Land development always starts with a plan. Rational use and decoration of a personal plot are possible only as a result of its correct and thoughtful planning, taking into account natural, climatic, local, national and everyday characteristics. In this article, we will tell you how to decorate a personal plot with your own hands in a village from improvised materials, we will give a video and photo instructions for decorating.
The smaller the area of the site, the more carefully you need to plan it and think over the design details.
Relief
When placing the elements of the estate and choosing plantings, it is necessary to take into account the location of the place relative to the sides of the horizon, the prevailing winds, the state of the soil and soils, as well as its relief. The natural relief does not always and does not fully meet the planning requirements, in such cases it is recommended to carry out a vertical layout.
With small differences in height (up to 5%), earthworks are not carried out, leaving the natural relief, and the house is being built with a basement or basement, or only the site for building a house is leveled.
In areas with a steep slope (8-12%), the situation can be corrected by terracing the site across the slope, and the steeper the slope, the more terraces are needed. Stairs are arranged between the terraces, and the surfaces of the terraces are connected with retaining walls. As a rule, for small slopes with clay and sandy loam soils, the steepness is 1: 1.5, with sandy soils - 1: 2, that is, a slope with a height of 1 m occupies a strip of land of 1.5 or 2 m.
Fence
In addition to the direct functional purpose, the fences also play a decorative role, therefore, the arrangement of the personal plot can begin with the installation of fences. It is better to make the outer fence at a person's height or slightly taller, and the inner fences can be installed with a height of 30 cm to 1 m. The fence consists of pillars and lathing, the materials for the fence may be different.
In addition, fences can be made in the form of a hedge, planting it in two rows, between which to pull a low metal mesh... After 2 years, the shrubs will grow into it and make it invisible.
Suitable for green fencing different kinds hawthorns, thuja, Japanese quince and others. Shrub is cut in the second year. Hedges are formed with a lateral and apical haircut, which is carried out 2 times a year.
We invite you to watch a video about an alternative hedge arrangement.
When designing a personal plot, special attention should be paid to the paths. Their correct and beautiful layout plays an important role in the improvement and decorative design. The general pattern of the tracks can be geometrically strict or free. There is a direct connection between the tracks, relief and the shape of the site.
First, the marking is carried out - the straight sections of the tracks are marked with a cord, tied to the pegs with the ends, and the curved ones - using one peg as the center of the circle, and the other - the legs of the compass. It is easy to draw smooth curves on the ground, varying the length of the line and the location of the center.
If you want to lay paths with artificial turf, you need to carry out preparatory work. Along the marking lines, the sod is cut to a depth of 15-20 cm and removed so that a slight elevation remains along the central axis so that rainwater flowed down to the edges. This place prepared for covering is called a "trough".
Tracks can be made:
Ground - along the stretched cord with a shovel, cut the edges of the track to a depth of 10 cm. This layer of earth is removed, and the cut area is rolled with a hand roller.
For such paths, you only need to sow the lawn or white clover... This is how many make out the entrance to the garage, paving two lanes with paving slabs for the wheels.
Gravel - at the bottom of the "trough" a layer of 7 cm of coarse gravel (4-6 cm) is laid, after its rolling - another layer of 5 cm of finer gravel (2-3 cm), and then a layer of sand mixed with clay (1: 3 ) 1-2 cm thick, which is well rammed, while pouring water for better shrinkage. The last one is another layer of 2 cm of fine gravel, which is also watered and tamped.
Perhaps the most aesthetic appearance of the tracks, because such tiles can be of any shape and color and fit perfectly into the design. A dry mixture of sifted sand and cement (4: 1) is poured onto the "trough", and then concrete slabs are laid one by one, which is leveled and compacted with a rubber hammer. Laying paving slabs is not difficult.
Wooden end paving - effective and very economical, since wooden "rounds" can be cut independently. For the manufacture of such paths, tree trunks of various sizes are treated with an antiseptic (bitumen, drying oil), and then sawn into equal segments of 10-15 cm.Such logs are placed on a layer of sand 10 cm.In the space between the large ends, small ones are placed, and the remaining voids are filled sand.
