5 Reasons Why You Should Plant a 4-Season Conifer Garden NOW
As homeowners we are always on the lookout for ways to enhance and improve our outdoor spaces. Conifers are the perfect solution, offering a blend of beauty, practicality, and sustainability. Learn how conifers can transform your landscape into an evergreen paradise. Here are 5 reasons why planting conifers in your garden will make a HUGE difference in your home’s aesthetic!
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1. Conifer Gardens Offer Year Round Greenery
It goes without saying that conifers provide a sense of privacy and tranquility. You may want to create a serene outdoor retreat. Or, you simply want to add some evergreen charm to your landscape.
In either case, planting these specimins is a perfect choice. They are versatile and beautiful. Their evergreen nature ensures that your garden remains vibrant and lively 365 days a year. Even during the winter months when other plants may go dormant, your conifers will stay full and colorful.
2. Conifers Bring Unique Shapes, Textures and Pops of Color to Any Space
Conifers can greatly enhance the beauty and aesthetic of the outdoor space of any property. By adding conifers with diverse shapes, textures, and colors, you will achieve jaw dropping results. These resilient and low-maintenance plants enhance the aesthetic appeal of any garden with their lush greenery and unique shapes. From rich blues and deep greens, to striking golds, reds, and even subtle pinks, the array of hues offered by conifers is stunning. These colors can transform the outdoor environment from just another a pretty garden, to an Oasis. The result is a year-round kaleidoscope of natural beauty and visually stunning masterpiece.
3. Conifers are Extremely Resilient, Once Properly Established
Many gardeners like to use this quote when it comes to planting trees, shrubs and evergreens: “The first year they sleep. The second year they creep. The third year they leap,”
This saying is true for most large plants. However, other factors like sunlight, soil quality, drainage and regular watering can also play a significant role in the growth rate of conifers.
Water is especially especially vital during the first year, in the warmer summer months. Regular watering is essential for the health and growth of conifers during this time.
Once your conifers have established healthy root systems, they will actually require less water (even though they’ve grown larger in size), making them less susceptible to damage during a heat spell or drought.
4. Conifers are Low Maintenance, and Require Less Upkeep than Perennials
Conifers are low-maintenance plants, typically requiring only occasional trimming to keep their shape and remove any damaged branches. Because they take up more space in the garden, there is typically less weeding to be done. Your seasonal garden cleanups will also be easier: conifers do not need to be cut back, deadheaded or divided. Fertilizer is not necessary for most conifers.
5. Conifer Gardens and the Environment
Planting conifers contributes to environmental sustainability in several ways. They play a crucial role in improving air quality through carbon sequestration – a mature tree can absorb up to 48 pounds of carbon in one year. Evergreens are also superior to their deciduous counterparts when it come to conserving water, as their needle structure greatly reduces water loss through evaporation. This makes conifers a more water-efficient choice than popular broadleaf, or deciduous trees, like Maple, Dogwood, Birch.
Conifers also provide essential habitat and food sources for various wildlife species. Birds, mammals, and insects find refuge among the dense branches and needle-covered ground, promoting biodiversity in your garden.
Ready to Create Your Own Backyard Oasis?
Now that you’ve decided to start a beautiful garden of conifers, it’s important to do a little research. Planning before you head to the garden center is also crucial! Keep reading for our top tips for planting conifers.
Our Top Tips for a Successful Conifer Garden
- Mix a good quality compost into your native soil to give your conifers a promising head start. This will ensure they grow healthy and strong.
- Invest in some essential tools: When pruning, use clean hand pruners or a bypass lopper for precision. Since conifers have sharp needles, it’s recommended to wear protective leather gloves, including gauntlet-style ones to shield your forearms.
- Sticky sap can stick to your tools and skin during cutting. You can easily clean it off with alcohol or baby wipes. If sap gets in your hair, try using coconut oil to help loosen it up.
- To save money, buy young conifers. It is imperative to space them out so they have room to grow and breathe. Wrap them in burlap during their first winter if you live under zone 7b.
- Go heavy on the mulch and replenish when needed. Use at least one to two inches of mulch around the base of the conifers. This helps keep moisture in the soil so you will have to water less frequently. When watering, aim to water the plants at their base to deliver the water directly to the roots. *Providing the right amount of water at the right time is crucial* This is especially true during your plants’ first year in the garden. As it adapts to your native soil, it’s important not to “shock” the plant by over or under-watering.
- A basic irrigation, or drip system is highly convenient and worthwhile to protect your investment. Installing your own drip system may feel like a daunting, complex endeavor. But the process is quite simple once you get the hang of it. The drip system can be connected to a garden spigot. It can be set on a simple timer or even a smart timer – our favorite is this one here. We control it from an app on our smartphone, which is perfect. Some tech-loving gardeners even use their Alexa to turn their water supply on and off. Smart timers can also postpone a cycle due to a rainstorm.
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Incorporating conifers into your garden design offers numerous benefits, from aesthetic appeal to environmental sustainability. Whether you’re looking to create a year-round green oasis, reduce maintenance, or support local wildlife, conifers are an excellent choice. Start exploring the diverse world of conifers and enjoy a beautiful, resilient, and eco-friendly garden. So the next time you update your garden, consider adding some beautiful conifers to admire year-round. With just a little care and occasional pruning, you’ll enjoy their majestic presence for years to come.