasizes the individuality of the conifers. The main criterion for creating groups was the color of the needles, and in groups they are placed in accordance with the shape of the crown. Virginia juniper "Glauca" (Juniperus virginiana "Glauca") Virginia juniper "Skyrocket" ) Common juniper "Columnaris" (Juniperus communis "Columnaris") Common juniper "Hibernica" (Juniperus communis "Hibernica") Chinese juniper "Kaizuka" (Juniperus chinensis "Kaizuka") source​ ​and​ ​Text: Alexander Sapelin​​When planning, landscape design workers explain the rules for planting standard trees. Using zoning rules, they create cascades of exotic plants, flower beds, large flowerpots, alpine slides, and standard trees easily fit into the created surroundings.​ ​Echinacea purpurea​​Juniper rocky 'Blue Arrow'​ ​3​ ​Soft (in most species) needles of various colors, delicate aroma, undemanding to growing conditions - these are the reasons why gardeners and designers are attracted to junipers.​ ​cossack juniper​Source​

Conifers as ground cover

Coniferous shrub with a spiral shape.​fir​ ​Conifers, garden composition​​The standard look gives the recreation area a classic look. Trees with an even trunk and an unusual crown have such an extraordinary name, borrowed from German designers, meaning “trunk.”​ ​Ottawa barberry ‘Superba’​​Spirea Boumalda​​In a pot filled with soil mixture, use a pencil to make holes-holes. Place the cuttings in these holes at an angle of 30-45 degrees. Then press and compact the soil with your fingers. Water and cover with plastic wrap. Source Source Junipers are planted in alleys, grown on alpine hills and in rockeries. They are good at any time of the year garden compositions with other conifers: spruce, pine, thuja, fir, hemlock. And in spring and summer, their dark greenery emphasizes and sets off the beauty of rhododendrons and hydrangeas, mahonias and heathers and numerous bulbous plants: tulips, daffodils, hyacinths... Despite its unpretentiousness, juniper from the forest does not take root well in the garden; if it has taken root, it means you have light hand and gardening happiness. But it’s better not to tempt fate, but to immediately plant a seedling of an already cultivated species. Moreover, there are a great many of them. Junipers are planted in sunny places. In the shade they can grow shapeless and loose and lose all their decorative advantages. Only common juniper can tolerate some shading. The distance between plants should be from 0.5 m for medium-sized and short ones to 1.5 - 2 m for tall forms. Before planting, all container plants must be soaked in water by keeping the earthen ball in a container of water for about 2 hours. The depth of the planting hole depends on the size of the earthen ball and the root system of the plant. Usually junipers are planted in a hole, the size of which is 2-3 times larger than the coma. For large bushes - 70 cm deep. At the bottom of the hole you definitely need to make a drainage layer from broken bricks and sand 15-20 cm thick. And cover the roots with a soil mixture consisting of peat, turf land and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1. Large plants are planted so that the root collar is 5-10 cm above the edges of the planting hole. In young plants it should be at ground level. Optimal acidity soil - from 4.5 to 7 pH, depending on the type and variety. Liming is useful for Cossack juniper - before planting on heavy soils, add dolomite flour or fluff lime (80-100 g per hole measuring 50 x 50 x 60 cm). Junipers are undemanding to soil. All they need is the application of nitroammophoska (30-40 g/m2) or “Kemiry-universal” (20 g per 10 liters of water) in April-May. Junipers are watered only in dry summers, and then infrequently - 2-3 times per season. Watering rate - 10-30 l per mature plant. Once a week it can be sprayed, certainly in the evening. Common and Chinese junipers do not tolerate dry air. Juniperus virginiana is drought-resistant, but grows better in soils of average moisture. Young plantings of junipers require loosening - shallow, after watering and weeding. Immediately after planting, the soil is mulched with peat, wood chips, pine bark or pine nut shells, the thickness of the mulch layer is 5-8 cm. Heat-loving cultivars are mulched for the winter, and in early spring the mulch must be raked off, as it can cause rotting of the root collar. Due to their slow growth, junipers are pruned very carefully. Dry branches are mainly removed at any time of the year. Only young plants are covered for the winter, and then only in the first year after planting. Juniper can be propagated by seeds and cuttings.

Coniferous hedges and topiary

​1.​​Source​ The crown is dense, the shoots are branched and twisting. Height up to 4-5 m. Diameter up to 1.5 m, etc.). Cubes and parallelepipeds are the same fence, but divided into parts, which means the same assortment. The same thing with cones, balls, hemispheres and other simple geometric shapes. Even spirals and multi-tiered pyramids strung on a standard can be obtained, for example, from such dense varieties. So much has been written about the types and varieties of conifers, their combinations with other plants, and agricultural technology that it is time to talk about the details. In particular, about the use of conifers in the garden. Try to take a broader look at seemingly simple things, and you will definitely discover something new.​ ​Rose hip bushes will be an excellent material for making boles.​​Brunnera sibirica​ ​Juniper rocky 'Blue Arrow'​