Monolithic concrete - for such paths, formwork is prepared, which is poured with plastic concrete with fine gravel, prepared from the calculation: 1 part of cement, 2 parts of sand and 3 parts of gravel.
And a few more photos of various paths for the summer cottage:
We suggest watching this video on the arrangement of the tracks.
Front garden and green lawn
For work such as landscaping a personal plot , you can simply make it beautiful, clean and elegant by sowing the free space with lawn grass. On such lawns, places for recreation, picnics and sports games are arranged.
Also, lawn grass can be sown in the front garden in front of the house, where they do not look good big trees or shrubs planted in groups. In this case, the tallest trees or shrubs are planted in the center of the group, and the lowest ones at the edges.
When planting flowering shrubs in the front garden, their colors are taken into account - plants with white, yellow, orange flowers, and at a greater distance, near the paths - with red, purple, blue and dark or red-leaved bushes.
The physiological and psychological effects of flowers and their smells on the human body have long been known. Home garden decoration - color compositions are compiled according to the following design rules:
- compliance with the color ratio... Red - green, purple - yellow, blue - orange - these combinations create contrasting and emotionally effective relationships. Combinations of colors are soft, harmonious: red - yellow, red - blue, violet - orange, violet - green, blue - yellow. White color matches all colors. When creating flower beds, you need to remember that in well-lit, sunny places flowers are placed in warm, soft and harmonious tones, and in shaded places - contrasting ones.
- if possible, the continuity of flowering. To do this, you need to select flowers with different flowering times. So, in April, snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, tulips bloom; in May - forget-me-not, lily of the valley, violet, iris, lily, peony; throughout the summer - gladiolus, phlox, purple dicentra, poppy, bell, delphinium; in September - aster, goldenrod, dahlias; in October - chrysanthemums. Roses have a long flowering period - from May to September.
Flowerbeds are arranged in the front garden, on recreation areas, rocky hills, slopes, terraces, near a reservoir. The background for flowers is a green lawn, stones, walls of a house, tree trunks. When planting flowers in a flower bed, you need to take into account that flowers of the same type, but of different colors, look very beautiful together. Variegated mixtures of tones are undesirable. A flower bed does not become beautiful because there are many types of flowers on it. It is not the quantity that matters, but the harmony between the colors. Another rule for arranging a flower garden is that the farther the flowers are planted from the path, the larger the color spot can be and the higher the flowers themselves.
When choosing flowers, it is necessary to take into account their requirements for soil and illumination, the growing season, resistance to wind, time and period of flowering, decorativeness, plant height, etc.
Roses occupy a special place in the landscaping of the site. Almost continuous flowering and a wide variety of colors put the rose in the first place in the decorative design of the site. Roses are planted in a sunny, bright place, protected from the wind. Climbing roses are planted on the south side of the house. The green lawn is a wonderful background for these flowers, coniferous trees, stones of retaining walls and terraces.
Alpine slide
The design of a personal plot is often complemented by such design solution like a rock garden or alpine slide. This is a decorative composition made of low-growing shrubs, flowers and stones, where the latter form the basis of the slide.
It is better to select stones of the same breed, the largest ones weighing about 30 kg.
A pit 30-40 cm deep is dug along the outlined contour.On clayey heavy soils, its bottom is covered with a layer of gravel of 10-15 cm, and on waterlogged soils, it is increased to 20-25 cm.After that, fertile soil is poured into the pit above the level of the surrounding soil on 40-60 cm, and then the stones are laid out and installed, trying to achieve the maximum naturalness of their placement. Places of various sizes are left between the stones for planting plants.
For an alpine slide, select low-growing and creeping plants with bright colors of flowers, leaves or fruits. At the same time, coniferous species (creeping juniper, dwarf thuja, Canadian conical spruce) should also be included - they enrich the colorful flavor in spring and autumn. The correct selection of plants ensures the decorative effect of the alpine slide not only during the growing season, but also in winter. From deciduous shrubs, you can choose purple-leaved barberry, periwinkle, heather, hydrangea, honeysuckle, ivy, rhododendron, boxwood. Of the flowers, the stone garden will be decorated with a pinnate carnation, St. John's wort, goldenrod, iris, bell, crocus, primrose.
