What ornamental trees to plant on the site. Trees for landscape design

“For this hell, for this nonsense, send me a garden for my old age.” But in order to meet old age in a beautiful fruit garden, you need to plant it now. In this article we will tell you what trees to plant on the site, how to place them correctly and how FORUMHOUSE participants do it.

• At what distance should fruit trees and shrubs be planted?
• Where to plant non-self-pollinating plants.
• How fruit crops depend on the sun and wind.
• On which slopes should fruit trees be planted?

Distance between plants

According to science, an orchard is planted in a place protected from the wind and well lit by the sun, ideally if there is room for the plants.

Large apple trees are planted at a distance of 6-15 meters from each other, standard cherries and plums - 1.5-3 meters.

In this photo, the distance between the trees is 5 meters.

To properly arrange garden plantings, it is necessary to maintain a distance not only between plants, but also between the plants and the neighboring area. For trees in an orchard, it is usually half the row spacing. If the row spacing is six meters, then the distance to the border with the neighboring plot is three meters. Fruit bushes can be planted at a distance of 70-80 cm. To avoid mistakes with planting, it is better to first draw a plan of the garden.

But in reality, there are not many huge areas with unlimited resources for planting large-sized apple trees, so no one can maintain a distance of 15 meters between each tree. In practice, it turns out that for successful cultivation it is not necessary to adhere to this condition when planting planting material.

Palyonka FORUMHOUSE Member

In practice, you need to plant them 5 meters apart, if you estimate that each will have a crown measuring 2.5 meters in diameter. But whether your specific garden plots allow you to arrange plants this way is another question.

When planting fruit trees and shrubs in the garden on your site, you can use our table as a guide.

At what distance is it better to place fruit crops in a garden plot?

Plant	Distance between plants (m)	Row spacing (m)
Apple tree, pear tree
Cherry, plum		2,5-3,0/3,0
Currants, gooseberries
Raspberries
Japonica
Sea ​​buckthorn

Tall pears and apple trees on seed rootstock are planted according to a 5x5 pattern (at a distance of at least 5 meters in a row and 5-6 between rows), medium-sized apple trees using a 4X4 pattern, and semi-dwarf trees using a 3X3 pattern.

The raspberry field can be divided into two parts, leaving a fence no more than a meter wide between them: ordinary varieties can be planted in one, remontant varieties can be planted in the other. They bear fruit at different times, and their agricultural technology is different.

It would be optimal to plant trees and shrubs in the garden in a checkerboard pattern, especially if you are planting a garden in the “roadside” part of the garden and want to protect your house or recreation area from the views of your neighbors. By the way, green spaces reduce noise levels, this property must be used.

Andrey Vasilyev, a consultant in the “Fruit Garden” section at FORUMHOUSE, plants plum and bush cherries on the plot at a distance of three meters between the trees. Currant and gooseberry bushes are at a distance of 1-1.5 meters from one another, a meter is not enough.

Andrey Vasiliev Consultant for the "Orchard" section at FORUMHOUSE

You can also plant it between the trees, while they are growing, the berry plant is already producing its fruit, and it will not be difficult to move it (by cutting off part of the bush in the fall) later, if the variety is very good.

The consultant of our portal recommends planting raspberries “separately, but not in the shade.” And when planting honeysuckle, she advises not to forget that its bushes grow quite large - two meters in diameter and the same height, and place them on the site taking these dimensions into account.

Another important point that must be taken into account when planting fruit plants in the garden is whether they are self-pollinating or not. If not, you need to add it to the planting plan and be sure to plant a plant of a different variety nearby.

SB3 FORUMHOUSE Member

We plant a self-pollinating cherry with the name Y and next to it the same one with the name Z. If cherry Y is alone next to the pears, there will be no berries.

toliam1 FORUMHOUSE Consultant

It is better to plant fruits in the form of a “tree-orchard”, when there are several mutually pollinating varieties on one trunk.

And it is better to group single-varietal breeds by breed so that cross-pollination is possible.

Sun, wind and shadow

Shading for fruit trees is undesirable; on the site they should be illuminated as much as possible by the sun from morning to evening. If a gardener still has to plant a tree in partial shade, let it be a pear. The pear is the tallest fruit plant; there are practically no pears on a dwarf rootstock, therefore, no matter how much attention you pay to it, no matter how much you prune it, it will grow 5-6 meters high. Therefore, it is not scary if a pear tree is planted next to a bathhouse or another outbuilding and finds itself in its shade for half a day. In five or six years, this large tree will grow taller than the tallest building on the plot.

Fruit trees on the site are protected from the prevailing winter winds (by a building, a fence, etc.). It’s easy to determine which wind direction will be dominant in your winter - look at which side of the house has less snow (sometimes it is literally swept to the ground). If there is little snow on the east side, it means that the winter wind blows mainly from the west, and so on.

Andrey Vasiliev

Everything tall goes to the north, everything tender goes to the best places under cover from the prevailing winds in winter.

It is better to plant the plum exactly where all the snow is blown away by strong winds. Plum has a tendency to become damp and does not tolerate places where snow accumulates; where there is even a small snowdrift, a little more than 40 cm, the plum will not grow.

Groundwater

Fruit trees grow poorly in areas with close groundwater. For successful growth and development, apple and pear trees need an area with a groundwater level of two meters, or better yet, further. In summer cottages with close groundwater, these trees with large roots do not grow for longer than 10 years and do not have time to form a large crown. Therefore, if there is no other choice, they can be planted close to each other (2 meters) and alternately renewed every 10 years. There is no other way to grow normal trees and get fairly good fruit yields from them.

In stone fruits, the root systems do not go so deep, so they can be planted in suburban areas where groundwater is at a depth of 1.5 m and further; for berry crops the depth may be less.

Relief and landscape planning

The best for gardens are those with a slope of less than 8°. In most regions, the southern, southwestern and southeastern slopes are considered the best for gardening; they always have more sun and higher air and soil temperatures. But this advantage can also turn into a disadvantage: in such areas it is warmer, so in the spring the plants on them bloom earlier, often at the height of spring frosts. For this reason, fruit crops should not be planted on the eastern slopes of a summer cottage: after a frost that catches flowering plants, they thaw too quickly on the eastern slope.

Experts advise planting gardens in the middle part of the slope, because winds always blow at the top and there is not enough moisture, and at the bottom, on the contrary, it is too wet and cold. There is no need to create gardens in holes and hollows where fog flows in the morning. The cold air that stagnates in them is harmful to plants; these places are especially dangerous during frosts.

Try to perceive the “comfort” of the garden not as if the trees were planted in the garden 5-10 years ago, and the garden can already be called a garden.

All summer residents want to see their garden plot landscaped and surrounded by green trees. There are hundreds of thousands of different plants in the world that will make a great addition to the flowers that are planted in your garden. Shrubs, deciduous and coniferous trees will decorate your site. And if you set up an orchard next to your home, you can provide your family with fresh fruits.

Features of the location of trees on the site

It is impossible to imagine a garden without vegetation. The green frame of a house can enliven even the most unremarkable area. It is trees and shrubs that form the basis of the plant design of any territory. There are several ways to locate trees on a site.

Ordinaries

These are lonely trees that attract a lot of attention. Therefore, they should look flawless throughout the season and have no flaws. A lush shrub or spreading tree will look especially decorative. If the area is small, then it is enough to plant only one serious tree.

Many people like the idea of ​​starting a family tree that will grow for several generations, preserving the history of the family. Having planted a Christmas tree, you will have a great opportunity to dress it up for the New Year, and the children will dance around it. If the area is modest, you can plant the Christmas tree together in a group of other plants.

Groups

These are compositions created from several plants of different or one species. For planting in a group, select representatives of the flora according to the principle of tiers. Be sure to plant tall shrubs in front of large trees, and it is advisable to place smaller ones in front of them. To add brightness to a group of plants, choose specimens with variegated leaves or beautiful flowers.

