How to make a beautiful mixborder with your own hands: the basic subtleties and rules for decorating a flower garden. Mixborder of shrubs and perennials: rules for composing compositions with your own hands Schemes of a mixborder and woody composition
Of the various, it would seem, completely incompatible varieties and types of ornamental plants, this is a whole art.
But all these difficulties cannot become an obstacle to creating mixborders from perennials with your own hands. The main thing is to stock up on theoretical knowledge and be sure to be patient. And in subsequent years, you will admire the flowering of your favorite plants.
Features of creating a "mixed" flower garden
Firstly, the diversity of the mixborder does not lie in the chaotic planting of a large number of plants of different species. Their size is also of great importance here. Tall ones can be perfectly combined with short ones. Your task is to make the composition harmonious and beautiful.
How to make a beautiful mixborder of perennials, if here some flowers replace others? And those that bloomed in June should not “spoil” the appearance of the flower bed in August? With a mixborder, this is not acceptable!
Due to the decorativeness of the leaves, some plants remain quite attractive even after flowering. The remaining leaves may not serve as a special decoration of the flower garden, but they remain neat and do not irritate the eye.
Some perennials should not be planted in "mixed" flower beds in large arrays. From delphiniums, for example, during flowering it is impossible to take your eyes off. But after flowering, their extinct flower stalks are cut off. If these are single instances - no problem. The resulting voids will always cover other plants. But, if several delphinium bushes have been planted, it will be difficult to cover a large number of cut plants.
If, when creating a mixborder, it is not possible to pick up smoothly replacing each other perennials, then you can plant a small amount of annual crops that will distract your eyes from faded perennials.
The main stages of arranging a continuous flowering mixborder
First of all, you need to choose a place where the mixborder will be equipped. This seemingly simple task is, in fact, very responsible. A mixed flower bed cannot be placed where you want. For perennial crops, the conditions around them are very important.
Free-shape flower beds should not be placed under the scorching rays of the sun or in damp, constantly shaded places. Everything should be in moderation. The optimal conditions for do-it-yourself mixborders of perennials will be open places with moderate lighting.
Think well where you would like to see your flower garden. Pay attention to the following options:
- along the facade of the house;
- on a slight rise;
- on the edge of the terrace;
- as a living fence around the perimeter of the entire site;
- on the background lawn;
- along garden paths.
The length of the mixborder is not limited, and depending on the types of plants, one part of it can be located in the sun, and the other in partial shade.
Choose the shape of the mixborder
A perennial flower garden can be of the most intricate shapes: elongated, round, rectangular, and even in the shape of a triangle. Flowerbeds of continuous flowering of arbitrary shapes look spectacular.
You can plan do-it-yourself mixborders of perennials, resembling long curving streams. If you prefer a large flower garden, be sure to plan a narrow path in it to facilitate maintenance.
Arrangement of the middle tier of the mixborder
Layering is an important principle for creating a mixed flower bed. Therefore, it is necessary to close the elongated stems of "skeletal" trees and shrubs with medium-sized varieties of perennial plants. It can be:
- phloxes;
- delphiniums;
- asters and many other bright perennials.
The combination of colors of the brightest shades and lush greenery is a good solution when creating mixborders from perennials with your own hands. Therefore, you can dilute the beautiful flowers of the middle tier with the chic foliage of the following plants:
- majestic geranium;
- juniper;
- silvery leaves cineraria;
- burgundy geyhera leaves, as well as many other plants with decorative foliage.
Making the foreground of the mixborder
The borders of mixed flower beds require special attention. The frame of the flower bed is made out of plants with bright flowers and juicy green leaves. The following plants can be planted in front:
- horned violet;
- bell;
- asters;
- hybrid carnation;
- irises;
- lilies, etc.
For greater elegance of the overall picture of the flower garden, variegated annuals can be planted between perennials. Spring primroses should smoothly pass the baton to plants that actively bloom in the summer. And those give way to autumn-flowering varieties of perennials.
Do-it-yourself perennial mixborders should resemble a natural meadow. Therefore, the plants in it are located tightly.
If you are not a supporter of strict forms and do not want to limit your imagination to observing the rules and principles of building flower beds, then the composition of a one-sided review will be the best option for you. When creating a mixborder in the country with your own hands, the embodiment of the most daring ideas is allowed. You can make an original composition, where beautiful plants and a variety of shrubs will be successfully combined.
The attraction to the traditional English garden at a certain stage aroused our interest in one of its most common elements - the mixborder. Until now, the inhabitants of foggy Albion create the most exquisite and spectacular mixborders in their gardens. The explanation for this phenomenon is simple.
The ability to create a harmonious garden composition is usually hindered by an excessive assortment of plants. The British are so passionate about botany (they use its motifs everywhere - from table sets to curtains), that there can be no talk of any minimalism in the garden. The only solution is mixborders that unite collections of a wide variety of plants - of course, subject to the most careful selection of plants in terms of color, size, flowering time.
Compared to the British, we are limited in the choice of plants, but we also have a problem with an overabundance of species is very relevant. Therefore, it makes sense to rely on their experience and take note of some elements of creating flower beds.
