How to beautifully arrange a small summer cottage. Arrangement of a summer cottage (54 photos): design of the local area, recreation area, garden and vegetable garden. Eight concrete steps to create a garden plan
More and more often, owners garden plots shift the emphasis from the possibilities of growing vegetables and fruits to decorating their land, design garden plot. They earn money in the city, and come to the dacha to relax. Of course, fruit trees and shrubs, vegetable beds - all this may be present, but they are also subject to the rules of landscape design. Entrusting a project to a professional seems great... but professionals often end up with overly ordered, cold landscapes. Self-designed gardens, although not ideal, are much more comfortable and you feel much better in them.
Where to start: planning
It all starts from the stove: you need to correlate your desires with reality. To do this, first sit down and write down what you need on the site. Just a list of what you and your loved ones want to have. Then you take a site plan with dimensions and begin to place what you simply cannot refuse. Usually this is a playground or carport, some kind of vegetable garden - at least a few beds, if there are children - a playground.
Place the carport closer to the gate - less space will go to the driveways, the playground in direct visibility from the windows, and most likely from the kitchen windows: it’s not all the time to sit with them, and so, the children are under supervision, and you get the job done. You will have to be smart with the placement of the playground: it needs to be free of drafts, and some of it should be in the shade, some in the sun. To have the best conditions.
Therefore, there is no need to hide it. It will still be a decoration for your site and you will be proud of it. For this you will need a sunny piece of your site.
Now we need to find a place for technical and auxiliary premises. You will definitely need it, and also compost pit. They can be taken to the backyard, but it’s better to be closer to the garden. If you plan to heat the house, you need a place to store firewood. For this they do, and they can be attached to the barn, or they can stand separately, and some specimens can also be decorative element. Somewhere in a secluded corner you will need to install a shower. The toilet is also a hassle: you need to take into account the distance to neighboring areas (at least 2 m), and also the prevailing wind direction - so that odors do not bother you.
Next comes the turn of what you really want. Usually this is a gazebo or fountain. A pond and a fountain can be combined, and a gazebo can be placed nearby. To the point that one of its edges can hang over the water. On the other bank, you can put a bench by placing an arch next to it or building a pergola (the same arch, but more solid). Near the gazebo, you can make a small canopy and place it, as per your choice. It is best to allocate the lowest area under the pond or where the groundwater is closest. Everything else will fit into the free space.
A pond and a gazebo nearby are a good combination
It seems that these are all the main objects. If you managed to fit them all into the site plan, great: you can plan. You need to manage and make a minimum number of paths, but they must connect all the main buildings. Paths may lead to auxiliary structures. It's even more romantic. And along the way, look for places for flower beds, flower beds, rock gardens, and decorative slides. You can even specially bend the paths to fence off the space for the flower garden. This, by the way, is one of the favorite techniques of professionals. They almost never use straight lines. Only in elongated areas to visually bring the far edge closer.
Don't forget about trees and bushes. By the way, they can serve as a screen for an unsightly fence. And you will have it all around the perimeter. It can be partially decorated hanging flower beds, partially cover with trees and shrubs. While the trees are growing, you can put a lattice in front of the fence on which to grow climbing roses, clematis, or any other similar plant.
Garden plot design: choosing a style
In most cases, the garden design style is very difficult to determine. Most often it can be described as “modern”. Are used interesting solutions different “nationalities” and different style trends, and sometimes these combinations are very, very successful and interesting. The good thing about independent design is that you can intuitively create beautiful landscapes. But decorating a site in a certain style is in some ways easier: you know for sure whether this idea will suit you or not. Let's look at some design options for a garden plot in a specific style. The easiest way to work is with ethnic trends.
Oriental
Chinese and Japanese cultures have significant differences, but regarding the design of a garden plot, it is difficult, almost impossible, for a non-specialist to distinguish between these two directions. For ease of perception, we will combine them into one style: oriental.
Decoration in Japanese style - an abundance of stones, interesting combinations of hardwood and softwood
Achieving maximum harmony is inherent in these cultures. What is good about garden design in Japanese or chinese style, is that they use a lot of crushed stone and pebbles. If it is difficult or expensive to get pebbles in the right quantity, then there are much fewer problems with crushed stone. Maybe you’ll be lucky and you’ll even be able to agree on the color - the meticulous Japanese use pebbles of the same size and the same color when backfilling, or form them into different shapes.
Great idea for decorating a yard near garden house: crushed stone and pebbles, slabs as a path - dirt will not rush into the house
Large stones, near which boxwood bushes are planted, a small fountain in the traditional shape. A very interesting idea with a border made of painted crushed stone. Only if you do something like this, make sure that the water that flows from the plant has somewhere to go: under the pebbles and crushed stone there should be dense soil with a slope towards the plantings or an exit to drainage system— this is how water drainage is organized.
A small fence is made extremely simply. Another good thing about bamboo is that it doesn’t rot.