On your site, you can place a group in the center of the garden; in this case, plant the tallest plants in the middle. If the group is viewed exclusively from one side and is placed near the facade of a building or fence, then the height of the plants should increase towards this building.

When planning a group, also consider the requirements of the plants. They should not shade each other, unless, of course, you prefer shade-tolerant species. In addition, it is recommended to maintain distances between plants when planting trees and shrubs.

If you bought small plants and have no idea how much they will grow over time, be sure to take an interest in the parameters of certain plants. Check the shape and diameter of the crown, the height of the tree and its growth rate. To avoid mistakes, it is also recommended to draw up a dendroplan in advance. Without it, there is no point in buying plants and going to the garden center. Otherwise, chaos will ensue in the garden plot.

Hedges

This type of placement of plants on a site is a dense linear planting of shrubs. Sometimes hedges are formed from trees. They can grow freely or require cutting. But in any case, they act as good protection from the wind, unnecessary sounds, and prying eyes. Hedges enclose the area and also divide the area into different zones.

When choosing plants for hedges, it is recommended to take their height into account. Remember that it is unlikely that you can make a low border from a large tree. On the other hand, small bushes are not suitable for creating a green wall. You should also select the leaves, because they should be of the optimal size, as in the photo of tree planting. Small forms of large-leaved specimens look ugly. It is also worth buying only winter-hardy species.

Alleys

These are pedestrian paths, lined on all sides with trees or shrubs. In this case, a certain rhythm is observed. As a rule, close planting of trees is practiced in alleys: in this case, specimens should be placed one after another at a distance of about 2-3 m, forming a closed arch. Remember that arranging an alley requires a lot of free space, so it is not advisable to create them in small areas.

Criteria for selecting trees for planting

The entire range of shrubs and trees that are intended for planting in the countryside is divided into two categories. This is the main and additional material.

The main range consists of sustainable species that have proven themselves over the centuries. This category includes maple, birch, willow, poplar, linden, elm, ash, larch, chestnut, oak, walnut, thuja, spruce, and juniper.

An additional assortment is represented by plants that are small in size and complement garden compositions. Among them are rowan, cherry, bird cherry, apple tree, lilac, barberry, dogwood, cotoneaster, and hawthorn.

It is recommended to select material for planting on your site taking into account the following requirements:

• Fruiting. If you are interested in this aspect, pay attention to berry bushes and fruit trees in landscape design.
• Decorative. It is important to take into account here that trees are decorative constantly throughout the season, or change their decorativeness. In the first case, give preference to coniferous ones, in the second - deciduous ones.
• Plant protection. Groups of plants on your site can protect a certain area, strengthen the soil, and protect from the wind. If all this is important to you, do not forget about bushes and climbing plants that will hide the area from prying eyes.

Deciduous trees

Trees are perennial plants in which the main skeletal axis is well defined, which remains until the end of life, and the crown is formed by a bunch of large leaves, lateral branches and shoots. The impression of plants is created by their shape, the color of the foliage, and the smell of the flowers.

1. Bloom. The main sign of a tree’s decorative value is its flowering. Magnolia and sakura can boast of beautiful flowers, which are usually placed in small groups or individually to enhance the perception of the beauty of the flowers. However, in most cases, trees acquire a colorful appearance only during the flowering period with small individual flowers, or inconspicuous inflorescences. This category includes maple, acacia, bird cherry, willow, and chestnut.
2. Aroma. Tree species with fragrant flowers are of great value for creating a garden on your site. The smell intensifies in the evening or at night. Among the woody fragrant plants, linden and bird cherry are distinguished.
3. Time of appearance of flowers. The period when flowers appear on the trees is also of great importance for the summer resident. In this case, despite the plainness of some, their early appearance is appreciated. The earliest flowers to bloom are dogwood, hazel and goat willow.
4. Decorative fruits. A separate group includes trees that have decorative fruits and inflorescences. Red rowan fruits look inimitable on bare branches after the leaves have fallen. However, do not forget that the fruits can clog your area. Poplar fluff, for example, causes allergies.
5. Leaves. The main decorative quality of trees for landscape design, of course, lies in its leaves. Here summer residents pay attention to both their color and shape. Another important indicator is the duration of the growing season.
6. Leaf color. Species that are distinguished by strong branching and high density of leaves appear darker. In representatives with a sparse crown, the tone of the crown will seem lighter, because its inner part is visible. The forest beech tree, whose leaves have a shiny surface, will add splendor to your garden. Some trees are variegated in color, others are silver, and others are purple or golden. It is better to use such specimens as an accent on the site, and not as a solid background. The color of the leaves of most representatives of the flora changes throughout the warm season, reaching its peak in the fall.
7. Bark. The color of the bark of trees also varies. In beech it is light gray, in birch it is white with a black streak, in alder it is black, in poplar it is green.
8. Crown shape. Branches, leaves and trunk form the crown. It can have different shapes, which affects the created landscape. It can be triangular, round, pyramidal, weeping, columnar. It can also be incorrect - when the branches grow unevenly, like those of linden, oak or maple. Often a certain shape can be obtained as a result of cutting or selection work.

The rules for planting deciduous plants are as follows:

• To determine where to plant trees on a site, it is necessary to take into account what size this species usually reaches in adulthood. There should be a space between trees that is at least half the height of an adult plant. The exception is columnar forms, which are used for hedges.
• When choosing plants, consider their requirements. They must correspond to the climatic conditions of the site, the level of humidity, lighting, and soil fertility at the dacha. For example, cypress trees should not be planted in harsh winter conditions, which they are unlikely to withstand.
• Plant on time. Container-grown specimens can be planted almost all year round. However, remember that for deciduous species, autumn or spring are better when they are leafless. It is better to plant seedlings that have an open root system in the fall.
• For planting, prepare a hole that is twice the size of the room. If the soil is marshy or heavy, be sure to provide drainage at the bottom of the hole. The hole is filled with fertile soil. After this, it needs to be compacted a little and watered generously. Do not forget about careful tree care, timely watering and pruning.

Coniferous trees

It is recommended to select coniferous trees for planting on your site in accordance with the recommendations below:

1. Crown shape. The crown of some conifers has a spherical shape, as it is formed by branches of approximately the same length. Often a certain geometric shape can be achieved by regularly trimming the specimen. You can plant conifers with crowns of clear shapes in landscape compositions of a regular style, because they give the site solemnity and severity. Trees with a weeping crown shape are popular - Nootka cypress and European larch. The descending branches of such conifers direct the gaze downward. Therefore, it is customary to plant them in those places where you want to draw attention to the lower part of the landscape: near reservoirs, in flower beds and parterres.
2. Phytoncidal properties. Some coniferous tree species are chosen for landscape use because they produce essential oils. The intensity of emissions is determined by the growing conditions of trees, time of year, and meteorological conditions. Thus, larch essential oils are most fragrant in the spring, but in the summer they have practically no scent. Pine emits a strong resinous odor in the summer heat.
3. Bark. When choosing conifers, it is important to know that the bark can also add color to landscape paintings. After all, it has different thickness, color, texture and pattern. Pine trees with old trunks or berry yew covered with reddish-brown bark look very decorative on the site.
4. Cones. Original cones are capable of diversifying the phytocomposition. In pine trees they hang from the branches, their length often reaches 25 cm. Fir cones are directed upward, so it looks like candles are placed along the tree. And the young cones of the common spruce have a bright color - purple or reddish.
5. Needles. Modern varieties of conifers will provide a wide palette - all shades of green, there are also golden, yellow, blue and white needles. Since Soviet times, the favorite plants for planting in front of government institutions have been spruces with blue needles. Trees that have silver-blue needles, or rather cypress and fir, are very popular. Not inferior to them are the golden-yellow Lawson and pea cypress trees, as well as the western and folded thuja.
6. Growing conditions. The popularity of coniferous trees in landscape design is also associated with their unpretentiousness and undemanding conditions for growing. Coniferous trees can be selected for almost any location. Junipers and pines prefer light, dry, sandy soils, swamp cypresses prefer areas with high humidity, and yews prefer shade. Most conifers are grown in open, sunny areas.

