Caring for a personal plot needs a waste of time and energy, however, the beautiful design of the garden in the country and the tidy area works peacefully and makes it possible to relax in comfort. For leaving you don’t need to spend big finances much, it is possible to put the land in order with your own hands.
Before you can carry out the decorative design of the garden and the garden yourself, you need to carefully consider the plan for placing all the details and make an accurate estimate of the cost of acquiring the necessary materials.
Action plan
The arrangement of the garden can be divided into the main working stages:
- create a recreation area, it can be a gazebo, artificial or natural meadow,
- asphalt or lay out paved paths,
- make flower beds with green plantings,
- equip a miniature garden,
- make an artificial pond in the form of a fountain, waterfall or stream.
You can clearly see the options for designing a garden on the site in the photo from sources that pay attention to this topic.
Gazebo
To make a gazebo you will need:
- Treated beams and wood planks. It is possible to take secondary raw materials, which need only be cleaned and sanded.
- Then cover with drying oil and paintwork.
- Decide on the location.
- Build a base in the designated area for construction.
- Dig a trench about twenty centimeters deep under it.
- Pour it with cement mortar. But first, put in the corners of the wooden beams in the depth of half a meter.
- Wait a couple of days until the foundation solidifies.
- Make flooring from boards.
- Fill decorative slats on the corner posts, making fences, like walls. Reiki for this can be nailed in the order of any geometric shape.
- To erect a roof. Install the rafters and cover the roofing material. It can be: metal, tile, plastic.
Paved paths
The design of the garden can be done using paved paths. To create them, first on the earth you need to plan easy approaches to the required objects and make markings.
It is better if the tracks are laid in a straight path, so the practicality of using the main land area will be preserved.
On the edges of the future path you need to drive in pegs. Remove soil ten centimeters deep with a bayonet spade. To fill in the depression with sand and tamp.
The surface can be laid out:
- saw cut trees
- sidewalk tiles,
- medium gravel
- artificial or natural stone.
At the end of work, again fill the surface with pitch, filling all the voids.
Flower beds
It is common to create mixborders in the garden, such peculiar greenhouses with various plants. They replace the usual flower beds, and the combination of annual and perennial seedlings looks great at any time. It happens that bushes and dwarf trees plant.
Usually a mixborder is made no more than one and a half meters wide. Remove the layer of turf and fill this place with black soil.
Site layout
It is most convenient to draw up a site plan during a visual inspection. To do this, just go out into the courtyard, walk around the territory and analyze its condition. The most illuminated and shady places, lowlands and hills are taken into account. Inspection and highlighting the features of the land allotment will help to divide it into the main zones: a garden, a garden, auxiliary buildings (garage, barn), a resting place and other facilities necessary in a particular situation.
How to plan for the degree of illumination:
- On the north side of tall trees and buildings, a shadow falls. Such areas are best reserved for a garage, utility room,
A hedge of trees - protects the site from the wind
Most of the land allotted to the garden and vegetable garden, and the rest of the territory, free from technical facilities, can be occupied by recreational areas surrounded by flower beds and details of the decorative landscape.
Work plan
To get a clearer picture of the upcoming work, it is recommended to start by cleaning the area from debris, dry grass and weeds. Freed from excess, the site seems more spacious, and it is easier to draw a future landscape on it. Then you should act according to plan, and in order not to rack your brains every time, what to do next, you just need to make a list of works in the order in which they should be performed.
Work plan:
- Alignment of irregularities, that is, cutting off hillocks and moving excess land to lowlands,
- Planting fruit and ornamental trees, berry bushes,
- Garage and technical construction,
- Construction of canopies or arbors in recreation areas,
- The construction of raised beds and vegetable beds,
- Marking the boundaries between zones,
- Track lining,
- Breakdown of flower beds.
Tip. Terracing with the construction of retaining walls is a rather time-consuming and costly business, so you should deal with it when absolutely necessary, when there are quite steep slopes on the site.
Where to get inexpensive materials for the arrangement of the site
In order to carry out landscaping of the site with minimal cost, building materials are bought at a low cost. In most cases, it is a used brick or building blocks, a floor. For some materials, you don’t have to pay money at all - this is what is stored in sheds and pantries, occupying a useful place.
Cheap tracks
Old building materials can make garden paths. The best left brick after disassembling buildings. The fact that he was in use speaks in his favor - he has already withstood the difficult climatic conditions for several decades and has proved its strength. The next 5-10 years, until the funds accumulate for a new coating, he will still survive.
You can make flooring from the boards. Across the future tracks with an interval of 60 - 90 cm, wooden blocks are laid. Their length is equal to the width of the track. Boards are packed on top of the bars, and the rustic-style path is ready. When choosing boards, you should check their strength so that during the walk there will be no “accident” on them.
Tip. If there are no boards, but there are logs, you can make transverse cuts and use them to arrange tracks. It’s impossible to put the rounds close to one another because of the roundness of the configuration, and this is not necessary. The main thing is that you can walk on them after the rain without dirtying or soaking your shoes.
The paths made of plastic bottles look original. You need to pick up bottles of the same capacity, fill them with sand, and dig in (with the neck down) in the form of a curb on both sides of the track. The inner space is covered with sand or gravel and compacted - and walk gently, and the water quickly leaves, and the dirt does not accumulate.
Water
To decorate the landscape with a pond, this is not the prerogative of richly decorated manors. You can make a pond from an old bathtub or other vessel, for example, a large basin, a plastic barrel. The tank is dug into the ground, filled with water, and lined with stones. Around the reservoir moisture-loving vegetation is planted.
