Spruce is light green. Decorative Christmas trees: description of types and options for use in landscape design

Our grandmothers, growing strawberries, or strawberries, as we used to call them, were not particularly worried about mulching. But today this agricultural practice has become fundamental in achieving High Quality berries and reduce crop losses. Some might say it's troublesome. But practice shows that labor costs in this case pay off handsomely. In this article, we suggest that you get acquainted with the nine best materials for mulching garden strawberries.

Succulents are very versatile. Despite the fact that “babies” have always been considered more fashionable, it is worth taking a closer look at the assortment of succulents with which you can decorate a modern interior. After all, colors, sizes, patterns, degree of pricklyness, influence on the interior are just a few of the parameters by which you can choose them. In this article, we will talk about the five most fashionable succulents that surprisingly transform modern interiors.

Mint was used by the Egyptians as far back as 1.5 thousand years BC. It has a strong aroma due to the high content of various essential oils with high volatility. Today, mint is used in medicine, perfumery, cosmetology, winemaking, cooking, ornamental gardening, and the confectionery industry. In this article, we will consider the most interesting varieties of mint, and also talk about the features of growing this plant in open ground.

People began to grow crocuses 500 years before the advent of our era. Although the presence of these flowers in the garden is fleeting, we always look forward to the return of the heralds of spring next year. Crocuses - one of the earliest primroses, whose flowering begins as soon as the snow melts. However, the timing of flowering may vary depending on the species and varieties. This article focuses on the earliest varieties of crocuses that bloom in late March and early April.

Shchi from early young cabbage in beef broth is hearty, fragrant and easy to prepare. In this recipe, you will learn how to cook delicious beef broth and cook light cabbage soup with this broth. Early cabbage cooks quickly, so it is placed in the pan at the same time as the rest of the vegetables, unlike autumn cabbage, which takes a little longer to cook. Ready cabbage soup can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Real cabbage soup is tastier than freshly cooked.

Looking at the variety of varieties of tomatoes, it is difficult not to get confused - the choice is very wide today. Even experienced gardeners he is annoying sometimes! However, it is not so difficult to understand the basics of selecting varieties “for yourself”. The main thing is to understand the peculiarities of culture and start experimenting. One of the easiest tomato groups to grow are varieties and hybrids with limited growth. They have always been appreciated by those gardeners who do not have much time and energy to care for the beds.

Once very popular under the name of room nettle, and then forgotten by everyone, coleuses today are one of the brightest garden and indoor plants. They are not in vain considered stars of the first magnitude for those who are looking primarily for non-standard colors. Easy to grow, but not so undemanding as to suit everyone, coleus require constant supervision. But if you take care of them, bushes of velvety unique leaves will easily outshine any competitor.

Salmon backbone baked in Provence herbs is a “supplier” of delicious pieces of fish pulp for a light salad with fresh wild garlic leaves. Mushrooms are lightly fried in olive oil, and then poured with apple cider vinegar. Such mushrooms are tastier than ordinary pickled ones, and they are better suited for baked fish. Ramson and fresh dill coexist perfectly in one salad, emphasizing the flavor of each other. Garlic sharpness of wild garlic will saturate both the flesh of salmon and pieces of mushrooms.

A coniferous tree or shrub on the site is always great, and many conifers are even better. Emerald needles of various shades decorate the garden at any time of the year, and phytoncides and essential oils, secreted by plants, not only flavor, but also make the air cleaner. As a rule, most zoned adult conifers are considered to be very unpretentious trees and shrubs. But young seedlings are much more capricious and require competent care and attention.

Sakura is most often associated with Japan and its culture. Picnics in the shade flowering trees have long been an integral attribute of the meeting of spring in the Land of the Rising Sun. Financial and academic year here begins on April 1, when the magnificent sakura blossoms. Therefore, many significant moments in the life of the Japanese pass under the sign of their flowering. But sakura also grows well in cooler regions - certain types can be successfully grown even in Siberia.

It is very interesting for me to analyze how people's tastes and preferences for certain foods have changed over the centuries. What was once considered tasty and traded lost its value over time and, conversely, new fruit crops conquered their markets. Quince has been cultivated for more than 4 thousand years! And even in the 1st century BC. e. about 6 varieties of quince were known and even then the methods of its reproduction and cultivation were described.

Make your family happy and make themed Easter egg-shaped cottage cheese cookies! Your children will be happy to take part in the process - they will sift the flour, combine all the necessary ingredients, knead the dough and cut out intricate figures. Then they will watch with admiration how the pieces of dough turn into real Easter eggs, and then with the same enthusiasm they will eat them with milk or tea. How to make such original cookies for Easter, read in our step by step recipe!