Rules for planting coniferous trees:

• Modern nurseries offer customers coniferous trees that have a closed root system, that is, plants planted in pots. They are convenient to buy, because they do not need urgent planting. Such specimens can be planted almost all year round. However, when the ground is frozen, it is better not to plant. Consider the growing conditions of conifers.
• Before planting, prepare a hole that is 2 times larger than the pot itself. Place the container itself in a bowl of water. This is necessary so that the earthen ball is well saturated with moisture.
• Then turn over or cut the pot and remove the plant. If the root system is very intertwined, cut through it a little and loosen the lump. Remember that conifers cannot be deepened in the soil. After planting, water the soil around the plant.
• It is useful to mulch tree trunk circles. To do this, you can use compost, grass clippings or crushed bark. Mulch retains moisture in the soil, improves the appearance of plantings, and also limits the growth of weeds.
• Further care of conifers involves loosening the tree trunk circles. Plants also need watering and fertilizing. Conifers are almost never pruned, but diseased and dried branches still need to be removed.

Ornamental shrubs

Shrubs are perennial plants that reach a height of about 60-80 cm. Their main trunk stands out only at the beginning of growth, and then gets lost among the trunks that are equal to it. If the upper parts of the shoots of a plant die off annually, then it is already a subshrub. When choosing shrubs for planting in the garden, consider the following criteria:

1. Decorative. Shrubs are considered indispensable plants in gardens that have just been planted, because the trees will not demonstrate their qualities soon. And shrubs, as a rule, go through their formation period in nurseries and subsequently slightly change their size. Therefore, the overall appearance of the area that you are landscaping will initially depend on the species composition of the shrubs. According to their qualities, there are decorative deciduous shrubs, beautifully flowering ones and those that form decorative fruits, have a beautiful texture, bark color or crown shape.
2. Bloom. In April and May, when the trees are not yet covered with foliage, the bushes are covered with beautiful flowers. These are dogwood, forsythia, decorative plum, lilac, hawthorn, and rose hips. Some shrubs have beautiful large flowers: tree peonies, magnolias, Syrian hibiscus.
3. Fruit. In autumn, bright seeds and fruits replace flowers. This applies to hawthorns, viburnum, barberries, snowberries, rose hips. Some fruits are also edible or medicinal.
4. Foliage. Shrubs have decorative foliage throughout the warm season. The leaves are usually green in color. In addition, they come in purple, gold, yellow and variegated colors. The leader in the number of colored forms is the Thunberg barberry. Also interesting are shrubs such as chameleon varieties, which are capable of changing the color of the foliage. Japanese spirea has coppery-orange leaves when young, which turn green-yellow in summer and golden-orange in fall.
5. Bark. The shoots of some species are covered with brightly colored bark. This looks especially beautiful on the site in winter or early spring. Derain has shoots of a red-coral tone.
6. Crown shape. The crown of shrubs can have a spherical, sheaf-shaped, cushion-shaped or creeping shape. The category of ground cover shrubs is very interesting. Such plants have horizontally spreading trunks and horizontal or ascending branches. Like many junipers, cotoneasters, and euonymus. Most often, ground cover shrubs are planted to decorate slopes, create alpine landscapes, and replace lawn cover if grass does not grow well in the area.

Rules for planting shrubs:

• Most shrubs do not require the preparation of a special substrate. It is enough to prepare the holes for planting. Fill them with garden soil mixed with compost. The exception is Heather shrubs (rhododendron, heather), which need to be planted in places with acidic soil and the addition of peat and rotten needles. They are planted and watered just like deciduous trees.
• An important manipulation for all shrubs is pruning. Immediately after planting, carry out the first pruning to enhance branching. In spring, spring sanitary pruning is required, when damaged, diseased, weak and old shoots are removed. Further pruning is carried out depending on the type and timing of flowering shrubs.
• Shrubs that are planted in hedges require regular trimming. It is customary to hold it several times a year. Trim only young shoots that have not yet become woody.

Thus, with such a variety of trees and shrubs, you can choose the necessary varieties for your site, regardless of the tree planting schemes you choose. At the same time, be sure to take into account their growth properties, cultivation requirements, and also carry out careful and timely care. This will make your garden look perfect!

Seed propagation in the garden strawberries we are used to, unfortunately, leads to the appearance of less productive plants and weaker bushes. But another type of these sweet berries, alpine strawberries, can be successfully grown from seeds. Let's learn about the main advantages and disadvantages of this crop, consider the main varieties and features of agricultural technology. The information presented in this article will help you decide whether it is worth allocating a place for it in the berry garden.

Often, when we see a beautiful flower, we instinctively bend down to smell its fragrance. All fragrant flowers can be divided into two large groups: nocturnal (pollinated by moths) and daytime, whose pollinators are mainly bees. Both groups of plants are important for the florist and designer, because we often walk around the garden during the day and relax in our favorite corners when evening comes. We are never overwhelmed by the scent of our favorite fragrant flowers.

Many gardeners consider pumpkin to be the queen of garden beds. And not only because of its size, variety of shapes and colors, but also for its excellent taste, healthy qualities and rich harvest. Pumpkin contains a large amount of carotene, iron, various vitamins and minerals. Thanks to the possibility of long-term storage, this vegetable supports our health all year round. If you decide to plant a pumpkin on your plot, you will be interested in learning how to get the largest possible harvest.

Scotch eggs - incredibly delicious! Try to prepare this dish at home, there is nothing difficult in preparation. Scotch eggs are a hard-boiled egg wrapped in minced meat, breaded in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and deep-fried. For frying, you will need a frying pan with a high side, and if you have a deep fryer, then that’s just great - even less hassle. You will also need oil for frying so as not to smoke in the kitchen. Choose farm eggs for this recipe.

One of the most amazing large-flowered tubs of Dominican Cubanola fully justifies its status as a tropical miracle. Warm-loving, slow-growing, with huge and in many ways unique bells of flowers, Cubanola is a fragrant star with a complex character. It requires special conditions in the rooms. But for those who are looking for exclusive plants for their interior, a better (and more chocolatey) candidate for the role of indoor giant cannot be found.

Chickpea curry with meat is a hearty hot dish for lunch or dinner, inspired by Indian cuisine. This curry is quick to prepare but requires some prep. The chickpeas must first be soaked in plenty of cold water for several hours, preferably overnight; the water can be changed several times. It is also better to leave the meat in the marinade overnight so that it turns out juicy and tender. Then you should boil the chickpeas until tender and then prepare the curry according to the recipe.

Rhubarb cannot be found in every garden plot. It's a pity. This plant is a storehouse of vitamins and can be widely used in cooking. What is not prepared from rhubarb: soups and cabbage soup, salads, delicious jam, kvass, compotes and juices, candied fruits and marmalade, and even wine. But that's not all! The large green or red rosette of leaves of the plant, reminiscent of burdock, acts as a beautiful background for annuals. It is not surprising that rhubarb can also be seen in flower beds.

Today, the trend is to experiment with unusual combinations and non-standard colors in the garden. For example, plants with black inflorescences have become very fashionable. All black flowers are original and specific, and it is important for them to be able to select suitable partners and location. Therefore, this article will not only introduce you to an assortment of plants with slate-black inflorescences, but will also teach you the intricacies of using such mystical plants in garden design.

