An irresistible desire “back to nature” has recently been characteristic of many residents of megacities. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s a permanent place of residence in a comfortably furnished country house, or a nice summer cottage where the family goes on weekends - to relax or care for vegetable beds...
We will not consider the reasons for this phenomenon now - this is a completely different topic, very large and serious. It’s worth thinking about this: if a plot of land is purchased that has already been inhabited, then no special problems arise with its arrangement. Unless, of course, you want to tear everything down and do it again. What if the plot of land is new, on which there is nothing but grass and weeds?
Landscaping planning
Any large-scale work should begin with planning - this also applies to site improvement projects. If you want your site to look like the picture, or its area is so large that your imagination is not enough to find a use for it, you should contact landscape design specialists.
You can cope with the improvement of a summer cottage plot of 6-10 acres on your own. Moreover, no one will understand you better than you, and you are not limited by time, because you can work on your plot forever.
Cheap materials
A budget option for arranging paths in a summer cottage can consist of simple pebbles, grass, sand or polyurethane for paths. There is no need to build barbecue ovens; you can build a homemade barbecue and take the chairs out of the house. It is not necessary to build a pool or fountain on the site. You can water the plants with a hose, and on a hot day it is best to take shelter in the shade of trees.
It is always better to tailor any summer cottage plot or your own land to specific interests and needs. Then relaxation and normal pastime will become the very thing you want to return to again and again.
Why landscaping the site?
If you purchased a plot of land with a house that previously belonged to other owners, do not rush to tear everything down and rebuild it. Something will probably have to be changed, but some elements are better left.
For example, fruit trees grow quite slowly, and even if you got an old garden that no longer bears fruit, you can leave several mature trees with a large crown and arrange a recreation area or playground for children under them. The same applies to outbuildings.
Landscaping the site will entail large financial costs, in any case, and in order to minimize them, at first you can use sheds and buildings that were inherited.
Start by surveying the area. Assess the scale of work to be done and make a list of priorities. Most likely, the process of putting the site in order will take several years. It depends both on its initial state and on what you want to achieve and your financial capabilities.
How to arrange a dacha yourself: basic rules and tips
Building or purchasing a house is the dream of many people. In order for house construction to turn into a luxurious dacha, it is necessary to put in a lot of creative and physical effort. You can order a turnkey cottage with designer decoration of not only the house, but also the plot. However, this will require significant financial costs. For many, a dacha is an opportunity to express their own imagination and realize personal plans.
Small sculptures decorate and add zest to flower beds
In order for the resting place to serve its purpose, it is necessary:
- correctly divide the site into zones;
- ensure rational placement of communications and comfortable use of them;
- determine the design style of buildings and the landscape as a whole.
There are many interesting ideas for a summer residence, but when starting to implement it, it is worth considering the following factors:
- house dimensions. These parameters are determined mainly by operating features, wishes and capabilities. If, with a small plot size, the building occupies more than 1/3 of the total area of the territory, creating a full-fledged decorative green zone will become difficult;
Wicker furniture is ideal for arranging a patio
- placement of communications. Communication wiring should be carried out before the design of the site begins, taking into account irrigation, water supply to fountains, cascades, artificial reservoirs, etc.;
- When planning to grow vegetables and fruits at the dacha, it is necessary to determine, in addition to the main one, also a design idea for the garden. Otherwise, the dacha will not have completeness, and this will certainly affect the overall aesthetic perception.
Helpful advice! It is better to make garden crafts after installing light building structures and completely landscaping the area. Their size and semantic content can change significantly during the implementation of the dacha project.
An equipped terrace is an integral element of a beautifully decorated dacha
Zoning of space on the site
Decide on the main functional areas and necessary buildings. There are several most common zones:
- front entrance area including garage
- recreation area, including a sauna and a swimming pool: relaxation area in nature, dining area with barbecue, pool area, play area
- utility area, including extensions to the house and sheds: outdoor amenities (restroom, outdoor shower), waste disposal area (compost pit)
- garden
- garden
- flower garden
Let's bring up communications
When arranging each zone, you will need to provide the necessary communications: electricity, water, sewerage. It is with them that it is worth starting work on landscaping the site.
Of course, planting flowers or a young garden is much more pleasant than digging trenches for water or a foundation pit for a swimming pool, but the correct order of work will save you energy and save you from unnecessary expenses.
So, after you have decided on the list of functional zones of your property and the area that you are ready to allocate for each zone, we solve the issue of laying communications. This process is labor-intensive and costly, so everyone decides individually which communications are a priority.
