Blue juniper in landscape design. Features of the cultivation and reproduction of Cossack juniper

One of the current trends in landscaping is the use of conifers. The variety of their species and varieties allows you to solve even the most complex design problems, and pines, spruces and thuja are gradually gaining a "place in the sun" in suburban areas. Juniper is also actively used in landscape design, a photo of the varieties of which can be seen below.

Juniper is a close relative of cypress, only it grows in harsher conditions than its counterpart. In the wild, there are about 70 species of this interesting ephedra, but only about 15 are "cultivated", among which there are dwarfs and giants, plants with compact crowns or spreading, varieties with erect or creeping trunks.

The color of junipers is very diverse, almost all shades of green are found here, as well as varieties with gray needles. And, unlike most thorny brethren, the color of the needles of this genus changes depending on the season of the year - by autumn the crown acquires a bronze or brownish tint. The shape of the needles also differs from species to species, and in some cases also depends on the age of the shrub.

In addition to the variety of forms, the juniper has another plus - its unpretentiousness. It can grow on stony soils as well as heavy loam or nutrient-poor sandy soils. The only thing is that a cypress relative will not take root in acidified or swampy places.

The cold resistance of the "northern cypress" depends on the species, but most of the plants used in landscape design tolerate frosts well, and only recently planted or young specimens need shelter for the winter.

Another nice feature of juniper is its amazing aroma. Moreover, varieties with scaly needles more actively saturate the air with phytoncides, while the smell of the owners of needle leaves is less pronounced.

Most of the juniper genus lend themselves well to shearing.

Types and varieties

There are about a hundred varieties of juniper on sale, bred by breeders or obtained in nature due to mutations. The most common are breeds based on the following types of juniper:

• • Common (Juniperus communis)- a strong, spreading shrub with thorny needles and a gray bloom on it. Drought-resistant and extremely frost-resistant.
  • Rocky (Juniperus scopulorum)- Ephedra is native to North America. Unpretentious, but prefers places protected from the wind.
  • Virginia (Juniperus virginiana)- a tree native to North America, in nature it reaches gigantic proportions. This species is not afraid of strong winds, its wood is very durable. Unlike most relatives, it is shade-tolerant.
  • Cossack (Juníperus sabína)- shrub, up to one and a half meters high. Possesses scaly needles.
  • Medium (Juniperus media)- a rather large plant with an asymmetrical crown and needles in the form of scales.

Common juniper
Rocky juniper
Red cedar

Juniper Cossack
Juniper Cossack
Juniper medium

Most popular varieties

Ephedra used in landscape design, as a rule, have one important feature - they grow slowly. Junipers are no exception. Of all the variety, several of the most popular varieties can be distinguished, which, due to their properties, are suitable for solving most design tasks.

Low breed Juniperus chinensis "Strickta" forms a conical dense crown and grows no more than two meters. The branches are covered with bluish-green needle-like needles. Ideal for creating an accent in compositions, for single plantings or as a hedge.

The species Juniperus squamata belongs to a different category. "Blue Star", which rarely exceeds a meter in height and is used to decorate lawns and rock gardens. In addition to its modest size, a special feature is the needles of an amazing silver-blue shade. Such a plant can decorate any composition.

Juniperus media grade "Old gold" on the contrary, it has a golden color. This species is also dwarf. Looks spectacular with single plantings on the lawn, as well as in combination with differently colored conifers.

Juniper Chinese "Strikta"
Juniper medium "Old Gold"

Columnar forms

Instances with a columnar crown shape are expressive in themselves. They are great for alleys and hedges. Columnar junipers usually take center stage in compositions.

Juniper Chinese "Spartan"
Juniper Virginia "Skyrocket"

Perfectly combined with the flowering representatives of the flora of the Juniperus chinensis variety "Olympia" and "Spartan", which have scaly needles of a rich green color. An elegant crown of a bluish-green color is possessed by a breed of Virginia juniper Skyrocket.

Sprawling and weeping forms

Spreading specimens look peculiar, they are usually used as solo plants when decorating lawns, they are irreplaceable when decorating rocky slopes and large alpine hills. In such plants, the crown diameter often exceeds the height. For example, the varieties “ Blue Alps " Juniperus chinensis with silver-blue prickly needles and "Glauka" Juniperus sabina with gray-green forms quite picturesque forms.

