Evergreen shrubs and trees in the summer cottage do not lose their attractiveness in the winter months. Conifers all year round bring double benefits. The resinous aroma cleanses and heals the air in heat and frost. To decide which plant to plant, first get acquainted with the world of ancient plants.
Softwood Characterization
Almost all conifers are evergreens perennials. They have some features:
- modified leaves in the form of needles;
- high resinous content in bark and wood;
- life span over 100 years.
Propagated by seeds tied in cones. They are only covered by scales, but not protected by a closed cavity. This determines the group affiliation of the breed - gymnosperms. Pollination of ovules occurs with the help of wind.
The vegetative method of reproduction is not applicable to them, only cypress have this ability. Gymnosperms - one of the oldest groups of plants. According to scientists, their ancestors are extinct fern-shaped.
The geography of the spread of the class is from the Equator to the borders of permafrost. Each climate zone is characterized by its own species.
The height of most trees, especially in the wild, often exceeds 100 m, but for summer cottages or garden plots, breeders have bred a lot of undersized and dwarf varieties.
Separation of conifers
Biologists divide the department of conifers into 4 orders. Of these, three (cordaite, warlike, volcium) are extinct plants.
The fourth order is represented by plants uniting 10 families, about 70 genera and more than 600 species. Pines, spruce, cypresses, junipers - all families look excellent in urban and country gardening, provided that they are correctly selected.
Pine
These trees with slender trunks, less often shrubs, reach a height of 30 m, some wild species - 80 m. The average age is 150-200 years, although long-lived specimens are known that celebrated their 5000th anniversary. They are not capricious, winter-hardy, tolerate drought well, require minimal care. The main condition for successful cultivation is excellent drainage to remove excess moisture.
Pine
He loves well-lit places and space. It does not make high demands on the chemical composition of the soil; it prefers loams and sandy loams; often they feel great in rocky areas that are poor in nutrients. Of the many species among summer residents, mountain pine is the most popular. It is unpretentious, does not require intense care.
Among the many varieties, you can choose a cultivar that is ideally suited to the existing conditions, with a height of 60 cm to 10-15 m. Seedlings are pleasing in variety: with the usual shape of the crown, columnar, ellipsoidal, bush-like. Pines also differ in the color of the needles - from dark green, monochrome at any time of the year, to variegated, when young needles are painted noticeably lighter than the needles of last year.
Spruce
The genus includes about 40 species. Slender trees in their youth feed on the stem root. Over time, it dies, its function is performed by lateral branches located close to the surface of the earth. This feature of the root system makes spruce vulnerable to winds. The height of the trees reaches 40 m, life expectancy up to 300 years.
The oldest spruce in the world grows in the Fulufjellet National Park (Sweden) - its age is more than 5.5 thousand years. Seedlings are planted away from buildings - widely spreading roots can cause serious damage even to stone structures. The place is chosen with good lighting, in the shading the crown is formed asymmetric, and varieties with colored needles lose their high decorativeness. The plant is not picky about the composition of the soil, but it develops better on acidified soil.
In addition to ordinary spruce, prickly with reddish-brown bark, summer cottages are often decorated with blue spruce with gray-green needles, usually choosing compact varieties up to 2-3 m high, as well as variegated ones. 
Ideas for using fir trees in landscape design
Cedar
Cedar, or Siberian cedar pine, is rarely found in summer cottages: a tree requires special care at a young age, although in a natural environment, in the taiga, it grows without problems. The main feature of the species is a very short growing season, only 45 days. Although it is often called a giant tree, the slow growth, as well as the variety of new varieties allow it to be used in the design of the cottage.
The place for planting a seedling is chosen in such a way that an adult plant provides free space with a diameter of about 10 m. The site should be open, but the young growth needs shading until 10 years of age, especially during periods of heat waves.
Soil is needed with a neutral pH, loose, well-drained. The plant likes regular hydration, fertilizing.
Lebanese, Himalayan, Atlas are considered real cedars. Unlike the Siberian congener, their seeds are not suitable for food. The famous pine nuts - the pride of Siberia - are completely identical in taste to the seeds of any pine, differing only in size.
If you have patience in the suburban areas of different regions, you can grow garden varieties of Siberian cedar, which have compact dimensions. But only some varieties give the fruits of the required quality, the rest are used only for decorative purposes, including for creating compositions in the bonsai style.
