The calling card of every house is the front garden or the area in front of the house. In the modern understanding of landscape designers, a front garden is a beautifully designed area that fences off the house from the road, and not just flower beds. Today, many owners of estates and cottages hide their yard from the outside world behind high fences. In this case, it is quite difficult to talk about arranging a full-fledged front garden. However, some craftsmen take the front garden outside the fence almost into the street. Landscaping the area in front of the house is an important stage in landscape design. This article will talk about how to design a front garden and what is important to consider.
Garden plot design ideas
The area around the house primarily separates private properties from street ones, and can also decorate the housing itself. Today, the arrangement of household plots is not a particular problem; there are many interesting proposals and ideas in this regard. For example, the simplest and most common way is to decorate the area with flower beds and create a hedge. Fountains in front of the house or artificial ponds, decoration around the home area with various figures, statues or other unusual details are becoming increasingly popular.
An integral part of any private home are gazebos and specially designated recreation areas. The choice is huge, it all depends on the taste preferences of the owner and, accordingly, his financial capabilities.
In this case, the main thing to take into account is an important point - the choice of landscape compositions must necessarily correspond to the style and architectural character of the building.
Flower garden design idea
How to improve the entrance to the territory?
The wicket and gates that limit and open access to private property should be located conveniently for the owners and reveal the originality and attractiveness of the internal territory to those entering.
The materials and design of gates and gates are selected in accordance with the overall design of the fence and the style of the estate. Photo example:
This could be an openwork gate combined with a light lattice or hedge.
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The stonework of the fence organically frames the gate and metal gate with decorative cast-iron ornaments.
A house built in close proximity to a road, street, or entrance to the territory itself becomes a barrier to prying eyes, revealing the inner world only to those who are allowed onto the site. The design of such a limited home space comes down to organizing a flower garden with the functions of a front garden and a spectacular hedge.
Creating a flower garden
Organizing a home flower garden requires compliance with certain conditions, the omission of which can negate all efforts made and spoil the overall picture of landscape design. So, it is important to think through the creation of a flower bed in such a way that its spirit and volume are in good harmony with the architectural direction of the property, and color solutions are selected so that the plants are not too flashy and distract everyone’s attention, but also so that they do not fade against the background of the chosen design. First of all, attention is always paid to the entrance area. Along the path leading to the door on both sides you can plant selected flowers and plants in rows. At the same time, the presence of bright and colorful flowers in the flowerbed will be an ideal option for a home with a restrained style, and if the building has some decorative details, then in this case it is wise to choose a modest color scheme.
Flower garden in front of the house
It would not be amiss to note the fact that a properly designed flower bed can be a successful way to disguise some architectural errors, or simply an excellent option for transforming the landscape design around the house. In such cases, they often resort to organizing a mixborder. Thanks to the presence of flowers of different types and sizes, this garden composition can become a decoration for any front garden.
Another color scheme is rabatka - flowers that are planted in a row and alternate in size. And if the garden area allows, then you can resort to planting flower borders as one of the options for decorating the path.
What does the plan include?
First of all, decide on the design style. Thanks to this, you will save effort and money. Don't overdo anything. When drawing up a plan, you can use special computer programs, or simply make a drawing. Indicate on it the location of the house and other buildings.
Mark recreation areas and barbecue areas on the plan . A number of computer programs allow you to mark the proposed locations for planting trees and shrubs. The plan can also indicate where the vegetable garden and flower beds will be.
Plant selection
When decorating a flower garden near a house, it is better to give priority to trees, shrubs, perennial and annual flowers.
It is not recommended to have exotic plants in the front garden, because they require constant care and attention, and the result does not always justify the effort expended.
For example, lilac or barberry bushes, viburnum or rose hips are perfect for creating a hedge. For a fence made of metal or stone, the best option would be climbing plants in the form of grapes, kirkazona, actinidia and others. And low-growing coniferous plants can refresh the atmosphere and add a touch of aristocracy. An interesting and unusual decor for the porch would be flowers in clay pots, hydrangea or lavender bushes, or climbing flowers.