Compositions of ornamental plants in the design of mixborders should not look like alien islands in the garden. They are part of a whole, imbued with a common idea.
On this page you will learn how to make a mixborder with your own hands and how to do it right.
What is a mixborder for perennial flowers and ornamental shrubs (with photo)
What is a mixborder in landscape design?
Mixborder- This is a linear composition of a one-sided view, where plants are selected for height, color, seasonal variability, shape and other characteristics. Mixborders are good at any time of the year.
No doubt, the hedge is beautiful, but as a background for the composition, and not in itself. In fact, a hedge is the same wall, only from branches and leaves. It can serve as a noise insulator, a screen that covers an unpleasant view, an element that forms the structure of the garden. But looking at a hedge is as absurd as looking at a wall.
Quite often in Russian gardens there are hedges of plants with different leaf colors. Thinking about something like this, be careful. If a monochromatic fence can be made interesting. For example, having broken a mixborder of ornamental shrubs and perennial flowers against its background, it is very difficult to fix a motley hedge.
Compositions of one-way view are very important elements of the garden, since in most cases they are viewed from certain viewpoints. Their design must be taken seriously. Before buying and planting plants, sketch out a composition plan on paper. At least in general terms. Knowing what a mixborder for flowers and shrubs is, and how to create it correctly, simple preparation will save you from unnecessary work associated with transplants, alterations and additional care measures.
See how beautiful perennial mixborders are in these photos:
Examples of a decorative perennial mixborder device
An analogue of the wall of a house or a fence in nature is the wall of the forest. The height of plants at the edge decreases with distance from the forest wall and passes into the meadow. The same in the garden. At the wall of the house or at the fence, we plant large shrubs (or even trees), then - medium in height and end with low herbaceous plants or shrubs that "flow" into the plane of the lawn.
The edge, as an analogue, allows us to discuss some of the mistakes that we make when creating compositions for a one-sided review. After all, in our work we must take into account the laws of this community.
Here is one example of a beautiful mixborder in a garden composition. In nature, you are unlikely to see a path that runs exactly along the perimeter of the edge. She then slips into the forest, then goes out into the clearing.
And in gardens, the path almost always becomes a boundary element between the plane of the lawn and the linear composition of a one-way view. This is perfectly acceptable, but not particularly interesting.
When creating mixborders, try to play with the situation when the axis of the path and the boundary line of the lawn - the mixborder do not match. Let the path either enter the composition, passing between perennials, then again go out onto the lawn. This solution can be especially effective in small areas.
A winding path that awakens curiosity fits much better into the idea of a Russian person about what a garden should be like. European "gardens in the palm of your hand", which are easy to appreciate with a glance, usually seem boring to us.
As you can see in the photo, mixborders in landscape design look very organic:
Creating garden flower mixborders in the country with your own hands (with photo)
Height. How do you build a composition of a one-sided view when creating a mixborder with your own hands?
We select the height of its elements so that the line of the upper edge turns out to be beautiful. At the same time, we do not always manage to appreciate the created beauty. The fact is that we see the composition not in its entirety, but in part (only the lower or upper part), because we are too close to it.
For a holistic perception of a beautiful mixborder, it is necessary that the distance from the viewpoint to the composition is at least two of its heights. Of course, you can use even very large trees, but keep in mind that they will only “work” as a background. Only the owner of the neighboring site, which is located at a greater distance from the composition, can see everything as a whole.
In addition, when installing a mixborder in the country, the height of the fence or wall in front of which the composition is built is not always taken into account. If the top edge of the wall does not fall into the angle of view, you can build a composition of any height, but if it is visible, then the edge (for example, the top edge of the fence) must be taken into account.
Before you make a mixborder, to facilitate design, take photographs of the garden from the points where you are going to admire the composition of a one-way view. In this case, you do not need to use the function of zooming in or out of the image. Shooting is best done when there are no leaves on the trees: you can immediately see what happens if a plant is removed.
Let's analyze the case when a person creates a mixborder of shrubs, trees and perennials against the background of a long fence. Often this is done for the sole purpose of getting rid of monotony. But in most cases, monotony is preserved, because plants and other elements of the composition do not cross the upper edge of the fence anywhere. In this case, as soon as any plant crosses the edge, the feeling of monotony will disappear, since we will see not one long line, but two short ones.
Important so that the top edge of the one-sided view composition when creating a mixborder of ornamental shrubs is not straight. Remember again what the forest edge looks like.
The tops of the plants are located at different heights, they form a beautiful line. In garden compositions that have little depth, it is difficult to play with height changes from the fence to the front edge of the composition.
Therefore, when choosing plants for a mixborder, you should work linearly, that is, create a graphically interesting contour against a certain background.
Remember the rule for creating mixborders: the shallower the depth, the more obvious the fluctuations in height along the wall should be. Otherwise, it will turn out to be a “brick”, that is, the eye will have nothing to catch on, nothing to isolate. In other words, we will not beat the wall, but create another one parallel to it, only from plants, and the same monotonous one.
Depth. It is clear that the height of the elements of the composition should decrease as it approaches the observer. But many gardeners downright mathematically calculate the height. Arrange the plants in piles: high, medium, low. Then these heaps are planted alternately along the fence: high row, middle row, low row. This is the wrong approach.