To make your Japanese-style garden design truly traditional, you can use bamboo. A small fence and gate are extremely simple to make. A couple of stakes are driven into the ground, bamboo crossbars are tied to them, and thin bamboo is tied to the crossbars. It turns out to be a bamboo picket fence.
The paths are very typical - rounded stones at a distance of a step from each other, slabs of stone, or even concrete slabs, but they are not square, as we are used to, but long. Please note that the gaps between the stones/slabs are overgrown with grass, moss, or filled with pebbles.
Fountains are often present in Japanese gardens. But these are not pompous structures with sculptures and upward jets, but combinations of bamboo and stone through which a small amount of water flows. It’s easy to make them even on your own, but read how here.
Several photos of Japanese-style garden design are collected in the photo gallery. Eat interesting ideas, which are easy to implement with your own hands. Moreover, the costs are minimal))
The right selection of plants is half the success. Japanese maple - how can you ignore it? Slabs, stones, crushed stone, plants - all this against the backdrop of a lawn
Rustic style (rural or country)
The more urbanized our cities become, the more we want something simple, natural, without clear lines and edges, which are already boring in the city. That’s why many people began to build houses from logs: they exude comfort. If your country house built from logs, a natural continuation of the idea would be to design a plot in a rural or rustic style. In this case characteristic features- the use of various kinds of old utensils and their elements in the decoration of flower beds and flower beds, wattle fences, simple, often deliberately rough, made of logs.
The design of a garden in a rustic style can be easily recognized by the presence of wheels from carts, baskets, ceramic dishes, old barrels, logs and flowering stumps
On a village plot, there’s no way everything can be too smooth and orderly. The paths are overgrown with grass, with stones laid for convenience, and boardwalks thrown in. And to make the “boards” always look like new, you can use decking - this is a wood-composite material that looks and feels very similar to wood, but does not rot, does not darken, and retains its original appearance over the years.
Fences inside the site can be made from dead wood cut from the forest. Fences made of birch or okha with its light green bark look very decorative.
Wicker fences are traditional for this style. They can be made for beds, flower beds, to fence off areas inside the site, and even as the main fence, separating the garden from neighbors and from the street.
You can decorate a pond in the same vein - a small mill or bridge next to a long pond wouldn’t hurt. And if there is a difference in height on the site, you can make a cascade of watering cans and buckets - a very original idea.
A waterfall along the steps, only in an unusual design: a fountain made of watering cans and buckets
Even the toilet can be made in the same style. Of course, it is unlikely that anyone will take it out on foreground even in a stylish design, but you won’t have to worry too much about making sure the building is not visible.
This kind of toilet is a hut that you don’t have to hide very much
The design of a garden in a rustic style is not demanding on geometry or selection of plants. It is important that you feel comfortable and cozy and that the plants feel good. Then even the simplest compositions will delight the eye and heart. Several design ideas different zones look in the photo gallery.
Unusual flower bed - flower stream Carts and wooden wheels- traditional elements of a garden in a country style A gazebo covered with reeds and sculptures from ceramic pots - interesting design finds in garden design Wattle fence - a good fence, and the style supports the design of the well
Garden plot in modern or modern style
The design of a garden plot in the Art Nouveau style is international. It contains elements from different cultures. The main rule is a harmonious combination of shapes and shades. Most often, straight lines and rounded shapes are combined.
Is it difficult to create such a corner in own garden. Tiles can be replaced with concrete or stone slabs or wooden flooring, the main thing is that the geometry is preserved. Flowerbeds of unusual shape - smooth edges both at ground level and high. There are seats between two high flower beds, and to make it really convenient and comfortable, you can make the border higher and nail a board on the back. All this cubism is broken round ceramic pot with a plant. Instead of a pot, you can make a small fountain in the form of a stone ball through which water flows.
This fountain is not difficult to make. The main thing is to find a suitable stone and drill a hole in it
As you can see, the fountain is close in style to Japanese style. Slightly modified, it fits perfectly into modern design garden And this is not the only stylized element. For example, wicker furniture is often used. But it has a different shape - either cubic or with curved surfaces, but only in one plane. Looking at the photo below, you will understand what we are talking about.
And again, note that hard straight lines are broken up by round ones: in the bottom photo these are pyramidal thujas, in the top photo there is a round flowerbed table ( extraordinary solution, by the way) and the curved lines of the chairs.
This is where lovers of high beds find freedom when they are designed in this way: it is more convenient to create straight lines using high boxes. They are made from wood, stone, concrete. The material must be combined with the main finish or be an addition.
Approximately the same traditions are used to decorate the surrounding area and areas near the reservoir. Make a flooring from boards, plank or decking, install characteristic furniture - part of the garden is decorated.
By the way, you can make a gazebo in an unconventional manner.
There are a lot of ideas, and they are all interesting in their own way. Check out some photos in the gallery below. Maybe something will be useful for your garden.
