Suburban Area Decoration: Flower Beds, Borders, Mixborders

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

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Flower bed

Flower beds are the most expensive and time consuming of all forms of landscaping. They are placed in the most prominent places - in the front garden, along the fences or instead of them. In this case, they are guided by a number of rules.

The size of the flower garden should be proportional to the size of the landscaped area, structures and residential buildings. The attractiveness of flower beds is increased if they are located against the background of a uniform green lawn and are bordered by an elegant border.

Gardener's guide

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Any flower bed is an ensemble of annual and perennial flowers and ornamental shrubs developed over time. It is created according to the taste and capabilities of the owner.

When planning a flower bed, land owners first of all think about the beauty and splendor of flowering. The complexity of the configuration of the flower bed is determined by the imagination of the owner and the capabilities of the site.

Flowerbeds can be of the most diverse shapes - square, rectangular, triangular, oval and completely irregular. Regular flower beds are only appropriate for large formal gardens. For most informal summer cottages, irregular flower beds are used.

Since flower beds are the main decoration of the site, they should correspond to the general style of the site and its decor. The assortment of plants is extremely important here. They need to be selected so that the end of flowering of some coincides with the beginning of flowering of others. Various shades of purple, pink, blue or silvery white provide excellent results in flower beds.

The silvery leaves of cmin and wormwood give a special nobility to the floral ensemble. Decorate any flower bed, especially in the shade, hosta leaves or openwork astilba leaves. Compositions of bright red begonias and creamy white leaves of a lamb give a great effect. The peak of the decorativeness of a flower bed, like any flower garden, is reached in the third - fourth year after planting.

Flowerbeds can be located in the center of the site, near the fountain, on the lawn, in the garden, behind the house. They cannot be planted with many types of flowers, otherwise they will be variegated, ugly. It is recommended to plant no more than two or three types of flowers that match each other in shape, height and color.

It is recommended to place tall plants (peonies, cannes, asters, dahlias, salvias) in the center of the flower bed. Evergreen crops are very effective here. Lower plants are located closer to the edge - according to the rank. Individual groups of plants should differ in terms of flowering time.

The flower beds can be symmetrical. Plants in them can also be arranged in a pattern, rhythmically. A feature of the flower bed is the presence of a border - a border of ground cover plants, contrasting with the lawn.

Flowerbeds planted with trendy vegetables with beautiful leaves, spicy or medicinal plants can compete with flower beds in a variety of plant shapes, colors, leaf texture. Such flower beds are an ancient and beautiful tradition.

In the early years of the garden, a small number of plants are required to create a bright flower spot. Flowerbeds can be complemented by flower containers, with the help of which you quickly get an effective arrangement. These containers can be left in the flowerbed for the winter, and annuals can be planted in them in the spring. In this case, plant at least three copies of each type of plant. Plant perennials as planned.

The season in flower beds is opened by bulbous ephemeroids - galanthuses, scillas, chionodoxes, daffodils, tulips, anemones, muscari, corydalis and primroses. They are replaced by a wide variety of biennials (viola, daisies, forget-me-nots), then herbaceous perennials (hosts, astilbe, aquilegia, poppies and many others). Blooming asters, chrysanthemums, stonecrops, dahlias, roses, heleniums delight the eye in autumn. The color scheme of the flower bed changes over time. In the second half of summer, petunias, salvias, marigolds, alyssum, lobelia begin to bloom.

A flower bed of perennials for the first two years cannot provide the desired effect. She will be admired later. During this time, the plants will take root and grow well. They will take up all the empty spaces that are inevitable in the early years. They are usually occupied by annuals. The creation of contrasting flower arrangements of red and white, blue and yellow or white, purple and orange provides a superior look for the flower beds. Harmony and elegance are created by multi-colored shades of the same color.

Give preference to plants that do not require laborious maintenance and digging up for the winter. It is enough to limit ourselves to mulching and covering the flower beds with spruce branches. Stop your choice on such plants as aquilegia, anemone, arabis, armeria, astilba, buzulnik, gailardia, carnation, heuchera, gypsophila, delphinium, dicenter, swimsuit, liatris, daylilies, hellebore, primrose, hosta and others. These plants grow without transplanting in one place for several years, they are resistant to pests.

Avoid self-propagating plants or aggressive plants that grow rapidly - lilies of the valley, solidago, falaris and evening primrose.

Flower beds require constant maintenance. The first time after planting, the flower bed must be watered daily to ensure constant soil moisture. The soil in a flowerbed requires constant loosening to retain moisture and remove weeds. Cutting peduncles after flowering in delphiniums and phloxes causes secondary flowering at the end of summer. For tall plants, you need to put supports in advance. Peduncles need to be tied to them so that they do not break from the wind and under the weight of the inflorescences.