Coniferous verticals

​Diseases and pests of juniper​​At first glance, this may seem like science fiction. But those weeping forms of conifers, from which arches can be made, could well become hanging plants. Often their shoots grow significantly longer than the trunk and spread along the ground if they are not pruned by the garden owners. It is this circumstance that suggests the idea of ​​using them as hanging plants. The types and varieties of conifers can be the same, but the grafting must be done either on a very low trunk or in the root collar. Then the plant is planted, for example, on a terrace, and its branches hang from the retaining wall. In this case, you need to take into account how much this retaining wall freezes. If it is severe, then the assortment is reduced (for example, among spruce trees we will give preference to the common one rather than the Serbian one), and the plant itself is planted as far as possible from the edge.​ ​2.​ ​1. Black pine - Pinusmugo‘Mops’ (below, near No. 10)​ The needles are bright green. ​thuja occidentalis​​This is a very expressive technique, common in Europe and America. In our conditions, it is also possible to make a coniferous arch, but it will not look as strict. It is necessary to build a stable metal or wooden arched design and plant weeping forms of conifers on both sides. In our case, these can be forms of common spruce ("Inversa", "Reflexa", etc.), Serbian spruce ("Pendula", "Pendula Bruns", etc.). While the top is young and flexible, it is tied to a support. Over time, it will become lignified and remain in this position. Falling side branches need to be trimmed if necessary. Theoretically, weeping varieties could also be used. Land decorators, turning to famous gardeners for advice, learned about a new direction in plant growing. Thanks to this, boles have become popular in landscape designs. The main advantage of the standard is the ability to grow it in open ground, and in beautiful large ceramic pots. This advantage helps to easily transfer the plant into the house during the cold season, decorating the interior of the living room and preserving the tree until warm days. The ability to create groups of topiary is given by the different heights of the standard plants participating in the ensemble.​ ​Heuchera blood-red​ ​Sedum Kamchatka​​These questions are asked by life itself. Based on extensive experience, she gives answers. Planting in groups depends on their purpose. If we plant a group with the aim of covering an object or creating a background, then the planting should be dense. When setting the goal of demonstrating the decorative qualities of a plant, the planting should be loose so that the plants can be seen. The number of plants is determined by the same factors. The question of combining plants is not an easy one, and the answer to it depends on creativity and imagination, where harmony is the evaluation criterion. Based on experience, we can recommend such groups as spruce and larch, pine and juniper, mountain pine, Scots pine and larch, juniper and thuja. For common spruce, a background of maples, chestnuts, ash and walnuts is suitable, and cypress trees look good against the background of light trunks and foliage of birches and aspens. The combination of decorative forms of coniferous plants with shrubs, such as chaenome forest, lilac ( especially the standard form), weigela, mock orange, hydrangea, silver oleagin (clipped), etc. The beauty of conifers is well emphasized by ground cover plants, sedums, carnations, periwinkle, etc. The most common disease of junipers is rust. the threat is posed by spider mites, juniper leaf miners, aphids and juniper scale insects. Against aphids, spray twice with “Fitoverm” (2 g per 1 liter of water) with an interval of 10-14 days. Mining moths are afraid of “Decis” (2.5 g per 10 liters ), with which the plant is also sprayed twice and also after 10-14 days. The drug “Karate” is used against spider mites (50 g per 10 l), against scale insects - karbofos (70 g per 10 l of water). To stop rust, the plant you will have to spray it four times with an interval of 10 days with a solution of arceride (50 g per 10 liters of water). It is clear that in our gardens there are also trimmed coniferous walls and figures. But still they are not the same as in Europe. The question is the degree of detail of the cropped figure. A simple hedge? No problem, and quite a large assortment of plants (​

Conifers a la bonsai

​3.​​2. Juniper medium “Gold Star” - Juniperus pfitzeriana ‘GoldStar’​ Light-loving. Prefers well-drained soil. Drought-resistant.​​, like "Smaragd". But the idea of ​​making coniferous chess pieces or horses in a harness will end in failure. Alas, we do not have suitable plants for this, especially evergreens. You can, of course, buy a ready-made version, but it will freeze in the open ground.​ ​common juniper​ ​Do not consider the trunks exotic.​

Lemon-scented thyme ‘Golden Draft’ Plants with unusually colored needles should be planted in single plantings. Golden forms prefer sunny places.​ ​Juniper varieties​ ​thuja​​4.​​3. Thuja occidentalis “Teddy” - Thujaoccidentalis ‘Teddy’​​Hard verticals​

​Russian gardening professionals have found ways to grow trunks from trees and even shrubs available to any private owner.​ ​Fragrant violet

