Landscape gardening and landscape construction is a very large area of phytodesign, requiring serious theoretical and practical training. Regardless of the size of the site, in order for the future result to be worthy and long-term, it is necessary to apply a professional approach to design. Even creating a landscape design of 6 acres, you will need to be patient, initially paying enough attention to the theory.
It is important not to neglect the creation of a detailed project on paper, this will help not to lose sight of the various subtleties, take into account all the "pitfalls", and also really assess your capabilities, both physical and financial.
The garden plot project will contain the following sections:
The initial plan of the site;
Zoning;
Design.
If necessary, also:
Drainage system;
Watering scheme;
Scheme of electrical networks.
An initial or draft site plan is needed to create all other plans. It should reflect the cardinal points, landscape features (lowlands, hills, planting of large plants), buildings in the country, as well as near borders, adjacent sections or roads. The second stage of design is zoning. Here you need to think about what the functional areas will be (recreation area, vegetable garden, sports, household, children's zone). Assessing the real possibilities of a small summer cottage, it is better to limit yourself to 3-4 zones, determining their acceptable size.
The most fascinating part is direct design planning. This item is usually given the most time. It is here that everything that 6 acres of land should turn into will be reflected.
Less commonly, engineering systems are planned in such small areas. Thus, an ordinary garden hose can replace the irrigation system, which can easily be thrown to any corner of the garden, and for lighting, as a rule, sources mounted on a country house are enough. In the event that it is planned to install more serious irrigation and lighting systems, it is better to contact specialized companies for their design.
Garden Garden
Traditionally, in our country, land plots are used for growing vegetable crops. The main advice of professionals is that you do not need to maintain this tradition in absolute accuracy. The garden can also be beautiful, and not like a cemetery with rectangular graves.
If desired, you can arrange the entire plot in the form of a large decorative garden. Beds can be replaced by flower beds of different sizes and shapes, where the flower filling will be replaced by edible plants.
All vegetables familiar to us have very decorative data that, if placed sensibly, can open up for you in a new light, even ordinary potatoes planted separately, like a solitary plant, will simply be unrecognizable, because its textured foliage will become a contrasting background for colorful inflorescences, and then for unusual clusters of fruits that were previously not noticeable in the general heap of plantings.
Moreover, individually planted potato bushes will bear fruit better, because care for them will be more affordable, and therefore better, than in mass plantings.
The creation of a garden in the form of a multi-level terrace will be very unusual, but at the same time effective. almost all vegetables are annuals in the middle band, you can not be afraid of the complete freezing of the artificially created hill. When creating such an element of the landscape, the general view of the garden plot takes on a beautiful shape, visually gives the impression of an increase in area.
We combine vegetables and flowers
To diversify the design of the summer cottage, you need to add colors in the form of flowers, harmoniously combined with fruitful plants. Flowers can be used both perennial and annual.
When composing the composition, it is important to take into account the features of all neighboring plantings, the size of the underground, ground parts, shade tolerance, watering requirements, bush growth rate, fertilizer preferences, soil composition, compatibility with other neighbors. If there is a need to leave a large space around the cultural planting, then it can be filled with ground cover species, or with limited-growth flyers who do not require a large biological space.
It is appropriate to use adjacent varieties of fruit and flower. Modern breeders offer many varieties of edible brassica, allium with large spherical inflorescences, a variety of latiruses, miniature tomatoes and much more. A combination of cucumbers and garden looms is ideal for vertical gardening.
Beloved by all gardeners, zucchini creeping on the ground, pumpkins will look good in combination with low zinnias and marigolds. In general, one should not be afraid to experiment in this direction, creating new unique compositions.
Availability
When creating landscaping, you need to provide access to all elements of the garden, so that there is no difficulty in caring for them.
Even at the design stage, a system of paths and individual islands is planned, which must be stable and of sufficient size. Also, if there are no underground utilities that lead to water, it is worth calculating how irrigation will be provided so as not to damage the plants during irrigation.
Fruit trees and shrubs
For a summer cottage of 6 acres, it will be rational to select low-growing trees and shrubs, alternating them with medium-sized fruiting bushes.
It is better to place this part of the garden near the northern or northeastern border of the site so that these plantings do not create a shadow in the daytime for light-loving herbaceous plants. It will also be better if these plantings are located on a natural hill, where in the spring there will be no stagnation of water, a harmful day of the root system, otherwise you need to create the right drainage system.
Drainage is done for each plant at the bottom of the planting hole in combination with a general system for removing excess water i.e. installation of drainage pipes, ditches, etc. With the correct drainage device, all water should leave without stopping in this area.