There are not so many decorative and deciduous favorites among tuberous crops. And the caladium is a true star among the variegated inhabitants of the interiors. Not everyone can decide to start a Caladium. This plant is demanding, and first of all - to care. But still, the rumors about the unusual capriciousness of the Caladium never justify. Attention and care allow you to avoid any difficulties when growing caladiums. And a plant can almost always forgive small mistakes.

We have prepared a hearty, incredibly appetizing and simply elementary dish for you today. This gravy is one hundred percent universal, as it will suit every side dish: vegetables, pasta, and anything. Gravy with chicken and mushrooms will save you in moments when there is no time or you don’t want to think too much about what to cook. Grab your favorite side dish (you can make this ahead of time to keep it hot), add gravy and dinner is ready! A real lifesaver.

Among the many different varieties of these most popular vegetables, we will talk about three that are distinguished by excellent taste and relatively unpretentious growing conditions. Characteristics of eggplant varieties "Diamond", "Black Handsome" and "Valentina". All eggplants have a medium density pulp. In "Almaz" it is greenish, and in the other two it is yellowish-white. They are united by good germination and excellent yield, but at different times. Everyone's skin color and shape is different.

Tall slender spruces with a pyramidal crown are common coniferous plants forests, which can often be seen in the park area, and in urban landscaping, and among backyard landscapes. A wide variety of species and varieties, the presence of dwarf and slow-growing forms make it possible to successfully plant these plants in a flower garden, rockeries and on, in mixed compositions with other woody plants.

Types of firs

The genus Spruce (Picea) has up to 45 species, which in natural conditions grow in cold and temperate climate, on sandy and stony soils, less often in wetlands. The center of origin is considered the harsh mountainous terrain of China. Plants are quite unpretentious, drought-resistant, most of them endure the most severe winters without loss, some species are quite tolerant of excessive soil moisture and air pollution.

As soon as you decide on the type and variety of spruce, we advise you to read our article "", it will help you grow an excellent tree from a spruce seedling.

Norway spruce (Picea abies)

A large tree, growing up to 50 m in height, is characterized by a pyramidal crown with a pointed top. The branches are directed to the sides or obliquely down, raised at the ends. The needles are juicy green, glossy, tetrahedral, up to 2.5 cm long. The cones are oblong, greenish or purple in the immature state. A hardy local species distributed in the European part up to the Urals, usually does not cause problems in acquisition and care.

Acrocona (Acrocona)

Bright slow-growing variety that appeared at the end of the 19th century in Finland. The crown forms a wide pyramid, is located low, reaches a height of 4 m, with a diameter of 2.5–3 m. The young plant is compact, rounded. The difference between Acrocona is early, abundant and very colorful fruiting, immature cones of lilac-raspberry color appear in abundance at the ends of the skeletal branches and adorn the plant remarkably.

The needles are of a dark green tone, on tender hanging young growths of a grassy shade, which is a catchy contrast. An excellent choice for landscaping small gardens and solitary plantings on the lawn.

Ohlendorffii (Ohlendorffii)

Dwarf spruce with a compact crown comes from Germany. By the age of ten, it reaches 1–2 m, develops slowly, grows annually by 3–6 cm. The crown is wide, first rounded, then pyramidal, multi-topped. The branches are dense, spread out to the sides and raised at the ends, densely covered with fine green needles, sometimes with a golden hue. The variety is shade-tolerant, unpretentious, suitable for making mixborders or decorating rocky hills.

Frohburg

Swiss original weeping spruce with a straight, slender trunk. The plant is medium-sized, by the age of ten it can grow up to 2–4 m. The branches are slopingly lowered, falling to the very ground, spreading with age, forming a kind of lush plume, which looks unusual and attractive.

The needles of a light green tone, short, hard. Immature cones are greenish crimson, growths are emerald green, oblong-rounded. A stunning variety for solitary plantings, it gives a graceful vertical accent to compositions and is of interest to fans of unusual ornamental plants.

Serbian spruce (Picea omorika)

Tall tree of narrowed conical or columnar shape with a pointed top. The needles are flattened, glossy, dark green in color, marked on the wrong side with two silver-white dashes. The cones are small, bluish-black in color.

A beautiful stable species is unpretentious to soils, tolerates air pollution well, under natural conditions it is common in the mountainous terrain of the Balkan Peninsula.

Nana

The dwarf variety is characterized by a dense rounded crown in young specimens, then the crown becomes broadly conical with a pronounced pointed apex. The height of an adult plant is not more than 3.5 m and a width of about 2 m, develops in a moderate to undersized varieties pace, by ten years it reaches one and a half meters.

The main branches are directed obliquely upwards, covered with radially directed glossy emerald-colored needles with a distinct bluish tint and light stripes on the wrong side. Planted in gardens oriental type, thanks to the effective blue tint and compactness is successfully used to create contrasting woody compositions.

