How To Make A Gazebo From Living Trees And Roses? Photo

2023 Author: Ava Durham | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 07:13

The trends of ecological fashion sometimes give rise to amazing trends in landscape design and techniques that overturn ideas about the possibilities of decorating gardens. One of the most natural and unusual ways to equip a secluded place for rest is to use densely planted and intertwined trees as a protective "structure". And around such a lively gazebo, magnificent climbing roses are planted, creating a lush and romantic canopy and increasing the security inside. It will take several years to create such a blooming live gazebo. But on the other hand, the result will be unique.

Content:

• What is a living gazebo?
• Features of creating a live gazebo
• Start at the site
• Reliable wood for the base of the gazebo
• Roses suitable for living gazebos
• Alternative to climbing roses

What is a living gazebo?

A living blooming gazebo is a natural, natural "structure" around the recreation area, created with the help of intertwined trees, along which decorative vines twine. At its core, it is a place for rest, surrounded by dense "natural" plant protection, in the arrangement of which no structures and building techniques are used.

In fact, nature itself creates the gazebo around the site with a little help from the gardener in the form of guiding and controlling the growth of woody ones. This option for arranging a recreation area is fundamentally different, in essence, from a simple hedge planting, from mixborders or flower beds with "protective" tall shrubs. Indeed, as a result, a full-fledged gazebo is created, which, in terms of functionality, can be equated to any artificially created structure.

The fashion for living gazebos is a direct continuation of the trend of arranging green huts and hedges from rooted willow branches. Only here, not twigs or branches at all are used as a basis, but full-fledged garden giants. In fact, flowering pavilions are the next stage in the “evolution” of living analogs of objects of small architecture from a hut to green living pavilions, and then to delightful flowering varieties.

The main advantage of living gazebos is simply not to find an equally original, catchy and bright garden decoration that testifies to the skill of the owners, and their respect for nature, and the desire for unique design and individual solutions following all the trends in garden fashion.

A living gazebo is inherently unique, being created not even for decades, but for centuries, a structure that year after year will continue to change and form, develop and become prettier. And it will perfectly fit into any garden style. During its creation, not a single tree will suffer and not a single extra ruble will be spent, and the environment will only benefit in the form of an increase in tree plantings and an improvement in the ecological situation on the site. Not a single gazebo can be compared to a living one in feeling cool and fresh, even in the midst of the summer heat.

Features of creating a live gazebo

Blooming living pavilions themselves consist of only two elements:

1. Woody, which are planted so that they form a sufficiently dense "base" or ring;
2. Lianas, most often flowering climbing plants, and climbing plants that twine around trees and crown the structure with a delightful canopy.

Blooming living arbors are often called simply arbors of roses, because most often natural plant structures are created using a combination of unpretentious woody and the most colorful and beloved vines - climbing roses.

Roses allow you to achieve the solution and the problem of creating a fabulous profuse bedspread, and reliable protection from prying eyes, and creating a fragrant cloud around the gazebo.

To equip a live gazebo, you will need a few more "little things":

1. Choose the surface of the site inside the gazebo (it is better to use natural materials, dry masonry or soft surfaces - gravel, crushed bark, etc.);
2. Choose comfortable furniture for relaxing from eco-materials (from a simple table with chairs to benches, sun loungers and garden sofas);
3. Think about accessories for a cozy atmosphere.

Creating a living gazebo is not a difficult task, but it requires patience. In order for the growing trees to intertwine with branches, and then for the roses planted around them to grow, you will have to wait several years. But even at the very beginning of this formation, the process of observing the changing gazebo will give you pleasure. And how your "highlight" in the design of the garden will change and improve from year to year is an unforgettable experience.

Start at the site

Living flowering gazebos can only be created on warm and sunny areas sufficiently protected from cross winds and drafts. Bright lighting is necessary not only to create a tree frame, but also for climbing vines that will be planted around it and will not be able to bloom in shade.

The first thing to think about is the recreation area itself:

1. The territory is marked out, highlighting the area of the desired shape (not necessarily the simplest - round) with a diameter of at least 3 m.
2. Prepare the soil under the circle of plants, allocating 1-2 m on it along the perimeter of the circle, digging deeply into the soil, introducing organic and mineral fertilizers.
3. Thoroughly level the soil inside the circle, creating a cover immediately if possible or leaving the final layer of decorative mulch or gravel for the last step.
4. In the middle of the prepared landing strip, strong and wide wooden pegs, placed every 0.7-2 m, outline the frame of the arbor and the landmark for planting trees. Such supports will help young plants, will serve as "posts" for tying up short branches and will allow you to more firmly fix and guide the branches, and after the plants grow, they can be removed. Sometimes the pegs are connected together with slats or wire to create a solid base, but this is not necessary.