​, some​
​cypress​
​Magnificent trunks are obtained from bushes: ​Thuja occidentalis ‘Govea’​​1. Serbian spruce ‘Nana’ The plants in this composition are selected in such a way that all the main existing forms of the crown and especially pronounced types of crown color are present. Placement on a scree of gray gravel allows you to fully demonstrate the decorative qualities of plants in full. The use of some ground cover plants is the connecting link of the entire composition and only emphasizes the individuality of the conifers. The main criterion for creating groups was the color of the needles, and in groups they are placed in accordance with the shape of the crown. Tall junipers with a pyramidal and columnar crown:
​ate​
​6.​ ​5. Five-leafed maiden grape - Parthenocissusquinquefolia(L.)​​A fast-growing, spreading variety of juniper, having upright branches up to 1 meter high, which lie on the ground at their base as they grow and increase in size. The needles are scaly and needle-shaped, bluish-green with a characteristic odor when rubbed. It is not demanding on soil fertility and moisture. The source organizes the space of Italian gardens, and these are stable accents. In central Russia they can be partially replaced by some narrow-vertical forms of conifers: ​Thuja occidentalis​ ​gooseberries;​ Hosta angustifolia ​2. Serbian spruce ‘Pendula’​​Collection of dwarf conifers: / - Lawson cypress “Minima Glauka”; 2 - common juniper Hibernika; 3 - rocky juniper “Springbank”; 4 - mountain pine “Hampi”; 5 -* Norway spruce “Little Jam”; 6 - pea-bearing cypress “Filifera Nana”; 7 - thuja occidentalis “Globoza”; 8 - thuja occidentalis “Danika”; 9 - thuja occidentalis “Globoza Nana”; 10 - black spruce “Nana”; 11 ~ thuja occidentalis “Ericoides”; 12 - common spruce “Re-pens”; 13 - horizontal juniper “Adpressa”; 14 - horizontal juniper “Prince of Wales”; 15 - horizontal juniper “Viltoni”; 16 - mountain pine “Mugus”; 17 - mountain pine “Mini Pug”; 18 - pea-bearing cypress “Nana”; 19 - common spruce “Maxwelly”; 20 ~ microbiota; 21 - scaly juniper “Blue Carpet”; 22 - scaly juniper “Meyeri”; 23 - Chinese juniper “Plumosa Aurea”; 24 - juniper scaly “Blue Star”; 25 - Weymouth pine “Pumila”​ ​Glauca juniper (Juniperus virginiana "Glauca") Virginian juniper "Skyrocket" (Juniperus virginiana "Skyrocket") Common juniper "Columnaris" (Juniperus communis "Columnaris") Common juniper "Hibernica" (Juniperus communis "Hibernica") Juniper evelnik Chinese "Kaizuka" (Juniperus chinensis "Kaizuka") source​ ​and​

​Text: Alexander Sapelin​​6. Toothed buzulnik ‘Othello’ - Ligularia dentata​

Medium-sized junipers:

​common juniper

​and dwarf forms​

​rosehip;​

​Echinacea purpurea​

​Source​

Coniferous shrub with a spiral shape.

​fir​

​Conifers, garden composition​

​Chinese juniper "Blue Alps" (Juniperus chinensis "Blue Alps") Cossack juniper "Tamariscifolia" (Juniperus sabina "Tamafiscifolia")​

​"Sentinel",​

​common spruce

Elecampane sword-leaved

​1. Black pine - Pinusmugo‘Mops’ (below, near No. 10)​

The crown is dense, the shoots are branched and twisting. Height up to 4-5 m. Diameter up to 1.5 m.​

​etc.). Cubes and parallelepipeds are the same fence, but divided into parts, which means the same assortment. The same thing with cones, balls, hemispheres and other simple geometric shapes. Even spirals and multi-tiered pyramids strung on a standard can be obtained, for example, from such dense varieties

​So much has been written about the types and varieties of conifers, their combinations with other plants, and agricultural technology that it’s time to talk about the details. In particular, about the use of conifers in the garden. Try to take a broader look at seemingly simple things, and you will definitely discover something new.​

​8. Early thyme - Thymus praecox​

​Chinese juniper "Blue Alps" (Juniperus chinensis "Blue Alps")​

​juniper virginiana​

​(Pygmaea) and​

With a small plot area, housewives who grow berries for jam manage to create trunks from fruit-bearing shrubs. Having received a harvest of berries, they decorate their garden with beautiful compositions that attract the eye throughout the spring and summer. At first, the plants bloom with delicate foliage, then they bloom, and after flowering the fruits appear. Each bush has its own time and its own colors, which makes it possible for compositions from bushes on a trunk to constantly please the eye.​

Lavatera Thuringiensis

​2. Juniper medium “Gold Star” - Juniperus pfitzeriana ‘GoldStar’​

The needles are bright green.

​thuja occidentalis​

​This is a very expressive technique, common in Europe and America. In our conditions, it is also possible to make a coniferous arch, but it will not look as strict. It is necessary to build a stable metal or wooden arched structure and plant weeping coniferous forms on both sides. In our case, these can be forms of common spruce ("Inversa", "Reflexa", etc.), Serbian spruce ("Pendula", "Pendula Bruns", etc.). While the top is young and flexible, it is tied to a support. Over time, it will become lignified and remain in this position. Falling side branches need to be trimmed if necessary. Theoretically, weeping varieties could also be used

​Juniper medium "Hetzii" (Juniperus x media "Hetzii")​

​prickly spruce

Coniferous plants also participate in the trunk, such as:

Lobularia marine

​6. Chinese lilac

​3. Thuja occidentalis “Teddy” - Thujaoccidentalis ‘Teddy’​

Light-loving. Prefers well-drained soil. Drought resistant.​

​, like "Smaragd". But the idea of ​​making coniferous chess pieces or horses in a harness will end in failure. Alas, we do not have suitable plants for this, especially evergreens. You can, of course, buy a ready-made version, but in the open ground it will freeze.​

​common juniper

How to use conifers in the garden

​10.Evergreen sheep - Helicototrichon sempevirens​

​Juniperus squamata "Holger")​

​thuja occidentalis​

Coniferous arches

​("Glauca Globosa"), grafted onto a standard form. Used to a lesser extent ​Currant bushes have long been used to create boles on the site.​

