Decorate the site with Meyeri juniper
Scaly juniper cultivars have long been widely used for landscaping. Meyeri's juniper is no exception. Landscape designers and bonsai lovers are attracted by the original shape of the crown, especially during the period of active growth of shoots, silvery needles and easy tolerance of pruning.
Description of Meyeri juniper
The scaly juniper Meyeri fully retained the features of wild specimens and for many decades has been deservedly recognized by landscape designers, owners of summer cottages and bonsaists who grow surprisingly dynamic compositions in oriental style on the basis of shrubs.
The time-tested unpretentious variety stands out with a spreading crown resembling a wide bowl. Its shape is asymmetrical, which only adds a kind of charm to the variety and determines the use of the shrub in landscape design.
The maximum height of evergreen frost-resistant shrubs reaches 5 meters, and their diameter is 3 meters. At first, young shoots are directed obliquely upward, but growing back, they droop. The crown of a juniper, like a storm wave rolling on the shore, ready to collapse, but frozen by someone's unknown will.
According to the description of Meyeri's juniper, adult shoots are covered with silvery needles. The needles on the growth shoots have a particularly intense bluish tint. From early spring to early autumn, while the growing season lasts, the bush adds no more than 12 cm in height, and its diameter increases by 10 cm.
Juniper Meyeri in landscape design
A few centuries ago, coniferous evergreens adorned the gardens of Chinese emperors and noble people in Japan. Today numerous juniper varieties have not lost their relevance. On the contrary, shrubs from different parts of the world are irreplaceable:
- when creating curbs;
- in the decor of rocky hills;
- to support groups of large ornamental plants;
- as the center of the composition with herbaceous flowering plants.
IN landscape design Meyeri juniper is used in the design of spacious gardens, park areas and squares. Due to its unique shape, it splendidly performs a solo part on a flat green lawn or surrounded by ground cover plants. The bluish needles of juniper will not be lost against the background of a flat green wall of thuja or privet.
how pictured, juniper Meyeri easily tolerates a haircut, therefore it has long been in demand among bonsai lovers.
Increasingly, evergreen shrubs are becoming the subject of interest of masters of topiary art, using a haircut to create the most bizarre compositions on its basis.
The undoubted value of Meyeri's juniper also lies in the fact that it was this ornamental plant that gave rise to such famous varieties as Blue star and Blue carpet. At various times, gardeners working with plants in the nursery noticed and could fix spontaneous natural mutations in juniper.
In 1950, on the branches of the bush, a star-like, original arrangement of needles was recorded. Today, a dwarf species of scaly juniper called Blue star is one of the most widespread in the world.
In the early 70s, a creeping variety and a wide dense crown were obtained on the basis of Meyeri juniper. The variety called Blue carpet is also incredibly popular.
Planting and caring for Meyeri juniper
The Meyeri scaly juniper is a light-loving evergreen crop with medium frost resistance and high drought resistance.
In the shade, the blue needles of a juniper loses their decorative effect, the branches become bare, the crown becomes less dense and attractive. A well-lit place, sheltered from strong winds, will help facilitate the adaptation of the seedling and the care of the Meyeri juniper after planting. It is important that the plant is not threatened with decay of the roots due to stagnant moisture, and the neighboring plants are at a distance of 70 cm to a meter so that the crown grows unhindered.
In central Russia, the juniper can freeze slightly, so for the winter it is either covered with burlap, or abundantly covered with snow. Previously, the crown is carefully pulled together so that the branches do not break off under the weight of the packed snow.
In the spring, the shrub is subjected to sanitary pruning. An annual shaping haircut will help to make the crown as thick as possible, it is indispensable if the purpose of growing Meyeri juniper is an original topiary. Further care consists in watering, gentle loosening of the trunk circle and its mulching... Fertilizers for conifers will help maintain the growth and brightness of the needles.