Review of the best species and varieties of ornamental spruce growing in the garden
El «Queen» woods, who heads the popularity rating among the masters of landscape art. It is a sacred tree, acting talisman of the site and a powerful source of bioenergy, is valued not only for its unique healing properties, but extraordinary decoration. Needle-like foliage is emerald green, dark green and even blue shades can transform plant composition, giving a unique flavor to the landscape design of the site.
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Applications of fir in landscape design
Hardly anyone can remain indifferent to luxury, color, and the frozen beauty of the needles of conifers. It is not surprising that the fir in the landscaping of the site is used quite often. She looks great as a planting container for framing garden paths and in the design of rock gardens.
Ephedra is ideal for creating layered compositions, harmoniously combined with low shrubs and flowering perennials
Trees with needle-like foliage of rich green color interesting look in combination with bright flowers annual and perennial plants. To create songs perfectly suited: Japanese anemones, pansies, Aquilegia, Phlox and Hosta. Conifers – ideal for creating evergreen sculpture that can make the appearance of a garden richer and more colorful.
Among the main advantages of the fir in the design of the site is to provide:
- Ephedra will delight the needle saturation shades of green in the summer, does not burn out in the sun and winter, contrasting with the white snow.
- Released by the plant volatile capable to clear the air, rendering the human body healing effect.
- Spruce is great for all styles of landscape design.
- Bushy branches convenient to use when making crafts: creating paintings, herbarium specimens, Christmas songs.
But spruce, like any other plant, has its drawbacks. For example, this ephedra is able to grow strongly, dimming the area and depleting the soil. Therefore, for the design of gardens using firs with dwarf form.
Spruce is convenient because it is easy to pruning. This giving of the crown’s unique shape, even to the experienced gardener no problems
It is advisable to plant a spruce tree along the fence. In a short span of time ephedra increases its curvy shape, and his thick legs form a solid and dense wall.
Varietal diversity of decorative forms
In modern parks and gardens more than 20 kinds of oil. The main when choosing the type of ephedra is the configuration of its crown and plant size in adulthood.
In landscape design the most widely 3 kinds of trees:
- Common – type species presented more than 50 garden forms. Established on the basis of undersized forms reach a height of 1.2 m, and average height – 3 meters or more. A wide palette of colouring of needles starting with gold and finishing with deep green, on the branches, collected in a pyramid or crown pincushion, makes the conifers of this kind of welcome in the garden plots.
- Barbed in the culture represented more than 70 varieties. Most of them are medium to tall trees up to 40 meters with a beautiful conical crown. Although there are dwarf forms up to 2 m. the Needles are very prickly: hence the name of the species. It can be bluish-white, steel-blue, silver and bluish-green.
- SIZ – has more than 20 decorative forms. The name has been thanks to ash-grey bark and bluish tint of the pine needles. Dwarf forms of this species are spherical and gnezdovoy shape of the crown, and a tall cone. Palette color needles is quite wide ranging with a yellowish-Golden and grey-blue, and finally bright green.
Eat like any plants, are divided into three groups: dwarf, medium and tall. When planting garden plots of the most popular are dwarf and medium representatives of conifers.
Among the variety of coniferous ornamental plants in landscaping are very popular prostrate and dwarf varieties
Dwarf varieties
Among the low-growing forms are plants whose size in adulthood in several times less in comparison with the original parent view. For example, under natural conditions spruce named as Picea abies is a 50-foot beauty with a neatly decorated crown, the width of which reaches 8-10 meters.
Decorative form of this tall ephedra, known as Picea abies «Nidiformis» or spruce «cushion», reaches two meters in height with the width of the crown is 2-3 meters.
The main advantage of dwarf forms of conifers, is the minimum annual growth of young shoots, which in most cases restricted to 10-15 cm
Among modern varieties created based on Norway spruce, the most famous ornamental conifers, the crowns of which have gnezdovoy or spherical shape.
For the formation of low curbs and design of rock gardens is perfect miniature shrub Picea abies «Nidiformis».
Dwarf spruce «Nidiformis» in adulthood, reaches a height of only 40 cm, forming a spreading crown with a diameter up to one meter
Located fan-shaped thin delicate shoots »Nidiformis» is decorated with soft and short needles delicate emerald hue.
No less attractive and «Little Gems». Extending from the mid-crown shoots, framed by a dark green thin needles, form a neat hemispherical «pillow». Particularly interesting it looks in a standard shape, planted in an outdoor container or pot.
Branches miniature beauties Picea abies «Little Gem» abrase soft short needles are deep dark green hue
Beautiful ostokonechny dense crown shape is Picea abies «Will’s Zwerg». The plant is interesting due to covering milk shoots pale green shade of the young pine, which contrast against the dark green older needles. An evergreen shrub well suited for small gardens.
Spruce «Will’s Zwerg» it is interesting to look at the group compositions and as a tapeworm in the regeneration of the gardens a small area
Extraordinary decorative famous for bred by breeding «Glauca Of Globose». The dwarf plant has an articulated trunk. Its sprawling branches, dotted with millions of thin needles elegant silvery-blue hue form a beautiful spherical crown. Formed on the branches cones resembling Christmas decorations, give the tree a special appeal.