Practical design of the pond - you can even sunbathe on the decking Smooth paths are a sign of style, but the execution is unusual
Ideas for decorating fences and walls
Whatever one may say, there is always a fence. And it is not always a decoration of the garden. More often than not, it’s quite the opposite: it’s the owner’s headache: how to disguise it or give it a more acceptable look. There are actually quite a lot of solutions, and for different tastes.
If you know how to draw, and the fence is at least relatively smooth, paint it with some scenes. It is clear that choosing a suitable plot is not easy, but you can rely on general style site design.
The funky fence and site design style are easy to guess))
You can use the fence as a space for a vertical flower bed or vegetable garden. It's beautiful and useful. This idea will especially please owners of small plots. But this can only be used if the summer in your region is cool. In all other cases, the plants on it burn.
Approximately the same idea will be useful for decorating the wall of a house. Only here flowers are planted more often, and mostly hanging ones, but nothing can stop you from planting, say, aromatic herbs or just beautiful flowers V lower tier, and at the top let there be hanging hanging lashes.
Wall design option - metal baskets lined with jute fiber, inside - soil
Very often simple decorations or some unusual elements distract attention from the not-so-attractive surface that the fence represents. These can be homemade flowers made of colored plastic or a whole cascade of different boxes in which you can either plant flowers or put them in pots.
Simple decorations, but they serve their purpose - they distract attention from the unsightly surface
Ideas in photo format
Gone are the days when summer residents tried to use every piece of land to grow vegetables, berries, and fruits. Now owners of suburban areas are striving to improve their estates and turn them into a charming recreation area. How to arrange a dacha with your own hands with a minimum of costs, turning it into a wonderful relaxation area? This is an interesting and very exciting activity.
How to beautifully arrange a dacha?
So you have purchased Vacation home with the site. Where to start improving it?
- First you need to get rid of unnecessary bushes, junk and anything else that doesn't suit you.
- You should outline the location of future alpine slides, a pond, a stream, a veranda, a gazebo, paths - everything that you want to see on your territory.
- To create a stream and its authenticity, it is necessary to arrange a slope.
- You should decide on a garden landscape style that is suitable for the appearance of the house, taking into account the size of the land plot. Experts believe that it is much more difficult to create a design for a small area.
All improvement plans must be weighed against your financial capabilities.
Site fencing
It’s worth starting with a fence around the area. The fence can be made of concrete, brick, wood, or metal profile. Hedges made from (forsythia, spirea, barberry and other plants) look original. These beautiful hedges serve a protective function, forming a dense wall of shoots, foliage and flowers.
Looks impressive instead of a live wicket decorative arch from climbing plants. It is important for such an arch to make a strong support from a metal structure. Plants for a beautiful, neat arch require careful and timely pruning and good care.
rest zone
Gazebos
Designers recommend installing a veranda or gazebo on the property, the style of which harmoniously matches the house and other buildings in the garden. In addition to the comfort of a gazebo in the country, it will also be an excellent place to relax on hot days. If there are small children in the house, then the gazebo can be designed in the form fairy house, and put sculptures of fairy tale and cartoon characters around it.
Instead of a traditional wooden building, you can make a green gazebo, lined with flexible trees: birch, maple, willow, linden. Don't forget to leave room for entry. Around the site, at a distance of about a meter, you need to plant trees or climbing shrubs: lemongrass, virgin grapes, honeysuckle, hydrangea, actinidia or climbing plants: hops, sweet peas, decorative beans. Of course, for this original gazebo special care is required: regular trimming of bushes, removal of dry leaves, direction of growing shoots.
Garden paths
Beautifully made paths can significantly change the appearance of the area. They divide the site into zones and landscape the dacha. They can be made from decorative paving slabs, gravel, concrete slabs, flat stones, wood, stone chips, mosaics and even laid out from wooden saw cuts. It all depends on the imagination of the owners and their financial well-being.
Flower beds and flowerbeds
A village hut with a front garden looks completely new. It is enough to plant ordinary unpretentious flowers in the front garden that do not require special care: chamomile, primrose, marigold, calendula, cosmos. It is better to choose perennial flowers with openwork beautiful leaves. Not very attractive buildings will help to disguise climbing plants: virgin grapes, clematis, honeysuckle. These vines require reliable, strong support.
Plants in a flowerbed or flower garden that are well-chosen in terms of color and flowering time look beautiful on the site. These can be composed of annual and perennial flowers, as well as ornamental grasses, cereals and shrubs.
A lawn with an edging as a border of flowers or a flower bed of flowers of different heights and flowering shrubs located in the middle of the lawn looks interesting.
For device original flower garden Various household items and obsolete items are suitable. For these purposes, you can use any means of transportation (bicycle, cart, car, scooter), dishes (buckets, tanks, pots, watering cans, bathtub), shoes. Old dishes can be restored by decorating them with mosaics, pebbles, making decoupage, braiding them with vines or ropes.