If you carefully think through the principle of organizing your front garden, correctly selecting and alternating summer, autumn and winter plants, you can enjoy floral beauty almost all year round.
Hydrangea can disguise imperfections in the yard
The principle of planting
To make the area in front of the house more aesthetically pleasing, you should take into account a few simple but quite important tips:
- if the flowers are planted very close to the house, then their color scheme should match the shade of the walls as much as possible;
- It is better to decorate large areas in front of the house with the help of bright large flowers with large leaves, and accordingly, in small areas it is better to plant small-leaved flowers of a not flashy color;
- according to the design concept, miniature squares require planting flowers in cool shades in front of the house: lilac, lilac, blue;
- the principle of selecting plants also depends on which part of the front garden is located: the northern side is an alternative for shade-loving plants, the southern side is drought-resistant plants that are not afraid of direct sunlight;
- To preserve the aesthetic appearance of the flower garden even in winter, it is recommended to plant more coniferous trees or shrubs with colorful bark (barberry).
One of the options for a flower garden in front of the house
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Landscaping the space behind the fence
If you decide to separate the area near your house from the neighbors and the road, then this can be done simply by a fence, but, for example, by a hedge. It can be placed around the perimeter of the site or in certain places. A hedge can be made from perennial shrubs or from trees of different heights. This will make the fence impenetrable. For these purposes, you can use fruit trees such as apple, plum and mulberry. Representatives of the coniferous world look no less impressive. For example, cedar, juniper, fir, pine, etc. If your hedge is made of shrubs, then it is better to give preference to roses, currants, honeysuckle or lilac. So, you can enjoy not only the appearance of the hedge, but also its aroma.
Plants for a mixed hedge
If you want to make a flowerbed behind a fence, then you should think about what to grow in it. These can be not only flowers, but also shrubs. It all depends on your personal preferences.
The area behind the fence is most susceptible to overgrowing by weeds. This is due to the fact that it is located in an open space. Therefore, if you decide to make a flowerbed behind a fence, you must subsequently pay enough attention to caring for it.
Hedge
Before you start improving the flower bed behind the fence, completely remove wild plants and their roots. This can be done using special means. Then prepare the soil and plant the plants in it. Next, you need to regularly water the plants and clear the area of weeds.
Landscape details
Decorating the area in front of the house is quite a labor-intensive task. To get a satisfying result, you need to work hard, applying all your imagination and resourcefulness to this matter.
Having finished organizing a flower garden, many estate owners prefer to complete it by finally using landscape accessories selected in one design direction.
As appropriate compositions, you can use decorative vases and flowerpots, wooden tubs and barrels, granite and concrete flowerpots, of course, all this should be selected in accordance with the architectural style of the building. Another interesting and eye-catching element are various garden figurines and statues, or large beautiful stones. One way or another, when arranging the proposed site, it is important to maintain a middle ground so as not to make the overall appearance too catchy or overloaded.
Decorative elements for the garden will add zest to the overall landscape design
Shaped design of bushes
Curly shrubs or unusual hedge trimmings are quite popular today. Of course, landscape design of this type requires a lot of effort and a significant financial investment, but the result is worth it. Shrubs of unusual shape can act as improvised gates, placed on one side or the other of the door, or they can act as a frame for the path leading to the front entrance.
Hedge
How to plant a flower bed near your house?
When creating a flower bed, it is important to remember the following rules:
- Compliance with the scale of the building and flower garden: for a large front building, the classic, strict appearance of a flower bed with large bright flowering plants and decorative leafy shrubs is appropriate, and a small house will be harmoniously decorated with a flower bed made up of compact specimens;
- Plants in the immediate vicinity of the building should match the color of the walls;
- Designers advise designing a flower bed in a compact area in a cool color scheme;
- When choosing plants for a flower garden, you need to take into account the conditions of their maintenance: in a shady place, many flowers will lose their decorative effect, and shade-loving ones in sunny flower beds will fade
- For a year-round decorative effect, evergreen conifers and deciduous trees with bright bark are planted in front of the house: burgundy barberry branches, bright redwood shoots will enliven a monochromatic snowy landscape
You can complete the design of the local area with a fountain, installation of flowerpots, hanging flowerpots, garden sculptures, since the choice of these decorative elements for any stylistic direction is limited only by the imagination and capabilities of the owner of the site.
