A country or personal plot should bring not only a rich harvest of fruits and vegetables. It should contribute to the proper rest of the owners. To do this, various natural compositions are created from flowers, trees, stones, etc. A low-growing shrub allows you to complement landscape design with indescribably beautiful shapes and shades.
Today there is a huge variety of species of similar plants. To choose the best option, you need to read the recommendations of experts. It is necessary to select a shrub in accordance with your taste preferences and the characteristics of the growth of each decorative species.
General characteristics
Short shrub today common in landscape design. This is due to its variety of species, as well as a unique decorative effect. Such plants are able to create a separate composition, as well as serve as a background for other plants. At the same time, the garden looks charming and original.
Almost all types of low-growing shrubsunpretentious in care. The only thing to consider when choosing a landing site is the need for sunlight. Some species like dark areas under a fence or near buildings. Others prefer to grow in almost direct sunlight.
Fast-growing shrubs spread along the ground in a lush carpet, can form hedges. They are able to cover unsightly areas or objects in the garden. They also reduce weeds. The height of undersized shrubs does not exceed 1 m. Many types of ornamental plants fall into this category.
Varieties
There are many varieties of undersized shrubs. Allocate flowering, coniferous, fruit varieties. There is also a low-growing frost-resistant perennial, as well as annuals.
According to the seasons, there are four groups of shrubs. In the spring, spirea, forsythia, and keria develop well. In summer, a huge number of plants will please the eye. It could be barberry, heather. Almost all flowering species will do.
In autumn, the site will be decorated with viburnum, abelia, hawthorn, Japanese maple. In winter, coniferous varieties, holly, berry yew will look beautiful.
When choosing, it is necessary to take into account the growing conditions of the shrub. There are varieties that need a lot of sunlight, heat or moisture. In accordance with the existing conditions, it is necessary to select one or another variety.
Bloomingvarieties
Flowering low-growing shrubs can decorate a certain area in the garden. Flowers may vary in size and color. Most often, domestic gardeners choose plants such as common heather or Japanese quince, action.
Some gardeners grow wolf as a flowering shrub on their plot. However, this plant is not suitable for those gardeners who have small children walking on the site. It is a beautiful plant that produces a sea of light purple flowers. However, all parts of the wolf are very poisonous. Therefore, such plants are planted in the garden, where visitors do not walk. It is better to just contemplate such a bush from afar.
Graceful Deytion is a shrub that can grow up to 80 cm in height. The plant is practically completely unaffected by garden pests. Its white luxuriantly flowering branches fall to the ground like an openwork veil.
Heather (shrub) will bloom throughout the second half of summer. Its shoots are directed upwards. This plant loves sunlight. Under such conditions, a delicate pink bloom will delight gardeners for a long time.
Hedge decoration
Plants such as Japanese quince, cinquefoil, blackberry, buckthorn willow are suitable for decorating a hedge. The first version of the shrub is characterized by flowering at the end of May. Bright scarlet flowers densely frame its branches. This is a perennial plant that is not afraid of frost. The arcuate branches have thorns.
Potentilla shrub is called a universal plant. Planting and care are characterized by simplicity. Potentilla grows on almost all types of soils. She can decorate a border with her graceful shoots or form a hedge. Flowering is long enough. It can be contemplated for more than 100 days.
With the help of buckthorn willow, you can create a delicate, openwork hedge. This plant does not exceed 25 cm in height. But in the horizontal plane, it grows quite strongly. Shoots may take root. This gives the plant the appearance of a solid green carpet. Likes dark, well-moistened areas. It is recommended to plant it near a fountain or stream.
Slow growing species
One of the slowest growing species is cotoneaster horizontalis. This disadvantage is compensated by its high decorative effect. The leaves of this plant are green in summer. However, by autumn, it changes to purple-orange hues.
Also, many gardeners like to grow this shrub because of its bright coral red berries. They appear in autumn. Even during periods of frost, they do not crumble from the branches. On the first snowy days, red berries look beautifully from under their white hats.
The cross-pair microbiota is also slowly growing. This is an evergreen plant. It prefers dark places on the site. Needles do not tolerate direct sunlight on their branches. At the same time, it begins to turn yellow and fall off. Ideal for growing under fencesshady places near the house. This plant tolerates winter well, but does not like excessive watering.
Fast growing varieties
One of the fastest growing plants is pachysandra apical. Planting and care require knowledge of the characteristics of this shrub. Pachysandra loves shady places. It will not thrive well in direct sunlight. It is ideal to plant a plant under the crowns of trees. In these places pachysandra creates a dense green carpet.
This plant quickly fills the free space. Flowering continues for a fairly short time. However, the decorativeness of the plant is high even in normal times. Small white flowers adorn the branches of the shrub.
Also distinguished by the rapid growth of stefanander incised. It is able to cover almost any area with its green mass. Therefore, it is used to create carpet bedding in gardens, as well as for hedges. The plant quickly entangles supports with its shoots. Stefanander is unpretentious in care.
Shrubs with berries
Fast-growing shrubs usually do not have pronounced ornamental fruits. If the site owners prefer to see berries on their bushes, the snowberry should be preferred.
A distinctive feature of this plant is the presence of beautiful white or pale pink fruits on its branches. They remain on the bush throughout the winter. This plant prefers to grow on limestone soils. Easy to care for.
This type of shrub can be trimmed, forming a crown of the correct geometric shape from it. There are varieties of snowberry that form a dense green carpet. However, they cannot tolerate frost.
Fruit bushes
One of the most famous fruit shrubs among summer residents is blackberry cut. This undersized perennial can grow strongly in the horizontal plane. The length of the bush can reach 4 m. At the same time, the height of the plant does not exceed 80 cm. There are well-developed thorns on the branches.
You can form a hedge from the shoots of this type of blackberry. After a period of flowering, edible fruits will appear on its branches. These are sweet, he althy berries. They can be eaten raw or covered with compotes, jam.
In autumn, blackberry leaves change color from dark green to bright purple. This is a beautiful and interesting plant. Due to the presence of edible fruits, split blackberries are very popular among gardeners.
Coniferous varieties
Coniferous undersized shrubs for the garden are actively used in landscape design. One of the most popular species is spruce. For decorative purposes, a special species was bred. This is a small shrub that reaches a height of about 30-50 cm. A hemispherical crown with densely folded branches will perfectly complement a summer cottage or personal plot with its dark green needles.
Coniferous varieties are frost-resistant. They do not lose their decorative qualities even in winter. Coniferous stuntedshrubs are unpretentious. They grow in almost all types of soil.
Also used by gardeners in landscape design lying juniper. It does not grow above 60 cm. It grows up to 2 m wide. Its needles are dense, have a bluish tint. Juniper is unpretentious in care.
Other decorative options
In addition to the species listed above, such a low-growing shrub as St. John's wort is used in landscape design. This is an easy plant to care for. It grows well in almost all places on the site. Its bright yellow flowers look beautiful in the garden. St. John's wort is not afraid of harsh winters. If the owners cannot provide constant care for the shrub, St. John's wort should be chosen. Even after drought, frost or excessive moisture, the plant quickly recovers.
It is recommended to plant in our climatic latitudes various types of junipers, decorative mountain pine (needs pruning to form a crown), cedar shrubs. Barberry, broom, turf and boxwood will also develop well. These plants take root well, do not require special care and delight their owners for a long time.
Having considered such an ornamental plant as a low-growing shrub, as well as its existing species, care features, each gardener will be able to choose the best option for his backyard or summer cottage.
