The current direction of green zone design is so developed that it provides an incredible number of unique projects. The design of various flower beds and lawns, gardens and parks is very entertaining due to the variety of plant species. Their combination sometimes brings such an unexpected, but at the same time incredibly beautiful result that you want to enjoy the created landscape continuously. And every moment new nuances will appear, making the picture of nature very dynamic. One of the most popular areas of the landscape gardening process is the design of a mixborder.
At its core, a mixborder is a bright flowerbed arranged along the edge of a path. This trend in landscape formation came to us from England, where this method has long been used to design gardening areas.
European garden plots today are also everywhere equipped with such flower beds. It is made mainly from perennial plants for more than one season. The whole process of planting a mixborder, although extremely exciting, requires you to withstand some of the subtleties of this style.
Varieties of mixborders
Initially, in order to choose the right shape for a flowering border, decide on the type of plants. The most popular options:
Another way to classify mixborders is seasonality, which distinguishes accordingly:
In addition to the type of plants, mixborders also differ in color:
Take your time with your choice, make it carefully, relying on your artistic taste. But even if you want to do all the work yourself, do not ignore the recommendations of professional florists.
Important! For example, especially interesting, although more complex in design, are continuous flowering mixborders, the designs of which are especially in demand today. Below is one of the options for such a flower garden.
How to design a mixborder yourself?
The entire process of arranging mixborders from perennials is quite painstaking and time-consuming. But if you follow all the rules of design, the result will certainly please you with its richness and brightness of correctly selected living colors.
The sequence of processes looks like this:
- Design.
- Choosing a location.
- Soil preparation.
- Planting.
Where to start planning?
This stage of work is most important for the future attractiveness of the flowerbed. Therefore, treat it with utmost care. Considering the huge number of plant species, in order not to get stuck in finding suitable ones for a very long time, not to get lost and confused, carefully consider ready-made mixborders in catalogs or in person, if possible.
Important! This approach will help narrow the circle of plants you like, see their natural attractiveness, as well as their size and the possibility of combining with other species in ready-made projects. Considering all of the above, the selection process will be much easier and faster.
Basic principles of plant selection
It is impossible to list all the possible rules for combining plants when planting mixborders from shrubs or flowers. But there are some general recommendations that will certainly help you choose the right breeds and combine them.
Check out the list below before making your own selection:
- Plant sizes. In this regard, take into account such parameters as height and splendor of growth. Place longer views in the back rows. Place the creeping ones at the foot along the edge of the flowerbed and inside, forming a kind of frame. The splendor of flowering and growth will help to correctly adjust the required area for the normal development of the plant.
- Flowering period. This criterion is especially important when designing a continuous flowering mixborder. With the right choice in accordance with the flowering period, such a flower bed will constantly delight the eye and emphasize the attractiveness of the entire design of the garden area near the house. The main requirement is the timely replacement of some colors by others, and the shade of the newly formed ones should not be discordant with the tonality of the previous and next ones.
- Location. Be sure to take into account the characteristics of each selected species in terms of thermophilicity and the required amount of moisture. It is inappropriate to place plants that require more water and shade in the very sun - they will quickly burn out and dry out, and heat-loving species, with a lack of light and sun, will develop incorrectly and will soon die.
- Ease of care. Densely planted plants not only do not increase the attractiveness of the flower bed (the lushness of the flower garden directly depends on how comfortable the plants are), but also significantly complicate its care. Don't try to fit a large number of different species on a small piece of land. This will only emphasize the tasteless style of the finished flower garden and make weeding more difficult. The intertwining roots of plants planted end to end will become an obstacle to the normal regulation of moisture and oxygen, which in turn will have a bad effect on their overall development.
- No aggressive species. Be sure to avoid planting creeping or invasive plant types in any of the layers. Neglecting this advice will negate all efforts to arrange a mixborder.
- Decoration. When choosing, initially determine the plants that will become the accent of the flowerbed, its main part, and those deciduous species that will become additional decoration to emphasize the beauty of the main flowers.
- Pest protection. Considering the peculiarity of the mixborder in the combination of several types of plants in one small area, take care of natural protection from insect pests. An excellent option would be to plant tansy, wormwood, nasturtium, cilantro, peppermint, ornamental onions or thyme, which with their aroma repel all beetles that spoil plants.
