A modern garden with a beautiful landscape design cannot do without such a landscaping element as ornamental shrubs. They are planted in open areas, used as hedges, grown as single specimens or in groups, and with their help they create a background for flower arrangements. Now there are a considerable number of species and varieties of garden shrubs, differing in size, shape and color of foliage and flowers, timing and duration of flowering. Therefore, when choosing them, you need to be guided by certain criteria.

Top 20 ornamental shrubs

These beautiful plants may have significant differences in the requirements for agricultural conditions, so in order for them to truly become an adornment of the garden plot, you need to initially study them botanical description and content rules. Next, for your dacha or garden plot, you need to choose exactly those that will be combined with already planted plants or fit smoothly into the planned landscape design. In this case, you should take into account the size and characteristics of the seedlings and the garden itself, as well as the weather conditions of the region. The most popular shrubs with high decorative properties include the following plants.

Lilac

This shrub begins to delight people with its aroma at the end of spring.

Lilac (Syringa) has remained for many years one of the most popular garden shrubs in dachas and garden plots, and at the same time it is quite frost-resistant. To date, more than two thousand new hybrid varieties. Their inflorescences consist of many flowers, which can be either small with a simple shape or large, densely double. In addition to lilac, they have white, pink, lilac, bluish, lilac, purple and violet colors. Lilac bushes grow from 2 to 5 m in height and are quite compact in shape.

Planting of lilacs begins in mid-August and ends at the end of September. It is not recommended to root seedlings in the spring; they take a long time to take root and grow weak and painful.

Depending on the variety and region of growth, flowering of bushes can begin in May and last until the end of July.

Forsythia

This plant begins to bloom very early, and the leaves, which sometimes change color to purple in the fall, grow only after the buds fall off.

Forsythia (Forsythia) is a long-lived shrub; it can grow safely in one place for more than seventy years.

Bright and unusually flowering spreading bushes are highly valued, while in warm regions inflorescences can appear as early as April and last for about a month. The plants are covered with graceful bell flowers that are golden yellow in color. At the same time, the light green foliage begins to hatch only after the buds fall off. It has an oval shape with smooth or jagged edges. With the onset of autumn, it acquires yellow, orange and purple colors, which makes the bushes even more decorative. The height of the shrub ranges from 1 to 3 m, and the crown width can reach 2 m.

Vegeila

This “tree”, in addition to crimson, can have five more colors

Wegeila (Weigela) is a small garden shrub from 70 cm to 2 m in height. About 20 species of this plant are now known, and there are also hybrid varieties. All of them have large, tubular, bell-shaped flowers that grow either singly or in umbrella inflorescences. They can be white, cream, yellowish, pink and red in color. Only a few species of this ornamental shrub are grown in our country:

Early wegeela (Weigela praecox) with cream flowers, the core of which is decorated with orange spots;
Weigela middendorffiana, which has yellowish-white flowers with purple and bright yellow streaks in the throat cavity;
Pleasant weigela (Weigela suavis), considered the most graceful of all species - its flowers are light purple on the outside and pale pink on the inside;
Weigela hybrida, which combines many varieties obtained as a result of the work of breeders.

Vegeila is valued by gardeners for its two-time flowering, the first of which begins in May, and the second at the end of August. The buds replace each other within a month.

Shrubs should be planted in mid-spring. Since vegeila is a heat-loving plant, seedlings planted in the fall may freeze in regions with cold winters.

It is very convenient to grow, so today breeders have already developed many of its varieties.

Spiraea is one of the popular frost-resistant ornamental shrubs that bloom quite unusually. It is distinguished by its unpretentiousness, abundant flowering and rapid growth. Moreover, there are about 130 natural species of this plant and many hybrids. Their height ranges from 30 cm to 3 m, the shoots can be either erect or drooping. The shape of the jagged foliage is lobed, depending on the species it can be lanceolate, linear or round.

All plant species are divided into early flowering and late flowering. Therefore, if you choose the right seedlings, you can get a bush planting that will bloom from mid-May to early October. It is advisable to plant young plants in the garden plot in mid-August.

Spring spirea will produce white corymbose inflorescences. In summer varieties, small flowers are collected in pink umbrellas, and in autumn varieties in purple clusters. It's really original decoration for any garden.

Chaenomeles

This “Japanese quince” bears small yellow apple-like fruits after flowering.

Chaenomeles or Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica) is a very showy thorny shrub with dark green shiny foliage. Its height ranges from 50 cm to 3 m. Large flowers with a diameter of up to 5 cm have a simple or double shape and are collected in small bunches.

Flowering of Chaenomeles begins in mid-spring and lasts for a month. After its completion, interesting fruits are formed on the plants, reminiscent of small apples. Against the background of glossy foliage, they give the plant a special decorative effect.

This shrub is of Asian origin and prefers spring planting, which can be carried out from mid-April to the end of May.

These mini-apples are not only edible, but also very healthy, although they are a bit sour if you try to eat them fresh and without sugar.

Chubushnik

With its flowing branches, light shades and subtle aroma, it evokes associations with a veil

Mock orange (Philadelphus) has been known since the times of Ancient Egypt, but even now it is one of the most common ornamental shrubs, beautiful and frost-resistant. This is due to its unpretentiousness, rapid rooting and rare damage by diseases and pests. The plant is quite spreading, from 1 to 3 m high and up to 2 m wide. Its dark green foliage is elongated ovoid In autumn it takes on a bright lemon hue.