Juniper Chinese "Blue Alps"
Juniper ordinary "Horstmann"

A little apart are rocks with a weeping crown shape, for example, Horstmann- a variety of Juniperus communis with drooping branches and thorny needles. Such plants are good for decorating ponds or as a soloist.

Dwarfs

Despite their modest size, dwarf junipers are no less expressive. They are great for small areas and for small compositions. Dwarfs on an alpine slide, near ponds, are irreplaceable as ground cover plants.

Varieties of horizontal juniper, thanks to the branches spreading along the ground, look spectacular on lawns and in rockeries. Varieties are often planted on rocky slopes "Tamariscifolia" Juniperus sabina, and "Green Carpet" Juniperus communis forming a flat-domed crown.

Variety of colors

Shrubs and trees with an unusual distinctive color bring liveliness to any composition. For example, bright yellow short "Gold Star" Juniperus media goes well with dark needles or foliage of other plants, and by autumn it acquires an interesting bronze shade. And the Juniperus scopulorum cultivar Munglow is one of the brightest blue junipers and looks spectacular in any environment.

Caring for the "northern cypress"

Despite the fact that plants of this genus are quite unpretentious and are able to grow with practically no human intervention, there are still some nuances.

Shrubs should be watered only during prolonged drought periods, as well as in the first season after planting. Plant feeding is not required.

Pick-up location and time

Junipers are usually planted in mid-spring or early fall, but closed-rooted plants can be replanted throughout the warm season. The location for this ephedra must meet some requirements:

• A relative of cypress does not belong to shade-tolerant plants, with the exception of a few species, therefore, it is planted in well-lit sunny places.
• Places of accumulation of water for juniper are not suitable. Groundwater should also be far from the surface.
• Some species require wind protection.
• The juniper needs space, he does not like tightness.

Planting plants

Juniper Chinese "Strikta"

Planting pits are prepared in advance, their dimensions, as a rule, are twice the size of the root system of seedlings. It should be remembered about the intervals between plants - for dwarf forms, the intervals will be about half a meter, but large specimens are planted 2-3 meters apart.

Almost any soil is suitable for junipers, the preferred composition depends on the specific type. Fertile land is more suitable for large varieties, but it is better to keep dwarfs on "starvation rations" - with an excess of nutrients, they lose their decorative effect.

But it is worth remembering the general rule for: the soil should be light enough and moisture-permeable. The supply of oxygen to the roots and the general development of the plant depend on this.

A layer of broken brick or gravel is laid out at the bottom of the planting pit, this is especially important if the site is located in a lowland. Next, a layer of substrate is poured and the plant is placed, trying not to deepen the root collar. It is best to replant junipers while maintaining an earthen coma. The pit is covered with a prepared substrate and spilled abundantly with water. The soil surface is usually mulched.

Wintering

Due to its high frost resistance, shelter from the cold is not required for these cypress relatives, with the exception of recently planted specimens. Spruce branches or non-woven material are used as a shelter. At the end of winter, like all conifers, the juniper should be protected from the sun - this helps to avoid browning of the needles.

Sometimes the columnar and cone-shaped varieties suffer from snow - their branches simply cannot withstand the weight and break, therefore, such plants are tied up in late autumn, pressing the shoots to the trunk.

Spectacular beauties of thuja in landscape design rightfully occupy a leading position among conifers ....

Diseases and pests

Sometimes, when growing juniper, unpleasant situations happen - plants can be affected by fungal diseases and pests.

The most common disease is rust - orange growths on trunks and branches that appear in early summer. It affects not only the juniper, but also other ornamental and fruit plants, so it is not recommended to plant the "northern cypress" next to pears, apple trees and hawthorns. The affected areas of the shrub are removed, and the plant is treated with a fungicide solution. As a preventive measure, solutions of immunostimulants are used - they increase the resistance of the flora to diseases.

High humidity and low temperatures contribute to the appearance of another fungal disease - shute. It manifests itself in the form of yellowing or browning of last year's needles, and at the end of summer, black round growths become visible on the surface of the needles. The most susceptible to this disease are those in the shade. Control measures include removing the affected areas and spraying with fungicides.

