Low-growing shrubs are a must-have item that many use as the basis for landscaping their garden. Although the plants are small, they more than compensate for their size with luxurious flowering and subtle delicate aroma.
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Features of low-growing ornamental shrubs and semi-shrubs
Ornamental shrubs from dwarf shrubs are difficult to distinguish in appearance. They can be the same in height, but each type of plant has its own characteristics:
- Due to climatic and weather changes, the semi-shrub was forced to adapt to them, including to severe winters, so it gradually changed. As a result, the lower part of it became stiff, while the upper part remained grassy. It usually reaches a height of 80 cm, rarely 1.5 m. The most common shrubs are raspberries, sage, lavender, heather, blueberries.
- In the bush, the entire aboveground part is perennial and stiff, its branching begins at the very surface of the earth. Ornamental species are mainly created by breeders, therefore, among the low-growing shrubs, you can also find a tall representative, similar to a half-shrub. Shrubs include: tree peony, barberry, boxwood, juniper, rhododendron.
The use of plants in the landscape
Tall ornamental shrubs and their undersized congeners help to solve many problems in the personal plot:
- Zone the space and fill it with flowering plants.
- Create a hedge.
- Equip the curbs.
- Create a background for perennial and annual flowers.
- Use different terms of budding bushes to get them flowering from early spring to late autumn.
In addition, as a result of illiterate pruning or insufficient lighting, the lower parts of tall bushes can be bare from leaves and look rather unattractive.
Low-growing decorative species will help to correct the situation, which will cover the flawed places and successfully fit into the landscape. For such purposes, dwarf barberries and spireas, undersized conifers, santolina and heather are usually planted.
Care and recommendations
Ornamental shrubs and semi-shrubs are undemanding to care for. They are endowed with good immunity, therefore they are resistant to diseases and harmful insects. They prefer well-drained soils and grow in well-lit areas. Do not need frequent watering. However, an important procedure in the cultivation of undersized bushes is pruning and crown formation, which, according to the rules, is carried out in the spring. Thanks to easy pruning, active branching and growth of ornamental culture occurs.
Low-growing shrubs are propagated by cuttings, layering, dividing the bush and seeds. They are planted in the ground at the very beginning of spring, as soon as the snow melts, since they begin to flow much earlier than trees.
Description of several types of culture suitable for landscape decoration:
- Lavender. More whimsical to care in comparison with other types. Feels comfortable on sandy soils, does not like heavy acidic and waterlogged. To ensure the porosity of the soil, it is useful to add compost, and to neutralize acidity - wood ash or lime. A sharp drop in temperature has a detrimental effect on the plant, therefore, with the onset of cold snaps, it is recommended to move the vases with lavender to a warm, dry place.
- Sage and heather are afraid of frost, so it is advisable to insulate them with any covering material for the winter. In order for the sage bushes to become more voluminous and overgrown in the coming season, you do not need to allow its seeds to ripen.
- Dwarf barberries and spireas perfectly tolerate the pruning procedure, so they are used to obtain all kinds of shapes and forms.
- Unpretentious polyanthus roses are suitable for growing those gardeners who do not have enough time for care. An ornamental plant is endowed not only with beauty, but also with a high degree of resistance to frost, drought, excess moisture and fungal diseases. For polyanthus roses, you only need periodic pruning and feeding.
To achieve optimal success in the cultivation of ornamental shrubs, you should first carefully familiarize yourself with a number of subtleties and nuances of care.
Have you already created a landscape design for your site?
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