Astilbe in landscape design - photos of the best combinations and compositions with other plants

Where does the plant look best?

In the wild, astilbe can be found in dense deciduous forests and along the banks of reservoirs. It perfectly tolerates moderately moist soil and shaded areas, which makes it possible to plant this plant near an artificial lake and in gardens with tall trees and shrubs.

This amazing plant, in addition to its luxurious forms, also has several colors, which allows you to decorate almost any flower bed or lawn in various styles and directions. The range of astilbe shades is small:

white,
soft peach,
pink,
lilac,
deep scarlet.

But this does not bother landscape designers, who invariably use the plant in their projects.

Here are some planting options featuring this flower, as well as combinations of astilbe with other plants.

Astilbe: photo and description

The plant belongs to the Saxifraga family , astilbe's natural habitat is the banks of streams in the deciduous forests of North America, East Asia and Japan.

It follows that the bush prefers high humidity. According to data posted in various sources, the genus Astilbe contains from 18 to 40 species of plants.

The flower owes its name to Lord Hamilton. The titled Scottish botanist fixed the matte color of its leaf blades in the name of the bush: literally the name astilbe is translated as “devoid of shine .

The flower was brought to Europe at the very end of the 18th – beginning of the 19th centuries by lovers of rare flora representatives Carl Thunberg and von Silbold.

Astilbe itself is a rhizomatous perennial, i.e. at the end of the season, all the stems with leaves and inflorescences of the plant die off. The height of the plant depends on the species characteristics.

There are varieties whose size barely reaches 10 cm, but there are also varieties whose growth approaches 200 cm.

Astilbe also differs in the structure of its long-petioled leaf blades, jagged along the edge. They can be:

simple;
twice pinnate;
thrice feathery.

The color of the leaves of the plant also depends on the varietal characteristics and can be dark green or reddish green .

The developed rhizome of astilbe can be lignified or loose. Every year, new buds form on the upper part, while the lower part of the root dies.

Important! Don’t miss the moment and be sure to sprinkle the exposed part of the root with soil in the fall.

The root grows by 3–5 cm per year, depending on the variety.

Classification of plants by type of flowering:

early - flowering occurs at the very end of June;
medium - bushes delight the owner with blossoming panicles in July;
late - flowers bloom in August.

Astilbe flowers are small, delicate and collected in large apical inflorescences.

Astilbe in roadside flower beds and borders

Tall fluffy astilbe, planted along garden paths, looks impressive and original both in the company of other flowers and shrubs, and among plantings consisting exclusively of its different subspecies and varieties.

Astilbe in mixborders

The spreading panicles of astilbe effectively complement flower and shrub crops in mixed compositions.

A few more examples of the use of astilbe of different varieties and hybrids in landscape design.

Care

Astilbe is a very unpretentious plant. Caring for it comes down to weeding while the flower is still small. Subsequently, when the bush has grown sufficiently, the need to weed the planting will no longer be necessary. The clumps are so dense that weeds cannot grow through them.

All varieties of astilbe require a large amount of moisture. The plant needs regular and abundant watering. During dry periods, water in the morning and evening, and to ensure less moisture evaporates, carefully mulch the plantings.

Inflorescences can be removed after flowering, although this is not necessary. Dried panicles are beautiful and can decorate a flower garden until frost. In October, foliage and stems must be cut off at soil level and the rhizomes covered with mulch. This will help protect the flower rhizomes from freezing. Young astilbe plantings can be additionally covered with spruce branches, but adult plants do not require such cover.

Experienced gardeners recommend rejuvenating astilbe plantings every 5 years. This can be done both in spring and autumn. The bush needs to be dug up and the rhizome divided into small sections. The plant tolerates replanting very well and blooms the next year.

Astilbe bushes near the trees

Astilbes look advantageous in the shade of the crown of large deciduous and coniferous trees, against the background of large and medium-sized shrubs.

Astilbes and hostas

Tall, slender astilbes go well with hostas with wide, bright leaves. These plants complement each other very favorably.

Tandem with juniper

Against the background of coniferous juniper, astilbe looks especially elegant, attracting the eye and being a bright accent in the composition.

Examples of design of naturgardens and park areas.

Astilbe is one of those flowering perennials that does not require complex care and, most importantly, can survive cold winters in open ground. No wonder this beautiful plant is deservedly popular among gardeners and landscape designers.

Author: Ilona Lukina
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The unpretentious queen of shady gardens: astilbe in landscape design

Published Jul 4, 2019

All summer residents dream of a beautiful garden that does not require complex care. Perennial flowers and shrubs come to the aid of experienced designers and novice gardeners. One of the very favorite and unpretentious plants is the spectacular astilbe, whose multi-colored panicles will harmoniously fit into any style of landscape design. The shrub, widespread on many continents, came to Europe from Japan at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. The plant, which was brought by lovers of rare flora, by the middle of the last century had firmly won the hearts of biologists, gardeners and florists in our country.

Although the varieties bred by breeders differ in shape, size and color, astilbe cannot be confused with any garden shrub. Fluffy inflorescences on a slender stem resemble the bright feathers of fairy-tale birds. You can decorate almost any free space on the site with graceful flowers.

The plant is undemanding to soil composition and grows even in dense shade. And if the groundwater is shallow, it does not dry out and blooms for a long time on open lawns or lawns.

Astilbe does not need to be covered for the winter - it is a frost-resistant crop. The above-ground part of the plant withers, and the roots, withstanding temperatures up to thirty degrees below zero, produce new shoots in the spring. Many varieties live up to eight years without replanting.

The design of country flower beds with astilbe is based on its decorative properties, long flowering period and variety of species. The height of the plant can reach two meters. Graceful stems covered with carved leaves crown inflorescences in a wide range of shades: from white to purple. A composition composed entirely of multi-colored astilbe looks impressive.

Shade-loving plants go well with astilbe in flower beds: hosta, conifers, ferns and hydrangea. Green spaces will serve as a colorful frame for the bright shrubs.

Delicate flowers of lush hydrangea can harmonize with the shades of the panicles.

The plant’s ability to grow well in shaded areas has made it an indispensable attribute of a garden with landscape design. The flowering of the shrub under the cover of evergreen trees will last longer. Thickets of astilbe can be used to decorate tree trunk areas or free zones.

Since the plant needs a lot of water, it is planted on the banks of reservoirs. In moist and loose soil, flowers acquire more saturated colors.