Signs of the appearance of a spider mite are the presence of a thin cobweb on the plant and yellow dots on the needles.

Drying, falling of needles, as well as dying off of the bark can be evidence of the presence of scutes, while the pests themselves can be seen with the naked eye - in the form of round or elongated scutes about 1.5-2 mm in size.

Insecticides are used to control these pests. In case of aphid damage, not only the plants themselves are treated, but also the ant colonies - after all, it is they who "breed" the aphids. As a prevention of the appearance of insects, spraying with immunostimulants and weak solutions of insecticides is used.

Juniper plants

Not all plants tolerate close proximity to conifers, for example, this applies to clematis, peonies, roses and other large flowering representatives of the flora. Small ground cover plants, on the other hand, thrive on their thorny counterparts and help set off their beauty.

Quite good neighbors for the "northern cypress" are spirea and boxwood, as well as various types of saxifrage. Remarkably next to the conifers live heather and garden hydrangea, which you can learn more about. Cotoneaster and barberry provide the backdrop for the larger conifers, and some cereals complement the picture. Also, do not forget about small flowers.

Naturally, juniper looks good with other conifers or small spruces, for example.

Once again about landscape design

Of course, the possibility of using juniper to decorate the site depends on the general stylistic solution. This plant is perfect for gardens with the correct geometry, decorated in English or Scandinavian style, Japanese gardens or stone compositions are also difficult to imagine without this ephedra.

Juniper ordinary "Compressa"

Depending on the idea, the "northern cypress" can serve as both a central plant and a background for others. Based on this, the shapes and colors of this wonderful shrub are selected.

Junipers in landscaping are the most current trend in garden decor today, as this plant has a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. This plant variety grows rather slowly, practically does not need a haircut and is unpretentious to various growing conditions. Juniper sometimes grows to the size of a tree and reaches about 15 meters in height. Basically, they grow up to two meters, and there are also miniature shrubs, the height of which reaches 20 centimeters. This ornamental plant is very beautiful in appearance, which is why it is so often used in garden design. Treelike junipers are used both in single and in group plantings of park plantings, with their help hedges are created in various squares and summer cottages. Low-growing and dwarf plant varieties are mainly used in rock gardens and rockeries - rocky gardens, as in the photo.

Using juniper in the garden

More than 70 varieties of this plant are known in nature, however, about 10-15 are used in landscape design. All varieties that are used in garden design are mainly frost-resistant, tolerate high temperatures well and are unpretentious to growing conditions. However, there are also exceptions.

The most common varieties:

Juniper medium

This variety is a fairly large bush, about 2-5 meters tall. He has a very beautiful asymmetrical shape. The needles are blue-green, scaly. In the shade and after pruning, the leaves become needle-shaped. The berries are blue in color and ripen by the second year. This shrub grows very quickly both in open areas and in partial shade on drained, rather fertile land. Perfectly tolerates a haircut.

Juniper decor example

Rocky juniper

The rocky variety is used to decorate personal plots, thereby allowing you to create repeating natural landscapes in landscape design. The rock variety looks quite harmonious on open lawns, where there are no additional elements for decorating the garden, except that several mossy boulders can be laid nearby. You can also shade the rocky juniper plant by planting a couple of rose bushes. An unusual composition will turn out if you place this plant next to the heather. However, the most popular option is the use of these conifers in building a Japanese-style garden. Throughout the year, they do an excellent job of decorating the entire landscape. It is better to plant it on an alpine slide, provided that it is large.

Juniper Cossack.

The Cossack variety is a fast-growing dwarf shrub. The Cossack variety has creeping shoots and a very beautiful crown. In height, the Cossack variety reaches 0.4-0.8 meters, and in width - 1.5-2 meters. The needles of the Cossack juniper are scaly, in young plants they are emerald green, acicular, when rubbed, they emit a pungent odor. The Cossack variety loves sunny territories, undemanding to soils. This plant is hardy. They are used in group and single plantings, on various rocky hills.

