REFINEMENT, DESIGN, LANDSCAPE DESIGN, LANDSCAPING OF THE SUBURBAN AREA WITH THEIR OWN HANDS: PHOTO

Any summer resident wants to see his country house and the adjacent plot so that there it would be possible not only to work hard, but also to get aesthetic pleasure from its design. Regardless of the area of your land ownership, you can place picturesque oases on it that will delight your eye and give you the opportunity to relax and unwind. To do this, first of all, you need to choose the landscape style that you will like.

We will show you some ideas how to simply and functionally improve your summer cottage without spending a lot of material resources.

What to consider at the design stage

First you need to decide on your desires and preferences about refining your own possessions. It is necessary to take into account the climatic features, as well as the relief of the site and its size.

To do this, first of all, take a sheet of paper and draw on it a plan of your site with all the buildings on it. Then apply those objects that you would like to create in the process of refining. Make a list of trees, shrubs and flowers that will be placed there, taking into account the existing ones. The next step will be the division of the territory into zones that need to be beautifully decorated. For example:

the area in front of the house;
the area around other existing buildings (bath, outbuildings);
children's play area (if needed);
space for a gazebo;
zone near the fence;
arrangement of garden paths, lawns, flower beds and front gardens;
a place for water;
plot for a dry stream and rock garden.

Did you know? Landscape design was used already in the VI. BC e in Mesopotamia: the gardens of Babylon, created in ancient Babylonia, are called one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Ways to landscaping the site

There are various ways with which you can give a well-groomed look to your summer garden and decorate it. Consider more options that can be used for its design.

Lawn

Lawn grass at their summer cottage looks very aesthetic. If it is properly planted, then it will not be difficult to care for it. In addition to the beauty of the landscape, you will still benefit from the fact that there will always be clean and fresh air on your site: 50 square meters for one year. m planted grass can absorb up to 40 tons of dust particles.

Another plus - in the summer you will not languish from the heat due to the high humidity of the lawn. It must be remembered that the best survival rate for lawn grass is early spring, when the earth is still full of moisture and there is no scorching sun rays. If you do not have time to meet the deadlines, then the lawn mixture can be sown in early autumn, when the rains have sown the earth.

There are different types of lawn grass:

Sports lawn - suitable for a planned playing place, for a children's area or for walking dogs. This herb is not afraid of trampling, it grows thick carpet and unpretentious to the soil.
Parterre or English lawn - not intended for outdoor activities, but more to please the eye with beauty and well-groomed. Such lawn mixtures are composed of tender herbs, require constant care and good soil. Parternaya kind of lawn is afraid of shaded areas and trampling, therefore, plays only a decorative role.
Universal lawn - it is rolled grass strips with turf. With the help of it you can equip any area for movement. The grass on such a lawn is tough, unpretentious and does not have a special aesthetic appearance. Such rolls need to be purchased in a specialty store, and at a cost they are much more expensive than if you buy grass seeds and sow them yourself. Under the universal lawn also need to prepare the soil in a special way and be able to properly lining the grass rolls.
Garden lawn - the most unpretentious option for the dacha: grass, included in the lawn mixture, is not afraid of any shading or scorching sunlight. They are also not demanding on the soil. Such a lawn is suitable for a recreation area and can be sown near a pool or an open patio.
Meadow or Moorish lawn - It is a lawn with herbs and flowers that will delight the eye all summer. This lawn mixture is not difficult to make: you need to pick up the plants so that they in turn can bloom throughout the summer season. Mowing the Moorish lawn is needed only occasionally to eliminate the flowering plants, making room for those that need to bloom. Grass on such a lawn grows up to 10 cm in height, so you cannot walk on it, because after crushing with legs, it may not restore its former appearance.

Read more about what lawns are like, how to care for them, namely how to water and mulch correctly with a lawn mower, and also how to sow, grow and care for a lawn from: breeders, white clover, red and meadow fescue.

Once the type of lawn is selected, you need to prepare the ground for it:

remove all debris from the site and remove all weeds;
3 times to dig up the soil and level gently with a rake;
homemade roller (you can make a barrel) tamp the ground so that the soil does not subside, and again rake it loosen it;
mix the seeds of the lawn mixture with sand and sow, without trampling them;
rake the soil again and ram it with a roller;
pad with seeds sown gently pour water.

Then, as the grass rises, it must be trimmed periodically for the best growing season, about 1-2 times a week. It should be cut in dry weather, but if the lawn has overgrown, then this procedure should be carried out in the morning, during the dew. Each time it is necessary to mow the grass in different directions so that the cover is straight and level. Lawn mowing Watering is necessary depending on the soils on which your lawn grows. If it is loam, then irrigate as needed, but do not pour. Grass growing on sandstone is watered twice a week in hot weather.