Border

The curb is a narrow planting of low ornamental plants. It can be single-row, double-row and multi-row. The purpose of the border is to create an elegant edging, to emphasize the individuality of any flower garden, lawn, flower bed, group of plants. It usually contrasts in color, texture of plants, creates clear neat edges.

To create a border, you can use herbaceous plants - ayuga, undersized marigolds, subulate phlox, primroses, hosts, stonecrops, small-bulbous crops. Low bushes are good as a lawn curb, creating solid, stable lines. Plants in the border are characterized by the length of flowering and the preservation of bright leaves.

The border serves to give a finished look to any shape of a flower garden or lawn. The decorativeness, duration of flowering and the strength of the flower border depend on the selection of neighbors. In multi-row borders, the lowest flowers or plants with beautiful leaves are in the foreground, and the taller ones are in the second and third. The curb created in this way is open to view and creates a contrast between the flower garden and the lawn. The curb can be made of stones, gravel, gravel, bricks, stone slabs, river sand, boards and decorative plastic low products, which are now offered by the market for goods for summer residents.

Mixborder

A mixborder is one of the most challenging elements of garden design. This is a mixed flower garden. Now he is very popular in the design of plots.

The composition of plants in it is complex. Perennials, annuals, biennials, herbaceous and evergreens coexist here. The selection of an assortment of plants for a mixborder is a difficult and extremely responsible business. Before starting to create a mixborder, it is very important to draw up a flowering calendar for the selected plants.

When distributing them in a flower garden, follow the rule: plant tall plants (70-150 cm) in the center or in the background; in front of tall plants - place medium-sized flowers (40-60 cm), and closer to the edge of the flower garden - plants are low (below 40 cm). In practice, it does not happen that all plants have the same requirements for agricultural technology, although this should be strived for.

The complexity of caring for plants consists in systematic feeding, watering, weeding, sheltering them for the winter. Tuberous begonia, dahlias, hyacinths, gladioli, bearded irises, lilies, daffodils, roses (except for park and polyanthus) require the most labor-intensive care.

Perennials do not require daily care, which only need to be divided and transplanted in 2-3 years. These are aquilegia, anemone, arabis, armeria, astilba, buzulnik, gaillardia, carnation, heuchera, gypsophila, delphinium, dicentra, swimsuit, lyatris, daylily, Asian hybrids of lilies, lupine, hellebore, large-flowered chamomile, primrose, hosta.

The easiest way to grow unpretentious plants that are able to develop on any cultivated soils, in any light, are resistant to pests and diseases, winter hardy. These plants live for many years without transplanting. These include adonis, badan, brunner, loosestrife, gelenium, highlander, gravilat, doronicum, solidago, lychnis, oriental poppy, mallow, monarda, foxglove, stonecrop, rudbeckia, evening primrose.

It is important to consider the rapidity of plant growth. It is better not to use lilies of the valley, solidago, folaris, evening primrose in a mixborder, as they quickly drown out their neighbors. When composing compositions, in addition to perennials, use annuals, which bloom brightly and for a long time: alissum, lobelia, godetia, begonia, balsam, pelargonium, petunia.

Try to make good use of contrasts in color schemes, plant textures and foliage. The combination of hosts and bright panicles of astilbe, yellow geleniums and purple asters, blue irises and red poppies, gypsophila and roses are unique. Such combinations are bright and expressive not only by the contrasts of colors, but also by the textures of their leaves.

The creation of a mixborder is not a matter of one year. It usually flourishes in the third or fourth year. In the early years between perennials, until they have grown, there is a lot of free space. To make the flower garden beautiful, fill empty spaces with annual plants or ground cover (ayuga, thyme, stonecrop, etc.). Evergreens are especially effective in it. They remain decorative from early spring to late autumn.

To maintain the decorativeness of the mixborder, observe agricultural techniques: carry out weeding, fertilizing, watering in a timely manner, removing faded peduncles, dry stems and leaves. A colorful mixborder needs a uniform lawn background. It fits well into the side of the plot in the shade of a fence, near a hedge of shrubs and trees, next to a resting corner.

When creating a one-sided mixborder in the background, place tall plants as a backdrop for other plants. Then fill in the middle ground, which is filled with plants less than 60 cm in height. These plants form the basis of the mixborder display. Fill the foreground of the mixborder with stunted and ground cover plants. In the foreground, early spring small-bulbous plants are especially decorative. Since they are ephemeroids, they do not compete with perennials that bloom much later. Gray, gray-gray, blue, variegated hosta leaves, spotted and silvery leaves of lungwort, openwork leaves of dicentra give the mixborder a splendor.

Mixborders are used to decorate gardens, such a flower garden is in harmony with a luxurious lawn and a green hedge.