Ornamental shrubs for the garden: list and features of growing

Planting ornamental shrubs is a great way to make your plot unique. They will perfectly fit into any landscape style. The widest assortment of both decorative and deciduous crops will allow you to make the necessary choice and create an original composition.

Types of decorative bushes for a summer residence

The entire diverse community of ornamental shrubs for the garden can be divided into three large groups:

• flowering;
• decorative foliage;
• coniferous.

Within each group, there is a division that takes into account the size of plants, the ability to save or lose leaves in anticipation of winter, the duration of flowering, frost resistance, and relation to growing conditions.

Features of growing ornamental shrubs in the garden

This category of plants is so diverse that it is impossible to immediately give uniform recommendations for all species.You can take into account only some trends and note that when planting different types of ornamental shrubs, you need to group them according to the same requirements for soil, light, irrigation mode. With solitary planting, it is much easier to create suitable conditions for the plant. If you create a composition of several species, you should arrange them so that each can show maximum decorativeness.

Flowering shrubs for a summer residence: a list

This is the largest group of ornamental plants. There are many of their species that can successfully grow and bloom in the middle lane, due to good frost resistance. In the southern regions, where this problem is not urgent, the choice of flowering shrubs is even greater. Let's talk more specifically about each species.

Chubushnik (jasmine)

This deciduous shrub can often be found in gardens. Its height ranges from 1 meter to 3. Bell-shaped white flowers with elegant yellow stamens are collected in brushes from 5 to 9 pieces each. The size of the flowers depends on the variety. In some, their diameter does not exceed 2 cm. And in the variety Akademik Komarov, they are simply huge - up to 10 cm in diameter.

Jasmine flowering lasts about 3 weeks and begins in early June, but there are also champions. The Schrenka mock-maker blooms the longest, and the Snow avalanche variety of Vekhov’s selection is the most plentiful.

Terry jasmine varieties bloom very beautifully:

• Ballet of moths;
• Virgin;
• Ermine Mantle - This variety can bloom up to 49 days;
• Moonlight;
• Blizzard.

Some of them give repeated flowering in late summer - early autumn.

The aroma of the crown mockworm is familiar to everyone - it is very bright and saturated. But there are varieties in which the flowers smell like strawberries or pineapple or have no aroma at all.

Weigela

This is an upright deciduous shrub, characterized by beautiful flowering. The color of tubular-bell-shaped flowers is diverse: white, yellowish, pink, purple or dark red.

The three most frost-resistant species:

• Weigela early blooms when the lilac blossoms.
• Weigela Middendorff has been blooming since mid-May; flowers do not fall for a month; it can please with repeated flowering in September;
• Blooming Weigela blooms in late May, flowering lasts 20 days.

Only their young bushes need thorough shelter. In adults - in frosty winters the tips of unripe shoots freeze. Hybrid varieties of Dutch and Polish origin, which are currently on sale, do not differ in high frost resistance, so they may not wake up after winter.

Japanese quince

Many Japanese quinces are known as henomeles. This is a deciduous shrub that blooms in late May and early June. Flowering lasts up to 3 weeks. All this time, bushes spreading with arched branches are decorated with bright flowers up to 5 cm in diameter. In autumn, hard fruits ripen like little green apples. The main color of the flowers is red-orange, but varieties and hybrids with pink, red, white, and sometimes with double flowers are created. Outside flowering, the bush is also very beautiful thanks to the glossy green leaves. The height of the plant in the middle lane does not exceed one and a half meters. Japanese quince is a very good haircut, so it is an excellent material for low hedges.

Only young plants are suitable for planting. The long core root is an obstacle to transplanting adult specimens. This shrub is unpretentious and drought tolerant, but with good care, flowering is more plentiful.

Spirea

This is a deciduous shrub, represented by many species and varieties. Its height depends on the species and variety and ranges from 60 cm to 2 m.

According to the flowering time, spirea are divided into two groups:

• early flowering (May - June) - Vangutta, nippon, oak-leaved, they bloom on last year's shoots, therefore they do not need cardinal pruning;
• late flowering (July - August) - birch leaf, Billard, Japanese, Bumalda, Douglas, loosestrife, they bloom on the shoots of the current year and need spring pruning.

Spirea flowers are not large, collected in corymbose or paniculate inflorescences. In most varieties and species, flowering is plentiful and long. In many species, the color of the flowers is white, but there are varieties with pink and purple flowers.