Flowers with an intense color are planted in the center of the composition. It is better to plant flowers in groups or singly, but not scattered all over the hill.
Arranging a personal plot on your own, you can also think over the device of a small reservoir for decorative purposes. Such a small pool can be made from concrete ring, which is dug in 5 cm below ground level. A layer of crushed stone of 20 cm is laid at the bottom, rammed, sprinkling with water, then poured with cement mortar (1: 3). On the upper perimeter, the rings are laid paving slabs, and the joints are sealed with a solution. You can plant water lilies, irises, reeds in it. Caring for such a reservoir is to change the water.
A small pool with communications can be made by separately concreting its bottom and walls, which are reinforced with reinforcement. To make the water flow out of it better, the bottom is made with an inclination towards the drain pipe, which, in turn, is also installed at an angle. The water from the pool is drained into a general sewer or a drain well, which is arranged for drainage in the lowest place. The filling pipe should be just above the pool water level. If you install a spray head, you get a fountain that looks very attractive.
Instructions
Design. Do not immediately clear your area of old trees, leave the largest of them intact. This will make your work progress faster and more efficiently. In the project, you should take into account the boundaries of the site, the adjoining streets, the contours and location of existing buildings, the inputs to your site of water, gas, underground utilities. Leave the green spaces intact. Further, based on this relief and the existing one, distribute all the planned buildings over the territory.
Take care of the drainage system. The simplest and cheapest is drainage. To make it, you need to dig drainage ditches around the entire perimeter of the site with dimensions of 0.5 m - width and 0.6 m - depth. Bevel the sides of the ditch at an angle of about 40 degrees. Water from these ditches is usually discharged into a gutter, which is common for several sections at once. The open drainage system intercepts and also removes surface water during melting snow and rains.
Next comes the preparation for construction. Fence off the construction site first, and then provide a normal access path for transport. By doing this you will achieve that construction works will not cause significant harm to the natural complex of the site. It is advisable to use an embankment of gravel, slag or crushed stone, poured into a thickness of 15-20 cm and rammed. The size of the stones should not exceed 20-25 mm in diameter. The content of smaller fractions in the stones is also desirable.
Take care of the fence. Here you need to look at the house itself and at where the fence will stand. For example, if you want to put an expensive carved picket fence, put it on the front side of the lot, and even a regular wicker fence can be used for the back or garden. Also, do not make a brick fence on a high foundation if you have a small wooden one. If you use a wooden fence, be sure to paint or varnish it. Then the fence will last longer and will be protected from rust, decay, as well as from atmospheric precipitation.
The last step can be considered decorative arrangement garden / vegetable garden. Even a banal frame support for a curly one can decorate the site. Such frames can be made not only ordinary, but also wicker, twisted or even forged metal. Not last role special garden lighting also plays in the garden decor. Flower beds and flower beds look great on any summer cottage, beautiful paths made of concrete or stone, made with mosaics, wooden benches with carved backs and handles, living canopies made of climbing plants and much more. The main thing here is to connect your imagination.
Equipping and planning your summer cottage is not as difficult as it seems. In this article, we will analyze popular layouts, and also consider ways to decorate a summer cottage in simple and original ways.
Gardening is great, but turning into just an "agricultural slave" for the whole weekend is probably not the most the best way... And this means that a country cottage, first of all, should become a place of rest, that is, it should have all the conditions necessary for this.
In a word, real publication for those who, in the request "dacha with their own hands", put the meaning of turning a suburban area into a cozy corner of rest and relaxation. If you manage to competently draw up and practically implement your own project, then this will become the pride of the whole family, since, most likely, each of its members will be able to come up with the design of their own corner. Thus, the dacha will be not only and not so much a place where you can grow an ecologically clean crop, but that "magnet" that will attract all the thoughts and aspirations of the owners in impatient anticipation of the next weekend.
