Modern landscape design involves decorating large land areas, park areas and personal plots. It stands at the intersection of plant growing, architecture and construction. Previously, this method of improving an allotment was available only to wealthy homeowners, but today the situation has changed. Landscape design ideas allow you to create a comfortable and beautiful area for everyone, without exception. At your dacha, you can not only plant cucumbers or care for flower beds, but also create entire works of art from plants and decorative items. Moreover, landscape design does not imply the arrangement of exclusively large plots of land. You can even decorate a dacha on a traditional 6 acres in a stylish and modern way, if you use the designer’s advice or information from encyclopedias. Unique styles of landscape design allow you to turn the yard near the cottage into a fashionable and cozy garden or park.
From general to specific
Landscape design is an important component of city improvement. Modern landscaped parks combine natural beauty with technical advances: drip irrigation, automatic lighting and drainage systems. It is impossible to imagine them without places for walking and recreation, including active ones. There are more than 500 parks in Russia, among them the Zaryadye, Lianozovsky and Muzeon parks in Moscow, the Galitsky Park in Krasnodar, and the second largest Kislovodsk National Park in Europe.
Zaryadye Park Source pinterest.com
Most of the Russian home gardens continue the traditions of the Soviet “six hundred square meters” or the canons of the New Russian kitsch of the 90s; both look outdated and equally out of place. Landscape design is a way to create a harmonious space, a smooth transition from man-made objects to living nature. Therefore, landscaping the local area is one of the mandatory steps after a house is built (or purchased).
Current trends Source hug-fu.com
What to consider when designing and planning a site
When developing a landscape design project, you need to take into account all corners of the garden area. The arrangement of the plot should lead to a beautiful view of the plot from every vantage point on the plot of land. This could be an entrance gate or a greenhouse. Even garden beds should not be ignored. Many paths should be laid on the site so that each corner of the garden can be reached not through thickets of grass, but along well-groomed paths. Also, landscape design involves a balance on the site between buildings and green spaces. Those. the mass of a residential building and outbuildings must be compensated by the mass of plant crops. A huge garden with a small house in the center will not look very good. The same can be said about huge cottages on small plots. They don't look aesthetically pleasing. When designing landscape design, you need to take into account the size of all objects on the site.
Zoning
If you do not divide the territory into functional zones, it will not look beautiful and neat. Proper zoning of a land plot allows you to increase its functionality and make maximum use of all available land resources. Before zoning the site, it is necessary to determine all the design features of the plot: differences in relief, contours of the plot, location of the electric cable, green spaces already existing on the territory, etc. All this needs to be noted on the site diagram, and only then the territory should be zoned taking into account the available information. The territory should have the following zones: a master's area or a residential building area, a guest area (gazebo, barbecue area), a children's area, a garden area and an entrance area (a place near the entrance to the area, decorated with flower beds and interesting decorative elements). If there is a free-standing bathhouse on the site, then it must be placed near the utility lines in order to provide it with the required amount of water.
Environmental friendliness of materials
A wide variety of materials are used to stylishly design a plot of land, but today more and more attention is being paid to their environmental friendliness. Stone is most often used for landscape design purposes. It can be limestone, marble, sandstone, pebbles, gravel, river stone, crushed stone or granite. The type of stones used depends on the financial capabilities of the homeowner. Mulch is also used to decorate areas, laying it on decks under trees or children's playgrounds. To decorate individual elements in a garden plot, glass is used, making stained glass windows or entire static figures out of it. If sculptures are placed on the territory of the allotment, they are most often made of copper. This is an inexpensive and environmentally friendly material, but it requires special care, because... susceptible to corrosion. Often the garden plot is decorated with wood products. This material remains in demand for many years, because... it is environmentally friendly and resistant to mechanical damage.
Saving natural resources
Modern design of garden plots helps restore human contact with living nature. Some part of the allotment territory is left deliberately untouched, and the cottage is integrated into the natural interior. This approach allows you to seriously save natural resources using solar or wind energy. Of course, solar panels or windmills are not yet particularly common among garden owners, but the situation will soon change. You can also save electricity in your area with the help of special luminous artificial stones. They cover paths or decorate the facade of a building, i.e. when using them, no electric lights are needed. And today scientists are busy developing a class of plant crops that glow in the dark. So far, such plants have been grown only in laboratory conditions, but in a couple of years the new product will appear on the world market.
One of the principles of landscape design is saving natural resources.
Why do you need landscape design?
Contrary to popular stereotypes about the exclusively aesthetic value of landscape work, which turns it into something secondary, there is also considerable practical benefit. Landscape construction means a set of works that allow solving various applied problems:
- Rational use of the territory. Modern land plots are mostly very limited in area, so it is worth considering the design of the park; he will find the best use for every square meter. A network of paths is designed, zoning is carried out, and the optimal location of rest and parking areas is determined.
On the issue of rational use Source sousmonarbre.com
- Improving a problematic plot. In areas with slopes and slopes, reinforcement with retaining walls is organized. In a waterlogged area, drainage and storm drains are designed.
Retaining wall as a design element Source dysart.co.nz
- Selecting suitable plants. To make the garden beautiful and healthy, plants are selected based on data on the quality of the soil and their compatibility.
Alpine slide Source induced.info
- Investment in health. Contemplating a beautifully designed garden lifts your spirits, and being in the fresh air in a comfortable environment is relaxing.
Nirvana Source yandex.ru
- Increasing the service life of tracks. They will last as long as possible if you correctly determine the type of soil and organize drainage.
Path as a zoning element Source pinterest.com
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in designing and performing landscape work of any complexity
Creation principles
The main task of landscape design is to improve the site; Work aimed at accomplishing this task is divided into two categories:
- Required. Jobs you can't do without if you want a truly enjoyable place to live. Installation of fences and gates, installation of drainage and entry, paving of paths - all this is necessary for obvious reasons.