The goblet-shaped flowers of numerous species can have a simple or densely double shape and a white, light cream or pinkish color. They gather in delicate clusters and spread a delicate, sweetish jasmine aroma throughout the garden. Bloom different varieties lasts from mid-June to early autumn.

Planting mock orange in the garden permanent place possible both in autumn and spring.

She has a relative with flowers of similar shape - herbaceous cinquefoil

Cinquefoil (Potentilla) is not only a bright flowering plant, but also medicinal plant, which is recognized even by official medicine. It grows from 70 cm to 1.5 m in height. Its greyish-green, pubescent foliage is pinnately shaped and consists of five small leaves.

The golden-yellow flowers have five petals and a diameter of about 3 cm. They are collected in small racemes that bloom in mid-June. Flowering continues until the first frost. Hybrid varieties of shrubby cinquefoil can have a double shape and a white, pinkish or red color.

It is best to plant young plants in a permanent place in mid-spring.

Rhododendron

And this plant’s relative is the indoor azalea, with almost a large range of shades

Rhododendron (Rhododendron), blooming luxuriantly and abundantly, is valued by many gardeners for its special grace and noble appearance. This ornamental shrub is the true king of the dacha or garden. Depending on the species, the dark green, shiny or leathery foliage of the plant has a serrated or ovoid shape, its length can reach 15 cm. The height of the plant ranges from 50 cm to 4 m, and the crown width can reach 2 m.

Large rhododendron flowers have a diameter of up to 15 cm and are white, pinkish, purple, orange or bright red in color. Their shape resembles garden roses. Each inflorescence has from 10 to 25 buds and can be a separate spectacular bouquet.

Plant rhododendrons in open ground possible in mid-spring and early autumn.

In recent years, hydrangea has come back into fashion and is very popular both in garden plots and in floristry.

Hydrangea (Hydrangea) is a very shade-tolerant and fairly frost-resistant garden plant. In addition, it is unpretentious and can grow even on the most acidified soils, and depending on changes in the composition of the soil, it can change the color of the inflorescences. Height various types hydrangeas range from 1 to 3 m. Large bright green foliage has an ovoid, pointed shape.

Hydrangea inflorescences consist of a huge amount small flowers and are bright large balls, umbrellas or panicles, coloring cottages and garden plots. They can be white, pink, blue, blue, purple. They are often used as cut flowers for original bouquets.

This shrub can be planted both in the spring and in the fall, several months before the onset of frost.

During the season, it is characterized by a change in color not only of the stems, but also of the leaves and needles

Thunberg's barberry (Berberis thunbergii) is beautiful plant with colorful stems and foliage, blooming in shades of yellow, pink and red. This plant has a huge number of species. Its peculiarity is the stems, which over time change their color from yellow to bright red, purple-red, and as a result become reddish-brown. Depending on the time of year, the shoots are strewn with small green, golden or orange leaves and needles. The height of the bushes can reach 3 m.

The flowers of this ornamental shrub are collected in large, distinctive inflorescences, appearing in late May or early June and remaining on the branches for a month.

After its completion, fruits about 1 cm in diameter begin to form on the bushes, which when ripe acquire a bright red color and a sour taste. Thunberg barberry can be planted from mid-spring to early autumn.

The berries of this plant are widely used in cooking.

In our next article you will find a selection of unpretentious flowers for the cottage and garden:.

Its flowering is a bit reminiscent of the brushes of decorative Kalanchoe, but on a bush it looks much more beautiful

Hawthorn (Crataegus) can be grown in the garden not only for decorative purposes, but also collected from it medicinal fruits. This shrub is not only beautiful, but also frost-resistant, unpretentious in care and undemanding to growing conditions. The height of some of its species can reach 4 m. Its bright green foliage has a diamond shape and sharp, deep cavities.

Corymbose inflorescences consist of small white or pink flowers, in place of which bright red berries are formed in the fall.

These red berries are useful for normalizing the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, digestion and nervous system

Hawthorn blooms throughout June, and fruit ripening ends in early September. This shrub can be planted in the garden both during the spring and autumn.

This is how it looks in the fall and can remain just as elegant all winter long.

Holly (Ilex) is a frost-hardy evergreen shrub. Its glossy foliage is characterized by an elliptical shape and pointed teeth along the edges. In addition to species that have a green color, there are variegated specimens, the leaves of which have white or yellow spots. The height of the bush ranges from 3 to 5 m.

Holly blooms from May to July, but this plant becomes most beautiful in the fall, when it becomes covered large fruits red, white, yellow or dark brown, adding brightness to the garden. They can remain on the plant until next spring. Planting holly in the country or personal plot can be maintained throughout the growing season.

These “summer snowballs” in the fall are replaced by clusters of red berries, useful as an antiseptic, blood purifier and metabolic stimulant.

Viburnum Buldonezh or snow globe (Viburnum buldenezh) is frost-resistant and has very beautiful carved bright foliage Green colour. Delicate white flowers are collected in large inflorescences that reach 20 cm in diameter. From a distance they really do resemble dazzling snow globes. In autumn, in their place large clusters with red berries are formed, possessing medicinal properties. This ornamental shrub is very famous and popular in cottages and garden plots.

The flowering of this ornamental shrub begins in late May - early June and lasts for a month.

It is advisable to plant Viburnum Buldonezh on a garden plot in spring period, but you can do this in early autumn.

