How to make a flower bed under a rowan tree. How to arrange a flower garden under a tree in tree trunks. How to decorate an area under a tree with ground cover plants
Owners of small plots often have a problem - where to place a flower bed? All the places are already occupied, even the eaves and porch, where flowers are placed in containers. Exit: arrange a flower bed under a tree.
However, not all trees are suitable for placing a flower garden under them. Conifers with a dense and dense crown are not suitable due to the shade. Trees over 6-7 meters in height have a powerful, highly expanded root system in the surface layers of the soil and will take water and nutrients from the flowers. It is better to choose small fruit trees, oaks or others with a scattered crown.
To prevent plants from remaining in the roots, it is better to slightly raise the flower bed by 20 cm.
It is better to choose shade-tolerant and early-blooming plants (tulips, hyacinths, etc.) for such flower beds.
How to arrange a flower bed under a tree
We mark the perimeter of the flower bed and dig a groove along the edge. We remove the turf with the roots of herbaceous plants.
We lay a metal fence (available in gardening stores) or stones around the perimeter of the flowerbed.
Add a layer of sawdust (mulch). it prevents weeds from growing.
4) Add a layer of soil (10-15 cm)
We plant the plants and water them thoroughly.
Options for flower beds near a tree
1. Most often, flower beds under a tree are made in the form of circles and flat. But you can decorate the flowerbed in the form of a “hat” by making a mound. Here is one option that can be placed under a small tree that gets a lot of sun.
2. Creeping phlox is very decorative when mixed with tulips. In combination with stones, you get a real rock garden.
3. Pansies, petunia and nasturtium grow well under trees. They create a dense, bright fluffy carpet.
Now the place under the tree will become one of the most favorite areas of the garden. Place a bench or hammock nearby and enjoy.
At a summer cottage, gardeners perceive any empty space as an opportunity to bring their creative ideas and practical plans to life. After all, even in the smallest area you want to get the maximum benefit, while at the same time making it beautiful and cozy. Therefore, many owners of dachas and private houses often think through all the intricacies of garden landscape design, plan how to arrange a flower bed around a tree and effectively decorate other areas of the site.
Regardless of the type of tree, the conditions for its maintenance require cleanliness and order in the surrounding space. Good care helps to avoid the occurrence of diseases and various pests. Accordingly, the yield improves, the duration of growth increases and its crown becomes more beautiful.
Knowing how to arrange a flower bed around a tree, you can implement various interesting projects. The dimensions of the enclosing structure and its design are selected individually, taking into account the overall design of the site, its decorative solutions and the landscape style of the garden.
Key Features
Under the trees, decorative and functional flower beds are created according to the same principle as small forms located in open areas. The main difference is the accuracy in carrying out the work and a more careful selection of plants and flowers. When choosing them, be sure to take into account the actual conditions and microclimate under the crown. Accuracy and scrupulousness are also required in the process of caring for plants, during watering, loosening and weeding.
Stages of preparing soil under trees for arranging flower beds:
- Weeds and excess vegetation are carefully removed.
- The top layer of soil is removed using a small shovel. The work must be done very carefully, between the root system, without affecting it.
- A special nutrient soil is poured into the holes, which is thoroughly shed with water.
- Pre-selected plants are planted and watered.
After the plants take root, the free spaces are covered with crushed bark, sawdust or wood chips.
Today there are a large number of design options. The most traditional design is round, in which, as a rule, low-growing plants are planted along the edges. Tall species usually grow closer to the trunk. If the base of the tree is visible only from one side or it grows in close proximity to a fence or other structures, then it would be rational to arrange an asymmetrical or semicircular flower bed.
A monochrome flower bed looks very unusual and stylish, in which only one type of flower or green space is used when planting. When all the flowers bloom at once at a certain time, it will have an incredible effect on loved ones and guests at home. For example, for shaded areas, experts advise planting low-growing asters, which are so self-sufficient that they can be selected in the same color scheme or bloom in a bright multi-colored carpet.