If there is no suitable capacity, a foundation pit of the right size is simply dug out, its bottom and walls are covered with a dense plastic film, the ends of which are pulled out and pressed down by stones. Water is poured inside, and the pond is ready. In order not to buy garden figures, you can run into the pond children's water-themed toys: ducks, frogs, boats. Even a rubber ball or a rubber ring for swimming is suitable.
Resting-place
In any case, a recreation area is needed, as you need to receive guests somewhere or gather in a narrow family circle. If in the near future it is not planned to build a capital gazebo, you can do with canopies and home-made pergolas.
The easiest way to attach a canopy to the house. For construction, you will need two pipes and metal cross-pieces (corner, square, reinforcement with a cross section of 15 mm, strip). The length of the crossbars depends on the size of the canopy.
How to make a canopy:
- Having retreated from the wall of the house about 2 m, pipes are dug in, which will serve as supports. Their height should be 20 cm below the roof so that there is free flow of rainwater,
- The upper corners of the supports are connected to the house by transverse beams, the opposite ends of which are brought under the roof,
- On the crossbeams, a lath of reinforcement is welded,
- The roof is laid from slate, plums are arranged.
In a similar way, it is not difficult to make a canopy of wooden blocks.
The lateral sides in this case are decorated with gratings along which climbing plants are launched. The interior is furnished with inexpensive plastic furniture or stationary benches and a table made of wood. If the house has old sofas and armchairs that are not a pity to put out on the street, they are very suitable for decorating a vacation spot.
Attach a canopy to the house is best in the backyard near the windowless wall. Here you can create a cozy hidden place by decorating it with thin curtains and hanging flowerpots with hanging lashes of ampel colors. Nearby you can put a barbecue or make a hearth for a barbecue.
Garden design
Vegetables “participate” in creating a stylish landscape along with flowers. Sometimes they are even able to compete with them in decorativeness and take on the role of a dominant plant in the design of the site.
Creating a beautiful garden 7 helpful tips:
- Each bed is clearly limited. This gives the garden a more well-groomed appearance and helps in planning plantings. The borders are tracks of various widths,
- If the soil on the site needs to be improved, high beds are an excellent way out. It’s not necessary to raise the entire area of the garden - only the most problematic areas,
- Tall beds should be made so wide that they are easy to process while standing on the path. The length can be any
- Tall crops are planted so that they do not obscure low plants,
- In a small area, tomatoes, herbs, cabbage and other vegetables can peacefully coexist with flowers in a flower bed: both beautiful and practical,
- Plants requiring the most frequent watering are located closer to the source of water,
- In garden design, the principle of combining plants is applied. The garden looks more interesting when different crops are grown on the same bed: cabbage with onions, cucumbers with zucchini, greens with carrots.
Some vegetables are decorative on their own, so they can be used even in ceremonial flower beds. Looks beautifully surrounded by annual flowers of forks of blue cabbage, bell peppers, decorative varieties of tomatoes. Very spectacular red flashlights physalisspreading leaves rhubarb or crispy salad outlets.
By introducing new into the landscape design of the site every year, you can create interesting compositions without a lot of money. The main thing is not to be afraid to experiment, to be able to find use for old things, to seek fresh ideas for designing your site.
Also, useful tips from our specialist:
Ideas need a foundation
Streamlining ideas and fantasies in your head is very important. The basis is a detailed project plan drawn in special designers or on paper. Many are mistaken in thinking that the design of the garden begins after the construction of the house and other structures.
Not really. So that the personal plot meets all the ideas of the owners and the rules of comfort, it is planned at the design stage of the house.
To do this correctly, you must:
- on the terrain plan, note the segments on which the buildings will stand (house, bathhouse, garage) and the garden areas: garden, pond, barbecue, gazebo, playground, sculptures, barbecue, lake and so on
- note the location of trees, shrubs and other perennials, taking into account their growth over time
- mark all engineering systems of the site, including irrigation, lighting, water supply of water bodies and so on
Garden landscape project
Something like this should look like a landscape project for a personal plot.
When the design on paper is completed and there is a work plan in hand - it's time to start implementing the plan. And the most interesting thing here is work on the arrangement and improvement of the garden. The photos of the garden design described in the following paragraphs are the result of a thorough approach to each stage and professional execution of projects.
Choosing a garden color scheme
Magnificent blooming garden
Color can work wonders. Correctly selected colors allow you to decorate the most unsightly areas of the garden, visually make them visually larger or smaller, add volume or raise the vertical.
Gardens in one color are in fashion today: white, blue, scarlet, evergreen and so on. The so-called natural landscapes, in which plants growing in the wild nature of the area are collected, do not lose their relevance.
Interesting landscape gardens, created in the Alpine style, country, classic. Continuous flowering gardens are also popular, which delight with a riot of colors from April to October. One of them is in the photo below.
A magnificent flowering garden worthy of the royal palace. By this principle, small areas can also be designed, along the perimeter of which lay winding paths for walking. Curly flower beds as flowering zones are separated by an ideal lawn. Such a paradise on earth.
In an evergreen garden in the style of minimalism coniferous stands solo. Their diversity is so great that you can pick up tiny junipers, fluffy cone-shaped spruces and shrubs that are resistant to sudden changes in temperature.
Here the composition is created from conifers with contrasting shades of needles from yellow-gold to gray. That is why the coniferous landscape will never be boring.
The landscape in delicate pink and white hues
The landscape in delicate pink and white hues always looks fresh and elegant. This color scheme is especially true in small areas. White expands the boundaries, adds volume to the picture and looks great both in the daytime and in the evening. White is universal and suitable for any style from simple rustic to strict modern.