As you can see in the photo, in a mixborder of shrubs and perennials, the composition will look more natural and effective if some background plants fall into the middle one, and the middle one comes to the fore:
It is very good when individual low plants are among the ground cover, transferring the composition to the plane of the lawn.
One more rule: rows of plants should not be parallel. After all, there are no straight lines in nature. Even in the case when the composition of a one-way view is built between a fence and a path parallel to each other, it should not repeat these lines. It is also important to avoid parallels within the composition itself.
By the way, there is also a relationship between the width of the lines and the height of the composition of the decorative mixborder. With an increase in the width of the strip, the height of the plants should also increase (and vice versa). In nature, this dependence is visible to the naked eye, it is absolutely natural. But when designing flower beds, this condition is not always observed. But when tall plants are planted in the narrow part of the composition, and low ones in the wide part, it looks unnatural.
Width. The width of the single-sided view composition can be small and fit into a 30° horizontal viewing angle. But more often it has a longer duration. It is hard to imagine, for example, a mixborder that would fit perfectly into a 30-degree angle of view. After all, a mixborder is a composition consisting of a series of successive paintings.
The problem is that many people are too literal about the theory of building a perennial mixborder. And it's not about creating several compositions and attaching them to each other. No, we are building one linear composition, but depending on which part the person is looking at, it has several, shall we say, faces - several finished, well-balanced parts. Please note that the focus may shift during the review. For example, in one part of the composition, a certain element plays a subordinate role, and in the next part it becomes an accent.
When creating a mixborder, it is very important for both experienced flower growers and beginners to accurately build a hierarchy of elements. One must always dominate, the other must obey. The absence of main and subordinate elements in the composition is a gross mistake, nullifying all efforts to build a mixborder.
In the presence of main and subordinate elements, a person sitting on a bench shifts his gaze to the right-left, up-down, singles out pictures (corresponding to a horizontal angle of view of 30 °) and admires them.
It's good when the accents, and, accordingly, the pictures change from season to season.
Look at the photo - blooming bulbs attract attention in the mixborder in the garden in spring:
In autumn, the emphasis is on the bright color of shrubs, in winter - on the expressive pattern of tree bark. Nature itself tells us that we should make the most of the opportunity to change something, and not create static, for example, purely coniferous, compositions that are “one color in winter and summer.”
Options for simple mixborders: colors and rhythm
Color. The vast majority of modern flower beds sin with excessive variegation. A huge number of small strokes that do not add up to color spots ruin the composition. In fact, because of this, we perceive it as one big color spot. There is no rhythm, there is no mutual subordination, there is nothing for the eye to catch on to.
When you carefully examine the paintings, you can see that they consist of small strokes of color. But the strokes are not scattered across the canvas, but clearly interact with each other, forming larger color spots, color transitions, contrasts. Try to use a similar principle in the flower garden, working with plants as with paints.
Another common mistake is excessive color intensity in the mixborder composition. Imagine a bright flower garden by the subway. After a working day, in the context of gray urban development, this is so impressive that I want to create something similar on the site. Not worth it. Russian people are not temperamental enough to feel comfortable in such an environment. Therefore, the duration of the perception of a particular composition should also be taken into account.
It's one thing to walk past a bright flower garden in a city park, and quite another to contemplate it month after month on your own plot. However, if there is already a similar composition on the site and it is difficult to part with it, try to reduce the color contrast by introducing elements with a light achromatic color (white, light gray) into the composition.
By the way, silver mixborders are often underestimated. Perhaps they really are not always good on their own, but as elements in a composition of bright plants, they are irreplaceable.
The list of silvery plants is not as small as it might seem at first glance. And if herbaceous plants are more or less well-known, then we often forget about woody ones.
Pay attention to the photo - in the design of mixborders, silver and narrow-leaved suckers, sea buckthorn, sheferdia, many willows, willow-leaved and loose-leaved pears, mountain ash aria and intermediate look very organic:
Rhythm. Imagine: you planted a plant, sat down on a bench, admiring the work of your hands, and suddenly you understand: everything is fine, but if only you could plant the same plant over there, on the right. This is nothing more than a desire to organize the space, to give the composition a rhythm.
How can the rhythm be set in mixborders of perennials and ornamental shrubs?
Partly by changes in the height of the upper edge of the composition. The rhythm is also created by gaps between plants, when fragments of a fence or wall are visible in the gaps. Rhythm can be set by the shape of the crown, color, surface texture. In this case, it is not necessary to use the same types of plants, it is enough that they are somewhat similar. For example, by planting plants with high, medium and low spike-shaped inflorescences at a certain distance, you will set the rhythm not only in shape (ears), but also in height.
In order for the rhythm to be palpable, the composition must have at least two or three repeating elements. A stable sense of rhythm arises when four or five elements are repeated.
On the other hand, the monotonous repetition of elements (a row of vertical conifers along the fence) is tiring and makes the composition boring. You can level the monotony with the help of various inclusions that will weaken the rhythm, make it not so intrusive.
