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Until recently, dachas were presented to our citizens solely as a place for growing potatoes and cucumbers. Today everything has changed. They try to decorate the garden plot and create on it not only garden beds, but also a place to relax. What place does it occupy on the site today? mixborder, and how to make it yourself?
What is a mixborder
Even if you have never heard this name, you have probably seen this planting in photos or on friends’ plots.
A mixborder is nothing more than a flower garden of several plants combined according to a certain principle. From English this name translates as “mix the border.” Very often on the Internet you can find ready-made diagrams of such flower beds. They will decorate any area if you choose the right combination of plants.
A mixborder is a flowerbed designed in a deliberately complex manner; it combines:
- bushes;
- annuals;
- perennial flowers;
- trees;
- herbs.
Not only the color scheme is important, but also the size of the plants, their species forms and flowering periods. Let's figure out how to make a mixborder with your own hands so that the work does not turn into a routine.
Where to place the mixborder
Some summer residents and flower growers believe that choosing a location is the easiest thing at the stage of forming a complex flower bed. This is wrong. The process begins not with the purchase of seedlings, but with drawing up a detailed layout of both the mixborder itself and the plants for it.
When choosing a location, the following nuances are important:
- where would you like to plant such a flowerbed;
- whether the selected area is shaded or located under the scorching sun;
- which plants tolerate partial shade well (shade or sun depending on choice);
- Is there enough space in the selected area for tall and spreading trees and shrubs?
With these questions in mind, it will be easy to move on to the next step: drawing up a diagram on paper. A complex flower bed can be located:
- along the paths;
- in the middle of the lawn;
- on the outer boundary of the site.
When choosing a location, you need to take into account that the mixborder is created to decorate the area; it should be visible. The shape can be any, but most often they prefer shapeless flower beds. The volume of the mixborder also does not matter. If it is located close to your home, do not use it honey plants, otherwise they will attract wasps and bees to the windows.
Selection of plants for the flower garden
The next step is to select plants and draw up a schematic image. 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 flowerbed of continuous flowering is the best decoration for a personal plot.
The design of a flower bed is based on the fact that short plants are brought to the foreground (their height is no more than 40 centimeters), medium-sized ones are planted behind them (no more than 60 centimeters), tall ones (one meter and above) are relegated to the background. Not only shrubs and trees can be used as tall plants, but also climbing plants, for example, virgin grapes or clematis.
What plants should not be used in a mixborder? There are also rules about this:
- plants are selected according to soil composition, humidity and protection from the wind;
- plants with rapidly growing rhizomes should not be used in the flowerbed;
- the place for each plant should be selected to its advantage;
- you cannot combine plants with complex care (by watering one shrub abundantly, you can cause irreparable harm to the one next to it);
- Do not ignore the greenery; the foliage will add splendor to the flowerbed.
Only at first glance it seems that the plants in the mixborder are arranged chaotically. In fact, mixborder schemes from perennials and annuals are carefully verified. The selected plants are similar to each other in terms of care requirements.
When choosing a scheme, be sure to give each plant the amount of space it needs, otherwise you risk losing some of the plantings in the first year. If this leaves voids that are visible to the eye, they can be temporarily filled with annuals. When drawing up a scheme, pay attention to color combinations. The flowerbed should both stand out on the site and be combined with it.
In winter, a mixborder made from coniferous plants will not lose its appearance. It is best to use dwarf varieties for such a flower bed; they are perfectly complemented by plants with bright glossy leaves, for example, rhododendron. Caring for it is easy, and the flowering is lush.
Ready-made schemes
We present to our readers several ready-made mixborder schemes for your reference. They can be used either fully or partially.
Please note that annuals are a temporary but vibrant addition to the flower garden; every year you can plant new plants in their place or purchase the same ones. Green ferns, hostas, and heucheras look spectacular in a flower garden.
When planning a large flower garden, you need to provide a small path in advance to make maintenance easier.
