You can turn a country house into a picture from a glossy magazine on your own, without resorting to the services of expensive designers. To do this, you will need to get acquainted with the basics of landscape design, artistic taste and unlimited imagination. The information in the article will help you plan the site and choose the appropriate style for the design of the adjoining space.

The basic rules of landscape design of a country house

Before proceeding with the arrangement of the territory, attention should be paid to the laws to which design obeys. The main requirement is a harmonious combination of elements, it does not matter whether it is a newly created or remade to your taste composition.

The transformed landscape can be called well planned if the following norms are observed during the implementation of the idea:

• compatibility and style matching, where each element in color and geometric shape should fit into the whole picture and form a single thematic style. If you bring the pattern in one place, it must be repeated in another. Alternatively, gothic decorations would be inappropriate on a rustic wooden barn;
• relevance and functionality of the placementwhich imply ease of use. The garage should be arranged so that it was convenient to call into it from the street, and the outdoor shower should not be evident;
• general proportions, in which you should build on the scale of the site, decorating it with objects of various sizes. In a vast area, small details are lost, and, conversely, sculptures, a reservoir or an alpine slide on two hundred square meters look pretentious and tasteless. It is not necessary to clutter every meter of the earth with exotic plants, remember, they need constant care and approaches for its implementation;
• smoothness and sequence of transitions of formswhich can not be neglected by building lines. Start by placing low objects and moving on to high objects; a line with narrow details should end with wide ones. Such a play of forms will visually add the volume of the local area;
• harmony of colors, which also affects visual perception. Properly selected cold and warm tones will create the effect of proximity or distance. A special color wheel will help to harmoniously combine related colors, the left side of which contains a group of cold tones, and the right one contains warm tones. When creating a composition, keep in mind that color elements are performed in one group, but contrast is allowed to distract attention from an unnecessary building. The skillful use of neutral white, gray and black colors will allow you to focus on bright accents. Designers often use one primary color and a maximum of two additional colors to avoid overload;
• square principle, the use of which is useful when planning zones and placing buildings, flower beds, paths, taking into account the cardinal points. Do you want a thick shadow in the recreation area, if the house is oriented to the south, or not, you should choose it, but the body of water will warm up faster on the south side, but for the gazebo you may need additional shading;
• neatness and cleanliness, which will help even in the absence of a large budget to maintain the beauty of the site. Even if you got an old house, eliminating cracks, flaky paint, dry platbands, you can transform its appearance.

Types of landscape design style

When choosing a style from the variety of ready-made projects for decorating a country house, it should be remembered that not every one of them is easy to reproduce on its site. Relate the natural lines of the landscape and the existing structures that you do not plan to rebuild with what you want to see in the end.

When viewing successful samples from the photo gallery, choose a style for your own home that will bring less cost and effort, otherwise instead of a planned vacation in the future, you will have to spend all your free time maintaining a stylish design.

Important! Organizing the landscape in a single style, remember that each zone should overlap with the other, and the smooth outlines of paths and tree crowns — balanced by the rectangles of buildings.

Classical

The restrained version of the classics is universal and applicable to any site. The landscape in this style is distinguished by graceful forms, clear boundaries and manifestations of symmetry. The presence of neat rectangular lawns and zoned flower beds is inherent in this style. You can create bosquets from green spaces, that is, spheres interconnected in appearance, cylinders, ovals, forming geometric compositions from densely planted and decoratively trimmed bushes and trees.

The central part of the landscape may be a round pond or a fountain, around which direct paths of straight paths of pebbles, gravel, and asphalt diverge. The addition will be benches, statues, flowerpots or arches. The severity of the forms of conifers, catalpa, linden, roses, lilac, mock-overs vary.

Rustic (Country)

If you are close to the warm themes of the village and folk style, you should choose a country with its naturally growing grass and unpretentious plants. From the facade of the house twined with vine and ivy, the house is cozy. Wattle fence as a fence of the site fits perfectly into the design. Artificially aged pots or rare clay vessels adorn the simplicity of style.

A clumsy stuffed animal, a wooden wheel, a mill or a flowerbed, designed in the form of a cart with simple but catchy flowers like mallow, nasturtium, sunflower, will add a twist to the decor. Fruit trees will also have practical value, and shrubs planted in wooden tubs underscore deliberate primitivism. Clear boundaries are blurred, colored elements are deliberately scattered around the site. Materials are selected natural: boulders, sand, wood.