Conifers on a trunk

​7. Mock orange Lemoine ​4. Berberis thunbergii ‘Atropurpurea Nana’​Very decorative, used in single plantings, in Japanese gardens.​ ​Hard verticals​​("Horstmann", etc.), but it does not always and not always reach the size of a standard arch.​​Low-growing junipers:​ ​with a vertical crown shape,​​junipers​ ​spruce;​​Hemlock ‘Jeddeloh’​ ​Weigela flowering ‘Purpurea Nana’​​5. Five-leafed maiden grape - Parthenocissusquinquefolia(L.)​

Conifers as ground cover

​Rock juniper "Springbank" (Juniperus scopulorum "Springbank") Cossack juniper "Erecta" (Juniperus sabina "Erecta")​ ​cypress​​Abroad, entrances to a house or garden are often flanked with standard forms - often these are coniferous and deciduous evergreen “balls on a stick”. In our country, for these purposes, it is possible to use only conifers -​ ​prickly spruce​and​ ​pine;​​Thuja occidentalis ‘Globoza’​

Conifers as hanging plants

​Cypress pea ‘Filifera Aurea Nana’​

Coniferous hedges and topiary

​6. Toothed bozulnik ‘Othello’ - Ligularia dentata A fast-growing, spreading variety of juniper, having upright branches up to 1 meter high, which lie on the ground at their base as they grow and increase in size. The needles are scaly and needle-shaped, bluish-green with a characteristic odor when rubbed. It is not demanding on soil fertility and moisture. The source organizes the space of Italian gardens, and besides, these are stable accents. In central Russia they can be partially replaced by some narrow-vertical forms of conifers: ​thuja occidentalis​​With golden needles:​​,​​fir​​thuja.​

Coniferous verticals

Elecampane sword-leaved ​Cinquefoil shrub ‘Princess’​​7. Great plantain “Rubra” - Plantagomajor ‘Rubra’​ Medium-sized junipers:​common juniper ​and dwarf forms​​Juniper virginiana "Aureospicata" (J. virginiana "Aureospicata")​​common juniper​​. In all cases, regular shaping is required. You also need to keep in mind that if the plant is not shade-tolerant enough, then in low light, sooner or later the “ball” turns into an “umbrella”, which also looks good. Perfectly suitable for molding on a standard​ ​Looking at the expanses of Russia, we can safely talk about the easy way stamping of coniferous species. The ability to create an extraordinary look for your site is achieved by growing evergreen trees in the form of a trunk.​ ​Serbian spruce ‘Nana’​

Conifers a la bonsai

​8. Early thyme - Thymus praecox​ Chinese juniper "Blue Alps" (Juniperus chinensis "Blue Alps") Cossack juniper "Tamariscifolia" ​common spruce​Juniper medium "Gold Coast" (J. x. media "Gold Coast") (on the edge)​

​larch​​Everyone's favorite Christmas tree with prickly needles located close to each other creates fluffy branches. The tree reaches amazing beauty in the spring, during the period of growth of young, soft green shoots. The existing varieties of prickly spruce, eastern spruce and Canadian spruce (gray) are considered dwarf with slow growth. This quality is the first advantage, the second is good cold resistance, the third is easy processing and cutting. On new year holidays Such trees are decorated with garlands, which creates a fabulous atmosphere around the house.​
​European larch ‘Repens’​ ​Perennial daisy ‘Etna’​​9. Phlox subulata​ ​Chinese juniper "Blue Alps" (Juniperus chinensis "Blue Alps")​​juniper virginiana​ ​(Pygmaea) and​

​Landscape experts advise planting pine trunks along the edges of the site. The advantages of these varieties are infrequent watering and ease of care. The mountain pine tree trunk is in greatest demand due to the extraordinary qualities of changing the color of the needles throughout the year. It is bright green in summer, bright yellow in autumn, copper in winter, and golden in spring. Such changes in the palette make the site unusual at any time of the year.​ ​Thuja occidentalis ‘Globoza’​

​10.Evergreen sheep - Helicototrichon sempevirens​

​Juniper medium "Hetzii" (Juniperus x media "Hetzii")​​“Skyrocket” or “Blue Arow”, etc. Even from conifers that are not “slender” enough, you can get narrow columns by regularly forming them - it is important to do this from the very beginning, cutting the needles further from the trunk from year to year. Rigid molding of an adult plant will produce a trunk with half-bare branches, which will take a long time to be overgrown, and in the worst case, will remain bare forever. Varieties are suitable for such operations
​prickly spruce
​With gray or blue needles:​ ​junipers​ Skeptics will say that you cannot walk on coniferous surfaces. But even among herbaceous groundcovers, not all tolerate trampling. Meanwhile, Juniper is considered more capricious in the conifer family; only experienced specialists can afford to grow it. Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’
​Viburnum foliage ‘Diabolo’​
​1. Scaly juniper - Juniperus sguamata ‘BlueStar’​ ​Juniperus squamata "Holger")​​thuja occidentalis​ ​("Glauca Globosa"), grafted onto a standard form. Used to a lesser extent​Juniper rock "Blue Arrow" (J. scopulorum "Blue Arrow") Juniper medium "Blaauw" (J. x. media "Blaauw") Juniper scaly "Blue Carpet" (J. squamata "Blue Carpet") Juniper scaly "Blue" Star" (J. squamata "Blue Star")​ ​problems begin soon after planting, with​ ​cross-paired microbiota​The thuja can be called a magnificent specimen. Abroad, they learned how to cut different shapes from thuja stems. Our decorating lovers unusual trees their homes have adopted the experience of foreign designers and, using the property of thuja to grow slowly, they begin to plant it in beautiful pots, followed by replanting it in already landscaped landscape compositions.​ ​Barberry thunberga ‘Atropurpurea nana’​​Rhododendron yellow​