Garden in lilac blue hues
The garden in purple-blue hues looks very noble. Blue hydrangea, cinquefoil and other flowering perennial shrubs stand out against the background of a green lawn.
The main thing - maintain their beautiful shape with regular haircuts and trimmings. You need to trim at least 2 times a year, while maintaining the desired shape.
Design Ideas for Individual Garden Sites
Hearth and place for cooking outdoors
The garden is a whole, even if it is divided into many small zones. When planning its arrangement, we must not forget that all ideas should be embodied in a single style. How to arrange a recreation area, a living room in the fresh air, a fireplace, garden paths, vegetable beds, an open veranda?
And how to protect the terrace from the weather and drafts, where to plant ivy and how to beautifully arrange the fence and save money? Perfect photos of the design of the garden and the plot will help you with this!
Recreation area and barbecue
Hearth and place of cooking outdoors. That’s why you should plan a relaxation area and barbecue. Here the hearth is located a bit away from the dining area so that smoke and pungent odors do not interfere with enjoying nature. A separate dining area is a great idea! This is a great place to have fun.
An open gazebo is best placed in the farthest corner of the site, surrounded by large-sized. This creates a feeling of privacy, isolation and tranquility. Wooden arbor and furniture in it gives a pleasant tactile sensation, not comparable with concrete. An alternative to wood on your site is wicker furniture that looks even more aesthetically pleasing.
An example of the perfect arrangement of a recreation area in the backyard. Four mini-zones are built on one site, which allow you to cook food, bask at the hearth, and dine on a sunny and cloudy day without traveling over considerable distances.
Sun loungers, hammocks, swings and comfortable chairs in the shade of the orchard
Sun loungers, hammocks, swings and comfortable chairs in the shade of the orchard - very organic, stylish and comfortable. A light canopy protects from sunlight and light rain, it is convenient to walk along the plank floor, especially if there are small children at home. This area for them is a platform for passive games.
Bench and openwork tea table
A bench and an openwork tea table - such a relaxation area can be arranged near the house in the smallest section of the garden. Its biggest advantage is mobility. She can at any moment take another place, sheltered from the wind, the sun and even rain.
Nearby you can think over and place pots and plant new plants in them every season. Thanks to this decoration, the atmosphere here will always be different.
Modern relaxation area for narrow urban areas
A modern relaxation area for narrow urban areas. It is located at the very end of the plot and is framed by a high vertical fence-fence. To separate the zone from the garden itself, a podium was built.
If desired, you can place a cache-pot along the fence and plant curly vines, so it turns out to create a feeling of a cozy forest glade.
Idea for cottages with small plots
Another modern design project. Everything is simple, concise, functional, in a strict urban style with direct geometric shapes. Only the abundance of plants in the cache-pot completely smooths out the urban look. Idea for cottages with small plots in the city.
Rest area with benches
For a large garden with a series of walkways, you can organize several relaxation areas with benches. Here you can relax, read a book, conduct conversations and just dive into your thoughts and contemplation of beauty.
Rest area adjacent to the back entrance to the house
Recreation area adjacent to the back entrance to the house - the most popular site planning option. With just a few minutes of free time, you can jump out into the street, fall into your favorite chair and breathe in full chest.
Here you can tell a lot about hosting guests and playing with children! Gardeners love such a layout, since the entire remaining territory is given over to all kinds of green spaces - and this is an open space for imagination.
Garden Path Ideas
Even the most persistent lawn grasses cannot remain perfectly beautiful in areas of heavy traffic. Therefore, garden paths, platforms, paving stones to be! Here the path is paved with slabs, which looks very organically with a paved area for a recreation area. A great and rational solution for many styles.
Garden paths
Smooth paths in the garden are suitable for organizing a pedestrian zone. On them it is pleasant to walk between flowering flower beds and admire them. Such paths can be combined, made of tiles, wood, saw cuts, pebbles and gravel.
Diverse vegetation path
Such a path creates the effect of aged paving. It looks very beautiful, especially against a background of diverse lush vegetation.
A modern look at zoning a site with tracks
A modern look at zoning a site with tracks. Their purpose here is to mark the passage to the buildings. Very comfortable and beautiful.
Backlit walkway and flower beds
Path and flower beds with backlight - a fabulous experience for the evening. The larger the plot, the more actively they plan lighting and vice versa.
Gravel paths
Gravel paths look natural, natural and inexpensive. They are not slippery, and walking barefoot is good for health. They can be given any shape. It is enough to fill the material on the soil, previously limited by the curb for the lawn. A practical option for any terrain.
Garden Ideas
Beautifully decorated vegetable and berry beds have long become part of the decorative landscape. They harmoniously coexist with flower beds and even decorate individual areas of the garden. To give the garden a well-groomed appearance, between the beds you can lay a lawn in rolls, cover it with gravel.
An example of how a hedge of boxwood organically combines roses on a trellis and neat beds limited by a border. Such an idea can be implemented in any household plot, even the smallest.
Vegetable composition
And this composition is from vegetable crops, framed by garden paths can serve as an interesting place for walking. Idea for a summer cottage.
Vegetable green mini garden
A mini vegetable garden in the far corner of the garden - an idea for those who have very little free time. Such a garden requires almost no maintenance - just a timely harvest! Berry bushes complete the picture of a delicious corner.
The road to the recreation area
The road to the recreation area and barbecue can be decorated not only with flowers, but also beds with medicinal herbs and vegetable crops. The two-level design looks very original. And how convenient it is to cook from fresh products just collected from the garden!