Video: interesting ideas for decorating a summer cottage
Zoning and decorating a summer cottage is a rather exciting activity available to any person with imagination. It is more difficult to implement all ideas. However, if the necessary construction work is carried out, and then the decoration of the entire territory, the result will not only delight the master, but also surprise guests and neighbors for many years. Especially if you periodically replace some boring elements with new, even more original ones.
Nowadays, the topic of improving the personal plot is especially relevant. Most of the townspeople, tired of the bustle of megacities, are increasingly striving to be closer to nature and buy houses in the countryside for this purpose. And what is a rural house without a land plot? Actually, for his sake he is needed.
It is so nice to sit quietly in a shady corner of the garden or work in the beds and escape from office problems, so that you can then please yourself and your loved ones with the products of your gardening. But in order to bring all this to life, you need to properly organize the territory around country house, and for this you need to know certain nuances of this process, which is not so easy as it seems at first glance.
Peculiarities
Before starting work on the improvement of the suburban area, it is necessary to draw up a project. To do this, it is not at all necessary to contact a landscape designer, although if funds allow and the area of the territory being developed is large enough, then you can choose this option.
The volume and nature of work on the arrangement of the territory depends primarily on the size of the site. It is one thing to plan the location of objects and landscaping of 4-10 acres of land, on which half of the area is occupied by a house, and it is quite another thing to correctly arrange a large plot of 10-20 acres or more. This will require significantly greater financial, labor and time costs.
Fencing
If the site does not yet have a fence or the existing fence does not suit the owners, then you should carefully consider what it should be. Of course, massive fences with brick or stone pillars look more attractive, between which a fence made of wooden, metal or forged elements can be located. But this is a rather expensive pleasure, not available to every owner.
In such situations, you can turn to an ordinary picket fence, wattle fence or just a mesh fence. To make light fences more attractive and more reliable, medium-sized fences can be planted along them ornamental shrubs(lilac, thuja, bladder, barb, juniper) or fruit (hawthorn, honeysuckle), all kinds of climbing plants (ivy, wild grapes, climbing roses, clematis, etc.)
Zoning
Dividing the territory of a personal plot into zones and linking them together is one of the most important stages of landscape design.
Typically, a site includes the following standard functional areas:
- entrance territory;
- recreation area;
- a place for placing outbuildings;
- garden and vegetable garden area;
- playground.
The number and nature of the allocated zones may vary depending on the lifestyle of the dacha life of the owners, the presence of children, animals and the size of the plot. So, for example, in small areas, several zones can be combined into one in order to save space.
The front or entrance area is a business card country house... Usually it is a square area and about 6% of the entire territory is allocated for it. Since the main task of this zone is to provide entry and exit, then it is good if a parking lot and a path leading to a residential building are organized on this site.
The main road should have a width of about one and a half to two meters, so that several people can easily move along it at the same time.
Garden design elements are usually placed along the fence adjacent to the entrance area. Near the fence from the side of the street, it is quite possible to arrange a flower bed of flowering plants, which will set the tone and mood for the front entrance to the site. Along the fence, both outside and inside the territory along the edge of the entrance zone, you can plant low varieties of thuja, decorative pines and spruces, or climbing roses.
The territory for rest is more hidden from the eyes, people turn to it from time to time, so the functional load on it is less pronounced. This zone is usually allocated 10-15% of the territory. Here they build a gazebo, arrange a patio, a terrace, or simply arrange a barbecue area with a place for receiving and preparing food.
When choosing a place to stay, one should proceed from the fact that it should be located:
- as comfortable as possible in relation to the main house, since the owners of the house and their guests will relax here, friendly and family dinners will be arranged here, and this implies a certain movement between the recreation area and the residential building, which should be quite convenient;
- away from the entrance area to the site and mainly behind a residential building in order to provide the necessary level of privacy and freedom from prying eyes;
- in a place from which the most attractive landscape opens up, so that nothing can spoil the pleasure obtained from outdoor recreation.