- Color spectrum. In this regard, rely solely on personal preference, but keep in mind that the muddy effect of combining too many contrasting colors will not add to the attractiveness of the green area. More interesting in this regard are properly organized monochrome flower beds with smooth transitions of several shades of 2-3 primary colors.
Important! Consider planting one- or two-year-old plants to get an attractive flower bed in the near future, without waiting a long period until the perennials grow to the desired size.
If you doubt your ability to correctly combine plants artistically, initially arrange a trial version of fast-flowering annual species in the selected area. This way, you can clearly see your shortcomings and flaws live and take them into account when forming the main mixborder.
Design examples
Take a close look at the mixborder diagrams of ready-made projects of different types.
Use one of the proposed plans or take into account the basic principles of their formation to reduce the risk of incorrect selection of plants or their planting:
Video
Watch the video for some more interesting design ideas.
How to choose a place for a mixborder?
Despite the direct purpose, which is indicated in the name itself - decorating park paths for a beautiful and clear delineation of the territory, this style of flower bed design is used in various directions of green area design.
These include living fences, flower beds adjacent to walls, alpine slides, all kinds of waterfalls, artificial lakes, free-standing flower beds or a mix of shrubs.
How to prepare the area?
Soil preparation is one of the most painstaking and time-consuming stages in the entire process of designing a mixborder, regardless of the type chosen. But the survival rate of plants at the initial stage of germination and their development depend on how correctly the useful soil layer is formed.
Important! Start work only in the appropriate season:
- in April after warming
- in early September, after flowering, so that the plants have time to take root before frost.
Sequencing:
Planting
The final process of decorating the site. Check out some planting tips:
Conclusion
The process of designing the mixborder is completed, but in the future it will require regular maintenance work. Be sure to read the care rules corresponding to the selected type of mixborder and strictly follow them. Only in this case will the result meet your expectations, and the finished mixborder will delight you with its attractiveness for several years.
Mixborder is a purely English invention. The British decorated garden paths with elongated flower beds, marked the boundaries of plots, and decorated hedges. In such compositions, the basis is made up of perennials: low conifers and various shrubs, annuals serve only as an addition. When creating a mixborder, certain patterns and tiers are followed.
This type of landscape design has gained particular popularity in recent years. Translated from English, mixborder is a mixed border that combines plants of different sizes. The shape of mixborders is determined arbitrarily.
Main types:
- One-sided mixborder. Planted along walls and fences. The view is only available from one side. Plants form a “cascade” from top to bottom.
- Double-sided. The composition can be freely viewed from any side. Tall crops are placed in the center, low ones on the periphery of the composition.
Flower beds are divided by style: English, meadow, contrast, polychrome, monochrome, rustic. Conifers can serve as a background in any direction.
A mixed border made of conifers should always have clearly defined boundaries; they can be created using artificial materials or using a border of low perennials. Right angles and lines are avoided, leaving smooth and natural curves. Trees that are too tall are not used in the compositions, so as not to lose the view of the upper tier. For 1 sq. m of area are planted no more than: tall trees - 1 pc., medium-grown trees - from 5 to 8 pcs., low trees - 10 pcs., ground cover trees - about 50 pcs.
Planting in mixborders is not done in straight lines, but as it would look in nature.
You should not place more than three different shades of pine needles in a row - this will create unnecessary mixing of colors. Play with height differences: the wider the flower garden, the more tiers you can create in the flowerbed.
Mixborder layout options
First, skeletal plants are planted in the selected area. The crops will determine the height of the future composition. As a basis for a small mixborder, choose:
- cypress trees (compact and dwarf Lawson forms);
- blue spruce;
- Bergman pine;
- dwarf gray spruce, fir, thuja.
Trees are planted at intervals, taking into account the intensity of their growth. When the “scenery is in place,” they begin to fill the free space. The following are planted in the circles around the trunk:
- juniper (scaly, Chinese);
- evergreen boxwood (does well in light shade);
- Erica (plant of the heather family).
Advice. To make a mixborder of conifers complete, the same varieties are used several times.