Alpine slides are very popular among gardeners. Of course, for a beautiful slide you need to adjust the terrain of the place, choose necessary stones, and then select suitable plants.
Decorative arches
If on garden path If you arrange an arch with a flowering climbing plant, then such a structure will decorate the garden and will be a pleasant invitation to the recreation area. By installing several of these arches, you will get a shady seating area where you can relax on a hot day.
So we figured it out, turning it into beautiful garden. Outbuildings can be disguised with tall or climbing bushes. The garden landscape can be supplemented with a small pond or reservoir, made of stones
All dacha owners one day think about decorating it, adding something special to the atmosphere. Of course, you can go to specialized stores and buy whatever your heart desires. But if summer residents want their vacation spot to be unique and inimitable, then it will be much more interesting to make the decorations with your own hands. Jewelry made independently will give the owners both a creative mood and aesthetic pleasure.
Choosing original ideas for a summer residence
Each dacha owner, if desired, can find a lot of different ideas for decorating his site. To make most of the decorations, only improvised means and minimum costs. And old, unnecessary furniture and interior items will inspire creativity even more. Often seemingly completely useless and forgotten things can come in handy. Country designers use in their work everything that comes to hand: broken old furniture, unnecessary toys, various bottles and dishes, car tires, remaining building materials and much more.
No dacha decoration is complete without intricate, interesting flower beds. Uniqueness flower arrangements you can add them by planting them in old containers. These can be barrels, pots, and even carts. Many summer residents build various picket fences for flower beds.
They will always add comfort original tracks on a summer cottage. They are made from timber or stone. And leftover materials can always be used to build another composition.
Bottles and plastic jars are especially popular among country designers. From them it is easy and simple to build many interesting sculptures, decorations for flower beds, and borders. There are no limits for imagination here.
You should definitely place a bird feeder in your dacha. Children usually love to watch birds. And with a feeder, birds will be a frequent visitor to your summer cottage. It can be made from a plastic bottle, from an unnecessary block of wood, or from twigs.
Without much difficulty, you can make a variety of figures that will bring comfort and individuality to the countryside atmosphere. To make them, you can use a variety of design solutions and materials. For example, polymer clay, leftovers polyurethane foam, gypsum and other building materials. Once you start creative work, it will immediately become clear that nothing is impossible.
Crafts from improvised materials
The most popular among available materials for crafts are bottles, various plastic jars and boxes. Before starting work, you should definitely think through the details so that the result is truly beautiful and does not resemble a pile of plastic waste.
Plastic bottles are easy to cut and can be easily shaped into the desired shape. And if you cover the result of the work suitable paints, then you get bright, unique decorations for your dacha. For example, you can make figures of animals (pigs, cows, bees) or fairy-tale characters. By making such decorations, you can unleash your creative potential, and each time the crafts will become more and more perfect. With a large amount of unnecessary plastic, not only crafts, but also furniture are made from it.
If you have a glass cutter among your tools, you can make original pots from glass bottles. Such crafts look very stylish and easily fit into any design. Candle stands can be made in the same way.
Bottle caps can also be useful for decorating furniture, decorative fences, creating compositions and even curtains. You can also use containers from chocolate egg toys.
Leftovers natural stone Perfect for decorating a pond in your country house. A small pond will add unique comfort to the atmosphere of the dacha. Flower beds, crafts or a recreation area will look good around. If the pond turns out to be large enough, then it can be decorated with an interesting bridge.
Every motorist always has old tires. You can simply paint them and make bright bases for a flower bed, or you can show your imagination and cut out various shapes.
Arrangement of a play area at the dacha
When landscaping and decorating your summer cottage, don’t forget about the children. They need their own territory for games and entertainment. Children of any age love swings. They can be made from regular boards and ropes or use metal chains and old tires painted in bright colors. It’s easy to build slides and swings from scrap materials. The main thing is that everything is durable and reliable.
For kids, you will definitely need a sandbox. Its borders will look interesting from colorful bottles or wooden log houses. A sandbox in the form of a ship or car will look original. It is recommended to make an awning over the sand to protect from the bright sun.
Children will definitely love having their own playhouse on a summer cottage. Benches, a table or other furniture can be placed inside. It all depends on your imagination. The house can be decorated with a bright flower bed or homemade decorations. Usually the children themselves are happy to take part in decorating their territory.
Ideas for decorating a fence at the dacha
The uniqueness of the dacha plot is best emphasized by its fencing. A fence is not only the protection of the territory, but also the so-called calling card of the owners.
A simple wooden or iron fence is trivial. It definitely needs to be decorated. You can decorate the fence in the most different materials: flower pots, crafts in the form of animals, painted landscapes and everything your imagination allows for. For example, unnecessary brightly colored rubber boots will look original as pots.
