Flower beds and flower beds on a personal plot are intended primarily for aesthetic pleasure. But besides this, they perform another important role: acting as an extension of the house, flower arrangements allow you to visually combine the appearance of the building with the vegetation of the garden into a single whole. Knowing the secrets of landscape designers on how to design a flower bed will allow any gardener to create flower arrangements in their suburban area that, in addition to aesthetic appeal, will create an atmosphere of harmony and comfort.
Basic rules and recommendations for creating flower beds
When organizing a flower garden with your own hands, you should adhere to certain rules so as not to end up with a chaotic planting. Creating flower arrangements is a real art. You can avoid common mistakes if you listen to the recommendations of landscape designers.
Choosing a planting site and soil
The choice of location is influenced by the size and shape of the flower bed. It should be clearly visible and not interfere with passage, passage, or walking of animals. The best place is the front part of the garden, the entrance to the courtyard. Flower beds made from perennials look great near the terrace or pool. In a well-lit area, even the most primitive plantings will look impressive.
Decorating a flower bed is a real art in its own way. Please note! All plants in a flower garden should have the same soil requirements. Fertile soil will be successful for all specimens
It must be fed with mineral and organic fertilizers.
Perennials do not require replanting and careful care compared to annuals. Plants that are well adapted to the region of planting will quickly take root.
Principles for selecting plantings for your own plot
Gardeners and summer residents want to see beautiful plants bursting with health on their plots. For a seedling to take root and develop, aesthetic preferences alone are not enough.
An important element at the stage of selecting varieties is the existing climatic conditions and soil conditions. A common cause of wilting and death of plantings is the incorrect selection of plants.
Now breeders have developed new resistant species that are adapted to more severe weather conditions. You should not hope that a heat-loving tropical plant will take root in northern latitudes.
We also contain some varieties of exotic flora representatives. Such specimens are often more demanding in terms of maintenance. Therefore, when choosing ones that are unusual for your climate zone, be prepared for the fact that you will have to devote more time and effort to care.
Before planting a tree in your garden, make inquiries about its needs and characteristics. First make sure that the climate is suitable for it, and it will not die.
In addition to weather conditions, it is worth taking into account the quality and condition of the soil, the characteristics of the relief, the proximity of groundwater and the size of the site.
Mixborder - an elegant flower garden on your site
Have you heard anything about European landscape design? Mixborder is one of the most striking representatives of this design. Blooms continuously, organization is not the easiest. With proper selection of plants and proper care, beautiful mixborders will delight you for a long time. Moreover, you will be able to constantly improve your work of art, because when combining, everything depends only on your imagination.
However, we must warn you: caring for a flower garden of conifers, cereals, perennials, and annuals is quite difficult. You need to systematically inspect the plantings, replant them on time, cultivate them, trim them and apply fertilizers.
The upcoming difficulties did not frighten you, but do you still have the desire to turn your garden or cottage into a picturesque meadow? In this case, read on - the most creative mixborder designs and useful tips for caring for them await you.
What to plant in a large area. Planning
Before planting an orchard, it is recommended to make at least a rough plan for planting trees. Having made sketches on paper, you can personally imagine how the site will look in general terms.
There are two types of planning: landscape and regular.
Adherents of geometric clarity and orderliness of forms will enjoy a garden in a regular style. In it, trees and berry bushes are planted in even rows at equal intervals. Garden beds are laid out in the shape of regular rectangles and squares, separated by smooth paths laid in straight lines. With this arrangement, you always know what is where, and it is easier to care for the plantings.
Approximate plan of a summer cottage with an area of 6 acres: 1 - house; 2 - garage; 3 - household yard; 4 - place to rest (gazebo); 5 - lawn, flower bed; 6 - front garden; 7 - planting strawberries; 8 - vegetable garden; 9 - garden
Landscape, or free planning, is close to the natural style. Plants are planted according to a pre-designed scheme, but are not arranged in a strict order, but in groups. Along with fruit trees and shrubs, ornamental vegetation is used, and vegetables can coexist with flowers. Creating a landscaped garden requires creativity.
The ratio of the garden area to the area of the plot is a relative concept and depends only on the owners of the land plot. No one has established standards for the balance of the territory, so an orchard can occupy more than half of the territory (if the owner wishes this), or it can be tiny and consist of only 3-4 trees.
Helpful advice. If there is not much land for a garden, but you want to plant more trees, additional “land resources” are found. You can plant 2-3 fruit trees in the front garden, located between the facade of a residential building and the fence. With a small front garden, it is permissible to use the space behind the fence, however, here you can plant not very valuable types of trees, the fruits of which there are not many hunters: mulberry, apricot, summer apple tree, Hungarian plum, simple cherry.
Types of mixborders
Flower beds where crops chosen by the summer resident are planted in steps are mixborders. Translated from foreign as “mixed border”. Just like the border element of flowers, the mix has an elongated shape: its length is twice as wide as its width. The size of such a composition has no limits and can be as long as a sidewalk, while the width is on average 1.5-2 meters.
Advice! Plant crops in a mixborder are chosen so that their color alternates throughout the entire growing season, from the first days of spring to late autumn.
Flowering begins in early spring, as soon as primroses emerge from under the snow, followed by tulips and other bulbous plants. Then there are perennial herbs, bushes and shrubs, and the line is completed by aster varieties, gladioli.
A flower garden of free combinations - this is also the name of this element of the landscape, can be of different designs. Before arranging a mixborder in country gardens, you need to understand what design it will be in.
The following are popular:
- Garden. The production of such a flower book combines conciseness. Figuratively formed branches of bushes and coniferous species, for example, cypress, border on meadow grasses and plant varieties of flowers: peony, dahlia, phlox species.
- Lugovoy. Provides an abundance of natural plant crops that are in their natural environment: flax, chamomile, cornflowers, cereals.
- Provence or country. In this design, actively flowering plants are planted abundantly: chrysanthemums, peonies, spices, shrubs (currants, gooseberries).
- Garden. This is a branch of Provence. The main difference is that they are supplemented with vegetables and berries: strawberries, squash, cabbage crops. For planting they can use: bright marigolds or other colorful flower varieties.