Experienced gardeners can show off all their skills by arranging flower beds with continuous flowering. Regardless of the time of year, different flowers will always bloom under the trees. Retaining walls with climbing plants around the trunk look original.
Using a standard garden border, you can create an unusual multi-tiered composition instead of a standard, familiar flower bed. However, it should be remembered that most trees do not tolerate dense soil filling of the root system. An increase in soil layers can lead to negative consequences, in particular to trunk rotting. Experts recommend filling in soil no more than 10 additional centimeters.
Modern trends in landscape design demonstrate spontaneous, disorderly plantings in flower beds under trees. On exhibition samples and in catalogs you can see tulips, daffodils, asters and other plants planted in a chaotic manner in combination with a green carpet of various plants.
Selection of plants
It is very difficult to find a place sufficiently illuminated by the sun's rays under the trees. In the best case, if there is a sparse crown, some natural light may enter. Therefore, when selecting an assortment of plantings, the actual climatic conditions of the location and its illumination are taken into account. Landscape design experts advise planting lilies of the valley, primrose, violet, ferns, ivy, periwinkle and other plants that tolerate shading well under trees.
When there is a lack of moisture, plants acquire drought-resistant species. By the way, watering the vegetation in the flowerbed should be frequent and plentiful, since the water will be consumed by the plantings and the tree itself.
Video
Violets are an excellent option for planting in a flower bed under a tree. The video will tell you how to plant violets.
Landscape design has gained immense popularity among summer residents. Everyone is waiting for the spring-summer season to create magical landscapes, flower beds, lawns, alpine slides and other floral decorative compositions in their garden plots. When creating the landscape design of a site, we often forget about any seemingly insignificant details. One of these moments is the space under the trees, where shadow reigns and the soil, penetrated by roots, has a very unsightly appearance, and this space must be kept clean in order to avoid infection by various pests and diseases. Many gardeners put up with this problem as if it were inevitable. But, of course, you can get out of this situation by creating a flower bed under a tree or other floral design options.
For the first few years after planting a young tree, they try not to include the space around its trunk in the overall landscape picture. There is an explanation for this: the seedling is still too small and intervention in the tree trunk zone, where the bulk of its roots are located, can end in failure. From an agrotechnical point of view, the best design of tree trunk circles, especially for young seedlings, is mulching with organic material. This helps retain moisture in the root zone and also ensures better soil breathability. To decorate the tree trunk area, it is best to pay attention not to ordinary mulch, but to decorative mulch - wood chips painted in different colors.
However, after 2-3 years the young tree will get stronger and then the time will come to think about how to decorate the bare ground underneath it. And for this we need patience, inspiration and creativity!
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The basic principles for creating a flower bed around a tree are the same as when placing it separately in an open area. The main difference is the careful selection of the assortment in accordance with the conditions that have formed under the crown, as well as careful tillage of the soil before planting so as not to damage the roots of the tree. The latter case also requires careful care when weeding and loosening.
How to properly cultivate the soil in the tree trunk area?
First of all, it is necessary to remove all weeds or lawn grass around the tree. We find free spaces between the roots of the tree and mark them with pegs. In these niches, using a spatula, we select the top layer of soil, 5 - 10 cm deep, fill it with fertile soil, water it with water and plant the plants. After this, we water the entire flower bed near the tree trunk with the new “tenants” again and mulch it with bark. Mulch will help retain moisture in the soil, which will promote rooting of plants.
When pouring fertile soil and mulch around the tree, do not pour it onto the trunk. This can lead to rotting of the trunk or the formation of additional roots.
You cannot dig up the soil under plants with a shallow root system. Even loosening under coniferous trees should be done especially carefully. The roots of conifers should not be disturbed.
Where there are no plants, it is better to mulch the soil with sawdust, chopped bark or wood chips.
