Curtain as an element of landscape design of gardens and parks

What is a clump?

A clump is a “group portrait” of garden plants of one or more species. Many people confuse it with any densely planted flower bed. This is a mistake. A clump has a number of characteristic features.

• According to the definition from the dictionary of landscape design, a garden composition should include at least 10 plants.
• A clump is located separately from other plant objects in the landscape. Garden paths or a lawn help to define the boundaries.
• Plants in a group should be “in a bundle”. These are either representatives of the same species, or crops that follow each other in flowering time, or trees, flowers and shrubs with identical needs for growing conditions.

Main types

There are many classifications of clumps based on the similarity or differences in the properties of the plants included in the composition.

By the number of species that form the clump, group compositions are divided into simple and complex. Simple ones can consist of several identical shrubs or include 2-3 plants that get along nearby. Often, all components have the same or slightly different heights.

A complex group can be created by planting flowering plants, cereals or grasses in front of the shrubs. As a rule, daffodils, tulips, daylilies, and low-growing varieties of roses are used.

By plant type, planting groups are divided into shrub, woody, and mixed.

• The base for shrub plantings is lilac, hawthorn, barberry, tall roses, shadberry, and cotoneaster.
• Woody compositions are assembled from silver poplar, thuja, birch, pine, etc. Such planting is suitable for large areas and is extremely irrational in small garden plots.
• Plant groups consisting only of trees or bushes are rare in a summer cottage landscape. Usually, deciduous shrubs make up the company of dwarf and tall conifers.

The geometry of the placement of seedlings determines whether the clump will be symmetrical or not. You will have to choose the type at the planning stage.

Symmetry is achieved by planting a tall tree or a lushly flowering bush in the center. From them, smooth slopes are formed in both directions due to shrubs of smaller height.

Asymmetrical clumps are much more common. Even experienced gardeners find it difficult to accurately calculate the growth rate of seedlings and select plants that are ideally suited in shape and splendor.

Another parameter that became the basis for classifying group compositions is the distance between seedlings. Trees and bushes in a dense clump are placed no further than 3-4 meters from each other. The crowns often intertwine with each other, creating a blank wall. Broadleaf maples or dark coniferous spruces and firs are ideal for such planting.

Openwork compositions are created from small-leaved trees placed at a distance of 4-5 meters from each other. Tree crowns (birch, larch, alder) let the light through freely.

The composition can be made monochromatic or multi-colored. Fans of laconic monochrome flower beds often try to select plants in a single color scheme for group planting. In this case, more attention is focused on the shape and size of the leaves, the beauty and geometry of the crown.

It is easier to create a multi-colored version of a shrub flowerbed than a monochromatic one. The leaves of barberry, euonymus, elderberry, and bladder senna are distinguished by a variety of shades all year round.

The color scheme of the plant group can change with the onset of autumn. Monochrome in summer, the clump is enriched with several contrasting shades by autumn.

The presence of plants of different heights in clumps determines the division into single-level and multi-level compositions. Multi-level plantings, as well as flower beds, can become a picturesque accent of a garden plot. When selecting seedlings, it is important to avoid too sharp changes in height. The gaze should smoothly descend from the upper tier to the lower.

Single-level compositions look neat and well-groomed. They are not as decorative as multi-tiered ones, but they cope well with the task of zoning the space.

Depending on the area occupied by bushes and flowers, compact and spreading groups are distinguished. This division is primarily due to the size of the garden plot.

• In a small area, it is customary to plant 1-2 tall trees and a couple of medium-sized shrubs, and fill the rest with annual flowers, herbs and perennials. The boundaries are usually left blurred, but the total area of a shrub bed rarely exceeds 12-15 square meters.
• In large areas, the number of trees, shrubs and flowers increases several times. A group composition can stretch for tens of meters in length and have several rows.

In addition to generally accepted classifications, each gardener can divide group plantings at his own discretion, basing the division on similar or distinctive features. This can be the shape of the crown, the time and duration of flowering, the functional significance of crops, etc.

Application options in landscape design

From the French “courtine” – curtain. Historically, this was the name for the curtain against which traveling artists gave performances. With the advent of the term in landscape design, its original meaning did not disappear without a trace. It determined one of the options for using curtains in garden design. Group compositions often serve as a background for flower beds, single plants or a lawn.

Another option for using dense group planting of trees and bushes is fencing. A hedge is the most common type of simple curtain. It can separate one area of the plot from another or hide the dacha territory from prying eyes. At the same time, such a garden composition solves the problem of creating a shaded area. On hot days, you can hide from the scorching sun next to a wall of conifers, barberries, acacias or shadberries.

A cracked façade of a summer house, an inconspicuous fence or a shed with household equipment can also be easily covered with lushly growing greenery. For camouflage, it is better to choose evergreen juniper, thuja, blue spruce or fir.

Most gardeners, when planting trees on their plots, pursue not only a decorative task. The crowns of tall conifers protect flowers growing nearby from gusts of wind. The roots absorb excess moisture, drying the soil for crops that do not tolerate high humidity.

Planning and creating a curtain is a painstaking and rather complex process. It is important to choose the right place, decide on a set of plants, type of composition, density of trees and bushes. It will be difficult for a beginner to create a group planting, but the efforts will pay off handsomely when the curtain is completely ready, and the garden landscape will sparkle with new colors.