Peve Tijn

The undersized sport of the previous variety is selected by Dutch breeders. The cone-shaped wide crown is very dense, with a flat, dense surface. Gives growths of 5-6 cm per year, by the age of ten it reaches a little more than one and a half meters in height. The needles are golden green with a blue or silver tint. Attractive color combination it is especially pronounced on annual growths and in plants planted in open sunny areas.

Canadian spruce or gray spruce (Picea glauca)

A powerful tree reaches a height of 25-30 m, grows more moderately in culture - no higher than 10-15 m, in nature it is common in forests North America. The crown is dense, the main branches in young plants are raised, in adults they are directed downwards. The needles are dense, bluish-green. The buds are small, light green, turning brown when ripe.

Alberta Globe

A miniature round-shaped plant becomes domed in adulthood. By the age of ten, the diameter of a dense crown is about 30 cm, with annual growths of 2-3 cm, over the years, a lush conifer grows in width up to 0.7 m and reaches 1 m in height.

The needles are light green, elegant, densely covering the thick side branches, forming a bumpy continuous surface. A wonderful variety for planting in rockeries or flower beds looks good in homogeneous groups.

Conica (Conica)

The slow-growing variety of Canadian selection is distinguished by a dense conical crown. correct form. In adulthood, it grows no higher than 2 m with a width at the base of about one and a half meters. The surface is flat, dense, the branches are directed upwards. Needle elastic needles of juicy green color are located radially.

Konika does not need shaping pruning, it is wonderful for arranging mixborders, decorating rocky hills and growing in containers. The plant is stable, prefers sparse penumbra, growths are prone to spring burns.

Sanders Blue (Sander's Blue)

Spruce Canadian variety Sanders Blue (Sander's Blue)

The famous blue variety is one of the best in its color group. It develops slowly, growing by 4–5 cm per year. By the age of ten, it reaches 0.7 m in height and 1.3–1.5 m in diameter. The crown is conical, regular, becomes loose in shading.

The needles are bright, fresh silver-blue in color, on young growths of a more saturated color, on old branches - bluish-green, which makes the surface seem unevenly colored, which is especially noticeable on specimens growing in the shade. Sometimes reversions can appear - completely green branches that in early spring carefully cut at the trunk so as not to spoil the overall impression.

Engelman spruce or weeping spruce (Picea engelmanii)

Slender conifers up to 50 m high in nature grow on poor soils of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The crown is cone-shaped, wide, with sloping branches, covered with sharp bluish-green needles on growths, darkening at the base of the branches. The cones are small, oblong-conical, up to 7 cm long, burgundy before maturation.

Bush Leys (Bush's Lace)

A beautiful unusual variety with a straight trunk and a pyramidal loose crown. The young plant actively produces growths - 20-30 cm per year, growing up to 7 m in height and about 1.8 m in diameter. The skeletal branches are raised at the base, drooping at the ends, the lower branches lie on the ground, forming a lush plume.

The main color is bluish-green, spectacular large increments are bright, contrasting, silver-blue. It looks best alone in open areas, in the shade it loses its color saturation and attractive shape, growing unevenly.

Snake

A tall tree with a sparse crown and bluish-green needles, silvery in growths. Skeletal branches practically without lateral branching, characterized by an increase from the top, horizontally directed, prostrate, slightly raised at the ends. A rare variety, mainly grown by lovers of the exotic, magnificent as a tapeworm, it adds sophistication to oriental and rocky gardens.

Prickly or blue spruce (Picea pungens)

A species common in culture, beautiful and frost-resistant, tolerates air pollution well. It is distributed in the mountainous areas of North America, grows up to 30–40 m in height, is characterized by a dense, broadly pyramidal crown, evenly developed. Skeletal branches are directed horizontally, spread out and raised at the ends.

Young shoots are bright brown, bare. The needles are gray, with age it becomes more and more green. The advantage of the species is its tolerance to excess moisture and the ability to develop well in lowland areas.

Hermann Naue

A dwarf spectacular variety of a cushion shape, without a pronounced central stem, with numerous lateral branches directed in different directions. By the age of ten, a compact plant reaches half a meter in height and up to 0.7 m in diameter. The needles are bluish-gray, bright. Numerous oblong cones of light brown color, appear in many at the ends of the shoots at an early age and serve as a wonderful decoration.

The Blues (The Blues)

A stunning blue sport of Glauca Pendula. The plant is medium-sized - no higher than 2.5 m and up to 1 m in diameter, with a straight stem and a drooping top. The branches are horizontally spread, the ends are directed downwards. The needles are long, silver-blue, as if covered with hoarfrost, growths are bright blue. Successfully grafted onto the trunk.