Fashionable trends in garden bed design Source pinterest.com
- Additional. Unlike mandatory ones, these components are present optionally, in certain combinations. Flower beds, gazebos and fountains serve as decoration for the area; their appearance is determined by the chosen style.
It is not necessary to have, but it is nice Source bristolurnu.org
For high-quality landscape design of a private area, it is important to carry out zoning; this will help make the area comfortable for relaxation and convenient for work and maintenance. It is also important to choose the objects that will be placed in the garden. This could be a place to relax (terrace or gazebo), paths and flower beds, a playground, a swimming pool or a decorative pond. Landscape style will help to combine all the details into a single whole.
Open gazebo with hanging chairs Source baomoi.com
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in the design and construction of small architectural forms
Communications and lighting
Landscaping allows you to make the site beautiful both day and night. The spectacular appearance of the garden area in the dark is achieved by well-chosen lighting. There are many types of landscape lighting. Standard vertical lanterns can be installed near flower beds, gates and building structures. But lighting from below a garden object will allow you to highlight its silhouette in a targeted manner. If you place a spotlight with an uneven glow on a tree, the entire area will be illuminated by soft, diffused moonlight. Reservoirs on the site also require separate lighting. Their lighting should be harmoniously combined with other lighting in the area. As for communications, within the framework of landscape design they must be securely hidden from prying eyes. Utility networks that need to be beautifully decorated include the following systems:
- lighting;
- drainage;
- irrigation;
- stormwater
Styles
The most obvious way to get a beautiful park landscape is to decorate it in a certain garden style. The classic (regular) style, known from the parks of the French kings, is rarely found in private garden design. Its lined alleys, trimmed crowns of bushes and trees, and symmetrical flower beds require sufficient space and tireless care. The following types of design are much more often chosen:
- Landscape (English) style. The park is as close as possible to its natural appearance: trees and bushes are planted randomly, the paths are made winding. The naturalness of the setting is achieved through tiered planting and the use of picturesque details: gazebos, benches, fountains, stylized garden lanterns.
Traditional garden Source houzz.com
- Rural (country, Provence). Here beauty is combined with pragmatism; the emphasis is not on flower beds and flower beds, but on fruit and berry plants. An integral part is the vegetable garden, and not a decorative one, but a full-fledged one. A good-quality gazebo, rose bushes and wooden garden furniture will complete the look.
French garden Source onekindesign.com
- Thematic. Popular varieties: Alpine, Mediterranean, Japanese garden. To create the desired ambiance, appropriate plants and decor are selected.
Japanese garden Source artfile.ru
- Modernism. Several styles (minimalism, hi-tech, Scandinavian), united by a rigid layout and the use of both traditional and technological materials in different proportions. The space looks a little unusual, but surrounded by plants it doesn’t hurt the eyes.
Modern design motifs Source houzz.com.au
- New wave style (Udolfian style). The concept, with an emphasis on annual plants, proposed by a landscape designer from the Netherlands, was liked and gained followers around the world. This park looks as natural as possible. An important role is played by seasonal ornamental grains and flowers, which allow us to observe the changing seasons.
In the spirit of Piet Oudolf Source elledecoration.ru
What is popular in Russian gardens today?
Interest in the traditions of the Russian noble estate is constantly growing. Here you will find lyrical birch trees, a romantic pond, lawns with wildflowers, apple trees drowning in blossom, lilac thickets and the subtle aroma of mock orange (jasmine).
Oriental motifs are still popular. If the Japanese style can be traced only in a small area, usually in a private area of the garden, then elements of the Chinese garden sometimes permeate the entire area.
Despite the Russian cold, Mediterranean dreams still attract us. The motifs of the Italian and Moorish gardens are very strong in many completed projects by Russian designers. High-quality copies of ancient and Renaissance statues add special sophistication to such gardens.
In general, recently there has been a tendency to pay more attention to the decorative details of the garden.
These are not necessarily functional elements - gazebos, benches, bridges, but also purely decorative details. These include sculptures, decorative flowerpots, flowerpots (not always filled with flowers), original sources, spectacular hanging baskets with ornamental plants. Bird feeders, bird baths, and birdhouses are very actively used in gardens.
The fashion for sundials is returning in our country. Following Europe, we want to have them in our gardens not at all in order to check the time. Their main advantage is their high decorative effect.
Green sculpture is also a fashionable element of the garden. These can be luxurious specimens of trimmed evergreen trees and shrubs, or they can be ground cover perennials or climbing plants grown on a metal frame.
In general, fashion trends do not place the designer in strict limits, but allow him to show his imagination. The main thing is that site owners trust the chosen designer, be bolder in experiments and not be horrified by the extravagant proposals of specialists. Today it is an experiment, and tomorrow it is a fashion trend.
Possibilities
Landscaping the site and designing the park in accordance with fashion trends is a responsible multi-stage job. You can do it yourself if you are willing to spend a lot of time (all your free time) and have the skills of a landscaping specialist, gardener, designer, carpenter and other professionals. In all other cases, the best solution would be to entrust the transformation to trained and experienced people. They will carry out the full range of landscaping work:
- The soil and hydrological conditions of the site will be studied.
- They will prepare a landscaping project with a stylistic concept.
The main thing is contact with nature Source pinterest.com
- They will suggest optimal zoning and select materials and plants.
- If necessary, the relief will be adjusted.
- They will carry out engineering work: install drainage, automatic watering and lighting, pave paths and platforms.
- They will plant plants, sow the lawn, form hedges, and create flower beds.
Garden lanterns Source garden-magic.ru