Spirea are unpretentious shrubs, but grow better in lighted areas with loose, fertile and humus-rich soil.

Hydrangea

Hydrangea is often called the Queen of the Garden. And there is a reason. In terms of inflorescences, only viburnum Buldenezh can argue with her. Most hydrangeas bloom in the second half of summer.

The most common types of shrubs.

• In hydrangea, large-leaved flowers are collected in corymbose inflorescences, which have a diameter of up to 20 cm. The height of this species ranges from 60 cm to 2 m. The color of the flowers is diverse: white, pink, blue. The vast majority of varieties bloom on last year's shoots. Large-leaved hydrangea is not hardy. To wait for flowering next year, it must be very carefully covered.
• Panicled Hydrangea. This is a completely frost-resistant shrub, it can reach a height of up to 5 meters. The inflorescence is most often pyramidal, up to 30 cm long, the color is white, which in some varieties becomes pink over time.
• There is a lianoid form - petiole hydrangea. If there is a support, it can climb to a height of 25 m. If it is not, it turns into a groundcover. Flowers in petiole hydrangea are white and do not last long.
• Tree hydrangea is slightly less resistant to winter cold, grows up to 3 meters, has fluffy spherical inflorescences usually of white color. It blooms on the shoots of the current year and requires a thorough spring pruning.

All hydrangeas are acidophils. They love acidic soil and watering with acidified water.

Caucasian pear

At home, in the Caucasus, in Armenia and Azerbaijan, it is a magnificent tree up to 26 m tall. In the middle lane, the crown does not rise by more than four and a half meters. This is an unpretentious plant, can safely do without watering. At home - very decorative, especially at the time of flowering of white-painted flowers of 5 petals. They are collected in corymbose inflorescences. A Caucasian pear is also good at the time of fruiting, abundantly covered with small round heavily rusted fruits. But all this beauty can only be seen in warm regions. In the middle lane, the tree does not bloom and does not bear fruit, and in severe winters it can freeze.

Honeysuckle

We are more used to seeing fruit honeysuckle. Its berries can be enjoyed in early summer. But in the family of honeysuckle varieties with edible berries, there are literally one. All the rest are ornamental shrubs or creepers.

Shrub species are winter-hardy. They can grow up to 4 meters; they are decorative both during flowering and during ripening of berries. Such bushes as the Tatar honeysuckle, Maak, Maksimovich are quite suitable for a hedge. They can grow in the form of a small tree.

Lianoid forms perfectly braid arbor or pergola. The peculiarity of honeysuckles is an unusual form of flowers. Their color is varied, sometimes combined. Often they have a pleasant aroma. Among the vines are the most famous honeysuckle honeysuckle, Brown and Hekrot. There are creeping and dwarf forms of honeysuckle. Their use is rockeries, alpine hills, mixborders.

Most honeysuckles love moist, fertile soil. The attitude to lighting in different species is ambiguous.Many quite put up with partial shade, and some are even shade-tolerant.

Three-lobed almonds (Louisiana)

This is an amazing sight when Louiseania is in full bloom. Delicate pink terry flowers completely cover a small tree and look like a pink cloud exuding a wonderful aroma.

If a plant is grafted, it will grow in the form of a tree, in ordinary culture it is a shrub. Its height is small - up to 3 meters. The most remarkable is flowering. Terry flowers, their diameter is up to 3.5 cm. The main gamut is pink. The only pity is that it does not last long. Immediately after it, young leaves begin to blossom. It is at this time that louisanie can be pruned so that flowering is plentiful next year.

Louiseania will calmly endure frosts down to -30 degrees, but is very suffering from winter thaws. In this plant, the genetic period of deep dormancy lasts only a month. Therefore, a thaw, which can be long, will cause the flower buds to swell, and if frost then follows, it will destroy them.

Rhododendron

This is one of the most beautiful and early flowering ornamental shrubs. He comes from the east. The genus of rhododendrons unites almost 600 species, among which there are deciduous, evergreen and intermediate species. Rhododendron is complex in culture. It grows best where cool and humid summers, not too frosty winters. In a continental climate, the plant feels uncomfortable. The grower will have to work hard to tame this capricious sissy. Most rhododendrons are not frost-resistant, they can survive a harsh winter only under thorough shelter. Although there are varieties, for example, helsinki University or Elite, which do without it, they are not afraid of frosts down to -35 degrees. More resistant deciduous species.