Fir
The graceful tree is prone to whims when growing, but its beauty and healing properties are worth all the labor expended. Of the more than 50 species of plants in the summer cottage design, dwarf and low-growing varieties of balsamic, Korean, and Caucasian species, as well as creeping varieties of Fraser fir, are successfully used. These types are the achievements of breeders, causing a minimum of trouble to summer residents.
The view is perfectly suited for shaded areas, but does not like the wind. Therefore, they are planted in such a way as to fully satisfy these requirements, it is especially important for young trees. The best soil is loam that does not retain moisture. It is only important to remember: all firs very painfully carry the polluted city air, only they are suitable for cottages located in a clean area.
Larch
This species annually with the onset of cold drops needles, it is often used to decorate a summer cottage. Formed in bonsai style, it even retains decorativeness even without needle leaves.
Longevity larch (she lives more than 500 years) has 20 species. All of them, except the Japanese categorically do not tolerate the shadow. The soil needs fertile soil, with good drainage and a neutral pH response.
The height of the tree usually reaches 30-40 m, but the species lends itself well to pruning, and therefore ordinary full-sized trees are safely planted in the chosen place. Modern varieties bred from the European variety for the design of small spaces have enhanced decorative properties.
Fir with weeping crowns or pillow-shaped look very attractive. Subminiature cultivars are grown in containers to effectively form areas where natural conditions do not allow the plant to be kept in open ground.
Keteleeria
Exotic coniferous in the wild is found in the foothills of Southeast Asia. Keteleria is thermophilic, and therefore it is grown in the subtropical zones of the Russian Federation - on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory and in the southern regions of Crimea.
The plant itself is not highly decorative or valuable as a source of fruit. It is usually grown as something exotic, in order to emphasize its originality.
Hemlock
Tsuga is a real find for owners of small summer cottages. Trees by nature are compact in size, dwarf species can be attributed to soil protectors. The main difference of the species is spreading falling branches that give a special charm to any corner of the garden.
Plant the plant in semi-shaded places on fertile sandy loam or sandstone.
The worst place is next to busy motorways: the trees do not tolerate gas pollution.
Read more in the article about Tsugu.
Cypress
The family includes 19 genera (more than 130 species), distributed mainly in warm regions.
Unlike the relatives described above, some species are dioecious. Cypress - one of the few conifers that successfully propagate by cuttings.
Cypress
The most "neat" tree - the crown is dense, symmetrical. Even fully ripened fruit cones do not shag, decorate the branches with medium-sized balls of light brown color. Cypress usually emphasizes the high status of the owner of the cottage.
A capricious southerner, of an evergreen, pyramidal or Arizona species, winters well in the conditions of the Middle Band, if the temperature drops do not exceed -20 ° С. Low and dwarf varieties are considered the most suitable - they are easier to cover for the winter.
The best place for planting is semi-shaded, with fertile loose soil that does not retain moisture. All cypress trees are demanding on watering, air humidity and the introduction of nutrients into the soil.
Juniper
Shrub affects a variety of forms and species. In nature, it grows almost everywhere, with the exception of eternal snows and ice. Luxurious spreading, tree-like - in the fertile warm regions, modest bushes - on the mountain slopes and in the cold regions.
All junipers are very fond of the sun, loose drained soil with an excess of dolomite, able to grow on scanty rocky slopes. They differ in the shape of the crown - woody, bushy, creeping, the color of the needles, the color of small fruits. They do not require special attention of the gardener, but are extremely demanding on the conditions of planting. 
Juniper Varieties
Thuja
One of the oldest plants has always been popular with summer residents. High decorativeness, easily formed crown, healthy air in the country, the possibility of propagation by cuttings are the main advantages of a tree. Most thujas tolerate frosts well, requiring only light shelter or regular shaking off of snow from the branches.
For decoration use a variety of species - with a columnar or spherical crown, similar to spruce and creeping along the ground.
Also read an article about planting thuja and about growing this plant at home.
All types and varieties calmly tolerate shade, drought, and prolonged rains, provided that there is good drainage.
Cypress
Trees do not differ in large sizes - country varieties rarely grow more than one and a half meters. The compact form allows them to be planted in small, well-lit spaces.
The harsh climate of Russia is best tolerated by pea cypress, it also leads by unpretentiousness. The most difficult to grow is the Lavson variety, which does not tolerate cold weather. Heat-loving varieties tolerate movement from place to place, they are grown in tubs, putting away in a moderately warm room for the winter.