You can decorate the fence with old discs. They reflect sunlight and look interesting in any lighting. You can also apply different patterns to the discs.
A fence made of round timber, painted to look like colored pencils, looks impressive. This fence can also be used to fence off a children’s area in a dacha.
Any fence will look cozier if some climbing plants grow along it. Eat different kinds, which grow very quickly. For example, decorative beans or morning glory. You can plant vines. They grow much slower, but also look more expensive. There is no comparison in this case with wild grapes. Grape leaves gradually change their color and retain their beauty until frost. It looks original when the “grape fence” turns into a canopy. This design gives the fence an antique look.
Flowering shrubs planted along it will become beautiful decorations for a low fence. You can combine plants with different colors and flowering times.
In the evening, different lanterns on the fence look beautiful. It’s also possible to make them yourself from scrap materials. Or you can simply place candles in painted glass jars attached to the fence. The main thing is that the flame does not reach the fence.
Lovers of drawing will have a lot of room for imagination. You can draw anything on the surface of the fence: nature, scenes, cartoon characters, ornaments, small patterns in the form of flowers, butterflies, ladybugs. It’s easy to draw on any fence, but it’s easier on a fence made of corrugated board.
Compositions made from lids, shells, stones, and dishes look original. It’s easy to make plastic flowers from the bottoms of bottles and paint them in rich colors - they will look beautiful on wooden fence.
We design flower beds and flower beds
Flower beds will help transform your dacha plot and add color to its atmosphere. When choosing plants, you should definitely take into account their individual characteristics. First of all, you should decide on the “soloist” flowers, that is, the main plants in the flowerbed. The choice can be made of three or four types.
Decorating flowers with ornamental grasses and interestingly shaped leaves looks beautiful. With them, the flowerbed will be original, even when the flowers are not blooming. But you shouldn’t try to place many different plants in your garden. The territory of the site should look holistic and harmonious.
Of course, it’s not enough just to plant flowers beautifully. Flowerbeds also look more original if they are decorated around them. The composition must be complete.
Flower beds can be decorated using any unnecessary items. The article already mentioned that it is not difficult to make small flower beds from old tires painted in bright colors. You can use a wheelbarrow, a cart, an unnecessary beehive, or even old car. The main thing is that everything is done carefully and aesthetically. If desired, you can add decorations to the flower garden in the form of homemade bees, butterflies, and interesting stuffed animals.
You can make a small fence around the flowerbed. To make it, you can use plastic bottles or cups, fencing made of tyna, and stones. The flower bed looks beautiful and smoothly turns into a lawn.
Setting up a relaxation area
The dacha must have a comfortable place to relax in the fresh air. This issue must be approached very responsibly. It all depends on the preferences and desires of the owners. This could be simply a laid out area with a table and comfortable chairs or hammocks placed in the shade.
A gazebo, which can be made from the remaining building materials. Gazebos whose walls are decorated with climbing plants look beautiful. Bright colors look cozy as decorations. soft pillows or blankets.
Swings can be not only for children, but also for adults. It won’t be difficult to build a wide wooden swing for relaxation or make a hanging one somewhere in the shade of trees. For convenience, they can be decorated with soft pillows.
You will definitely need a barbecue in the recreation area. It can be made, for example, from an old barrel. For evening and night time, flashlights can be provided.
When designing and decorating a dacha plot, it is worth remembering that a dacha is a place of rest from the everyday life and bustle of the city. It should be comfortable and calm, and the environment should be pleasing to the eye. It is important not to overload the area with crafts or other design solutions, everything should be in moderation. Imagine, create, surprise!
Owners purchasing land for a dacha face a lot of tasks, the main one of which is landscaping the dacha plot. Simply building a house or temporary shelter on it is not enough, because a dacha is traditionally considered best place for relaxation (active or not) in nature, and it should be comfortable. There are no trifles in the process of arranging a personal garden, and in order for your dacha to become truly comfortable and beautiful, you need to pay attention to everything: from fencing and paths to lawns and flower beds.
A cozy garden plot with your own hands. Where to begin?
Any suburban area needs improvementLandscaping a dacha should begin with cleaning the area. The yard should be cleared of last year's leaves, various debris, stumps should be uprooted, large stones and other similar objects should be removed.
Then you can move directly to landscaping. To equip your garden plot with your own hands in the shortest possible time and at the same time achieve a harmonious combination of all elements of landscape design, you need to act consistently. Drawing up a plan for upcoming work will help you with this.
Preparatory work and planning
Given the importance of planning, the first priority is to draw up a work plan. To do this, you will need to make a drawing with existing buildings and trees marked on it, as well as the boundaries of the site.
Then you need to decide if you want to remove anything. If there are already fruit trees on the territory, then it is better to preserve them, since growing new ones will take a lot of time.