3 delicious sandwiches - a cucumber sandwich, a chicken sandwich, a cabbage and meat sandwich - a great idea for a quick snack or for an outdoor picnic. Just fresh vegetables, juicy chicken and cream cheese and a little seasoning. There are no onions in these sandwiches; if you wish, you can add onions marinated in balsamic vinegar to any of the sandwiches; this will not spoil the taste. Having quickly prepared snacks, all that remains is to pack a picnic basket and head to the nearest green lawn.

Depending on the varietal group, the age of seedlings suitable for planting in open ground is: for early tomatoes - 45-50 days, average ripening periods - 55-60 and late ones - at least 70 days. When planting tomato seedlings at a younger age, the period of its adaptation to new conditions is significantly extended. But success in obtaining a high-quality tomato harvest also depends on carefully following the basic rules for planting seedlings in open ground.

Unpretentious “background” plants of sansevieria do not seem boring to those who value minimalism. They are better suited than other indoor decorative foliage stars for collections that require minimal care. Stable decorativeness and extreme hardiness in only one species of sansevieria are also combined with compactness and very rapid growth - rosette sansevieria Hana. The squat rosettes of their tough leaves create striking clusters and patterns.

One of the brightest months of the garden calendar pleasantly surprises with the balanced distribution of favorable and unfavorable days for working with plants according to the lunar calendar. Vegetable gardening in June can be done throughout the entire month, while the unfavorable periods are very short and still allow you to do useful work. There will be optimal days for sowing and planting, for pruning, for a pond, and even for construction work.

Meat with mushrooms in a frying pan is an inexpensive hot dish that is suitable for a regular lunch and for a holiday menu. Pork will cook quickly, veal and chicken too, so this is the preferred meat for the recipe. Mushrooms - fresh champignons, in my opinion, are the best choice for homemade stew. Forest gold - boletus mushrooms, boletus and other delicacies is best prepared for the winter. Boiled rice or mashed potatoes are ideal as a side dish.

I love ornamental shrubs, especially unpretentious ones and with interesting, non-trivial foliage colors. I have various Japanese spirea, Thunberg barberries, black elderberry... And there is one special shrub, which I will talk about in this article - viburnum leaf. To fulfill my dream of a low-maintenance garden, it is perhaps ideal. At the same time, it is capable of greatly diversifying the picture in the garden, from spring to autumn.

Decorative shrubs for a summer residence, photos and names of which will be presented in this article, are often precisely those elements that harmonize the overall picture and emphasize the necessary nuances of the site so that it looks attractive, bright and harmonious. They are like strokes on a canvas that will help to correctly “dilute” the flowerbeds with the necessary details and place accents on certain places. I am sure that every summer resident, gardener, owner of a personal plot wants to do everything correctly and carefully so that vegetables, fruit trees, beds with herbs are all in their places.

Depending on the size of your plot, imagination and general preferences, ornamental shrubs can be a background for other plantings, an element of garden compositions, appear in the form of hedges, or act as the main nuance to which everyone’s attention will be focused.

In this article I would like to talk about the most popular shrubs, most often planted in our region, and, of course, the most beautiful. It is unrealistic to cover the entire spectrum of these representatives of this plant kingdom, but it is worth paying our attention to the main flowering ones, as well as decorative foliage ones.

How to beautifully plant ornamental shrubs: basic placement criteria

The very first thing is to choose a plant that will feel comfortable in the climatic conditions of your region. You need to choose a specific variety based on this factor. The second nuance is its location.

If you purchase a sun-loving representative, then you need to plant it in a sunny place, where there will be a lot of light and not even a hint of shadow. But shade-loving ones, on the contrary, should be placed in shaded areas, or even in the shade of buildings or large trees. This is important, since the wrong choice of location can affect not only the brightness of the colors of the foliage or the splendor of flowers on the shrub, but also its viability.

The overall picture of the garden should also be taken into account when choosing a particular plant. In a small area, tall and lush specimens will look out of place. But, for example, flowering frost-resistant, low, beautiful bushes are ideal, and they will delight you with their appearance until the cold weather.

These representatives include the dwarf varieties of Cossack juniper Tamariscifolia and Green Carpet - low-growing, creeping on the ground, very frost-resistant. These are ideal options for creating compact alpine slides, rockeries, lawn edgings, and borders.

Shrubs for hedges should also be selected from among low or medium-sized representatives with a dense crown, so that later instead of an attractive fence you do not end up with columns of tall thickets. Thorny bushes, decorative flowering, columnar representatives, for example, junipers are optimally suited for such a design. Weigela, buddleia, spirela, and oleander are well suited for joint plantings; they will look harmonious with other green fellows growing nearby. And if you want to form an arch or, for example, decorate a gazebo or fence, then in this case you should choose climbing types.

The choice is wide! For each site of any size and shape, you can find your own option. In addition to flowering plants, there are many varieties of shrubs with amazing foliage colors, unusual crowns, and leaf shapes. Diversity is an important aspect in this matter. In most cases, the dacha landscape is divided into three zones (or tiers): the lower one - vegetable beds and flower beds, the upper one - fruit trees. But bushes can occupy the so-called middle zone. The correct selection and combination of plants with each other is the main goal for a summer resident who strives for beauty, comfort and harmony in his plot.

Decorative deciduous or flowering shrubs are not only a pleasure to contemplate, but also functional plants. Thus, by planting them near the fence, you can create a barrier from prying eyes or unwanted penetration (spiky varieties).

With their help, it is very convenient to zone a site, for example, to separate recreation areas and an area for growing garden crops.

Borders, paths, hedges, which have already been mentioned, creating protection (shade) for more delicate shade-loving plants, decorating some unsightly fragments on the site - all this can be decorated, decorated or hidden with the help of a variety of bushes and shrubs. And if you decide to plant fruit representatives, you will be additionally rewarded for your efforts with healthy berries.

Flowering shrubs for the garden

Some of these representatives are also fruit-bearing; this nuance will be indicated in the description.

Weigela

I’ll start, perhaps, with flowering weigela. This shrub looks great both during and after flowering. The Nana Variegata variety can also be classified as a decorative deciduous variety; its foliage has a beautiful golden border, and Nana Purpurea has dark, red-brown leaves.

Weigela Nana Purpurea

The blooming weigela species delights the eye with pink bell-shaped flowers that bloom in waves throughout the season (usually the entire month of May). The first wave is the most abundant. Some varieties can produce color twice a year, such as Weigela Middendorf.

Weigel Middendorf

Spirea

Spiraea is very unpretentious and very beautiful. Its varieties can bloom in both spring and summer. If you calculate the time correctly, then you can plant these two species in such a way that one fades and the second just enters the flowering phase. Some varieties of spirea have beautiful foliage - Vagnutta, Pink Ice. For this reason, they can be classified as decorative deciduous shrubs.

Spiraea Wangutta

Spiraea blooms profusely and luxuriantly, bending its branches literally covered with white flowers to the very ground.

The low, slow-growing Japanese spirea blooms with lush lilac-pink inflorescences. It is also attractive and a honey plant, like its white-flowering variety.

Spiraea japonica

Spiraea are not particularly picky about the choice of soil, but you should pay attention to the light/shade requirements of different varieties.

Spiraea in winter:

Jasmine or mock orange

Garden jasmine or mock orange - what would you do without it?! Because of its enchanting aroma, almost everyone knows and loves it. Today there are multiple varieties and hybrids of it - all of them are very attractive. Flowers vary in size, shape, color and aroma.

But in our case we are talking about a white-flowered representative - frost-resistant, disease-resistant, very unpretentious (can be placed in the shade or in a place illuminated by sunlight). It looks equally great in group plantings and in single plantings, the main thing is to water it on time, but do not allow water to stagnate in the area around the tree trunk. The flowering time of mock orange depends on its variety, but it usually begins in May and lasts about a month. There are those that bloom both in summer and early autumn.

Chubushnik:

Jasmine (mock orange)

Kalina

Viburnum refers to both fruiting specimens and decorative deciduous plants. A unique plant in every sense: it blooms beautifully with large white spherical inflorescences, the berries are useful, and are widely used as medicine. The foliage is also noteworthy: its shade varies from rich green to gold and red.