The rim of the rhododendron flowers is slightly irregular in shape, in most species it is collected in a corymbose inflorescence, but there are species with single or paired flowers. Color palette - almost all colors and shades. In some species, the flowers have an aroma.

The height of the bush in different varieties can vary from 40 cm to 2 m. Moreover, their width can be twice as high.

Flowering occurs in late May and early June. Some varieties are pleased with repeated autumn flowering. Most of them bloom late - in the fifth or even seventh year of life. Plants grow very slowly. Rhododendrons - acidophils, develop well only on acidic soils and when irrigated with acidified water.

Tree peony

These imperial flowers, as they are called in their homeland in China, are capable of decorating any garden. Openwork cirrus leaves are decorative throughout the season. Huge flowers, reaching a diameter of 20 cm, are simply mesmerizing. Even if they are not terry, the bush looks very beautiful. And if there are a lot of petals, and besides they are two-tone, you just can’t take your eyes off of it.

Plant height varies from 1 to 2 meters and depends on the variety. And there are a huge number of tree-like peonies - a flower in culture for over 2000 years. Not all varieties of tree-shaped peonies are frost-resistant, they will have to be covered for the winter.

Tree-like peonies bloom from May to the beginning of July. Flowering of each variety lasts up to 3 weeks. This culture is more capricious than grassy peonies, but the result is worth any effort.

Rose Hips

Decorative rose hips are the closest relatives of inimitable roses, but differ from them in their unpretentiousness and frost resistance. Decorative rose hips have arched hanging branches that are covered with strong and very sharp spikes. The height of the bushes is different, ranging from 1 to 3 m. Flowers can be simple and have 5 petals. There are also those who can have up to 180 of them.Terry species are distinguished by larger colors. Decorative rose hips breed well, have a rich color scheme - white, all shades of pink and raspberry. The only drawback in many species is a short flowering period. For most of them, it runs from May to July.

Wrinkled rose hips are decorated with flowers from June until the end of autumn. Since mid-summer, orange or red fruits are a great addition. Coloring of flowers is white, pink, lilac-violet. When crossing a wrinkled rosehip with a polyanthus rose, large-flowered forms with good frost resistance are obtained.

Like any other plant, decorative rose hips need watering and top dressing, forming a bush.

Felt cherry

In felt cherry, decorativeness and practical benefit have been successfully combined. This distant relative of common cherries has sour fruits and not so tasty, but the crop is happy. In color, felt cherry is amazingly beautiful. All shoots are literally covered with medium-sized pink and white flowers. True, flowering, beginning at the very beginning of May, and sometimes in April, does not last very long, and if another variety is not planted nearby, there will be no berries at all - this is a plant, mostly cross-pollinated.

Such an unusual name was given to a small tree for pubescence, which covered leaves, shoots and fruits. The height of felt cherries does not exceed 3 m, so the berries are very convenient to pick. They do not crumble and add decorativeness to the tree. Felt cherries are short-lived, even with good pruning they have not lived for more than 20 years. To save the plants, you will have to carry out treatments from a monilial burn, which they are very affected.

Volchnik Altai

This relic plant in the wild is found in Altai and in the Belgorod region. The height of deciduous shrubs is from one to one and a half meters. In May, it blooms with white nail-shaped flowers. In July, black poisonous berries ripen. In nature - an endangered species and is listed in the Red Book. The plant has been in culture for over 200 years. The shrub grows well, is unpretentious and frost-resistant.

Grape

Cultivated grapes are difficult to attribute to ornamental shrubs, except during the ripening of berries. In many countries, homeland is adorned with girlish or wild grapes. He has another name - virgin ivy: small blue berries can form without pollination. But they are not the decoration of the plant. The most important thing in girl's grapes is decorative foliage. In the summer, beautiful palmate leaves are painted green. With the onset of frost, they turn purple and burn to the very leaf fall, bringing bright colors to the dull autumn landscape.

With the help of girl's grapes, you can decorate any unsightly building or fence. One has only to give him support, and he will very quickly fill up the space allotted to him. A dense carpet of leaves has bactericidal properties, and inhibits the growth of some pathogens. There are 12 species in the family of wild grapes. They differ in the shape of the leaves and their size, color in the fall, but they are all very decorative. The height that grapes can master reaches 15-20 m. The plant is unpretentious and frost-resistant, does not need to be removed from its support for the winter.