The spaces remaining free can be filled with garden paths, flower beds, gazebos and everything else you would like to see in your dacha. Typically placed on a summer cottage:
- Relaxation area. There are awnings, etc. here.
- . If you have children, it would be wise to take care of their leisure time at the dacha by installing a sandbox, swing or slide.
- Territory for economic needs. This part of the dacha is allocated for such buildings as, (if the house does not provide one), storage for fertilizers.
- Garden. It is recommended to place it on the north side of the site to provide the plants with the maximum amount of sunlight.
- Garden. Almost any place that is not too shaded or swampy is suitable for it.
It is important to highlight correctly functional areas
These zones can be called basic, although optional. Still, a lot depends on the size of the plot and the personal preferences of the owners. For some, a vegetable garden is more important, while others just want to enjoy their holiday surrounded by neat lawns.
Whatever you prefer, the fact that the dacha should be well-groomed is beyond doubt. An important role in this is played by the arrangement of a decent fence for the site.
Site fencing: choosing the right one
Which fencing is better to choose for your dacha? The most reliable and presentable will be a fence made of stone or brick, as well as a forged one. However, these options are quite expensive and, if you do not plan to spend a lot, you can get by wooden palisade or .
True, in the case of a fence, the reliability of protecting your site from unwanted intrusions is highly questionable. Therefore, it is recommended to additionally strengthen such a fence with chain-link mesh.
Reliable fence made of corrugated board and brickwork The mesh itself, fixed between the supports, can also serve as a fence, and to make it look more attractive and hide the area from prying eyes, you can plant shrubs, climbing plants or flowers along it. Hawthorn, barberry, thuja, juniper, lilac will look appropriate near the fence, and among the climbers - maiden grapes, sweet peas and others.
Garden paths and paths
– a mandatory attribute of any site. To make your movement around the dacha more convenient and its overall appearance harmonious, you should take care of arranging paths that unite all functional areas. It is better if they are all made in the same style.
Sandy
The easiest way is to make sandy paths. To do this, you will need to mark their contours with a rope, remove soil about 20 cm deep from the surface of the future path, fill it, water it and compact the gravel. Then there is another layer of gravel, finer, and, finally, a layer of sand, preferably with stone chips. Today such a mixture can be easily purchased in a store; its shades come in a wide variety of colors, so the path will not only be practical, but also beautiful.
The laid sandy path is carefully compacted and framed with a border made of brick or concrete. The recommended height of such a fence is 5 cm above the level of the path. Flowers or shrubs are usually planted on the sides. They visually highlight the path and at the same time strengthen the soil near it.
Sand path Concrete
Laying a concrete path with your own hands You can also make paths from concrete. This material is more durable, and besides, if you use ready-made concrete blocks, you can later change the direction of the paths simply by rearranging the slabs.
However, pouring concrete mortar provides more opportunities to create unusual shapes and smooth curves. This will take some effort, but the result is worth it. The base of the path is prepared in the same way as sand and formwork is installed on the sides (it is recommended to soak it in water in advance so that the solution does not stick).
Note! Laying reinforcing mesh under concrete greatly reduces the risk of cracking garden paths and increases their service life.
Then you should prepare a solution in the proportion of 1 part cement, 2 sand and 4 gravel, place it in the prepared form and level it. After the concrete has set a little, you can apply patterns imitating stone to its surface.
concrete path In addition to sand and concrete, stones or brickwork can also be used for paths. The base for them is prepared similarly to the previous options, but installation is much more labor-intensive. In order for the stones to fit well, they will need to be trimmed and laid on cement mortar by hand, which, as you understand, is a very painstaking task.
Relaxation and games area
The improvement of a summer cottage can hardly be called complete without the presence of comfortable conditions for relaxation and a place specially designed for this.
Place to rest
It is best to arrange this area in the garden or lawn. It can consist of several benches and a table (the simplest option), or of a gazebo, a full-fledged dining area, a barbecue and other attributes necessary for cultural recreation.
If you plan to place a barbecue or grill on the site, pay attention to its distance from housing and wooden buildings. For fire safety reasons, it should not be too close to them, but placing it close to the neighboring area is also undesirable.
Cozy gazebo with barbecue A significant role for a comfortable pastime at the dacha is played by all kinds of canopies and gazebos, which will protect you from the bright sun in the summer, and also will not allow the sudden onset of rain to spoil your vacation. In addition, a gazebo entwined with grapes or flowers will undoubtedly decorate the garden area. It is usually located in the center of the garden, by the pool (if one is planned) or the playground.
Playground
Provide a place for children to play Those who have small children or grandchildren should arrange a safe play area for them in their dacha. It is recommended to place it closer to the house or in another clearly visible place in order to be able to keep an eye on children. If there is a swimming pool or a swimming pool on the site, then the playground should not be too close to it, and the reservoir itself, as a potentially dangerous place, must be fenced off with a thick fence.