In general, viburnum has many species (about 200), among which you can even find evergreen specimens. In our area, the most common and popular are its two familiar species - common viburnum and viburnum bulldonezh. They are frost-resistant, not capricious, decorative at any time of the year, they love shade and moderate watering. Flowering time: mid-May/late June, approximately 20 days.

Viburnum viburnum in bloom and with fruits:

Viburnum common

Kalina buldenezh:

Kalina buldenezh

Rose hip

Some shrubs that can grow in the country do not even need introduction or recommendations, for example, rose hips. It is attractive in appearance, useful in many ways, not only will it decorate your site in the spring when it blooms with pink or red flowers, but it will also create a thorny barrier if you plant it along the fence. Some of its varieties have flowers that are as beautiful as roses (double type), and varieties with healing red berries will give you a natural “medicine”, the valuable qualities of which are known to everyone. Rosehip is unpretentious, branches quickly, has a very dense crown, prefers sun or partial shade. It blooms from May to August.

Rosehip blooms
Rosehip fence Rosehip leaf in autumn

Lilac

Fragrant, with many colors and shades - lilac! Without it, it is difficult to imagine a summer cottage or local area, be it a private or multi-storey house. Lilac is a fairly large (up to 2, 3 or more meters in height) shrub. Even in a small area, at least one bush can be planted. There are many different varieties of lilacs.

It is resistant to cold, unpretentious, beautiful in itself (good when planted alone). It is preferable to place it in a sunny place, but lilac will also feel comfortable in partial shade. When planting, leave free space around it so that it does not feel crowded. Flowering time is May, for some the period extends until June.

Common lilac
White lilac
Hungarian lilac
Lilac Beauty of Moscow

Forsythia

Flowering forsythia shrubs are the real “suns” on your site! It blooms in early spring with bright yellow bells, and foliage on the bush appears after the flowers have fallen. The period of abundant flowering lasts approximately three weeks.

This is a heat-loving representative that shows its decorative potential to the maximum in the warm regions of our country. It looks great as a stand-alone plant or surrounded by bulbous flowers. Suitable for forming hedges, does not like waterlogged soil, drafts and cold winds. It prefers light, fertile soil; it is better to protect it with covering material in the winter. Its other name is forsythia. Forsythia bushes are medium in size and suitable for small areas.

Forsythia:

Forsythia bush shaped like a ball

Hydrangea

There are shrubs that grow and bloom where many others refuse to develop and produce color. Hydrangea, which prefers shade and moist soil, belongs to these specimens. This frost-resistant shrub blooms with large snow-white, lilac, pink, blue, and purple “balls.” If you cut a hydrangea flower and put it in a vase, it will last quite a long time.

Hydrangea is characterized by long flowering, which begins around July and continues until early autumn. Some varieties, for example “Freudenstein,” bloom until October inclusive. This is a non-capricious plant that feels good even on acidic soil, which most flower and garden representatives do not like. Can be used in single plantings, but also looks harmonious in company with rhododendrons, clematis, lilies, roses, all kinds of hostas, and fern varieties.

Hydrangea, photo:

Hydrangea bushes
Hydrangea paniculata Vanilla Frazee

Budleya David

Buddleia is a shrub that has become quite popular among gardeners lately. Its blue, lilac, pink, slightly elongated inflorescences consist of multiple small flowers that exude a magical sweet aroma. This plant can reach 3 meters in height, blooms for quite a long time, from mid-July to the second half of September. Due to some external similarity, it is sometimes called autumn lilac.

Looks attractive when planted alone on a lawn, as well as in the company of cinquefoil and low-growing ground cover roses. It is also good as a tub plant, but the container for it must be large. Thus, by placing buddleia in a voluminous flowerpot, you can decorate a terrace or a place near the steps or entrance to the room. Loves sunlit places, drained fertile soil, does not like drafts and windy areas.

Buddleya David:

Budleya David bush
Budleya Davida inflorescences

Deytsia

A relative of hydrangea and mock orange, deutia is characterized by abundant and long flowering (from 30 to 60 days). If you plant it in partial shade and protected from drafts, starting around June, it will bloom with densely growing white-pink or snow-white (depending on the variety) racemose inflorescences.

Most varieties of deutia are tall flowering shrubs that can reach 4 meters in height. Looks great as a hedge and in single plantings.

Deutzia bush
Deutia inflorescences

Japonica

In fact, there are a great many flowering shrubs; unfortunately, it is simply impossible to describe them all in one article. Many of them combine the beauty of flowering and the taste of fruit, such as Chaenomeles (or Japanese Quince), which grows up to 2 meters or more and blooms with bright, eye-catching red flowers. Subsequently it produces edible fruits ranging in size from 3 to 6 cm.

Chaenomeles or Japanese quince:

Chaenomeles blooms
Chaenomeles fruits

Broom

Very handsome and popular. Depending on the variety, it blooms with “moth” flowers of different shades. This representative is so unpretentious that he will feel comfortable even on poor soil. Resistant to drought and cold, unpretentious, looks great in single and group plantings. This honey plant is often planted on slopes.

Broom:

Broom Lena:

Broom blooms for about 30 days and comes in different heights, again, depending on the variety.

tree peony

It is impossible not to mention the tree peony, whose luxurious beauty will become a true decoration of your site.

tree peony

Rhododendron

Also, rhododendron is a garden favorite among southern summer residents; with the onset of spring, this shrub is simply buried in pink, lilac, lilac, and red bouquets of flowers.

Rhododendron

Decorative deciduous shrubs for the garden

This is a separate category of shrubs, without which, often, not a single summer cottage can do. As in the case of flowering varieties, it will not be possible to talk about all worthy specimens in one article, but it is worth focusing your attention on individual representatives. In most cases, decorative deciduous shrubs do not require special care; their longevity is a separate advantage. Having planted a bush once, creating comfortable living conditions, you can admire it for many years.

Red Japanese maple

If you like a riot of red shades, then you should definitely plant a red Japanese maple on your site. This is a shrub with a voluminous crown, its foliage first has a bright green color, then, closer to autumn, it becomes reddish-orange and eventually turns into a bright red, carmine hue.

In fact, there are many varieties of Japanese maple, each with its own attractive foliage color. The variety “Aconitifolium” has orange-red leaves, “Vitifolium” has carmine-red leaves, one of the most popular is “Atropurpureum” which has dark red, almost black-red foliage. They look great anywhere on the site, love partial shade, harmonize with conifers, and combine with ferns and hostas.

Red Japanese maple:

Fieldfare

The frost-resistant Rowan-leaved Sam is very unpretentious, grows quickly, is beautiful in bloom, but its foliage deserves special attention. Openwork leaves have an interesting feature - a gradient, a transition from one shade to another. Orange, red, yellow, pinkish, green - all these colors smoothly mix with each other on one single piece of paper. From a distance it resembles a bright fire; a riot of colors is observed throughout the entire season, especially closer to autumn. It can be used in group plantings to hide unattractive landscape details; it grows equally well in sunny areas and in partial shade. Fieldfare is not particularly picky about soil, but moist, loose and nutritious soil is more preferable for it. Drought is undesirable for him.

Rowan-leaved Sam:

Barberry

Barberries are a separate topic; the first among them, in terms of its external characteristics, is the Thunberg barberry with purple leaves. Even in winter, its red thorny branches attract attention. With the arrival of spring, it blooms with reddish leaves, against which the yellow flowers look very elegant. Gradually, closer to summer, the barberry foliage becomes intensely red, and in the fall all shades of burgundy, scarlet and carmine color the entire plant.