​2. Thuja Western - Thuja occidentalis ‘Golden Globe’​​Low-growing junipers:​

​with a vertical crown shape,​

​junipers​

​Juniper cuttings.​

​Weymouth pine​

​With the help of juniper bushes you can make a wide variety of shapes in your garden plot.​

Heuchera blood red

​Common mackerel ‘Royal Purple’​

​3. Cossack juniper - Juniperus sabina ‘Variegata’​

​Juniper virginiana "Kobold" (J. virginiana "Kobold") Juniper virginiana "Nana Compacta" (J. virginiana "Nana Compacta") Dwarf forms of juniper: Juniper horizontalis "Blue Pygmea" (J. horizontalis "Blue Pygmea") Juniper horizontalis "Wiltonii" (J. h. "Wiltonii") Horizontal juniper "Glauca" (J. h. "Glauca") Horizontal juniper "Hughes" (J. h. "Hughes")​

​prickly spruce

​common spruce

​Japanese larch is very popular. The fall of leaves characteristic of coniferous needles does not reduce its popularity. Smooth horizontal branches and a multi-peaked larch trunk make it possible to easily shape it into a ball. Despite the mandatory condition of maintaining a distance of 3-4 m from the larch trunk, the opportunity to decorate the area with bright colors with other trunks is not missed by any professional designer.​

​Juniper virginiana ‘Skyrocket’​

​Mountain pine​

​4. Black pine - Pinus mugo ‘Mops’​

​With golden needles:​

​fir​

​Source​

1. ​mountain pine trees
2. ​Pendula weeping larches are widely used in decoration. These include conifers, broom, elm and other deciduous trees. One of the main representatives of pendula can be called broom.​
3. ​Viburnum foliage ‘Diabolo’​
4. ​Korean cedar pine ‘Glauka’​
5. ​5. Thuja occidentalis ‘Globosa’​

1. ​Juniper virginiana "Aureospicata" (J. virginiana "Aureospicata")​
2. ​common juniper
3. ​. In all cases, regular shaping is required. You also need to keep in mind that if the plant is not shade-tolerant enough, then in low light, sooner or later the “ball” turns into an “umbrella”, which also looks good. Perfectly suitable for molding on a standard
4. ​1. Serbian spruce ‘Nana’​

​common juniper

​Pendula broom, or, as it is popularly called, goat willow, incredibly beautiful. Delicate branches flow downwards, using this property, you can give an interesting shape to the trunk. Rakita pendula will help decorate any chaotic pile of rocks near a small pond. The standard form of the weeping pendula has rapid growth and in a short time reaches 3 m. The dense crown makes it possible to show imagination and create a landscape for any dacha or country house mysterious. This plant variety is frost-resistant and does not require special preservation conditions in winter, but in warm times the strict requirement of abundant watering should never be neglected.​

​Juniper virginiana ‘Glauka’​

​Juniper Cossack​

​6. Thuja occidentalis ‘Hoseri’

1. ​Juniper medium "Gold Coast" (J. x. media "Gold Coast") (on the edge)​
2. ​. The latter can “burn” in the sun after cutting especially strongly - growing young shoots are more vulnerable.​
3. ​larch​
4. ​2. Serbian spruce ‘Pendula’​
5. Junipers (Juniperus) are old-timers of the earth's flora; they appeared about 50 million years ago. They belong to the cypress family. The types of junipers are very diverse. Among them there are giants up to 30 m tall and bizarre elfin trees that rise from the ground barely 10-15 cm. Now over 60 species and 150 decorative forms of junipers are known, of which 22 species and 25 cultivars are cultivated in Russia. Soft (in most species) needles of various colors, delicate aroma, undemanding to growing conditions - these are the reasons why gardeners and designers are attracted to junipers. Junipers are planted in alleys, grown on alpine hills and in rockeries. At any time of the year they are good in garden compositions with other conifers: spruce, pine, thuja, fir, hemlock. And in spring and summer, their dark greenery emphasizes and sets off the beauty of rhododendrons and hydrangeas, mahonias and heathers and numerous bulbous plants: tulips, daffodils, hyacinths... Despite its unpretentiousness, juniper from the forest does not take root well in the garden; if it takes root, it means you have a light hand and gardening happiness. But it’s better not to tempt fate, but to immediately plant a seedling of an already cultivated species. Moreover, there are a great many of them.​
6. ​("Repanda", "Hornibrookii" etc.) etc.
7. ​Pruning of trunks is done with special garden shears.​
8. ​Juniper Cossack ‘Tamariscifolia’​
9. ​Ottawa barberry ‘Superba’​
10. ​7. Norway spruce - Picea abies​
11. ​Juniper medium "Old Gold" (J. x. media "Old Gold")​