Important! It is better to water the lawn not with a stream, but with drip irrigation in order not to harm the stems and not to erode the soil.

Garden paths

Without country paths, not a single country house with a plot appears. They are needed to connect all the objects on it. Therefore, they perform an important function in the decoration of the dacha. Next, we will discuss what types of garden paths there are:

garden paths - These are natural, previously trodden paths on the site without prior planning. They can be refined if laid out of paving slabs, and at the edges to build curbs of cobblestones;
gravel paths - it is possible to build this version of the path in the following way: dig a ditch of the necessary length, width and 10 cm in depth. Lay out the bottom and edges of the ditch with geotextile with good density, and reinforce the sides with curb tape. Pour gravel, screenings, rubble or pebbles on the prepared base. This option will look beautiful if the filling, painted in different colors, arranged alternately, dividing the path into zones;
flood tracks - for this type of paths you need a concrete base, on which natural stone, tile or paving stones are subsequently laid. The finished structure should rise 5-10 cm above the ground in order to avoid erosion by rain flows and mud sediments. This kind of path is suitable for heavy loads;
paths from wooden bars and cuts- For this option, it is desirable to use solid wood (maple, walnut, poplar, oak, birch), provided that you live in a dry climate zone. To build a wooden path, you need to cut segments of a length of 1 m, a width of 30-40 cm and a thickness of 20 cm and treated with fuel oil or other protective composition against moisture and rot. Then prepared the bars lay on the base of sand or small gravel. It is better to lay a wooden path in the autumn period, so that during the winter the soil beneath it settles and its natural ramming occurs.

If your site has old felled trees, then it is just a godsend for the equipment of garden paths. To do this, you need to cut trunks and branches into equal cuts.

Important! For a long service life of a wooden walkway, sawn cuts need to be treated twice with heated drying oil.

Then put a geofiber into the finished ditch to protect the path from grass germination, pour a layer of sand and lay cuts on it. To reinforce the individual elements of the track, it is necessary to fill in small wooden gravel or screenings between the wooden parts.

Flowerbeds, flowerpots and front gardens

Flowerbeds and front gardens are used to decorate the summer cottage. This can be said "hall" or "reception" of your country house. Flower arrangements can visually combine the appearance of the building with the vegetation in the garden, creating an atmosphere of comfort and harmony.

Here you need to take into account the fact that planting flowers around the site, you can not place them randomly, otherwise the picture of the landscape design of the yard will not work.

To create a beautiful and harmonious flower bed or front garden, you need to combine mixed plantings of annuals and perennials, complementing them with beautifully flowering and decorative and deciduous plants, using the principle of multi-tiered. With this arrangement of flowers in the foreground will grow ground cover and undersized plants, which serve as a border for a flower bed, and medium-sized perennial plants will become the soloists of the flower beds, attracting the main attention.

Learn how to make a bed of stones or wheel tires.

Planting flowering tapeworms will look particularly impressive against the backdrop of decorative foliage or flowers in contrasting shades of tall plants.

Making out flowerbeds and front gardens, you can take into account the landscape features of the site: the location of the flower bed can be arranged as a flat composition or slightly elevated above the surface of the flowerbed and framed with decorative stones or tiles.

Another way to decorate your summer cottage can be placement of outdoor flowerpots with flowers. Many gardeners make their own from scrap materials, for example, old tires, or using outdated furniture and other household utensils. Outdoor flowerpots You can also purchase ready-made flowerpots in flower or other specialized stores.

The most popular outdoor vases in gardeners are clay, plastic, stone and concrete. You can also use metal, but at the same time take into account that they can be heated in the sun. Therefore, they need to be placed in shaded places and in time to water the plants planted in them.

Important! To make it easier for you to visually imagine what your front garden or flower bed will look like, first you need to draw their outline with colored pencils. This will allow you to correctly arrange the flowers with different colors and timing of flowering.

Not all flowers can be grown in outdoor pots, as some plants may not have enough space for the root system. The following cultures can take root in the flowerpots: petunias, pansies, vervains, fuchsias, ageratums. Petunias in street vases When making your choice in favor of one or another type of pot, you need to remember that they must fit into the overall mood and design of your front garden. If the bed area is small, you should not put massive flower pots on it.

And, on the contrary, in a large flowerbed, small pot can simply get lost, and harmony will not work.

Fences for flower beds and flower beds

At the cottage attracts attention not only bright flower beds. Fences and fences for flower beds can be an important detail in the landscape design of your site. They give a feeling of completeness of the composition, can divide the space into sectors and serve as protection from the attention of children and animals.