Outbuildings should be located in such a way that:
- Moving between them and the main building was extremely convenient;
- These buildings were in harmony with the residential building, did not distract attention and did not block the view of it;
- They could be hidden with the help of various decorative techniques (fencing with pergolas with climbing plants, planting ornamental shrubs).
Of no small importance for many summer residents is the presence of a zone for growing vegetables, berries and fruits. For these purposes, it is permissible to allocate up to ¾ of the entire site, but it all depends on the preferences of the owners. To some, this space may seem small, but someone does not like to tinker in the garden at all and prefers to have a couple of beds with green crops that do not require maintenance.
The gardening area is usually located in open, unshaded areas. If the backyard area is small, then the garden and vegetable garden should be decorated in such a way that they do not spoil, but only decorate the site even more.
The zone of games and entertainment is a must for families with children. It can be of any shape and size, depending on the number of babies. When arranging this territory, it is necessary to proceed from the following:
- The playground should be safe and comfortable for young family members;
- It should be positioned in such a way that from anywhere in the garden you can see what the children are doing;
- The surface of the site should not be hard (sand or grass);
- The location of the play area should be sunny, but with areas of shade;
- As children grow up, it should be possible to further transform the children's area into some other (gardening, recreation area, lawn, pond, or something else).
The given set of zones of the summer cottage territory is far from being exhaustive. Each owner plans the territory based on his own needs. For example, you can equip a place on the site for sports training, an area for walking pets, etc.
Tracks
All garden areas should be connected with each other by paths, which should be planned in such a way as to ensure comfortable movement around the territory, depending on the need.
A more harmonious and well-groomed appearance of the landscape is provided by the device of paths made of stone or tiles. Despite the fact that this type of decoration is quite expensive, nevertheless, the result is worth it. Instead of stone, you can also use pebbles, rubble, sand or brick.
The easiest way to arrange paths is with sand. First, the boundaries of the paths are marked with ropes, then the top layer of soil is removed, rubble is poured, and sand mixed with stone chips is poured onto it. All layers are compacted and curbs are installed along the edges of the track. To optically highlight such a path and make it more decorative, flowering plants are planted along it.
The option of organizing concrete paths is not difficult. You can line the tracks with ready-made concrete slabs, or you can fill the base with your own hands. This type of landscaping makes it possible to make paths of a wide variety, including original forms. Preparatory work the same ones are carried out as in the version with sand, the difference is in the installation of formwork along the edges. The solution is poured onto the prepared base.
If desired, an imitation of masonry can be performed on the concrete surface.
Green spaces
When choosing plants for a site, it is necessary to take into account the type of soil, the location of a particular plant (sun or shade), climatic conditions (how cold winters are). Otherwise, all efforts to plant and nurture them can be nullified when, due to frost or high humidity, the plants will simply die.
Not a single backyard territory can do without a lawn. A beautiful lawn can attract attention both as an independent element of landscape decoration, and as part of the overall composition of the garden. All kinds of compositions of trees, shrubs, flowers, as well as decorative elements (vases, fountains, sculptures) look great against its background.
The lawn can be grown from seed or purchased in rolls. Anyway, when choosing it, it is necessary to take into account the conditions in which it will grow. Currently available for purchase different types lawns - for shady places, resistant to drought or trampling.
Trees in the decoration of the garden landscape play the role of its peculiar columns turning into the vaults - this is a vertical decoration of the territory, which provides the garden with the necessary shade and delicate aroma during the flowering period.
When planting trees, be sure to take into account what size they can reach. That's why large trees are best used for large-scale areas.
In a small area, only one such plant can be planted, and the rest of the trees should be of medium size.
The shrubs on the backyard are a kind of walls. They are planted in rows, used to create complex compositions or in a single planting. Rows of shrubs can serve as a hedge on the site or reliably hide outbuildings, which can sometimes spoil appearance territory.
The most colorful option for decorating a garden is a flower bed. You can find a place for it even in a very small area. Thanks to correctly selected plants, it is possible to ensure its decorative effect and variety of colors throughout the summer season.
Lighting
Proper lighting will help make the area around the country house attractive and functional, not only during daylight hours, but also at night.
