Compact trees with a spherical crown. Appearance of indoor plants Ball-shaped trees names
The world of flora is quite diverse. Every year, more and more new exotic plants appear in cultivation - most of them native to the tropics and subtropics. Often the variegated abundance of beautifully flowering and decorative foliage indoor species takes gardeners (and not only beginners) by surprise: which representative of the flora should be preferred? I would like to buy a compact one blooming cactus, and at the same time you can’t take your eyes off the gorgeous one with decorative dissected leaves.
Before purchasing a plant you like, you need to have at least the slightest idea about it and the necessary basic knowledge of care.
First you need to decide where the plant will be placed. If the room is small and, moreover, cluttered with furniture, then a tall, spreading palm tree will not fit into its interior. And, vice versa: in a spacious room, a low-growing look is considered inappropriate against the wall. It is also important to know how close the conditions for cultivating a certain species in a home will be to the growing conditions in the natural environment. Light-loving representatives of the flora are unsuitable for growing in northern exposure, and those from the humid tropics will not tolerate dry apartment air without additional humidification. After all, the main task of a florist is to grow a healthy plant in all its glory that will delight the eye for many years.
So, all indoor plants are usually divided according to their appearance into six categories.
Globular plants
Most cacti are rightfully considered representatives of this group. The characteristic fleshy, globular stem of plants in this category is smooth to the touch, ribbed and/or covered with spines (reduced leaves). The compact shape and relatively small flower growing containers make it possible to place, for example, directly on the windowsill. You can create spectacular flower arrangements by placing spherical cacti with bushes and trees in the winter garden. IN THE PHOTO: Echinocactus in the composition flower arrangement
Rosette plants
The leaves of representatives of this category are located almost horizontally on the stem. They seem to converge at one point, forming a kind of rosette. The plants are mostly squat and short in stature. There are three subgroups of rosette representatives of the flora.
Flat rosette plants
Large leaves form a loose rosette. Prominent representatives of flat rosettes indoor plants can be called , . 
IN THE PHOTO: Gloxinia
Succulent rosette plants
Some succulents have fleshy leaves that are arranged in tiers and fit tightly together. Succulent leaf plates-reservoirs for water reserves and a dense leaf rosette are peculiar adaptations exotic plants to droughts in natural growing conditions (in deserts). , - succulents, the fleshy leaves of which are collected in just such rosettes. 
IN THE PHOTO: Haworthia
Funnel-shaped rosette plants
Many representatives of the humid tropics are distinguished by leathery, pointed leaves that form a funnel-shaped rosette at the base. During the rainy season, the funnel serves as a reservoir to retain moisture. This feature of plants (mainly the Bromeliad family) must be taken into account when watering. , will effectively decorate the interior of any room. Considering the considerable size of the spreading foliage, this flora needs to be provided with quite a large space. 
IN THE PHOTO: Ekhmeya
bushy plants
Bushy plants are characterized by the growth of several stems. This group includes short and medium-sized species. Some require pinching, with the help of which the bushiness of the branches is further increased.
Beautifully flowering representatives of this category (,) will willingly take a place on the windowsill, welcoming the neighborhood with other members of the indoor flora. Decorative leafy bushy plants (,) will bring life to any interior: be it “high-tech” or classic style. They will decorate even the farthest corner of the room with their decorative foliage, away from the light source. 
IN THE PHOTO: Maranta
Grass-like plants
This group is not as diverse. Its decorative foliage representatives are not very attractive and therefore are not very popular in culture. Narrow, thin, linear leaves of grass-like plants, pointed at the ends, are collected in a sparse bunch (,). By placing them alone on a shelf or in a composition with upright specimens, it is possible to create an original green corner. 
IN THE PHOTO: Chlorophytum
Among the beautifully flowering grasses, one can distinguish, with a similar leaf shape. The decorative value of these representatives of the flora is enhanced by their bright, eye-catching flowering. 
IN THE PHOTO: Tillandsia
Climbing/climbing plants and vines
Plants with flexible, fast-growing stems are classified as ampelous and lianas. Climbing varieties definitely need support, preferably with crossbars, since long shoots grow in height. They cling with antennae or wrap around a vertical surface. Thanks to this property of vines, you can significantly transform the interior by creating an original partition - a living wall, for example, from flexible stems. Using trellises and wire, you can easily decorate a window, wall or niche, allowing the lashes of a liana-like plant to “develop the territory.” 
IN THE PHOTO: Passionflower
In addition, vines are grown as ground cover and trailing plants. For example, decorative stems will look impressive both in a large container in a composition with other plants, and in a pot on a cabinet or stand with high legs.
Often the ends of long shoots are pinched, enhancing the growth of lateral branches and giving the plants in hanging pots an ampelous shape. For beautiful flowering vines (,), sticks are used as supports. 
IN THE PHOTO: Schlumberger
Plants with erect stems
These are dwarf (from 3 cm in height) and tall (up to 2 m) tree-like forms. They are used in the interior as single crops and in group compositions. 
IN THE PHOTO: Dieffenbachia
Columnar plants
This subgroup includes many types of succulents and cacti that have a columnar, leafless stem (,). Tree-like forms look impressive as single specimens in the interior of a spacious room. 
IN THE PHOTO: Scheffler
False palms
In young representatives of this group (,), long leaf plates are located along the entire height of the straight trunk. As they grow older, these “palm” leaves remain only in the upper part. These spectacular plants can be placed alone in a spacious room on a stand or on the floor. 
IN THE PHOTO: Yucca
To summarize the above, it should be noted that the choice indoor view must be treated with full responsibility for the continued existence of the latter. Based on the materials in this article, one can judge which forms of plants are most common, and how they can decorate even the most modest home.
- Don't always be guided by your own emotions when choosing a plant. Look for a compromise between your preferences and space requirements for successful cultivation of the plant.