Kallitris
The subfamily belongs to cypress. Of the 36 species, 30 are subtropical, not adaptable even in the subtropical zone of the Russian Federation. They are grown only in botanical gardens for scientific purposes.
As a decorative element of the landscape, kallitris is of no value - its appearance almost completely repeats cypresses, but leaving is disproportionately more difficult.
Yew
Representatives of the species live mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all conifers, they retain their mutated green foliage year-round. Plants are interesting for their lifespan - over two thousand years and their fruits - the only conifers that form berries rather than cones.
Yew is extremely poorly renewed - seeds that have fallen from the mother tree almost never germinate. The reason is that coniferous litter, when decomposed, synthesizes substances that kill seedlings.
Yew
For decorative purposes, only a few species are grown: short-leaved, berry, spiky, Canadian. Although initially the height of the yew trees exceeds the 10-meter mark, miniature varieties have been bred by breeders. Hybrids from 30-100 cm high are popular.
Yew tolerates frosts, is indifferent to lighting. Experienced gardeners plant it among other shrubs and stunted trees to reduce the risk of freezing. Yew does not like stagnation of water, acidified soil, wind, drought, dusty, gasified air. Also, it does not emit essential oils characteristic of all conifers, and therefore has only decorative value. Most yews have all the aboveground parts and roots poisonous!
Torreya
The plant is rarely grown on the territory of our country - it is thermophilic, the most suitable for it are the climatic conditions of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. The most common species are nutmeg and nutty torrei.
It is bred exclusively for practical purposes - the nuts are edible, and are also used in the manufacture of paints and varnishes.
Torreya is demanding in care, but new varieties with colored needles are gradually winning the hearts of summer residents. It grows well on any soil, except strongly acidified. It does not show requirements for soil fertility. He loves good lighting, reliable protection from the wind. He tolerates moderate frosts well, only mulching of the trunk circle with a thick layer of organic matter is required.
Araucariaceae
An ancient family of conifers, according to modern scientists, their age exceeds hundreds of millions of years. Most of the genera grow in the Southern Hemisphere, and only one - in the Northern. It lives in tropical humid and subtropical forests.
Agatis
Trees, whose height often reaches 70 m, calmly tolerate drought, grow well in the shade. The soil is suitable loamy, loose, drained. Planted in spacious areas protected from the wind. The lower temperature limit is -20 ° C.
Agatis is interesting in a variety of leaf shapes - from typical narrow pointed to coniferous to lanceolate.
Araucaria
Unlike agatis, araucaria do not tolerate frost and are mainly intended for home cultivation. "Arched" specimens rarely grow more than 2 m in height.
In the garden, pots with araucaria are used to decorate flower beds or platforms, verandas with good diffused lighting.
Read more about araucaria and its care here.
Sequoias
The highest and oldest tree on the planet - sequoia grows in the wild only in California (USA). The branches of the conical crown are located strictly horizontally, only occasionally slightly lean down, the average life expectancy is about one and a half thousand years.
In open ground at our latitudes, the tree is not grown, it needs a lot of moisture in the ground and air. Bonsai-style indoor options are more popular. They require a lot of patience and care, but the exquisite beauty of the composition makes up for all the difficulties.
Mr. Summer resident informs
Having decided to plant conifers and bushes at their dacha, seedlings are carefully chosen. For purchase apply only to specialized nurseries located nearby. This ensures a good survival rate of the plant, its adaptability to local climatic conditions. To purchase planting material in wide-profile shopping centers - to risk the money spent. In most cases, the plants are planted in a low-quality substrate, fed with fertilizers and hormones, they will have to be cared for for a long time, possibly unsuccessfully. Moreover, it is not worth buying conifers from random sellers in the market.Together with the seedling, you can bring pests to the site of the disease.
In order for the garden composition to bring joy, carefully study the rules for planting and growing each species or variety.
With many similar parameters, modern hybrid plants often differ significantly in terms of soil composition, amount of light and moisture.
In a mixed planting, neighboring plants are selected so that the conditions of their growth coincide with the required conifers - the same watering and dressing regulations.
Not all conifers coexist peacefully with deciduous trees and flowers. To avoid inhibition of plants, carefully study the recommendations of specialists.
Adapted to local conditions, Mediterranean or Asian exotics, as well as local varieties, are used for the following purposes:
- hedge, zoning of the area;
- design of reservoirs, alpine hills, rockeries;
- curbs and mixborders from stunted plants;
- solos and various compositions;
- alleys.
