Content
- 1 What is the combination of thuja in landscape design
- 2 Landscape compositions with thuja, depending on the type and variety
- 3 Features of the use of thuja in the landscape of a summer house, plot, garden
- 4 Compositions with thuja in landscape design
- 5 Maintenance and pruning rules for the best result
- 6 Conclusion
For many Europeans, thuja has long become a familiar representative of the flora, almost as common as a spruce or pine. Meanwhile, her homeland is North America, and she has nothing to do with European plants. But this did not stop thuja from becoming one of the most demanded crops in horticulture. On the contrary, its unpretentiousness attracts even those plant connoisseurs who have no experience in the cultivation of conifers. The following photos of thuja in the landscape design of a summer cottage and tips for creating spectacular compositions will help plant breeders find inspiration for decorating their adjoining territories.
What is the combination of thuja in landscape design
Thuja is not without reason a favorite plant for landscape design. It is not only characterized by high decorativeness, but also goes well with various horticultural crops.
The most obvious companion for western thuja will be another thuja. Moreover, it often does not matter which varieties of these conifers are adjacent to each other - they will grow successfully if there is enough space between the trees, and the landing site is flooded with the sun.
Being a tree from the Coniferous class, western thuja looks great in landscape design, surrounded by related species, as you can see by looking at the photo below. The combination of thuja with other conifers is very popular when landscaping a site, creating rockeries and flower beds that imitate forest flora. The advantage of this design is that its elements do not lose their decorative effect throughout the year and do not depend on the change of seasons. The main thing when choosing crops for planting is to focus on the species growing in soils with approximately the same acidity level. Otherwise, too high or too low pH values will inhibit their development.
Landscape compositions in which the beauty of thuja is emphasized by deciduous crops are very effective. Such combinations look the most luxurious in terms of design and give the gardener's imagination more space. However, it is worth combining dissimilar plants with caution, since the risk of making a mistake with a color and stylistic solution in this case is much higher. In addition, due to biological characteristics, not all cultures are able to get along next to thuja. For this reason, you should first carefully study all the nuances of cultivating a culture and only then apply the knowledge gained in practice, carefully selecting companion plants for thuja.
Landscape compositions with thuja, depending on the type and variety
Due to the fact that thuja can organically fit into almost any design, it is used to create many landscape compositions, where it can equally well play a dominant role or complement a creative concept as a background.
So, thuja can become an original design solution for decorating the entrance area in the form of an alley even in a small summer cottage, which is clearly visible in the photo.As a rule, tall varieties with a pyramidal or cone-shaped crown are used for this purpose, for example Brabant, Columna or Douglas Pyramidalis. In addition to being used in landscape design, on the territories of private houses, thuja is used in urban conditions, planting it on both sides of pedestrian roads. She adds style and presence to offices, educational and wellness facilities, shops and cafes.
To divide the garden into functional zones or designate the boundaries of summer cottages, parks and squares, hedges are often used. Depending on the requirements of landscape design, both low-growing varieties and higher thuja are chosen for them. Among the former, it is worth noting the varieties of Globoz, Hovei and Danik, of the latter, thuja Smaragd, Kristata, Holmstrup or Wagneri are suitable for hedges.
To outline the contour of garden paths or to complete the landscape composition, a curb from thuja of an arbitrary or closed shape, respectively, will help. Neat exquisite borders are obtained from low, globular grades such as Danica, Teddy Reingold.
Although single-element compositions with thujas can attract many views, the use of these plants in landscape design in combination with ornamental shrubs, trees and perennial flowers is no less interesting, since it requires not only a developed aesthetic taste, but also an idea of the compatibility of cultures.
The combination of thuja and hydrangea in landscape design
A win-win candidate for a companion plant for a thuja in landscape design is a beautiful hydrangea. This perennial deciduous shrub or tree with a height of 1.5 to 10 m wins hearts with its abundant flowering, which lasts from late spring to late autumn. Panicle hydrangea looks especially impressive in the vicinity of thuja. Large corymbose inflorescences of this plant are colored in white, pink, lilac, crimson and even greenish tones will give bright accents to any design solution with thujas. The rich shades of hydrangea flowers, located between the columnar varieties of thuja Smaragd, Columna or Fastigiata, will create associations with a Mediterranean garden and somewhat refresh the dark shades of the crown of the conifers. Tui, in turn, thanks to the phytoncides released into the environment, will prevent the appearance of diseases in hydrangea and reduce the risk of pest attacks. When planting a hydrangea next to a thuja, it is worth providing it with space for growth, equal to about 2 - 2.5 meters.
How thuja is combined with ornamental trees and shrubs
In addition to hydrangeas, other shrubs will also make up a worthy pair of thuja in landscape design:
- barberry;
- bladderworm;
- rhododendron;
- derain;
- chubushnik;
- weigela hybrid
- Japanese spirea;
- euonymus;
- Kuril tea;
- laurel;
- magnolia;
- hibiscus.