Hoopsi (Hoopsii)

The classic form of gray spruce was bred in the USA in 1958. The lush beauty does not require a huge plot, in maturity it grows up to 10–12 m and no more than 3–4 m in width. It develops quickly - 15-20 cm per year, the branches are strong and resilient, do not break during snowfalls. The crown is harmonious, pyramidal, with open, densely packed skeletal branches and multiple lateral branches, diversified.

The needles are large, up to 2.5 cm long, saturated blue in color, light blue on growths. Small purple buds serve as an additional color accent. Looks great in a single planting and alleys, as well as in multi-colored compositions of conifers.

Black spruce (Picea mariana)

A large tree with a narrow pyramidal crown, under natural conditions it grows up to 20–30 m, in culture it does not exceed 3 m by the age of ten. The needles are short, bluish-green, dense. Twigs are brick-brown, covered with reddish pubescence. The winter-hardy, unpretentious species does not differ in huge selection diversity, numbering only 6-7 varieties.

Nana

A dwarf plant is characterized by a dense rounded flattened crown with a flat surface. The main branches are horizontally directed, completely covered with lateral diversified branches. It develops slowly, growing at 3-5 cm per year. In adulthood, it reaches no more than half a meter in height and about 1 m in diameter.

The needles are short, bluish-green, on the shoots of the current year of a spectacular bright green color, contrasting. An unpretentious compact variety will serve as a wonderful element of a flower garden and rockery, grows well in a container culture.

Aurea (Aurea)

By the age of ten, a slow-growing pyramidal tree grows no higher than 1.5–2 m, then growth accelerates, and an adult plant reaches 5–7 m. The branches are open, drooping at the ends, densely covered with short needles of a bluish-green tone with cream tips. Growths are much lighter, golden yellow. The elegant ephedra looks great both in colorful heterogeneous compositions and as a tapeworm.

Siberian spruce (Picea obovata)

A slender spruce with a narrow cone-shaped crown growing low from the ground is considered one of the most resistant species. The growing shoots are light brown in color, with slight pubescence. Glossy needles are sharp, up to 3 cm long, dark green. The species is in many ways similar to European spruce, but develops more slowly, reaching a height of no more than 35 m. Distributed in forests and mountainous areas of Siberia, China, Mongolia and northern Europe.

Glauca (Var. glauca)

A medium-sized variation with a pyramidal crown 10–12 m high grows intensively - 20–25 cm per year. Skeletal branches are widely spread, directed obliquely upwards, the central stem is even, pronounced. The needles are elastic, linear-needle-shaped, tetrahedral, silver-blue, very effective. Glauka is highly frost-resistant, unpretentious and quite shade-tolerant. It is used as a tapeworm, for group plantings and laying alleys.

Eastern spruce (Picea orientalis)

A common species grows in the mountainous terrain of the Caucasus and northern Turkey. The tree is large, up to 60 m in height. The dense pyramidal crown is symmetrically developed, with branches raised at the base, sloping at the ends. It grows up to 20 cm per year, young trees develop much more slowly.

The needles are short, hard, dense green tone. Cones of a catchy reddish-purple hue, oblong narrowed shape, 6–8 cm in size. Spruce prefers light soils, does not develop well on heavy soils, freezes slightly in harsh dry winters.

Nutans (Nutans)

A beautiful tree in the form of an uneven pyramid, formed by unevenly growing branches, horizontally spread and raised at the ends. Lateral branches droop. At first it grows moderately, in adulthood it grows more intensively, growing at 20–30 cm per year. Mature trees can reach 18–20 m in height, with a diameter of 7–9 m.

The needles are needle-like, very dense and short, about 1 cm long, dark green, glossy. Young shoots are bright green. Immature buds are showy, reddish-purple, mature buds are brown. A fairly large conifer requires sufficient space, usually grown in a single planting.

Aureospicata (Aureospicata)

The magnificent Oriental spruce was obtained by German breeders at the end of the 19th century. A medium-sized tree in adulthood reaches 10–15 m, characterized by a wide pyramidal crown, slightly loose. The lowered branches are unevenly arranged, raised at the ends, the side branches hang down beautifully.

The needles are thin, very short, dark green. Greenish-yellow bright growths, as well as small raspberry-colored cones, give the ephedra a special attraction. An elegant tree is rightfully considered one of the best representatives of the species.

Spruce mariorika (Picea x mariorika)

Obtained by crossing black and Serbian spruce in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century, a few, but very interesting varieties were later bred. Represents large plant up to 30 m high, with a wide pyramidal crown. The branches are horizontally directed, covered with flat bluish-green needles, with distinctive silvery stripes on the wrong side. Cones are small - up to 5 cm long, in an immature form of purple color.

