Coniferous flower beds – diagrams of beautiful flower beds with conifers and perennials
Flower beds with coniferous plants: fashionable and practical
Every owner of a personal plot strives to improve his yard. Creating different plant compositions, flower beds and gazebo decorations is only a small part of the work of creating the perfect landscape design. To properly organize flower beds of coniferous plants, it is better to follow the proven advice of professionals.
Pros and cons of a coniferous flower bed
The name implies the use of plants that belong to the coniferous species. But they are not the only components of the composition – from 10 to 30% of the plants may belong to other species.
What are the advantages of such combinations?
In addition to the aesthetic and attractive appearance, a number of advantages can be noted:
- Nice smell. A slightly tart, but at the same time quite persistent aroma soothes.
It does not require special care. In addition, the cost of such flower beds will be lower than flower beds or completely deciduous ones. - Minimally susceptible to pests and diseases. The smell of spruce or thuja is unpleasant for most harmful insects, so the likelihood that they will eat your flowerbed is minimal. In addition, they secrete phytoncides that prevent the development of diseases.
- They are pleasing to the eye all year round. Unlike other types of plants, they do not shed their leaves, so beautiful flower beds with conifers look attractive in winter and summer.
- Combines with almost all plants.
It is also worth noting that such flower beds will fit perfectly into any landscape design and size of the garden plot. Therefore, you don’t have to worry that your new purchase will distort or ruin the exterior.
Disadvantages of coniferous flower beds: prepare in advance
Like any other plants, they require at least minimal care: fertilizer and pruning. In addition, it is worth considering that:
- If your climate includes frequent windy weather, you will definitely need to further strengthen the plantings. With strong gusts of wind, young coniferous trees may not stay in the soil. This threatens to damage the stem and root system.
- A real lightning bait. Because these plants have higher resin content, they ignite more easily in high temperatures and attract lightning in stormy weather.
- Soil oxidation. Any plants belonging to the coniferous species acidify the soil over time – this must be taken into account when choosing plants for coniferous flower beds in front of the house.
Despite these disadvantages, remember that any plant without proper care will look inappropriate. Compared to other plants, conifers require less care, but this does not mean that it can not be done at all.
Options for creating compositions of coniferous flower beds: which ones exist?
There are a number of ready-made solutions that you can use as a starting point when creating your design.
Only conifers. The best option for those who do not want to rack their brains over soil selection and care – for such plants it will be almost the same.
Add mulch or crushed stone. First, the soil is covered with a special black agrofibre, and bark mulch or small stone is laid on top of it. The advantage is the preservation of moisture, but there are also disadvantages: it is difficult to remove fallen needles, and if one of the plants becomes infected, everything will have to be redone.
Stone garden. The idea itself is somewhat similar to the Japanese style: flower beds with conifers and perennials are placed among stones and cobblestones of different sizes. The advantage is that you don’t have to do any cleaning and it’s easy to water. The main thing is to choose the right arrangement of decorative elements so that you don’t end up with a pile of stones instead of a harmonious flower bed.
Needles + leaves. For those who love not only ordinary, but also coniferous flower beds, schemes for combining different types of plants can be found on the Internet. It is better to choose bright flowers to dilute a monochromatic green composition, or shrubs of a rich light green color.
Let’s use contrast. There are different types of vegetation that change color depending on the season. This is worth taking advantage of to create an exquisite landscape design on your site. For example, you can use:
- barberries – red and brown shades;
- spirea – green, white or pink, yellow – depending on the season;
- bulbous – tulips or daffodils.
When choosing a ready-made option, even if you plan to modify it, you need to take into account the location of your site. It is better to place young seedlings in a little shade, but already grown species, on the contrary, require sun. Also consider whether you have the time and desire to weed, care for mulch, water and fertilize – based on these data, you should choose plants.
An evergreen flowerbed made of conifers is an opportunity to create an exclusive design element for your backyard for many years to come. Planted plants will delight the eye all year round.