- Any room, regardless of its size, interior, lighting and other parameters, can be landscaped. Whether it's a small succulent or a large tree-like specimen, the main thing is to place it correctly.
- Give vines and hanging plants a variety of shapes using special devices, and your home will noticeably transform. Don't be afraid to experiment, but take into account the needs of indoor flora.
- Create a green oasis right in your apartment by grouping indoor species with similar growing conditions, but almost always different in size and shape.
- Don’t be discouraged if the space of the room does not allow you to place a gorgeous, spreading palm tree against the wall. You can replace the big one ornamental plant mini bonsai tree: quite elegant and compact.
- And most importantly: do not forget that any representative of the flora requires maximum attention, care and love.
The most common problem in using ornamental trees is too large size crowns of an adult plant. But there are many varieties of trees that grow without pruning or special shaping into a neat ball.
Consultant: Victoria Roy, private landscape designer
Decorative forms of maple
Wonderful varieties are undeservedly rare in our country. field maple, Acer campestre ‘Rozi’ and ‘Nanum’. Its leaves are 3-5-lobed, soft in outline, smaller than those of Norway maple, yellow-red when blooming, dark green in summer, and a very beautiful bright yellow color in autumn.
In varietal maples the crown is almost spherical or broadly ovoid, like Acer campestre ‘Elsrijk’, dense, without special trimming. The height and width of an adult tree is 3.5-5 m, depending on the grafting height (usually about 2 m in Western nurseries). The tree is very frost-resistant, unpretentious and drought-resistant. Can tolerate partial shading, although light-loving. Responsive to watering and fertilizing. Used in alley, group and single planting on the lawn, for topiary cutting. Non-standard (bush) forms make excellent hedges. Field maple forms a good background for beautiful flowering trees and shrubs.
For larger plots and planting along alleys, the spherical variety is also perfect Norway maple Acer platanoides ‘Globosum’. The characteristic five-lobed leaves are bronze when blooming in spring, then dark green, and turn yellow-orange in autumn.
This resilient tree grows on any fertile soil, does not tolerate flooding and salinity, is wind-resistant and durable. Sanitary and thinning pruning may be necessary in early spring.
White flowering balls
Plant a wonderful variety on your plot bird cherry Prunus padus ‘Nana’. The height of this small tree with a dense spherical crown is from 3 to 4 m. The branches are matte brown in color and emit the aroma of bitter almonds. The leaves are quite small, oval, dark green in summer, orange-red to purple in autumn. In May, the entire tree is covered with fragrant, white flowers in cascading clusters. Later, clusters of edible, black and red fruits are formed. The plant is very undemanding to soil, tolerates temporary dryness, and is very frost-resistant.
A rare tree can be compared in terms of drought resistance and undemandingness with Robinia false acacia, or, as it is called, white acacia. Previously, the variety was often used in landscaping Robinia ‘Umbraculifera’- a small tree with a regular spherical crown, growing rather slowly. Over the years, the branches become beautifully curved, which is especially visible in the leafless state.
Decorators love this tree for exotic look crowns It looks very nice on the lawn as an architectural living element, as well as in alley plantings along roads. There is practically no need for pruning, with the exception of removing damaged or thickening branches.
For small gardens, choose a tree with a regular, spherical, very dense crown - bush cherry Prunus eminens ‘Umbraculifera’. The height of the tree depends on the height of the graft. In spring it is covered with many white flowers, the foliage is small and glossy. Like all cherries, it is light-loving and prefers fertile, moderately moist soils.
To prevent pest damage, early spring treatment with systemic fungicides and insecticides is recommended. The stem and grafting site must be protected from spring burns and cracking of the bark using reed strapping or non-woven materials. Pruning is sanitary and light thinning in early spring. It may become great decoration flower beds or lawns, are also grown in large containers on the terrace or near the porch.
The variety is perfect for the central and southern regions of Ukraine Catalpa bignonioides ‘Nana’. Large bright green leaves give the tree a southern flavor. This variety produces almost no flowers, and therefore no fruits. When young, the crown is perfectly spherical; in an adult tree it looks like a wide umbrella.
Relic exotica
For collectors, we can recommend a relict tree variety ginkgo biloba Ginkgo biloba'Globus'. Original plant natural look, often called a living fossil, comes from China, is very beautiful, but too large for personal plot.
Varietal ginkgo, retaining all its attractive features and original fan-shaped foliage, has a compact, beautiful crown. For all its uniqueness, this is a fairly stable and durable tree that has low requirements for its growing location.
The plant prefers sunny areas, protected from cold and dry winds and moderate watering. Practically does not get sick and is not damaged by pests.
Decorative shrubs for a summer residence, photos and names of which will be presented in this article, are often precisely those elements that harmonize the overall picture and emphasize the necessary nuances of the site so that it looks attractive, bright and harmonious. They are like strokes on a canvas that will help to correctly “dilute” the flowerbeds with the necessary details and place accents on certain places. I am sure that every summer resident, gardener, owner of a personal plot wants to do everything correctly and carefully so that the vegetables, fruit trees, beds with greenery - everything was in its place.
Depending on the size of your plot, imagination and general preferences, ornamental shrubs can be a background for other plantings, an element garden compositions, appear in the form of hedges or act as the main nuance to which everyone’s attention will be focused.
In this article I would like to talk about the most popular shrubs, most often planted in our region, and, of course, the most beautiful. It is unrealistic to cover the entire spectrum of these representatives of this plant kingdom, but it is worth paying our attention to the main flowering ones, as well as decorative foliage ones.
How to beautifully plant ornamental shrubs: basic placement criteria
The very first thing is to choose a plant that will feel comfortable in climatic conditions your region. You need to choose a specific variety based on this factor. The second nuance is its location.