Machala

Czech dwarf variety, up to half a meter high and about 1 m wide, cushion-shaped. The branches are diversified, horizontal, dense, raised from the base. Prickly needles up to 1.5 cm long, silver-blue in color, lighter from the inside. The origin remains the subject of heated debate - various sources claim that interesting variety obtained not from Serbian spruce, but from Jezek or, according to another version, Sitka.

Jezo or Ayan spruce (Picea jezoensis)

A wonderful coniferous tree, reaching 30–50 m in height in nature, grows no higher than 8–10 m in culture by the age of thirty. Under natural conditions, the species is distributed on Far East and the Korean Peninsula, in China and Japan, it is considered extremely winter-hardy, grows near rivers, loves sprinkling of the crown, shade-tolerant.

The crown is pyramidal, the skeletal branches are directed obliquely upwards. Flat needles up to 1.5–2 cm long, blunt or with a small point, dark green, with bluish-white stripes below, last up to 10 years. The needles fit snugly to the twigs, tend to bulge in good light, which gives the plant a light silvery tone. Cones are oval-oblong, up to 8 cm long, purple-crimson or light green when unripe.

Nana Kalous

Dwarf squat plant without a pronounced central conductor, rounded, about 1 m in diameter. Skeletal branches are evenly spaced, directed horizontally and obliquely upwards, lateral branches are short, growing in abundance. Tousled needles with a bluish underside are bright, attractive. Very nice shape, looks good on alpine slides, in the foreground of mixborders.

Groups of spruce varieties by growth strength

Under natural conditions, the vast majority of spruce species are large trees up to 30–50 m high. Over hundreds of years of cultural cultivation, breeders have obtained luxurious tall varieties of ideal proportions, as well as many very decorative medium-sized and dwarf forms.

Undersized varieties

Blue Pearl (Blue Pearl)

Dwarf conifer with a rounded crown, which eventually becomes cushion-shaped or wide-conical. By the age of ten, it reaches half a meter in height and 0.8 m in diameter, grows slowly - 2–3 cm per year.

The branches are dense, multidirectional, the lateral branches are located vertically, forming a convex textured surface. The needles are radially arranged, stiff and prickly, bluish-blue in tone, creating an attractive contrast with the red bark of the shoots.

Lucky Strike

A charming dwarf Christmas tree with a pyramidal crown reaches 1.2 m in height and 0.8 m in diameter by the age of 10, and in adulthood does not exceed 2 m. Dense branches are unevenly arranged, directed horizontally or obliquely upwards. The glossy needles are dark green, the growths are bright, yellowish. Purple cones appear early and in abundance, they are large, directed vertically, turning brown and drooping over time.

Goblin

The attractive dwarf form of the common spruce resembles a bright green lush tussock. The central conductor is not pronounced, short skeletal branches are covered with many vertically directed side branches, completely covered with short sticking needles of a juicy green hue, especially bright on young growths.

It develops slowly, growing at 2–2.5 cm per year, and reaches a height of 0.4 m by the age of ten. The variety was obtained from the well-known cushion variety Nidiformis (Nidiformis).

Medium-sized varieties

Kruenta

The stunning "red" variety of Norway spruce is winter hardy and drought tolerant. It develops at a moderate pace, by the age of ten it reaches 2–4 m. The crown is dense, regular pyramidal in shape, with skeletal branches obliquely raised upwards and drooping side branches.

A notable feature is large purple-crimson growths, which eventually acquire a green color. Immature buds are bright, raspberry-lilac. A spectacular combination of crimson and green tones makes this conifer exceptionally elegant, invariably attracting the eye.

Pendula Bruns (Pendula Bruns)

The original medium-sized plant, growing up to 4–5 m tall, rarely up to 10 m, develops at a moderate pace - annually 7–10 cm in height and about 3 cm in width. The crown is narrowed, about 1.2–1.7 m in diameter, with a straight central conductor, curved upward to varying degrees. The branches are directed downwards, pressed against the trunk and slightly raised at the ends, growing from the ground itself, forming a wide dense plume.

Spiny narrow needles of dark green color, on the wrong side with two silvery stripes. Cones are small, reddish-purple when unripe. To maintain a spectacular even and narrow shape, the trunk is tied up until it reaches a height of 1.5–2 m. The variety does not develop well on too moist, dense soils.

Christmas Blue

A slow-growing tree in adulthood reaches a height of 3–4 m with a width of about 1.5–2 m in diameter. The main difference is ideal proportions conical crown with a flat surface. Skeletal branches are directed horizontally, evenly covered with lateral branches growing in different directions.