These photos show the best do-it-yourself mixborders:
Making beautiful mixborders in country gardens (with photo)
When arranging a mixborder, it is not enough to create a composition. It is important that it fits into the garden environment both stylistically and structurally.
The composition of a one-way view has its own specifics - it is almost always built against the background of a fence, house wall, hedge. And in front of the composition is usually the plane of the lawn, lawns.
If you want, for example, to install a bench for admiring the mixborder, you need to think carefully about how to position it. Sitting facing a wall with open space behind is extremely uncomfortable. Your back needs to be protected. Of course, it is best when the bench stands with its back to the wall of the house, but if this option is not possible, plant a bush behind the bench or install a support with climbing plants.
Imagine: you stand in a clearing and look around the surroundings. The edge on the right is very beautiful, and the front one looks flat and nondescript. The plants are the same, the arrangement structure is similar, but the effect is different.
It turns out that perception changes depending on how the object is oriented to the cardinal points. This is very important to consider when designing mixborders with single-sided compositions. Of course, if we want to plant a flower garden near the wall of a house or a fence, we will be limited by circumstances, because we cannot move a wall or a fence. However, given the nature of the lighting, even the simplest mixborder can be adjusted to make it more expressive.
Behind the bench is a lawn, but a person admiring a pond and plantings will not feel discomfort in this case, since there is also an open space in front of him.
As you can see in the photo, compositions oriented to the east or west look best in beautiful mixborders:
The relief of both individual plants and the composition as a whole is unusually beautiful.
The southern exposure is dangerous because the flower garden can turn out to be flat, similar to an appliqué. Pastel colors look inexpressive, but bright red and orange, on the contrary, are extremely effective. Relying on the texture of the leaves or the relief of the crown, it is difficult to succeed, but you can successfully work with the color of the plants and beat the openwork crown.
The composition, oriented to the north, is always in the shade. Usually such places are afraid. Nevertheless, there are many plants that feel great near the northern wall. In such a mixborder, excellent options are herbaceous perennials (, black cohosh, Rogers, hosts) and some woody plants (, pachysandra and others). Interestingly, many plants in shady places look even better than in the sun.
Remember that groups located in the shade must certainly be "highlighted" by plants with white or cream leaves. Do not believe the stories that in the shade all variegated plants turn green. Derains, sleepy, hostas do not change color.
Also, keep in mind that the flowers of many plants face the rising sun. The same applies to some fruit plants. For example, the Everest apple tree has much more decorative fruits on the illuminated side. On the young shoots of some shrubs, say certain varieties of deren, the color of the bark on the illuminated side is also much brighter. It is better to admire such a bush when the sun shines in your back.
The most beautiful mixborders in the country are shown in these photos:
Often we forget that the night life of the garden is no less interesting than the daytime. However, you can fully enjoy it only after artificial lighting is installed.
In the meantime, it should be noted that it is necessary to use all of the above elements in the mixborder composition with caution. As for the lanterns, they are more "influential" during the day than at night.
At night, the space organizes the light that they spread, and during the day - the lanterns themselves. Do not rush to immediately buy the lights you like. Think carefully about the composition, try to imagine how the lighting fixtures will fit into it.
As shown in the photo, when designing a mixborder, it is very important to correctly position the lights:
Agree, a row of lanterns along the path separating the lawn and the mixborder looks dull. Whether it's a hidden backlight or spotlights with rotating shades.
You can select several vertical elements and illuminate several planes - and the night garden, full of secrets and mysteries, is ready. Tired of the picture? Just unfold the shades - and you are in a new garden.
How to create a mixborder and arrange a composition (with video)
It should be noted that a one-sided composition and a floral mixborder as its special case lends itself to styling, perhaps better than any other element of the garden.
- Firstly, the mixborder rarely falls into the same angle of view as the house. Namely, the house most often limits us in our ability to style any part of the garden.
- Secondly, a wall or fence, along which a mixborder is most often broken, can be successfully decorated, setting the tone for the chosen style. Any stylization, in fact, is nothing more than a game on associations.
How to create mixborders in different styles? If you want to show Japan, choose an alternative to bamboos, Japanese maples, mosses. If you want to show Italy - look for plants similar to cypresses, olives, pines.
The same with the walls: embody associations with a country wall, a wall in a Japanese garden, or a wall against which an English mixborder is made.
However, do not forget that when styling when creating a garden mixborder, it is easy to play too much and slide into kitsch. When the “rustic” composition is complemented by plastic geese, and wheels and tongs are hung on the fence, like on a fire shield, it looks vulgar.
Perhaps the listed accessories would be quite suitable for decorating the courtyard of a cafe, but they are hardly suitable for a small garden. Of course, we can use small architectural forms - sculpture, lanterns, etc. - but with extreme caution. Still, it is better when the natural component prevails in the stylized landscape, and the architecture obeys it.
It is very important to take into account the context in which the composition is built. Pay attention to the environment, look at what is growing behind the fence, on the right, on the left. Whatever one may say, you can’t style a spruce forest under the Mediterranean, and in the hot sun you won’t get a romantic white garden.