Interesting garden design ideas in different styles
Alpine slide, rock garden - a classic and a highlight of the personal landscape. But you can imagine it in a variety of forms and proportions. Here, it looks like a stone mountain, generously decorated with stunted perennials, moss, succulents. If there is a lot of meta in the garden - this is a wonderful decorative element, in addition, a high alpine hill protects the site from the wind.
Pool, relaxation area and barbecue
This picture is the ultimate dream of many cottage owners. The pool, relaxation area and barbecue are so harmoniously and compactly designed that you want to get there as soon as possible. An ideal picture for implementation on your site.
Multi-level Terrace Gardens
Multi-level terraced gardens - not many can afford such a luxury, but the idea of such sites can be repeated on the standard 15 acres.
Ephedra and nothing else - this is not boring - it is very beautiful all year round. The competent selection of plants and the maintenance of certain forms of the crown makes this garden natural and unique. Due to the unpretentious varieties of conifers, such a landscape can afford people far from knowledge of botany.
Bridge over a pond or dry stream
A bridge over a pond or a dry stream - many dream of this. Such a small architectural form adds to the garden volume, texture and makes walks even more pleasant. The bridge can be made of logs and boards, stone, brick, forged elements. Designers often use it to decorate the garden and place it away from buildings.
Topiary haircut is a fashionable trend in landscape design. Thanks to a special way of forming a crown, trees and shrubs can be given any shape. For professionals in their field, the strength of figures of animals and birds, fabulous flowers and other objects.
The rock garden so popular in China and Japan is gradually conquering the gardens of Europe. It is considered low-maintenance, harmonious, contributing to relaxation and philosophy.
Japanese-style stone garden option
Another cozy version of the stone garden in the Japanese style. This, but in miniature can be repeated in many areas. The main rule - no bright colors, maximum proximity to nature! Ideally, at the beginning or end of the garden there is a cozy bench to contemplate the beauty of the stones and the landscape as a whole.
Chic design project of the backyard of the house
Chic design project of the backyard of the house. The building is buried in flowers framing the adjacent territory, the back entrance and open balconies. It remains only to sit in a chair and enjoy the riot of natural colors.
The landscape around the house
As close to nature as possible. This is evidenced by the floor windows and the natural landscape around the house. Plants are selected in such a way that are in harmony with those growing in the natural environment. There are no exotics, extra brightness - everything is muffled and calm, as it should be in the forest!
Carpets and labyrinths from perennial shrubs
Carpets and labyrinths from perennial shrubs - a fashion for them appeared in England. This is mainly the prerogative of large parks, but some homeowners do this on their plots.
As the main plant, in addition to the evergreen boxwood, take deren, barberry, thuja brabant. They tolerate a haircut, grow quickly, so a wonderful carpet can please a few years after planting.
Flowerbeds can decorate the house along the perimeter
The house around the perimeter can be decorated with flower beds. This option of garden design requires a lot of care and effort, but it's worth it. How pleasant it is to enjoy the cheerful colors of flowering plants from every window of the house. When planning such flower beds take into account the cardinal points and the wind rose. Not all plants grow well on the north side and in the shade.
Pond - usually an artificial pond created to decorate the garden
It represents an entire ecosystem, with selected plants. Ponds often attract dragonflies, frogs. The organization of a reservoir is a difficult job, requiring careful selection of a place, the absence of large trees nearby and taking into account other nuances. But this work is a wonderful result!
Blooming garden without traditional walking paths
Blooming garden without traditional walking paths. Not many people decide on this, but it looks great. A lawn with lush green surrounds flowering flower beds and nothing prevents you from running barefoot on it. Such an idea is only for the backyard of the house, since the front door always has a high degree of patency.
Arch or pergola - a small architectural form, a variant of vertical gardening. It can be either an independent decorative element or a companion.
Arches pass through garden paths, decorate recreation areas, and are often used in rose gardens to support climbing roses. Such a composition always looks aristocratic, creates visual accents, is the background for beautiful photographs.
One of the unusual options for representing the fountain on the site. In general, the movement of water in the garden promotes relaxation and helps moisturize the air, which is useful for human health and plant life. The fountain is a system of complex engineering structures, therefore it requires professional work.
Path to the front door
When the house is in the back of the plot, the path to the front door can be beaten as in the photo. After entering the gate, a wonderful picture of correctly selected plants and stone compositions opens to the gaze. In the evening, directional lamps illuminate the path to the house. The same is on the facade of the house.
Garden in the evening
What the garden will look like in the evening. You should think about this in advance before laying lighting networks. Ideally, you need to use multi-level lighting to create a fabulous setting.
Trunk circles in the shade of trees
This idea is for those areas where there are large-sized. According to this principle, you can arrange trunk circles in the shade of trees. Ideal plants for this host. The variety of shapes and colors of leaves allows you to create a boring carpet, which almost does not require care. Plants with white and yellow foliage enliven the dark corner of the garden.
A modern take on landscape design. Everything is strict, concise, emphasized. The path from the terrace leads directly to the garden of succulents and sends back to the house. Such a garden requires a minimum of maintenance and watering, calmly tolerates heat and preserves decorativeness for a long period of time.
The best garden landscaping ideas collected from around the world can be the very start that encourages action and the creation of beauty against the backdrop of nature. Be inspired by a selection of beautiful photo projects and real gardens, read useful literature, consult with specialists, and your garden will become worthy of a glossy cover!
Even more interesting ideas in the video below.