Only after the rest area is ready (or almost ready), do they actually start planting the plants.

Reliable wood for the base of the gazebo

To create living gazebos, you need to choose unpretentious, hardy, undemanding to the conditions and do not need care of species of woody plants. The choice is made from among the simplest species, but proven over centuries and growing literally by themselves.

Particular attention should be paid to winter hardiness: you can only choose plants that can withstand any, even the most difficult winter. For the conditions of the middle lane, the preferred breeds for creating flowering live arbors are:

• Linden;
• poplar;
• Birch tree;
• spruce.

The time that will have to be spent on creating a living gazebo also depends on whether you correctly select the seedlings. From too young seedlings, a gazebo will have to be created for about a decade, because first you will have to form the plants themselves and only then proceed to the formation of the gazebo itself (and then also plant it with vines).

To create living pavilions with a flowering canopy, seedlings are used:

• age from 5 to 7 years;
• plants are already formed, with strong skeletal branches, evenly spaced;
• trees from 1.5 to 2 m high;
• plants are healthy, strong, fast-growing, carefully evaluated;
• seedlings with a closed, not open root system.

The best time to plant trees for a live gazebo is spring in the middle lane or spring / autumn in regions with mild winters. Plants are planted between the stakes at a distance of 70 to 120 cm between the seedlings, fixing them along the intended frame and immediately tying the branches to guide the growth vector. After planting, the plants are provided with maintenance watering until growth resumes. In the first year after planting, and with slow development - the first 2 years, the trees are not touched. And then they begin to weave and graft the branches:

• skeletal branches are cut in half annually in early spring;
• the main crown is cut off 10-15 cm in the middle of summer;
• in early spring, instead of the cut off crown, one of the young branches is directed strictly vertically, which should replace it;
• the lower skeletal branches are tied up and directed strictly horizontally in early spring and as they grow.

Thus, a dense circle of trees growing nearby is created. When a sufficiently high and dense base is formed, if desired, create a green roof, collecting in a bunch and braiding all the crown shoots of each plant and pulling them to the center of the future roof with fastening on opposite pegs. When the base is ready, they begin the most interesting thing - planting vines to decorate such a living gazebo and remove the support pegs.

Roses suitable for living gazebos

Flowering plants are planted in place of the posts, to which the branches are tied - between the tree ones. They are guided along the "frame" to achieve maximum decorative effect.

Climbing roses are the best choice for flowering live arbors. Long-lasting, unpretentious and regally beautiful roses, it is no coincidence that they hold the palm among garden vines.

In the design of living gazebos, two types of climbing roses are used of your choice:

• large-flowered climbing roses;
• ramblers.

Each rose has its own benefits. Roses from the Rambler group are not surprising with a strong aroma or flower size, limited to only 2-5 cm. But they have a lot of other advantages. First of all, there is the presence of different double and non-double varieties with the most varied colors of dense and massive inflorescences, consisting of dozens of flowers and turning such climbing roses into clouds.

The color scheme of ramblers includes all possible variations of light and bright colors - from white and pink to carmine, raspberry, burgundy and purple. The leaves are tough and small, the shoots are flexible, up to 3-5 m long, perfect for such a specific support as trees. Rumblers bloom only once, but up to one and a half months, at the very height of summer, on the branches of last year, they are quite frost-resistant.

Among ramblers, the best candidates for landscaping a living gazebo are representatives of the group of classic and rather fragrant varieties - Super Excelsa, Paul's Himalayan Musk, Bonny, Super Dorothy, Apple Blossom, etc.

Climber group roses captivate, first of all, by the size and beauty of individual flowers. Reaching a diameter of 7 to 12 cm, they bloom in loose, few-flowered inflorescences or even one at a time, seem perfect and unusually catchy. The color palette of large-flowered climbing roses will not yield to ramblers, but the scent is much more interesting and strong.

But their shoots are different. Powerful and strong, straight, up to 3 m high, they are distinguished by larger and more densely arranged leaves. Not so resistant to frost, but resistant to diseases, large-flowered roses conquer, first of all, by their ability to bloom again and by their abundant wave of blooming on young twigs, exciting all summer.

The best varieties for landscaping a living gazebo among climbers are Aloha, Rosarium Uetersen, Eric Tabarly, Antike 89, Palais Royal, Pierre de Ronsard, Constance Spry, Charles de Mills and dr.

Alternative to climbing roses

In addition to climbing roses, other flowering vines can also be used to create living arbors. Clematis looks great in such a gazebo, but nevertheless it will better reveal its character when paired with a rose.

You can change the flowering addition of a living gazebo every year by planting annual vines - passionflower, kobei, ornamental beans, morning glory, tunbergia …