English (landscape)

This restrained view suggests the size of the area, as dense plantings of tall trees, ornamental shrubs and the size of the areas with lawn grass will require enough space. Symmetry is optional here: plants are planted in several tiers, shrubs alternate with trimmed lawns.It is good if the relief of the site is hilly, and the paths are winding and uneven. Often there is a hedge of small bushes along paths laid out of stone or brick chips. Variegated shrubs are also planted near the house, and beautiful flower beds in bloom perfectly complement the composition.

Important! If the territory is small, a multi-tiered arrangement of flowerpots will save space for plants and simplify flower care.

Arches with ivy are an integral part of landscape style. The project of the English garden may include stylization under the ruins, large statues and natural reservoirs of irregular shape, which should not focus attention, therefore large objects, including the house, are hidden behind the trees.

Video: English style plot

Provencal (French Country)

Provencal style is able to recreate the romantic atmosphere of French pastorals in any area. It is characterized by the absence of pronounced lines and borders, the use of gentle tones of white, green and azure shades in the decoration of buildings and arbors.

Discreet small flowers and the scent of lavender on a natural lawn will transform the sloppiness of uncut grass into a thought-out natural beauty. On a light low fence ivy, hops, grapes look good. Saving a picture of a tree or a cut of a stone during decoration will help decorate the paths without violating the overall style.

Japanese

The current that came to design from Japan implies the observance of the principles of the philosophy of the unity of nature and man. A landscape created for meditation, along with spiritual harmony should bring physical relaxation. In Japanese gardens, decorative structures, sculptures, paths made of stones, and fountains or miniature ponds with decorative bridges and lanterns predominate.

In the flower garden, use calm pink or white shades of undersized irises and dwarf plants. Low trees, sakura, felt cherry or a bonsai formed from thuja or azalea will complement the eastern flavor.

Modern

Smoothness, originality and roundness are the main characteristics that reflect the essence of modernity. Abstract, unusual figures of buildings and sculptures, modern glossy and matte building and decorative materials distinguish this view from the rest.

Important! A strong slope of the soil can be beaten with decorative retaining walls to create an alpine slide from natural stones or make a multi-level composition with a pond in a lowland.

The main place from which you need to build on when designing a garden is the house. It is from him that the paths will diverge with the rays and smooth lines of lawns will form around. Reproduction of the lines of the facade or tree can be repeated in other elements, a winding floral ornament, the introduction of uncharacteristic forms without right angles will be reflected in the creation of non-standard spiral and arcuate paths, flower beds, and a pond.

Create a roundness in other elements of the decor, for example, fancy forging patterns repeating the shape of a climbing plant are appropriate. Laconic garden furniture is suitable for this style. Traditionally, large trees are planted for this style - these can be willow, birch, ash, single oak or a small group. Combine fantasy bends of pines with dwarf forms of fruit trees, creepers and bright annuals.

Chinese

In a lush garden, combining the principles of Feng Shui and the symbolism of the Chinese combination of colors, natural motifs and beauty reign. Design involves the placement of elements in accordance with the doctrine of what each side of the world carries. In the color preferences of the Chinese, red is generously bringing wealth, success, fame, so its different shades are welcomed both in flowering and in the coloring of the foliage.

The central will be a pond that can be populated with goldfish and plant a lotus in it, and a bamboo bridge will become a decorative but significant element in style. Not far away is a gazebo made in the shape of a traditional pagoda - with a curved roof of 2-3 tiers. Place the trees so that they do not hide the main components of the Chinese style. Undersized varieties of willow, peaches and plums are suitable.

High tech

High functionality with no frills hi-tech style quickly led him to popularity. The simple harmony of the original things brought convenience to the general care. The criteria for the size of the site are not important here - both narrow strips and large rectangles of the earth near the house will fit. There is no obstacle to its creation in the complexity of the initial relief: zoning in this case involves both symmetry and asymmetry, using combinations of concrete, plastic, glass and stones.

Light shades prevail in this direction: white, gray, beige, light lilac, gold and lilac touches. The emphasis is appropriate with the participation of orange, red, blue or black, while you should try not to overload the general view of the landscape with catchy details. The finished look, with even, strict cobbled paths and geometrically regular lawns, is characterized by calm integrity without eye-catching bright details, flower beds, wooden objects. All forms should be concise and simple.