Fences for flower gardens are different in purpose:

if you need to separate the lawn from the flower bed, then a mini fence with a height of 5 cm is suitable;
when the fence serves as a curb for a path in the garden, it should be 10 cm high;
The fence in the form of limiting the spread of the root system of plants beyond the limits of the flower bed must be immersed in the soil to the required depth and be durable. It is better if it is plastic tape;
for fencing flowers from children and pets built translucent picket fence not less than 40 cm high. Materials for picket fence - wood, plastic and metal;
to protect the rose garden you need a fence with a height of 50 cm. Such a height will be optimal against the background of high flowering rose bushes;
Mixborders from low plants will look good in a frame of flat stones or paving stones, which can be laid out along its perimeter.

Fence from logs for a bed

Important! The wooden parts of the picket fence must be treated with anti-rot agents.

Arbor

Arbors usually serve as a secluded place in a country estate where you can relax and unwind. This element of the dacha landscape is also often used for business meetings or friendly tea parties.

It is important to successfully choose the location of this decor item so that it blends beautifully with the overall look of the landscape style.

To do this, you need to decide which arbor you want to have at your dacha: what materials, what type of construction, what elements of decor should you have. The most beloved option by summer residents is a pavilion for family holidays. It should be comfortable, with a fireplace or barbecue.

By type of gazebos are:

half closed;
open;
lungs closed;
in the form of a small house;
stationary (on the foundation);
temporary (collapsible options).

Forms of arbors are different:

rectangular;
round;
square;
non-standard;
polygons.

Semi-closed rectangular gazebo When you have decided on the type of gazebo, you need to decide where you want to build or install it.

It is desirable that this was a shaded place under the canopy of tall trees, away from the active source of noise. The arbor fits very well into the dacha landscape next to an artificial pond.

If you decide to build an arbor with your own hands, then its construction is carried out according to the classical method:

drawing up a drawing;
construction of the base and pouring the base under the floor;
the construction of walls and roofs.

After finishing the construction and installation work, you need to proceed to the finishing action inside the gazebo and outside to give the building an individual look.

You can make your site more cozy and comfortable with the help of benches, swing, pergolas, which can be made with your own hands or garden sculptures.

Water element

Artificial reservoirs at the summer cottage are a source of natural freshness and coolness. They give peace and aesthetic pleasure. If the site has a slope, then you can create a stream or a mountain stream, the bottom of which you want to put stones.

With a very steep slope, the stream bed becomes narrower. You can still arrange a few small cascades.

A favorite element of the water element among summer residents is a cascade waterfall.. To make it look natural, its height must be more than two meters. You can choose any form of drain (slack flow or flow with a strong flow). Equip cascades with small height differences along the course of the water flow. Cascade waterfall If your site has a source or an underground key, you can lay it out with stones and install a garden sculpture next to it.

Another example of landscape decoration is the fountain. With its design, you can show imagination and install light and sound elements, as well as special nozzles for jets of water.

When there is a desire to arrange a microcosm with vegetation and animal life, then a garden pond is exactly what you need. The shape of the pond can be arbitrary or geometric, but its area must be at least 3.5 square meters. m and a depth of 60 cm.

Read also how to make your own waterfall to give.

Such parameters are necessary so that the pond does not swamp and all life forms can be preserved in it. Ponds with a smaller area and depth must be cleaned with additional equipment.

The banks of the pond can be filled with marsh plants, having previously been reinforced with medium and small stones, and in the pond itself you can get ornamental fish. The bottom of such a reservoir is concreted or covered with special materials. Dachnaya pond It is recommended to regularly take care of dacha pond, otherwise fallen leaves and other organic residues may rot in the water, forming mud. For this, a long net from the surface of the water is collected various debris.

Hedge

A hedge in a country house serves as a decorative division into zones, for example, separating an economic zone from a place of rest. The hedge is executed in different variants and from various plant material:

the design of the arch at the entrance to the site by weaving actinidia, varietal grapes or climbing roses on it;
ограждение из хвойных растений. Его можно высаживать вдоль дорожек, ведущих к партерной части сада. For this, spruce trees of beautiful conical shape are planted;
a living fence of maples. Trees sit along the fence near the roadway. In addition to decorating the fence, they absorb dust and noise;
We advise you to find out what nuances of cultivation of Ginnal maple, Flamingo, as well as Norway, red, silver, Tatar, Japanese, silichion and Manchurian maples.
decorating part of the fence with pyramidal thuyae and cypresses. Before them can be planted in a row of shrubs that are cut (bush honeysuckle, dogrose);
in the backyard along the fence you can plant hops or girlish grapes. By weaving a fence, these plants will shade ornamental groups planted on the site;
with dogwood, barberry and spirea, you can decorate the arbor, allowing the plants to twist around its supports;
economic zone can be separated by a fence of currant, raspberry or honeysuckle bush.