Features of assortment selection
The main thing in gardening is to be able to choose the right material for the intended composition. The task of choosing plants for the tree trunk circle is complicated by the shadow that constantly reigns under the tree crowns, as well as the presence in this area of powerful roots that will draw nutrients from the ground. Thus, you should choose shade-tolerant and unpretentious plants that can survive in poor soils. But we should also not forget that not all trees can become good neighbors. Some even release toxic substances that inhibit the growth of other plants or are generally harmful to them. Such trees include, for example, Robinia (false locust), chestnut and hazel, and walnut.
The location of the tree's root system deep in the soil also plays an important role in the choice. English oak, larch, fir, and linden have roots that go deep enough, so there are no contraindications to the existence of even tall perennials here. Another thing is birch, red oak, thuja, maple. These trees develop an extensive superficial network of roots in which only plants with small root systems, such as ground covers or low herbaceous perennials, will survive in the same area. One of these win-win plants is ivy, which does not suffer from lack of light and quickly conquers the space around the tree, forming dense clumps.
Low perennials can also grow in diffuse shade: hostas, astilbes, mantle, foxglove, oriental doronicum. Various ferns also feel very good in conditions of high humidity, the carved leaves of which will add variety to the plant composition.
Many spring small-bulbous plants also grow wonderfully under the trees - crocuses, muscari, tulips, scillas, galanthus, checkered hazel grouse. This is due to the fact that they bloom in early spring, when the leaves on the trees do not yet have time to bloom and create a dull shadow. In addition, these plants are not at all picky about soil conditions.
Foxglove, periwinkle, anemone, lysimachia, lily of the valley, primrose, violet, ivy, fern, hosta and others tolerate shade well.
If the crown is very thick and dense, then you should take care of frequent watering or give preference to drought-resistant species. And in general, watering should be abundant and frequent, since the tree will also consume water.
It is also advisable to take into account soil conditions, which are individual for each tree. Sometimes they are so specific that even a lawn has difficulty growing under it (red oak). And some flowering plants act as a kind of protection. For example, lilies of the valley will protect cherries and sweet cherries from fruit rot, and calendula, marigold and nasturtium will repel aphids and nematodes from apple, cherry and other fruit trees.
Under coniferous plants, lighting conditions remain virtually unchanged throughout the year. The most difficult conditions will be under the spruce trees. There is always deep shade and dry soil under them. The crown of spruce trees is usually so thick that the rain rolls down the spruce paws as if on a roof. And if you take into account the dense layer of small needles and the acidic reaction of the soil, it becomes clear how difficult the conditions are. Finding beautiful plants often turns out to be so difficult that you have to give it up. You can try to create compositions from beautiful stones and driftwood.
An openwork shadow is created under the pine crown, more transparent to light and rain. This is an ideal place for heathers and rhododendrons. In addition, sand mixed with pine litter forms light, loose soil, which is just suitable for growing these plants. Pine actively drains the soil; in summer this is not always desirable, but during autumn rains or after a spring flood this feature is very useful. When planting a flower bed under a pine tree, you need to remember that those who love soil rich in organic matter should not be planted close to the trunk. In too “fat” soil, the root collar can rot. It is better to place them along the periphery of the crown. For the same reason, pine litter is used for mulch, adding organic matter around the periphery. By the way, pine will respond to such feeding with active growth, lush branching and bright coloring of young needles.
Under coniferous trees you can also plant plants of the orchid family - lyubka, orchis, slippers. Heather plants will also feel good here - heather, Erica, wild rosemary, rosemary and others.
In addition to the above-mentioned plants, red elderberry, serviceberry, and rose hips (park roses) will grow well here. All these shrubs require breathable soil. The Maryin Root peony feels comfortable in the partial shade of a pine tree.
A good option would be to use early-flowering ornamental species that will please the eye until the crown blooms, when bare branches do not interfere with the penetration of light. These are tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, muscori, scilla and others.
