Spruce is a fairly large tree and this is precisely what becomes the main reason that not many are ready to grow it in their areas. At the same time, artificial control of growth and the choice for planting dwarf forms can simplify the task, as a result of which the "conifer" will be an excellent addition to the existing decorative vegetation. How exactly spruce is used in landscaping when decorating home gardens and with which plants it will be combined best of all - read in this article.
The use of spruce in landscape design
Planting spruce for decorative purposes is possible due to several successful "roles" of the tree. So, it can be used as a tapeworm, planted on the border of the site in the form of a hedge, and even combined with other trees in voluminous plant compositions. Of course, in order to achieve the most positive result, in each of these cases it is worth adhering to certain rules for the design of the site using spruce trees.
Some gardeners successfully grow it within the Alpine slide, while others even build dry streams with its participation.
Like a tapeworm
Tapeworms are called freestanding trees, shrubs or tall grasses on a site that look especially good against the background of open space or separately located flower beds.
Coniferous tapeworms (including spruce) are best planted next to the overall walls of buildings, fences or decorative paths, although in the latter case, it is worth giving preference to dwarf varieties that will not greatly cover buildings. Having landed several solitaires in one row at once, you can get a beautiful green alley, appropriate even in small areas.
Important! In order not to spoil the appearance of the territory and not create a sense of neglect of the site, it is necessary to leave a little free space between neighboring plants, and not necessarily the same. The main task is to achieve maximum decorativeness and provide hassle-free care for planted plants.
Hedge
A spruce hedge will look good on the border with a neighboring site or in cases where you need to divide your own territory into several separate zones. For these purposes, four-year-old seedlings or mature trees, but necessarily dwarf varieties, are perfect for the role of planting material. Usually it is better to plan their landing in the fall, while using a site with wet and loose soil.
In addition, you first need to pull a strong thread for reference, and already mark the places for organizing landing holes on it. To make the “live” fence quite thick and beautiful, it is best to leave 1-1.5 m between neighboring plants, and at the end of planting, seedlings should be sprinkled with peat and compost, while tamping the surface well.
Songs
Coniferous compositions are another usually successful addition to the homestead territory, the main thing is to choose suitable neighbors for the spruce. In most cases, they will be other representatives of coniferous vegetation, in particular, fir and pine. At the same time, it is not necessary to plant them in open soil: young trees look good in pots arranged in a certain sequence. In this case, it is always worth considering the size of the plants, because for fast-growing spruce trees the closed space will soon become insufficient and they will still have to be transplanted to an open area.
Some gardeners prefer to combine small Christmas trees with flower arrangements, but in order to achieve maximum decorativeness, it is advisable to choose meadow or mountain flowers that will visually correspond to the conifers by type.
Did you know? The custom to celebrate the New Year near the decorated spruce was introduced by Tsar of the Russian Empire Peter the Great, who lived in 1672–1725.
Alpine hill
When organizing alpine hills, dwarf varieties of spruce are actively used, which will also be appropriate for the design of the shores of artificial streams and rockeries. Slides that combine plants with different shades of needles or varieties planted next to deciduous or evergreen perennials will look great. For example, slides that combine Glauka Globosa spruce, mountain pine and horizontal juniper look good.
Dry creek
Dry streams are one of the most striking, original additions to any territory, so they are often used in landscape design. The organization of such places requires very little time and money, because in fact, you only need to create a semblance of real creek from stones and pebbles. Coniferous trees are planted along its winding shores, although, as in many other cases, it is better to choose dwarf pines and spruces that do not cover the stream itself.
Important! When organizing a dry stream, stones should be shifted relative to each other, choosing both flat and wide specimens, as well as smaller ones. Their combination with each other helps to create the effect of movement, as is the case with a real stream.
The use of this design is considerable: it will not only serve as an attractive addition to the summer cottage (albeit small), but also visually increase its area, while concealing relief defects. How and where to place spruce trees in such conditions - each gardener decides on his own, in the same way as he determines the distance between neighboring plants.
What plants is combined with spruce
Dwarf and ordinary varieties of fir trees can be used in landscaping along with a variety of plants, ranging from shrubs to herbs or even flowers. Some of them are more suitable for planting along with conifers, while others will not look so attractive, but in any case, before performing planting work, it is worth considering the possibility of a variety of options for combining vegetation.
Shrubs
Together with golden fir trees, shrubby shapes like a fiery red fan maple will look best, evergreen rhododendrons, variegated euonymus, other bright shrub plants or small trees.
Important! Near coniferous trees it will not be very «conveniently», therefore, apple trees, cherries and other popular summer cottages are best placed away from firs and pines (this will prevent violations in the development of each species).
When creating a group, it is worth choosing them so that at least one of the varieties is characterized by excellent seasonal flowering, and also take care of the alternation of crops. Fruit shrubs are rarely used in landscape design, but, if necessary, you can plant a spruce next to the gooseberry.
Flowers
Hydrangeas, callas, ferns, daylilies, lilacs, forsythia and anaphalis, which during flowering look great against the background of rich green spruce plantations, will be a good addition for fir trees in flower rockeries or just in separate floral arrangements. This also applies to blooming prickly roses, but only if you agree to artificially control the acidity of the soil under the flowers (coniferous trees significantly oxidize the soil, which may undesirably affect individual flower crops).
In order for the floral arrangement with the participation of spruce to look beautiful and harmonious, it is worth following a few basic recommendations for planting:
- If the composition contains only three main components, then it is worth focusing on only two main colors.
- Five-element flower arrangements allow for the presence of three monochromatic plants.
- In the case of designing a composition with 25 elements or even more components, you can combine them into groups of 3 copies, selecting flower cultures in one group according to a single color attribute.
In any of these situations, the spruce will be used as a background plant, but it will be possible to supplement its rich green color due to the bright colors of flower crops.
Herbaceous plants
When creating a plant base for flower beds and rockeries, grassy plants are often used, therefore, when planting fir trees on the site, they can be combined with cereals and ferns. Of the ground cover plants in this case, phlox, thyme, bryozoan, creeping tenacious, sedum would be appropriate. Alternatively, weeping forms of common spruce can be placed on the plot, grafted onto a very low stem or into the root neck of the more common form of this tree.
Silver spruce and juniper mix well, so the latter is also often used as a background base for floral arrangements. The arrangement of flower beds using coniferous plants often provides up to 12 design options, therefore, other types of herbs can also be planted, the main thing is that the selected plants get along well with conifers and favorably allocate spruce on the site.
Be that as it may, but almost any kind of spruce can be an excellent decoration for a summer cottage or a large adjoining territory. The main requirement is to choose the right "neighbors" and place the plants in the most favorable sequence for them. Professional landscape designers can help with this.