Its “cap” of this plant can also be pink, lilac or purple

Deutzia is a beautiful shrub with a spreading crown and abundant flowering, which is of East Asian origin, and therefore is not very frost-resistant. The plant reaches a height of 50 cm to 2 m. The entire foliage can be smooth or rough, and have smooth or jagged edges.

Small bell-shaped flowers can be single or double. They gather in numerous panicle inflorescences of white, pink, lilac or purple color.

Flowering begins at the end of May and ends at the beginning of July. Deutia can be planted both in spring and autumn.

White or pink inflorescences against a background of purple or violet-burgundy leaves look quite impressive

Bladderwort (Physocarpus Amurensis) - beautiful, frost-resistant and unpretentious plant, tolerates light shading well. The shrub has an interesting spherical shape of a dense crown. Its large foliage is purple or violet-burgundy in color.

Small inflorescences up to 7 cm in diameter are formed by small white or pink flowers. The height of the vesicular carp can be more than 3 m, and the width is about 2 m.

Flowering of this shrub begins in June and continues throughout the month. Bladderwort can be propagated from mid-spring to early autumn.

It blooms with white-pink clusters, and the fruits can also be black in color, while their consumption has a beneficial effect on the immune system, skin, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract and metabolism

Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster) is an ornamental shrub, highly valued in gardening for its dense crown, which is easy to shape and retains its shape for a long time. In addition, it is not too demanding on growing conditions. Its shoots are covered with many bright green, shiny, ovoid leaves, which turn reddish and then purple in color with the onset of autumn. Depending on the varietal, the plant can reach from 50 cm to 3 m in height.

Small white or pink flowers cotoneaster are collected in small brushes. Flowering begins at the end of May and continues until the beginning of July.

At the beginning of autumn, red, bright orange or black fruits ripen on the bushes. In combination with burgundy leaves, they give the bushes a particularly attractive appearance. It is advisable to plant cotoneaster in mid-spring.

This plant can very often be found in gardens and dachas in the South of Russia, although it is also suitable for more northern ones, since it is quite frost-resistant.

Beautiful foliage is one of the advantages of this plant; in addition to yellow-green, its colors can also include orange, red and purple.

Euonymus (Euonymus) can be called a rather unusual garden shrub. Green leaves some of its types can be simultaneously decorated with white, yellow, orange, red and purple patterns. Plant height ranges from 50 cm to 3.5 m. This frost-resistant plant needing bright light.

Small inflorescences consisting of small yellowish-green flowers look inconspicuous. And the fruits that are formed from them are highly decorative. They are four- or five-sided boxes of pink or red color. Large seeds of white, yellow, red or black color ripen in them. When the ripe fruits burst, they come out.

The fruits of this plant look like red or pink boxes, and the seeds inside them are white, yellow, red or black.

Euonymus blooms in May and June. Young plants are planted in the fall.

Sometimes this plant is sold in pots, being considered elite and expensive.

Camellia has many varieties, but garden plots As a rule, camellia japonica and camellia Williams hybrids are grown. This shrub has dense elliptical or ovoid leaves with a shiny surface and serrated edges. Their length ranges from 10 to 17 cm.

The height of the plant can reach 5 m.

Camellia is valued by gardeners for its large flowers, the diameter of which reaches 12 cm. They can be simple or double, have a white, pink, red or variegated color. Their core is formed by many yellow stamens. From a distance, camellia bushes resemble roses. It is not very frost-resistant, and is grown in regions with mild climates, where flowering begins in mid-spring and continues for several months. Plants are planted in the garden plot in the spring.

The seeds of this type of almond are also edible and have a number of beneficial properties, including rejuvenation of the body

Low almond (Amygdalus nana) is a small but very beautiful shrub about 1.5 m high. On its erect stems there are a large number of narrow lance-shaped leaves with serrated edges. Many simple flowers of this frost-resistant plant, unlike its dessert varieties, are white or bright pink.

Low almond blossoms begin at the end of April, when there is no foliage on it yet. It lasts for a month, then the formation and ripening of small fruits in a fluffy shell begins. Planting young plants in the garden or country house can be done both in spring and autumn.

This winter-hardy mini-tree can also be white or pink

Ceanothus is interesting for its late flowering. In appearance it resembles a small tree with a spreading crown. Its shoots are covered with large green, velvety leaves. Small flowers are collected in large beautiful inflorescences, reminiscent of lilacs. They can be white, pink, blue or purple.

The value of ceanothus lies in the fact that its flowering begins in August and continues until mid-autumn. You can plant shrubs in the garden both in spring and in autumn period. This ornamental shrub is quite frost-resistant.

In addition to those listed, there are many more ornamental shrubs that can adequately decorate any garden. Therefore, everyone can choose plants for their dacha or garden according to their wishes and create their intended landscape compositions. Of course, you need to take into account the characteristics of the site, plant characteristics, flowering period and planting time.

This variety of colors really enlivens the landscape.

Conifers are also suitable for decorating and landscaping the area. There are a lot of them. We have made a selection of plants popular with gardeners and summer residents: .

Even if your plot of land is small, you can always create a cozy garden atmosphere in it through a well-thought-out selection of frost-resistant and long-flowering ornamental shrubs, adding greenery and bright colors, the rustle of foliage and the delicate aroma of flowers, as well as obtaining bright, tasty, healthy fruits in the fall.

Today there are few summer cottages that do not have at least one ornamental shrub. They only cause problems for careless gardeners, but in capable hands become a work of art and a unique decoration of the garden.