Under broad-leaved trees such as linden, maple, elm, which have a deep root system, spring ephemeroids can also be placed. In autumn it will be decorated with a carpet of fallen leaves, which will serve our spring plants with reliable protection in winter and additional nutrition in the next season. True, the leaves of not all trees can serve this purpose. Oak leaves, for example, contain a lot of tannin, which is why they do not rot for a very long time. This may prevent tender plants from growing. And the carpet of fallen aspen leaves compacts so tightly during the winter that it can prevent air from entering the soil. In addition, here you can dig the ground and replant plants, so you can plant decorative summer-blooming perennials that can grow in the shade - aconites, bells, buzulniki, aquilegia, kupena, rogersia. Under dense crowns, maximum moisture is maintained, especially if the soil is mulched with fallen leaves. Among the shrubs you can plant here are Manchurian hazel and honeysuckle. These shrubs are demanding on soil fertility, and under the crown of broad-leaved trees, where fallen leaves accumulate over the years, the soil is excellent.
It is more difficult to choose perennials for a flower garden around a birch tree. Birch, having a very developed root system, quite strongly takes moisture from the soil at a great distance from the trunk. But it more easily tolerates soil compaction and oxygen depletion. Pampered garden plants will not be able to compete with birch. However, there are also plants that can “compete” with it. Horny goat weed, lungwort, bergenia, dicentra, lilies of the valley, perennial carnations, drought-resistant cereals, and legumes feel great under birch. Shrubs compatible with birch include barberries, euonymus, broom, mock orange, park roses, decorative raspberries, and Japanese spirea. They are relatively drought-resistant.
However, garden plots are mainly dominated by fruit trees; rarely does anyone allow themselves to allocate a lot of space for a composition of one or several ornamental trees, especially with small plot sizes. Fruit trees, especially modern varieties on dwarf rootstocks, have a well-developed superficial root system. Therefore, it is better to plant plants under them that do not require deep digging of the earth and frequent replanting. These can be spring bulbs: daffodils, kandyki, scillas, muscari, spring anemones. In summer, ground cover plants can grow here, which, covering the tree trunk circle with a continuous carpet, will also retain soil moisture. In autumn, leaves and fallen fruits must be removed under these trees to avoid various infectious diseases. It is better not to plant shrubs under apple trees at all, since their root system can compete with the root system of apple trees. You can plant tulips.
They grow well under any trees:
beautiful spring flowers: May lily of the valley, common and spring primrose, swimmer, liverwort.
summer beautifully flowering: aconite, aquilegia, buzulnik serrated and Przhevalsky, astilbe, broadleaf bell.
ferns: ostrich, male shield, female nocturnal.
ground cover: yellow green grass, European hoofweed, small periwinkle, creeping tenacious.
Options for flower beds near a tree
Option 1.
1. Mark the perimeter of the flower bed and dig a groove along the edge. We remove the turf with the roots of herbaceous plants.
2. We lay a metal fence (sold in gardening stores) or stones around the perimeter of the flowerbed.
3. Add a layer of sawdust (mulch). it prevents weeds from growing.
4. Add a layer of soil (10-15 cm)
5. Plant the plants and water them thoroughly.
Option 2.
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2. Place a layer of sand down, about 3cm thick, to settle the bricks, but do not fill the groove completely.
3. Lay the bricks, you can use a level to ensure they lay evenly. Remember to leave space between them.
4. Fill the remaining space between the bricks with soil (you may need to moisten it) or cement mortar if you are making it raised.
Option 3.
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1. Dig a small groove in the shape of a circle. To mark the circle, use a wooden peg with a second peg tied to a rope.
2. Lay cement mortar along the diameter of the circle. Place the bricks on edge (you can use a level) and make a circle out of them. Make sure they are level and you can fill the space between them with mortar.
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Option 4.