Groups of woody plants can serve as a visual barrier, thanks to them it is possible to design zones inaccessible to the eyes of curious neighbors, this is especially true for a narrow area where it is difficult to create a secluded recreation area.
Here you also should not forget to combine business with pleasure, for example, by creating combinations of rose bushes with currant.
Shady part of the garden
Creating a design of a summer cottage site with your own hands, you need to take into account all the little things. One of such tricky moments can be considered filling the shady part of the garden. Often, inexperienced gardeners, because of their inexperience of millet, leave this area under weed thickets, it is not scary if this is an inconspicuous area behind the house, which is much more difficult for those who find it the front zone of the house.
In fact, there are many shade-tolerant crops, of course, they will not be fruitful or have lush flowering, most often they are deciduous plants. By creating a variety of combinations of textures and shades, you can achieve a good decorative effect.
Hosta's glossy, rounded leaves will contrast in a duet with cinnamon ferns in the foreground. High ferns, for example, an ostrich, are well suited for the background. If necessary, you can create a lawn from ground cover plants such as sour, hoof or lily of the valley.
Garden to relax
In recent years, it has become fashionable to purchase summer cottages not in order to get involved in gardening, but simply for a cultural holiday in the fresh air. As a rule, it does not make sense to acquire large territories for this, a plot of 6 acres with a small country house with a well-equipped recreation area will be enough.
It is simply necessary to choose the most unpretentious plants that do not require special care. And from decorative elements it will be enough to create 2-3 flower beds with perennial flowers that can grow in one place for many years. Open areas can be seeded with low-growing, trample-resistant lawn grasses.
General view can be diversified by installation pergolas, summer kitchens, swings or artificial ponds. You need to understand that any site will require minimal care in order to maintain a presentable appearance.
In sultry heat, almost all crops require watering, flower beds need top dressing and weeding, and the lawn needs a mowing.
Flower beds
The most common element of landscape design is a flower bed. There are rectangular flower beds, they are called discounts and flower beds of arbitrary shape. Also distinguish single-level and multi-level flower beds.
Rabatki, as a rule, are suitable for gardens decorated in a form-linear style using clear geometric shapes. In small areas, they are usually located adjacent to the buildings.
Free form flower beds suitable for gardens in a vegetative style, where everyone strives to imitate nature. Here, as nowhere else, the multi-level and natural randomness of the landings will be appropriate. At planning flower beds you need to take into account the flowering time of all components, ideally, to achieve the effect of continuous flowering, so that the withering inflorescences are immediately replaced by newly blossoming. For this, special tables have been created, which reflect the seasonality of flowering. If there are still time intervals with the absence of flowering of the main perennials, then you should take care to fill them with summers with a long flowering period.
As for the color scheme, you need to create color spots from groups of similar colors, but differing in texture of colors. You can also implement monochrome combinations.
Annual flower beds
When creating landscaping with your own hands, you can start with flower beds with annual crops. Among them there is a large selection of unpretentious plants on which you can practice and gain experience in floriculture.
An important plus of such short-lived landings is the ability to annually change the design. In one season it can be a multi-level complex flower bed of dahlias, amaranth, petunias, nasturtiums, calendula, and in the next it will be a classic composition of asters, cineraria, stonecrop. Annuals, as a rule, have long flowering, which favorably affects the continuous flowering during the season.
There are many unpretentious varieties that need minimal care. Also, many cultures that are not demanding on the fertility of the substrate are bred. Thus, you can gradually pick up the flowers most suitable for your site, which will always delight you with their abundant flowering.
Individual landscape
Most sites are characterized by a monotonous landscape that does not have individual characteristics. To ensure that the view is not boring, you need to create elements that mimic the natural elements of the landscape (hills, lowlands, different levels).
One of these elements can be an alpine hill or a terrace of several "floors". Trees and shrubs also visually give the necessary 3D effect.
Create multi-level flower beds and vertical landscaping that will attract attention, hold your eyes on yourself.
Garden harmony
With your own hands it is quite possible to create a harmonious landscape design. For this, individual elements must be selected in a single style, combined with the buildings and natural features of the site.
For example, accessories from the barbecue area should be appropriate among artificial landings, and not seem random elements.
Create smooth flowing of color spots one into another, you should not create rainbow gardens, it strains the psyche and does not contribute to relaxation. First of all, landscape design is designed for a person, it is better to make all its components convenient, practical.
The design of a summer cottage, which has a modest size, should not be loaded with an abundance of decor, it is better to pay maximum attention to the functional components.
In conclusion, we can say that creating the landscaping of a summer cottage with your own hands is very exciting, you can improve your skills every year, bringing them to the ideal.Expanding your knowledge in the field of individual topics affected in this article, not being afraid to experiment, you can develop your own individual style.