If you purchase a sun-loving representative, then you need to plant it in a sunny place, where there will be a lot of light and there will not be even a hint of shadow. But shade-loving ones, on the contrary, should be placed in shaded areas, or even in the shade of buildings or large trees. This is important because wrong choice location can affect not only the brightness of the colors of the foliage or the splendor of flowers on the bush, but also its viability.
The overall picture of the garden should also be taken into account when choosing a particular plant. In a small area, tall and lush specimens will look out of place. But, for example, flowering frost-resistant, low, beautiful bushes are ideal, and they will delight you with their appearance until the cold weather.
These representatives include the dwarf varieties of Cossack juniper Tamariscifolia and Green Carpet - low-growing, creeping along the ground, very frost-resistant. This ideal options for creating compact alpine slides, rockeries, lawn edgings, borders.
Shrubs for hedges should also be selected from among low-growing or medium-sized representatives with a dense crown, so that later instead of an attractive fence you do not end up with columns of tall thickets. Thorny bushes, decorative flowering, columnar representatives, for example, junipers are optimally suited for such a design. Weigela, buddleia, spirela, and oleander are well suited for joint plantings; they will look harmonious with other green fellows growing nearby. And if you want to form an arch or, for example, decorate a gazebo or fence, then in this case you should choose climbing types.
The choice is wide! For each site of any size and shape, you can find your own option. In addition to flowering plants, there are many varieties of shrubs with amazing foliage colors, unusual crowns, and leaf shapes. Diversity is an important aspect in this matter. In most cases, the dacha landscape is divided into three zones (or tiers): lower - vegetable beds And flower beds, top – fruit trees. But bushes can occupy the so-called middle zone. The correct selection and combination of plants with each other is the main goal for a summer resident who strives for beauty, comfort and harmony in his plot.
Decorative deciduous or flowering shrubs are not only a pleasure to contemplate, but also functional plants. Thus, by planting them near the fence, you can create a barrier from prying eyes or unwanted penetration (spiky varieties).
With their help, it is very convenient to zone a site, for example, to separate recreation areas and an area for growing garden crops.
Borders, paths, hedges, which have already been mentioned, creating protection (shade) for more delicate shade-loving plants, decorating some unsightly fragments on the site - all this can be decorated, decorated or hidden with the help of a variety of bushes and shrubs. And if you decide to plant fruit representatives, you will be additionally rewarded for your efforts with healthy berries.
Flowering shrubs for the garden
Some of these representatives are also fruit-bearing; this nuance will be indicated in the description.
Weigela
I’ll start, perhaps, with flowering weigela. This shrub looks great both during and after flowering. The Nana Variegata variety can also be classified as a decorative deciduous variety; its foliage has a beautiful golden border, and Nana Purpurea has dark, red-brown leaves.
Weigela Nana Purpurea The blooming weigela species delights the eye with pink bell-like flowers that bloom in waves throughout the season (usually the entire month of May). The first wave is the most abundant. Some varieties can produce color twice a year, such as Weigela Middendorf.
Weigel Middendorf Spirea
Spiraea is very unpretentious and very beautiful. Its varieties can bloom in both spring and summer. If you calculate the time correctly, then you can plant these two species in such a way that one fades and the second just enters the flowering phase. Some varieties of spirea have beautiful foliage - Vagnutta, Pink Ice. For this reason, they can be classified as decorative deciduous shrubs.
Spiraea Wangutta Spiraea blooms profusely and luxuriantly, bending its branches literally covered with white flowers to the very ground.
The low, slow-growing Japanese spirea blooms with lush lilac-pink inflorescences. It is also attractive and a honey plant, like its white-flowering variety.
Spiraea japonica Spiraea are not particularly picky about the choice of soil, but you should pay attention to the light/shade requirements of different varieties.
Spiraea in winter:
Jasmine or mock orange
Garden jasmine or mock orange - what would you do without it?! Because of its enchanting aroma, almost everyone knows and loves it. Today there are multiple varieties and hybrids of it - all of them are very attractive. Flowers vary in size, shape, color and aroma.
But in our case we are talking about a white-flowered representative - frost-resistant, disease-resistant, very unpretentious (can be placed in the shade or in a place illuminated by sunlight). It looks equally great in group plantings and in single plantings, the main thing is to water it on time, but do not allow water to stagnate in the area around the tree trunk. The flowering time of mock orange depends on its variety, but it usually begins in May and lasts about a month. There are those that bloom both in summer and early autumn.
Chubushnik:
Jasmine (mock orange) Kalina
Viburnum refers to both fruiting specimens and decorative deciduous plants. A unique plant in every sense: it blooms beautifully with large white spherical inflorescences, the berries are useful, and are widely used as medicine. The foliage is also noteworthy: its shade varies from rich green to gold and red.
In general, viburnum has many species (about 200), among which you can even find evergreen specimens. In our area, the most common and popular are its two familiar species - common viburnum and viburnum bulldonezh. They are frost-resistant, not capricious, decorative at any time of the year, they love shade and moderate watering. Flowering time: mid-May/late June, approximately 20 days.
Viburnum viburnum in bloom and with fruits:
Viburnum common Kalina buldenezh:
Kalina buldenezh Rose hip
Some shrubs that can grow in the country do not even need introduction or recommendations, for example, rose hips. It is attractive in appearance, useful in many ways, not only will it decorate your site in the spring when it blooms with pink or red flowers, but it will also create a thorny barrier if you plant it along the fence. Some of its varieties have flowers that are as beautiful as roses (double type), and varieties with healing red berries will give you a natural “medicine”, the valuable qualities of which are known to everyone. Rosehip is unpretentious, branches quickly, has a very dense crown, prefers sun or partial shade. It blooms from May to August.