Main types of mixborders
Let's look at the main types of mixborders that are popular today. The design of each of them may initially seem complicated, but it is not. Having studied the material in detail, you can get down to business on your own.
In English style
It is believed that in landscape design you can fantasize as you like. Mixborders in the English style will provide every gardener with such an opportunity. They consist of both garden plants familiar to our eyes, and meadow plants with a predominance of the latter, creating an atmosphere of closeness to nature on the site.
Verbena, rosemary, wormwood, bellflower, primrose, chamomile, sedum and, of course, park rose will be of great importance when arranging such a flowerbed. The color scheme of roses is selected individually; they delight the eye with their flowering all year round. Needles and other greenery are of great importance, which must be included in the drawing.The main colors here will be green, pink, white and blue.
The English style landscape project is presented in the video:
On the shady side of the site
Not in all regions it is possible to create a flower garden from plants that love the sun. What should those gardeners do if their area is shaded? Create a bright flower garden from shade-loving plants.
In this case, you need to pay attention to such plants as Lawson cypress, some types of spruce, yew, juniper, adenium, barberry, many varieties of microbiota, rhododendrons, violets, tiarellas. The main colors of the flower bed will be green, brick, red, pink and white.
Seasonal style
This type of mixborder is suitable for those who love variety and do not tolerate consistency. It is based on the principle of planting plants that bloom for no more than 1-2 years, and then are replaced by others. Summer residents who love the annual renovation of their garden are becoming more and more common.
In this case, you need to pay attention to the following types of plants: scillas, crocuses, chionodoxes, which will bloom in the early spring. Then the hyacinths will rise, tulips and daffodils. Forget-me-not, daisy, primrose, violet will perfectly complement the flower garden. Once they have all flowered, they can be removed and replaced with new plants. You can see dahlias, marigold, perennial sage, begonias.
As for color solutions, the flight of imagination is completely unlimited. Moreover, it is precisely this mixborder that will become the brightest.
Creating a mixborder
So, having received a ready-made diagram from the Internet or created it yourself, you can get to work. It is divided into several stages, the sequence must be followed.
- stage 1: selection of plants and their purchase;
- stage 2: planting the “skeleton”, which means low-growing trees and shrubs;
- stage 3: planting perennial plants;
- stage 4: replanting annuals and bulbous plants.
Let's look at each stage in more detail. Anyone can create a mixborder with their own hands.
When choosing plants, pay attention to their appearance. They must be healthy. You shouldn’t stop your eyes only on flowers; mixborders with decorative coniferous plants look great. Shrubs are also good. Pay attention to thujas, junipers, willows, viburnum bushes, spruce, yew, hydrangea, which will delight the eye with flowers for a long time.
“Skeletal” plants are planted at a short distance from each other; they should look organic. Their job is to create the height and contour of the back of the flower bed. Be aware that shrubs and low-growing trees will soon grow. Many of them can be corrected by cutting, but there are some that are not recommended to be cut, which means you will need to leave room for growth. As flowering bushes, you can use: Meyer lilac, mock orange, spirea, magnolia, elderberry, derain, hibiscus.
Moving on to the third stage, do not forget about the principle of tiering. Mixborders of perennials, photos of which are presented above, were compiled on the condition that the background will be much higher than average. You can fill the flower garden with herbs. The most striking species are sedge, grass, and feather grass. You can also pay attention to wormwood, geranium, phlox and thunbergia.
As for annual plants and bulbous plants, they will give the flower garden a unique charm. The scheme should not include those bulbous plants that require annual digging.Muscari, crocuses and scillas are best suited for them; they will be replaced a little later by tulips, primroses and daffodils. Annuals are also planted in small groups to create tiers and a riot of color.
A brief guide to setting up a mixborder is presented in the video:
Mixborder of shrubs and perennials, generously diluted with annuals and bulbous plants, will decorate any garden plot for many years. Once you create your masterpiece, you will enjoy it for many years!