Lighting is required for the main paths, the entrance area, the area around the residential building. Also, for decorative purposes, you can highlight some compositions of plants, fountains, sculptures, and other objects.
If it is not possible to lay electricity throughout the site, you can use lighting fixtures that are powered by solar panels.
Styles
Landscaping is not only about correctly distributing space into zones, laying paths between them, planting trees and shrubs and creating flower beds. It is very important that all these activities are carried out in a single style direction... Without this, the garden will be perceived as not quite finished, there will always be something missing.
To prevent this from happening, you must adhere to one of several styles of organizing landscape space, be it a small area or a large estate.
The following styles are distinguished:
- English or landscape involves a transition from the correct strict forms in favor of natural natural lines. Reservoirs, winding paths, the predominance of silvery and green tones, a minimum of man-made objects will be appropriate here;
- French style or regular. Here more emphasis is placed on artificial forms: austere straight alleys, symmetrical plant ensembles, round pavilions with columns, sculptures, trimmed trees and shrubs;
- Country music does not imply the use of clear rules in the arrangement of the territory. It is simple and natural, so it is suitable for all areas, both wide and elongated. In the arrangement of the site, wood, stone, metal, vine are used, fruit trees, medicinal herbs... The decorative elements are jugs, old wheels, logs, tubs.
Landscaping of a plot of a private house of an urban or suburban type is a process no less laborious, costly and creative than creating an interior for a dwelling. A beautifully designed spacious garden plot or a small backyard, fascinating with its originality - in order to realize your ideas about the beauty of landscaping adjoining territory all means are good. Even within the framework of an urban private household with a small piece of land, it is possible to organize not only an attractive appearance, but also a practical green corner. Well, on the scale of suburban areas, the implementation of various types of landscape design will be limited only by your own imagination and budget for landscaping. In our extensive selection of design projects for decorating local areas, we tried to collect examples for every taste, wallet and stylistic preferences. We hope you can get inspired by interesting design ideas and implement your own ideas for organizing landscape design in a summer cottage, a backyard or a private yard.
A detailed plan is the key to a successful design
Before proceeding with the purchase of the necessary equipment, seedlings and finishing materials, it is important to draw up a clear and detailed plan for the location of all landscape design elements - from large buildings to the smallest bush. After all, even the creation of an image of a site, which seems to have been created by nature itself, requires the tireless attention of the owners. The more detailed and accurate your layout of the elements and the sequence of their appearance on your site, the less time, effort and money you will spend on the improvement of the local area. Agree that it will be a shame to spend a lot of effort on creating a flower bed in the place where you will later have to lay a water supply system for an artificial reservoir.
On a detailed plan for the location of landscape design elements of the site, it should be noted:
- buildings (gazebo, summer cuisine, canopy, veranda, Summer shower, playground);
- reservoirs or water structures (laying drainage and water pipes carried out first);
- alpine slides, cascading structures made of stones;
- garden paths;
- planting sites for trees and shrubs;
- the location of flower beds and flower beds (the time for organizing the design element of the site will largely depend on the type of flower bed);
- fencing of the adjacent territory (in some cases, the zoning of a large area is carried out using small fences, "living" walls, the location of which must also be foreseen in advance);
- decorative elements;
- lighting system and illumination of the facade of the house and site.
There are a lot of options for the execution of landscape design, there are design styles with their own basic concepts and motives, within which some classification can also be distinguished. But we can safely say that all the basics of stylistic trends are just a "skeleton" of design, to which you can add your own ideas and fantasies.
Conventionally, all the options for decorating the adjoining territories can be divided into those that look as if nature itself created the image of the site, and the person was only able to effectively fit into the resulting picture. It seems that perennial plants themselves have grown in surprisingly organically selected places, bushes and flowers are located around them, and small reservoirs seem to have existed in their places for many years - a person only paved paths between these harmonious elements of the site and used the lighting system to highlight the most spectacular ones.
