Spruce in landscape design: what varieties and how best to use
Firs are often used in landscape design. These plants can be used in a variety of ways - as a tapeworm, placed around the site in the form of a hedge, or create compositions with other trees and shrubs. To get a spectacular and harmonious result, it is recommended to think over the structure of the ensemble in detail and correctly place all the elements on the site.
Which varieties are used for decorative purposes
Today there are more than 50 varieties of spruce. Most often, the following types of culture are used to decorate gardens and parks:
- Prickly - the most famous varieties from this category are Eric Flam, Coster, Fat Albert, Montgomery.
- Serbian - the most famous varieties of culture include Pendula, Minima, Pimoko, Karel.
- Canadian - popular varieties of this plant are Blue Wonder, Desis White, Piccolo.
- Ordinary - popular dwarf varieties include Konika, Nana, Remonti. Of the tall crops, Columnaris and Inversa stand out.
Ready concepts
Coniferous plants are often used to decorate garden plots. At the same time, they need to be grown according to the rules. Landscape designers offer many ready-made concepts to beginner gardeners.
Surrounded by stones (rockeries)
Decorative fir trees are in perfect harmony with the stones on the site. It is permissible to plant them between them, which helps to get the original ensemble. Also spruce looks great in combination with a stone fence.
To create a composition with the participation of stones, it is worth giving preference to certain varieties of dwarf firs. These include Nidiformis and Push. The Serbian Karel spruce will look good.
At the same time, each of the varieties is characterized by unique features:
- Nidiformis - distinguished by a cushion-shaped crown. There is a recess in its central part. At the same time, the needles are characterized by a bright green color and reach a length of 1 centimeter. By the age of 10, the culture grows to a maximum of 1 meter. Usually its size does not exceed 50 centimeters. The diameter of an adult plant is 1-2 meters.
- Push - this variety is characterized by a hemispherical crown and bright green needles. Also, the culture is distinguished by small cones of different shades. They are red, pink or purple. By the age of 10, Push spruce grows up to a maximum of 30 centimeters.At the same time, its diameter reaches half a meter.
- Karel - This variety of the Serbian variety is characterized by compact size and slow growth. By the age of 10, the plant reaches a height and width of 75 centimeters. The culture is characterized by a spherical or cushion-shaped crown. It is blue-green in color. The plant requires moderately moist soil. It grows well both in the sun and in partial shade.
Close to home
Combination of different meadow flowers, planted in groups around the spruce, will help to get a unique landscape. It is also permissible to plant dwarf conifers in combination with bright colors. Another spectacular option would be to place a blue prickly spruce next to cypresses, thujas and bright red flowers.
When planting blue spruce, it is important to consider that it is an evergreen coniferous plant that reaches a height of 25-30 meters. It is distinguished by beautiful needles measuring 15-30 millimeters, which are painted in various shades of blue.Initially, the tree was grown only in the United States, but varieties gradually appeared for cultivation around the world.
In rock gardens
Spruces can be combined with other conifers. They look great with pines and thujas. An equally successful combination is obtained with larch. To set off such a composition, it is worth planting purple or white flowers nearby in groups.
Alpine slides with the participation of such crops look great. Mountain crops are usually planted there. Traditionally, such compositions are formed on natural or artificial slopes.
Near the gazebos
Coniferous trees look great near gazebos. When creating such compositions, spruces are recommended to be combined with decorative deciduous shrubs or flowers. Such ensembles look very expressive and have not lost their relevance for many years.
To create such compositions, it is worth using fairly large trees. They should match the height of the gazebo or even be slightly higher. This will make the ensemble more harmonious and provide additional shade in the heat.
The most suitable varieties that can be planted near arbors include Pendula. Such a tree looks very original and is often used to decorate the garden.
Spruce by the pond
If there is a pond on the site, it is permissible to supplement it with a stone frame and arrange several Christmas trees around Glauka. Such plants by the age of 10 reach a height of 2.5 meters. The tree is characterized by a conical crown of high density and stiff needle needles, which are distinguished by a silver-blue color. Spruce Glauka is often used in landscape design. This is due to its undemanding to growing conditions.
Such conifers can be combined with perennial herbaceous plants and variegated flowers. At the same time, it is not recommended to place thuja near the spruce. Also not a very good solution will be fruit trees and berry bushes. Such plants are simply incompatible.
Along the path
To decorate garden paths, the decorative Konik spruce is the best fit. This plant has a beautiful conical crown. In fact, this is a dwarf form of the blue-gray Canadian variety. Such a plant does not exceed 1 meter in height. The culture is characterized by thin and short needles of bluish-green hues. It should be borne in mind that it goes well with other conifers and flowers of different shades.
Along the fence
To decorate the space along the fence, it is worth using the Belobok variety. It has a very original appearance. A distinctive feature of the culture is considered to be rather slow growth. For 10 years, the plant reaches a height of 2 meters. Moreover, its diameter is 1 meter. The culture is distinguished by a dense crown and shiny needles of a dark green hue. Young growths for several weeks have a rich creamy hue.
It is worth considering Belobok spruce can be used not only for decorating areas near fences. They fit well into the space of any garden plot. It can be a rock garden, an area near a pond, a garden path or a rockery.
Combinations
Spruces are often combined with other ornamental plants to create all sorts of arrangements.
Firs with contrasting needles
The ordinary variety can be safely combined with the Hupsi variety. This culture is distinguished by a very bright blue tint of needles. At the same time, young needles are distinguished by a light blue color, and the tree itself looks silvery. By the age of 10, the plant reaches 5 meters, and by 30 - 10. In diameter, an adult culture is 4 meters.
Hupsi spruce and the common variety are characterized by crowns of different shades that blend beautifully with each other. Such an ensemble will be able to complement any part of the garden. However, it is best to place it along the paths that lead to the house.
Dwarf and tall spruces
To create an unusual composition on the site, you should give preference to the Inverse variety, which is distinguished by a weeping crown. This culture looks very unusual. The shoots of the plant hang strongly, and the lower branches literally lie on the ground. Inverse can reach a height of 6-8 meters. At the same time, an adult tree has a diameter of 2-2.5 meters and glossy dark green needles.
To create an attractive composition, the Inversa variety can be combined with any crops. To get a contrast, it is worth placing some kind of dwarf spruce nearby.
Spruce and juniper
To combine with juniper, the Tompa variety is the best choice. It is characterized by slow growth and takes up a minimum of space on the site. The height of this culture does not exceed 1.5-2 meters. By the age of 10, the plant reaches only 40-60 centimeters.This tree is characterized by a wide conical crown and short bright green needles that change color under the influence of seasonal factors.
Spruce is a versatile coniferous plant that fits perfectly into a variety of garden compositions. In order for the culture to grow and develop well, it is important to choose the right conifer variety and provide it with full and high-quality care.
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