Landscape gardening and landscape construction is a very large area of phytodesign, requiring serious theoretical and practical training. Regardless of the size of the site, in order for the future result to be worthy and long-term, it is necessary to apply a professional approach to design. Even creating a landscape design of 6 acres, you will need to be patient, initially paying enough attention to the theory.
Content
Project
It is important not to neglect the creation of a detailed project on paper, this will help not to lose sight of the various subtleties, take into account all the "pitfalls", and also really assess your capabilities, both physical and financial.
The garden plot project will contain the following sections:
If necessary, also:
An initial or draft site plan is needed to create all other plans. It should reflect the cardinal points, landscape features (lowlands, hills, planting of large plants), buildings in the country, as well as near borders, adjacent sections or roads.
The second stage of design is zoning. Here you need to think about what the functional areas will be (recreation area, vegetable garden, sports, household, children's zone). Assessing the real possibilities of a small summer cottage, it is better to limit yourself to 3-4 zones, determining their acceptable size.
The most fascinating part is direct design planning. This item is usually given the most time. It is here that everything that 6 acres of land should turn into will be reflected.
Less commonly, engineering systems are planned in such small areas. Thus, an ordinary garden hose can replace the irrigation system, which can easily be thrown to any corner of the garden, and for lighting, as a rule, sources mounted on a country house are enough. In the event that it is planned to install more serious irrigation and lighting systems, it is better to contact specialized companies for their design.
Garden Garden
Traditionally, in our country, land plots are used for growing vegetable crops. The main advice of professionals is that you do not need to maintain this tradition in absolute accuracy. The garden can also be beautiful, and not like a cemetery with rectangular graves.
If desired, you can arrange the entire plot in the form of a large decorative garden. Beds can be replaced by flower beds of different sizes and shapes, where the flower filling will be replaced by edible plants.
All vegetables familiar to us have very decorative data that, if placed sensibly, can open up for you in a new light, even ordinary potatoes planted separately, like a solitary plant, will simply be unrecognizable, because its textured foliage will become a contrasting background for colorful inflorescences, and then for unusual clusters of fruits that were previously not noticeable in the general heap of plantings.
Moreover, individually planted potato bushes will bear fruit better, because care for them will be more affordable, and therefore better, than in mass plantings.
The creation of a garden in the form of a multi-level terrace will be very unusual, but at the same time effective. almost all vegetables are annuals in the middle band, you can not be afraid of the complete freezing of the artificially created hill. When creating such an element of the landscape, the general view of the garden plot takes on a beautiful shape, visually gives the impression of an increase in area.
We combine vegetables and flowers
To diversify the design of the summer cottage, you need to add colors in the form of flowers, harmoniously combined with fruitful plants. Flowers can be used both perennial and annual.
When composing the composition, it is important to take into account the features of all neighboring plantings, the size of the underground, ground parts, shade tolerance, watering requirements, bush growth rate, fertilizer preferences, soil composition, compatibility with other neighbors. If there is a need to leave a large space around the cultural planting, then it can be filled with ground cover species, or with limited-growth flyers who do not require a large biological space.
It is appropriate to use adjacent varieties of fruit and flower. Modern breeders offer many varieties of edible brassica, allium with large spherical inflorescences, a variety of latiruses, miniature tomatoes and much more.
A combination of cucumbers and garden looms is ideal for vertical gardening.
Beloved by all gardeners, zucchini creeping on the ground, pumpkins will look good in combination with low zinnias and marigolds.
In general, one should not be afraid to experiment in this direction, creating new unique compositions.
Availability
When creating landscaping, you need to provide access to all elements of the garden, so that there is no difficulty in caring for them.
Even at the design stage, a system of paths and individual islands is planned, which must be stable and of sufficient size. Also, if there are no underground utilities that lead to water, it is worth calculating how irrigation will be provided so as not to damage the plants during irrigation.
Fruit trees and shrubs
For a summer cottage of 6 acres, it will be rational to select low-growing trees and shrubs, alternating them with medium-sized fruiting bushes.
It is better to place this part of the garden near the northern or northeastern border of the site so that these plantings do not create a shadow in the daytime for light-loving herbaceous plants. It will also be better if these plantings are located on a natural hill, where in the spring there will be no stagnation of water, a harmful day of the root system, otherwise you need to create the right drainage system.
Drainage is done for each plant at the bottom of the planting hole in combination with a general system for removing excess water i.e. installation of drainage pipes, ditches, etc. With the correct drainage device, all water should leave without stopping in this area.
Groups of woody plants can serve as a visual barrier, thanks to them it is possible to design zones inaccessible to the eyes of curious neighbors, this is especially true for a narrow area where it is difficult to create a secluded recreation area.