Rosehip blooms 
Rosehip fence 
Rosehip leaf in autumn Lilac
Fragrant, with many colors and shades - lilac! It's hard to imagine without her summer cottage plot or local area, be it a private or multi-storey building. Lilac is a fairly large (up to 2, 3 or more meters in height) shrub. Even in a small area, even one bush can be planted. There are many different varieties of lilacs.
It is resistant to cold, unpretentious, beautiful in itself (good when planted alone). It is preferable to place it in a sunny place, but lilac will also feel comfortable in partial shade. When planting, leave free space around it so that it does not feel crowded. Flowering time is May, for some the period extends until June.
Common lilac 
White lilac 
Hungarian lilac 
Lilac Beauty of Moscow Forsythia
Flowering forsythia shrubs are the real “suns” on your site! It blooms in early spring with bright yellow bells, and foliage on the bush appears after the flowers have fallen. Time abundant flowering lasts approximately three weeks.
This is a heat-loving representative that shows its decorative potential to the maximum in the warm regions of our country. It looks great as a stand-alone plant or surrounded by bulbous flowers. Suitable for forming hedges, does not like waterlogged soil, drafts and cold winds. It prefers light, fertile soil; it is better to protect it with covering material in the winter. Its other name is forsythia. Forsythia bushes are medium in size and suitable for small areas.
Forsythia:
Forsythia bush shaped like a ball Hydrangea
There are shrubs that grow and bloom where many others refuse to develop and produce color. Hydrangea, which prefers shade and moist soil, belongs to these specimens. This frost-resistant shrub blooms with large snow-white, lilac, pink, blue, and purple “balls.” If you cut a hydrangea flower and put it in a vase, it will last quite a long time.
Hydrangea is characterized by long flowering, which begins around July and continues until early autumn. Some varieties, for example “Freudenstein,” bloom until October inclusive. This is a non-capricious plant that feels good even on acidic soil, which most flower and garden representatives do not like. Can be used in single plantings, but also looks harmonious in company with rhododendrons, clematis, lilies, roses, all kinds of hostas, and fern varieties.
Hydrangea, photo:
Hydrangea bushes 
Hydrangea paniculata Vanilla Frazee Budleya David
Buddleia is a shrub that has become quite popular among gardeners lately. Its blue, lilac, pink, slightly elongated inflorescences consist of multiple small flowers that exude a magical sweet aroma. This plant can reach 3 meters in height, blooms for quite a long time, from mid-July to the second half of September. Due to some external similarity, it is sometimes called autumn lilac.
Looks attractive when planted alone on a lawn, as well as in the company of cinquefoil and low-growing ground cover roses. It is also good as a tub plant, but the container for it must be large. Thus, by placing buddleia in a voluminous flowerpot, you can decorate a terrace or a place near the steps or entrance to the room. Loves sunlit places, drained fertile soil, does not like drafts and windy areas.
Buddleya David:
Budleya David bush 
Budleya Davida inflorescences Deytsia
A relative of hydrangea and mock orange, deutia is characterized by abundant and long flowering (from 30 to 60 days). If you plant it in partial shade and protected from drafts, starting around June, it will bloom with densely growing white-pink or snow-white (depending on the variety) racemose inflorescences.
Most Deutia varieties are tall flowering shrubs, which can reach 4 meters in height. Looks great as a hedge and in single plantings.
Deutzia bush 
Deutia inflorescences Japonica
In fact, there are a great many flowering shrubs; unfortunately, it is simply impossible to describe them all in one article. Many of them combine the beauty of flowering and the taste of fruit, such as Chaenomeles (or Japanese Quince), which grows up to 2 meters or more, blooms with bright, eye-catching red flowers. Subsequently it produces edible fruits ranging in size from 3 to 6 cm.
Chaenomeles or Japanese quince: 
Chaenomeles blooms 
Chaenomeles fruits Broom
Very handsome and popular. Depending on the variety, it blooms with “moth” flowers of different shades. This representative is so unpretentious that he will feel comfortable even on poor soil. Resistant to drought and cold, unpretentious, looks great in single and group plantings. This honey plant is often planted on slopes.
Broom:
Broom Lena:
Broom blooms for about 30 days and comes in different heights, again, depending on the variety.
tree peony
We cannot fail to mention the tree peony, whose luxurious beauty will become a true decoration of your site.
tree peony Rhododendron
Also, rhododendron is a garden favorite among southern summer residents; with the onset of spring, this shrub is simply buried in pink, lilac, lilac, and red bouquets of flowers.
Rhododendron Decorative deciduous shrubs for the garden
This is a separate category of shrubs, without which, often, not a single summer cottage can do. As in the case of flowering varieties, it will not be possible to talk about all worthy specimens in one article, but it is worth focusing your attention on individual representatives. In most cases, decorative deciduous shrubs do not require special care; their longevity is a separate advantage. Having planted a bush once, creating comfortable living conditions, you can admire it for many years.
Red Japanese maple
If you like a riot of red shades, then you should definitely plant a red Japanese maple on your site. This is a shrub with a voluminous crown; its foliage is initially brightly green, then, closer to autumn, it becomes reddish-orange and eventually turns into a bright red, carmine hue.
In fact, there are many varieties of Japanese maple, each with its own attractive foliage color. The variety “Aconitifolium” has orange-red leaves, “Vitifolium” has carmine-red leaves, one of the most popular is “Atropurpureum” which has dark red, almost black-red foliage. They look great anywhere on the site, love partial shade, harmonize with conifers, and combine with ferns and hostas.