For example, running a water supply to the bathhouse, if it is located some distance from the house, will save you a lot of effort in the future and will not spoil the pleasure by having to fill buckets of water. The same goes for supplying water to the garden. All plants need regular watering, especially in the first half of summer; carrying water in a watering can from afar makes the gardener’s work much more difficult.
It is clear that installing a swimming pool is a complex process that involves supplying water, sewerage, and electricity (to illuminate this area and heat the water). But everyone decides on their own whether they need to supply water to the summer kitchen area, as well as lighting the recreation areas.
If your financial capabilities allow, then it is better to lay out communications to the maximum at the initial stage, because your comfort for many years depends on these simple little things: cozy light, tap water, sewerage.
Ideas for garden paths
After laying communications, it would be nice to work on the paths. There is an opinion that it is better to wait until the paths emerge naturally, and then further cultivate the already established directions, turning them into garden paths. This idea has its pros and cons.
Indeed, running around the site during the season, you will trodden paths, but, as a rule, a person takes the shortest path, so the paths will be simple: from point A to point B.
For small areas this is relevant and correct. Having a large plot, you can afford to arrange winding paths, which will not only visually enlarge the space, but make it more complex and interesting.
Recreation area for children
This is where things get a little more complicated. After all, ordinary gatherings are not enough for a child to relax. Children love to play, and that means installing some equipment. Modern play areas may contain:
- place for a sandbox;
- special device for a trampoline;
- small pool or stylish jacuzzi;
- a special complex for physical exercises.
Each item on this list has its own characteristics. So, the sandbox is very simple in its design. The budget option does not provide any wooden fencing at all. An ordinary bus or truck tire is filled with sand inside. If you are interested in a more complicated option, you can put together a rectangle or square of the required area. In this case, each board must be sanded, painted and, ideally, varnished. It is best to put only sand from rivers or lakes inside. And for a child, the development of fine motor skills and thinking in games will be an excellent incentive for further development. It is important to keep an eye out for debris within the sand itself. At night, this area can be covered with oilcloth or a special tabletop. The sandbox can also be equipped with a roof. Then sunstroke will be very rare.
With a trampoline everything is a little more complicated. Every child will love jumping on a sunny day. But the development of coordination and the musculoskeletal system requires proper installation of the structure and compliance with all design rules. Also, do not forget that everything should be protected at the edges with a soft mesh. It will prevent you from getting injured or falling out, and it’s much easier to hold on to.
Landscape design style for the site
It’s good if you manage to design the land in the same style. There are several styles of landscape design that are applicable when designing summer cottages.
The regular style, which is characterized by strict lines, symmetry, clarity of shapes and certain color combinations, is more suitable for castles with an adjacent area of several hectares. Such a garden requires professional care, and it is unlikely that it will be possible to establish it without the help of a landscape designer.
Irregular or landscape styles, which make it possible to freely combine plants in the garden, do not require such Herculean efforts in arrangement and care.
Depending on your preferences and the nature of the surrounding area, you can choose an English style, in which shades of green predominate due to the large number of trees, shrubs and deciduous plants, and roses and hydrangeas bring variety, or colorful country, which combines the brightness of flower beds and the simplicity of decorative elements.
When looking at numerous photos of landscaping, do not try to copy any idea completely. Notice interesting solutions, pay attention to technical details, relate this to your initial data and create your own garden, unlike any other.
First implementation of the project
After drawing up a plan, you need to write down each task. What is meant here is that specification cannot be carried out on just one object. It is better to write on a piece of paper the rules for arranging a summer cottage - a step-by-step action plan or special instructions. Then it is easier to control the process, and drawing up an estimate will not be difficult. When it comes to plants, it's best to write everything down on paper again. Where which tree or bush will be planted. Moreover, when and how to plant them.
A full analysis of vegetation should be carried out according to several criteria at once. You can get by with an arbitrary option, but then, as practice shows, unforeseen situations arise. Therefore, you will have to think about where it will be more convenient for this or that plant to grow.
Then you should carefully study the geography of your site. This is necessary to avoid laying a foundation on loose soil or planting plants in a waterlogged area. It is better to take such subtleties into account immediately. After all, making adjustments to the plan is much more difficult later. Well, or there is always a way out in draining the soil or completely replacing it.
All large stones and hills can be used to decorate the site. It is worth saying that the unique landscape with them is fraught with advantages. And original ideas are not so difficult to find. You just need to imagine your dream plot. And all ideas will arise on their own.