Prefers sunny and semi-shaded places, is unpretentious, but does not respond well to excessive soil moisture. The scope of application is wide - from hedges to single plantings or planting in a flowerbed surrounded by other flower representatives. Its dwarf variety is considered to be the variety "Atropurpurea Nana".

Barberry Thunberg, photo:

Variety of Thurnberg barberry - Tini Gold:

Variegated varieties of barberry are Rose Glow (red leaves with pink dots), Admiration with golden edging along the edges of the red leaf, Kelleris with white-green foliage, Natasza with pink-greenish-white leaves.

Barberry Admiration:

Barberry with golden foliage Golden Rocket is incredibly attractive; the greenish-golden leaves of this shrub are so bright that they are visible to the eye from afar and attract attention. They look ideal on green lawns, in the form of hedges, on mixboards among other plants.

Barberry Golden Rocket:

Barberries with golden foliage have several varieties, but all of them are distinguished by the main feature - the color of the leaves. For example, barberry Diabolicum has a red edge around the edges of a greenish-yellow, almost golden leaf. Compact varieties of these shrubs are Tiny Gold (photo above) and Bonanza Gold.

Barberry with golden foliage (left):

Composition of several varieties of barberry

Deren

Doren is a very attractive shrub, and at any time of the year and even completely without foliage! There are many varieties of dogwood, for example, Elegantissima with white-green leaves, Siberica Variegata has reddish-green foliage with pink edging around the edges, Kesselring boasts chameleon leaves of a brownish-pink hue with the addition of yellow and green colors.

When winter comes and the turf sheds its leaves, its shoots directed upward have a bright red color and clearly stand out against the white snow. It is unpretentious, shade-tolerant, frost-resistant, and takes root on any soil. The maximum height of this representative is 3 meters, but red turf can grow even higher. Of course, it takes up a lot of space, but the color of its foliage is simply stunning. If you own a large plot, it may make sense to pay attention to red turf.

Red dogwood, photo:

Red dogwood in winter:

Euonymus

Fortune's euonymus is a rather low-growing (up to 60 cm) shrub, native to China. It has many varieties, but all of them are distinguished by the variegated, noticeable color of the foliage. It can be shaped like a bush, or it can be shaped like a vine, setting the direction with a rope, and there, with its aerial roots, it will cling to anything, even a wall.

Depending on the variety, the euonymus has a different color of the leaf border. For example, the leaves can be pale green with a white edge, or they can be bright green with a yellow edge (Emerald Gold variety). This is a frost-resistant plant, not capricious, loves moderately moist soil, looks great as a single element or the main accent of a flower bed, in a word - good in any form and looks appropriate in a company that matches the color.

Euonymus Fortune:

Bladderwort

Bladderwort is very interesting because, depending on the variety, it has completely different foliage colors. This is a non-capricious plant, however, it will feel more comfortable on loose, moderately moist soil. Widely used in landscape design: some varieties can be cut and given any shape, other varieties are used to create borders or hedges. He is good and attractive both on his own and in the company of other garden representatives.

I advise you to pay attention to the following vesicles: Diabolo, which has dark red, almost black leaves and looks impressive, but a little gothic. In spring, its foliage has a lighter shade - carmine red, but then gradually darkens. The Darts Gold variety, on the contrary, has a cheerful leaf color - yellow-fiery. And the Nugget variety changes the shade of the foliage depending on the time of year; at first the leaves are yellow, and towards autumn they turn green. Red-leaved bladderwort is another popular species, with scarlet leaves in the spring and dark burgundy, beetle leaves with the arrival of cold weather.

Bubble plant in the country:

When talking about decorative deciduous shrubs, one cannot help but recall the Japanese spirea, which not only has beautiful flowers, but also multi-colored, bright foliage.

The leaves of common heather do not lose their beauty even with the arrival of winter; it is unpretentious, but loves sunlight.

The shrubs that you want to choose for your dacha should always be divided by height, requirements (pretentious/unpretentious), frost resistance, and compatibility with other plants.

Spiraea foliage in autumn, photo:

Weigela foliage, photo:

Hawthorn also comes to mind, which has so many different varieties that among them any gardener can find a shrub to his taste. Hawthorn bushes can be used to form any shape; its fruits are medicinal and are used in folk and official medicine. In its “behavior” it is somewhat similar to boxwood; it looks great in the design of hedges, in group plantings, as well as in a single specimen.

A hedge of ornamental shrubs

A hedge is one of the most popular, interesting and favorite gardening “structures”, in which green spaces act as a “building” material. Depending on the desired result, the hedge can be designed in the form of a low border or, conversely, a high green wall. You can choose any shape or length of such a fence; this is a truly creative activity that almost always gives an excellent result. A green fence can hide unsightly elements of a summer cottage (for example, an old fence, fencing), highlight separate areas on the territory, or emphasize other accents of landscape design.

When choosing shrubs for this purpose, you need to consider the following parameters:

1. Varieties of shrubs - in fact, the choice of plants for creating hedges is very large. It is necessary to approach the choice not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also from a practical one. These can be homogeneous shrubs or a mixed version, when different varieties and species are used that are in harmony with each other.
2. Plant growth rate - calculate all the nuances: how often do you visit the dacha, will you be able to trim and adjust the bushes on time. In what place does the shrub you have chosen grow (sunny or shaded) and how will it manifest itself in this area. This also includes the question of the shape of the future hedge, so the growth rate of the bushes is a very pressing issue.
3. Height of shrubs - before making your final choice, carefully study the potential of the bush and compare its capabilities with your wishes. This point also includes the density (width) of the plantings; you may have to plant them in two or even three rows.
4. Preparing the soil for bushes - take this factor into account; certain types of ornamental shrubs require a special soil composition. If in doubt, choose the most unpretentious varieties or consult with more experienced gardeners in this matter. In some cases, you will have to pre-prepare the soil for the desired variety of shrubs.

If you are a beginner, give preference to non-capricious and shade-tolerant specimens that will not require daily soil moisture. Although it is the last aspect that depends on how often you visit the dacha. Remember that the most successful mixed-type hedges are obtained by planting plants with the same (or similar) biological requirements for moisture, light, soil quality, as well as with a similar growth rate.

Thuja hedge, photo:

If we consider coniferous shrubs for hedges, then dwarf forms of spruce, thuja or juniper will suit you. Such a hedge will always be green, at any time of the year.

The dwarf spruce Nidiformis is unpretentious, has a bright green color, and does not exceed one meter in height. Small bushes are planted at a distance of 1 meter from each other; no pruning is done until the next season, until the spruce grows. Further correction is made from the sides (by two-thirds of the length of the branches) and from above (by cutting the upper branches by about a third of their length).

Spruce Nidiformis, photo:

Norway spruce hedge:

In nature, thuja is presented not only in the form of a tree, but also a bush. It is the bushy and dwarf varieties of thuja that are used to create hedges. This plant is easy to give the desired shape and height, it emits a pleasant pine aroma, is always green and looks great. T and Smaragd or Brabant are most often used by Russians to design green hedges. Thuja seedlings are planted approximately 50 or 70 cm from each other, and trimming and trimming are done only in the 2nd or 3rd year of the plants’ life. Smaragd is cut less often, Brabant - more often, all thujas are frost-resistant and perform well when planted in clay or sandy soil. Moderate soil moisture is the best option for them. Varieties Hosery, Danica, Teddy, Little Dorrit are also suitable for creating hedges.

Juniper is one of the favorite, popular, easy-to-cut and easy-to-care plants for decorating green hedges. It loves sunlight and is resistant to drought and cold, but it should be protected from excessively moist soil (avoid swampiness). You should not plant it if your site is dominated by clay soil. The bushes are planted at a distance of 60-80 cm from each other, and pruning is done approximately 2 times a year. Please note that juniper grows quite quickly.