Garden paths
To give an aesthetic appearance to the entire garden plot, you can lay out garden paths. Most often, you can use paving slabs, paving stones, brick or natural stone for this purpose. This element of overall landscape design has great advantages, as it allows you to make the area in front of the house neater, especially in inclement weather. Moreover, the arrangement of such paths ensures comfortable movement for residents and visually separates the functional zones of the entire site. Along the entire length of such paths, you can plant flower arrangements, scatter gravel and create small lawns.
When designing garden paths, natural stone may be required. We recommend buying it at Atlant Granit (https://atlantgranit.ru/)
Enlarging the area visually
A visual increase in territory is possible through the installation of certain materials and shapes. The main emphasis is on lines, smooth and smoothed shapes.
Don't make a straight garden path. When it meanders between plants, the area visually increases. Interspersed with decorative elements and floral arrangements will help in the undertaking.
Plant plants that bloom for a long time, preferably until late autumn. A small area will be well decorated with a dry stream, a decorative well or a miniature pond.
For visual enhancement, plants with light colors, for example, white or yellow, are used. Crops are planted in the far corners of the dacha, not near the house. This technique will “lighten” the edges of the area.
Fountains and ponds
Beautiful and varied fountains always attract attention, no matter where they are located - in a park area or in the area in front of the house (which is even better!). The organization of such design solutions successfully combines several positive aspects: a fountain in the courtyard gives greater expressiveness and aesthetics to the entire area, but also ensures a constant high level of humidity. Small bodies of water, ponds, or a babbling waterfall can become the main design display, creating a feeling of peace and tranquility.
Fountain
Places for decoration and relaxation
The recreation area is given a special place. In this case, all buildings must be practical. The style of the entire design is always taken into account.
Most often they build:
- playgrounds;
- tool and equipment sheds;
- gazebos;
- tandoor with open kitchen.
To create coziness, decorative elements are used, for example, sculptures, patios, decorative fountains and flowerpots. Lighting has a special place, which helps to visually enlarge or reduce the area and create a simply fabulous atmosphere.
Decorative elements are almost always appropriate, the main thing is to choose them correctly so that they emphasize the style and create a feeling of harmony!
Green rooms
Modern trends in landscape design involve the organization of so-called “green rooms”. These are specially designated recreation areas, with garden gazebos in the front garden. In such corners there is upholstered furniture designed for a pleasant and comfortable pastime, plants in special containers, tables for food, and also lamps that make the evening time enchanting and magical. When organizing such green rooms, you should carefully consider the covering to protect furniture and other components of the overall interior from bad weather.
Green room
Designing the area in front of the house is a fun and interesting activity, especially since there are more than enough expected variations. Of course, you can reconstruct the area in front of the house with your own hands, or you can seek help from specialists who have sufficient information regarding modern trends and relevant skills in this area. In a short time and taking into account the personal taste preferences of the owner of the estate, such experts are able to transform the area in front of the house, making it unusual and unique.
Gardening methods
A few main rules:
- Consider the requirements for lightening such and such trees, flowers and shrubs.
- The planting height increases from south to north. Low-growing specimens are planted on the south side, and tall trees on the north or northeast side.
- If the soil is poor, bring in fertile soil. Manure and compost will not correct the situation quickly and will not saturate the soil with nutrients.
- Think about the color scheme in advance. Correctly chosen shades will visually enlarge the area.
- Don't chase variety. An abundance of shades is not always good. Choose one color scheme and place variations of it in different corners of the site. This will allow you to achieve harmony.