Red Japanese maple:
Fieldfare
The frost-resistant Rowan-leaved Sam is very unpretentious, grows quickly, is beautiful in bloom, but its foliage deserves special attention. Openwork leaves have interesting feature– gradient, transition from one shade to another. Orange, red, yellow, pinkish, green - all these colors smoothly mix with each other on one single piece of paper. From a distance it resembles a bright fire; a riot of colors is observed throughout the entire season, especially closer to autumn. It can be used in group plantings to hide unattractive landscape details; it grows equally well in sunny areas and in partial shade. Fieldfare is not particularly picky about soil, but moist, loose and nutritious soil is more preferable for it. Drought is undesirable for him.
Rowan-leaved Sam:
Barberry
Barberries are a separate topic; the first among them, in terms of its external characteristics, is the Thunberg barberry with purple leaves. Even in winter, its red thorny branches attract attention. With the arrival of spring, it blooms with reddish leaves, against which the yellow flowers look very elegant. Gradually, closer to summer, the barberry foliage becomes intensely red, and in the fall all shades of burgundy, scarlet and carmine color the entire plant.
Prefers sunny and semi-shaded places, is unpretentious, but does not respond well to excessive soil moisture. The scope of application is wide - from hedges to single plantings or planting in a flower bed surrounded by other flower representatives. Its dwarf variety is considered to be the variety "Atropurpurea Nana".
Barberry Thunberg, photo:
Variety of Thurnberg barberry - Tini Gold:
Variegated varieties of barberry are Rose Glow (red leaves with pink dots), Admiration with golden edging along the edges of the red leaf, Kelleris with white-green foliage, Natasza with pink-greenish-white leaves.
Barberry Admiration:
Barberry with golden foliage Golden Rocket is incredibly attractive; the greenish-golden leaves of this shrub are so bright that they are visible to the eye from afar and attract attention. They look ideal on green lawns, in the form of hedges, on mixboards among other plants.
Barberry Golden Rocket:
Barberries with golden foliage have several varieties, but all of them are distinguished by the main feature - the color of the leaves. For example, barberry Diabolicum has a red edge around the edges of a greenish-yellow, almost golden leaf. Compact varieties of these shrubs are Tiny Gold (photo above) and Bonanza Gold.
Barberry with golden foliage (left):
Composition of several varieties of barberry Deren
Doren is a very attractive shrub, and at any time of the year and even completely without foliage! There are many varieties of dogwood, for example, Elegantissima with white-green leaves, Siberica Variegata has reddish-green foliage with pink edging around the edges, Kesselring boasts chameleon leaves of a brownish-pink hue with the addition of yellow and green colors.
When winter comes and the turf sheds its leaves, its shoots directed upward have a bright red color and clearly stand out against the white snow. It is unpretentious, shade-tolerant, frost-resistant, and takes root on any soil. The maximum height of this representative is 3 meters, but red turf can grow even higher. Of course, it takes up a lot of space, but the color of its foliage is simply stunning. If you own a large plot, it may make sense to pay attention to red turf.
Red dogwood, photo:
Red dogwood in winter:
Euonymus
Fortune's euonymus is a rather low-growing (up to 60 cm) shrub, native to China. It has many varieties, but all of them are distinguished by the variegated, noticeable color of the foliage. It can be shaped like a bush, or it can be shaped like a vine, setting the direction with a rope, and there, with its aerial roots, it will cling to anything, even a wall.
Depending on the variety, euonymus has different color leaf edges. For example, the leaves can be pale green with a white edge, or they can be bright green with a yellow edge (Emerald Gold variety). This is a frost-resistant plant, not capricious, loves moderately moist soil, looks great as a single element or the main accent of a flower bed, in a word - good in any form and looks appropriate in a company that matches the color.
Euonymus Fortune:
Bladderwort
Bladderwort is very interesting because, depending on the variety, it has completely different foliage colors. This is a non-capricious plant, however, it will feel more comfortable on loose, moderately moist soil. Widely used in landscape design: some varieties can be cut and given any shape, other varieties are used to create borders or hedges. He is good and attractive both on his own and in the company of other garden representatives.
I advise you to pay attention to the following vesicles: Diabolo, which has dark red, almost black leaves and looks impressive, but a little gothic. In spring, its foliage has a lighter shade - carmine red, but then gradually darkens. The Darts Gold variety, on the contrary, has a cheerful leaf color - yellow-fiery. And the Nugget variety changes the shade of the foliage depending on the time of year; at first the leaves are yellow, and towards autumn they turn green. Red-leaved bladderwort is another popular species, with scarlet leaves in the spring and dark burgundy, beetle leaves with the arrival of cold weather.
Bubble plant in the country:
When talking about decorative deciduous shrubs, one cannot help but recall the Japanese spirea, which not only has beautiful flowers, but also multi-colored, bright foliage.
The leaves of common heather do not lose their beauty even with the arrival of winter; it is unpretentious, but loves sunlight.
The shrubs that you want to choose for your dacha should always be divided by height, requirements (pretentious/unpretentious), frost resistance, and compatibility with other plants.
Spiraea foliage in autumn, photo:
Weigela foliage, photo:
Hawthorn also comes to mind, which has so much various varieties that among them any gardener can find a shrub to his liking. Hawthorn bushes can be used to form any shape; its fruits are medicinal and are used in folk and official medicine. In its “behavior” it is somewhat similar to boxwood; it looks great in the design of hedges, in group plantings, as well as in a single specimen.
A hedge of ornamental shrubs
A hedge is one of the most popular, interesting and favorite gardening “structures”, in which green spaces act as a “building” material. Depending on the desired result, the hedge can be designed in the form of a low border or, conversely, a high one. green wall. You can choose any shape or length of such a fence; this is a truly creative activity that almost always gives an excellent result. A green fence can hide unsightly elements of a summer cottage (for example, an old fence, fencing), highlight separate areas on the territory, or emphasize other accents of landscape design.