Here you also should not forget to combine business with pleasure, for example, by creating combinations of rose bushes with currant.
Shady part of the garden
Creating a design of a summer cottage site with your own hands, you need to take into account all the little things.
One of such tricky moments can be considered filling the shady part of the garden. Often, inexperienced gardeners, because of their inexperience of millet, leave this area under weed thickets, it is not scary if this is an inconspicuous area behind the house, which is much more difficult for those who find it the front zone of the house.
In fact, there are many shade-tolerant crops, of course, they will not be fruitful or have lush flowering, most often they are deciduous plants. By creating a variety of combinations of textures and shades, you can achieve a good decorative effect.
Hosta's glossy, rounded leaves will contrast in a duet with cinnamon ferns in the foreground. High ferns, for example, an ostrich, are well suited for the background.
If necessary, you can create a lawn from ground cover plants such as sour, hoof or lily of the valley.
Garden to relax
In recent years, it has become fashionable to purchase summer cottages not in order to get involved in gardening, but simply for a cultural holiday in the fresh air. As a rule, it does not make sense to acquire large territories for this, a plot of 6 acres with a small country house with a well-equipped recreation area will be enough.
It is simply necessary to choose the most unpretentious plants that do not require special care. And from decorative elements it will be enough to create 2-3 flower beds with perennial flowers that can grow in one place for many years. Open areas can be seeded with low-growing, trample-resistant lawn grasses.
General view can be diversified by installation pergolas, summer kitchens, swings or artificial ponds.
You need to understand that any site will require minimal care in order to maintain a presentable appearance.
In sultry heat, almost all crops require watering, flower beds need top dressing and weeding, and the lawn needs a mowing.
Flower beds
The most common element of landscape design is a flower bed.
There are rectangular flower beds, they are called discounts and flower beds of arbitrary shape. Also distinguish single-level and multi-level flower beds.
Rabatki, as a rule, are suitable for gardens decorated in a form-linear style using clear geometric shapes. In small areas, they are usually located adjacent to the buildings.
Free form flower beds suitable for gardens in a vegetative style, where everyone strives to imitate nature. Here, as nowhere else, the multi-level and natural randomness of the landings will be appropriate.
At planning flower beds you need to take into account the flowering time of all components, ideally, to achieve the effect of continuous flowering, so that the withering inflorescences are immediately replaced by newly blossoming. For this, special tables have been created, which reflect the seasonality of flowering. If there are still time intervals with the absence of flowering of the main perennials, then you should take care to fill them with summers with a long flowering period.
As for the color scheme, you need to create color spots from groups of similar colors, but differing in texture of colors. You can also implement monochrome combinations.
Annual flower beds
When creating landscaping with your own hands, you can start with flower beds with annual crops. Among them there is a large selection of unpretentious plants on which you can practice and gain experience in floriculture.
An important plus of such short-lived landings is the ability to annually change the design. In one season it can be a multi-level complex flower bed of dahlias, amaranth, petunias, nasturtiums, calendula, and in the next it will be a classic composition of asters, cineraria, stonecrop.
Annuals, as a rule, have long flowering, which favorably affects the continuous flowering during the season.
There are many unpretentious varieties that need minimal care. Also, many cultures that are not demanding on the fertility of the substrate are bred. Thus, you can gradually pick up the flowers most suitable for your site, which will always delight you with their abundant flowering.
Individual landscape
Most sites are characterized by a monotonous landscape that does not have individual characteristics. To ensure that the view is not boring, you need to create elements that mimic the natural elements of the landscape (hills, lowlands, different levels).
One of these elements can be an alpine hill or a terrace of several "floors". Trees and shrubs also visually give the necessary 3D effect.
Create multi-level flower beds and vertical landscaping that will attract attention, hold your eyes on yourself.
Garden harmony
With your own hands it is quite possible to create a harmonious landscape design.
For this, individual elements must be selected in a single style, combined with the buildings and natural features of the site.
For example, accessories from the barbecue area should be appropriate among artificial landings, and not seem random elements.
Create smooth flowing of color spots one into another, you should not create rainbow gardens, it strains the psyche and does not contribute to relaxation.
First of all, landscape design is designed for a person, it is better to make all its components convenient, practical.
The design of a summer cottage, which has a modest size, should not be loaded with an abundance of decor, it is better to pay maximum attention to the functional components.
In conclusion, we can say that creating the landscaping of a summer cottage with your own hands is very exciting, you can improve your skills every year, bringing them to the ideal.Expanding your knowledge in the field of individual topics affected in this article, not being afraid to experiment, you can develop your own individual style.