1. ​They have little to do with the classics of the genre - they are more like bonsai haircuts. There are many of them on the market, they are not cheap, and not all of them have performed well. Even species that winter tolerably in our country, clipped as bonsai, begin to suffer: with
2. , and of any kind. But this plant is not evergreen, although it is a conifer.
3. ​3. Acer maple ‘Flamingo’
4. ​At the bottom of the cutting, cut off the needles, exposing the cutting by 2-2.5 cm.​
5. Juniper: planting and care
6. ​cossack juniper
7. ​Having examined the varieties of standard plants, we will become familiar with the method of planting coniferous standard trees. When purchasing a plant from a nursery, it is considered mandatory to remember the location of the cardinal directions. It is worth tying a ribbon on a branch with south side tree, so that when planting in the ground on your site, maintain this position. By observing this condition, you can speed up the adaptation of the plant in a new place.
8. ​Mountain pine​
9. ​Barberry thunberga ‘Atropurpurea nana’​
10. ​8. Thuja occidentalis ‘Brabant’​

1. ​With gray or blue needles:​
2. ​junipers​
3. Skeptics will say that you cannot walk on coniferous surfaces. But even among herbaceous groundcovers, not all tolerate trampling. In the meantime
4. ​4. Common juniper 'Hibernica'
5. ​Soft (in most species) needles of various colors, delicate aroma, undemanding to growing conditions - these are the reasons why gardeners and designers are attracted to junipers. Junipers are planted in sunny places. In the shade they can grow shapeless and loose and lose all their decorative advantages. Only common juniper can tolerate some shading. The distance between plants should be from 0.5 m for medium-sized and short ones to 1.5 - 2 m for tall forms. Before planting, all container plants must be soaked in water by keeping the earthen ball in a container of water for about 2 hours. The depth of the planting hole depends on the size of the earthen ball and the root system of the plant. Usually junipers are planted in a hole, the size of which is 2-3 times larger than the coma. For large bushes - 70 cm deep. At the bottom of the hole, you definitely need to make a drainage layer of broken brick and sand 15-20 cm thick. And cover the roots with a soil mixture consisting of peat, turf soil and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1. Large plants are planted so that the root collar is 5-10 cm above the edges of the planting hole. In young plants it should be at ground level. The optimal soil acidity is from 4.5 to 7 pH, depending on the type and variety. Liming is useful for Cossack juniper - before planting on heavy soils, add dolomite flour or fluff lime (80-100 g per hole measuring 50 x 50 x 60 cm). Junipers are undemanding to soil. All they need is the application of nitroammophoska (30-40 g/m2) or “Kemiry-universal” (20 g per 10 liters of water) in April-May. Junipers are watered only in dry summers, and then infrequently - 2-3 times per season. Watering rate is 10-30 liters per adult plant. Once a week it can be sprayed, certainly in the evening. Common and Chinese junipers do not tolerate dry air. Juniperus virginiana is drought-resistant, but grows better in soils of average moisture. Young plantings of junipers require loosening - shallow, after watering and weeding. Immediately after planting, the soil is mulched with peat, wood chips, pine bark or pine nut shells, the thickness of the mulch layer is 5-8 cm. Heat-loving cultivars are mulched for the winter, and in early spring the mulch must be raked off, as it can cause rotting of the root collar. Due to their slow growth, junipers are pruned very carefully. Dry branches are mainly removed at any time of the year. Only young plants are covered for the winter, and then only in the first year after planting. Juniper can be propagated by seeds and cuttings.
6. The planting depth should correspond to the height of the formed root system with a margin of 15-20 cm. The margin is made to create a bottom cushion consisting of mixed pine sawdust and river sand in a 2:1 ratio. This pillow can also be used to cover the side edges of the roots. Black soil is sprinkled on top for compaction and nutrition. Careful attention to watering (as the soil dries, the soil should be moistened, but not flooded) will help any coniferous trunk quickly take root. Do not forget to cover the crown of the conifer for the winter, so as not to expose the delicate needles and cut edges of the branches to the sun.

1. ​Thuja occidentalis ‘Columna’​
2. Heuchera blood red
3. ​9. Blue Molinia - Molinia coerulea
4. ​Juniper rock "Blue Arrow" (J. scopulorum "Blue Arrow") Juniper medium "Blaauw" (J. x. media "Blaauw") Juniper scaly "Blue Carpet" (J. squamata "Blue Carpet") Juniper scaly "Blue" Star" (J. squamata "Blue Star")​
5. ​problems begin soon after landing, with​
6. ​cross-paired microbiota

1. ​5. Common juniper
2. ​In a pot filled with soil mixture, use a pencil to make holes. Place the cuttings in these holes at an angle of 30-45 degrees. Then press and compact the soil with your fingers. Water and cover with plastic wrap. Source Source​
3. Diseases and pests of juniper
4. ​At first glance this may seem fantastic. But those weeping forms of conifers, from which arches can be made, could well become hanging plants. Often their shoots grow significantly longer than the trunk and spread along the ground if they are not pruned by the garden owners. It is this circumstance that suggests the idea of ​​using them as hanging plants. The types and varieties of conifers can be the same, but the grafting must be done either on a very low trunk or in the root collar. Then the plant is planted, for example, on a terrace, and its branches hang from the retaining wall. In this case, you need to take into account how much this retaining wall freezes. If it is severe, then the assortment is reduced (for example, among spruce trees we will give preference to the common one rather than the Serbian one), and the plant itself is planted as far as possible from the edge.​
5. ​Return to contents​