- Shrubby. The arrangement of such a composition is simple. These can be perennials with a powerful leaf shape, flowering or evergreens that will not lose their aesthetics in winter. The difference is that if there is a tree in the planting, it must be one thing - as an accent object.
- Mixed. This direction is telling.
The composition contains plant and flower crops, which are separately selected and collected by summer residents, rare species. This mixborder is considered unique.
Mixborders are also divided by color. Each entrance to a country house will please you if there is a flower garden nearby, in which color schemes and a competent symbiosis of shades are taken into account
Therefore, it is of paramount importance to design a mixborder with your own hands according to a diagram, photo, and selection of plants. When designing, it is necessary to describe the colors of crops and the time of their color:
Flowering and evergreen ornamental shrubs for the garden and dacha. A garden plot is a real field of activity for imagination. You can apply it to everything - decorate it with fashionable...
- Contrast. Suitable for small plantings. Select contrasting shades. For example, ash and burgundy.
- Monochrome. Provides for planting plant crops of the same shade, but in different tones.
- Polychrome. Complimentary shades are planted here, but no more than 5: emerald as a base, snow-white as accents, violet, lilac.
In a polychrome composition, the base part should be light tones, and green should be the background. In the evening, white is the last color to go out.
Optimal bed sizes
The beds need to be planned in such a size that they are easy to care for: sowing, planting seedlings, weeding and reaching with a watering can.
Therefore, the ideal dimensions are width 80 cm, length 3-4 m, height 35 cm (for beds with a fence). If you have a lot of children’s helpers, for example, during the holidays, grandchildren and children help with weeding, then the best width is 70 cm.
With such dimensions, it is convenient for everyone to reach with their hand from each side of the row spacing to the middle of the bed.
The maximum permissible width of the bed is 1 m, for cabbage, which is planted in two rows, 100-120 cm can be allocated. The width of the rows is at least 30 cm, optimally 40 cm, if a wheelbarrow needs to drive up to the bed, then 50 cm. These dimensions are for a small vegetable garden , where every centimeter is precious. If your area is quite large, feel free to leave passages 60-80 cm wide.
Accommodation options
Zones with flowers of arbitrary configuration can be made in shady or, conversely, well-lit areas. The shady variety of mixborders can be partially protected from sunlight, but you need to choose the right color combinations: each species must grow in suitable conditions.
Check out the photos and options for mixborders for partially shaded areas with color names to choose the best option for your dacha.
Recommendation: if the dacha plot is large, choose a combined variety of mixborders, in which part of the vegetation remains in the sun, part in a slightly shaded area, in partial shade and part in the shade.
If you want to create mixborders with conifers and heather, it is advisable to plant them next to a hedge, along a terrace or buildings.
Coniferous mixborders, photo
Recently, English-type mixborders, in which perennial plants dominate, have become particularly popular. It is better to make them parallel to the paths or next to the walls, and as a continuation to arrange a lawn.
We recommend exploring ready-made options for mixborders along the fence made of perennials and shrubs: thanks to such flower beds, it is easy to decorate the area.
Plant a shrub composition not far from the house and outbuildings. A mixborder consisting of shrubs, located along a fence or fence, will help create a magical atmosphere due to colorful flowering and beautiful foliage. If you are not going to plant perennials, you can make a flower garden of annuals for one season as a test.
Mixborders of perennials near the fence: photos, diagrams
Before you start creating a mixborder, think about the principle of planting flowers. No matter where you decide to make such a composition, the plants should be planted in rows. Low vegetation is planted in the foreground, followed by plants whose height does not exceed 40 centimeters, then medium-sized ones (up to 60 cm) and behind them the tallest ones - above a meter.
When choosing a flower garden configuration, rely on your imagination, as well as the style chosen for decorating the area. Mixborders can have an elongated, round, rectangular or triangular configuration. The form can be arbitrary.
On a note! The original idea is to plant vegetation like streams and create a composition with smooth lines.
For large mixborders, it is recommended to equip narrow paths so that there is access to all the vegetation for irrigating, trimming and hilling.
Mixborder at the dacha, photo
Watch a short video instruction about creating mixborders and landscape decor options with them:
Bulbous plants
These are fairly unpretentious crops that even a novice gardener can plant. Such crops will quickly grow stronger and produce their first stems and flowers next spring. Flowers do not require watering and care. The only condition is to plant them in airy, well-drained soil. To achieve this, before preparing the bed in the fall, you need to dig up the planting site with sand or small pieces of expanded clay. There are gardeners who prefer to add polystyrene foam.
Let's consider which plants can be classified as bulbous and how to look after them in all seasons.
Bulbous perennials: hyacinths in a country flower bed Source domikru.net
Tulips
A fairly common plant that can be found in flower beds around the house. Its planting is carried out in late September-early October. If the bulbs are purchased in advance, they should be stored until September at a temperature not exceeding 20 degrees. As for lighting, a seat is suitable both in partial shade and in bright sunlight.
Watering the plant should be plentiful. For example, at the time of buds setting and their further blooming, it is necessary to spend from 10 to 30 liters of water. But, do not flood the plant. Indeed, in conditions of high humidity, the bulb quickly rots and the crop dies.
White tulips for decorating flower beds in a summer cottage Source artfile.ru
Daffodils
Planted in August or no later than the first days of September. Planting material must adapt to the soil that is prepared for it. It is advisable to apply a small amount of organic fertilizers: manure, peat, compost, sapropel.
Planting different varieties of daffodils in a country flower bed Source 1zoom.ru
Watering the plant for the first time is carried out after the sprouts appear, as soon as the moisture remaining from the snow cover is gone. If the winter was dry, then the crop should be watered as soon as the frost subsides. Moreover, watering should be moderate and regular. Plants should not be overwatered. Daffodils grow well in shade and partial shade and are not afraid of bright sunlight. The plant does not need annual replanting; for the next flowering season it produces a “baby” from which a young flower emerges.
On a note! Often, propagation of daffodils is vegetative (that is, using bulbs), and sometimes seeds are used, followed by transplanting the grown seedlings into the ground.
Hyacinths
Hyacinths are very colorful and beautiful flowers. They are easy to grow and require absolutely no maintenance. The planting location should be sunny but partially shaded. For example, let it be light in the flowerbed in the morning, and in the afternoon the shadow falls. But, make sure that the chosen area is protected from the winds.