PHOTO GALLERY
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Pros and cons of a private garden in landscaping
The location of a private garden on the site has both pros and cons.
- The main advantages are:
- Always a fresh crop.
- Original, distinctive design of the site.
- Savings due to the availability of their own vegetables, berries, fruits and herbs.
- Constant presence in the fresh air, which is good for health.
- Regular physical activity, which helps to accustom both themselves and children to work, the fight against laziness.
- The ability to bring and keep fit in a short time.
- Health will also be in good shape, which is very important.
- Getting aesthetic pleasure in the form of beautiful beds, garden and horticultural crops, flowers. As well as the opportunity to boast to neighbors and friends of a beautiful and thoughtful design of the territory near the house or cottage.
- There are few disadvantages, but still they are:
- The need to work in the garden for a crop.
- The garden is not suitable for lazy and very busy people at their main jobs.
- It is necessary to be engaged in beds daily.
However, the benefits are much greater. If you plan to create a garden - do not give up your dreams. Moreover, it can be hidden in the landscape design of the site from prying eyes.
How to hide a garden in landscaping
In countries in the territory of the post-Soviet space, preference was always given to practicality rather than decorative landscape. Of course, there were certain rules for planting plants, but they were not determined by the beauty of the site, but were aimed at their best growth. In a completely different way, the inhabitants of many European countries, for example, France, approached the creation of the garden.
The practical and aesthetic side of the issue is important there. Today, everyone has the opportunity to make the garden a neat and attractive element of the garden. By the way, such a design will help to achieve not only the desired decorative component, but also significantly facilitate the process of caring for the beds.
If you want to hide the garden from prying eyes, you can do this in one of the following ways:
- Make sure that the garden is not visible from the porch, wicket or relaxation areas thanks to trellises with vines. You can use grapes, honeysuckle, hops, lemongrass.
- Create a hedge, for example, from a berry, currant, gooseberry or chokeberry.
- You can choose a plant composition of plants of different heights.
- An alternative solution is to use decorative details on buildings, including hedges, flower arches, gates, etc.
- It is appropriate to divert attention from the garden with an attractive element. Such can be a flowering hydrangea shrub, a bright flower garden, a pond or an alpine hill.
And also you can always not hide, but bring the garden to the fore, making it a component of the overall design. In this case, it should be special in terms of the shape of the beds, their location or the use of certain crops.
Location planning
The first integral stage of the development of the garden in landscape design is the planning of the project, namely: the place where everything will be located. It is advisable to first consider the placement of zones, and then draw a plan on paper. Such an approach to business will guarantee that even on several hundred square meters it will be possible to plant healthy vegetables, delicious berries and beautiful flowers.
Moreover, experts do not recommend mixing the garden and the garden. In an ideal performance, the picture looks like when separate places were allocated for these territories. One of the possible options: beds - on the sunny side, flowers - where it is convenient to enjoy their beauty, trees - under the windows to create a shadow or in the corner of the courtyard. Pay attention to the selection of the size of the garden. It is not necessary to make it big. Enough and small, where the most important or most delicious for the owner of the culture will grow.
How to choose a garden style
For maximum aesthetics of the house and garden areas, it is worth deciding on the desired style, in which the entire territory will be framed. When the choice is made, you need to adhere to the rules and recommendations so that the site really pleases with aesthetics and harmony.
Popular destinations:
- Oriental. It is called the most unusual. The main elements are pebbles and crushed stone used for decoration. The stone is selected according to the color scheme and size for overall harmony. It is permissible to use any other cobblestones. An interesting addition is a small pond. It is important that the water in it does not spur and does not disturb the soil, so attention should be paid to a good drainage system. Among the required plants: bamboo (even a low fence can be made from it), boxwood.
- Rustic. It is also called country and rural. The main advantages are simplicity and rustic comfort. The direction is natural and simple. Characteristics: simple plants, the use of old utensils and even unnecessary things for decoration. The materials used are stone, wood and vine, used both to create furniture and fences.
- Modern. This is an interesting direction, including several styles, including modern, cubism, minimalism. For walkways, terraces and fences, concrete or stone slabs are suitable. Between themselves, flower beds must be on the same level, their preferred shape is a square or a circle. The main task of this style is the thoughtfulness of small things and clear geometry.
- Regular. It is also called geometric. This is an interesting area where the strictness of lines and the strict observance of stylistic standards are important. Lawns and beds should be even, flower beds and other garden elements are arranged symmetrically. An introduction to the landscape design of a fountain or statue is acceptable.
- Alpine. The emphasis is on the decorative side. Most often they prefer wild-growing plants, which are located in multi-level flower beds, supplemented with pebbles and stones. According to this technology, garden crops are planted, which looks impressive and unusual.
- Landscape. This is the most calm and natural direction for gardening. In addition to garden crops, spruce and coniferous shrubs are involved. It is permissible to construct an artificial reservoir, for example, a pond or even a stream.
There are other styles for the design of garden and garden plots: Mediterranean, English, French and even exotic. You can always give them preference if you want to add a touch of originality or sophistication to the design of the garden, house and garden territory.
Blueprints
Remember that even the smallest vegetable garden requires careful planning. When the first sketch is done, the style is selected, it is time to start developing drawings for the site. For these purposes, you can contact a specialist, use a special program or make an approximate option by hand. Be sure to consider the size.
A garden preliminarily depicted on paper will make it possible to analyze the site and make adjustments if necessary. Experts recommend delaying the year (until the next landing) with the implementation of the plan, considering, in particular, the placement of new beds to make a final decision and to understand whether the embodied idea suits you. Life and comfort requirements can make their own adjustments. It may be necessary to modify something, but to refuse something. And only then can we proceed to full-scale action. However, if you are completely sure, the lapping stage can be omitted.