When choosing shrubs for this purpose, you need to consider the following parameters:
- Varieties of shrubs - in fact, the choice of plants for creating hedges is very large. It is necessary to approach the choice not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also from a practical one. These can be homogeneous shrubs or a mixed version, when different varieties and species are used that are in harmony with each other.
- Plant growth rate - calculate all the nuances: how often do you visit the dacha, will you be able to trim and adjust the bushes on time. In what place does the shrub you have chosen grow (sunny or shaded) and how will it manifest itself in this area. This also includes the question of the shape of the future hedge, so the growth rate of the bushes is a very pressing issue.
- Height of shrubs - before making your final choice, carefully study the potential of the bush and compare its capabilities with your wishes. This point also includes the density (width) of the plantings; you may have to plant them in two or even three rows.
- Preparing the soil for bushes - take this factor into account; certain types of ornamental shrubs require a special soil composition. If in doubt, choose the most unpretentious varieties or consult with more experienced gardeners in this matter. In some cases, you will have to pre-prepare the soil for the desired variety of shrubs.
If you are a beginner, give preference to non-capricious and shade-tolerant specimens that will not require daily soil moisture. Although it is the last aspect that depends on how often you visit the dacha. Remember that the most successful mixed-type hedges are obtained by planting plants with the same (or similar) biological requirements for moisture, light, soil quality, as well as with a similar growth rate.
Thuja hedge, photo:
If we consider coniferous shrubs for hedges, then dwarf forms of spruce, thuja or juniper will suit you. Such a hedge will always be green, at any time of the year.
The dwarf spruce Nidiformis is unpretentious, has a bright green color, and does not exceed one meter in height. Small bushes are planted at a distance of 1 meter from each other; no pruning is done until the next season, until the spruce grows. Further correction is made from the sides (by two-thirds of the length of the branches) and from above (by cutting the upper branches by about a third of their length).
Spruce Nidiformis, photo:
Norway spruce hedge:
In nature, thuja is presented not only in the form of a tree, but also a bush. It is the bushy and dwarf varieties of thuja that are used to create hedges. This plant is easy to give the desired shape and height, it emits a pleasant pine aroma, is always green and looks great. T and Smaragd or Brabant are most often used by Russians to design green hedges. Thuja seedlings are planted approximately 50 or 70 cm from each other, and decoration and cutting are carried out only in the 2nd or 3rd year of the plants’ life. Smaragd is cut less often, Brabant - more often, all thujas are frost-resistant, perform well when planted in clay or sandy soil. Moderate soil moisture is the best option for them. Varieties Hosery, Danica, Teddy, Little Dorrit are also suitable for creating hedges.
Juniper is one of the favorite, popular, easy-to-cut and easy-to-care plants for decorating green hedges. It loves sunlight and is resistant to drought and cold, but it should be protected from excessively moist soil (avoid swampiness). You should not plant it if your site is dominated by clay soil. The bushes are planted at a distance of 60-80 cm from each other, and pruning is done approximately 2 times a year. Please note that juniper grows quite quickly.
Juniper, photo:
Juniper hedge in one of the southern cities If you want to create a hedge from a climbing plant, and very quickly, pay attention to Aubert's Knotweed. This is one of the fastest growing liana shrubs, reaching one and a half meters in length per season. This plant is unpretentious to the soil, often needs adjustment (pruning), blooms with thick white inflorescences and requires a pre-installed strong support.
Aubert's Highlander, photo:
Hops is a shrub and at the same time a climbing vine. Unpretentious, frost-resistant, loves moist soil, does not need frequent adjustments. The plant produces very nice medium-sized buds that only add to the beauty of the dense, bright green foliage. He also needs reliable and strong support and a garter.
A luxurious hedge is made from climbing roses. Depending on your preferences, you can choose any variety with the desired shade of buds.
Variety Graham Thomas produces yellow flowers, Adelaide d'Orleans - white buds with a yellowish center, Super Dorothy blooms with numerous lush pink buds, Alaska - a snow-white rose, delicate and at the same time solemn.
Such a hedge will definitely not leave anyone indifferent. Be prepared for care and regular pruning; if you choose roses, they will also need support. Rose bushes can also be used in this capacity.
A hedge of climbing roses, photo:
Clematis is an ornamental shrub and at the same time a liana. This plant loves sun, fertile, drained and slightly alkaline soil. It turns into a dense fence in about 2 or 3 years; it looks very impressive thanks to large flowers of a wide variety of colors, as well as thick, rich green foliage. Requires strong support, like all vines.
The thorn (or blackthorn) reaches a height of two meters, blooms with white flowers densely spaced next to each other, and has multiple spines. When planting thorns to create a hedge, each bush will need to be secured and tied to a peg. This way you will set the shrub in the right direction and support it at first until it gains strength. The first month after planting, seedlings should be watered regularly. The blackthorn grows very quickly and produces dark blue fruits - wild plums (delicious, slightly tart in taste).
Blackthorn, photo:
Sea buckthorn is a useful and very attractive-looking shrub, ornamental and fruit-bearing, I would say. Gardeners recommend planting shrubby sea buckthorn in two rows. Despite the fact that trimming reduces the yield of sea buckthorn, the aesthetic side of the matter only benefits from this. This frost-resistant plant can be with or without thorns. Requires pre-installed reliable support - then everything will be beautiful and even.
Snowberry is an incredibly attractive shrub. It got its name thanks to its snow-white fruits, which are located on the branches in the form of clusters. Even when the plant loses all its foliage, these berries last a long time, sometimes even until spring. The shrub itself is excellent for forming hedges; it grows up to one and a half to two meters in height. Often there is no need for special adjustments, since the branches themselves bend to the ground under the weight of the bunches. If you trim the plant regularly, it most likely will not bear fruit. The shrub is unpretentious, frost-resistant, blooms in mid-summer with inconspicuous small bell-shaped flowers of a white-green or pinkish hue. The berries are poisonous to humans, but they are quite edible for birds.