Hyacinths in a flowerbed Source lanshaft.com
Before planting, it is advisable to mix the soil with compost. It is important that the fertile layer is not acidic and very wet. It is better to wrap the bulbs in the holes in straw. This approach is important for capricious varieties of hyacinths. It is worth watering perennials abundantly (but without fanaticism) in the spring from the moment the first stems appear. Before the arrival of summer, the amount of watering is reduced, and during the hot season you need to moisten the soil once a week so that the root system does not dry out. After flowering, the inflorescences are pruned so that they do not form seeds, because this period seriously disrupts the nutritional balance, which can affect the development of the plant in the next season.
Crocuses
Crocuses are conventionally divided into groups: spring-flowering and autumn-flowering. The first decorative crops are planted in the autumn, the second - in the summer. Flowering lasts for 2-3 weeks. The plant reproduces by daughter bulbs. It is best to plant perennials in loams and even heavy clay soils.
Perennial crocuses in a flowerbed at a summer cottage Source lanshaft.com
Fertilizers for crocuses are applied in the spring using mineral fertilizers, and during flowering - potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. Organic compounds are not introduced during any of the growing seasons of perennial ornamental crops. Often propagated by daughter bulbs or even seeds (provided they are spring-flowering varieties). Flowers practically do not need watering. Moisten the soil only if there was no snow in winter.
Primrose
To plant primroses, you must choose a semi-sunny area. This could be the north side of the house. You should definitely make sure that there are no drafts in this place. It is desirable that in the summer there is shade from deciduous trees in the primrose planting area.
Beautiful flower beds with yellow primroses on a summer cottage near the house Source 1zoom.net
A perennial plant is first prepared (grown in containers) and its roots must adapt to the outdoor environment before summer. Planting is carried out in July-August. There are no special requirements for caring for perennials, but watering must be regular. Moreover, it should be done no more than once a week. It is advisable to give the soil up to 10 liters of water at a time.
On a note! If the plant is flowering, then it is better to fertilize it every two weeks. This way it will look more lush, beautiful and rich.
Grouse
Another variety of bulbous plant that can often be found in the home garden. It is better to plant hazel grouse on the sunny side, but with plenty of shade. Before planting, you need to re-weed the area and add humus or peat. Then plant the bulbs with a formed root system. You can also add ash or lime to the soil.
During the dry summer period, you need to water the hazel grouse bush every evening. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the top layer of soil does not crack, but remains loose at all times. This is necessary so that the roots, like the bulb itself, can receive sufficient oxygen. After the end of the growing season, watering is carried out no more than once every 2-4 weeks.
Growing slender hazel grouse of different colors in a summer cottage Source 1zoom.net
Important! If the plant does not bloom, perhaps the summer period last year was unfavorable for it. It is a mistake to mistake this state of the plant for pain and exposure to pests.
Types of mixborders
Mixborders can be single-sided or double-sided. In one-sided flower beds, the tallest plants are placed in the background, and closer to the viewpoint their height decreases. They are located along garden paths, fences, and retaining walls. Also, a one-sided mixborder can be created near the wall of a house or other building, on a steep slope, on the border of the garden.
When a flower garden is laid out in an open space, visible from several sides, the tallest plants are placed along its median line. Then, as you approach the edges, the height of the plantings decreases according to the cascade principle.
Mixborders also differ in content. They may contain perennials, herbs, low-growing trees, shrubs, and annual flowers. In most cases, preference is given to perennial plants that form the basis of the flower garden.
Types of mixborders by vegetation type:
English. They are distinguished by their restraint in execution; the basis is shrubs with elongated leaves (willow, nutcracker) and beautifully flowering perennials, for example, peonies.
Lugovoy. Made from herbs and annual flowers such as chamomile, snapdragon, zinnia, flax, poppy. Very similar to the Moorish meadow. It differs from it in the tiered arrangement of plants and the elongation of the flower bed;
Country estate style. The use of shrubs and flowers traditional for rural areas is typical: viburnum, mallow, tagetes, cornflower, nasturtium, sedum. Used to create a homely atmosphere. In a village mixborder, it is acceptable to use garden berries: currants, gooseberries, serviceberry;
Garden. It is created from garden crops, ornamental, spicy and medicinal herbs. Tall Jerusalem artichoke or sunflowers are planted in the background, and other plants are placed in front of them: different types of cabbage (kohlrabi, broccoli), curly parsley, fire beans, mint, lemon balm, thyme. Such a mixborder can be arranged in a country house, in the courtyard of a private house. Very relevant for small garden plots.
How to use perennials in the country: main features
Perennials are plants that have a long period of growth and flowering. Such ornamental crops do not need to be planted every spring. It is enough to water them and monitor the root system so that rodents do not damage them.
Most perennial garden plants begin to bloom in early spring, as soon as the snow cover melts, while newly planted seeds sprout in about a week or two. This is due to the fact that most ornamental crops are adapted to cold winters, since the root system is not subject to freezing.
Poppies and marigolds in a hanging flowerbed at a summer cottage Source dizainexpert.ru
Coniferous and deciduous perennials for gardening for planting in rock gardens Source dizainexpert.ru
Different types of plants are used for a garden plot in a country house. All of them can be components of various compositions:
- rock gardens;
- hanging panels;
- living walls;
- multi-tiered objects;
- sculptures made from living vegetation.
All perennial crops are often used en masse for suburban home areas. They can serve as the basis of a flower garden or be its decorative addition. If you combine them correctly, they create an incredible accent on the site.
A climbing perennial plant for the garden that creates shade on the terrace Source dachnik0ff.ru
Flowerbed design with perennial flowers
You won’t surprise anyone with simple flower beds. Plants are planted not only in open ground, but also in various objects raised above the ground. They are often made in the same style as a terrace, veranda, swimming pool, or the nearest building. In just a couple of hours, any item that has been collecting dust in the barn can turn into an original landscape design object.
A flowerbed that blooms all year round is every gardener's dream.