Most often, flower beds under a tree are made in the form of circles and are flat. But you can decorate the flowerbed in the form of a “hat” by making a mound. Here is one option that can be placed under a small tree that gets a lot of sun.
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Option 5.
Creeping phlox is very decorative when mixed with tulips. In combination with stones, you get a real rock garden.
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Option 6.
Pansies, petunia and nasturtium grow well under trees. They create a dense, bright fluffy carpet.
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Option 7.
Raised flower beds are one easy way to decorate a mature garden. Making such flower beds with your own hands is not at all difficult. To do this you will need wide boards or border tape. Border tape can be purchased at any store that specializes in selling gardening and dacha products.
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We start by creating the frame of the flower bed. Install the boards around the trees, connecting them together with metal corners or self-tapping screws. If you are using border tape for the frame, dig it in 1/3 of the way. The flowerbed can have any shape you desire. Then pour drainage inside the frame; for drainage you can use gravel, crushed stone, expanded clay, even broken brick! Pour fertile soil on top, plant flower seedlings, and sow annual seeds.
Option 8.
Instead of a regular flower bed under a tree, you can organize a raised flower bed in a “pot” made of vines. This design follows the contours of the tree trunk circle and resembles a large donut with a tree in the center.
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In order to build such beauty, you should drive pegs in two rows around the trunk. You get two circles - a larger and a smaller diameter. A vine is woven between the pegs, as in the construction of a fence. Please note that the “fences” should be dense, without gaps, since soil will subsequently be poured between them.
If it was not possible to maintain the required density and the walls are riddled with many cracks, it is recommended to line the inside of the “flowerpot” with film so that the soil cannot spill out during the wind or be washed away by rain streams. Now all that’s left to do is pour soil inside the improvised container and plant the plants. If the tree creates an openwork shadow, then you can use lawn grass for landscaping. Otherwise, the species that we considered in the previous block of the article, when we were choosing plants for a flower garden under a tree, are suitable
Often the area under the trees is left without proper design. But in fact, this place can be used for flowers and create interesting projects in the tree trunks. Read more about plant selection and design.
Features of assortment selection
Creating flower arrangements under trees is radically different from the standards of flower beds located in open areas. The lack of sunlight requires careful selection of plants that will actively develop in such conditions.Hosta, foxglove, fern, anemone, and daylily will grow well in partial or complete shade. And also ivy, lily of the valley, periwinkle, primrose, violet, lysimachia, etc. Under a dense crown that does not allow rain moisture to pass through, you need to plant drought-resistant plants or provide regular watering.
It is important to take into account the individual properties of the tree and soil conditions. Sometimes such a specific atmosphere (red oak, conifers) forms in the tree trunk that it is difficult for a lawn to grow. Conifers create a kind of “aura” that almost all plants, except the orchid family and heathers, cannot tolerate. Birch is very picky about its neighbors, but favorably accepts carnations, lungwort, dicentra, ferns and lilies of the valley. Due to the shortage of dacha territory, few people allow to have ornamental trees; fruit trees, which are more laconic to any neighborhood, predominate here.
Many flowers are natural companions and protectors of trees. For example, calendula, nasturtium and marigolds prevent the proliferation of aphids and nematodes on apple, plum, and pear trees. Lilies of the valley protect cherries from fruit rot. When laying out a flower garden, you can use these facts.
In the garden area, the best option would be tree trunk decoration from early flowering species. This looks amazing before the leaves bloom and harmonizes during the flowering period of fruit trees with the variety of colors of hyacinths, tulips, scillas, muscari, daffodils, scylla, etc. Such an organization has a beneficial effect on flowers, since in spring the crown is not yet dense and there is enough sun.
How to design a tree trunk circle
The principles of organizing a flower bed under a tree are the correct selection of an assortment of plants. There is another important factor that influences the composition: the depth of the root system of flowers. Usually, in the projection of the crown, the roots of the tree are located close to the surface, and you should not count on full digging. Focus on a shallow landing with slight depth. In the future, caring for the flowerbed will be careful: mainly weeding and loosening, and minor fertilizing.