We cannot ignore the conditions of our site, nor what is located outside of it. Let's say, behind the fence - a neighbor's orchard with tall old apple trees or the outskirts, and behind it is a forest. The fence is solid, and at its foot you begin to create a composition of a one-way view, without connecting it in any way with the views on the other side of the fence. Even if the view is completely hidden, the virtual border between compositions that are polar in their aesthetics in front of the fence and behind it does not disappear.
This is not about planting trees from the forest or an apple tree in your garden, like a neighbor's. But a smooth transition is necessary, and it can be achieved through simple actions.
A great idea when creating a mixborder is to divide herbaceous and woody plants into groups according to their physiognomic type. Some can be safely attributed to the "village", others - to the "forest", others - to the "exotic", etc.
To design the mixborder as harmoniously as possible, use this tip. If you want to create an exotic flower garden against the backdrop of a neutral Central Russian forest, use shrubs or trees that fall into the “forest” group according to their physiognomic type.
Take not species, but exotic varieties, such as split-leaved or golden-leaved. An unusual "forest" plant will smooth out the contrast.
Naturally, in this case, the fence will not go anywhere. But he will no longer separate the two alien environments.
The impression will be as if the fence cuts a piece of forest to the site, which is visible behind it, and flower beds are a natural continuation of the edge. As a rule, such a picture is natural and harmonious.
Watch the video "Creating Mixborders", which shows the best design ideas for such flower beds:
What to plant in a mixborder: selection of plants (with photo)
When deciding what to plant in a mixborder, and choosing plants for a one-way garden composition, remember that you can combine a huge number of species.
But this in no way relieves us of the need to select plants, taking into account the laws of color and proportion, seasonal variability and style, biology and ecology. When all these factors are taken into account, full-fledged garden collections can be placed in a mixborder.
And in this exposition part, everything should be aesthetically pleasing and thoughtful. The word "collection" is not always correctly interpreted. For example, no one says that they collect things at home. You can collect pictures, coasters, books, but not things. So, perhaps, in the garden.
Is it possible to collect plants at all? Of course not, they collect ferns or succulents, dwarf conifers or alpine rarities, but not plants in principle. On the other hand, it is far from possible to create a complete composition from all groups of plants. In many cases, you still have to resort to the help of species that are outside the collection group.
How to find out if it is possible to create a composition for a mixborder from a certain group of plants? First of all, determine if there are species or varieties in this group that can play dominant and subordinate roles, as well as neutral, background plants.
A good composition will come from. Accents are the Ottawa or Thunberg barberry (‘Erecta’), the middle plan is the umbrella-shaped Thunberg and the common barberry, the foreground is the creeping forms of the Thunberg barberry (‘Green Carpet’).
A similar situation with spirea, where the diversity of species is just as great. Perhaps this is with vines. For example, a collection of clematis that does not have a variability in crown shapes can be easily diversified by changing the shape of the support.
But can we do the same with derens, cinquefoils, hostas with all their colossal diversity? Most likely no. Agree, in the mass the same hosts will be exactly the mass. In such cases, Europe often keeps two or three collection groups that complement each other perfectly.
As you can see in the photo, when choosing plants for a mixborder, representatives of one collection act as accents, the other one plays a subordinate role, the third one “works” as a background:
However, everything is much simpler if you do not set yourself the task of beating a specific group of plants. In this case, we simply choose species that meet the environmental conditions of the site, of which - those that suit us in size, and of the rest - suitable in style and color.
From the selected species, we build a composition, taking into account the seasonal variability of plants, determine the accents and subordinate elements, look for a rhythm, work with the background.
Capricious, demanding plants should not claim to be dominant. The basis of the composition can only be stably decorative, winter-hardy species that meet the ecology of the site.
Another thing is a garden in which special conditions have been created for the maintenance of a certain collection. This garden needs constant attention. This is a huge work, as nature always strives to return everything to its place.
Very often in one-sided compositions. Creepers are used, because these compositions are usually placed against the background of a wall of a house or a fence. Lianas are extremely diverse. They differ in requirements for growing conditions, style (physiognomic type), stability.
Some species are shade-tolerant, but at the same time demanding on soil fertility and moisture (aristolochia), others are photophilous and drought-resistant (). As for the physiognomic type, among the vines there are both “village” (khsmel) and aristocratic (cleslematis, lagenaria) plants.
Many, such as wood pliers, are very stable, literally "impenetrable", while others, like acute actinidia, are gentle and demanding. With proper selection and planting, you can visually break the upper edge of the fence in the same way as with the help of trees or tall herbaceous plants.
Properly picked vines perfectly unite the landscape on the other side of the fence with the composition in front of it.
And finally, once again enjoy the charm of the most beautiful mixborders in country gardens in these photos:
Scheme: 1 - bamboo-leaf; 2 - hybrids of bearded iris; 3 - lobelia; 4 - tenacious creeping; 5 – bell of Poskharsky; 6 - shaving hybrids; 7 - large-leaved bruner; 8 - awl-leaved bryozoan; 9 - tenacious creeping red-leaved; 10 - reed arundo
Among landscape designers, the concept of a mixborder is considered very complex. From the name it is clear that a mixborder is a mixed living border. This concept can also mean a flower garden without clear boundaries and outlines. It is difficult for a novice gardener to choose plants from which to form a mixborder. Ready-made landing schemes will come to the rescue.