The proximity to the park style allows for the presence of unusual crowns of mountain ash and larch in high-tech, but it is better to get along with long lines of discreet shrubs of spirea, barberry, and snowberry. Silver, yellow, purple varieties of trees and conifers will help add liveliness. A game with lighting, benches and concrete containers for flowers stands out recreation areas.

Video: High-tech landscaping

How to create a landscape with your own hands

In order to create unique landscaping objects on your own and bring personality to them, you will need patience, accessibility of materials, readiness for novelty and hard work. Do not be afraid to take the initiative and deviate from the canons - extraordinary decisions sometimes reveal the not obvious beauty of the territory and create an unforgettable atmosphere.

Decide on the choice of style, place and amount of work, remember that independent arrangement of a site in a short period is a myth. This process is endless, because plants require fertilizer, watering, cutting, preparation for wintering. But if you approach with a soul and complete the work efficiently, your site will get a neat and attractive look in any season.

Where to start

Before starting work, it is necessary to plan their sequence, arranging the items in descending order of importance:

1. Design a basic idea you can manually, plotting the site plan on graph paper, or automatically, with drawings in a 3D program, using the Realtime Landscaping Architect or Sierra Land Designer 3D 7.0 software convenient for the designer. With such programs, it is better to evaluate how the site looks in perspective and volume. The advantage of software is in turnkey solutions and tips.
2. Take care of the non-obvious: Consider where to place the entrance, the house taking into account the red line, is there a need for a terrace or porch, what kind of outbuildings will be, depending on the shape of the site.
3. Divide the earth on a recreation area, a zone for planting a garden and a kitchen garden, taking into account existing buildings, cardinal points, groundwater level, soil composition, large perennials available.
4. Only after drawing buildings draw tracks. It should be borne in mind that lines are harder to draw, and with the help of smooth lines it is easier to distinguish plantings and place accents in interesting corners, taking into account the terrain.
5. A special place in the plan communications and electricity. It is impossible to do without a water supply system, a sewage system and an irrigation system in a country house; development of a water supply scheme is mandatory. Plan for electric power for both technical and decorative lighting.
6. After that follows add other elements of the desired style to the landscape. Decide on the general composition of the zones and the presence of architectural forms, the placement of mixborders and lawns. The creation of large flower and green massifs, fountains, a reservoir or a pond will require large financial investments and the size of the territory.
7. In the next step choose the types of plants, trees and flowers that are necessary to maintain style. At the same time, take care of the color scheme of the design and the building material.

Such a plan is not a literal guide to execution: it will have to be corrected several times, but visualization is important for understanding step-by-step actions while maintaining a single style.

Site zoning

The layout of the zones depends on the conditions of a particular area and your idea of ​​the illumination of various parts of the house territory. But the division of the site implies the mandatory presence of a functional zone.

Its definition includes:

• living sectorwhere there is a closed courtyard, a house with a terrace, a front door or a porch, a cellar, a garage place, a summer kitchen, a bathhouse, a toilet and a shower. As a rule, they are located from the west or east;
• BBQ lounge, arbor, tea house, place for children to play, swing or hammock. Usually, the central territory is allocated for them, it is decorated with bushes without thorns and flowers in flowerpots;
• economic zone, there are outbuildings for inventory and premises for birds and animals. They should be hidden from view by large buildings, trees, a fence and are on the north side;
• area with garden and gardenwhose land is used for growing crops. The southern direction is suitable for it.

Entrance A-Zone: main gate, parking lot, coniferous garden, flower garden. B- Utility zone: household plot, garden, bathhouse with terrace, shower, toilet and pantry. B- Residential area: house, terrace, flower garden and ground cover. D- Landscape area: a playing meadow, a decorative pond, a rock garden, a bridge, a resting place in the shade, a barbecue area. The concept of a problem zone arises in places with a large difference in ground level and makes it impossible to build in such areas. Leveling usually takes a lot of effort and money. Modern trends in landscape design skillfully mask such shortcomings: an impressive pit can be turned into a pond, and uneven terrain and steps can be used to create an alpine hill.

Lawn decoration

Landscaping is an integral part of landscape design, in addition, grass massifs are necessary to reduce dust and moisture. Lawns can be presented in various options within the same style, based on their intended use for various zones:

• soft universal mixes that do not require constant care. These are fescue, meadowgrass and meadow grass;
• hard grass of increased density, it is resistant to adverse conditions and is intended for walking animals. Choose the “Sportivnaya” mixture, which includes perennial and grazing ryegrass seeds, meadow timothy grass, reed and red fescue, meadow bluegrass;
• decorative species of undersized and narrow-leaved grass to create a perennial elegant ground-floor English lawn;
• landscape gardening option of a soft lawn, it is appropriate in the recreation area and can withstand shade;
• ready-made lawn in a roll, which is able to quickly transform the site, if there is no time to tinker with planting and germinating seeds. You can use artificial plastic green coatings for the same purposes, they are durable, but can fade in the sun.