The following types of flower beds can decorate your garden:
- Regular flower bed. Plants are arranged symmetrically, tightly, in even blocks. Flowers must have one flowering period and height. Hybrids are more suitable for this purpose;
- Irregular flower bed. A free-form flower garden with perennials that bloom alternately throughout the season;
- Carpet flower bed. The close arrangement of low-growing plants creates a carpet effect. Various inert materials (pebbles, sand) will help create a clear pattern. The most popular design example is the flower clock;
- Raised flower bed. A non-standard flower garden is raised above the ground by 20-100 cm. It can be in one or several tiers. A combination of ground cover and tall plants is possible;
- Vertical flower bed. Used to save space. Place it on the ground, hang it, attach it to any surface. The main advantage of this design is that there is no need for weeding;
- Multidimensional flower bed. The unusual flower garden is located not on a plane, but in volume. To create compositions, auxiliary structures are used. For example, a flowerbed made from an inverted umbrella, on a chair, in a cart;
- Ring flower bed. They are located in a ring around an object (tree, bush, large stone). To prolong the bright color, plants alternate according to the flowering period;
- Island flower bed. Includes plants of varying heights. The tallest perennials are in the center, low-growing along the edges; Flowerbed-panel. A complex flower garden resembles a carpet bed and reflects a specific image or inscription;
- Modular flower bed. In one space, flower beds unite individual areas with one idea. They are separated by slabs and paved paths.
Edging a flower bed with wood
Wood is a short-lived material and looks good in landscape-style flower beds, especially rural ones. Before use, any wood materials must be treated against rotting and pests, which will slightly increase their service life.
For decorative flower beds, boards, slabs, logs, lining, bars left after construction, and bush branches are used. The simplest wooden flower bed can be a wooden barrel, as well as boxes and pallets.
- The boards make rectangular or square flower beds. To make a flowerbed of this type, wooden pegs are driven into the ground to a depth of 50 cm, taking into account the height of the flowerbed. And then boards are attached to this frame. Raised flower beds or ornamental vegetable gardens are built this way.
- Boards and rounded cuts of logs, when placed vertically and buried in the ground, form a palisade of varying heights, serving as a border demarcation between the flower bed and the lawn.
- Flowerbeds in the form of a log house are built from logs of the same size. A layer of fabric is laid around the perimeter on the crushed stone foundation. The lower logs are laid with the hewn side down. On top there are 2 more rows of logs, fastened together.
- Stumps from old trees or tree trunks sawn in longitudinal or cross section, with a hollowed out middle, will serve as a flower bed for 2-3 types of flowers.
Wicker frames are suitable for round and rectangular flower beds. Such fences can have a height of 20 to 50 cm. To install them, it is necessary to prepare willow, raspberry, and bird cherry branches of the same length.
Drive wooden pegs into the ground along the perimeter with a distance between them equal to the length of the branches used. And between them there are also thin branches for weaving on their basis. The ends of the branches must be attached to pegs.
As an option for a border made of branches, bamboo stems of various diameters and heights, secured with rope, are installed vertically.
Schematic plans
You can create plans and diagrams yourself. The basic rules for planting in a mix come down to the principle of the golden ratio. This means:
- The top is made of plants 1-1.5 in height.
- The middle has specimens up to 1 m.
- The bottom is decorated with soil-covering crops that form the border, and greenery up to 600 mm high.
The golden ratio is calculated according to the scheme: a:b=c:d. Where, a is a form that must be divided into equal parts: b, c, d. The top should be filled with vegetation with large foliage or inflorescences. For example, long-lasting mallow, foxglove or rudbeckia, lupine varieties, and feather grass.
Do-it-yourself borders for flower beds and garden beds: original ideas with photos It often happens that the edge of a flower bed looks blurry; large areas need to be weeded. Therefore it is necessary...Decorators recommend combining plants according to their flowering period so that the back is not bare. The middle is the basis of the mix, which gives volume
Therefore, it is important here to plant flora that will be beautiful after they bloom. For example, aster, chrysanthemum
It is good to alternate plantings with the shortest varietal species, such as lavender, cataractus, and hostas. The bottom or border part completes the mixborder. Boltonia and edelweiss are perfect.
When designing a mix, it is important to understand that its basis should be “skeletal” plantings. This guarantees the height and contour of the future border
Skeletal crops should be viewed from an overhead vantage point, meaning all plants in the mix should be distinct and not feel cluttered. It is problematic for a beginner to create a border, and therefore ready-made schemes for mixborders from shrubs and flowers have been developed, following which it is easy to create a spectacular landscape. For example, for a shady area, the following scheme is ideal:
- The top is an accent tree, around which a mix is formed.
- The next tier can be filled with long fern, pennisetum or milkweed.
- Plant a pale blue hosta a little lower.
- Saxifraga or Rogersia pinnate is placed at the bottom.
- Any cover or low flowers are suitable for the border: marigold, cornflower.
If there is a fountain or other architecture at the dacha, the height of the 3rd tier should not be higher than the structure or clutter it.
Recommendation! To make it comfortable to work in large mixes, you can make neat “goose step” paths inside the element.
The instructions will help you avoid making mistakes.
Scheme 1. Beautiful flower garden of perennials
Let's look at this example in more detail. In the bottom row are the following flowers:
Bloodroot. It blooms in mid-summer; in autumn the plant “puts on a dress” of golden color. Coreopsis. It blooms for a long time, sometimes until the first frost. The flowers are yellow, the shade may vary. Geranium is majestic. It blooms for only 40 days, but in the fall it takes on a beautiful brick shade. Soft cuff
If you like the yellow section design, check out the cuff. Its yellow flowers are shaped like clouds, although gardeners plant its mantle solely for its lush leaves. Geranium Endressa
A versatile plant that will bloom almost all summer. In autumn, and then in winter, you can decorate your flower garden with leaves with an interesting dark green tint. Even -30 degrees geraniums are not scary.
The middle row consists of plants such as yarrow ptarmika (6), decorative onion (7), fennel grass (8), verbena (9), boxwood (10), decorative wormwood (11)
We recommend paying special attention to the decorative bow, which looks very beautiful. Verbena can bloom before the onset of severe frosts, boxwood is easy to care for, decorative wormwood has unusual lacy leaves
The mixborder from the diagram consists of four plants in the background:
- Lofanta. It is notable for the fact that it blooms from early July until late autumn. It is characterized by a spectacular appearance and great splendor.
- Purple coneflower with beautiful flowers but completely unsightly leaves.