Appearance of the mixborder
The difficulty in forming a mixed border is that you need to create more than just a beautiful combination of different plants. Consideration should be given to the conditions in which they will feel comfortable, their needs, care features and methods of cultivation. If all these rules are followed, then you can grow a mixborder that will bloom all season and delight with its decorative effect all year round.
In order not to suffer every year with the question of which plants can be combined in a mixborder, it is best to take perennials for this purpose. In order for the "mix" to look the most advantageous, it is necessary to consider the location of each plant. This is easy to do if you follow these rules:
We form the central place of the mixborder
There may be flowers in the center of a mixed border. But it is more effective and practical to form it from evergreen or deciduous trees and shrubs. For this purpose, dwarf varieties of willow or thuja are well suited, as well as cedar, fir, viburnum, and frost-resistant types of nightshade.
Middle tier of tall perennials
Tall and medium-sized perennials are well suited for the formation of the background and the middle tier of a mixed border. You can use decorative deciduous and evergreen, as well as flowering shrubs. The luxury of greenery and bright flowering is the most successful combination. Roses, delphinium, phlox can successfully get along with cereals, hostas, junipers.
What perennials to choose for the foreground
In order for the mixed border to sparkle with all colors, he needs to choose a decent "frame". If the foreground is designed correctly, then the whole composition will attract attention and please the eye. Landscape design experts for the front, lowest, tier are advised to choose undersized flowering perennials or plants with decorative carved leaves of different colors. These can be carnations, alpine asters, garden bells, diluted with islands of young, tenacious, saxifrage.
Ready-made mixborder schemes for different parts of the garden
The combination of different plants in a mixed border is determined by its location. To make it lush, blooming and surprise with the luxury of colors, you need to select perennials that prefer the same growing conditions. In the finished schemes, it is precisely on this principle that plants are selected that can be replaced by others that prefer similar growing conditions.
Drought-resistant mixborder This mixborder scheme excellent for sloping, dry and well-drained sites. The composition is saturated with different varieties of saxifrage and shrubs. The combination is the following:
- Potentilla shrub, variety Princess
- Barberry Thunberg (dwarf shrub with decorative purple foliage)
- Juniper Repanda (coniferous shrub)
- Saxifrage by Ferdinand Coburg
- Hybrid variety of saxifrage Karel Chapek
- Lush saxifrage Gregor Mendel
- Wedge-leaved saxifrage Variegata
- Paniculata saxifrage Macocha
- Musk saxifrage Сloth of Gold
- pinnate carnation
- Rejuvenated Oddity
This scheme can serve as a basis on which you can make your own corrections.
Scheme of a mixborder from shade-resistant plants
Appearance of a shade-resistant microborder 
Landing pattern It is often difficult to design a heavily shaded area of the garden. This mixborder scheme provides for planting shade-loving perennials in one composition. The location is as follows:
- Feather Rogers Chocolate Wings
- City saxifrage, the variety is called Elliot`s Variety
- European hoof
- Hybrid hosta, Thomas Hogg
- Kalina David
- Bristle multi-row
- foxglove large-flowered
- forest forget-me-not
- Euphorbia longhorn
- Kupena two-flowered
Scheme of a mixborder from unpretentious plants
Scheme of a mixborder from unpretentious plants If you want to plant a mixborder with your own hands, which will be very effective and at the same time unpretentious, then take into service the following effective composition:
- A hardy perennial from the grass family - foxtail pennisetum
- Boxwood is an evergreen ornamental shrub that lends itself well to pruning, which means that any garden figure can be made from it.
- pink geranium
- Lobularia maritime
- Woolly cleaner. Its velvety leaves are bluish in color. Against the background of this plant, bright flowers look great.
- Canna Indian, which has decorative leaves and blooms beautifully
- Sage, giving any composition an oriental touch
Ready mixborder scheme with roses
Mixborder scheme with roses If you love roses, then you can form a blooming mixborder, which will be based on your favorite flowers. This simple scheme will help create a truly island of happiness. The queen of the composition is the rose. The location is simple:
- Climbing rose Fairy
- Ground cover rose with yellow flowers Apricot Clementine
- girlish grapes
- Peonies burgundy
- Phloxes
Lupins, lilies, delphiniums will perfectly harmonize with roses. Don't be afraid to experiment.
Care for mixed borders
It is very difficult to care for a flower garden, consisting of many different perennials, whether they are flowers, trees or shrubs. Every plant needs attention. You will have to systematically perform the following actions:
- transplant plants in a timely manner
- water the flower garden
- cultivate (weed, supplement with garden figures)
- carry out sanitary pruning
- fertilize
- carry out disease prevention
To create a picturesque corner in your garden, you need to work hard. But all efforts will be rewarded with luxurious lush greenery and chic flowering of a living mixed border that will make your garden especially beautiful and unique.
Mixborder is one of the most complex concepts in modern landscape design. As a rule, this concept means a mixed border or flower bed with free borders. Irregular forms are allowed here and more free, in contrast to rabatok, the use of different types of plants.