Ornamental deciduous shrubs for the garden: list

In these ornamental shrubs for the garden, flowering is not the main thing. Their main beauty is in the leaves. They can be unusually painted or have a beautiful original shape.

Bubble

This plant belongs to the pink family. The height of deciduous shrubs varies from 1.5 to 3 m.Plants are well leafy, look voluminous. Bushes are decorative throughout the season. Very decorated with their flowers are white or pale pink, collected in a corymbose inflorescence. They appear in June, and last for 3 weeks. In early autumn, fruits ripen that look like small red bubbles, which is what gave the name to the plant.

The leaves of the vesicle are large, corrugated, the edges end with denticles. In green leaves, they turn yellow in autumn. Red-leafed forms have a brighter pink color of flowers and red leaves of various shades. In the shade, the bright color of the leaves is not so pronounced.

The bubble is unpretentious, quietly tolerates gas contamination, it makes an excellent hedge. It is put up with poor soil, but planted in fertile soil will be more magnificent.

Red japanese maple

All of them are very decorative. Maple flowers are yellow-green and red in color, give life to winged seeds, which trees reproduce. The crown of Japanese maples is branched, the leaves are graceful, the branches are twisting. In the fall they are painted in bright, burgundy, cherry, orange or yellow colors.

Japanese maples are represented by three species:

• dune-shaped; it has an original strongly dissected leaf shape that retains a crimson color throughout the entire growing season; the dwarf-shaped Japanese maple grows slowly;
• fan; it has strongly dissected leaves, resembling fans, the height of the tree is small;
• Japanese.

Based on these base varieties, hybrid forms have been created that are highly decorative.

Japanese maple loves humus-rich moist soil with a slightly acidic reaction. Stagnant moisture is disastrous for him. The tree feels best of all, receiving sunshine in the morning and in the evening. At noon, it should be shaded.

Japanese maples do not differ in frost resistance and suffer both from spring frosts and from winter frosts. In winter, the tree needs shelter.

Fieldfare

This plant is doubly decorative:

• strongly dissected, corrugated, similar to mountain ash, but with a sharp tip, the leaves are beautiful at any time of the year; they are pinkish-orange in spring, light green in summer, and yellowish red in autumn;
• From June to August, large conical panicles of yellowish fragrant flowers with long stamens flaunt the plant.

The height of the bush is up to 3 meters. It grows very well, withstands haircuts and can be a great hedge. Plants are able to grow both in the sun and in partial shade. Fieldfare is not picky about soils, but tolerates drought poorly. In central Russia, the plant is quite frost-resistant.

Barberry

This plant is common in nature, but mainly in places with a warm climate. Based on wild species, many highly decorative varieties and hybrids have been created. A feature of the plant is the presence of hard spines. Leaves can have a variety of colors, sometimes consisting of several colors. There are species with yellow, purple or red leaves.

The most elegant shrub at the time of flowering, when it is covered with tassels of yellow flowers, in some varieties they are red-streaked. Berries of barberry are also beautiful, but in decorative varieties they are usually unsuitable for food.

Derain

Almost all of the 50 species of derain grow in the Northern Hemisphere. Usually it is shrubs, and only sometimes trees. They can be either deciduous or forever green.

Derain is decorative any time of the year:

• in spring and summer - unusually colored foliage and fairly large white flowers;
• in the fall, the color of the leaves becomes pink or burgundy, and white or blue fruits appear in place of the flowers;
• in winter, brightly colored branches contrast with snow.

Most often in culture you can find white derain. This shrub grows up to 3 meters, has brightly colored branches and green leaves with white spots. Small white flowers are collected in a corymbose inflorescence. It blooms lushly in the early summer months, repeating flowering in the fall. At this time, on the bushes you can see both flowers and white with a bluish tint fruit.

Derain is unpretentious, able to grow even in the shade, it resists heat and frost.

Euonymus

The most interesting thing about this plant is the original multi-colored fruits hanging on long legs. Depending on the species, it is a tree or shrub that reaches a height of 2 to 10 m. An interesting form is a dwarf spindle tree, practically without a trunk. Creeping plants consist of arched branches, with evergreen long leaves. Fortune’s euonymus, which is exactly what it is called, leaves have a green color with yellow or white spots.

The euonymus blooms nondescript. High decorativeness is given to it by leaves that are dark green in the summer, in the fall they are painted in all shades of red, orange, purple and yellow. Not uncommon - a colorful leaf.

The euonymus is poisonous, so all work with it should be carried out only with gloves.