Juniper, photo:

Juniper hedge in one of the southern cities

If you want to create a hedge from a climbing plant, and very quickly, pay attention to Aubert's knotweed. This is one of the fastest growing liana shrubs, reaching one and a half meters in length per season. This plant is unpretentious to the soil, often needs adjustment (pruning), blooms with thick white inflorescences and requires a pre-installed strong support.

Aubert's Highlander, photo:

Hops is a shrub and at the same time a climbing vine. Unpretentious, frost-resistant, loves moist soil, does not need frequent adjustments. The plant produces very nice medium-sized buds that only add to the beauty of the dense, bright green foliage. He also needs reliable and strong support and a garter.

A luxurious hedge is made from climbing roses. Depending on your preferences, you can choose any variety with the desired shade of buds.

The Graham Thomas variety produces yellow flowers, Adelaide d'Orleans - white buds with a yellowish center, Super Dorothy blooms with numerous lush pink buds, Alaska - a snow-white rose, delicate and at the same time solemn.

Such a hedge will definitely not leave anyone indifferent. Be prepared for care and regular pruning; if you choose roses, they will also need support. Rose bushes can also be used in this capacity.

A hedge of climbing roses, photo:

Clematis is an ornamental shrub and at the same time a liana. This plant loves sun, fertile, drained and slightly alkaline soil. It turns into a dense fence in about 2 or 3 years; it looks very impressive thanks to large flowers of a wide variety of colors, as well as thick, rich green foliage. Requires strong support, like all vines.

The thorn (or blackthorn) reaches a height of two meters, blooms with white flowers densely spaced towards each other, and has multiple spines. When planting thorns to create a hedge, each bush will need to be secured and tied to a peg. This way you will set the shrub in the right direction and support it at first until it gains strength. The first month after planting, seedlings should be watered regularly. The blackthorn grows very quickly and produces dark blue fruits - wild plums (delicious, slightly tart in taste).

Blackthorn, photo:

Sea buckthorn is a useful and very attractive-looking shrub, ornamental and fruit-bearing, I would say. Gardeners recommend planting shrubby sea buckthorn in two rows. Despite the fact that trimming reduces the yield of sea buckthorn, the aesthetic side of the matter only benefits from this. This frost-resistant plant can be with or without thorns. Requires pre-installed reliable support - then everything will be beautiful and even.

Snowberry is an incredibly attractive shrub. It got its name thanks to its snow-white fruits, which are located on the branches in the form of clusters. Even when the plant loses all its foliage, these berries remain for a long time, sometimes even until spring. The shrub itself is excellent for forming hedges; it grows up to one and a half to two meters in height. Often there is no need for special adjustments, since the branches themselves bend to the ground under the weight of the bunches. If you trim the plant regularly, it most likely will not bear fruit. The shrub is unpretentious, frost-resistant, blooms in mid-summer with inconspicuous small bell-shaped flowers of a white-green or pinkish hue. The berries are poisonous to humans, but they are quite edible for birds.

Snowberry, photo:

For a hedge, it is best to choose densely leafed plants that are easy to form. Such a “fence” should be tight, without so-called gaps. Depending on your preferences, you can choose a flowering or evergreen, coniferous option.

Fruit bushes, such as Schmidt Currant, Felt Cherry or Gooseberry, are suitable not only for creating green hedges, but will also additionally reward you with edible fruits.

When choosing a shrub, take into account its characteristics, resistance to cold, and soil requirements. It is quite possible that to maintain an attractive appearance, some representatives will need periodic feeding and fertilizing. No matter how unpretentious the variety you choose may seem, maintaining a decent appearance of a green hedge will require you to spend time and effort. Any shrub will have to be refined, trimmed, and kept in shape. Poor soil should be fed with fertilizers at least once a year, and fertile soils - once every 4 years.

The above-mentioned flowering shrubs, such as spirea, jasmine, lilac, and rose hips, can also be used to create a hedge. They can be combined with each other and planted alternately. Different varieties of barberries planted one after another (variety by variety) will create an incredible effect. Cypress bushes (dwarf varieties) are also ideal for forming green “fences”.

Berry Yew, which does not exceed 60 cm in height, grows in rounded bushes - it is also excellent for this purpose.

It all depends on your imagination and availability of free time. Always keep in mind that tall shrubs require more space between placing seedlings. Do not forget also about the climatic characteristics of your region when choosing an ornamental shrub.

Ornamental shrubs are most often planted either in the fall, before frost sets in, or in early spring, when the buds on the trees are just beginning to awaken and the snow has already melted. Moreover, holes for spring planting should be prepared in the fall - apply appropriate fertilizers, calculate the depth and width of the hole for a certain type of shrub. Buy seedlings from reliable places - special nurseries or flower shops. Before planting in the ground, the plant can be kept for several hours in water to which a growth stimulator has previously been added.

In addition to the agrotechnical features of a single species, you should remember a simple formula:

1. Low and dwarf representatives are buried in the soil at a distance of approximately 60-80 cm from each other.
2. Plants are medium in size - about one and a half meters from each other.
3. Tall specimens that need space for development - at least 2 meters from each other.

The decorative shrubs for the garden presented in this article, the photos and names of which will help you make your choice, are the most popular and adapted for our regions. Choose green residents according to your taste and color, let your summer cottage become even more attractive and, to some extent, unique.

Photos of shrubs for a summer house or local area

Honeysuckle Honeysuckle
Willow globulus
Maiden grapes
Deytsia
Barberry Harlequin

When purchasing a plot of land and drawing up a plan for your future home, you definitely need to think about the placement of trees and shrubs, which are always planted first. This is explained not only by the size of the plants, but also by the relatively long period of growth before full flowering or fruiting. Of course, it is impossible to plant all the ornamental and fruit trees on a summer cottage due to the limited territory, so you have to choose.

And when deciding which trees to plant on a site, you need to focus on two principles:

• growing conditions: demanding or unpretentious species;
• main purpose, or place in the garden landscape (garden, hedge, single planting).

If we talk about fruit trees, apple trees require the simplest care (especially if you purchase a locally selected seedling that is resistant to common diseases and pests). Of course, unpretentious varieties do not have high taste, but they will not cause any trouble. But if you want to surprise your neighbors with something exotic, then you should think about planting yellow plum, actinidia, walnut or peach.

The same principle applies to ornamental trees and shrubs. For example, for a hedge you can use wild grapes, honeysuckle or drooping lilac, with minimal requirements for soil and climatic conditions, or you can decorate the area with juniper, barberry or hawthorn, which require a little more attention.

If you decide to plant a tree in your dacha, be sure to check the depth of the groundwater. Many trees, both fruit and ornamental, die as soon as their roots reach water. Such trees include the pear, which has a deeply penetrating root system. At first, the young seedling grows actively and pleases the owner, perhaps you will even be able to taste the first fruits, but then the tree begins to wither and dry up. Inexperienced gardeners complain about illness or poor-quality planting material and again buy and plant pear seedlings.

In order for tree plantings to truly become durable, it is necessary to take into account the requirements of each species for growing conditions.

Review of fruit trees and their features

Many people, having a summer cottage, want to plant fruit trees in the garden. For good fruiting, they require a high level of illumination, fertilizing, watering, pruning and preventive treatments against diseases and pests.

Planting several varieties with the same ripening period has a beneficial effect on yield. To save space on the site, it is better to choose varieties with a compact crown shape on dwarf rootstocks. Below is a brief description of the main fruit crops according to the most significant parameters.