A mixborder can become the main element of a properly designed garden landscape. A mixture of different plants, different sizes, different shapes and different colors - looks quite picturesque. In order for the mixborder to harmoniously fit into the landscape design and, at the same time, not look too pretentious, you will need to put in quite a lot of effort - but believe me, it's worth it!
Types and styles of mixborders
According to the structure, mixborders are of two types:
One-sided mixborder
It is usually located on a slope, along fences, walls of buildings, and is visible only from one side. Plants in it are planted in descending order: from high to low.
Double-sided mixborder
Viewed from all sides. Tall plants are planted in the center of the mixborder, descending from the center to the edges.
Mixborders are also divided by style:
English mixborder
Already from the name it becomes clear that there is rigor in this style. In such a flower garden, magnificent forms and bright colors are not allowed. Plants with large and wide leaves are undesirable. It should be as natural as possible in a combination of wild and garden forms.
Meadow mixborder
It conveys the romanticism of meadow and mountain landscapes. When creating, meadow herbs and cereals are necessarily used.
rustic mixborder
Here the pomp and brightness of flowering is already appropriate. Plants that are typical for the area are used.
Vegetable mixborder
It is vegetable, there is no mistake! You can create a wonderful mixborder of vegetable plants by choosing the right combination and placing them beautifully. After all, many vegetables have pretty pretty leaves of different shapes and colors. And in the fall, a crop is harvested from such a mixborder.
Mixborder color scheme
The choice of color design is a very important point. By creating a mixborder yourself with your own hands, you can choose the color scheme according to your desire and taste. However, the main thing here is to maintain harmony. You can not overdo it with color, chaotic variegation will look ugly and vulgar.
The right mixborder color scheme will create a certain mood. It is advisable to use no more than 3-5 colors and their shades. In order not to be mistaken in their correct combination, a color chromatic circle is often used. According to the color scheme, three types of mixborders can be distinguished.
Contrasting mixborder
For such a flower garden, it is better to focus on two contrasting colors, the color scheme will help to accurately identify them - on it they are located opposite each other. Shades of opposite colors will also be considered contrasting. This color scheme is best used in small mixborders. You should not create a contrasting composition from small-flowered plants alone. It should also be noted that a contrasting mixborder will look very bright and it is better to place it in front areas (for example, at the entrance).
Monochrome mixborder
In such a flower garden, various shades of the same color are used. It turns out a very delicate exquisite composition. With this color scheme, the size of the flowers and the variety of their shapes are clearly visible. However, it should be borne in mind that very light colors (white-pink, white-blue, light cream) in the bright sun will look faded, so they must be “supported” with brighter shades.
Polychrome mixborder
This is the most common design option. Here, from two to four neighboring colors can participate. But even here it is necessary to correctly observe the proportion. There should be fewer bright and saturated colors, and more balancing, calmer ones. Approximate proportional distribution of colors in a triple composition: one color - 70%, the second - 25%, and the third - 5%.
To avoid serious mistakes in choosing the colors of the mixborder, you should mix warm colors with warm and cold with cold.
Another important point. Keep in mind that even the most beautiful flower garden will not look without a green background.
Choosing a place for a mixborder
When choosing a place, you need to take into account that the mixborder is created to decorate the site, it must be visible. The first step, of course, is to choose a place for the mixborder. After all, its size, shape and types of plants will depend on this. The form can be any, but most often they prefer shapeless flower beds. The volume of the mixborder also does not matter.
If you decide to place a flower garden along the wall of a house or a fence, then you should take into account the height of the windows (when choosing the upper tier of plants), the length of the decorated section of the fence (it is better to make a very long flower garden intermittent).
The flower garden along the garden paths should be placed, stepping back from the edge of the path about half a meter. With the help of a mixborder, you can limit the zones in the garden (here it is important to consider the distance from the viewpoint).
If the mixborder is located close to the house, do not use honey plants for it, otherwise they will attract wasps and bees to your windows.
Basic Rules
creating a mixborder
Since summer residents often create mixborders with their own hands, it is necessary to first draw a diagram of the future flower garden, distributing plants on it, guided by certain rules:
❶ The largest plant in the mixborder should not exceed half the distance from the plant to the viewpoint (benches, paths, gazebos, etc.). If the height is greater, then the upper tier will be lost during the review.
❷ The edges of the mixborders should be clearly defined (this is especially true for flower beds located in the middle of the lawn or along the paths). To do this, you can use small paving slabs, decorative stones or wooden chocks, as well as make a border from undersized perennials.
❸ We strictly observe layering, tall plants should not cover the lower ones.
❹ Do not try to use as many types of plants as possible in the flower garden (there is a rule - no more than 3 species per 1 sq.m).
❺ When planning the shape of a flower garden, avoid clear straight lines, the beauty of the mixborder is in smoothness, elegance and naturalness.
Selection of plants for a mixborder
When choosing plants, you need to adhere to one principle: they will not bloom at the same time for a long time, so it is better to plant them so that they smoothly replace each other. A flower bed of continuous flowering is the best decoration for a personal plot.
When choosing plants for a mixborder, be sure to consider the following:
✔ Unpretentiousness of plants (do not plant difficult to care for or require serious shelter in the winter).
✔ It is better to place plants in the same flower garden with similar requirements for growing conditions (light, watering, soil type).
