The Golden Garden

Where the main color of the garden is determined by the golden scale, where yellow-orange tones prevail, even on the most cloudy day the sun and warmth will be remembered. It is not difficult to form such a garden, since at present there are many yellow-leaved varieties of woody plants and no less herbaceous plants, unlike the pompous and official red-leaved forms, they cannot be attributed to too obligatory. Warm sunny shades are more often associated with home comfort and go well with the measured (maybe even carefree) suburban lifestyle. After the gray city, the main color of which is determined by the color of concrete and asphalt, muted gold against a green background is quite appropriate in the garden and goes well with the surrounding nature.

Of course, it will not be possible to decorate the entire site with only golden forms, if only for the reason that the overwhelming majority of such plants retain their bright color, provided they are grown in sunny, well-lit places. Naturally, in any area there are both sunny and shaded or semi-shaded corners. But this is not required. It is enough to plant a few bright dominants, backing them up with pastel, less expressive forms, add a little yellow paint to the flower beds and the site seems to be splashed with drops of sunlight or painted with the golden rays of a heavenly body or warmed by the warmth of an inexhaustible source of life - that's who you like, it all depends on your mood ... In fairness, we note that the yellow foliage is not only sun and warmth, but also the gold of autumn with a blue dome of the sky, cool matinees and crunchy thin ice of puddles frozen overnight.

What should you choose? The bright golden crowns of decorative forms of catalpa, gleditsia and laburnum (golden rain) are extremely decorative, but very unstable in our climate, so let's turn to more familiar plants. Conical or slightly cupped crown elm (Ulmus hollandica "Wredei") with gently light green spring foliage and later yellow foliage is most attractive against the background of dark green maples or chestnuts. However, due to its compact crown and relatively low height, this elm shape can decorate the facade of the house or the entrance to the site. An interesting recently bred golden-leaved form birch (Betula pendula “Golden Cloud”) Is a short tree with white smooth bark and lemon-yellow leaves throughout the season. An unusual birch tree is good in single and so-called. bouquet planting. Looks interesting in group planting among ordinary birches, as well as in mixed group plantings. The advantage of this variety is that it is quite stable in the middle lane, characterized by slow growth and rather compact size, which allows it to be grown in small areas. Large areas can be decorated with a yellow-leaved form. ash-leaved maple (Acer negundo "Odessanum"). An exceptionally elegant tree, the peak of its decorativeness occurs in late spring, early summer. It was during this period that young maple leaves are distinguished by a particularly bright golden-yellow color, which by the middle of summer acquires a greenish tint, becoming golden-light green. The plant also has its own zest: in partial shade, the color of the crown is brighter than in the open sun. In addition, the tree, although very unpretentious, grows and develops better in fresh, fertile soils.

For the southern regions of the Moscow region, where it is noticeably warmer, in areas protected from cold winds, it is possible to grow robinia (Robinia pseudoacacia 'Frisia'). An openwork crown of a free form, graceful sometimes very bizarrely curved branches, delicate foliage form a refined silhouette of a tree. The leaves, although not pronounced yellow, but very delicate light green, lemon-lime or light green-yellow color, are brighter in the sun and less bright in shade.Robinia ‘Frisia’, as befits a white acacia, has fragrant, melliferous flowers gathered in drooping clusters, which distinguishes it from a number of other yellow-leaved forms and varieties. For the south of the Moscow region, where the space of the site allows, we can recommend red oak (Quercus rubra 'Aurea'). The variety, in comparison with the natural species, is not too tall (no more than 15 m) with a fairly wide crown, it is distinguished by a particularly bright color of the leaves from the end of May to almost the end of June, then the leaves turn slightly green. In autumn, the foliage turns bright orange to orange crimson, which makes the tree an unconditional autumnal dominant. It is especially decorative in a single planting, as it develops a beautiful wide crown on a low trunk, but it is quite appropriate in decorative wood compositions.

The choice of yellow-leaved shrubs is especially diverse, among which you can pick up plants, both tall and low-growing (even dwarf), both for single and group planting, and there are some of which you can plant a beautiful hedge. The foliage of golden forms is brightly colored deren white (Cornus alba 'Aurea'), common hazel (Corylus avellana 'Aurea'), tanning skump (Cotinus coggygria ‘Ancot’), viburnum gordovina (Viburnum lantana 'Aureum'). In decorative groups, these plants always focus on themselves the attention of the observer. Greenish-yellow or slightly light green leaves in mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius 'Aureus'), bladderworm (Physocarpus opulifolius 'Luteus'), elderberry black and elderberry (Sambucus nigra 'Aurea', Sambucus racemosa 'Aurea', Sambucus racemosa 'Plumosa Aurea'). Each form has its own characteristics. For example, in elderberry, leaves on young shoots are brighter, therefore, to maintain a pronounced golden hue, it is recommended to form bushes by cutting out old shoots and thereby stimulating the development of young ones. In shading, the leaves of the bladderwort and the mock-orange quickly turn light green, but both can be used to create hedges. Separately, it should be said about the Thunberg barberry, which has a whole range of colored decorative forms, including yellow-leaved ones. The most famous form is ‘Aurea’ (Berberis thunbergii ‘Aurea’) - a loose shrub up to 1m in height attractive because it retains its color well even in shade conditions. Retains color in partial shade foliage dwarf form ‘Bogozam’, which allows this shrub to be used in shady gardens and rockeries. 'Maria' (Berberis thunbergii 'Maria') is no less decorative, with delicate golden foliage and pinkish orange tips upward directed shoots, but this form is best grown in places with sufficient light. Japanese spirea is distinguished by a variety of yellow-leaved forms. Shrubs with a compact spherical crown of golden, lemon-yellow or golden to golden-orange foliage at the ends of the shoots. The main difference between the varieties is in the height of the bush and the shade of the foliage. According to the author, the most decorative are Spiraea japonica ‘Goldflame’ (height up to 0.6 m), Spiraea japonica ‘Macrophylla’ (height up to 1.5 m), Spiraea japonica ‘Magic carpet’ (height up to 0.5 m). The ‘Golden Princess’ and ‘Goldmound’ varieties are less bright.

Conifers also have many golden forms: each breed has a golden or golden-tip variety. In the middle zone, golden forms of western thuja (Thuja occidentalis 'Aurescens', Thuja occidentalis 'Europe Gold', 'Rheingold', 'Sankist', 'Golden Globe') and common juniper (Juniperus communis 'Depressa Aurea'), juniper are especially promising. Cossack (Juniperus sabina 'Arcadia'). The warmth-loving varieties of horizontal juniper and middle juniper (Juniperus horizontalis ‘Mother Lode’, Juniperus x media ‘Gold Star’) tolerate winter cold well under a snow cover and whiter. Yellow-coniferous yew forms, so beloved by European gardeners, in the Moscow region can be damaged in winter. To prevent this plant, it is recommended to cover it in autumn with non-woven material or spruce branches.

For consistent gardeners, it is recommended to decorate the garden with flower beds, which include yellow-leaved forms of perennials. They will support the color gamut of oregano (Origanum vulgare 'Aureum'), yellow-leaved forms of the cuff (Alchemilla mollis 'Aurea') and loosestrife (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'), as well as golden variegated and simply golden-leaved host varieties (the most decorative Hosta ', Hosta'Paul's Glory', Hosta'Stained Glass'), especially now fashionable Bruners (Brunnera macrophylla 'Spring Yellow') and Heuchera 'Caramel', Heuchera 'Pistachio').