- Hatma, often reaching 2 meters in height.
- Clematis. May have velvety flowers in pink and blue shades.
The plants described above have similar needs for soil acidity, watering, and light. They are not demanding in care, so you can water and feed them in combination.
Hybrid tea roses
The height of the colorful shrubs of this group does not exceed 80 cm. They are not frost-resistant and need shelter for the winter. These are the best roses for central Russia, which will effectively fit into various designs. The height and shape of the bush are also different: it varies from 50 to 90 cm, it can be spreading and narrowly pyramidal. A hybrid tea rose can be double, with a diameter of 8-15 cm and have 20-128 petals, with a diameter of 8-15 cm. Peduncles reach 20-80 cm in length and have 5-7 flowers. The leaves of this variety are delicate, sometimes thick, shiny, glossy, as if coated with wax, matte, leathery. The hybrid tea variety, usually collected in a single or small inflorescence, has a wonderful aroma.
Dominica rose variety
This beautiful compact bush up to half a meter high has high resistance to diseases, blooms continuously and profusely in the sixth zone. The flowers can serve as a standard red color, have a size of up to 10 cm, and are collected in groups of 3-5. When fully open, the petals are slightly wavy along the edges and have a medium-intensity aroma.
Rose variety Black Baccarat
This re-blooming rose has received the fame of “the blackest”. In fact, she has a real dark red color. A densely double flower with angular velvet petals has a weak odor and is not impressive in size - only 7-8 cm. The bush is up to 1.0 m high, up to 0.7 m wide, and is moderately resistant to disease. The buds are located on the stems one at a time.
Rose variety Red Nostalgy
Large single flowers up to 10 cm in size have an unusual blood-red color and a classic glass shape. Repeatedly flowering bushes up to 1.2 m high have excellent health and are intended for growing in the sixth zone.
Rose variety George Dixon
Large double flowers of rich crimson color with a strong aroma are up to 13 cm in size, located one at a time on the peduncle and are used in the perfume industry. The bush does not exceed 1.3 m, blooms in two waves, has average resistance and is intended for the sixth zone.
Rose variety Alain Souchon
Fragrant crimson-red lobed flowers with 75-100 petals are 12-13 cm in size, arranged one at a time. The bush up to 1.0 m blooms repeatedly and is characterized by average resistance. Designed for cultivation in the sixth zone.
Read more about varieties of hybrid tea roses here
Mixborder placement
Before you start selecting plants, evaluate the lighting of the area. If it is flooded with light, then shade-loving plants will not take root and will quickly die. The same fate awaits light-loving plants in a shady area.
Assess the quality of the soil. Almost any plant can take root on soft, well-fed soil, but on rocky soil it is better to make a coniferous mixborder from horizontal juniper, mountain Mugus pine, Maxwelly spruce and Virginia cypress.
The acidity of the soil and its composition are also important. Based on these parameters, we can conclude which plants will be comfortable on the site.
How to make a mixborder from conifers and shrubs: ready-made flower bed schemes
A mixborder of conifers and shrubs serves as a classic example of the use of plants. Such “flower beds” are located in different areas:
- near outbuildings;
- along fences;
- near houses.
Coniferous plantings in such a flower garden play the role of a “skeleton” that determines the height and outline of the entire composition. Therefore, these crops are planted in the background of the mixborder, which is located near the walls.
Mixborder in the yardSource vk.com
The central place is given to conifers when arranging combined compositions in free areas. The lower tier of such a flower garden can be occupied by:
- lilac;
- hibiscus;
- magnolia;
- elder.
When creating a mixborder from conifers, when supplementing it with broad-leaved forms, one should take into account the intensity of growth processes in broad-leaved shrubs, preventing them from exceeding coniferous ones.
Well-chosen plantsSource www.galangpratama.com/
Potato
The main problem when growing potatoes is the Colorado potato beetle. However, it can be successfully combated, especially in small beds, without even using chemicals. To do this, walk around your plantings every day and manually collect pests in any container filled with soap solution or kerosene. From time to time, throw out dead beetles from there.
Otherwise, growing potatoes is not an extremely difficult task. In addition to standard weeding, potato bushes need hilling. Thanks to this procedure, the formation of tubers is activated, which means the yield increases.
- Traditional and new methods of growing potatoes: pros and cons of each
There is no gardener who has never grown potatoes in his life. But people tend to strive for perfection in everything. Growing potatoes is no exception. Today, many summer residents know how to get maximum yield from a small plot!
Use in landscape design
No matter where the perennial monarda is planted in the open ground, it will always be a bright decoration of the garden, as in the photo. This will be especially noticeable if it is properly cared for.
Monarda will look great in flowerbeds alongside other perennials with pale yellow flowers and green-yellow leaves. The ideal option is to plant the following flowering plants next to the monarda:
- yarrow;
- Veronica;
- rudbeckia;
- red pelargonium;
- synadenium;
- daylilies.
Designers prefer to plant monarda in the center of the flowerbed, and around it there are other flowers that successfully mask the not at all lush lower parts of the stems.
Monarda is often used as a bright decoration when creating garden design. It looks especially original in a composition with herbaceous plants:
- thyme;
- catnip;
- tarragon;
- sage;
- eryngium.
Gardeners also like to plant this perennial around fruit trees. First of all, such a neighborhood allows you to decorate the garden. But it also helps attract pollinating insects as they actively fly towards the scent of the flower.
It's no secret that monarda is an excellent honey plant. It is for this reason that it is not recommended to plant a flower near the house. This will prevent the accumulation of bees or wasps near living quarters.
When designing a flower bed, it is important to plant varieties of monarda with a long flowering period. In this case, the beautiful appearance of the flower bed will delight flower growers throughout the summer. The perennial is planted not only in gardens, in flower beds, but also around the pond
Monardas planted on the shore of a pond, next to echinacea, daylilies or Siberian irises will look original.
Perennials are planted not only in gardens and flower beds, but also around ponds. Monardas planted on the shore of a pond, next to echinacea, daylilies or Siberian irises, will look original.
When decorating flower beds, it is useful to combine different types of monarda, differing in multi-colored shades. In romantic gardens, it is appropriate to plant purple varieties, giving the flowerbed an additional touch of tenderness. To give special expressiveness to the landscape, it is better to give preference to red varieties.