How to make beds
The organization of convenient beds is very important. The process is completely individual for each person: one is comfortable with a clear structure and identical areas with planted plants, while others prefer a more chaotic arrangement. In any case, a responsible approach to the organization of beds will allow you to plan your own planting. Experts recommend a closer look at the clear geometric contours. This will allow to achieve maximum convenience and visual accents in landscape design. And also on the site will always remain a sense of order and cleanliness.
To solve the problem with imperfect (that is, unsuitable for easy cultivation, for example, acidic, clay, impurities, etc.) soil should pay attention to high beds. This method will allow not only to monitor the organic and mineral components of the soil, but also to cultures feel comfortable, and people can count on a good harvest and achieve originality in the design of the garden. Of course, such an approach requires investment both in time and in strength, but all this will return in full, and most importantly - the back will not hurt after weeding.
It is worth considering the following recommendations:
- Do not make the beds too wide - they should have good access,
- you need to try in practice different design options to understand what is more convenient in each case,
- you can make beds of any length, most importantly - the ability to freely reach the middle of the track.
It is very important to think about how to divide the zone allotted for the garden into beds. Perhaps you should choose paths as a separator, or maybe wicker fences or hedges will be a more comfortable option. It is absolutely not necessary to give preference to the "grandmother" method, and to make beds in rows. You can plant the plants in a wheel, a cart, or even in upright poles in order to aesthetically decorate a landscape and guarantee easy care. It all depends on the imagination and your own preferences for comfort.
Interesting ideas of beds:
- From ordinary boards, timber, slab (side parts of logs) or old lining. The main thing is to pay attention to durability. The wood is impregnated with special preparations that protect the material from rot. An alternative for processing is the use of copper sulfate. The technology is used to fence the beds.
- With decorative sides. They are used to raise beds above the soil for easy maintenance and decoration of the site. As a fence, you can use glass or plastic, wicker parts made of twigs, slate, etc. Pre-make markings and grooves, and then the selected materials are driven in accordance with the selected geometric figure. The fenced place is covered with earth, and the beds become higher.
- High beds due to their organization at an altitude of 1-1.5 m above the ground in any convenient way: in bulk or using suitable structures. They look original and impress with their reliability. Care will be as simple as possible. The design secret is protection against pests and weeds, as well as the edges of the beds will not be eroded. Any material can be used, but it is important that it is durable and strong. Masonry or concrete blocks are a good choice, but wood can also be used.
- In flowerpots or containers. This can easily become the main accent or the original feature of the site. Suitable containers made of wood or plastic. It is advisable to use mobile and compact options. You can use barrels, basins and even old clay pots. But it is better to refuse to use automobile tires, since they emit toxic substances.
- Tiered options. Their creation will take a lot of time, but it will turn out very original. In principle, you can purchase ready-made models in specialized stores, but making your own will allow you to be proud of your creation and save money. In such a bed, root crops or zucchini are planted on the lower tier, the middle one is used for greens, pepper, tomatoes or eggplant, and the upper one is given for beans or cucumbers for climbing crops. At the end of the harvest, planting of flowers is permissible.
- Exclusive beds. It could be an old boat or even a bathtub with soil. You can make tables beds, from which guests will certainly be delighted. Any geometric compositions will also look extraordinary.
Garden Design Options
The choice of garden design is determined by the owner’s own preferences and his understanding of comfort.
There are many sources of inspiration, interesting options:
- Fairytale Courtyard. It will appeal to those who want to add color to gray everyday life. Near the house there is a gazebo with walls twined with climbing plants for a pleasant pastime, and the garden itself is replete with flowers and greenery. The recreation area is in a separate place: benches, a wooden table fit perfectly into the landscape. The paths zone the space, the flowerbeds impress with well-groomed, the riot of colors pleasantly surprises. Most plants are perennial, so caring for them is simple.
- Luxurious garden. This option will be appreciated also by persons of “blue blood”. The small area is well thought out to the details. A circle is formed in the center of the courtyard, from which paths run in different directions. Two central elements - a pool and a gazebo. All decorative plants are presented in red and green colors, and a brick fence of reddish stone separates them from the neat garden.
- Option with greenhouses. He will delight those who approach the design of the garden from the practical side of the issue. Plants grow on even beds and in greenhouses. Thus, in the warm and cold season, you can enjoy healthy and fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet.
- An ideal site for unity with nature and relaxation. The centerpiece is a neat lawn for a pleasant stay. Around it are bushes and trees protecting the recreation area from prying eyes. The latter is complemented by a table and chairs. And behind the trees there is a garden in the form of neat, equally sized plots for easy care.
You can additionally look at such original ideas:
- Near the barbecue or barbecue area, you can plant a flower bed with herbs, which are mainly used as seasoning for meat or fish. This will allow you to decorate the site, and to ensure that the necessary spices are fresh at hand.
- Creating beautiful paths will allow you to get rid of weeds, guarantee the convenience of gardening and maintain the aesthetics of the design. You can lay the paths with pebbles, gravel, sawdust or granite. Wood slabs look spectacular. And the transformation of pieces of ceramics, broken pots and stones into a chic panel or an ornament on a country stitch will make you proud of your skills.
Plant selection
In the garden, you can place absolutely any plants at your discretion, but observing some rules. The main thing is not to plant cultures nearby that have the ability to “survive” each other or that do not combine externally. With the right approach, a simple salad or carrot planted in rows can become a decoration in the garden.