Grape hedge

Dry creek

An imitation of a water stream or a dry stream is an interesting and original look of the decor in the landscape of a country site. With the help of flowering plants, as well as stones of various shapes and sizes, an illusion of flow is created.

Such decoration of the backyard landscape does not require large material and labor costs, as if it were necessary to build a real water flow, for which you constantly need to take care.

Another advantage - it can be used for drainage of storm water. Along the shores of a dry stream, you can also plant any plants, in which it differs from a natural reservoir where only moisture-loving flowers can grow.

Rock garden

A rock garden, or a dry landscape, is a type of landscape design borrowed from the Japanese. Basically, such a landscape looks like a flat platform covered with small pebbles or sand, and the main elements on it are unclarified stones collected in groups.

They are compiled according to certain Zen Buddhist rules. According to this philosophy, stones are divided into five types: Curved, Lying, Flat, Low vertical and Statue.

All stones need to be selected in size, shape, color and arrange in such a way that an integral composition is composed. Properly laying a rock garden can only be a professional.

If you are not adherents of oriental philosophies, but simply lovers of something new in landscape design, the rock garden may well fit into the overall picture of your site, as an element of the original decor.

Decoration Elements

Garden furniture can be a wonderful decor for your site, and sculptures will become accents in any compositions. They always transform the dacha space and serve as its real decoration. It is also important and proper lighting night garden.

First, let's talk about sculptures. The first thing you need to determine how many of them you want to place and where they will look best. Garden sculptures should harmoniously fit into the general look of your garden and be combined with ensembles and compositions located in it.

It is impossible to saturate with sculptures the landscape of the dacha: only one object of a garden sculpture should be visible from each point of the garden.

Did you know? Ancient Greek marble sculptures were initially painted in different colors, which, under the influence of air and light, faded with time and completely disappeared.

The main thing in the selection of sculptures for the site is the style in which it was created. Each statue should correspond to the design of the garden and its color scheme. So that you can successfully pick up the crowning accents in the form of sculptures, it is important to remember that they are divided into three categories:

Antique - Greek statues (cupids, goddesses, amphoras, bowls and others). Such sculptures are suitable for a garden where geometry or elements of topiary art dominate (the art of cutting plants).
National - sculptures in the Italian style (nymphs, angels, fountains in the form of lion heads, terracotta products), in Asian (pagodas and Buddha statues), English (stone lions), Dutch (small mills). English National Sculpture
Pastoral - statues in folk style (household utensils, animals, castles, houses, heroes of fairy tales).

To opt for a particular style, you need to carefully examine your site and decide which sculpture he needs.

If we talk about the elements of garden lighting in the form of lanterns and lamps, they are designed to draw attention to the most beautiful and picturesque places in your garden. They can be placed:

near the statues;
along the tracks;
near lawns and flowerbeds;
as well as arrange the illumination of the reservoir in the form of underwater and floating lights.

The garden needs lighting at any time of the year, especially when it starts to get dark early. Illumination serves as an ornament to exotic plants and decorative elements, and also allows you to move around the site comfortably and safely.

As for garden furniture, besides attractiveness and convenience, garden furniture, verandas or gazebos should be moisture resistant, resistant to temperature extremes, sustainable and light. Choosing furniture for the garden, you need to consider:

the appearance of the site itself;
registration of a facade of a country house.

It fits well into the country landscape wooden furniture in country style. If you need a more budget option, then plastic furniture with imitation wood can easily fit and decorate the country interior.

The wicker furniture made of rogoza also looks beautiful, creating an atmosphere of lightness and comfort. Metal or wrought-iron furniture goes well with any design. The only thing that needs to be considered is that such furniture is installed only on concrete, stone and tiled platforms. Furniture made of cattail. Regardless of what materials your garden furniture will be, preference should be given to options with removable cushions. Just do not forget to clean them in the rain. Such pillows are washed in a washing machine.

Not the last place in the gallery of garden furniture is occupied by sun beds, deck chairs and hammocks. They will not only decorate the landscape of your country house, but also allow you to fully relax in the fresh air.

Thus, we see that it is quite a feasible task to refine and equip the summer cottage area with our own hands. To do this, you need your desire, some means, the ability to properly place accents and combine decor items so that they not only delight the eyes of the hosts and guests, but also contribute to rest and relaxation.