In order to grow juicy lawn grass yourself, use the following recommendations:

1. Get rid of weed grass manually if the area is small, or using special chemicals.
2. Dig up the ground, break the breasts of the earth and level the loose earth.
3. Fertilize in liquid form, for example, “Bona Forte”, “FloraMicro”, or use mineral fertilizing, “Nitroammofoska”, carbamide, ammonium nitrate are suitable.
4. Add seeds to the tamped ground, be sure to cover them with a layer of dry earth from above to protect them from birds.
5. After emergence, add planting material to poorly sprouted areas. You can mow the lawn in dry weather, and then water abundantly and prevent the soil from drying out.

Track Design

Internal geometry is formed using home gardens. They should be wide enough to accommodate two people, and convenient for moving between areas of the site. With the right selection of materials, linking can be a real work of art.

The tips below will help you arrange the tracks correctly:

1. At the stage of their planning, think about placing the main routes, from which smaller paths can go in different directions.
2. When laying tracks, remember that it is best to avoid straight lines and sharp corners.
3. The selection of material for them depends on the chosen style: use stones, pebbles, round saw cuts, paving slabs, sand or cement. When choosing the latter, a small stone or brick fence will help to add charm and an interesting look.
4. The roadbed must be strong and even, otherwise precipitation will accumulate in the recesses.
5. Highlight the side of the track with a floral canvas, the width of which depends on the general idea and varies between 5-50 cm.
6. At the expense of laying backlight tracks in the evening: you can use luminous tiles, low lanterns or park lights, which are appropriate over a large area.

Use of reservoirs (ponds, fountains, pools)

So that the reservoir does not get out of the general style, it is necessary to correctly plan and correctly calculate a convenient location. Usually it is placed on the sunny side, but so that you can hide nearby under the canopy of trees or in a shaded arbor. There are many ready-made forms, however, when choosing them or creating them yourself, take into account the proper semantic load and the need for common elements for a single landscape design.

Choose suitable types of water sources for placement:

• pond small depths, where live fish are launched and moisture-loving vegetation is planted nearby, for example, ferns;
• the fountain, the designs of which vary in complexity and design, but they must be combined with the facade of the house and be located close to it;
• pool, which carries functionality, therefore, it must be durable and fit into the overall look. For its arrangement, you will need the same materials and colors, as in the improvement of the environment;
• waterfall - this source will create proximity to nature, add naturalness and freedom to the place;
• alpine hill, an optional but desirable element of which, in addition to stones and hardy plants, can become a small pond with a murmur of water.

Decoration fences

To indicate the boundaries of the plot of any size, there is a huge variety of materials. Choose an acceptable fence option not only for aesthetic reasons, but also on the basis of cost, durability, comfort:

• hedge, the beauty of which is undeniable, but the protection of the site with its help is conditional. In addition to regular maintenance, seedlings require a long period of time to turn into tall bushes or trees;
• wooden picket fence, unedged boards or thin intertwined battens that look good on a country-style or provence site. Reliable fixation of such a fence will ensure the installation of concrete columns. Raw wood will last up to 15 years, and its impregnation can double the life of such a fence;
• metal fenceas the most durable option. Its types are presented in the form of a chain-link, corrugated and welded nets that do not obscure the area, or sheets of euro-piling and corrugated board, which are diverse in strength, color and texture;
• plastic fencing, the material for which is cellular polycarbonate framed by a steel profile. Has an interesting look, a variety of designs, differs in durability;
• sheet slate, which, despite its fragility, is resistant to weather conditions, is not afraid of corrosion and lasts longer than wood. Its unattractiveness is easily masked by staining;
• climbing plants, the presence of which can modify any fence. They land immediately after installing the fence, so take care of the support for them in a timely manner.

Flower beds

When arranging flower beds, take care of a color palette that should not be knocked out of the general gamut. Some styles of landscape design imply only one or two tones, others allow a variety of colors, but do not use more than five, otherwise the sloppiness cannot be avoided.

Plants should be planted so that some flowering alternate with others. Often in the classical and English styles they use a monochrome canvas of conifers in the background of flower beds, well shading flowering plants.