Hornbeam

This deciduous tree grows up to 15 m high. It has beautiful foliage and unusual nuts. The silvery bark is deeply cracked. The hornbeam has a very thick spreading crown. Male flowers are long earrings, and female flowers are similar to hop cones, they reach a length of up to 25 cm. The natural habitat is Southeast Asia. In the middle lane it often freezes, after which it grows with a bush. The tree is unpretentious, tolerates shading, easily propagates.

Leafy elm

It has other names - elm, birch bark. This tree can reach a height of 30 m, and in diameter - 1.5 m. Its leaves are dense, petiolate. Flowering is observed before the leaves bloom. The flowers are bunched, have a rusty red perianth. The fruit is lionfish. At a young age, growing rapidly. Can live up to 300 years. In nature, grows in places with a temperate climate. It tolerates drought, loves the sun. In the middle lane can freeze.

Decorative shapes of fruit trees

At the time of flowering, all fruit trees are decorative. But there are also specially bred varieties intended not for fruiting, but for decorating garden plots.

• The most decorative of apple trees is the apple tree of Nedzvetsky. This short tree can be an excellent tapeworm. At the time of flowering, it is strewn with red-purple flowers, after a leaf fall small small bright red apples are clearly visible. The apple tree is unpretentious and has a good haircut. There are other varieties of decorative apple trees with unusually colored foliage.
• Among pears, the loosely-shaped pear stands out as a special decorative effect. The leaves have a long and narrow shape and are completely not typical for this type of tree. Small flowers exude an amazing aroma. There is also a weeping tree shape.
• Felt is considered the most attractive and decorative cherry.
• There are also decorative plums, for example, the Nigra variety, which has black and red leaves. The dark red fruits are edible. Nessie is also very good, her foliage has a bronze-violet color with a pink border. Chinese plum is beautiful and has double flowers and roses.

Caring for ornamental trees does not differ from that of ordinary fruit crops.They are beautiful in themselves, can be a great backdrop for other flowering plants.

Frost-resistant decorative shrubs for gardening

Among the plants on the list, you can find many decorative flowering frost-resistant shrubs that successfully endure harsh winters.

You can add to them:

• The cinquefoil is shrubby, it is sometimes called the Kuril tea. Shrubs with fine foliage from 1 to 1.5 m high. Flowering is very long, almost throughout the summer. Potentilla with yellow flowers is most common, but there are varieties with red, pink or white flowers. The cinquefoils are frost-resistant, drought-resistant, love rich soil and a sunny location.
• Snowberry. The most beautiful of this plant is the fruits that adorn it throughout the winter. These are small balls of white or pink color. The first form withstands frosts best. Plants are undemanding to the soil, they like to grow in the sun, they practically do not get sick.

Coniferous and evergreen ornamental shrubs

Among evergreens, there are not many that can withstand harsh winters.

The most persistent of them:

• Fortune's euonymus;
• boxwood;
• some types of rhododendron;
• holly;
• cotoneaster horizontal;
• brilliant honeysuckle;
• hollow mahonia.

The range of conifers is much wider.

• Different types of junipers.
• Cypress.
• Tui.
• Ate.
• Fir.
• Yew berry.
• Biota is eastern.

Almost all conifers are lovers of acidic soils. Among their great variety, you can choose those that love the sun, and those that are good in the shade. Most conifers grow slowly, poorly tolerate drought and stagnation of water. Some are able to greatly sunbathe in the bright spring sun and need protection from it.

Hedge from ornamental shrubs

Hedge is a great way to protect the site from prying eyes, noise and dust. It is durable, and, unlike a fence, does not require repair. It is enough to simply take care of the plants and trim them in time to give the desired shape.

Unpretentious shrubs and trees are suitable for hedges, which grow quickly, breed easily, withstand frequent haircuts, and branch well.

The hedge may be high. Tall bushes are necessary for it: cysticis, hawthorn, white derain, tall spirea, lilac, irgi, chokeberry, common barberry. It is from the latter that you can create an absolutely impassable green hedge. It will be the same if you plant in a row rosehip bushes.

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A low hedge, the so-called curb, can be created from cinquefoil, decorative barberries, Japanese quince, cotoneaster brilliant, hollow magonia, boxwood.

A very high hedge will turn out when the trees are densely planted: hornbeam, thuja, yew, linden, larch, spruce.

The hedgerow may also be mixed; plants with the same growth power and similar growth requirements are selected for it.