Any options for compositions can be used. More often this is a classic arrangement of flowers in a circle, that is, a round flower bed is made. Tall species are placed near the trunk, with a uniform decrease in the height of the flowers towards the edges.
If the tree is located on the edge of the site, adjacent to the structure and visible only from one side, you can make the flower bed one-sided. The shape can be chosen arbitrarily (semicircle, crescent, angular asymmetry).
A flower bed under a tree looks impressive with flowers of one type, this option is called a “monotsvetnik”. Naturally, it will bloom at a certain time, although by selecting different varieties you can extend the budding period. For example, some varieties of asters bloom in July, and later varieties will bloom in August-September.
A more complex flower garden, and for many desirable, would be a flower bed of continuous flowering. Here you need to use early bulbous primroses that bloom in summer and autumn. Zinnia, sage, cleome, and geranium will bloom all season under the cover of the crown. From August, Japanese anemones, chrysanthemums, asters, and bell-shaped platycodon will open their buds.
There is an unconventional way to decorate trunks for a flower garden. A vertical support is mounted around the trunk with subsequent placement of plants (containers, flowerpots, boxes, pots). If you give preference to perennials, plant heuchera, ajuga, green-yellow mantle, jasmine, and iberis.
The desire for natural design is manifested in disordered, chaotic plantings. Islands of daffodils, multi-colored spots of primroses, charming reflections of forget-me-nots and the brightness of tulips are wonderfully pleasing. The resemblance of wild flowers, without restrictions or borders, gives a special charm to the landscape.
Stages of creating a flower bed under a tree
Having decided on the location and size of the area for flowers, you need to start by preparing the soil. The selected area is cleared of weeds. The soil is removed between the roots of the tree with a depth of 10 cm. This is convenient to do with a small spatula or scoop.The resulting inter-root voids are filled with a nutrient mixture and compost. Everything is poured with plenty of water and left for a day to shrink. Then you can start sowing the seeds. If seedlings are planted, the free spaces between the flowers are immediately mulched with wood chips or shredded bark.
In almost any garden you can find growing trees - large plants that take up a lot of space. At the same time, it is important to properly care for the tree itself (perform timely pruning, regularly water and feed if necessary, monitor the condition of the trunk and branches), but also to maintain the area around the trunk, or the tree trunk circle, in order. There are many techniques for designing this territory.
We use natural materials
The trunk circle of a tree is the area around it, approximately equal to the diameter of the crown. In orchards, sometimes this entire area is regularly dug up, freeing it from weeds. This certainly makes watering and fertilizing easier, but it doesn’t look very attractive, and it takes up a lot of land. Therefore, usually the trunk circles around trees are made much smaller (0.8-1.5 m in diameter) and one or another design method is used. This is especially important to do on the lawn.
Buy bark for mulching
The most environmentally friendly way of design is the use of natural materials. These are crushed bark, colored or gray wood chips, pine needles and cones from the forest.
Bark and plastic border
Wood shavings and sawdust will also work, but they must be old (at least 2 years old). This kind of mulching (filling with a layer of 5-10 cm) under coniferous plants is especially useful - they develop much better and grow faster. The soil under mulch dries out less; it partially inhibits the growth of weeds; as the mulch breaks down, it serves as food for the roots over time. To prevent the mulch from mixing with the soil and to reduce the growth of weeds, it is better to first put black spunbond on it, and mulch material on top. To prevent the mulch from scattering and mixing with the lawn, place a limiting edge made of a plastic border 10 cm wide around the perimeter, which protrudes 2-3 cm above the ground without interfering with the operation of the lawn mower. Small logs, stones, and bricks can be used as limiters.