Culture	Average life expectancy, years	Average tree height, m	Required power supply area, m	Preferred soils	Permissible depth of groundwater, m
Apple tree	from 20 to 50	from 3 to 7	3x2 or 6x4	slightly acidic	from 1 to 3
Pear	25	5	5x4	any	2
Cherry	25	from 2 to 5	4x3	neutral	2
Cherries	60	from 3 to 8	4x4 or 8x4	neutral	1,5
Plum	20	5	4x3	neutral	1,5
Cherry plum	20	2,5	3x3	neutral	1
Apricot	40-60	from 5 to 10	5x6	slightly alkaline	2-2,5
Kalina	40	2,5	2x2	slightly acidic	1
Irga	50	2,5	3x2	neutral	1,5
Honeysuckle	20	1,5	2x1	any	1,5
Sea ​​buckthorn	15	from 3 to 5	2x2	neutral	1
Rowan	25	7	5x3	slightly acidic	2
Hazel	60	5	4x4	slightly alkaline	3

When choosing a fruit tree for a summer cottage, not only taste preferences, but also the climate zone play a big role. For example, chokeberry is recommended for the northern regions, as are honeysuckle and sea buckthorn, brought to central Russia from Siberia.

Heat-loving cherry plums, plums, cherries and cherries are excellent in the southern regions. However, selection does not stand still and many crops adapt well to atypical regions thanks to their stable rootstock. An excellent example of this is Manchurian apricot and Siberian apricot, which are suitable for cultivation in Siberia and the Far East. And although such apricot has a specific, unattractive taste, it is quite successful in processing.

Manchurian apricot - mature tree

For rational use of the site, you can use grafting, which allows you to have several interesting varieties on one adult tree.

Overview of ornamental trees and shrubs

Decorative trees not only have an aesthetic function, but are often planted for shade near the gazebo, to protect against dust from the road, and to create a living border along the fence. Features of care depend on the type of plant and growing area.

There are trees that are undesirable to plant on a private plot because of aggressive growth or because of folk superstitions. Let's consider the most popular ornamental trees and shrubs in private landscape design from the point of view of their care and possible use.

Norway maple Globosum

Culture	Short description	Usage	Note
Small-leaved linden	Tree up to 30 m high with a neat oval crown, high frost resistance, does not tolerate drought, the crown lends itself well to shaping	A shady tree with a pleasant fragrance during the flowering period, it is a honey plant, can be used for a hedge or planting along a fence, it holds dust well from the road	According to old sayings, the linden tree near the house protects against all diseases and illnesses. The young tree does not bloom, the first flowering is observed only in the 20-30th year of life, linden blossom is used in folk medicine
Norway maple	Tree up to 6 m high with a compact spherical crown, does not require frequent pruning, grows on any soil	Well suited for creating shade near a house or over an artificial pond, often planted along a fence or road	Used in folk medicine and cooking
Bird cherry	A tree from 4 to 10 m high, known for its snow-white racemose inflorescences with a bright aroma, undemanding to growing conditions	Due to the spreading wide crown, it is often planted singly at the edge of the plot or in alleys in a large garden.	It should not be planted close to the house, as its roots will destroy the foundation; produces edible fruits with medicinal properties
Poplar white (silver)	A fast-growing tree up to 30 m high with a spreading crown, has light bark and silvery leaves, light-loving, salt-tolerant, tolerates drought and waterlogging, frost-resistant	Used in single or group plantings. For urban landscaping, pyramidal poplar is more often used, which does not form fluff, but has a large height.	It is not advisable to plant close to the house due to the aggressive root system; it cleans the air well of dust and harmful substances
Catalpa	A heat-loving tree 10-15 m high with a high spherical crown and an elegant, even trunk, the inflorescences are large, white, after flowering long pods are formed, giving additional decorativeness, does not tolerate pruning	Single plantings near the gazebo or near the house, during the flowering period it emits a very pleasant aroma, grows relatively slowly, may freeze in the Moscow region	People call it the “pasta tree”
Lilac	Abundantly flowering unpretentious shrub from 3 to 6 m high, the color of fragrant inflorescences is white or lilac in different shades, requires moderate pruning	Some varieties do not tolerate urban pollution, so it is not advisable to plant them near the road. Lilacs are ideal for hedges	It is popularly considered a protector of family well-being and a source of inspiration for creative people.
Barberry	A thorny shrub from 1 to 4 m high, with varied leaf colors (burgundy, yellow, green, purple), unpretentious in care	Used to create an impassable wall from dense thorny branches	Used in folk medicine, recommended for planting near home
Willow	A tree with drooping shoots, grows quickly, is easy to prune, tolerates significant waterlogging	Planting near water bodies or on waterlogged soils, hedges	A symbol of sadness and sadness, in the old days it was considered a bad omen to plant a willow tree under the window

The list can go on for a long time, especially if we cover all the varieties and varieties. Breeders successfully cope with the task of “satisfying the needs of every gardener.”

Trees that are undesirable in a garden plot according to ancient legends

Before planting a tree in front of your house, you can turn to the experience of our ancestors. At first glance, all signs are based on superstitions, but they often have a logical grain.

It is not recommended to plant an oak tree on a summer cottage, which has strong energy and influences the head of the family. Birch as a protective shield should only grow behind a fence. Walnuts should not be planted near the house, as their roots can eventually destroy the foundation. Willow, willow and aspen, the messengers of sorrow and death, are undesirable on the site.

If there are brides in the family, then it is also better to wait to plant thuja. It is recommended to plant poplar outside the site, away from the house.

Overview of coniferous ornamental trees

Evergreen and fairly unpretentious conifers serve as an indispensable element of any garden design.

For small areas of summer cottages, Arizona fir with gray-blue needles (height up to 2 m) and balsam fir (dwarf variety) are suitable. For those who want to grow a large tree, Korean fir (up to 15 m) is suitable.

Korean fir Silberlock

Dwarf varieties reaching a height of up to 3 m include Atlas cedar and Himalayan cedar. Among the large trees, Siberian cedar (cedar pine) enjoys well-deserved popularity. It grows slowly, but reaches very impressive sizes.

Siberian cedar (cedar pine)

Larch and spruce often decorate country houses with a large garden area. There are varieties of standard larch with a height of no more than 2.5 m with a spherical or weeping crown. Varieties of weeping larch look very impressive: the European dwarf variety Repens, up to 1.5 m high, with branches almost creeping along the ground, and the Japanese variety Pendula, up to 7 m high, with delicate green-blue needles.

Japanese larch Pendula

Dwarf forms of spruce can reach a height of 2 - 2.5 m, which, with slow growth, becomes acceptable in areas of any size. There are many varieties of dwarf spruce with different colored needles and different crown shapes. Blue spruce trees look the most beautiful and original, standing out effectively among the rest of the vegetation.

Blue spruce Hoopsie

Coniferous shrubs with different crown shapes include yew and juniper. In the landscape design of private plots, dwarf species of juniper with different colored needles (from dark green to silver-blue) up to 8 m in height are used.

Timing of tree planting and purchase of seedlings

It is difficult to unequivocally answer the question of when is the best time to plant trees. It depends on weather conditions and the specific crop. The optimal time for planting fruit trees from the pome group is late autumn, and for heat-loving stone fruits it is better to plant them in early spring. The preferred age of seedlings is 2 years, but for vigorous crops (pear, cherry) it is better to use annual seedlings. The negative side of annual seedlings is their unformed crown, but they suffer less pain when transplanted and take root faster.

Most ornamental crops are planted in spring. Moreover, the strict limits “before bud break” apply only to seedlings with an open root system. Planting material with a closed root system (in pots or bags) is suitable for planting throughout the spring and even in summer, but it is more expensive.

When purchasing seedlings at specialized exhibitions and fairs, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• in what form they are sold: seedlings with exposed and dried roots have little chance of taking root on the site; good material is packed in bags with a small lump of damp earth;
• condition of the root system: roots should be smooth (without thickening), elastic and without signs of peeling;
• crown condition: the buds should be swollen, but not bloomed;
• trunk height: for 2-year-old fruit seedlings about 50 cm;

It is recommended to buy planting material from nurseries that exist in each region. Only there can you be sure of the quality of the seedlings and choose plants adapted for a specific zone. Varieties of fruit trees for the Moscow region and the entire central zone of Russia are grown in the Michurinsky fruit nursery.