The next tier is spectacular plants. Usually conifers are complemented by low flowering shrubs: jasmine, magnolia, rhododendron, tree hydrangea, spirea, barberry.
In the fall, when everything has faded, decorative foliage trees will delight the eye: turf, euonymus, Japanese maple, fieldfare. The very foreground of the mixborder is reserved for low plants: flowering perennials. If the mixborder is made up exclusively of conifers and shrubs, then the lower rus is filled with creeping ones: ivy, Cossack juniper, horizontal cotoneaster.
In coniferous mixborders, various artificial materials are used to mulch the soil. This will make it much easier to care for the composition and make it decorative. The following are suitable for this: gravel, wood chips, crushed bricks, tiles. Compositions and patterns are laid out from large stones; lighting elements in the form of lanterns and light bulbs will bring special uniqueness.
Site selection and step-by-step site preparation
On the site for the future flower garden, evaluate:
- soil composition;
- humidity;
- degree of illumination.
For coniferous mixborders, a place that is not too sunny is given. Under scorching rays, the needles burn out and lose their decorative effect. The soil should not be too dry or swampy. If you are planning a mixed border of conifers as a hedge, then it is advisable to place the planting not near the windows - as they grow, large trees will be an obstacle to the view.
It is better to interrupt a strip of a flower bed that is too long without making it continuous. It looks more aesthetically pleasing, and caring for plants will be easier. 0.5 m are set back from the edge of the garden paths.
Advice. When choosing a color scheme for a mixborder, warm shades are mixed with warm ones, and cold ones with cold ones.
The presence of conifers always emphasizes English severity and restraint in a mixborder. In such compositions, too catchy colors and lush shapes with wide leaves are usually avoided.
Starting excavation work:
- The site is dug up in the fall, and fertilizers are added if necessary.
- According to ready-made diagrams, holes are made for conifers, shrubs and basic perennials. Distance between low and dwarf forms: 60–80 cm, between medium ones 1–1.5 m, between tall trees at least two meters.
- Lay out decorative elements.
Attention! All seedlings are purchased only from trusted nurseries.
While the bushes are growing, in the spring you can plant annual crops: garden balsams, petunia, snapdragons, geraniums, asters.
Seasonal care for mixborders
Shrubs and conifers do not require daily attention. Thanks to them, the intended composition retains its unchanged appearance for a long time. The following activities will help keep the flower garden at your dacha in an attractive condition:
Decorative pruning of coniferous trees will make the finished composition even more unique. Cypress, fir, and thuja respond well to this procedure, and spruce crowns can easily be formed.
If your mixborder unobtrusively descends to a pond, then the following would be useful: daylilies, hostas, and ornamental cereals. Interesting ideas for placing creeping flowers with long shoots in large vases. This is convenient when planting a plant in the ground is not possible.
By designing a composition with your own hands, you will feel like an artist, an architect, and a chief engineer of land works.
How to create a mixborder: video
The article below is an extensive selection of diagrams and photos with compositions of perennial plants.
From conifers and shrubs
Scheme No. 1 - ceremonial mixborder for a large area:
- Thuja western Holmstrup (occidentalis Holmstrup),
- Vertical juniper Krakovica (juniperus communis cracovica),
- European larch Pendula (larix deldua pendula),
- Prickly spruce Glauka (picea pungens glauca),
- Darts Gold (physocarpus opulifolius darts gold),
- Serbian spruce Pendula (picea omorika pendula),
- Canadian spruce Glauka Konika (picea glauca conica),
- Catnip Fassena Walkers Low (nepeta x faasenii walkers low),
- Dwarf oregano (origanum vuigare thumbles),
- Wittrock violet (viola x wittrockiana).
Scheme No. 2. Small mixborder along the wall at the entrance to the house:
Willow Snow fountain Weeping cherry Snow fountain, azalea, blue star juniper, cotoneaster, dianthus, hemlock tsuga Canadensis pendula, dwarf blue spruce, hinoki false cypress , (euonymous), dwarf Japanese red pine.
Scheme No. 3. Perennials and annual flowers:
Original version. Flyers can be changed from year to year, each time getting a new look.