When selecting ornamental plants for a garden, one must act in accordance with the following rules:
- definition of the general concept: the desire to create a single picture, a successful color combination, continuous flowering, etc.,
- the choice of accents, that is, dominant plants (usually large and expressive),
- selection of "partners" who emphasize their beauty and showiness,
- the choice of placeholders, acting as the background of the planting, masking the void and creating harmony among the plants,
- taking into account the volume and height of plants to create a non-linear or linear flowering composition,
- analysis of the shape and structure of leaves, for example, curly and openwork will not be in harmony with strict,
- game with color and size: you can mix plants with small and large leaves, their tones,
- type of flowering and form of flowers - a design tool for specifying the nature of the composition,
- a continuous flowering relay will add brightness and allow you to enjoy the beauty of flowers almost all the time (except for the cold season).
In the garden, it is important to choose the "neighbors" so as to achieve a good harvest and avoid possible problems. Moreover, crops must be "moved" from the garden to the garden, that is, change their place of growth, replacing other plants for 1-2 years. This must be done to effectively use the nutrients accumulated in the soil and save fertilizers due to the alternation of "gluttonous" (for example, celery) with less demanding (for example, parsnip or peas) crops.
Modern garden design
The design of the garden in a modern cut is a combination of a fruit garden, a place for garden crops and flowers.
The basic principles of modern design are as follows:
- Trees are located around the perimeter of the garden so that they do not interfere with crops. The exception is that they have been allocated a special place.
- Garden crops are planted in specially prepared flowerbeds of geometric shapes: rectangular, square, triangular.
- There is no abundance of jewelry (elegant lamps, statues, monuments, figures, garden compositions, etc.). They are replaced by flower beds. And sometimes they refuse them.
If you want to achieve beauty, practicality, and convenience, you can follow this algorithm in design:
- Flower decoration. They are presented in a huge variety: one-year, two-year and perennial. They can create a hedge or spread carpet. Gardeners are advised to choose bulbous perennials, and when planting, combine them with annuals, achieving a unique composition. Flower beds can be with borders, a discount or have a non-standard shape. A hedge is a great way to hide an old fence from prying eyes.
- Decoration with shrubs and trees. They can be both fruit and decorative. An interesting option is the planting of trees and bushes between the beds. The main thing is that the latter should have enough light for full growth. Coniferous trees are ideal for creating a fence that will be green all year round.
- Design Features. In small areas, it is worth abandoning massive elements. The entire space from buildings to plants should be small to create coziness and harmony. Ignoring strict angles and lines in favor of soft, streamlined, oval - a guarantee of visual expansion of the territory. But in impressive sites of size, you can freely install tall and solid fences, massive gazebos and plant tall trees.
- Design of beds, entry / exit from the green zone. The main principles are dividing the site into zones, installing a fence if necessary, delimiting plants with boards in the form of borders or figures, using grass, decorative stones or gravel for decoration.
It is most convenient to evaluate garden design options by looking at ready-made solutions. This will allow you to consider different options, understand what you like and what I would like to replace. So it will be easier to think about the design of your site.
How to combine plants in the garden
Ideally selected plants are:
It is possible to design a beautiful site without any special time, financial and physical expenses. In fact, the main cost item is the development of the author’s design, which includes the purchase of seeds, seedlings and decorative elements. Using a grassy lawn or acquiring low-cost crops is an opportunity to minimize costs.
A beautiful garden and flower garden are the result of the gardener's fantasy and his creative potential. To save time and energy, it is worth planting perennials. And curly annually, you can slightly change the design, changing the direction of growth. The main thing is not to be afraid of experiments, and then everything will turn out.
Features
Most residents of the post-Soviet space, hearing the phrase “summer cottage”, do not represent a beautiful place to relax, but an abandoned territory with cucumber and tomato beds, which need to be worked on for a long time to put them in order.
In the modern world, there are too many beautiful ideas that you want to implement, so instead of building a neglected garden bed with a shed, it is better to decorate the site next to the country house with neat green plantations, orchards or flower beds. If you rationally think about the space, then in one area everything will fit all at once.
A well-thought-out plot outside the city is a combination of practicality and beautiful appearance. Such a landscape design of the garden and the land adjacent to the house will allow you to turn a private area into a place that you will always want to return to.
Oriental
One of the most unusual styles for modern sites is oriental. Its popularity is growing due to a constant interest in the culture of Japan and China. In these countries a lot of attention is paid to the art of decorating the territory. The Japanese often have rock gardens and gravel ponds in the courtyards.
In general, pebbles and rubble are almost the main materials that are used to decorate sites in the Oriental style. So, if pebbles are quite expensive material, then getting the right amount of crushed stone will not be difficult. You can even choose the desired size and color of the stone. To decorate the territory or to design borders, more massive cobblestones are suitable.
Fit into this style and a small pond. Its dimensions can be very small, the main thing is that the water drains peacefully, and does not beat up with a tight stream.
Also, you must certainly consider the drainage system so that the water does not destroy the soil.
To design a summer cottage in the oriental style, it is also important to choose the right plants. Suitable, for example, boxwood or bamboo. Some talented owners even manage to make low bamboo fences.
Rustic
This style is known to many under such names as rural or country. Now it is popular, because many residents of the city lack simplicity and rustic comfort, and they seek to get it at least in the country. The rustic style is simple and natural. Sites of this type seem a little neglected at first glance.
If you are fed up with half-empty courtyards with verified rows of plants and narrow paths, then you can arrange the territory next to your house in the country style.