Combination of juniper with other plants

Junipers in landscape design by themselves are not of particular interest - they look prettier and more spectacular in combination with other, brighter plants such as perennial flowers, trees and shrubs. When planting this plant in a permanent place, you must take into account that if you are close to each other, you will get a monotonous landscape, as in the photo. Only plants that are planted in compliance with some specific rules that set a clear rhythm can enhance the scenic beauty of the territory and complete the integrity of the entire composition.

The use of juniper in compositions

In stylized rocky areas, aristocratic simplicity is complemented by dwarf heathers and barberries. They must be planted next to yellow and orange spireas if you want to create a composition near a pond. When designing a lawn near the cottage, or when decorating an entrance, other conifers will turn out to be the best neighbors for this plant. The juniper, which is located next to a mountain pine or larch, looks spectacular; low-growing varieties of spruce in landscape design will make an excellent batch.

In a composition made with stones, natural boulders or ordinary granite crumbs will rhyme perfectly, it has a more charismatic appearance than simply planted on a lawn. In landscape design, it is necessary to take into account that these evergreen conifers, as can be seen in the photo, are completely incompatible with lush perennial flowers and crops that have large inflorescences. However, it is possible to bring unity in such an alliance.

Juniper use

You just have to plan the transitions between them, using various stones or meadows of creeping plants. A similar technique is in demand when decorating slides in an Alpine stylistic solution. Thuja is also often used in compositions with this plant. Dark green thuja leaves gracefully complement the composition. At the same time, the thuja reaches a height of at least 3 meters, thereby favorably stands out against the background of the entire garden design.

Planting and caring for junipers

It is necessary to plant this plant in open areas at a distance of about 2 meters from each other, taking into account that after 10 years the bush begins to grow. And he needs free space, he does not like small areas. Planting depth is 70 centimeters with soil filling.

Some species require drainage during planting, and the preference for potting mixes in different varieties may be completely opposite. For example, Siberian juniper prefers sandy soil, and Virginian juniper will begin to grow better on a clay substrate and black soil. All species are undemanding to the fertility of the land. Dwarf varieties should not be grown at all on fertile soils, otherwise they will lose their own shape. After planting, the soil is covered with peat or sawdust, the layer of which should reach 8 centimeters.

It is quite simple to care for this plant: in the dry summer period, it needs watering several times during the season, in the evening the plant should be sprayed. Around young plants from time to time loosen the ground after watering and weeding. This bush propagates by seeds, cuttings and layering. With the seed method, freshly harvested seeds are used, because they lose their germination after about a year. The first shoots can be obtained only after a few years. Creeping forms are propagated mainly by layering from young plants, and especially valuable breeds by grafting.

The cutting of this plant depends on the species, however, dry branches must be removed from any variety. Heat-loving varieties for the winter are mulched, and some are tied, since they are not able to withstand the pressure of snow. There is no need to cover frost-resistant varieties. The transplant of this plant is usually carried out in the spring before the buds begin to bloom or already in the fall. But it is necessary to take into account the fact that all garden varieties do not tolerate transplanting well, and those taken from the natural environment may not take root at all, in particular, adult plants.

Diseases and properties of juniper

As you can see in the photo, juniper often suffers from rust disease. You can fight it. It is enough to use an arceride solution, which is as follows: 10 liters of water are poured into 50 grams, and the plants are sprayed with this solution every 10 days until it recovers. Dangerous pests for trees and shrubs, in particular young ones, can be spider mites, miner moths, aphids, and juniper scale insects. All varieties of this plant, as seen in the photo, are famous for their beneficial properties. In the areas in which they are planted, the air will be much cleaner due to the evaporation of phytoncides. The berries of this plant are widely used in medicine; remedies based on them are prescribed during kidney diseases. The roots of the plant are often used in the treatment of tuberculosis, bronchitis and various skin diseases.

Everyone wants to create a real fairy tale on their site. Landscaping is a complex issue in which you need to understand not only how best to combine shapes and shades, but also how some types of plants will get along side by side. Forming their garden, many take the composition as a basis. This is a very profitable solution, as it is very picky, retains its appearance even in cold weather and looks great with most other plants. But when planting such a shrub, there are pitfalls and not everyone will benefit from the neighborhood with a juniper.