1. ​Source​
2. ​Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegata’​
3. ​10. Hosta fortunei - Hosta fortunei​
4. ​Juniper cuttings.​

1. ​Weymouth pine​
2. ​tolerates shade, forms good mats that turn green immediately after the snow melts. It looks especially impressive on a slightly textured surface. Weeping forms are also suitable
3. ​6. Chinese lilac
4. ​What is the best way to place plants in groups, in what combination do they look most impressive?​

The most common disease of junipers is rust. Among the pests, the most dangerous are spider mites, juniper leaf miners, aphids and juniper scale insects. Against aphids, spray twice with “Fitoverm” (2 g per 1 liter of water) with an interval of 10-14 days. Mining moths are afraid of “Decis” (2.5 g per 10 l), which is also sprayed on the plant twice and also after 10-14 days. The drug “Karate” (50 g per 10 l) is used against spider mites, and karbofos (70 g per 10 l of water) against scale insects. To stop rust, the plant will have to be sprayed four times at an interval of 10 days with a solution of arceride (50 g per 10 liters of water).​

It is clear that in our gardens there are also trimmed coniferous walls and figures. But still they are not the same as in Europe. The question is the degree of detail of the cropped figure. A simple hedge? No problem, and quite a large assortment of plants (​

​On next year After planting the tree to a standard, you can begin to form the desired crown. To prepare for working with pruners, it is worth taking several lessons on trimming hedges. Having removed the lower branches 1/3 from the ground, then you need to work very carefully. You should cut off the branches and foliage little by little and periodically inspect in a circle for the uniformity of the volume reduction. Pruning is carried out only until August to give the plant, full of strength, the opportunity to go to winter. In the spring you need to cut off old dried branches and shorten the main part of the crown.​

​Juniper​

​Juniper chinensis ‘Chaetia’​

​Source​

It is almost impossible to obtain decorative forms of juniper from seeds, so they are propagated vegetatively - by cuttings.

​and some others - a little later. However, the formation of such a tree is exciting activity, and it’s quite possible to do it yourself from seedlings

​common spruce

​7. Mock orange Lemoine

​These questions are asked by life itself. Based on extensive experience, she gives answers. Planting in groups depends on their purpose. If we plant a group with the aim of covering an object or creating a background, then the planting should be dense. When setting the goal of demonstrating the decorative qualities of a plant, the planting should be loose so that the plants can be seen. The number of plants is determined by the same factors. The question of combining plants is not an easy one, and the answer to it depends on creativity and imagination, where harmony is the evaluation criterion. Based on experience, we can recommend groups such as spruce and larch, pine and juniper, mountain pine, common pine and larch, juniper and thuja. For common spruce, a background of maples, chestnuts, ash and walnuts is suitable, and cypress trees look good against the background of light trunks and foliage of birches and aspens. The combination of decorative forms of coniferous plants with shrubs, such as chaenome forest, lilac ( especially the standard form), weigela, mock orange, hydrangea, silver oleagin (clipped), etc. The beauty of conifers is well emphasized by ground cover plants, sedums, carnations, periwinkle, etc. ​Juniper varieties​​thuja​

• ​The easiest way to trim and maintain shape is the American one. Having covered the crown with a mesh formed in a certain configuration, the branches that extend beyond its boundaries are trimmed. Once the volume is filled, the mesh is removed; the accumulated experience of working with pruning shears helps to maintain the formed shape.​
• ​Decorative garden compositions​
• ​Sheep evergreen​

​Verbena Buenos Aires​

Multi-colored coniferous trunk

​mountain pine trees

• ​("Virgata", "Inversa", "Reflexa", etc.), grafted into the root collar or on a very low trunk, and its prostrate forms (Repens, etc.). To some, this may resemble scattered spruce branches, but many people like it. With conifers with a crown raised above the ground that tolerates cutting, you can do phytoplasty: cut their upper edge, creating the desired relief. Creeping varieties are suitable for these purposes
• ​Source​
• Plants with unusually colored needles should be planted in single plantings. Golden forms prefer sunny places.

Over 60 species and 150 decorative forms of juniper are now known, of which 22 species and 25 cultivars are cultivated in Russia. Cultivar is a term adopted by the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants, meaning "an ornamental form of woody plants."​

​, some​

​Source​

​Sedum sedum ‘Lidakenze’​

Bright originality

Heuchera blood red

​With scissors, carefully trim the narrow end of the “heel”, as if rounding it and removing the exfoliated bark on the handle.​

​common juniper

Planting and caring for coniferous trunks

​Juniper​

​Conifer lovers will certainly be interested in an interesting composition called “Collection of dwarf conifers.” It contains a large number of different coniferous plants located in a small area.​

Tall junipers with a pyramidal and columnar crown:

​ate​

Care and formation of the trunk

It is impossible to ignore such beauty, so more and more summer residents are inclined to grow standard shrubs. The advantage of such compositions is that the area is not occupied, and the height of the bush, not exceeding 1.5 m, allows you to see other unusual compositions on the territory.​

​Modern designers, using standard trees, achieve exclusive type local area. Many owners of private houses try to outdo their neighbors in the unusual appearance of the site. When growing a standard plant, it is easy to get carried away by this activity and decorate your property not only outdoors, but also indoors. Winter gardens with such exotic forms they take on the appearance of luxury foreign houses.​

Most of natural species pines are fast-growing plants that reach huge size(20-50 m in height with a trunk diameter of up to 1.5 m). Such trees are too large for garden plots and landscaping. But as a result of many years of breeding work and targeted selection from wild species there were more compact plants with varied crown shapes and needle colors were obtained(dark green, blue, golden, variegated), which made them extremely desirable in our gardens. At the same time, the varieties have retained their unpretentiousness and resistance to unfavorable factors- heat and frost, lack of irrigation and poor soil.