Before purchasing a shrub for decoration country house design We invite you to familiarize yourself with a selection of the most interesting and original specimens. In order for the area to look stylish and original after planting ornamental shrubs, the purpose of each type should be taken into account.

Low-growing shrubs are a universal garden decoration. They can form a separate composition, serve as a hedge or border along a path or flower bed. Quite often they are used in the design of discounts.

Larger shrubs can be used to divide the area into zones, and a medium-sized hedge will serve as protection from the sun's rays.

Tall bushes are well suited both for decorating unsightly walls and for shading certain corners of the garden. They are also good in single plantings.

Coniferous and evergreen shrubs are the highlight of any site. Without them, the design will be incomplete. They can be made the center of the composition, on large area planted as a living fence, their combination with a rose looks very original, but the downside is that not every rose will like such a neighborhood.

Flowering mini-trees will be a bright touch against the green background of the fence and will decorate the dacha. A free-standing rose bush will help break up the monotony of the design or decorate the entrance area.

At first glance, everything seems simple: choose the shrubs you like, mark out the area and plant them according to the markings. But this approach can lead to the garden turning into an impenetrable jungle.

The basis of garden decoration is a thoughtful and skillful combination of plants. To achieve the effect, when choosing a place for shrubs, you need to take into account a lot: the size of adult plants, the silhouette they form and volume.

Shrubs that differ in growth form look good together. Tandem mini spruce with Japanese maple, or decorative cherries with rhododendrons and cypress trees, will create a complete image.

Plants with contrasting leaf colors go well together. They complement each other and create a bright accent. One group may include variegated euonymus, golden spruce and fan maple with purple leaves.

The ensemble will look more impressive if it contains at least one shrub characterized by bright flowering.

You should not arrange the composition in one row; usually they are planted in two or three lines, and the front ones should not overlap the bushes behind by more than 20 percent. You can place mini-trees in the shape of a triangle.

When forming a composition, you need to take into account the compatibility of plants. So some types coniferous shrubs quite aggressive towards their deciduous counterparts. They can suppress their growth and development, or even completely destroy them.

Particular attention should be paid to calculating the distance between plantings; for this, the height of an adult bush is multiplied by two.

The distance between the bushes depends on their dimensions:

Low-growing ones (almonds, dwarf conifers) should be planted at a distance of 70-80 cm.
Medium-sized (chaenomeles, felt cherry, rhododendron, deutia) - at a distance of 1.2-1.5 m.
Tall (spirea, lilac, forsythia, viburnum, hawthorn) - the distance should be at least 2 m.

The most beautiful garden shrubs

At the end of April, when there is still snow in some shaded places, the beautiful daphne (Daphne mezereum) blooms. Its inflorescences look like lilacs; the bush, about a meter high, is generously strewn with delicate pink-purple flowers. At the end of flowering, soft green oblong leaves appear, and closer to autumn bright red or orange berries appear. But you can’t try them, they are quite poisonous, it’s not for nothing that people call this plant wolfberry.

Daphne loves abundant watering and prefers partial shade; she feels good in the shade of a sparse tree crown.

Forsythia

Golden shower, or forsythia begins to bloom in early spring and flaunts sunny yellow inflorescences for three weeks, sometimes longer. In autumn, the leaves turn golden or purple-bloody, which looks very elegant and festive.

Sunny meadows, protected from gusts of wind, will become for him best place growth.

A small bush, 100-150 cm high, is one of the first to open the flowering season. The crown is spherical in shape, the branches are densely covered with oblong leaves. The wonderful aroma of pink flowers cannot leave anyone indifferent. Its fruits are oval and covered with soft fluff. After leaf fall, fluffy balls adorn the branches. Can reproduce by seeds.

Almonds are quite undemanding in care, love the sun and tolerate a lack of moisture well. Abundant and frequent watering can destroy the bean plant.

This crop is popular among gardeners from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, for its unpretentious nature and good stable yield with a fairly compact size. It blooms with soft pink flowers, quite profusely. It got its name from the leaves and shoots covered with a light fluff similar to felt.

Loves soil rich in organic matter and open, well-lit spaces.

Perhaps the most elegant representative of ornamental shrubs. Immediately after greening, it produces purple buds that turn into large bright flowers. The fruits are golden, look like small apples and contain many vitamins.

Japanese quince is unpretentious to the composition of the soil, lives well in the shade of trees, and is ideal as a living, untrimmed hedge.

Mahonia

Evergreen mahonia is popular as a hedge, capable of independent growth from root shoots. This specimen blooms at the very end of spring and pleases with sunny inflorescences until mid-June. The rest of the year delights with clusters of blueberry-colored berries and bright bronze foliage.

Mahonia, which does not require much attention, grows successfully in sunny meadows, under the crown of a tree and in dense shade. Does not tolerate stagnation of water, this can lead to rotting of the roots.

Lilac

Lilacs have won the hearts of gardeners for their beautiful paniculate inflorescences with small fragrant flowers. Varietal lilac has several color options. This shrub requires regular pruning to help maintain the desired plant shape and ensure more abundant flowering. Combinations of several multi-colored varieties look good.

Drought-resistant, but picky about lack of lighting. Prefers loamy soil, rich in organic matter and minerals.

Kalina

Perhaps the most popular tree in Russian gardens. It is popularly called the “wedding tree.” It is believed that this strong amulet. Blooms from May to July, with white flowers with a honey scent. By autumn, the fruits fill with red juice and remain on the bush all winter, providing food for birds.