The needles are elastic, radially arranged, silver-blue, exceptionally pure tone. Grows best in open areas, successfully grown in groups and to create dense blue hedges.

Tall varieties

Iseli Fastigiata (Iseli Fastigiata)

A beautiful prickly spruce grows up to 10–12 m, the growth rate is intensive - about 20 cm per year, reaches 3 m by the age of ten. The crown is neat, harmonious conical in shape, does not tend to grow too much, the base width of an adult tree is about 3 m. up, lateral branches and increments are directed vertically.

The needles are bluish-green, of a pleasant fresh tone, in sunny areas the blue tint appears more strongly. One of the best tall, narrow varieties that allows you to successfully grow a luxurious blue spruce even in a limited space.

Columnaris (Columnaris)

High natural form Norway spruce is found wild in the Scandinavian countries. The narrow columnar crown is formed by short skeletal branches and horizontally arranged side branches densely covered with dark green glossy needles.

The plant is large, reaches 12–17 m in adulthood, develops rapidly, gives growths of up to 30 cm per year. Young trees tend to freeze and burn in the sun. Used to create alleys and solitary planting.

Video about the variety of species and varieties of spruces

Various varieties of spruces are widely used in landscaping areas, for decorating front porches, arranging dense emerald or blue hedges, single or group plantings, in mixborders and rockeries. Incredible varietal diversity will not only satisfy the most fastidious demand, but also can seriously captivate the gardener, turning him into a passionate collector of wonderful evergreens.

Gardening is a wonderful art. Along with fine arts, architecture and music, it brings a sense of beauty, gives happiness and harmony in the soul. And, it would seem, everything has already been said about gardens: which plants to plant in the shade, which in the sun, which can be combined with each other, and which not. But there will always be something amazing that you have not tried to work with before - for example, bumps! Try using coniferous plants with cones of different colors in your garden design - and you will be surprised at the result!

Inspiration for the gardener
Did you know that the cones of coniferous plants come in absolutely amazing colors and shades? They will become a real source of inspiration and creativity for the gardener! The leaves will fall, the flowers will wither, the lawn will wither, but the needles and cones will decorate your garden all year round, even from under the snow.

Of course, we are talking only about those trees that have life form no more than 2–4 m high (why do we need cones that we will not see or see in the litter)?

I will tell you about the most beautiful cones - year-round garden decorations.

Prickly spruce
Spruce cones appear in different ages, while in the forest and in dense plantings much later, and on open spaces- before. The color of the cone changes during maturation. Spruce cones always hang down and fall off entirely.

Most decorative varieties spruces are presented below.

Push
The Push spruce variety has the most charming buds of a soft pink color, which eventually changes to raspberry-purple, and when ripe, the buds turn red-violet-brown. Cones appear at the ends of young shoots at 6–9 years of age.
Photo: El Push

The height of the plant at the age of 10 years is only 0.5 m, the maximum height is 1 m. Prickly spruce of the Push variety is often grafted onto a trunk. In this case, the height depends on the height of the stem, and then such a tree no longer grows.

Akron
The Akron variety has exceptionally beautiful large cones, which are located in groups or singly at the ends of the shoots. The shape is cylindrical. The color of the cones is red and bright purple, the ripe cones are light brown.

The height of this conical asymmetric spruce is 2.5–3 m, it grows slowly. Often the branches lie on the ground.

What is especially good about the Akron variety is that cones appear even in young plants.

Lucky Strike
Prickly spruce variety Lucky Strike impresses with the beauty and size of its cones: at first they are lilac-red, with time they become light brown, 10–15 cm long.

The height of an adult plant does not exceed 1–2 m. At the age of 10, its height does not exceed 1.2 m, and its diameter is 1.5 m.

Belobok
The cones of the prickly spruce variety Belobok are very attractive: the male ones are brownish-brown, and the female ones are red. When ripe, they turn green, and then turn brown. The length of the cone is 5–10 cm.

The height of an adult blue spruce is 1–2 m.

Korean fir
Fir cones are very different from spruce. While still sitting on a branch, they lose their scales, and, in the end, only a charming rod remains of them. In addition, very young specimens of plants are also covered with cones. Fir cones always stick up vertically.

The most decorative varieties of Korean fir are presented below.

Blauer Pfif
Small charming cones of the Blauer Pfif variety will not leave anyone indifferent. They have a blue-violet color and the shape of a "barrel". The plant reaches a height of 1–2 m.

Bonsai Blue
The Bonsai Blue variety, already at a young age, is abundantly sprinkled with expressive blue-violet buds. Plant height 0.5 m.

Molly
Charming purple cones-candles of the Molly variety sticking up sticking up will become a real decoration of your garden. Their length is 5 cm. The height of the plant in adulthood is 3–4 m.