✔ Strongly growing species should be avoided, as well as with a powerful surface root system, as they can gradually ruin the entire flower garden.
✔ Consider the timing of flowering, it is necessary to select plants that bloom one after another and retain their decorative effect after it.
✔ Give preference to perennials, they will form the basis of your flower garden for years. ✔ All species must be equally resilient and not be afraid of competition.
✔ Follow planting standards, do not chase density, because plants will grow over time, especially since gaps can be filled with annuals.
Given the above rules, we proceed to the selection of plants:
The highest (upper tier) is always planted first.
If you planned a mixborder with shrubs or dwarf trees, then planting should begin with them. They form in the flower garden the so-called "skeleton" or its basis, around which the rest of the composition will be formed. For a mixborder, you should choose evergreen or long-lasting decorative species that respond well to a haircut. Suitable conifers, boxwood, mock orange, red-leaved barberry, silver spirea, hydrangea, elderberry, white derain, splayed plum.
Skeletal plants are seated, placing them in the background or in the center (depending on the type of mixborder) at a sufficient distance from each other, taking into account their further growth and crown splendor.
You can make a mixborder only from trees and shrubs. In this case, the principle of placing plants in height is also observed. For the lower tier in such a flower garden, creeping shrubs are used. For example, horizontal cotoneaster, Cossack juniper, common ivy.
All year round, mixborders from only coniferous plants look decorative and mysterious. To create it, dwarf pines, fir, spruce, dwarf cedar, juniper, Japanese tuevik, creeping varieties of arborvitae and juniper are used.
Flowering perennials are planted next. Here you can give freedom to fantasy, but do not forget about tieredness. The regrown trunks of trees and shrubs will cover tall daylilies, irises, buzulniks, astilbes, garden geraniums, polemoniums, polygons, coreopsis, lavatera, echinacea. Let's not forget about the beautiful leaves. Bright flowers will balance and give additional volume to the flower garden of hosts, geyhera, artemisia, cincinaria. Cereals will be added to the mixborder of natural naturalness: haretail, ozhika, feather grass, lightning, maned barley.
For an additional assortment, you can take lower perennials (for example, alissum, aquilegia, leucanthemum, stonecrop, etc.).
Bulbous plants are always very expressive and most of them will be able to decorate a mixborder in early spring. However, one should take into account the very short period of their decorative effect. Therefore, they should not form the basis of the composition. For a mixborder, bulbous plants that do not need annual digging are suitable. To hide the fading leaves, immediately after the end of their flowering, it is necessary to plant seedlings of annuals nearby or plant a rapidly growing perennial (for example, coined loosestrife, periwinkle, filiform veronica, thyme, awl-shaped phlox, etc.).
The lower (front) tier is formed from undersized, stably decorative perennials. For example, bruner, awl-shaped phlox, woolly stakhis, verbena.
The gaps remaining after the planting of perennials are filled with seedlings of undersized annual flowers.
Mixborder Care
Initially, it is necessary to select plants that are easy to care for for a mixborder. But even the most unpretentious of them need minimal care.
Timely watering. Any plant from a lack of moisture becomes unattractive and fades. Weak plants are more susceptible to disease and pest attacks.
Weed removal. They make our flower garden untidy and worsen the conditions for the existence of cultivated species. Sometimes mulching the soil can help out, but this is not suitable for all plants. Therefore, you need to periodically do weeding.
Mineral top dressing. Do not support plants with nutrients, they will not please you with abundant and long flowering. Feed them little by little once every three weeks with a full range of fertilizers. Yes, and resistance to disease they will increase from this. Only at the end of summer do not forget to stop, the plants need to calm down and fall asleep for the winter, otherwise they may freeze.
Frost protection. If your mixborder has insufficiently frost-resistant plants, then for the winter they must be covered with spruce branches, straw or other covering material.
Removal of dry inflorescences and pruning. In order for your flower garden to be beautiful, neat, bloom for a long time and profusely, do not forget to cut dry inflorescences and branches with sharp garden tools. In the spring, remove weak, very old, twisted, diseased and "wild" shoots. Also shorten heavily overgrown.
Pest and disease control. Occasionally inspect plants for disease and pest damage. Take action in a timely manner. It is better, of course, to use folk remedies, but if necessary, turn to pesticides.
Ready mixborder schemes
We present you several ready-made mixborder schemes. They can be used in the design of a country flower bed, both completely and partially.
Please note that annuals are temporary, but a bright addition to the flower garden, every year you can plant new plants in their place or purchase the same ones.
WHERE TO BUY SEEDS AND SEEDLINGS
for mixborder
The Scientific and Production Association "Gardens of Russia" has been implementing the latest achievements in the selection of vegetable, fruit, berry and ornamental crops into the wide practice of amateur gardening for 30 years. In the work of the association, the most modern technologies are used, a unique laboratory of microclonal propagation of plants has been created. The main tasks of NPO "Gardens of Russia" is to provide gardeners with high-quality planting material for popular varieties of various garden plants and new products of world selection. Delivery of planting material (seeds, bulbs, seedlings) is carried out by Russian post. Looking forward to shopping:
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