Spirea

There are many varieties of spirea, which have significant differences. What they have in common is that they are all growing very actively. Therefore, in the third or fourth year of planting, you should trim the bush, leaving 20-30 centimeters.

Flowers can be of different colors, from white hemispherical inflorescences to pink and red.

Spiraea should not be planted individually, only in several bushes. According to the laws of landscape design, it should dominate over other components of the group.

Chubushnik

Mock orange is very similar to jasmine, but is a member of a different family. The abundance of snow-white flowers on the branches and unobtrusive aroma make it an indispensable decoration in the garden. It is very undemanding about the planting site, but on the sunny side on nutritious and loose soils it will bloom more luxuriantly and longer.

Deytsia

The shrub is characterized by long flowering and a wide color palette. The flowers come in pink, white, purple and lilac colors and are odorless.

With a lack of light and poor soils, they get sick. The choice of ornamental shrubs is unlimited, but they all need regular, careful trimming, otherwise the area will look unkempt and unkempt.

Ornamental shrubs that bloom all summer (video)

Ennoblement summer cottage– the process is creative and exciting, on initial stage When planning a garden, summer residents determine what bushes and trees they will plant. If the site is completely empty, then fast-growing trees and shrubs for the garden will create a beautiful landscape in a short time. If time is of the essence, then you can choose crops growing for a long time, and enjoy their transformation from year to year.

Types of shrubs

When thinking about which shrubs to plant in your dacha, pay attention to their classification, this will greatly facilitate your choice. Whether you only need ornamental bushes or want to get a variety of fruits from them, it depends on which type you should give your preference.

Appearance and agrotechnical characteristics allow seedlings to be divided into three main types, which we will discuss in the following sections.

Note!
The price of seedlings for self-growing is significantly lower than the cost of already grown shrubs.

Beautiful flowering shrubs

The absolute favorites in decorating garden plots are plants that are distinguished by their unique flowering. The most beautiful bushes amaze the imagination with inflorescences fancy shapes and a wide range of shades.

Planting them with different periods flowering, which will replace each other, you can achieve the effect of an “ever-blooming” garden. Flowering shrubs are perfectly complemented by compositions of coniferous plants, as well as any ornamental bushes.

The most spectacular flowering species:

Dogwood. It begins to delight with its color in early spring. He is unpretentious to the soil, like many shade-tolerant plants, feels good in unlit areas.
Rhododendron. It blooms in April and has soft lilac flowers. To achieve the most lush flowering, plant the plant in partial shade and fertilize with humus.
Forsythia. It blooms even before the foliage appears. After the bush fades, it continues to delight the eye with its decorative effect.

Japanese quince. Pleasing to the eye orange flowers. It grows well in illuminated areas and is most often used to create hedges with your own hands.
Buddleya. The branches of the plant are densely covered with pinkish flowers. One of the individual features of this shrub is its incredible aroma, which can attract many butterflies. This bush is capable of reaching a height of three meters in just 2-3 years and has a long flowering period.
Chubushnik. The most beautiful of all shrubs. It has large snow-white flowers with a stunning aroma; it can be used to easily create green hedges.

Fruit bushes

This species can also play the role of ornamental plants, but their undeniable advantage is that they are able to bring us fresh berries. Therefore, it can be rightly noted that these are the most useful shrubs in the country. However, it should be noted that they require more care.

Below are a few plants of this species:

Currant . There are white, red and black currant fruits. Some of its varieties can bear fruit for up to 18 years in a row. Do not forget that it is necessary to protect the bushes from drafts and excess moisture.
Gooseberry. It bears fruit for up to 25 years, but is not very frost-resistant, so it needs insulation for the winter.

Raspberries . It grows well in the sun, is resistant to cold, but requires fertilized soil and moisture.
Blackberry. Similar in characteristics to raspberries, but more sensitive to frost.

Advice!
If you decide to plant fruit and berry bushes on your plot, it is better to do this in the fall, then in the summer you can get the first small harvest.

Decorative garden shrubs

Ornamental plants add elegance to the design of the site, and it doesn’t matter which ones need to be decorated country houses— they will be made from block containers, or built from brick or wood. Wide color palette and the texture of these bushes is capable of creating bright accents, decorate individual elements your garden, divide the area into zones.

Unpretentious in care, they are quite easy to grow if you follow a few rules when planting them:

Do not plant this type of plants too closely together.

For your information!
There are simple instructions for calculating the distance between bushes - the distance is equal to twice the height of an adult bush.

Plant at a sufficient distance from fences and buildings.
Plants with burgundy leaves need sunlight, in the shade they become faded in color.
When replanting, to avoid damaging the roots, dig a hole wider and deeper.
Fertilize the soil.

Hydrangea. Its inflorescences are large balls of pink, lilac, milky or blue colors. All varieties of hydrangea are shade-loving and prefer moist soil.

Weigela. Can be planted on any soil; both shade and sunny areas are suitable. Mature plant reaches a height of 2 meters, blooms from the second year. It has flowers of bright pink color.
Barberry. Excellent as a hedge, the color of the foliage depends on the abundance of sun and can vary from red to purple. Regular pruning gives the bush a neat and noble appearance.
Boxwood. Ideal for those who like to create figures of various shapes from plants. It has low-growing varieties bushes. Heat-loving, but feels good in the shade. It is characterized by rapid growth and an unusual smell.