The second option is a qualitative opposite - strict symmetry, verified sizes and shapes, clarity in the arrangement of all elements, indicating the tireless attention of the owners to the appearance of their local area. If there is a lawn on such a site, then it is perfectly trimmed, the garden paths are stunning with the clarity of the forms, and in the flower beds the flowers are located according to the flowering time.
Garden paths - practicality and beauty
Garden paths are not only necessary element landscape design to move around the site at any time of the year, but also the method of zoning the territory, its decoration. Arranging lanes wisely will help you spend minimal amount time and effort to move around the site, between its main elements. Regardless of what style of decoration of the territory you choose, what to fill your personal plot or small yard - paths are necessary to move from the house to the garage, gate or gate, buildings (gazebo or shed) and various elements of the landscape.
The main requirement for a garden path is the smallest distance from one element of the site to another. Sometimes, to shorten the path, it is necessary to sacrifice the beauty or originality of the laid element of landscape design. As for the width of the paths, there is an unspoken rule for the main top - 1-1.5 m. For small paths leading the owners of the site to the most hidden corners of the yard - at least half a meter wide.
In addition to the dimensions, there are also some requirements for the appearance of the tracks. These design elements of the site should not resonate with the site's image. The paths should also correspond to the basic choice of landscape design materials. With an abundance of stone structures (barbecue, fencing, facing the foundation of a building or even finishing the facade), it will be logical to use natural material and for arranging the site with garden paths.
Conventionally, all types of tracks can be divided into two types - solid and not solid. The name speaks for itself. The choice of one or another type will depend on the size of the site (length of paths) and the role of garden paths in its arrangement (whether they are a key design element or play an exclusively practical role).
By the type of material of execution, garden paths can be divided into:
- stone (plastic, pebbles, paving stones and not only);
- wooden;
- concrete;
- brick;
- paths from scrap materials and construction waste (from glass to used plastic covers).
Here is an example of decorating a garden path in the now popular steppingstones style. Elements of such trails seem to represent places for placing a foot - you move along large stones or saw cuts of logs dug into the ground. One of the practical and at the same time economical ways to design such a path is to make concrete tiles of various shapes. You can make a beautiful, modern and practical path on your own.
An original and outwardly very attractive effect can be achieved by combining the material for the execution of garden paths. For example, concrete plates strictly square shape looks harmoniously in combination with a pebble stone. The same effect can be achieved by combining solid wooden paths with small pebbles or plastic.
Flowerbeds and flower beds - site decoration
Flowerbeds and flower beds are a necessary element of any landscape design. Even on the most modest in size courtyard, you can find a place to organize a flower bed, especially since there are a lot of types of these elements of landscape design. Flowerbeds differ in shape and size, location in relation to the horizon line and the choice of plants for planting. Each owner of a personal plot, summer cottage or private courtyard will be able to find his best option.
Flower beds are divided into the following types:
- regular - different plants are planted in such flower beds, blooming at a certain period of time, but arranged in the form of a certain pattern;
- irregular - the most popular type of flower beds that can delight the owners of the site and their guests with flowering throughout the warm season;
- raised - differ in design features, the structure is a frame made of wooden boards, stones or bricks, covered with earth and located above the level of the horizon;
- vertical ("living" walls) - the best option for small areas or decoration of fences, walls of some buildings
- carpets - the planting of plants is done so tightly and in a clear order that it allows you to create an imitation of a carpet pattern;
- monoclumba - by the name it is clear that in such a flower garden there are plants of the same type.
Often on household plots and raised flowerbeds can be found in the courtyards of private houses. Which are used not to decorate the territory, but as an agricultural element - for the cultivation of cucumbers and tomatoes. The concept of "dacha hard labor" for many of our compatriots has sunk into oblivion, but the ability to pick fresh vegetables and herbs to the table overpowers modern trends in landscape design.
Artificial reservoirs in the local area
Small bodies of water, fountains, ponds and home waterfalls have always been popular with both landscape designers and their customers. If you look towards the Japanese design of gardens and parks, which has become an example in many areas of this type of decoration art, then stones, plants and water should be present on the site.
