Decorative cereals have the ability to fit into any design. Thanks to them, you can create truly unique and original compositions. And in terms of beauty and attractiveness, they are not inferior to lush flowers or conifers. In order to make an unusual decoration on your garden plot with decorative cereals, you need to know their types, description and design features.
The advantages and disadvantages of cereals in landscape design
Cereals are an original option for use in landscaping.
- In addition to ease of care and visual appeal, there are a number of advantages:
- they are unpretentious to habitat conditions - they can easily withstand heat, sun, cold, drought;
- they can be planted in flower beds near ponds;
- keep decorative both in the summer and in the winter;
- go well with other cultures;
- Do not need feasible care;
- resistant to diseases and pests.
- Like any plants, cereals also have disadvantages, which include:
- due to severe waterlogging, the roots of the plant can rot;
- in some cultures, the root system develops rapidly and behaves aggressively towards other plants.
Cereal plants in landscaping, types and varieties
There are a huge number of cultures that are used in landscape design. All decorative cereals can be divided into two groups: perennials and annuals. The choice of one or another group depends on the goal pursued in the stylization of the garden. Annuals are good for their lush inflorescences, and perennials are valued for unusual foliage, which can please the eye for a long time. There are also undersized varieties - small plants up to 50 cm high. Suitable for decorating rocky gardens, borders and flower beds.
Did you know? Cereals of light colors, reflect the rays of the sun, saving themselves and neighboring plants from overheating.
These include:
- bead;
- barley mane;
- hare tail.
The height of medium-sized crops reaches 1 m. Suitable for stylization of multi-tiered flower beds. Beautifully combined with wildflowers. This group includes:
- feather grass;
- oats;
- Fallaris Canary.
Tall - plants with a height of 1 m and above. They are used to create the foundation in multi-level flower beds. These include:
- pearl barley;
- pennisetum.
Drought tolerant cereals
If the terrain for transformation is arid enough, it is best to use crops that do not tolerate moisture:
Plants for wet areas and ponds
Cereal crops can be used not only as a decoration of the garden, but also for the design of reservoirs, lakes. The most popular cereals for wet areas are calamus, reed, cattail, sedge. This list is also replenished with a large mannik - perennial herbaceous grass. It reaches a length of 2 m. On its thick straight stems there are panicles about 25 cm long. Unpretentious in leaving.
Important! So that some varieties of ornamental crops do not interfere with the growth of other plants, they are fenced with partitions.
It is combined with such cultures:
- reeds;
- water iris;
- chintnik;
- marsh marigold.
Shade-tolerant cereals
Some ornamental crops grow well in shady areas. Among them:
- drooping sedge;
- soddy pike;
- burns.
For their cultivation, moist soil with a high humus content is suitable. It is better to plant shade-tolerant cereals away from direct sunlight, under fruit or coniferous trees. They go well with large-leafed perennials.
The most spectacular perennial cereals for the garden
The main condition for the design of the landscape by plants is their unpretentiousness in maintenance, because few people want to spend a huge amount of time every day to care for the garden.
To decorate sites, the following are the easiest cereals to grow:
- Gray fescue - The most popular among stunted crops. This fluffy plant with bluish leaves, similar to needles, tolerates frost and rain. It looks beautiful in winter under powdered snow.
- Alpine Foxtail - has narrow leaves of golden color. Its inflorescences are similar to fluffy spikelets. Frost resistant.
- Celeria Sizaya - perennial cereal that prefers dry terrain, therefore, when planting, drainage should be done for it to prevent overmoistening with groundwater. Unpretentious in leaving, tolerates frosts well.
High cereals for the garden
Large cereal plants are most often used in compositions with conifers. In the design of the garden they are also combined with dahlias, peonies, clover. But some cultures are distinguished by a special color and it is quite difficult to find a company for them. For example, the dark foliage of the ophiopogon is visible only on a white background, and the chintel next to the flowers is lost. For special effect, the composition can be supplemented with stones.
Important! All information about growing and soil requirements is indicated on the packaging with seeds, so before you plant crops, you must carefully read the description.
Most often, such tall cereals are chosen for the garden:
- bearded man Gerard;
- lightning blue;
- spartina comb.
Popular cereals for design
Ornamental herbs are used not only for styling flower beds. Thanks to them, you can create whole mass compositions. Landscape designers thoughtfully choose plants for a particular style. To make a long-lasting and elegant composition, it is necessary to take into account the type of soil on the site, especially cereals, their combination and combination with other plants.
Mixborders
Cereals add volume and dynamics to any composition. For large mixborders, you need to choose lush cereal crops. Well suited for this purpose:
- miscanthus;
- sandy grate;
- lightning blue;
- reedweed.
Did you know? When designing the composition, you need to take into account the colors, height and splendor of plants. High cultures should be behind low-growing ones.
They are combined with:
- decorative bow;
- sage;
- peonies;
- echinacea.
Rosaries
In the design of the modern rosary, it should be borne in mind that in this style, cereals well emphasize the elegance of roses.
An excellent option would be:
- sheep;
- barley mane;
- panicle fescue.
With cereals, park roses look good. Near them you can plant low grasses - blue cecelria, sedge.
Minimalism style
Thanks to some types of cereal crops, you can design a garden in a minimalist style, with clear lines and volume. A good element for this would be miscanthus. If ahead of him to place hybrid daylily, then the composition will be voluminous and consisting of two levels. To make a rectangular flowerbed, you can take as a basis reedweed and drop him staggered along with sage. It will turn out a beautiful and rich composition.
Rockeries
Cereals bring a note of lightness, and in winter create an extra volume. Herbs effectively complement stones, creating soft transitions. To emphasize the flowerbed, you can use live-bearing sheep. Bright plants are not used to decorate stony flower beds, but, for example, the Empress is cylindrical planted to create contrast.
Natural style
Ornamental grasses are the best option for creating a garden in a natural style, because they can easily give your site the look of a forest or meadow. To make such a design, you can use reed, millet, pike sod, sedge. In a natural style, you need to adhere to filling plants with large flowers. It could be echinacea, sage, clover.
How to choose cereals
Cereal plants need a large area. The choice of neighboring cultures must be approached no less carefully. It is necessary to limit the aggressiveness of certain species, otherwise they will not allow neighboring plants to develop. Cereal grasses get along well with conifers, so they can often be seen in combination when combined in many styles.. Live-bearing sheep and blue fescue go well with red shades. These herbs are best planted near houses in the shade of trees.
Compared to other decorative cultures, cereals do not need special care, which means that they do not need to spend a lot of time. They complement unique landscape compositions, create volume and emphasize the charm of other plants. In addition, long-term species can please their beauty for a long time, without requiring special attention.