When laying out a flower bed, it is important to take into account the size of the bush. Dwarf varieties do not exceed 20 cm in height
Accordingly, they can be planted in the foreground or placed in the center, bordered by other low-growing flowering plants.
There are also tall varieties of monarda, reaching a height of 150 cm. Such specimens are best planted in the background.
Some gardeners implement bold design solutions, planting monarda among vegetables and other garden crops. This approach allows you to transform your garden space, the sight of which improves your mood. It can also slightly increase the yield of garden plants by attracting pollinating insects.
Monarda is an amazing flowering plant that can delight not only during the period of active flowering. Even in the fall, when the luxurious buds have faded, the plant continues to enchant with its beauty. Only this time its main decoration is brown seeds.
If the flowers have not been affected by diseases or harmful insects, flower growers rush to cut off the monarda. In this form, it will complement autumn and winter bouquets well.
A small selection of perennials at last
Ornamental crops that can grow in one place for decades may lose their attractiveness over the years. This is due to the fact that the soil releases useful substances, and the root system has nothing else to feed on. In this regard, we offer several varieties of varieties that are resistant to transplantation and are able to exist in the soil without losing their appearance, even if its composition is critical:
- Oregano. It mainly grows in the European part of the country. The first greenery appears in March, has a pleasant, unobtrusive smell and beautiful lilac flowers. Grows in different soils.
- Lofant or multi-column. Spicy and good-smelling plant. Plays the role of a decorative and medicinal crop. Without much effort, it takes root in illuminated areas and can develop in light soils.
- Monarda. It is distinguished by a large number of varieties of inflorescences. They try to plant such a perennial with other similar plants. Culture will become a luxurious backdrop for other cultures. Combines with diphinium and light blue bells.
- Phlox. A bright and unpretentious contender for a place in your flower garden. They winter well even in harsh conditions; they begin to bloom around mid-summer (late June-early July). It is distinguished by a large number of colors and participates as the main component in alpine slides.
Unpretentious cultures are actually attractive. The main thing is to be able to combine them correctly.
Flower garden with thujas
The cone-shaped shape of the bright emerald thuja looks impressive. Flower beds with thujas are an excellent solution for decorating a large garden. However, these plants should be carefully looked after, especially if the bushes are less than three years old. The crops are shaded from the scorching sun, mulched with sawdust and pine needles, regularly watered and sprayed with a spray bottle.
Multi-colored tiered composition
The tiered thuja flowerbed includes varieties such as Reingold, Miki, Tiny Tim. Reingold will become the basis of the mixborder. Its shape is conical. The variety grows up to 3 meters in 30 years and has sunny soft needles. It will be perfectly complemented by several bushes of emerald Miki. They grow only up to 80 cm and are shaped like a pyramid. Tiny Tim independently takes the shape of a dense ball, which will become a clear accent in the composition. The lower tier is decorated with phlox and sedum.
spherical composition
A round object always attracts the eye. You can form a spherical composition from thujas. It will include varieties Danika, Teddy, Tim Tim. You can also land Globoza there. The composition can be diluted with aubrieta, bryozoan and a carpet of cotoneaster dummera.
Other conifers
The following types of conifers are less commonly used when creating mixborders:
- low-growing decorative varieties of cedar , differing from ordinary species not only in size, but also in slow growth. The main decoration of decorative cedar is its thick crown, which can have any shape;
- Torreya is a tree with stiff needles and fruits that resemble berries. Decorative varieties of torrei have a regular pyramidal shape and are used as the main element of the composition;
- larch is a weeping or creeping coniferous tree that is covered with wonderful flowers in the spring. There are several dozen types of decorative larch, differing in crown shape, size, and color of needles.
Do-it-yourself mixborder planning and design
A mixed flower bed is suitable for decorating garden paths
A mixed flower garden can be created almost anywhere in the garden. Mixborders are most often formed near the boundaries of the site, along the paths or walls of the house. Tall plants are better suited for landscaping fences and structures, and low-growing ones for placement in the center of the garden, as they are clearly visible from all sides. Paths, borders, stone elements and garden sculptures are used to create clear lines. They make the flowerbed complete and well-groomed.
It is important to consider the compatibility of plants. All crops for planting in the same flowerbed must equally tolerate light and shadow, this allows for high growth rates and uniform flowering
It is recommended to choose varieties adapted to the climate in the region to avoid problems due to lower temperatures. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the growing season and flowering period. All plants should bud in rows or bloom at the same time and wither at the same rate.
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What trees are not advisable to plant near the house and why?
Some representatives of the flora are not recommended to be planted near the house. Some - due to natural reasons, others - due to superstition.
Giants with powerful roots should not be placed close to buildings. Over time, the root system can develop and go so deep that it disturbs the foundation of the building. These include poplar or walnut.
It is better not to plant pine trees on the site, or to distance them as much as possible. Their features are such that they can destroy all the vegetation around them.
Plants are believed to have a certain energy. Everyone's aura is special and can give or take away strength. According to superstitions, it is undesirable to plant the following flora representatives near the house.
Birch
In fact, birch is a real protector. However, it is better to take it outside the gate and build a bench next to it. There she will not disturb the owner and will not let negativity enter the doorstep.
Aspen
Our ancestors also considered aspen an energy vampire. According to legends, she brings illness and loss. The cross of Jesus Christ was made of aspen.
Willow
Some say that whoever plants it will soon suffer death. Even if you are not a superstitious person, you should not tempt fate.
Willow
It often grows near bodies of water, but is not suitable for planting near a house. The willow tree is traditionally considered a symbol of crying and suffering; in the old days, women came to it to grieve over their difficult fate.
How to care
Like all living nature, mixborders require constant care. For a flower garden to always look beautiful, it is not enough to invite a designer to plant plants one time. It is necessary to fulfill a number of conditions under which the landscape composition will delight you with the results all season long.
Watering
The irrigation system needs to be thought through immediately
Depending on what types of plants are planted in the flower garden - moisture-loving or drought-tolerant, appropriate watering should be provided. It is worth noting that for a bright and spectacular exterior, absolutely any flowers and shrubs need watering. Only the amount of required water is adjusted. It is optimal if an automatic irrigation system is installed that provides moisture in the early morning and after sunset. Watering under the scorching rays of the sun can cause burns.