Deren. Very unpretentious shrub, easily takes root on any soil. Tolerates both shade and sun. It has purple foliage and blooms twice a year.
Deytsia. In a sunny area it reaches a height of two meters, has beautiful white or pink flowers. Not picky about soil.
Spirea. Used as a hedge. It has inflorescences of red, white or pink flowers. It especially attracts attention in the autumn, when its leaves paint the bush in different colors.
Forsythia. One of the earliest shrubs to bloom in spring. Requires regular fertilization and watering, like other moisture-loving trees and bushes.

We recommend!
The site may require special garden equipment eg an electric lawn mower.
The lack of electricity on the site makes it impossible to use it, but there is perfect solution– short-term rental of a diesel generator for a summer residence.

Conclusion

The choice of plants for your summer cottage can be limited only by your own fantasies and desires; you can always find some affordable analogue of an expensive shrub. And don’t forget about the little trick of unscrupulous sellers - when buying seedlings, you do not receive any guarantee that you are purchasing exactly the desired plant.

In the video presented in this article you will find Additional information on this topic.

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Barberry Thunberg "Crimson Pygmy"

A beautiful garden or just a plot of land is the dream of many. And no matter how extraordinary the beauty of the flowers that fill it, this dream will not be able to come true until ornamental shrubs appear in the garden that can simply transform the entire space and delight the eye all year round.

Low-growing ornamental shrubs for the garden

Low-growing shrubs are good because they can both create compositions on their own and serve as an excellent backdrop for other representatives of the garden. Usually unpretentious in terms of conditions and care, low-growing shrubs can reduce the number of growing weeds or simply decorate some undesirable area of the territory.

Usually these include plants whose height does not exceed 1 meter and among them you can find beautifully flowering, decorative foliage, fruit, etc.

Japanese quince low (Chaenomeles japonica) is an excellent choice for a hedge. It has thorns, and from the end of May the arched, drooping branches are covered with bright orange-red flowers, which are replaced by golden fruits. It is not afraid of winters and tolerates them well under the snow.

Japanese quince "Rubra"

Common heather (Calluna vulgaris) - short evergreen shrub, which is valued for its long flowering throughout the second half of summer. Its height does not exceed 60 cm, and the shoots are always directed strictly upward, due to which an abundantly flowering crown is formed beautiful shape. Heather can grow in any soil provided there is sufficient light.

Common heather "Annemarie"

Wolfman ( Daphne) - the only drawback of this shrub is that all its parts, including the fruits, are highly poisonous. Although in appearance, this is a rather pretty plant, with white fragrant flowers, which are replaced by bright red berries. Prefers fertile soils, well-lit places and does not tolerate drought.

Daphne (wolfberry, wolfberry) hybrid "Lawrence Crocker"

Deytsia graceful ( Deutzia gracilis) – beautiful flowering shrub, up to 80 cm high. Its flowers are collected in white inflorescences of 30-40 pieces, and the leaves can be not only green, but also variegated and even golden. It is also noteworthy that deutzia is practically not affected by garden pests.

Deutzia graceful "Chardonnay Pearls"

Cotoneaster horizontal (Cotoneaster horizontalis) is a slow-growing shrub, which, however, is more than compensated for by its decorative effect. In autumn, green shiny leaves give way to purple-orange, which in turn give way to coral-colored berries that can delight for a long time, even under the snow.

Cotoneaster horizontal

Cinquefoil shrub (Potentilla fruticosa) is a universal shrub that can decorate and hedge, and curb. Its bright yellow lights last up to 100 days. Quite unpretentious to growing conditions.

Cinquefoil shrub

Snowberry ( Symphoricarpos) – distinctive feature This deciduous shrub bears showy white or pale pink fruits that persist throughout the winter. A fairly unpretentious plant that prefers limestone soils and tolerates pruning well. The snowberry Cheneau is especially interesting for carpet plantings ( Symphoricarpos x chenaultii), obtained as a result of hybridization with. round, but it requires shelter for the winter.

Snowberry Shenot

Norway spruce (Picea abies) – contrary to popular belief, it can also be short and not exceed 30 – 50 cm in height. It is these low-growing varieties that include "Little Gem", having a hemispherical dense crown, with dark green needles and "Echiniformis", which with its outlines can sometimes create quite bizarre images. Both varieties are frost-resistant and unpretentious to grow.

Norway spruce "Little Gem"

The next two species are herbaceous perennials, although they are sometimes called subshrubs.

Pachysandra apex (Pachysandra terminalis) is an evergreen low-growing shrub that grows quickly and is ideal for shady places in the garden. It can be used to landscape areas under fruit trees, thereby creating carpet plantings. Its small white flowers are collected in spikes and appear for a short time - in April.

Pachysandra apex

St. John's wort(Hypericum ascyron) – a plant that does not present special requirements to the place where it grows, so it can be placed in any part of the garden. Its bright yellow flowers, decorative in appearance, delight the eye for a long time. And harsh winters do not frighten him at all, since even if he freezes, he is able to quickly recover.

St. John's wort

Creeping forms of ornamental shrubs

Creeping shrubs include those species whose crowns develop and grow in a horizontal plane. Many of them have a rather open crown, which must be taken into account when mulching. In addition, although they give the impression of green carpets, especially when planted in large groups, it is not advisable to walk on them, as they do not tolerate it.