Buy plastic border and border tape
Inert materials are also suitable
Often, inert materials are used to decorate the trunk circles of trees or shrubs - large and small pebbles, gravel, colored glass, etc. They look very impressive, almost eternal, as they do not rot. When laid on spunbond, they do not fly apart, retain moisture, and prevent the growth of weeds. The perimeter is also bordered with a plastic border, stone, brick, etc. Large flat white pebbles and colored glass look especially impressive.
Pea gravel and plastic curb
Just a lawn around a tree
In some cases, it is permissible to adjoin the lawn directly to the tree trunk. This is justified in cases where mature trees (fruit and ornamental) are already growing on the site, the trunk diameter of which is quite large - more than 20 cm.
This always makes it difficult to mow the grass around the trunks; sometimes unsightly bumps can form - you need to regularly trim the grass around the trunks with scissors or a trimmer. Sometimes the lawn around tree trunks is decorated with stones around the perimeter, which also makes cutting the grass difficult.
Using rocks as a border around trees
Some parks use this technique for designing tree trunk circles: if a tree grows on a path, turf is laid around it at a low height, which limits the raised border.
Decorate with plants
The trunk circle around the tree, decorated with decorative foliage plants, looks impressive. Often the soil under the tree is shaded; in this case, shade-tolerant plants are perfect - a variety of hostas, ferns, ivy, as well as colorful coleus with red-yellow-green leaves.
Plants can be freely planted, or they can be enclosed in a low module made of stone or brick.
Tree trunk circle of decorative leaf plants (host)
The compositions around the trunks of flowering plants are especially attractive. Along with decorative foliage, they will fit perfectly into the overall picture and fill it with colors. In the spring, when there are still no leaves on the trees and there is a lot of light, this role will be played by early bulbous plants - crocuses, chionodoxes, pushkinias, galanthus, erantis, dwarf anemones, as well as primroses, daisies, violas. In summer, depending on the degree of shading, other plants are selected. In case of strong shading, creeping tenacious, impatiens, violas, and ever-flowering begonia are used.
Begonia everblooming
Where there is more light there are lilies, various annuals, cereals, sedums and many other plants.
Sometimes such mini-compositions are enclosed in low stone borders, or the path slabs serve as a limitation. If it is necessary to decorate a tree trunk, beautifully flowering vines are planted nearby (bougainvillea in the south, climbing roses and clematis in our country).
Raised beds around trees
Often, when planning a lawn or other surface, it turns out that the growing tree (root collar) is higher than the main surface of the surface. In this case, it is advisable to build a raised flowerbed around the tree (from stone or brick) - a round or rectangular frame is made along the diameter of the trunk circle with a height of 20-50 cm. This is necessary to preserve the root system of the tree, and is also used as a decorative device. In such a flowerbed you can plant any plants that will cover the ground and serve as an effective composition. Sometimes this technique is used specifically, especially on hard surfaces, to raise plants off the ground and protect them, especially where there are a lot of people.
The same is done when the root collar of the tree is below the expected level of the lawn. Then a well is made, for example from brick, to the required level in order to preserve the root system of the tree.
Use of low barriers
If necessary and for decorative purposes, low fences made of wood, metal, and plastic are used around tree trunks. Their height ranges from 20-30 to 50-60 cm. This is also done to protect plants planted inside from trampling. Sometimes in this case plants are used that are the same height as the fence, sometimes they are slightly higher or lower than the fence. The contours of the fence can be round, rectangular or indefinitely shaped.
Bosquets as decoration
Bosquets (low, trimmed hedges of evergreens (boxwood) around trees) look beautiful and neat. They are usually round or square in shape. Sometimes they are made continuous, reaching the tree trunk, but more often in the form of a wide border. Inside it, the ground can be mulched with bark or pebbles. But bosquets with flowering or decorative foliage plants planted in them in the form of a geometric pattern are especially impressive.
Boxwood bosquets around a tree filled with flowering plants
Text and photo: Natalya Yurtaeva, landscape designer
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