The variety of junipers will confuse anyone who decides to decorate their site with it. Its variations allow you to create all kinds of compositions. covers the soil, the common juniper takes the form of a shrub, and the rocky juniper grows meters in height. But in order for such a plant to please with its excellent appearance and lush growth, it must be planted in the right place. This must be taken into account when combining it in the future with other shrubs and flowers, since not all open sunny areas will be a good solution. Many people plant junipers around the perimeter of the house, decorate the entrances to the courtyard and the house, and make it the central plant in the flower beds.

Does juniper need neighbors

When creating live compositions, everyone is limited only by their imagination. In matters of planting juniper, the opinions of many gardeners differ. Some believe that such a plant should not be planted as an independent figure, that the juniper looks very boring without other plantings. Others see in such a shrub a ready-made composition, which other plants will only spoil. To say what is right and what is not is impossible. Juniper can look good both on its own and with neighbors. And it is better to find a middle ground: do not leave only juniper on the site, but also do not overdo it with the rest of the elements.

Before deciding what to plant next to a juniper, you need to carefully study these plants. First, the species of juniper plays a role. For example, a horizontal juniper practically does not grow in height, which means it will not interfere with the growth of other plants. But a columnar juniper will create a shadow, so that light-loving flowers and shrubs next to it will not grow luxuriantly. Secondly, it is important to choose the right soil. Each variety of juniper prefers its own set of minerals and useful elements in the soil and, most importantly, that it also suits the neighboring plant. Thirdly, you need to choose what matches the color of the juniper. For example, the bluish-blue needles of a juniper with pink, yellow and golden looks great.

What to plant next to a juniper

Juniper goes well with other conifers. And if you add pebbles or natural cobblestones to the composition, then they will look very stylish and harmonious. Expanding the range of what to plant next to the juniper, it is worth noting the low shrubs (

The creeping juniper is one of the most valuable coniferous shrubs. Its main difference from other familiar juniper trees is its appearance. This species is often used as an ornamental plant because of the many varieties with various shades of needles, pleasant aroma and the ability to complement various compositions with them.

External characteristics

The plant is a shrub that grows no more than 10 cm in height. Some types of creeping juniper reach 0.3-0.4 m in height and 2 m in width. The branches of the bush grow and spread along the ground. No foliage available. Depending on the variety, each branch is covered with short needles or light green scales.

The love of gardeners for the plant also lies in the fact that it likes the open sun, it is able to adapt to any soil without any problems, it can grow even in rocky places, it is not demanding on moisture and does not lose its decorative appearance in the sun.

Varieties

Care rules

Rooted creeping juniper is not difficult to care for. You just have to follow some rules. Juveniles should be watered regularly, but in moderation. Adult bushes are drought-resistant, so they should be watered 2-3 times a month. In case of intense heat in the early morning or at sunset, the bushes are irrigated.

With the onset of spring, plants are fed with nitroammofoska at the rate of 30-40 g of fertilizer per 1 m 2 of soil. Do not forget about weeding in the trunk circle. In order not to waste time on this all the time, you can spend with chips, forest needles, gravel, laying them on black geotextile.

Juniper is affected by gray mold, mushroom rust. Eliminate them with special chemicals diluted according to the instructions on the package. With timely treatment, complete infestation of the plant can be prevented.

To grow a healthy plant, the following rules must be followed:

1. In winter, protect the branches from the severity of the snow by tying them up with twine.
2. Cover the plant in heat.
3. To avoid burning, the bushes need to be sprayed and watered.
4. Spraying is carried out at a distance so that the juniper does not bend under the influence of water.
5. With the onset of spring, prune diseased, dry and damaged branches.
6. In the middle of summer, the juniper is ostrich.

Reproduction

Is a dioecious plant. Reproduction of creeping juniper is carried out by layering (performed only during the growing season), seeds and cuttings. The first two methods are used very rarely, especially seed, since it lends itself only to professionals, because seedlings appear only 1-3 years after sowing. Therefore, the main breeding method is cuttings.

Cuttings can be cut from 8-year-old bushes at any time of the year, but preferably with the onset of spring.