Blue Magic
The Korean Blue Magic fir variety is strewn with elliptical buds from an early age. Cones pointing vertically upwards are blue-violet and purple-violet in color until ripe, but then turn brown with a slight purple tint.

Plant height 0.8–1 m, maximum in adulthood - 2.5 m.

Partners
Win-win partners for conifers that can emphasize the beauty of their cones and not cause trouble with care are barberry, Japanese spirea, hosta and stonecrop.

Features of care
Cones of coniferous trees do not require special care and guardianship.

The plants themselves should be fed (on melted snow in spring), watered in extreme heat, pinched for splendor and “silhouette”, covered from the scorching rays of the sun in spring.

Decorative Christmas trees in the landscape of a personal plot and summer cottages have become increasingly popular in recent years. Such trees fit perfectly into the landscape design of plots of different sizes, and a description of their species and varieties will allow you to choose the most suitable option for your garden.

Decorative fir trees in landscape design

Green spruce and dwarf or low-growing pine can bring the missing color depth, interesting volume and original shape, giving the backyard space a fabulous atmosphere and unusually comfortable atmosphere.

Choosing a place and landing rules

Almost all varieties decorative firs belong to the category of unpretentious plants, but in order to get a complete composition and maintain the health of the conifer, you need to choose the right site for landing:

• when determining a place for planting a Christmas tree, you need to remember that the features of the root system make the plant less resistant to gusts of strong wind. This feature is due to the ability of the gradual death of the tap root and the retention of the plant in the soil with the help of superficial roots;
• preference should be given to well-lit areas, which is especially important when planting plants with multi-colored needles. When growing such a conifer in strong shading, the decorative coloring of not only the needles, but also the cones is quickly lost. Among other things, in this case, the annual increase may decrease;
• A significant part of Christmas trees prefer areas with acidic or slightly acidic soils for active growth. Loams or sandy loamy soils are optimally suited, having good air exchange and water permeability, and also characterized by a small amount of organic components. Soils with high level friability and excessively heavy earth must first be improved by adding a sufficient amount of clay or sand.

special attention require the size of the plant, since quite often the height of the Christmas tree becomes very significant with age, and an ordinary young, completely low coniferous culture turns into a real giant.

The rules for planting conifer seedlings are as follows:

• you can plant a conifer in the autumn, starting from the second half of September, as well as in early spring, after sufficient thawing of the soil;
• seedlings from containers, with a closed root system, can be planted at almost any time of the year;
• in preparation landing pit it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the root system of the plant, and for planting young trees it is enough to prepare a hole measuring 60x80 cm;
• the average distance between the pits may vary depending on the species characteristics of the crop, but for tall varieties, you need to adhere to a distance of 3.0-5.0 m, for medium-sized ones, 3.0 m is enough, and dwarf and undersized crops need to be planted with a distance of 0, 5-1.0 m;
• at the bottom of the landing pit, you need to fill up a drainage layer from a brick battle, on top of which a forest or garden soil with the addition of compost or humus;
• installed in a hole root system ephedra together with an earthen clod should be carefully sprinkled with soil and tamped a little.

It must be remembered that the root neck of the plant should not be buried in the ground. It must be level with the soil. At the final stage of planting, the young conifer is fixed to the support pegs, after which it is plentifully watered with not too cold water. At the time of planting, it is allowed to apply top dressing in the form of 100-150 g of nitroammophoska, which minimizes the need for fertilizer application in the next two to three years.

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Composition options

Most often, spruces in the backyard landscape are used as a decorative frame for garden paths and paths, and also serve original decoration alpine hills. It must be remembered that dwarf coniferous trees can be quite successfully combined with undersized shrubs or flowering and decorative deciduous perennials.

Fir-trees, which have a green tint of needles, go well with bright flowering crops. Conifers are characterized by unpretentiousness to soils, undemanding to care for, and are also very easy to form pruning, which allows you to create a unique hedge shape on personal plot.gray needles professional designers most often formed in the form of a square or circle. Spruce allows you to create a feeling of closeness to natural environment habitat of such a plant, perfect for solitary and group planting on lawns and in shady recreation areas.

Types and varieties of spruce (video)

Types and varieties of Christmas trees

A huge number of spruces are well known, which are perfectly adapted for growing in household plots, creating green and combined compositions, and decorating park areas. The most popular is the variety "Cruenta" or "Kruenta", as well as the variety "Nidiformis" or "Nidiformis" and the spherical "Merkii".

stunted trees

Low coniferous plants have been especially popular in our country in recent years and can be represented the following varieties:

• up to one and a half meters high "Clanbrassiana";
• with a rounded or broadly ovoid crown "Compact";
• powerful semi-dwarf "Barryi";
• unpretentious and winter-hardy "Nidiformis";
• with a uniform pin-shaped crown "Remontii";
• with a broadly ovoid, uniform crown "Compressa";
• with an uneven ovoid crown "Sapitata";
• undersized "Pachyphylla".

