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Junipers in landscape design occupy a special niche due to the richness of species with different colors of needles and crown shape. They use both tall tree-like varieties and creeping shrubs, combining them into various design solutions. It can be an alpine slide, a border-lawn, a hedge or a coniferous flower bed. Consider below the most profitable options for decorating a personal plot with conifers, as well as photos of junipers in landscape design in combination with thuja and other plants.
Features of the landscape with junipers
The use of coniferous plants in the design of land is not suitable for all types of landscape. For example, for the design of tropical or orchards, they are not entirely appropriate. But for landscapes similar to the rocky terrain of the Scandinavian countries, with caves and grottoes, as well as an abundance of lichens, mosses and heather thickets, conifers are ideal.
In addition, juniper is used to create a site design in the English or Japanese style, where there are elements of classics, rigor and elegance.
For the Japanese style, obligatory elements are cobblestones and rocky islands protruding from the ground, as well as ponds.
In the English style, elements that carry a touch of antiquity and inviolability are clearly visible. For example, a lawn that has been mowed for several centuries, or old household items that have served their purpose many years ago.
Photo of landscape design in the English style using arborvitae and several types of juniper.
What types and varieties of junipers are used in garden design
In total, there are about 70 varieties of juniper, but not all are suitable for growing on a personal plot. For garden decoration, only those that have decorative value and withstand our climatic conditions are used. Basically, about ten species are used, but each of them is represented by several varieties:
- ordinary (Depressa Aurea, Repanda);
- rocky (Blue Arrow, Skyrocket);
- Chinese (Blue Alps, Stricta);
- Virginia (Blue Cloud, Gray Oul);
- Cossack (Blue Danub, Hixie);
- average (Mordigan Gold, Wilhelm Pfitzer);
- can be solved (Holger, Dream Joy);
- horizontal (Prince of Wales, Golden Carpet, Andorra Compact).
This is not a complete list of decorative varieties used in landscape design. In fact, there are many more. In addition, breeders have bred many hybrids that are adapted to various climatic conditions. This makes it possible to use them for registration of a land plot in almost all regions.
Conifers can be planted both by single plantings and by grouping several varieties into a single composition.
Photo of thuja and junipers in landscape design
Coniferous plants are widely used in landscape design to create a variety of styles and compositions. Below are photos of junipers in the garden and design using them.
Photo of a rocky garden using more than three types of juniper, as well as arborvitae.
Photo of landscape design of an alpine hill.
Photo of a coniferous garden with thuja and juniper.
Photo of the use of juniper in the garden to decorate a coniferous flower bed.
Photo of a hedge from a thuja.
Photo of a border for a flower bed of coniferous shrubs. For the background of landscape design, thujas were used.
Photo of a flower bed, for the design of which several varieties of arborvitae were used.
How beautiful to arrange a juniper in the garden
In coniferous landscape compositions, both dwarf varieties and giant plants get along well. However, when planting, it is important to adhere to some rules of landscape design so that the design of the land plot looks self-sufficient and harmonious:
- add stones and pebbles to the composition;
- plant mainly low-growing varieties in the foreground, tall ones in the middle and back;
- plant nearby plants that match in color (for example, next to a juniper with bluish-blue needles, shrubs with pink, yellow or golden foliage should be planted);
- spherical species are usually used as free-standing elements of the composition;
- columnar and pyramidal views look good near the hedge or in the center of the composition;
- creeping and vertical varieties should be planted at a distance from each other so that the tall ones do not obscure the undersized and creeping ones.
When planning landscape design using juniper and deciduous plants, one should take into account the optimal distance between them when planting. If coniferous species are located too close to deciduous ones, then the needles will thin out and crumble, exposing branches. Only by observing the discreteness (discontinuity) of landing, you can combine the whole composition and emphasize the beauty of the designer’s idea.
Tall varieties of juniper are suitable for decorating a hedge in the garden: virgin, rocky or ordinary. At the same time, they should be planted at a distance of no more than 0,7 – 1 m from each other. To decorate a flower bed or soil on the slopes of rocky hills, instead of lawn grass, creeping species are planted – horizontal or Cossack.
Photo of a creeping juniper in the landscape (in a flower bed and on a hillside – as a ground cover plant).
When planting conifers in group compositions, one should take into account the growth rate, size and color of the needles; Creativity is also important in landscape planning.
In addition, in order for the composition of coniferous plants to always look good, timely pruning of old and diseased branches is necessary.
The combination of juniper in the garden with other plants
Juniper goes well with heather, bulbous, cereals, roses, dwarf barberries, yellow or orange spirea. Against their background, the green needles are set off favorably, and its splendor is revealed in all its glory. To the same extent, juniper sets off the brightness of flowers and fruits of deciduous shrubs.
Photo juniper on the site in combination with barberry, tulip.
Thus, planting coniferous bushes in a garden plot can pursue the following goals:
- creating a background for flowering plants;
- maintaining a color accent in landscape design;
- cover the soil of rocky terrain, not suitable for planting a lawn.
Juniper is usually not combined with lush shrubs with large inflorescences, or with the help of stone islands or clearings of creeping varieties, transitions are created between them. This technique is successfully used when planning the design of an alpine slide.
Properly selected colors will allow the garden to play with bright colors throughout the season, and decorations in the form of natural stones and artificial reservoirs will make the landscape design of the site unique.
Conclusion
The article contains photos of junipers in landscape design, as well as some tips on the correct location of coniferous and deciduous plants in the garden. Having made the juniper the main focus in the design of the garden, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the variety in order to emphasize its natural beauty; and, in addition, do not forget to clean the plant from dry shoots.