The cut material (10 cm long) is first kept in wet burlap or water, after removing the needles from the bottom of the branch by about 5 cm, and then planted in the ground.

Rooting is carried out in a greenhouse (including in winter) at a slight slope. After planting, the seedling is covered with plastic wrap and placed in a dark place. At the same time, the following requirements are observed:

• temperature 16-19º;
• diffused light;
• sufficient substrate moisture;
• regular spraying.

If the conditions are met, after 1-1.5 months, the cuttings will start up the first roots, after which, after waiting some more time, in the summer, the cuttings are transplanted together with a lump of earth into the open ground. Bushes are transplanted to a permanent place of residence only after 2-3 years.

Fruiting of creeping juniper occurs only after 2-3 years, with the formation of dark blue fruits on female bushes.

Compliance with all the rules will allow you to grow a healthy plant, which will certainly become the main focus of your garden.

Such bizarre junipers - video

Having once visited a juniper grove, you will never forget the aroma of juniper, which fills everything around with its aroma. This coniferous plant of an unusual shape grows both in the mountain tropics and in the Arctic Circle. Juniper is an unpretentious plant, resistant to drought and harsh winters, some varieties can grow in a humid environment. Has an extensive palette, as for a coniferous plant. Depending on the terrain, the juniper can be both a tree and a shrub. For example, undersized and creeping species grow in the mountains and on rocks, and in Europe, America, Central Asia - 15 meter trees.

Juniper variety

Initially, juniper is a wild plant, but in the modern world it is an adornment of personal plots. Fans of conifers plant several varieties of juniper in their garden. Consider some varieties of the cypress relative:

Veres or common juniper (Juniperus communis)

It grows in moorland, on dry mountain slopes and hills. Frost resistant. It tolerates shade well, but feels more comfortable in open sunny places. By planting this species along garden paths, stairs or in other passable places, you will not only decorate them, but also fix this area from the "fluidity" of the earth. This type of juniper has strong phytoncides, which is good for your health to breathe.

Veres

Juniper Cossack (Juniperus Sabina)

A low-growing creeping plant up to 1.5 m inhabits the forests and groves of the steppe zone. Drought-resistant, winter-hardy, photophilous, non-demanding shrub with soil-protective properties. It can grow in one place for more than 30 years. Designers advise to plant to cover barren soil, lawns, rocky gardens.

Cossack (Juniperus Sabina)

Stricta (Juniperus Stricta)

Another name for the Chinese juniper. The variety is slow-growing with a narrow dense crown with a diameter of 70 cm. An adult plant reaches 2 m in height. Life expectancy up to 100 years. The branches are uniform and slightly raised. The needles change their color from bluish-green in summer to gray-yellow in winter. The stricta needs irrigation, since the dry air negatively affects its crown. While the plant is young, it is necessary to wrap up from the cold and shelter from the sun, but over time, with the age of the tree, frost resistance increases. The needles grow slowly, so they require minimal pruning. Suitable for creating hedges, heather and Japanese gardens. For arranging terraces, the stricto is planted in containers or garden vases.

Stricta (Juniperus Stricta)

Translated - "golden star". The crown is in the shape of a star of yellow-golden hue, hence the name of the variety. Surprisingly, different types of needles can be combined on one bush: scaly and needle-like. The variety is small, at the age of 10 it reaches 1 m in height. It is unpretentious and photophilous to soil conditions and climate. Requires abundant watering for the first few years. Easy to model and cut. The yellow branch looks great in combination with dark green or emerald grasses and mosses. Suitable for planting in large garden vases.

Gold Star (Juniperus Gold Star)

Juniperus horizontalis

Horizontal or outstretched juniper. The needles are bright from silver-blue to gray-green. The cones are dark blue, almost black, cut in the second year. The wood is resistant to decay, so it can be planted near water bodies. Drought-resistant, but grows better in places with high humidity. The variety is used in decorating a rocky garden, decorating a border, as a soil fixer, around water bodies.

