100 best ideas: landscaping a private country house

Landscaping of a section of a private house of a city or country-type is a process no less laborious, costly and creative than creating an interior for a dwelling. A beautifully designed spacious garden or small backyard, mesmerizing with its originality - in order to embody your ideas about the beauty of landscaping the local area, all means are good. Even within the framework of urban private home ownership with a small piece of land, you can organize not only an attractive appearance, but also a practical green corner. Well, on the scale of suburban areas, the implementation of various types of landscape design will be limited only by their own imagination and budget for landscaping. In our extensive selection of design projects for the design of house sections, we tried to collect examples for every taste, budget and stylistic preferences. We hope that you can be inspired by interesting design ideas and put into practice your own ideas for organizing landscape design in a summer cottage, a personal garden or a private courtyard.

A detailed plan is the key to successful design

Before proceeding with the purchase of the necessary equipment, seedlings and decoration materials, it is important to draw up a clear and detailed plan for the location of all elements of landscape design - from large buildings to the smallest bush. After all, even creating an image of the site, which seemed to be created by nature itself, requires the tireless attention of the owners. The more detailed and more precise your layout of elements and the sequence of their occurrence on your site will be, the less time, effort and money you will spend on improving the local area. Agree that it will be a shame to spend a lot of effort on creating a flower bed in the place where you subsequently have to lay a water supply for an artificial reservoir.

On a detailed plan of the location of landscape design elements, the site should be noted:

buildings (garden furniture, summer kitchen, canopy, porch, outdoor shower, playground);
water bodies or water structures (laying drainage and water pipes is carried out primarily);
Alpine hills, cascading stone structures;
garden paths;
places for planting trees and shrubs;
the arrangement of flower beds and flower beds (the time for organizing a site design element will largely depend on the type of flower bed);
fencing of the local area (in some cases, zoning of a large area is carried out using small fences, "live" walls, the location of which must also be provided in advance);
decorative elements;
lighting system and illumination of the facade of the house and the plot.

There are a lot of options for the execution of landscape design, there are design styles with their basic concepts and motives, within which you can also highlight some classification. But we can safely say that all the basics of stylistic trends are just a “skeleton” of design, to which you can add your own ideas and fantasies.

Conventionally, all the design options for adjoining territories can be divided into those that look as if nature itself created the image of the site, and a person could only effectively fit into the picture. It seems that perennial plants themselves grew in surprisingly organically selected places, bushes and flowers were located around them, and small ponds seemed to exist in their places for many years - people only laid paths between these harmonious elements of the plot and used a lighting system to highlight the most spectacular ones.

The second option is a qualitative opposite - strict symmetry, precise dimensions and shapes, clarity in the arrangement of all elements, indicating the tireless attention of the owners to the appearance of their house territory. If there is a lawn on such a site, then it is ideally trimmed, garden paths are staggering with clear shapes, and in flower beds, flowers are located at the time of flowering.

Garden paths - practicality and beauty

Garden paths are not only a necessary element of landscape design for moving around the site at any time of the year, but also a way of zoning the territory, its decoration. Proper arrangement of the tracks will help you spend the minimum amount of time and effort moving around the site, between its main elements. Regardless of what style of design of the territory you choose, than filling your personal plot or a small courtyard - paths are necessary to move from home to the garage, gate or gate, buildings (gazebo or canopy) and various elements of the landscape.

The main requirement for a garden path is the smallest distance from one element of the plot to another. Sometimes, in order to shorten the path, it is necessary to sacrifice the beauty or originality of the laid out element of landscape design. As for the width of the tracks, there is an unwritten rule for the main tops - 1-1.5 m. For small paths leading the owners of the site to the most hidden corners of the yard - at least half a meter wide.

In addition to dimensions, some requirements are also imposed on the appearance of the tracks. These design elements of the territory should not resonate with the image of the site. The paths should correspond to the main choice of landscape design materials. With an abundance of stone structures (barbecue, fencing, facing the foundation of the building or even the facade), it will be logical to use natural material to equip the site with garden paths.

Conventionally, all types of tracks can be divided into two types - solid and non-solid. The name speaks for itself. The choice of this or that species will depend on the size of the site (the length of the paths) and the role of garden paths in its arrangement (whether they are a key element in the design or play an exclusively practical role).

According to the type of material, garden paths can be divided into:

stone (plastka, pebbles, paving stones and not only);
wooden;
concrete;
brick;
paths from improvised materials and construction waste (from glass to used plastic covers).

Here is an example of designing a garden path in the now popular steppingstones style. Elements of such paths seem to be places for placing the foot - you move along large stones or saw cuts of logs dug in the ground. One of the practical and at the same time economical ways of designing such a track is the manufacture of concrete tiles of various shapes. You can make a beautiful, modern and practical path on your own.

It is possible to achieve an original and outwardly very attractive effect when combining the material for the execution of garden paths. For example, concrete slabs of strictly square shape harmoniously look in combination with pebble stone. No less effect can be achieved by combining solid wooden paths with small pebbles or a plate.

Flowerbeds and flower beds - decoration of the site

Flowerbeds and flower beds are a necessary element of any landscape design. Even on the most modest-sized courtyard, you can find a place to organize a flower bed, especially since there are a lot of types of these elements of landscape design. Flowerbeds differ in shape and size, location relative to the horizon and the choice of plants for planting. Each owner of a personal plot, a summer residence or a private courtyard will be able to find his best option.