This mixborder uses:
- Thuja orientalis Aurea Nana (Chinese thuja aurea nana),
- Juniper medium Pfitzeriana glauca (phitzer juniper pfitzeriana glauca),
- Juniper blue star,
- Chinese juniper stricta (chinese juniper stricta),
- Flowers: (French marigold), annual Pinky, blaze of fire.
Scheme No. 4. Emphasis on stones and bright maples:
Dwarf conifers and Japanese maples were used. This mixborder includes: Mountain pine Gnome (Pinus mugo Gnom), which can be replaced with mountain pine of the Mops or Ophir variety: Korean fir Tundra; Shirasawa maple (Acer shirasawanum).
From perennial and annual plants
Option 1.
Mixborder from fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) of the onocleaceae family and impatiens walleriana:
Option 2
Perennial herbaceous plant (lat. Astilbe chinensis) and Salvia (Sage) lush New Dimension.
Option 3
Purple petunias and morning glory (Ipomoea batatas), which in the West are known as sweet potato vines, can easily be replaced with regular morning glory.
From shrubs and perennial flowers
Option 1.
Narrow in one row
Of course, it would be more accurate to call the mixborders in the two photos below:
Classic - daffodils, beaten with small-onion muscari.
Silvery cineraria, lilac ageratums and everblooming begonias with bright pink flowers are also classics.
With roses
Scheme of the mixborder with roses below: 1. Rose Winchester Cathedral, 2. Rose Lady Emma Hamilton, 3. Rose Moulinex, 4. Rose William Shakespeare, 5. Juniper, 6. Sage (Fassin's catnip), 7. Hosta.
Mixborder of charming polyanthus roses Bonika 82 and beautiful flowering perennial plants: purple and pink small-petalled. 
A large mixborder of pink-red, yellow, lilac sage, red-flowered centranthus, as well as red and white spray roses.
Mixborder of red and pink spray roses and:
Mixborder of bright pink roses on a standard and floribunda roses. Roses don't like their neighbors, so they are complemented only by a green hedge of myrtle:
Mixborder of blue-flowered Siberian irises and bells in combination with white roses, white and astilbe.
Mixborder is one of the most complex concepts in modern landscape design. As a rule, this concept refers to a mixed border or flowerbed with free borders. Here, irregular shapes and a freer use of different types of plants, unlike ridges, are acceptable.
A mixborder can become the main element of a properly designed garden landscape. A mixture of different plants, different sizes, different shapes and different colors - it looks quite picturesque. In order for the mixborder to fit harmoniously into the landscape design and, at the same time, not look too pretentious, you will need to put in quite a lot of effort - but, believe me, it’s worth it!
Types and styles of mixborders
There are two types of mixborders according to their structure:
One-sided mixborder
It is usually located on a slope, along fences, walls of buildings, and is visible only from one side. Plants in it are planted in descending order: from high to low.
Double-sided mixborder
Viewable from all sides. Tall plants are planted in the center of the mixborder, from the center to the edges - in a descending manner.
Mixborders are also divided by style:
English mixborder
Already from the name it becomes clear that there is rigor in this style. In such a flower garden, lush shapes and bright colors are not allowed. Plants with large and wide leaves are undesirable. It should be as natural as possible, combining wild and garden forms.
Meadow mixborder
Conveys the romanticism of meadow and mountain landscapes. When creating, meadow grasses and cereals are necessarily used.
Country mixborder
The splendor and brightness of flowering is already appropriate here. Plants characteristic of the area are used.
Vegetable mixborder
It’s vegetable, there’s no mistake here! You can create a wonderful mixborder from vegetable plants by choosing the right combination and placing them beautifully. After all, many vegetables have quite cute leaves of different shapes and colors. And in the fall the harvest is harvested from such a mixborder.
Mixborder color scheme
The choice of color scheme is a very important point. By creating a mixborder yourself with your own hands, you can choose the color scheme according to your desire and taste. However, the main thing here is to maintain harmony. You can’t overdo it with color; chaotic variegation will look ugly and vulgar.
A correctly selected mixborder color scheme will create a certain mood. It is advisable to use no more than 3-5 colors and their shades. To avoid mistakes in their correct combination, a color chromatic circle is often used. Based on color design, three types of mixborders can be distinguished.