Juniper horizontal (Juniperus horizontalis)

Skyrocket (Juniper Skyrocket)

A tree with an arrow-shaped crown up to 3 m high. The variety was bred in Holland in the middle of the twentieth century. Grows in warm temperate climates. Choose a location that is sheltered from the wind for landing. Hardy, but afraid of heavy snowfalls. The crown should be covered and tied, as the branches break under the weight of the snow. For the first 2-3 years, a juniper seedling can get burns from the scorching sun, so a small canopy is required. Young trees need regular watering. The Skyrocket juniper has a neat crown, ideal for creating hedges, alley plantings, and decorating front porches.

Juniper Skyrocket

Andorra Compacta (Juniper Andorra Compacta)

An evergreen dwarf shrub with an airy rosette crown. The height of the juniper is only half a meter with a diameter of up to 1 m. The needles are dense, small, gray-green in color; by winter, the color changes to purple-brown. The fruits of the plant are small, gray-blue. Branches are spreading, slightly raised. The seedling develops better in medium moisture soil. After planting, mulch with peat, wood chips or sawdust. This type of juniper is used in landscaping of small areas as a soil plant, in single planting or group compositions. Roses are planted in the vicinity of Andorra Compacta.

Juniper Andorra Compacta

Scaly juniper, common among dwarf trees. The needles are like scales, hence the name of the variety, and prickly with a bright turquoise hue. Can be planted on "poor" soil. In an area with heavy soil, clay, add drainage with peat and sand, and in sandy and stony, humus and clay. Avoid stagnant water after irrigation! The plant loves sunny areas. In landscape design, it looks spectacular because of the dense non-spreading crown and compact size in compositions with other plants. Designers decorate terraces, balconies, roofs, planting seedlings in containers. Juniper Blue Star winters well under a soft snow cover and the aggressiveness of the spring sun is not dangerous for it.

Blue Star (Juniperus squamata Blue Star)

Blue Arrow (Juniperus scopulorum Blue Arrow)

It is also called rocky juniper. Its difference is in a narrow crown in the form of a column with a sharp top, in the form of an arrow. The needles are soft scaly bright blue in color. Blue Arrow fruits are bluish-blue. An adult tree reaches a height of 2-2.5 m. In comparison with other junipers, an adult tree takes up little space on the site, since the branches are tightly pressed to the trunk and grow vertically from the ground itself. Using the peculiarities of the tree, the designers plant seedlings to shape the front alleys and hedges.

Blue Arrow Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum Blue Arrow)

Junipers in landscaping - styles and combinations

Juniper, due to the severity of its forms, fits well into styles that are characterized by geometry, spaciousness and naturalness.

1. Japanese. In the Japanese style, a certain arrangement of stones is adhered to. Plants are chosen short and not flowering. Most types of juniper do not bloom, so the choice is not limited to one or two species.
2. English. The aristocracy of the British is visible in the style of parks and gardens: against the background of a neat lawn of moss, heather, lichen, larger species of juniper look majestically. In such a park, the garden focuses on a coniferous plant with a brightly colored color.
3. French. The basis of this style is the use of geometric evergreens, their symmetrical arrangement on the territory.

Whatever style you adhere to in the design of your personal plot, it must be remembered that tree-like junipers additionally strengthen the slopes of the terraces, and ground cover and in the form of a ball hide the unevenness of the plot.

Juniper varieties (video)

Juniper and other plants in the garden

A juniper in a garden, as beautiful as it is, is boring in itself. Plants with vivid flowering add color to the juniper garden. However, it is necessary to adhere to the rules for planting conifers and ornamental plants in the same area.

Remember, it is necessary to plant flowers, roses, clematis, chrysanthemums, peonies at a distance of 2 m from conifers so that the trees do not block the sun's rays.

The gaps between the tree and the flowers can be filled with a dump of decorative rubble or covered with soil plants - thyme, ryegrass, subulate bryozoan, clover. They will not only create a background, but also protect against weeds. Mulching is another way to treat gaps. For this, peat, walnut husks, needles from coniferous trees are suitable.

Different varieties of juniper combined with lawn

If there is a stream on the site, reservoirs, bright spireas will be companions to the juniper. On stone sites, use herbal cloves, barberries, rejuvenated, subulate phlox. You can use the method when creating alpine slides: meadows planted with creeping plants. The main thing to remember is that juniper goes better with wild or decorative flowers with small inflorescences.