An interesting effect can be achieved by planting boxwood next to the thuja. Both of these plants tolerate pruning well, and therefore will look good together with formed crowns.
Small shrubs and herbaceous ground cover crops will help hide areas of bare land between thujas and other large landscape design elements. Among them, they have proven themselves excellent:
- Erika;
- Dammer's cotoneaster;
- bryozoan;
- saxifrage;
- thyme.
Thuja should not be planted in the immediate vicinity of birches and bird cherry trees, since the ephedra will inhibit their development.In addition, such a neighborhood will not benefit fruit trees and shrubs, since they do not tolerate phytoncides, which secrete thuja in abundance.
What colors does thuja combine with?
Perennial and annual flowers are also suitable for thuja as companion crops in landscape design, for example:
- alissum;
- phlox Drummond;
- subulate phlox;
- fragrant tobacco;
- lavender;
- primrose;
- lobelia;
- host;
- sedum;
- Iberis;
- periwinkle;
- touchy Waller;
- semi-shrub clematis;
- geranium;
- iris;
- petunia
- poppy;
- delphinium;
- badan;
- pansies.
Compositions of thuja and roses look very unusual in the landscape design of the site, especially if spherical conifers or trees with a compact crown are used. Despite the apparent incompatibility, it is quite possible to plant these plants together if you maintain a distance of 1.5 - 2 m between roses and thujas. So the root systems of the plants will not interfere with the development of each other.
But asters, dahlias and peonies will not be the best neighbors for thuja.
Features of the use of thuja in the landscape of a summer house, plot, garden
Most of the above compositions from thuja are applicable not only for landscaping parks and urban landscapes, but also for summer cottages. It all depends on the gardener's imagination and sense of color. However, there are some features that are important to keep in mind for those who dream of ennobling their home with thuja compositions.
- Don't be afraid to experiment. Thuja in landscape design in the country can be combined with plants of different types - medium-high or low, grown in pots and growing in the open field.
- It is not recommended to plant a large number of tall thujas on a small plot of land, as they need a lot of space and, in addition, they can shade other plants. If it is not planned to make a hedge out of thuja, it is worth planting such varieties at a distance from each other and surrounding them with other conifers or deciduous crops.
- Most thujas tolerate pruning well. The formation of the crown from the first days of cultivation will create an interesting landscape decoration for a summer residence.
- In order to emphasize the decorativeness of thuja, along with ground cover plants, it is worth using several stones of different sizes in the landscape design of the garden.
- To decorate a summer cottage using thuja, it is not necessary to plant them in open ground. With the help of small neat trees in pots, you can decorate not only the entrance area or terrace, but even a balcony or loggia.
- It is best to plant crops next to thuja that grow well in slightly acidic soils, since, as it grows, this ephedra somewhat oxidizes the soil.
Compositions with thuja in landscape design
Landscape design compositions with thuja are not limited to borders, hedges and alleys. The luxurious appearance of thuja makes it a completely self-sufficient decorative element, which is why this plant is often used as a tapeworm.
In addition, thuja serves as an effective culture for creating group compositions of 3-5 coniferous plants in landscape design. Ephedra of different colors stand out especially impressively from the environment. Such a group can be assembled only from thujas of different varieties or diluted with the design with spruces, junipers and firs.
Thuja can be made part of a coniferous-shrub mixborder. As in its flower variations, the largest plants are placed in the background with a gradual decrease in height, as you move towards the front row.At the same time, in landscape design, it is desirable to vary the colors, texture and shape of the crown.
Thuja is also suitable for decorating flower beds and flower beds. In them, preference is usually given to compact crops of small size and contrasting colors. Alpine slides or a lawn can act as a basis for flower beds.
Maintenance and pruning rules for the best result
In order for the thuja to retain its decorative appearance for a long time and serve as a bright element of landscape design, enough attention should be paid to caring for this unassuming plant:
- Watering the plant should be carried out at least 1 - 2 times a week, spending 10 liters of water for each tree. Young seedlings should be watered even more often.
- Regular watering should be combined with crown sprinkling.
- It is advisable to fertilize the plant no more than 1 - 2 times a year, depending on the variety.
- Plants up to 2 - 3 years old are sheltered from frost with non-woven material for the winter.
- Pruning plays an important role in the care of thuja. It is necessary to carry out a sanitary mowing of trees 2 times a year, removing dry branches and old reddened needles. If the crown of the plant is too dense, it must be thinned out so that parasites do not start in it.
- If desired, thuyu is subjected to a decorative haircut, cutting off the branches by 1/3 at a time, so that the crown matches the natural shape or forms a figured silhouette. Such pruning is carried out 1 - 2 times annually, focusing on the growth of green mass.
Conclusion
As you can understand from the above photos of thuja in the landscape design of the summer cottage, this plant has high decorative qualities and goes well with a wide range of plants. These properties of the ephedra give plant breeders the opportunity to show all their imagination and create unique plant compositions on the site.