It is characterized by the use of the simplest plants, decoration of beds and decoration of the garden with old utensils and unnecessary things. The materials for the design of the summer cottage in this traditional style are selected the simplest: wood and stone. Sometimes this short list is supplemented by a vine, from which chairs or partitions are woven.
Garden design
When you have decided on the style, you can proceed to the design of individual areas. A kitchen garden is precisely that zone that many neglect, although this is not worth doing. It is enough to arrange just the space under the bed to get practical benefit from your site.
Drop stereotypes and forget about the "grandmother's" beds in which the older generation spent half their free time. Let the garden be beautiful too.
Consider how to divide the territory allotted for the beds into several separate zones. It can be divided using paths, hedges or wicker fences.
To clearly represent the end result, capture your ideas on paper. This is worth doing even if the garden is very small. Seeing sketches of a future project, you can decide which plants are best planted in the sun and which can survive its absence.
It is most convenient to divide the territory of the garden into several squares or rectangles.
So you will not only make your site more beautiful, but also get access to everything that is on one square, which means that you will not need to get through the thickets of plants and herbs, trampling them.
However, it is not necessary to go a proven path. You can build vertical beds, plant plants in a cart or wheel. In fact, you can do the same as you do with the flowers in the flowerbed.
The main thing is that there should be enough space and sun for all living things: taller plants should not obscure undersized plants. It is also worth choosing a soil rich in vitamins and minerals.
In order for the garden to perform not only a practical function, but also a decorative one, it can be decorated with flowers or fruit-bearing crops with bright green tops. A real decoration of a small garden can even become a carrot, a head of cabbage or a salad. It is worth avoiding only those cultures that do not combine externally or “survive” each other.
Another interesting solution that will definitely appeal to those who like to spend time in nature is as follows. Next to the barbecue and the relaxation area, plant a small flower bed with herbs that are used as seasoning for meat. So you will not only decorate your site, but will also constantly have the necessary herbs at hand.
To have access to fresh fruits even in the cold season, as well as indulge yourself with seasonal vegetables, install greenhouses in your home. Even the simplest greenhouse made of polycarbonate and improvised tools will serve you for more than one year.
Orchard
A plot outside the city will not do without trees. In order not to take up space with simple ornamental plantations, look for fruit or berry trees, which in the summer will delight you with a delicious harvest. Most trees are planted along the edges of the plot or even behind the fence, so that they do not take up space and create a shadow where it is not needed.
Choosing seedlings for your site is not at all difficult. Decide on what weather conditions you live in, check the soil and based on these data, select those trees that take root with you.
The garden will be decorated with neat flower beds with bright flowers or greenery. To design flower beds is only at the entrance to the gardenbecause in the shade the flowers will still not grow and bloom. Ferns, moss and climbing plants “love” the shade, which is why they should be placed in a cold shaded garden.
Many people prefer to equip a recreation area in the garden. This place literally breathes beauty at any time of the year, so it’s nice to relax here with your loved one, and with friends, and with your family. Under the shade of the trees you can put a table with chairs. They will be reliably protected from the scorching summer sun, and in the hot season they will serve as an ideal refuge where you can read, relax or even work.
Beautiful examples
Sources for inspiration landscape designers have a great variety. Even if you have never dealt with the design of gardens and summer cottages, then you have someone to learn from.
Fairytale Courtyard
If you dreamed of living in a fabulous house, you can add a touch of magic to gray everyday life by building a low house of light stone and surrounding it with a neat garden with bright flowers and lush greenery. Near the house is located a gazebo that the roof reliably protects from heat and rain. Its walls are twined with green climbing plants, which only adds to the site of fabulousness. A separate place was found for the recreation area. Light benches, chairs and a table made of light wood fit perfectly into this peaceful landscape.
Despite the fact that the yard seems a bit neglected, the paths divide the site into several zones, and the flower beds themselves are well-groomed and neat. On them, green grass is combined with pink, yellow, purple and orange flowers. Such a riot of colors delights and makes you admire the courtyard, which looks like a fabulous landscape. It is not difficult to care for him, because plants, for the most part, are perennial and not demanding in care.
Luxurious garden
The second example would perhaps be appreciated by the queen herself. The territory of this site is small, but everything is thought out to the smallest detail.
Smooth paths that run from one building to another form a circle in the center of the courtyard. In the circle is a fountain, and in front of it is a beautiful bright arbor. Plants are selected in two colors: green and red. A reddish stone and a brick fence in the same shade work well with them.
Plot with greenhouses
Those who do not want to turn their site into a useless work of art will love the following example.
Here, almost the entire small courtyard is used to grow plants. They are located not only in neat, even beds, but also in greenhouses. In the summer, greenhouses can be decorated with flowers in pots so that they are not empty. Next to such a source of beauty there is a place for a recreation area - a table with several chairs.
Place to relax
The last site under consideration is an ideal place for relaxation and unity with nature. In the center there is a neat lawn that will appeal not only to you, but also to your children and animals. Surrounding it are trees and shrubs that protect the courtyard from prying eyes and gusts of cold wind.
The relaxation area is located on a small hill. It is decorated with wide stone slabs. They have chairs and a table made of light wood, and a portable mini flower bed with flowers was used as decoration. Near the elevation is a bright house for animals.
A summer cottage is an excellent field for experiments. Realize all your dreams and ideas, and let neither the low budget nor the lack of experience in the development of landscape design stop you. Keep in mind all the tips and tricks, and then you can easily create a truly impressive landscape.
On how to make a site with your own hands, see the next video.