Today you can choose varieties of pine trees to create any artistic composition: columnar, pyramidal, spherical, prostrate and even weeping. Over the course of several hundred years, the assortment has been replenished with varieties with a crown size ranging from several meters to dwarfs 30-40 cm in diameter, which can be grown in a container or on alpine slide, in a flower garden or on the shore of a pond.

Varietal characteristics of pine trees transmitted only vegetatively. Pine trees practically do not take cuttings and the only way to propagate varietal planting material is grafting. Grafted plants require especially careful care, watering, fertilizing and protection. Wherein compact varieties, forming beautiful, dense balls or “pillows” in the spring give only a few centimeters of growth per year, so it takes 3-5, or even a dozen years to grow a grafted plant in a nursery before sale. Therefore, grafted plants in garden centers are more expensive than species (wild) grown from seeds, which grow much faster and can reach a height of several meters in a couple of years, but do not have valuable decorative characteristics.

Pine on a trunk

The most common and beloved type of grafted pine trees is "ball on a leg". In this case, a highly branching variety with exceptionally short increments, forming a dense cushion, is grafted with one or more often several cuttings onto a tall, straight standard of a species pine, grown and specially shaped by pruning without side branches, to make the crown symmetrical. U low standard In plants, the place of grafting can also be distinguished, since the bark of the scion and rootstock may have different textures and shades, and one can see how the grafted cuttings are “enveloped” by the scar tissue of the rootstock. Also grafted plants more compact, have small increments and needle coloring characteristic of this variety.

Scots pine

One of the most popular varieties of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) can be called ‘Watereri’, growing in the form of a dense, almost round, multi-stemmed bush with a diameter of 3-4 m. The needles are a rich shade with a gray-blue tint. This variety looks very beautiful both individually and in groups, especially well in composition with stones, in rock gardens and heather gardens, as well as in terraced gardens and containers. It lends itself well to molding. It is necessary to monitor the appearance of recurrent (not characteristic of this variety) shoots, which should be cut out.

For a vertical accent or row planting, you can use a variety with a beautiful columnar crown shape ‘Fastigiata’, reaching a height of 6-8 m. Moreover, by pinching the side branches you can form a denser, beautiful column. Very beautiful varieties ‘Glauca’ And 'Blue Sky'- varieties with silver-blue needles. There is also a variety with a compact crown, colored with golden needles for the winter. 'Aurea'.

Black pine

If you need a plant for a tall hedge, alley planting, or as a vertical accent in a composition, choose black pine ‘Pyramidalis’ with a narrow columnar crown shape. A mature tree can reach 10-15 m with a width of up to 3-5 m. Black pine forms a more compact column ‘Fastigiata’, growing up to 7-8 m in height and up to 2-3 m in diameter. U young tree annual growth in height is 40 cm, in width - 20 cm, with age the growth rate decreases. For a small area, slender columns with rich green needles are suitable 'Green Rocket' And ‘Sinfonia’- slow-growing, compact varieties reaching a height of 3-5 m.

Mountain pine

The most popular and sought-after varieties of mountain pine, such as 'Mops' And 'Mini Mops', grow in the form of a dense pillow. These varieties grow only a few centimeters per year, therefore, without pinching or cutting, they retain a dense, rounded crown, and from their ancestors they have inherited exceptional unpretentiousness, drought and frost resistance. In the assortment of most nurseries you can find very old, but still popular variety 'Gnom', at first it looks like a dense pillow, and with age it becomes a cone up to 1.2-1.5 m high. Its needles are short, dense, dark green, shiny.

Of particular interest to landscape designers are varieties with variable and multi-colored needles. Pay attention to varieties with needles turning yellow in autumn 'Winter gold', 'Golden Glow', ‘Carstens Wintergold’. Bright golden prickly pillows look very unexpected and at the same time colorful, attracting everyone's attention. In the variety ‘Kokarda‘ on each needle there are two yellow spots, as if each needle had two gold rings on it. In the variety 'Paul Maleter' young needles of a beautiful white-cream shade.

Planting and care

Most pines are light-loving, unpretentious plants. They can be planted solitary, as accents and groups, in composition with other conifers, but they look especially wonderful with spring bulbous and beautifully flowering trees and shrubs, emphasizing their beauty, as well as against the background of stones and water. The plant can be grown in a flower bed with perennials, in container culture. Dwarf varieties of pine trees look great in a composition with stones on alpine slide.

They don't like pine trees deepening of the root collar during planting, as well as waterlogging and high groundwater. When landing in landing pit It is better to arrange drainage from stones, fragments of brick or crushed stone. To combat possible pests, preventive spraying is used. insecticide solutions(“Aktelik”, “Konfidor”, “Aktara”, “Marsh”, etc.). To combat fungal diseases - sprayed with fungicides(“Topsin”, “Ridomil”, “Fundazol”) 3-4 times a season. It is advisable to avoid thickening of plantings and stagnant waterlogging.