Snowberry, photo:
For a hedge, it is best to choose densely leafed plants that are easy to form. Such a “fence” should be tight, without so-called gaps. Depending on your preferences, you can choose a flowering or evergreen, coniferous option.
Fruit bushes, such as Currant Schmidt, Felt Cherry or gooseberries, are suitable not only for creating green hedges, but will also additionally reward you with edible fruits.
When choosing a shrub, take into account its characteristics, resistance to cold, and soil requirements. It is quite possible that to maintain attractive looking some representatives will need periodic feeding and fertilizing. No matter how unpretentious the variety you choose may seem, maintaining a decent appearance of a green hedge will require you to spend time and effort. Any shrub will have to be refined, trimmed, and kept in shape. Poor soil should be fed with fertilizers at least once a year, and fertile soils - once every 4 years.
The above-mentioned flowering shrubs, such as spirea, jasmine, lilac, and rose hips, can also be used to create a hedge. They can be combined with each other and planted alternately. Different varieties of barberries planted one after another (variety by variety) will create an incredible effect. Cypress bushes (dwarf varieties) are also ideal for forming green “fences”.
Berry Yew, which does not exceed 60 cm in height, grows in rounded bushes - it is also excellent for this purpose.
It all depends on your imagination and availability of free time. Always keep in mind that tall shrubs require more space between placing seedlings. Do not forget also about the climatic characteristics of your region when choosing an ornamental shrub.
Ornamental shrubs are most often planted either in the fall, before frost sets in, or in early spring, when the buds on the trees are just beginning to emerge and the snow has already melted. Moreover, the holes under spring planting should be prepared in the fall - apply appropriate fertilizers, calculate the depth and width of the recess for a certain type of shrub. Buy seedlings from reliable places - special nurseries or flower shops. Before planting in the ground, the plant can be kept for several hours in water to which a growth stimulant has previously been added.
In addition to the agrotechnical features of a single species, you should remember a simple formula:
- Low and dwarf representatives are buried in the soil at a distance of approximately 60-80 cm from each other.
- Plants are medium in size - about one and a half meters from each other.
- Tall specimens that need space for development - at least 2 meters from each other.
The decorative shrubs for the garden presented in this article, the photos and names of which will help you make your choice, are the most popular and adapted for our regions. Choose green residents according to your taste and color, let your summer cottage become even more attractive and, to some extent, unique.
Photos of shrubs for a summer house or local area
Honeysuckle Honeysuckle 
Willow globulus 
Maiden grapes 
Deytsia 
Barberry Harlequin There are quite a few trees and shrubs with a natural crown in the form of a perfect ball, and for central Russia their list is even shorter. Of course, pruning shears can give many plants a spherical shape, but this is an additional hassle. We will talk about species and varieties whose crown shape itself tends to be round.
When we look at columnar plants, our gaze slides vertically, at creeping plants - horizontally, and at spherical forms it stops, there is a pause in the movement of the eyes. And this is one of the secrets of their use in the landscape. The gaze should not twitch, like a car in a traffic jam, when contemplating a multitude of undiluted balls. At the same time, endlessly sliding along linear elements is also illogical. We use the balls as pauses among them.
When grafting plants with a spherical crown shape onto trunks, we actually get a ball or a shape close to it. When they are grafted into the root collar, in most cases it is a hemisphere, since the crown practically does not develop in the space below the grafting level.
Spherical shapes grafted onto a standard are a good option for nuanced compositions. Interesting combinations of different-sized balls, similar in color, texture, texture, delicacy, etc., grafted onto trunks of different heights. However, there will be no integrity in these nuanced compositions if, in addition to diameters, other characteristics vary greatly. 
A circle and a ball noticeably expand the space around them, especially if they are light in color. Narrow and long spaces change dramatically as soon as balls appear in them. The effect can be enhanced by using balls of different sizes, as in the previous example. The space will visually become even larger if the lightness of the balls increases as they move away from the observer, and the diameter decreases. 
Books often illustrate the contrast in crown shape with a drawing of a composition of a perfect ball and a rigid vertical. Such a “correct” composition is unlikely to fit into a landscape garden. The situation can be corrected by adding plants with less clear crown shapes, as if blurring the hard contours. If only one element of this pair has a geometric crown shape, and the other is more or less informal, the combination will look much softer and can well be used in landscape compositions.
With the right balls of different sizes, you can set a rhythm in a landscape composition, which is chaotic in the good sense of the word. This works especially well when the balls contrast with the main content of the composition in color and texture. This technique is used by the Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf: in his “meadow” flower beds you can often see evergreen balls of different sizes scattered among cereals and flowers.
Many spherical crowns disintegrate into segments with age, forming bonsai-like specimens, or flatten vertically, turning into something like pillows. This is neither good nor bad - it is a given. You just need to keep in mind that the shape of the crown, which is regular in youth, can become quite landscape-like with age, and it will be possible to maintain it in its original form only with the help of moldings.
Our garden plots are often small, and it is difficult to imagine a linden or spruce alley on them. But it is plants with spherical crowns on high trunks that may well become an option for alleys in small gardens.
The best trees and shrubs with a spherical crown shape
Thuja occidentalis
"Hetz Midget" (Tuja occidentalis "Hetz Midget"): height - 1 m, diameter - 1 m
At a young age, an almost perfect ball, then becomes “disheveled”, but this can be easily corrected with minor shaping. In winter, the plant may fall apart from the snow; it must be tied down.
Mock orange crown
"Gnom" ( Philadelphus coronarius"Gnom"): height - 0.5-0.6 m, diameter - up to 1 m
The only non-flowering form of crown mock orange. The crown is so dense that the branches are not visible. Over time, plants turn from balls into pillows. Good option for the foreground of groups and borders, including places in partial shade.