Cut blackberry (Rubus laciniatus) - can spread up to 4 m in diameter, while its height does not exceed 80 cm. The cut, dark green leaves turn bright purple in the fall, and the shoots produce edible fruits.

Cut blackberry

Buckthorn willow (Salix rhamnifolia) - no more than 250 cm in height, but in width it can grow to unlimited distances. The fact is that its creeping shoots are able to take root immediately, which allows it to look like a solid green carpet. It grows quite quickly, tolerates darkening and waterlogging of the soil, so it is ideal for planting near fountains, ponds and streams. However, there are a great many creeping species of willows; interest in them is due to the search for interesting dwarf plants for alpine slides and rockeries. Read more about Arctic dwarf willows in the ESDR project.

Buckthorn willow

Cross-paired microbiota (Microbiota decussata) is an evergreen plant that prefers shade and when exposed to direct sunlight, its needles turn yellow and fall off. It tolerates harsh winters well, but does not tolerate waterlogging at all. It grows slowly.

Cross microbiota

Juniper recumbent (Juniperus procumbens) - a shrub no higher than 60 cm in height, but in diameter it can grow up to 2 m. It has bluish, dense needles and grows rather slowly, but is unpretentious in care.

Juniper recumbent ""Nana

Stephanandra incisifolia (Stephanandra incisa) - grows quite quickly and is capable of creating green surfaces of almost any area. It is unpretentious in care, tolerates winters well, and even if it freezes, it recovers very quickly.

Stefanandra resolifolia "Crispa"

In addition to the above shrubs, one can also note other types of junipers (M. Cossack, M. horizontal, M. medium), many varieties of mountain pine (however, it still needs formative pruning), low-growing varieties of Weymouth pine (say, ""Radiata"), dwarf cedar ( Pinus pumila). What's this about coniferous species. Among the deciduous ones, you can add Thunberg's barberry to this list ("" Green Carpet""), creeping broom, Fortune's euonymus, Dummer's cotoneaster, Japanese spirea (" "Crispa"", ""Little Princess"", ""Goldmound"", ""Japanese Dwarf"", ""Albiflora""), shoot derain (" Kelseyi"") and Canadian, in the southern regions - boxwood and shiny honeysuckle.

When choosing ornamental low-growing and creeping shrubs for your garden, you need to take into account not only climate conditions, soil and access to moisture, but also the characteristics of the species. After all, it’s not without reason that all ornamental shrubs are also divided into spring, summer, winter and year-round, by choosing the right ones you can really make your dream of a beautiful garden come true.

In shaping the landscape of a garden plot, an important role is played by the proper arrangement and combination of different plants. Properly selected flowering shrubs for the garden will delight the eye and decorate it from spring to late autumn. With the help of shrubs you can diversify garden landscape, divide the territory and introduce new accents into it. When choosing a plant, you should take into account its height, flowering duration and shrub planting characteristics. Shrubs that bloom in spring are in demand among gardeners, as they decorate the area with their blooms while other plants are just awakening.

Much when choosing shrubs depends not only on the preferences of the gardener, but also on the characteristics of the soil, climate and plants that are already growing on the site.

Japanese Quince (Chaenomeles)

Japanese quince is a low-growing flowering bushes. This heat-loving plant thrives in regions with mild climates, but can also tolerate frosts down to -30 °C. Ornamental Japanese quince shrubs are used for lawns and borders.

Did you know? Especially often you can find low-growing creeping species that were bred specifically for rockeries and alpine slides. There are also hybrid forms for growing bonsai.

Japan and China are considered the birthplace of quince. The plant is about 1 meter high, light-loving and not demanding on the soil. Most hybrid varieties have shoots and branches with thorns, but you can also find quinces with bare branches. Root system powerful, with a long taproot, which allows it to tolerate drought normally. The shrub is light-loving, so it is better to plant it in well-lit areas. Flowers with a diameter of up to 5 cm are placed along the length of the entire shoot, the petals are tightly pressed in arcs to each other. Japanese quince blooms in May-June, the flowering period is 30 days. During this period, the bushes have a beautiful decorative look and become the main coloring of the garden plot.

Quince begins to bear fruit at 3-4 years. The fruits ripen in September-October, are pear-shaped, but often look like green or orange apples.

Buddleia grows in tropical latitudes of Asia, South Africa and America. Although it loves warm temperate climates, it can withstand temperatures down to -20 °C. In winter, the above-ground part of the shoots freezes, but next year new shoots grow up to 1.5 m long. The branches are green, thin, ribbed. Oval shaped foliage, dark green, up to 25 cm long.
The flowers can be lilac, white, or purple, depending on the type of buddleia. The shrub is unpretentious in care. On dry days, it must be watered and fed during the flowering period. Before winter, drooping foliage and shoots should be trimmed, the soil should be covered with peat and dry leaves. Buddleia is propagated by seeds or cuttings.

Weigela is a shrub from the Honeysuckle family. In our country weigela early, pleasant and middendorf are found. The shrub blooms twice a year: from May to mid-June and from late August to early October. During flowering, weigela is abundantly covered with flowers. She loves sunny areas or slight partial shade.

Important! Weigela flowers and leaves can be damaged by the wind, so it is best to plant the shrub in protected areas.

Shrub care is simple. Shoots damaged by frost should be trimmed, watered on dry days and fertilized during flowering. Choose loose and fertile soil for planting.

