Dr. E.M. Nemova
«From wasteland to a beautiful garden»
(excerpts from the book «Design of a garden plot» ZAO Fiton +, Moscow, 2000)
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Group plantings of trees.
Planting trees and shrubs in groups the most common method of landscape architecture, which is used in practice to create a green background, filling the open space, decorating the bare trunks and branches stretched out plants. With woody plants is an independent decorative load, creating a certain color or spot color effect, especially if it consists of contrasting color on the leaves or flowers of plants. In the private garden and public gardens, among other things, such groups can successfully mask the unsightly buildings, hedges and fences, compost heaps, etc.
Depending on the purpose of the group, she may be formed as soon as a tree or shrub of a species or varieties (pure group) and include trees and shrubs with different species and varieties (mixed groups). By density planting distinguish solid and openwork team. An important characteristic of the group is its brilliance, which is determined by the color of its component plants: inconspicuous, monochrome, not contrasting, or, conversely, spectacularly blooming with color or contrasting foliage. Inconspicuous group of excellent camouflage is not the most attractive corners of the garden, provide the background for the single plant, grass or the edge of the frame, the background area. Vivid Group landed on the most prominent places to create color spots, providing a composite center, focusing the observer. Such groups appropriate to have on lawns, in front of the house, consisting flowerbed, in the corners formed by the intersection of the tracks. The area occupied by a group varies from 1,0 -, 5 m a third of a hectare, landing with the greater area known as arrays. For quantitative composition is also great variation from 3 — to a few dozen copies.
Construction of groups can be very different, depending on the imagination of the author and purpose that he has: the regular placement of plants in a group (rare); flowering or convergence of planting; hip landing net in composition, but different ages of plants; hip landing of any kind plants free Planting of pure and mixed composition of groups; planting extended compositions; planting in conjunction with prominent solitary.
To practice Specialties garden plot adhere to the following rules:
- than smaller plants, the greater their need for planting;
- group may be sufficiently dense or drafty but it must have a clear outline. This planting should be in such a way that in the adult state crown them closed up.
- a very few exceptions, the group may not have the correct geometrical shape of outline, for example, a square or rectangle. Boundaries of the group should be soft and smooth, this will make the planting naturalness.
- traditionally planted in groups of odd number of plants: trees and large shrubs to 3pc, shrubs for 5pieces, stunted or dwarf shrubs on 9pcs. By necessity, the number of plants can be increased or decreased.
- order to mix the dendrological composition of the group kept its architectonics for many years, it is desirable to keep pace with the growth of its member plants. In limited areas should not be planted fast-growing species.
- for mixed groups of plants are selected as the principle of decorative as well as on the principle of biological compatibility.
- if mixed group composed of flowering plants, it is advisable to find their way to flowering of some species of flowering replaced by others.
Decorative Party should always look neat, that is not permissible to clogging residues landings fallen leaves and dead branches, weeds overgrowing. Otherwise, the plants rapidly with pests and diseases, the group becomes a source of infection for the whole garden, not to mention the loss of decoration. For group planting of trees should look especially carefully. This means regular weeding, removal of withering branches and cutting unnecessary rootstocks, mulching with peat, peat and compost or wood chips at tree trunks, cutting edge of the lawn (so-called «crumbling») along the contour of a decorative group for the prevention of overgrowth of lawn grasses. Since the landing of a group, tend to be more dense, dry summer periods the plants need more watering, for the same reason, the plants should be required annually to feed the organic and mineral fertilizers, and closely monitor their condition. Even minor damage by pests or diseases should take appropriate measures to combat these phenomena.