Pest treatment
To prevent plants from withering away and suffering from hordes of pests, you need to organize regular care and treatment
A large number of ornamental plants require careful attention to protection from pests. If necessary, the area is sprayed with special means to prevent the appearance of harmful insects and small animals.
Cleaning dry leaves, branches, etc.
Dry branches and foxes need to be removed
Plants need not only watering, but also feeding. In early spring and late autumn, the soil should be fertilized. Some types of plantings require more frequent feeding. To maintain aesthetic beauty, dry leaves and excess branches are removed. Shrubs that require crown formation are trimmed 1–2 times per season. Overgrown flowers are thinned out and the soil is cleared of weeds.
Mixborder is a decoration for any landscape. It perfectly decorates a gray fence or a featureless wall of a house. Located along garden paths, a flower garden will make the area more beautiful and colorful.
It is important to remember that any element of the exterior must be in harmony with the overall style. A variety of types of mixborders and plants used for planting will allow you to create an incredible composition
How to plan planting in your garden. Planning rules or how to plan a vegetable garden
In addition to the composition of the soil, the proper arrangement of those several beds that you are already “sorting out” in your imagination will help you plan your site. Here are a few rules to help you with this:
- The best location for a vegetable garden is flat terrain. In cases where the plot is located on a slope, choose the southern or southeastern part;
- Be sure to resolve the issue with irrigation systems. Innovation or automation is not important here – it’s your choice. Both large and small gardens love the availability of water, which will be more convenient for you;
- Determining the soil. Chernozem is best suited for planning a vegetable garden and getting a rich harvest. But if heavy clay predominates in the soil, you will have to refine it and bring peat, sand, or black soil itself to the site;
- If you have not yet decided how to make beds correctly and where to start, start by planning the area at a distance from the trees. They will not create shade, and at any time the soil will be warmed by the sun's rays.
Next, when we have decided on the site, in order to properly plan the garden, you need to know how to properly make the beds in the following directions:
- The beds are located from south to north if the land you own is in a lowland. Often, the soil is constantly damp, which means it needs to be warmed by the sun; From west to east, beds are planned in case of dry soil. The row spacing will be under the shade of the plants, which will retain moisture; When the ground slopes, it is better to divide the beds across; The south side is suitable for planning a vegetable garden, and the north side for a garden if the site is not initially level.
Device and location
When choosing a place for a flower garden, you must understand that areas of high dampness, continuous shadow or open space under scorching rays will not suit it. It is best to set aside an area for the mixborder where there is room for both sun and partial shade: on a slope, along a fence, near the house. A flower bed along the edges of the terrace, along the perimeter of a suburban area, near the path will look good.
In general, it would be right to create a project for the future mixborder. If you want to place it under the windows, then everything must be planned so that the plants do not end up higher than the window openings. If you choose the option along the path, then step back at least half a meter.
You can successfully form a complex flower garden around the perimeter with your own hands, provided that the mixborder pattern is intermittent. Because otherwise it is difficult to achieve such an arrangement of plants when they do not obscure each other. After all, the design is unique in that the flowers in the group are placed freely, as if flowing into each other. This naturalness is what makes a free flower garden beautiful.
The construction of a flowerbed diagram should proceed from the fact that the mixborder does not accept straight lines. Its landmark is a wavy border; the more “waves” along the edges, the more attractive the mixborder.
That is, the correct arrangement of groups of plants in your natural flowerbed is the rule of the golden ratio: one whole is divided into two parts, while the smaller part relates to the larger one as it relates to the whole. Simply put, the volume is divided into certain shares. In a natural flower garden, the wavy segments are its main charm and dignity.
We are planning landings
- Draw a plan of your site on graph paper, to scale. Format no smaller than A3. No need to sketch by hand on your knee, take accurate measurements. You will need a tape measure and an assistant.
- Mark on the site diagram all existing and planned buildings: house, barn, utility rooms, swings, gazebos, barbecue area or pool, all flower beds, compost heap. We separately note the vineyard (if there is one or planned).
- Make a copy of the site plan, for example, on tracing paper or redraw it, photocopy it, as there may be several options.
- In the entire space free from buildings and flower beds, select zones based on illumination: the sunniest places and the shady ones. To do this, take a day and look carefully at where the shadows of trees and buildings fall.
- Mark the water source.
- Choose places where you can put greenhouses or a greenhouse - these are the widest areas. Consider the distance between paths and rows. The passage for a wheelbarrow should be at least 50-60 cm; the larger the area, the greater the width of the paths you can afford. But if the plot is small, it all depends on your appetite: are you ready to make do with 30-centimeter passages between the beds or do you need more to turn around while weeding.
- If you have made a large list of planned plantings in the garden, it is better to make more narrow beds of 45-60 cm than wide meter beds.
The color scheme is also important
One of the key conditions for an organic landscape is the correct selection of plants by color. When they match each other in color, a person experiences extremely pleasant sensations when contemplating them. Depending on the chosen color scheme, a mixborder of perennials can be contrasting and, conversely, monochrome, variegated or tinted.
The simplest example is to arrange mixborders along a small fence using 2-3 colors.
If you want to make your landscape design more varied and rich, use a drawing depicting a color wheel. By choosing one color after another, you are sure to achieve harmony.
Unity of perception
A complete view of the garden takes into account many landscape elements. This means that rare bushes scattered throughout the “weave”, even the most luxurious flowers, will not create a pleasant impression. Such a “work” will look empty and frail, will not evoke the feeling of a completed composition, and will not bring the desired admiration.
It is better for the owner to choose for improvement one area that is most favorable for viewing and deal with it with the utmost care.
The purpose of beautiful flower beds is to bring aesthetic pleasure with their attractiveness and create an atmosphere of harmony and comfort. It is easier for an amateur to cope with this in one small corner than in a large area, if there is one.
The main stages of arranging a continuous flowering mixborder
First of all, you need to choose a place where the mixborder will be installed. This seemingly simple task is, in fact, very important. A mixed flower bed cannot be placed wherever you want. For perennial crops, the conditions surrounding them are very important.
Flower beds of free outlines should not be placed under the scorching rays of the sun or in damp, constantly shaded places. Everything should be in moderation. The optimal conditions for DIY perennial mixborders will be open spaces with moderate lighting.