Did you know? A monophonic design option will help to avoid color overload. The combination of all kinds of shades from one gamut makes the simplest design complete.

Consider soil features and ease of care when planting perennials. With a high level of groundwater, drainage ditches will be needed to equip the flower beds.

Now the most popular four ways to place flower beds:

• mixborder, which has the form of an oval, round, rectangular flowerbed of impressive size, where various flowers are grouped. They can be combined with shrubs and even trees;
• border, this species is formed by unilateral or bilateral strips of small flowering plants along the paths;
• discount, which is a bright floral carpet bordering lawns and fences;
• vertical flower beds with small, but bright colors, the task of which is to save space or decorate imperfections with flowerpots, containers, boxes located on a vertical frame made of metal, plastic or wood.

Green spaces

Many landscape designers use a set of tricks to create a complete general plan composition when planting trees and shrubs. allowing to change the perception of green spaces:

1. When landscaping the territory, it is necessary to take into account the different degree of illumination of the site, necessary for different types of plants. The northern part is usually shaded more strongly due to buildings, so tall tree species are best planted there to preserve the abundance of sun for the lawn or pool near the house.
2. Place fruit trees for better yield on the south side.
3. Small conifers such as yew, juniper, cypress or thuja are suitable for a small area, as they grow low, do not obscure the rest of the plantings, and the excess crown can be removed with scissors.
4. Planting a square or rectangle of large vegetation limits the territory, enclosing it in a frame. But seedlings around the perimeter of the site after some time can mask the fence, turning into a hedge.
5. A weeping willow planted by the pond will give the composition completeness.
6. Visually increasing the small size of the plot will help the asymmetric planting of tall trees in a group near a light fence. The tallest tree should be the center of the composition, and bushes should be placed along the edges of the group for expressiveness and completeness.
7. A single tree planting draws attention to it, so choose evergreen species - they look equally good in different seasons.
8. Decorative shrubs located in a recreation area or a children's game can be turned into a living labyrinth or give them a fantasy shape with a skillful haircut.
9. Climbing plants better decorate arches and arbors. For this, a vine, clematis, climbing roses, honeysuckle and ivy are perfect.
10. Do not plant plants with thorns and poisonous fruits in the play area. For the safety of children, avoid plants with a sweet aroma and bright colors that attract an abundance of wasps and bees to this place.

Gazebos

In order to be able to retire, in the recreation area the presence of a gazebo, pergola or terrace is required. When placing them, consider the following features:

• gazebo set so that the leeward side is deaf. If this is not possible, use tightly braided plants - bindweed, hops, and honeysuckle. Place it in such a way that you can install a barbecue or barbecue nearby, without disturbing your neighbors. In the gazebo, you can use garden furniture that can be easily cleaned and tidied up, or stationary wooden seats;
• covered terrace equip at the house, an open space on three sides will be appropriate for a summer vacation. To use it in the winter, it is necessary to install sliding glass doors. The best option for terrace furniture will be rattan frames with removable pillows;
• the Italian version of a lightweight gazebo for the southern regions - pergola It has only 4-6 supporting wooden beams with the same horizontal partitions on the roof. For a good degree of shading and protection against dry air, it should be densely entwined with creeping plants, mainly decorative grapes. Due to airflow and the absence of a stationary canopy, purchase rainfall-resistant furniture for a pergola.

Decor application

Different types of figurines, sculptures, decorative garden figures sometimes come across in the most unexpected places. Their competent use can revive the garden, but an overabundance, lack of proportions when placing or style mismatch threatens to destroy any design idea. To avoid piling up, there should be few items for decoration.

Did you know? When combining two colors, remember that the main one is green, shades of brown, violet and white will become optimal companions for it. Try to avoid combining greens with blue and red elements.

Do-it-yourself things should not look amateurish, and a second life, given to old unnecessary things, should not cross out the individuality of style.Multicolor highlights in the pool complement its evening beauty.

Another way to revitalize the landscape is backlighting. Lighting can magically transform the area and highlight important elements. Cold light is suitable for highlighting entrance areas, steps, turns, paths, and the rest area should be warm. Light sources from trees, shrubs, flower beds will allow you to enjoy the perfection of the landscape at night.

Creating a perfect and comfortable place in a suburban area is a difficult task requiring painstaking work. But it’s worth it to get carried away, as time flies by, and the result of turning standard acres into an impressive object of landscape art will exceed expectations.