When organizing water facilities on a site, first of all, you need to decide what needs you need them for - whether it will be an exclusively decorative reservoir or the water from it will be used for irrigation, for example.
Fencing the site - we use the fence as a decor
Any site needs a fence. Of course, the design of the fence, the material of execution and color palette will be chosen by you in accordance with the design of the facade of your house. But the fence of the local area can be used not only as a designation of the boundaries of the site, protection from uninvited guests and prying eyes, but also to decorate the landscape design of your yard. Plants planted near a mesh fence or fence with special hooks will create a green image of the site's boundaries.
Combining fencing with vertical beds you can create a completely unique image of the boundaries of the site and the entire territory as a whole. Original "live" inserts of greenery and flowers will refresh the appearance of even the most urban fence in style.
Buildings, recreation areas and barbecue areas
Even having a very modest in size adjoining territory, any owner wants to organize places for recreation on fresh air, an area for meals, barbecue, a sector for guests and parties. Depending on the size of the site, your needs and financial capabilities, you can arrange recreation areas with different functional backgrounds.
From European countries, the motive of organizing recreation places like Spanish patios has penetrated into landscape design. A small area, most often fenced on all sides by buildings, structures or a fence, is equipped in a universal way - here you can just chat in the open air, have a snack, drink refreshing drinks, receive a small group of guests and even have a modest party. In Russian realities, such a place for recreation must necessarily be accompanied by the presence of a barbecue - outdoor recreation without cooking a barbecue is not considered successful.
In order to organize a place for a meal, terraces or areas under canopies are ideal in order to enjoy delicious dishes outdoors without fear of rain. Most often used for the dining area garden furniture- metal, wooden, wicker. Considering that the functional segment is located under the roof, it is possible to use soft pillows to increase the level of comfort and even organize a soft seating area on sofas and chairs made of artificial rattan. Here, under the shed, you can place barbecue equipment. On the one hand, such an installation is convenient in terms of traffic, on the other hand, it is safe, because the barbecue equipment is not part of the main building.
Site lighting - an element of landscape design
Providing the local area with a sufficient level of illumination in the dark is a matter of not only safety, but also beauty. Thoughtful and competent location lighting fixtures will allow not only to move around the site without a flashlight, but also to create a completely unique atmosphere of a private courtyard and the facade of the house. By highlighting parts of buildings, flower beds and paths, steps and decorative sculptures, you can end up with a unique image of a personal plot.
Formally, all courtyard and home lighting can be divided into functional (utilitarian) and decorative. From the names it is clear that the first is necessary to a greater extent for safety (it includes the illumination of the entrance to the building, garage, gate or wicket, the very entrance to the site), and the second is responsible for decorating the territory with lighting (highlighting the most outstanding elements of landscape design, which can be both fountains and bridges across the pond, and the most common lilac bush).
For small plots, backyards of private urban-type houses and just small summer cottages, it may be enough to evenly distribute the lamps along the garden paths and hang a lantern on the building at the main entrance. For large areas, you may need different types of lighting fixtures - from pendant lights for buildings up to LED flax for large trees and shrubs.
Lighting equipment should be all-season durable and preferably powered by solar energy. When using any type of lighting, it is necessary to draw up a plan for the placement of lamps in such a way that the boundaries of the site can be seen even at night. But at the same time, the lighting should not be too bright - a garden path flooded with light in the pitch darkness makes a psychologically difficult impression on a person walking along it.
Some ten years ago, our compatriots were proud of decorating their summer cottage or the adjacent territory of a private courtyard with various sculptures. But after Europe, where the use of garden gnomes and animal sculptures became considered bad form, the Russian owners of yards and estates stopped decorating their garden paths in this way. But the use of colors will never go out of style. Flowering plants in large garden pots and tubs, fancy flowerpots or monolithic concrete structures will always be relevant.
The advantage of this type of decoration is that you can use flower pots everywhere - in a spacious area to decorate a terrace or dining area under a canopy and in a small backyard, where, in addition to a couple comfortable chairs and the table does not fit. But in the realities of the Russian climate, you need to make sure that you have a place to hide flowers during the cold season.