Actually natural beauty trees provided complete freedom growth, no competition, so don’t get carried away with pruning. But in the case of green friends with spherical crowns, the situation is different. If the plants have become too large (for example, sycamore maple and bignonia catalpa can exceed 6 m in diameter), they can be returned to their previous size using “hairdressing” manipulations.
It is advisable to cut branches of willow with a bushy crown, common ash ‘Nana’ and white acacia ‘Umbraculifera’ to the very base every 2-3 years, leaving short stumps. The crowns of such trees thin out over time, so pruning will only breathe new strength into the plants. You should take pruning shears on frost-free days in early spring, before the buds swell. “Pets” with formed crowns, for example, a cube-shaped linden tree or a plane tree with a flat canopy crown, regular pruning is also necessary, otherwise they will lose their shape.
Beech (Fagus sylvatica) ‘Swat Magret’ has impressive dark foliage. This fast growing tree needs to be kept in check with regular haircuts.
Trees with spherical crowns look very catchy and take up little space in the garden. And that's not all their advantages! Find out about the great possibilities of “crowned” babies!
Compact trees with a spherical crown are a well-deserved favorite among gardeners: these well-groomed miniature beauties can be found both in private gardens and in parks and on the streets. However, as a rule, preference is given to only a few varietal plants, such as the sycamore maple 'Globosum', the white acacia 'Umbraculifera' or the bignonia catalpa 'Nana'. But the species composition of these representatives of the flora is very extensive, which opens up a lot of possibilities for landscape design. For example. , field maple, liquidambar and swamp oak, planted on the site, delight the eye not only with a rounded “crown”, but also with luxuriously bright leaves.
The result of many years of work: wisteria (Wisteria), formed in the form of a standard tree. Important: she needs reliable support.
Trees with ball crowns can be divided into two groups. The first includes species that tolerate pruning well, the “hairstyle” of which can be shaped using garden shears. So, you can give the desired shape to boxwood, cypress, goat willow and even wisteria. Important: such plants need to be cut every year. As in the case of a hedge, the shoots are shortened for the first time at the end of June, and again in the fall or early spring.
In autumn, ginkgo appears in golden decoration.
The plant variety ‘Mariken’ has a small crown.
In standard form, the tree will be appropriate even in a flower garden.
This ball remains green in winter: Lawson's cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) will retain its excellent shape if shoots escaping from the crown are regularly trimmed.
The second group includes special varietal plants in which the crown naturally has a spherical shape. These are, for example, bush cherry “Globosa”, liquidambar ‘Gum Ball’ and ginkgo biloba “Mariken”. Unlike traditional “relatives”, they have a dwarf (often bush) form, and they are propagated by grafting into trunks of different heights. Over time, the crowns become larger in volume, but the trees gain little “growth.” Important: these plants should also have their “hairstyles” corrected from time to time, since some of them have initially spherical crowns that stretch upward over the years.
Trees with ball crowns are ideal for planting primarily in front gardens and small gardens, because they (especially grafted forms) remain small in size. This makes it possible to predict the appearance of the garden after many years. By the way, you can find suitable candidates even for flower beds: it could be, for example, small-leaved lilac or viburnum laurel. When selecting “little princes” from the nursery, be sure to inquire about such characteristics as flowering characteristics and autumn color leaves.
Fraser's Photinia T fraseri 'Red Robin' is coming into fashion. However, it can only be grown in the southern regions, since it is not winter-hardy enough for the middle zone.
Important: with the onset of cold weather, be sure to wrap the trunks of young trees with white cloth or burlap. The “clothes” will shade the bark and prevent the appearance of frost holes on sunny, frosty days.
Loch Ebbings (Elaeagnus ebbrngei) does not shed its leaves in warm winters. The plant needs to be shaded, since its bark may be damaged by frost on sunny days.
The crown of beech (Fagus sylvatica) can be easily shaped into a ball. The rapid growth of this beauty will help to restrain the lopper. Bush cherry (Primus fruticosa) ‘Globosa’ reaches no more than 5 m in height. Even without pruning, its crown looks like a lovely ball. Goat willow (Salix sargea) grows very quickly, so to maintain the spherical shape of the crown, you will have to make a lot of effort. The tree of the ‘Mas’ variety in the spring, like a beautiful maiden, is hung with large yellow earrings.
Swamp oak (Quercus palustris) Green Dwarf' grows slowly and is unpretentious. In autumn, its fiery-colored leaves are a real eye-catcher.
Lush flowering and bright leaves: unusual trees
Small-leaved lilac ‘Superba’ (Syringa microphylla)
A spectacular low-growing and compact plant is often sold in standard form. Feature: the lilac of this very fragrant variety blooms not only in May, like all its “sisters,” but also again in the fall.
Field maple ‘Nanum’ (Acer campestre)
This maple, recognized as the tree of 2015 in Europe, captivates with its thick “hair”. In the spring it is very popular with bees, and in the fall it waltzes in a golden-yellow outfit. The plant grafted onto a standard grows up to 4-8 m in height.
Metasequoia glyptostroboides ‘Matthaei’ (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
The tree is perfect for planting in a small garden: depending on the grafting height, the plant reaches a height of 2 to 4 m. Long light green needle-shaped leaves turn red-brown in autumn and fall off on the eve of winter.
Horse chestnut ‘Globosum’ (Aesculus hippocastanum)
If the size of the garden allows, plant horse chestnut (it grows up to 8 m in height and width). If the spherical crown is not initially trimmed, it will eventually take on a conical appearance. Alas, moths love this variety.
Do-it-yourself landscaping is often carried out as part of charity events by residents of neighborhoods or employees of enterprises during cleanup days. But the issue of seedlings needs to be resolved. There are two options.