Dwarf cushion spruce

Cushion spruce has a very unusual and compact appearance, which allows you to make attractive and harmonious compositions with exotic plants. Popular varieties and forms:

• dwarf with short needles "Bally";
• dwarf spherical "Dan's Dwarf";
• with a nest-shaped and pressed to the ground crown "Formanek";
• flattened, cushion-shaped "Nana";
• flat creeping "Pseudoprostrata";
• cushion-shaped creeping "Pumila";
• creeping cushion "Tabuliformis";
• with a neat hemispherical "pillow" grade "Little Gem".

Medium-sized Christmas trees

• Wills Zwerg;
• "Parviformis";
• "Aurea Magnifica";
• "Aureaspica";
• "Columnaris";
• "Cranstonii".

weeping look

A separate group includes varieties that represented by forms with irregular growth processes and the formation of weeping branches:

• "Inverse";
• "Cobra";
• Virgata;
• "Pendula";
• "Acrosona";
• Reflexa;
• "Arburg";
• Frohburg;
• Lorelei;
• "Rothenhaus";
• Warburg.

tall trees

tall conifers are best suited for growing on large areas or on the periphery of the site, and can be represented by the following varieties and forms:

• "Aurea";
• "Finedonensis";
• "Inverse";
• "Pyramidata";
• "Viminalis";
• Virgata;
• Warburg.

Varieties of prickly spruce

Prickly or blue spruce is very popular in landscaping. adult blue spruce has a pyramidal shape and sharp needles up to 20-30 mm long. Representatives of this species are photophilous and very winter-hardy: "Glauca", "Iseli Fastigiata" and "Hoopsii".

How to shape spruce (video)

Description of spruce

The main or type species is represented by more than fifty garden forms. Undersized forms derived from this species reach a height of 1.2 m, and medium-sized varieties can be three meters or more high. Characteristic is a wide tint palette of coloring needles.

The first group of common spruce includes varieties with:

• columnar and pin-shaped forms;
• slightly knotted forms;
• hanging branches;
• colored needles;
• atypical shape of cones;
• atypical shape of needles;
• atypical stem.

The second group includes undersized, with a narrow pin-shaped or wide pin-shaped, as well as with a rounded crown or hanging branches of the plant. Dwarf forms of the conifer belong to the third group.

In addition to the common spruce, prickly spruce is very popular with domestic gardeners, represented by seven dozen varieties and sisayael, the collection of which includes more than two dozen decorative forms. The characteristic name is due to the ash-gray color of the bark and the bluish tint of the needles. Dwarf varieties belonging to this species have a pronounced spherical and nest-shaped crown, and tall conifers are distinguished by a cone-shaped crown. The palette of coloring needles is quite wide.

Somewhat less often in our country there is a coniferous tree Tien Shan spruce having a narrow crown. The plant is native to China. The terminal part of the branches is drooping. Domestic gardeners most often grow an ornamental variety called "Globosa".

General rules for the care of conifers

When caring for conifers, it should be remembered that such plants are unpretentious and undemanding, but when growing them, it is better to underfeed them with fertilizers than to overfeed them. Along with other gymnosperms, spruce trees prefer alkaline soils with a pH of 4.5-6.0, therefore, in order to prevent acidification, special deoxidizers should be used, and the composition on the fertilizer packaging should be carefully studied. The soil does not have to be rich in trace elements, but The main care measures are as follows:

• without soil moisture, the culture can calmly grow for several weeks, but any highly decorative varieties must be provided with weekly irrigation measures at the rate of a bucket of water per square meter;
• when watering, it is necessary to exclude the ingress of water on the aerial part of the plant;
• in order to maintain sufficient moisture and prevent rotting of the root system, it is recommended to mulch the near-stem circle with coniferous sawdust or bark;
• decorative varieties are recommended to be fed once per season with standard complex formulations and growth stimulants;
• crown formation must be carried out necessarily, which is favorable for appearance and maintaining health;
• in the spring and autumn, it is imperative to cut off all damaged, dried or diseased branches.

Almost all adult Christmas trees calmly endure winter frosts, but it is advisable to cover young plants and ornamental conifers with the onset of a severe cold snap, as well as tie up branches in order to protect them from breaking off under the weight of the snow mass.

How to plant a spruce (video)

A Christmas tree on a personal plot is not only a modern and popular element of decor, but also a plant that significantly improves the composition of the air with the help of natural phytoncides. By choosing the right variety, and correctly planning the area for growing, you can make the landscape elegant and original.