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By skillfully placing rhododendrons in the landscape design of the garden, you can transform it beyond recognition. These beautiful shrubs bloom in late spring, when tulips and daffodils are already fading and other plants are just waking up. They amaze with the brightness and abundance of flowers, some smell unobtrusively and delicately.
Features of rhododendrons in landscape design
In Japan, rhododendrons have been grown since ancient times; the Japanese consider these flowers to be a symbol of pleasure and deceit. Beautiful shrubs can be found in the landscape design of many Japanese gardens. Rhododendrons or azaleas came to Russia as a gift to the emperor in 1860.
Rhododendrons are divided into 3 groups:
- deciduous;
- evergreen;
- semi-evergreen.
Deciduous shrubs shed their leaves for the winter; they grow best in the temperate climate of central Russia. Evergreens change foliage once every 2 years.Semi-evergreens shed some of their foliage in the winter and the other in the spring.
It is easy to distinguish evergreen rhododendrons in the garden landscape in the photo by their dense, leathery leaves. Interestingly, at air temperatures below 0 °C, such leaf plates curl into a tube - the bush reduces the area of moisture evaporation and remains viable until spring.
It is a rare plant in garden landscape design that has such a rich palette of colors as rhododendron. There are varieties with flowers of different shades:
- yellow;
- white;
- red;
- salmon;
- purple;
- lilac;
- pink;
- orange;
- burgundy.
Rhododendrons have a large distribution area. In Russia they are found wild in the Far East, Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Siberia. They belong to the Heather family, which also includes cranberries and blueberries.
Rhododendrons bloom very beautifully. Large bell-shaped corollas of various shades bloom like lush fireworks, hiding the foliage underneath. One brush contains several colors. There are varieties with wavy, corrugated flower petals, double or intricately curved corollas.
Recommendations for planting rhododendrons in the landscape
For those gardeners who love flowers but do not have a well-lit flowerbed on their site, rhododendrons will be a real boon. These shrubs grow and bloom well in the shade on the north side of the house, which is difficult to decorate with any vegetation.
In nature, rhododendrons grow in the undergrowth where there is partial shade. When planting in a garden landscape design, this must be taken into account; from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., direct sun should not shine on the bushes. It is good to plant bushes around an artificial pond; they love coolness and moisture.Ornamental evergreens need some morning or evening sun.
Deciduous rhododendrons are less capricious and can grow in a well-lit area of the garden. Evergreen varieties do best in the shade of buildings or large trees. Plants are sensitive to care; if not cared for properly, they may not bloom for a long time.
Species rhododendrons are propagated by seeds, while hybrid varieties are propagated by cuttings or seedlings from garden centers. Plants easily tolerate transplantation at a young age. Their seeds are photosensitive; when sowing, they cannot be embedded in the soil. Photosynthesis occurs when light hits, this process helps the germination of seedlings.
Rules for combining rhododendrons with other plants
Rhododendrons in garden landscape design grow wonderfully under pine trees and fruit trees. They do not like birch, maple and plants with a shallow root system, which will be competitors for them in the fight for water and food. It is not advisable to plant bushes on the lawn. The grass in the tree trunk circle will take away nutrients and moisture. Young shoots will not be able to develop in the shade and will die off.
The success of growing rhododendrons in the garden landscape depends on the correct substrate. It is prepared from the following components, taken in equal proportions:
- garden soil;
- rotted pine litter from under a pine tree;
- sour peat
Even better, instead of garden soil, add pine forest litter, which contains mycorrhiza. The roots of azaleas cannot obtain nutrients from the soil; the mycorrhizal fungus helps them do this.
Rhododendrons go well with conifers in landscape design. Low-growing shrubs are planted in the foreground in groups of 3-5 pieces. Groups are placed in accordance with the color of the flowers, avoiding bright contrasts. White inflorescences combine with any shade without creating excessive diversity in landscape design. Each individual variety blooms for two weeks.
Conifers and rhododendrons in landscape design
Conifers are good companions for rhododendrons in landscape design. This composition looks beautiful in the spring - evergreen pines, firs, junipers alternate with bushes completely strewn with flowers. In autumn, some rhododendrons change the color of their foliage, but the conifers remain green or bluish-gray - this gives the landscape design a special charm.
Deciduous species have a bright, fiery range of inflorescence colors - orange, lemon, yellow. Evergreen varieties most often have white, purple, pink, and burgundy flowers. They can be successfully combined in a single garden landscape design composition, thanks to the contrast of cold and warm colors. In autumn, evergreen rhododendrons remain with green leaves, while deciduous rhododendrons change color to red, orange or yellow. It also looks very beautiful against the backdrop of evergreen pines or spruces.
It is advisable for a novice gardener to buy seedlings of species of rhododendrons, which are easy to care for.Having gained experience, you can move on to evergreen species and varieties. Rhododendron from the Finnish selection of the University of Helsinki has good frost resistance.
Landscape tricks with rhododendrons in the garden
There is no particular difference in care between deciduous and evergreen rhododendrons. Only a planting location in the garden landscape design for deciduous varieties can be chosen that is more sunny. These ornamental shrubs tolerate heat and cold well and do not grow only on alkaline and neutral soils. And also in areas where irrigation water contains a lot of lime. It is best to use rain or spring water for irrigation.
There are many beautiful species of rhododendrons and cultivars, zoned for landscape design in certain regions. They differ not only in the color of the flowers, but also in the flowering period. For example, Daurian rhododendron blooms early, in early May. By planting several varieties with different flowering periods, you can observe this miracle in your garden for a month and a half. And the Pontic rhododendron is one of the most winter-hardy, and its other advantage is the wonderful aroma of blooming flowers.
Rhododendrons and conifers not only go well together in garden landscape design, but also have common care requirements. They do not like rotted manure and sawdust. Limestones, which reduce the acidity of the soil, should not be used to decorate the tree trunks of plants. It is advisable to check this indicator using a special device - an acid meter. The soil eventually becomes neutral, like the rest of the garden, and needs to be acidified.
The hardest time for azaleas is February-March. If evergreen bushes are exposed to direct sunlight most of the day, the flower buds and leaves may become scorched. To prevent this from happening, the plants need to be shaded and watered with warm water at the roots. Feeding once every 2-3 years will help improve the decorative properties of rhododendrons in landscape design. If you apply them sparingly, the bushes will produce less growth, begin to branch better and bloom more luxuriantly.
Conclusion
Rhododendrons in garden landscape design look unusual and beautiful. These shrubs are unpretentious in care - they can easily tolerate slight drought, summer heat and winter frosts. Flower buds and leaves may suffer from scorch in February or March. Shrubs do not need frequent feeding; even a novice gardener can provide them with care. It is important to buy zoned varieties or hardy natural species to decorate your landscape design, then every spring the garden will be decorated with beautiful flowers.