In spring, second half of March, April, and in autumn, September, first half of October, juniper is planted in the ground. A plant with a closed root system can be transplanted throughout the warm period. Note that junipers are planted in sunny locations. When planting, consider the characteristics of each type of juniper. There are varieties that thrive in dry, rocky soil, others prefer moist soils. Some species require wind protection.

Landing technology:

• Depending on the variety, the ephedra needs space. In this case, the size of the pit should be 2 times the size of the root system of the seedling. The distance between trees is at least 2-3 meters from each other, for dwarf trees, half a meter is enough.
• In the planting pit, experts add a mixture of peat, sand and coniferous soil, which was collected in the forest under pine and spruce trees. Do not forget to drain the remains of broken brick or sand to strengthen the root system.

The most successful soil mixture: 2 parts of humus, peat and sod land and 1 part of sand. It is advisable to add 150 g of Kemira Universal fertilizer (nutritive mineral substance of a wide spectrum) and 300 g of Nitrofoska fertilizer (complex fertilizer, the main components nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) to the described mixture, as well as the Epin biostimulator after planting, in order to improve got accustomed.

• We take the seedling out of the pot while preserving the earthen coma only when the pit is fully prepared. Spread the roots and lay them neatly in the hole.
• Cover the plant under the root.

Correct application of fertilizer

In our area, junipers are resistant to many diseases and do not need special feeding and spraying. It will be enough to water in dry seasons and "feed" with nitrogen and complex fertilizers several times during the season.

Fertilizing conifers with animal humus is strictly prohibited.

From such "fertilization" the roots of the juniper burn and the plant dies. The nutrition of the trunk will deteriorate and the plant will begin to dry out if the soil around the plant is loosened. For a juniper, it is enough to mulch (cover) the soil with coniferous soil, which was previously collected in a pine forest.

Growing conifers from seeds

The collection of juniper seeds takes place at a certain time, at the end of summer. During this period, the seeds are not yet ripe, while in the fall they can be overripe. Immature seeds are more likely to grow. The collected seeds must be sown immediately, but be prepared that they will sprout only 2-3 years after sowing due to the hard shell.

Diseases and pests

Conifers are also susceptible to diseases, mainly fungal, and pests.

Rust is the most common disease in conifers. Orange growths on trunks and branches, which appear in early summer due to basidiomycetes, are the sporulation organs of the fungi. This disease affects not only junipers, but also cultivated plants, so you should not plant conifers next to ornamental and fruit plants. Remove diseased areas before treating the plant with a fungicide.

Schütte's disease is dangerous for conifers, caused by a fungus. Especially dangerous for young, up to 3 years old, seedlings. There are types of disease. The main symptom of the disease is a sharp change in color and the rapid fall of the needles. The fallen needles must be collected and burned. It also requires the removal of the affected areas and treatment with fungicidal solutions.

During heavy snowfall, the crowns of tree-like juniper varieties can fall off (decay). Therefore, in the fall, gardeners tie the crowns of trees in advance.

In late winter, early spring, some species may be exposed to active sunlight. Consequently, in late February and early March, the branches need a fabric shelter or canopy. The buds of an elderly ephedra remain alive after sunburn or frost. Shoots of a young plant, growing back, hide damaged areas. If the buds have suffered from severe frost or direct sunlight, the plant will not "hide" them. In this case, human help will be required: cut off bad branches to healthy places and treat with special means.

Juniper in winter

Types of shelter for juniper for the winter:

• Snow. A light snow coat is suitable for dwarf and creeping species. In order to avoid the death of the plant during heavy snowfall, it is recommended to make a protective frame, otherwise the plant will die.
• Lapnik. These are the branches of coniferous trees, mainly spruce, with which the juniper is covered.
• Burlap, paper, light cotton fabric - all this can be covered with a juniper and tied with a rope, while leaving the lower part of the crown open. It is forbidden to use the film, it will not let the plant "breathe" and it will disappear.

Juniper transforms the landscape. It is noteworthy that the coniferous plant takes the desired shape with the help of a haircut. Would you like to have the geometric shapes of a Scandinavian garden or the creeping shrubs of a Japanese garden? Then plant a juniper that will pay you back with a healing aroma and decorative look.