Contrast mixborder
For such a flower garden, it is better to focus on two contrasting colors; the color scheme will help to accurately identify them - on it they are located opposite each other. Shades of opposite colors will also be considered contrasting. This color scheme is best used in small mixborders. You should not create a contrasting composition from only small-flowered plants. It should also be taken into account that a contrasting mixborder will look very bright and it is better to place it in front areas (for example, at the entrance).
Monochrome mixborder
This flower garden uses different shades of the same color. The result is a very delicate, refined composition. With this color scheme, the size of the flowers and the variety of their shapes are clearly visible. However, it should be borne in mind that very light colors (white-pink, white-blue, light cream) will look faded in the bright sun, so they must be “supported” with brighter shades.
Polychrome mixborder
This is the most common design option. From two to four neighboring colors can participate here. But even here it is necessary to maintain the proportion correctly. There should be fewer bright and saturated colors, and more balancing, calmer colors. Approximate proportional distribution of colors in a triple composition: one color - 70%, the second - 25%, and the third - 5%.
To avoid serious mistakes in choosing the color scheme of a mixborder, you should mix warm colors with warm ones and cold ones with cold ones.
Another important point. Please note that even the most beautiful flower garden will not look good without a green background.
Choosing a location for a mixborder
When choosing a location, you need to take into account that the mixborder is created to decorate the area; it should be visible. The first step, of course, is to choose a place for the mixborder. After all, its size, shape and types of plants will depend on this. The shape can be any, but most often they prefer shapeless flower beds. The volume of the mixborder also does not matter.
If you decide to place a flower garden along the wall of a house or a fence, then you should take into account the height of the windows (when selecting the top tier of plants), the length of the fence section to be decorated (it is better to make a very long flower bed intermittent).
The flower bed along the garden paths should be placed at a distance of about half a meter from the edge of the path. Using a mixborder, you can limit zones in the garden (here it is important to take into account the distance from the viewpoint).
If the mixborder is located close to the house, do not use honey plants for it, otherwise they will attract wasps and bees to your windows.
Basic Rules
creating a mixborder
Since summer residents often create mixborders with their own hands, it is necessary to first draw a diagram of the future flower garden, distributing plants on it, guided by certain rules:
❶ The largest plant in a mixborder should not exceed half the height of the distance from the plant to the viewing point (benches, paths, gazebos, etc.). If the height is greater, then the upper tier will be lost when viewing.
❷ The edges of mixborders must be clearly defined (this is especially true for flower beds located in the middle of the lawn or along paths). To do this, you can use small paving slabs, decorative stones or wooden chocks, and also make a border of low-growing perennials.
❸ We strictly observe tiers; tall plants should not cover lower ones.
❹ Do not try to use as many types of plants as possible in the flower garden (there is a rule - no more than 3 species per 1 sq.m.).
❺ When planning the shape of a flower bed, avoid clear straight lines; the beauty of a mixborder is in smoothness, elegance and naturalness.
Selection of plants for mixborders
When choosing plants, you need to adhere to one principle: they will not bloom at the same time for a long time, so it is better to plant them so that they smoothly replace each other. A flowerbed of continuous flowering is the best decoration for a personal plot.
When selecting plants for a mixborder, be sure to consider the following:
✔ Unpretentiousness of plants (you should not plant plants that are difficult to care for or require serious shelter in winter).
✔ It is better to place plants with similar requirements for growing conditions (lighting, watering, type of soil) in one flower garden.
✔ Strongly growing species should be avoided, as well as those with a powerful superficial root system, as they can gradually ruin the entire flower garden.
✔ Consider the timing of flowering; it is necessary to select plants that bloom one after another and retain their decorative effect after it.
✔ Give preference to perennials, they will form the basis of your flower garden for years to come. ✔ All species must be equally resilient and not afraid of competition.
✔ Follow planting standards, do not chase density, because plants will grow over time, especially since the gaps can be filled with annuals.
Taking into account the above rules, we proceed to the selection of plants:
The tallest ones (top tier) are always planted first.
If you planned a mixborder with shrubs or dwarf trees, then planting should begin with them. They form the so-called “skeleton” or its basis in the flower garden, around which the rest of the composition will be formed. For mixborders, you should choose evergreen or long-lasting decorative species that respond well to pruning. Conifers, boxwood, mock orange, red-leaved barberry, silver spirea, hydrangea, elderberry, white dogwood, and spreading plum are suitable.