The flower beds are divided into the following types:

regular - different plants plant in such flower beds, blooming in a certain period of time, but are arranged in the form of a certain pattern;
irregular - the most popular type of flower beds, able to please the owners of the site and their guests with flowering throughout the entire warm season;
elevated - differ in design features, the structure is a frame made of wooden boards, stones or bricks, covered with earth and located above the level of the horizon line;
vertical ("live" walls) - the best option for small areas whether decorating fences, walls of some buildings
carpet - planting is carried out so tightly and in a clear order that it allows you to create an imitation of a carpet pattern;
monoclobes - by name it is clear that plants of the same type are located in such a flower garden.

Often on household plots and in the courtyards of private houses you can find raised flower beds. Which are not used to decorate the territory, but as an agricultural element - for growing cucumbers and tomatoes. The concept of "country penal servitude" for many of our compatriots has sunk into oblivion, but the ability to pick fresh vegetables and greens to the table overpowers modern trends in arranging landscape design.

Artificial ponds in the local area

Small ponds, fountains, ponds and home waterfalls have always been popular with both landscape designers and their customers. If you look in the direction of the Japanese design of gardens and parks, which has become an example in many areas of this type of decorative art, then stones, plants and water should be present on the site.

When organizing water facilities on a site, first of all, it is necessary to determine what needs you need for - whether it will be an exclusively decorative body of water or the water from it will be used for irrigation, for example.

Land fencing - use the fence as a decor

Any site needs a fence. Of course, the design of the fence, the material of execution and the color palette will be chosen by you in accordance with the design of the facade of your house. But the fencing of the local area can be used not only as a designation of the boundaries of the site, protection from uninvited guests and prying eyes, but also to decorate the landscape design of your yard. Weaving plants planted at a mesh fence or fence with special hooks will create a green image of the boundaries of the site.

Combining the fence with vertical flower beds, you can create a completely unique image of the boundaries of the site and the entire territory as a whole. Original “live” inserts of greenery and flowers will refresh the appearance of even the most urbanistic style of fence.

Buildings, recreation areas and barbecue areas

Having even a very modest-sized house adjoining territory, any owner wants to organize places for relaxing in the fresh air, an area for meals, barbecue, and a sector for guests and parties. Depending on the size of the site, your needs and financial capabilities, you can arrange recreation areas with various functional backgrounds.

From European countries, the motive for organizing places of relaxation according to the Spanish patio style has penetrated landscape design. A small area, most often fenced on all sides by buildings, buildings or a fence, is equipped in a universal way - here you can just chat in the fresh air, have a snack, drink refreshing drinks, host a small group of guests and even have a modest party. In Russian realities, such a place to relax must necessarily be accompanied by the presence of a barbecue - outdoor recreation without cooking barbecue is not considered successful.

In order to arrange a place for a meal, terraces or platforms under awnings are ideal, so that you can enjoy delicious dishes in the fresh air without fear of rain. Most often, garden furniture is used for the dining area - metal, wooden, wicker. Given that the functional segment is located under the roof, it is possible to use soft pillows to increase the level of comfort and even organize a soft sitting area on sofas and in artificial rattan chairs. Here, under the canopy, you can place equipment for barbecue. On the one hand, this installation is convenient from the point of view of traffic, on the other hand, it is safe, because barbecue equipment is not part of the main building.

Site lighting - an element of landscape design

Providing the local area with a sufficient level of illumination in the dark is a matter of not only safety, but also beauty. The thoughtful and competent arrangement of lighting devices will allow not only to move around the site without a flashlight, but also to create a completely unique atmosphere of a private courtyard and the facade of the house. Highlighting parts of buildings, flowerbeds and walkways, steps and decorative sculptures, you can end up with a unique image of a personal plot.

Formally, all the lighting of the yard and the house can be divided into functional (utilitarian) and decorative. From the names it is clear that the first is necessary to a greater extent for safety (it includes lighting the entrance to the building, garage, gate or gate, the entrance to the site itself), and the second is responsible for decorating the territory with lighting (lighting of the most prominent elements of landscape design, which can be both fountains and bridges across the pond, or the most common lilac bush).

For small plots, back yards of private urban-type houses and just small dachas, it may be enough to evenly distribute the lamps along the garden paths and hang a lantern on the building at the main entrance. For large areas, you may need various types of lighting devices - from pendant lights for buildings to LED flax for large trees and shrubs.

Lighting equipment should be all-weather long-term and it is desirable to work on a charge of solar energy. When using any type of lighting, it is necessary to draw up a plan for the placement of lamps so that the boundaries of the site can be seen even at night. But at the same time, the lighting should not be too bright - a garden path flooded with light in pitch darkness makes a psychologically difficult impression on a person walking along it.

Decorative elements

Even some ten years ago, our compatriots were proud of decorating their summer cottage area or the adjoining territory of a private courtyard with various sculptures. But after Europe, where the use of garden gnomes and animal sculptures began to be considered bad form, and the Russian owners of courtyards and estates stopped decorating their garden paths in this way. But the use of colors will never go out of style. Flowering plants in large garden pots and tubs, fancy flowerpots or monolithic concrete structures will always be relevant.

The advantage of this type of decoration is that you can use flower pots everywhere - on a spacious area to decorate a terrace or dining area under a canopy and on a small back yard, where, apart from a pair of comfortable chairs and a table, nothing is placed. But in the realities of the Russian climate, you need to make sure that you have a place where to hide flowers for the period of cold weather.