Think carefully about where you would like to see your flower garden.
Please note the following options:. • along the facade of the house;
• along the facade of the house;
• on a slight rise;
• on the edge of the terrace;
• as a living fence around the perimeter of the entire site;
• against the background of a lawn;
• along garden paths.
The length of the mixborder is not limited, and depending on the types of plants, one part of it can be located in the sun, and the other in partial shade.
The end of flowering of one species should coincide with the beginning of flowering of another
If you are landscaping a flower garden in the fall, it is advisable to complete all transplants no later than September, so that the plants have time to take root before the onset of frost.
English mixborder is one of the most beautiful styles. This flower garden combines garden forms with large flowers and small-flowered species and varieties.
climbing roses
Climbing roses are used mainly in vertical gardening. They attract with their openwork flowering, graceful stems and variety of colors. Even a solo planting of a climbing rose can fill the garden with some charm. And if you do a group planting, the landscape design of the site will become simply fabulous and magical. Climbing roses are widely used by gardeners when decorating summer cottages. With their help, space is zoned favorably; they can be used to decorate a relaxation corner or decorate a nondescript fence.
Rose variety Cordes hybrids
One of the worthy representatives of the group of Canadian roses of the Explorer series. The bush is strong, up to 2 meters high, spreading, blooming in several waves per season. The shoots are long, light green, drooping in an arched manner under their own weight. The foliage is dense, shiny, dark, and very disease resistant. The buds are elongated, borne on the stems one at a time or in inflorescences of 3-5 (up to 12) pieces. The flowers are semi-double; when in bloom, they take the form of loose rosettes with a diameter of 6-7.5 cm with a neat bunch of stamens in the center. The petals are light crimson or pale fuchsia, the color fades slowly, gradually becoming dark pink. The plant is winter-hardy, but requires bending down the shoots and covering them.
Rose variety Dortmund
Proven variety, certified according to the ADR system. The bush is vigorous, up to 2.5-3 m in height (in the southern regions the length of shoots can reach 10 m) and up to 1.5 m in width, branched, erect, densely foliated. It blooms almost continuously from the beginning of summer until autumn frosts. The leaves are small, dark green, glossy. The shoots are very prickly and often become bare at the base. The flowers are large (up to 10-12 cm), collected in lush brushes of 5-11 pieces, non-double, with slightly wavy petals, have a rich red-cherry color with a large white “eye” and bright yellow stamens in the center. Fading flowers should be pruned to prevent fruit formation, keep the bush tidy and encourage abundant re-blooming. The plant is resistant to fungal diseases and is undemanding to soil fertility. Winter hardiness is high.
Rose variety Golden Gate
Flowers with thorns, characterized by a large number of shoots, the length of which can reach 4-4.2 m. The buds of the shrub are collected in brushes. The flowers are painted yellow. Their structure is velvety, and their diameter reaches 10 cm. Golden Gate has an amazing aroma, reminiscent of tropical fruits. Shrubs of this variety require good shelter from prolonged rains and winter frosts. The thorned plant variety is susceptible to a variety of ailments. In addition, it is often damaged by pests.
Rose variety Ilse Krohn Superior
Considered one of the best climbing white roses for cold climates, ideal for small garden spaces. The bush is vigorous, spreading, with drooping whip-like shoots up to 3 m long. The leaves are large, leathery, dark, shiny. The flowers are large, up to 13-14 cm in diameter, densely double, consisting of 75-90 petals, creamy white with a light yellowish-creamy tint in the center. They are planted on the stems one at a time or in small clusters of up to 3-5 pieces. The shape is similar to the flowers of hybrid tea varieties: they gradually open into cup-shaped oval-goblet buds. The petals are thick, dense, “waxy”; as they bloom, they elegantly bend and curl, and do not react to rain. The plant is very hardy, winter-hardy, with strong immunity, exhibits abundant, long-lasting flowering, which repeats throughout the season, but with less intensity.
Rose variety Golden Gate Sympathie
The chic bright red buds of this variety will not leave any gardener indifferent. The length of the bush can reach 3 m, and the width of the plant is in the range of 1.8-2.2 m. The flowers, collected in a small brush, can be of different diameters. Golden Gate Sympathie grows quickly and withstands negative factors. Unfortunately, the plant has a significant drawback. A large number of buds with bright petals will decorate a summer cottage only in the first year. In subsequent years, the number of buds will decrease significantly.
It is also worth noting that ground cover roses bloom for quite a long time. Starting from May and ending with the first frosts, they exude a subtle, pleasant aroma. Essentially, a ground cover rose is a mixture of a common rose and a tea rose. The plant took all the best from these two species. From the ordinary one - beautiful flowers that have a pleasant aroma, and from the tea one - endurance and resistance to frost.
Ground-blood rose variety Hallow
Low (about 50 cm), spreading bush. They are distinguished by large, densely double flowers, which during flowering change color from dark red to rich cherry. The flowers are odorless, but with the richest doubleness among ground cover roses. The variety is frost-resistant, immune, blooms profusely.
Ground-blood rose variety Svani
The bushes are tall, 75-80 cm. The crown is spreading, up to 2 m in diameter. The Svani rose stands out for its evergreen small shiny foliage and large umbrella inflorescences. Each contains up to 20 double, white with a pink center, fragrant flowers. Winter-hardy and very decorative shrub.
Ground-blood rose variety Akhtiar
A tall bush with long (1.2-1.5 m) flowing arched shoots. Large double flowers are collected in inflorescences. This landscape rose is used to create borders and green hedges, and is grown in a standard culture.
Ground-blood rose variety Ballerina
Tall, up to 2 m, bush with a rounded dense crown. Winter-hardy, drought- and disease-resistant. It blooms for a long time, continuously, until the onset of frost. Simple flowers are collected in brushes. The petals are white in the center, turning pink towards the edges. During flowering, the flowers increase in size and become somewhat lighter. They have a delicate musky aroma.
Ground rose variety Scarlet
One of the most hardy and adaptive varieties. The bushes are low, up to half a meter. The foliage is dark and glossy. The flowers are double, deep red. Blooms profusely all summer and autumn.
Read more about varieties of ground-blooded roses here