The area for the playing area should be level, without sharp slopes. You should not choose a place that is too shaded, but too much sun will not do any good. To provide moderate shade, it is better to pull out an awning or install an awning.
As for horizontal bars, slides, swings and other play equipment, the main requirement here is safety. It is necessary to make sure that everything is securely fastened, and also remove stones, sharp pegs and other objects from the site that could cause injury.
Rules for landscaping a summer cottage: choosing plants
After the site is demarcated into main zones, it’s time to revive and decorate it with green spaces. To make your lawns and flower beds pleasing to the eye, you must follow all the rules for landscaping a summer cottage.
First of all, you should evaluate the climate, the location of the dacha, as well as the composition of the soil. It is possible that for some plants to grow, it will be necessary to additionally fertilize the soil, and some may not take root at all if climatic conditions too harsh.
When deciding on specific types of plantings, also take into account the degree of shading. After all, it is known that not all plants tolerate constant shade or sun well. The humidity of the soil is also of considerable importance - its level should be sufficient, but not excessive. It is very difficult to grow anything in a wetland, and in this case you will need to first drain the soil and select moisture-resistant plants.
Shrubs and lawn: which require less care?
Shrubs and lawns, famous for their unpretentiousness, are excellent green spaces for a summer residence. A well-groomed lawn always looks win-win, both on its own and as a background for other elements of landscape design. You can buy already grown lawn in rolls, which greatly simplifies the gardening process, or, if you wish, you can sow and grow it yourself.
Lawns and shrubs at a summer cottage If you decide to purchase ready-made lawns, be sure to pay attention to the type of grass. Since, depending on it, they can be shade-tolerant, drought-resistant, trampling-resistant, athletic, etc. To decide which type suits you best, it makes sense to consult with the owners of nearby plots who already have practical experience in this matter.
The choice of ornamental shrubs, usually planted along fences, paths or in combination with, is also wide. The most popular are forsythia, Japanese rhododendron, dwarf spruce, jasmine, weigela and, of course, lilac. As a rule, such shrubs are unpretentious in care, and with the right place for planting and periodic trimming of excess branches they will delight you for many years.
Flower beds
The finishing touch that adds a bright touch to general appearance summer cottage, there will be flower beds. Almost any place can be allocated for them, since there are enough varieties of flowers, among which there are some that are resistant to heat, moisture, and shade. To make the flowerbed look well-groomed, it is worth fencing it with a small fence made of vines or surrounding it with stones, and the correct selection and arrangement of plants with different periods flowering will allow you to enjoy their beauty all summer long.
The flowerbed will add bright colors Beautiful garden plots (photos)
As you can see, it is quite possible to decorate and improve the dacha with your own hands, although it will require considerable effort and a serious approach to the matter. But the result of such efforts will undoubtedly please you. And, to get inspired to implement your dacha landscaping project, we bring to your attention beautiful garden plots, photos of which are given below. 
For many of our compatriots, when they hear the phrase “dacha plot,” a picture involuntarily appears before their eyes with an endless number of tomato and cucumber beds, an old shed for equipment and a gazebo inherited from the previous owners of the land. In the meantime modern resources and magazines beckon us beautiful photos landscape design projects, where the design of every centimeter of the local area or garden is thought out to the smallest detail. The Russian landowner (even of the tiniest plot) also wants to see his territory beautiful, well-groomed, inviting greenery and the opportunity to relax in the shade in the fresh air. But at the same time, we are not ready to give up beds of herbs and the opportunity to pick ripe vegetables right for family dinner. Is it possible to combine the practical benefits of growing vegetables, fruit trees and greenery with the beauty of landscape design? Of course, even on a tiny plot of land, nestled between the fences of private houses on narrow city streets, you can create your own green oasis for relaxing in the fresh air. It will take some effort, but the task is quite doable. We hope that an impressive selection of projects created in a wide variety of territorial conditions will help you be inspired to take action in your own garden or personal plot.
We draw up a detailed plan
Regardless of whether you have a tiny piece of land near your city home or are the happy owner of a huge plot outside the city, the first thing you need to start creating the garden of your dreams is drawing up a detailed plan. Of course, the original plan is not a dogma carved in stone, it can be changed in small ways, but the main points must be spelled out (drawn) clearly. Without a specific plan of what exactly you want to see on your property, you could be wasting time, money and effort. For some, it is important to be able to admire flowering flower beds and sit in the shade of fruit trees, while others are more interested in growing vegetables and the opportunity to roast meat on the fire in their own yard or any other local area.
On paper or in a special program, arrange the main objects of your site - buildings, recreation areas, a sector for cooking on fire, dinner Zone, children's playground, greenhouse or greenhouse, gazebo or canopy. It all depends on your preferences and the area of the plot. Next, you need to mark the location of the flower beds and planting of trees. Depending on the passage of groundwater, the location of the site in relation to the cardinal points and the features of the landscape, choose tree planting already at the planning stage. The same applies to flower beds and beds - it is better to know in advance what plants (sun-loving or preferring shady and humid areas) you will plant in them. It is better to spend time at the initial stage than to face the need to replant or even cut down already grown plants that simply do not have enough sun.