Blue Belle «Glauca Globosa» often used to decorate urban landscapes, often acting elegant complement Park avenues
It is impossible to ignore the beautifully creeping along the ground low-growing varieties. Miniature «Nana» like a soft pillow, and «Echiniformis» identified with the bun, round in shape which act as a frame of original garden paths.
Most of the firs themselves are shade-tolerant, but often dwarf their shapes are very sensitive to lack of light.
Medium types
When creating a backyard design is also use medium conifers whose height reaches 15 m. the Low single tree with a clearly defined crown picturesque look at the background lawn «carpet» or the walls of the house. To complete the picture will help a spectacular snag or white stone.
Spruce with spreading crowns able to create a shaded area for relaxation, filled with a special atmosphere of comfort and unity with wild nature
Blue spruce is one of the most popular types of ephedra, revered by designers, not only for easy maintenance, but also for a fascinating change of shades needle-like foliage throughout the year. Only 20% of representatives of this species have a distinct color of the sky, the other rich in green and grey tones.
Blue beauties are not able to withstand the temperature variations of the Northern regions and feel comfortable only in temperate latitudes. Spruce with blue needles looks a winner along garden paths, on the background of wooden structures or stone buildings.
Bright representative of this species stands of Picea pungens «Blue Diamond», which translated means «blue diamond».
Graceful beauty «Blue Diamonds» high with a thin trunk and accurately formed conical crown is often used for mixed mixed borders
To diversify the collection will help weeping firs. Given their aspiration to the aquatic environment, conifers can safely use when making pond banks.
Full-sized weeping spruce trees reach a height of 10-15 meters and a width of 2-3 meters. Thin branches, solivas, twisted round the trunk of the tree, giving it a weeping form.
Serbian spruce «Glauca Pendula» with flexible hanging along the trunk slender shoots – a win-win in the incarnation of non-standard solutions in garden compositions
Better adapted to our climate, canadian spruce. Konica is famous for its frost resistance and ease of care. It is interesting for landscape design that has a decorative tapered shape of the crown, for the year gives a small increase and harmoniously integrated into the design of even quite small areas.
«Piccolo» — bright, elegant variety with emerald-green needles, shimmering in the sun light bluish tint, looks spectacular in group plantings
On the background of plain green «sisters» advantageous stands of Picea pungens «Maigold», adding to the collection of variety of beautiful women in 1988 It will look great as a solitaire.
Glittering in the sun the young shoots of conifers make beautiful «Maigold» like a Queen, wrapped in a Golden robe
The crown of the tree, reaching a height of 6 m, has a loose pyramidal form. Creamy yellow needles on young shoots in a few weeks, gradually changing its colour, gaining no less attractive bluish-green hue.
Combination of conifers
If you have the square footage, to create a beautiful and original images should use a different spruce species and varieties.
Tall trees perfectly fit into any landscape in the role of tapeworms, more compact forms of conifers can be safely combined with other plantings
To think the composition turned out harmonious and attractive, the master of landscape art we advise you to consider several key points:
- The composition should not be too colorful. For a group of three conifers use two color schemes. In preparing the composition of the five evergreen plantings use only three colors.
- Forming a layered composition comprising 20-30 spaces, place the elements in groups, selecting them by color.
- Tree and shrub ensemble requires careful placing of emphasis: foreground is a low-growing plants, back – medium conifers.
- To avoid the feeling of density of tree planting will help in the arrangement of the tree trunks of conifers area of normal or Mauritanian grass.
Juicy needles dark shade will accentuate the beauty located near a flowering shrub. In addition to the flowering plants a good addition to the coniferous beauty will become a shrub with unusually coloured foliage: weigela, mock orange, barberry.
Eating well combined with other coniferous varieties and flowering perennials, creating a beautiful picture that looks elegant in any season
Recommendations for the care of the El
Proper planting and care – a guarantee that the coniferous beauty will delight with its presentable appearance almost all year round.
If you want to decorate your site one or more trees, experienced growers are advised to adhere to certain rules:
- Pick-up time. Khvoynik it is best to plant in early spring or early autumn when the plant has not yet entered or has already passed the phase of vigorous growth. To preserve young shoots from frost and rodents, tree trunks, the area in the winter it is advisable to mulch with peat.
- The location of. Under natural conditions, fir grows well near the river valley, where it receives enough moisture to supply a strong root system. But at the same time, she doesn’t like the wetlands, and therefore in need of improvement drainage.
- The composition of the soil. All kinds of fir-trees like fertile, alkaline and acidic soil. They are intolerant to heavy soil types. With the landing of ephedra in depleted soil the planting hole should enrich, making 100 grams of complex fertilizers. With a lack of oxygen and nutrition of the plant may even die.
It is worth considering that fir strongly affects the surrounding flowers and shrubs, so it is best to place a sun-loving plant. It is not necessary to plant conifers close to each other as their branches they will restrict access to sunlight.
By following these simple rules when choosing the varieties and preparation of herbal compositions, you can create on your site friendly and picturesque design that will please the eye throughout the year.