Common heather can often be found in garden plots. This is a small shrub with narrow tetrahedral leaves. It grows up to 1 meter in height. Heather has many varieties that differ in the color of their leaves and flowers. The goblet-shaped flowers are collected in racemes. Heather blooms in July-August and pleases the eye with lush flowers until late autumn, so it is considered an autumn-blooming shrub.
It likes acidic soil, sun and partial shade. You should water thoroughly when the heather is in bloom. In northern regions where there are frosty winters, it must be watered abundantly before the soil begins to freeze and shelter for the winter. It will be good if you mulch with leaves, chopped bark, sawdust or pine needles.

The shrub is propagated by air layering. To do this, before pruning, select the longest branch and bend it to the ground, securing it with a pin. After a few months, the young heather is carefully dug up and transplanted to the chosen location.

Widely used in landscape design bindweed. These are perennial shrubs with long shoots (can reach 2 meters). The shoots creep or curl, creating a flowering canopy. The flowers resemble a bell in shape and are located on short peduncles from the axils of the leaves, 1-3 pieces each. The color of the flowers ranges from snow-white to pale pink, blue, lilac, depending on the type of bindweed.
The shrub requires almost no care and tolerates drought and frost well. But if you provide it with watering and fertilize, you can achieve lush flowering throughout the summer.

Did you know? Bindweeds require maintaining a distance of 20-25 cm from neighboring plants, and there should be 40-60 cm between the bushes themselves to fill the soil.

Bindweeds reproduce only with the help of seeds. Before planting, they should be germinated and ready-made seedlings should be planted.

Hibiscus belongs to the Malvaceae family. It is also known as Chinese rose.

Despite the abundance of hibiscus species, they all have common features. The leaves of the bush are petiolate and notched. The flowers are large, simple or double; they are blue, yellow, crimson, dark red, lilac, violet and purple. There are flowers with a border around the edge. The fruits are in the form of a five-leaf capsule with seeds.
In order for hibiscus to feel normal, you need to regularly loosen the soil, remove weeds and thin out very thick bushes. From June to autumn, fertilizing should be done twice a month. The shrub propagates by layering, grafting, cuttings or seeds.

Hydrangea is a wonderful ornamental shrub or small tree with large bright inflorescences. Belongs to the Hydrangeaceae family and has about 70 - 80 species.
The leaves are oval-shaped, large. The color scheme is varied: white, cream, pink, dark purple, blue and red. The inflorescences have the shape of an umbrella, panicle or ball. The fruit is in the form of a capsule containing small seeds. The hydrangea bush reaches 3 meters in height and has a round shape. Shrub care is simple. It requires soft watering warm water, autumn feeding, preparation for frost.

Jasmine (mock orange)

Garden jasmine, or mock orange, is often found in city parks and gardens. Many gardeners use it as a hedge. A shrub with small leaves, thin stems and small white flowers. Garden jasmine – light-loving plant. In the shade, the flowers will become small and the branches will begin to stretch. The fruits are small boxes with small changes. Mock orange is frost-resistant and tolerates drought well. Jasmine blooms from late May to August.

Cinquefoil is a low shrub up to 1.5 m in height. Potentilla flowers come in a variety of shades: pink, white, cream, orange and yellow. The flowers are collected in thyroid-paniculate inflorescences, which decorate the plant from May to September. All types of cinquefoil love well-lit places. The soil is loose, nutritious, slightly acidic. Only Arctic cinquefoil prefers acidic soil.

The Camellia genus has up to 80 species, which include evergreen shrubs and trees. The leaves of the bush are a separate decoration. They are oval in shape, pointed, fused at the base. Camellia blooms 2-3 years after planting. Flowers of various shades. Each flower does not fade for about a month. On this amazing shrub, flowers appear at the ends of the shoots. Camellia is a very demanding shrub, therefore, to grow it on the site, you will need considerable experience and knowledge in the field of agricultural technology and cultivation of this crop.
The shrub is propagated using cuttings, for which shoots of the current year are selected.

Magnolia is an evergreen or deciduous ornamental shrub. It is often planted singly or in entire alleys. The flowers of the shrub are large, fragrant, white or cream, single-pointed. The petals are arranged in 2-4 circles. The fruits are a cone-shaped leaflet with small, black, triangular-shaped seeds.

Did you know? Magnolia flowers are pollinated by beetles because they bloom before the bees and butterflies arrive. Although there is no nectar in the flowers, they attract people with their subtle sweet aroma.

Magnolia loves abundant and regular watering, as well as well-drained soil.

Lilac is a genus of shrubs in the Olive family. Lilac leaves are opposite, mostly whole, but can also be pinnately divided, falling off in the winter. The flowers, depending on the type, are white, purple or pink, collected in panicles that end the branches. The calyx of the flower is small and short, bell-shaped in the form of four teeth. Corolla with a long cylindrical tube (more rarely, in Amur lilac - with a shortened tube) and a flat four-parted limb. The fruit is a dry, bivalve capsule.
There are quite a few types of lilac, but the common lilac is especially common. It is very hardy and resistant to diseases and pests.

Spiraea belongs to the Rosaceae family. Spiraea begins to bloom in early May. The flowers are small, with long filaments of stamens, which give them a fluffy appearance. The flowers are collected in inflorescences of pyramidal, thyroid or cone-shaped. The color depends on the variety and can vary from white to pink.
During flowering, the bush becomes like a delicate cloud thanks to the many inflorescences, and the branches take on a spectacular hanging shape. For the growth of ornamental shrubs, loose fertile soil, a well-lit place without stagnant water and three feedings a day.