Next, you will need to outline the location of the garden paths. These are not simple elements of landscape design that help owners get from one sector of the site to another. Paths help to zone a site, distribute functional segments and create orderliness in the layout of the territory. Not to mention the fact that getting from one corner of the site to another in slushy weather without properly designed paths is extremely difficult.
Depending on the budget for the landscape design of your site, its size, the presence of buildings and their materials, garden paths can be laid out:
- stone (plastic);
- pebbles;
- fine gravel;
- brick;
- paving stones;
- paving slabs;
- concrete slabs;
- tree.
Many summer residents may decide that laying out garden paths is a waste of time and money. After all, many have their own childhood memories of their grandmother’s garden, where there were no stone or brick paths, and the potatoes grew excellent. But garden paths are not only about the aesthetic appearance of your site, but also about safety, weed control, and zoning of segments with different crops.
Garden paths made of stone look solid and respectable. Of course, the cost of the material may scare the Russian gardener, but such paths will last a long time. If you have any left natural stone from buildings, façade cladding or fence construction, then stone garden paths are your option.
Owners of plots where there are brick buildings don’t even have to rack their brains about choosing the material for the paths. Paving bricks are cheaper than construction bricks and can serve longer as a walking surface. Well, a harmonious appearance for your garden plot is guaranteed.
One of the cheapest options for organizing safe movement around the site is bulk gravel. The only thing to consider is consumables It will take more than usual, because gravel shrinks considerably during use. And yet, for a large plot with a central alley, gravel is not very suitable; it is an ideal option for small paths between flower beds and beds.
One more is enough durable option organizing garden paths - using concrete products. Using ready-made concrete slabs or blanks for pouring, you can create paths of any shape and size, wavy and straight, wide and narrow. IN construction stores you will see many options for shapes for filling - from round, triangular and polyhedron to asymmetrical products. You can not just lay out a path, but create your own, absolutely unique design.
Of course, the material for laying out garden paths can be combined. For example, the borders of paths (like low curbs) can be lined with stone or brick, and the main part can be covered with gravel. Thus, the boundaries of the paths will be clear and money will be saved. If you lay large pebbles as a base or concrete slabs and compact gravel around them, you will get a practical and beautiful garden path.
If we talk about the location of the beds in the area in front of the house or in the garden, then globally you have two options - using dug or raised flower beds. Dug beds can be fenced with stones. bricks, wooden boards- this way your flower beds will acquire clear boundaries and additional protection from weeds.
Raised beds are very popular in European yards. These gardening techniques began to be actively used among our compatriots. A raised flowerbed can be fenced with boards, stones, bricks or any available material. It all depends on your budget and expectations for the service life of the structures - whether you want to use them only for a season or whether the products should last longer.
There are ready-made vessels for forming beds on sale. They typically come in round or oval shapes and are made from thin sheets of stainless steel. This is a practical, relatively inexpensive and aesthetic way of organizing beds or flower beds for planting plants, even in conditions that are far from possible for growing herbs and vegetables in open ground.
Even small area you can decorate with elements that won’t take up much space. Beautiful arch or a pergola can serve not only as a decoration for your landscape, but also as a support for climbing plants.
Examples of organizing a “green corner” in an urban environment
Among the city noise and bustle, the abundance of glass and concrete, the lack of contact with nature is especially acute. The desire to have their own small green oasis among gray concrete slabs pushes many city residents to even build a greenhouse on the roof apartment building. Nothing is impossible. You can organize a place to relax in the fresh air on two square meters land or terrace. If you don’t forget about the possibility of growing fresh herbs for the table in small raised beds or even garden tubs, then you can get not only a patio, but also a mini-vegetable garden right in the middle of the urban concrete jungle.
Even on the roof of the house, you can organize a cozy green patio for spending time in the fresh air, including weeding the beds or mowing a small lawn. Of course, no one talks about planting fruit trees (even dwarf varieties) in huge tubs, but small flower beds or beds with herbs can be organized literally “from scratch.”
For organizing beds or small flower beds on a roof, terrace, or just a modest piece of land, bulk (raised) flower beds are best suited. They can be built using stone, wooden boards (you can use pallets or pallets left over from building materials) or scrap materials (tin sheets, old barrels).
"Live" or green wall- this is an opportunity to organize a relaxation corner in the shade of plants for those who do not have any space to plant in the soil. Of course, creating and maintaining a vertical flower bed with plants is not an easy task, requiring more time and effort than a regular flower garden. But an incredibly beautiful, stylish and original building with its appearance will recoup all investments.
2018-11-30 11:16:34
Garden arrangement: a kaleidoscope of budget ideas