Skeletal plants are planted, placing them in the background or in the center (depending on the type of mixborder) at a sufficient distance from each other, taking into account their further growth and the splendor of the crown.
You can create a mixborder only from trees and shrubs. In this case, the principle of placing plants in height is also observed. For the lower tier in such a flower garden, creeping shrubs are used. For example, horizontal cotoneaster, Cossack juniper, common ivy.
Mixborders made from only coniferous plants look decorative and mysterious all year round. To create it, dwarf pines, fir, spruce, dwarf cedar, juniper, Japanese thuja, creeping varieties of thuja and juniper are used.
Flowering perennials are planted next. Here you can give freedom to your imagination, but don’t forget about the tiering. The regrown trunks of trees and shrubs will be covered by tall daylilies, irises, buzulniks, astilbes, garden geraniums, polemoniums, polygonium, coreopsis, lavatera, and echinacea. Don't forget about the beautiful leaves. Hostas, heucheras, artemisias, and cincinarias will balance out the bright flowers and add additional volume to the flower garden. Cereals will add naturalness to the mixborder: haretail, grasshopper, feather grass, molinia, maned barley.
For additional assortment, you can take lower perennials (for example, alyssum, aquilegia, cornflower, sedum, etc.).
Bulbous plants are always very expressive and most of them will be able to decorate a mixborder in early spring. However, one should take into account the very short period of their decorative effect. Therefore, they should not form the basis of the composition. Bulbous plants that do not require annual digging are suitable for mixborders. To hide fading leaves, immediately after they finish flowering, it is necessary to plant seedlings of annuals nearby or plant a rapidly growing perennial (for example, loosestrife, periwinkle, speedwell, thyme, phlox, etc.).
The lower (front) tier is formed from low-growing, stably decorative perennials. For example, brunera, phlox subulate, stachys woolly, verbena.
The gaps remaining after planting perennials are filled with seedlings of low-growing annual flowers.
Mixborder care
Initially, you should select easy-to-care plants for the mixborder. But even the most unpretentious of them require minimal care.
Timely watering. Any plant from a lack of moisture becomes unattractive and withers. Weak plants are more susceptible to disease and pest attacks.
Weed removal. They make our flower garden untidy and worsen the living conditions of cultivated species. Sometimes mulching the soil can help, but this is not suitable for all plants. Therefore, you need to do weeding periodically.
Mineral feeding. If you do not support your plants with nutrients, they will not delight you with abundant and long-lasting flowering. Feed them a little once every three weeks with a full range of fertilizers. And this will increase their resistance to diseases. Just don’t forget to stop at the end of summer, the plants need to calm down and go to sleep for the winter, otherwise they may freeze.
Frost protection. If your mixborder contains plants that are not frost-resistant enough, then for the winter they need to be covered with spruce branches, straw or other covering material.
Removing dry inflorescences and pruning. To make your flower garden beautiful, neat, bloom long and profusely, do not forget to cut off dry inflorescences and branches with sharp garden tools. In spring, remove weak, very old, twisted, diseased and “wild” shoots. Also shorten overgrown ones.
Pest and disease control. Inspect plants occasionally for disease and pest damage. Take action in a timely manner. It is better, of course, to use folk remedies, but if absolutely necessary, turn to pesticides.
Ready-made mixborder schemes
We present to you several ready-made mixborder schemes. They can be used when designing a country flower bed, either completely or partially.
Please note that annuals are a temporary but vibrant addition to the flower garden; every year you can plant new plants in their place or purchase the same ones.
WHERE TO BUY SEEDS AND SEEDLINGS
for mixborder
The scientific and production association “Gardens of Russia” has been introducing the latest achievements in the selection of vegetable, fruit, berry and ornamental crops into the widespread practice of amateur gardening for 30 years. The association uses the most modern technologies and has created a unique laboratory for microclonal propagation of plants. The main tasks of the NPO "Gardens of Russia" is to provide gardeners with high-quality planting material for popular varieties of various garden plants and new world selections. Delivery of planting material (seeds, bulbs, seedlings) is carried out by Russian Post. We are waiting for you to shop: