What is a "natural garden"? Its main idea is the reproduction of a natural, natural landscape. In such a garden, you want to disconnect from the bustle of the city, sit under a jasmine bush with a cup of tea and your favorite book... It will always be interesting for children and pets to be here. This garden is generally easier to create than gardens in other styles, it does not require big investments forces and means, and sometimes even allows it to be “abandoned”.
It's also easy to reschedule natural style and old garden although this will take time. Such a garden is constantly changing its appearance and will grow successfully as long as all its parts are in harmonious balance, and the main balance is between wildlife and plants added to the general landscape by man.
A plot with a "wild garden" is also attractive because it is always an easy care garden, which involves a minimum of work and a maximum of rest. The natural garden very quickly becomes the place where you can relax and find peace of mind as much as possible, as is usually the case with outdoor recreation.
When creating a garden in a natural style, we are trying to reproduce the views of nature that we like on the site. After all, almost every person has his favorite corner somewhere in the forest, in a clearing or in a park. When planning your garden, simply "tweak" the process to suit your tastes and needs! The most harmonious option will turn out if you try to “spy” on the area you like its appearance and then recreate it in your garden - for example, a corner in a forest clearing, on the edge or in a darker part of the forest. And of course, the "community" of plants in such different places will vary greatly.
If you are redoing an old garden, then do it with caution: the remaining long-lived plants have great potential. Most likely it has already happened here. natural selection, that is, the strongest garden plants remained.
If you got a site with a natural relief and an untouched plant species community, try to preserve this state, and several of the most interesting corners of the site can be left absolutely pristine when planning. Arrangement of the garden in this case should be done carefully, trying to preserve the natural soil cover and species plants. For a natural garden, plants are chosen mainly from local species. For animals make houses and feeders. And they certainly equip a place for relaxation and contemplation.
First you need to decide what kind of landscape we want to repeat on the site in order to further take into account characteristics exactly this type. Let's say you want to recreate a forest landscape in the garden. When planning a garden in this style, you can take your camera and walk through the nearby woods. Find the corners there that you like the most. Thinking over the project of the future garden, carefully review the photographs, and then try to reproduce the fragments of nature that have especially sunk into your soul in your garden.
If you got an old garden, then it is worth watching it for one full season, from spring to autumn. Any plant is perceived fully only when it is in certain time year shows itself with the best side. After that, you can make a list of which plants are in the garden. Such a list will help you with the further planning of the garden and the selection and purchase of additional plants.
Let's see what are distinctive features natural garden? The main thing is the relief and plants. After all, in nature we rarely see an absolutely flat surface - usually there alternate hills and depressions, swamps or ponds. Therefore, in the project of a “wild” garden, if the area allows, it is possible to provide for the creation of small mounds, and lowlands with a reservoir (or a stream with a bridge), and groves, and then try to harmoniously combine the selected elements into a single ensemble.
It is the species plants characteristic of the area that will give your garden landscape naturalness, and if you want to plant and varietal plants then try to choose optimal combinations with existing views.
And now we will discuss in more detail which plants are best suited for a "wild" garden. First of all, these are trees. Of course, in a small garden, 5-6 large trees are enough. If your site already has small Christmas trees, this is not bad. But spruces, as they grow, make the surrounding space gloomier, darker. However, you can still create a small spruce forest in a more remote corner of the garden, but do not get carried away by their number. If the Christmas trees are still small, then they will tolerate the transplant well with a clod of earth. In general, one should not forget about coniferous trees- they decorate the site well. Sometimes it is enough to plant one or two plants to fill your garden with their refreshing scent.
Conifers in your garden
It is quite possible to leave pines and birches on the site (in a small amount), and to give the landscape naturalness, plant an undergrowth nearby, including species trees and shrubs (elder, euonymus, hawthorn, viburnum, currant) or suitable varietal (mock orange, deren, vesicle, spirea). This will create the feeling of a forest that seems to start right on the site. But do not forget to coordinate the planting of tall trees with your neighbors!
As for shrubs, first of all they can be planted instead of a fence so that they form hedge. In a large garden, you can plant larger shrubs - hawthorn, lilac, euonymus, in small ones - several bushes of wild rose, barberry or dwarf meadowsweet. Such a "hedge" can also be fenced off from other parts of the garden or shade a bench on which you like to sit and relax. Among the thickets wild plants birds love to nest, so it is better not to cut the bushes until September, until the chicks get stronger.
You can plant blackberries in the garden - its wild species are found in deciduous forests or clearings. Blackberry cultivars will also spread quickly in the garden. But regular pruning you will still need these thorny bushes, otherwise in a few years you will have an impenetrable thicket with thorns. Now on sale garden varieties without thorns, which can be grown without support by planting bushes at garden house or a fence.
Is your home and porch formal or informal? traditional or modern? tall and square, or short and angled?
Porch and house plantings in particular should match the design and shape of your home. For example, if your house is made of red brick, has a symmetrical structure, then well-groomed evergreen shrubs, a brick path and forged railings will look better near it.
If your house has a symmetrical structure:
- Plantings should be symmetrical on both sides of the porch
- Also remove excess plantings from one side and plant on the other. Both sides must be balanced.
If your house has an asymmetrical structure:
- The balance on the porch is very important, it is necessary to select plants not to each other, but to architectural features your front porch
- Create natural look mixed stands
- Arrange the plants geometrically correctly and do not forget to take care of them
If your home:
- Horizontal - use low clipped hedges along the base (foundation)
- Tall and narrow use tall elongated trees to accentuate its height
- Square - use big trees round shape
- Large- use large and roomy flower beds, large trees on the corners of the house in combination with evergreen and deciduous shrubs
General tips to highlight your front door(if there is no porch)
- The arrangement of tall plants on either side of the front door always looks attractive.
- If the front door is symmetrical, for example, on both sides of the door there are tall plants, then it is better to hang 2 lanterns to match the color of the door.
- If it is not symmetrical, then you have two options: make it symmetrical or keep it informal.
- For an informal door, it is more convenient and cheaper to change plants near it, since there are 2 times less of them than near a symmetrical one.
- To draw attention to your porch, use round or canonical shrubs, respectively.
- To play down the porch, use tall, soft-lined plants, such as climbing vines or beautifully leafed maple trees.
- Not all driveways need curbs along the path.
- If it looks more aesthetic in your case, then choose a border, if not, you can use low shrubs to hide imperfections.
- Do not limit yourself to just the area in front of the door, the expansion of vegetation always gives a soft cozy look. Rounded flower beds will make appearance not only interesting, but also professional. Blooming creepers, growing on either side of your door, can climb up to the very roof.
- For large pots choose shade-loving plants such as ferns and impatiens. For hanging baskets, a vine gracefully hanging down is well suited. The larger the pots, the more moisture they retain.
- If your porch is on the corner of the house, use semi-circular flower beds that go deep into the yard, they will create a sense of unity.
And the last, and perhaps best advice for the front door - keep it simple. When there is a jungle in the courtyard, it is uncomfortable for visitors to look for the front door. Whatever you choose, keep the yard neat and tidy and you will always get compliments on your door.
With the change in English garden fashion in the 18th century, when the ultra-civilized style gardens that came to Great Britain from France and Italy were replaced (one of the brightest representatives of the era was Andre Le Nôtre, the creator of the gardens of Versailles from the time of Louis XIV), a trend began to be seen to preserve "naturalness" in the gardens .
The very concept - "wild", "natural"
Or a "neglected" garden is rather conditional, since it contains terms that are practically incompatible. After all, a garden, by definition, implies orderliness and well-groomedness, and wildness and neglect are the complete opposite of this definition. But, nevertheless, this type of garden is no longer new and is quite popular all over the world.
The main idea of the new style was environmental friendliness, naturalness, natural disorder and ease of care. To better understand the features, you should refer to the history of the style. Wild garden (Wild garden) - this is an extreme manifestation of the informal (landscape) style. In England, this style is also called Continental style.
The style implied the preservation of the natural relief, the presence of an open perspective, the widespread use of "dilapidated" arches, grottoes and picturesque ruins, free-form lawns (often coming close to the walls to the detriment of
Flower beds), mixed flower beds of irregular outlines (including mixbores - ders - mix border), the rejection of straight lines in favor of uneven and winding, randomly scattered groups of trees and shrubs.
English landscape garden style was associated primarily with the names of William Kent and Lancelot Brown, as well as Humphrey Renton, Alexander Pope and Richard Knight. It was Richard Knight who brought the idea of “naturalness” to the extreme, adding huge stones and dead trees to his compositions, for which he was repeatedly accused by his contemporaries of bad taste. This period also includes the emergence of interest in deliberately neglected gardens.
To UK wild garden, or rather, the trends of this style came from Germany and Holland in the 19th century and successfully combined
They came up with the ideas of the English landscape style, which by that time had become the "calling card" of English gardening. Initially, the idea involved a naturalistic approach to creating a garden space and reducing the labor costs of maintaining a garden. One of the contributing factors was the active search for new plant species, the expeditions for which brought to Europe more and more new specimens from all over the world. The cultivation of new varieties in culture also developed.
As a result, the synthesis of directions was carried out by the Irish writer and garden designer William Robinson (1838 - 1935) in 1870, when his work "The Wild Garden" was first published. Compared to the ideas of the Victorian garden, the ideas outlined by Robinson were truly revolutionary. The main emphasis in the Wild Garden, according to Robinson, should be on plants that are most natural for a temperate climate, and the layout
Plants and their placement in a garden should be determined by the plants themselves and their growth habits, not the other way around. Initially, the wild garden concept referred exclusively to gardens with large area. However, over time, in this style, they began to settle down and small gardens. This trend continues to the present. Gertrude Jekyll is one of the famous landscape architects who created gardens in the wild garden style.
Like the landscape style garden, the wild garden imitates the nature around us, but does it with more emphasis. This imitates natural biogeocenoses - meadows and forest edges, swamps, rocky slopes, reservoirs and their coastal strip, and other elements characteristic of the local landscape. Construction changes to the landscape should be minimal or carefully camouflaged, elements necessary for the project (for example, paths or garden stairs) should be made as discreet as possible.
Mi, from natural, preferably local materials.
Extremely importance in the formation of a wild garden belongs to the plants used. No less important is the fact that these plants grow in their usual conditions, are sown and self-propagate, pollinate, compete with each other, increase or decrease their population depending on the conditions. In addition, the plants form 1 FIVE Habitat for native animal species and I p ip. In addition, additional shelters for animals are artificially created - nests and houses for birds, logs and stones for lizards, ponds for amphibians.
To create a wild garden, cultivated forms of local species of trees, shrubs, perennials and herbs are used, bulbous plants. Poppies, blueberries, lungworts, yarrows, geraniums are widely used. William Robinson recommended planting trilliums, lilies of the valley, and daffodils in forest clearings; irises, meadowsweet, akonyups, daylilies on the banks of reservoirs; stonecrops, Arabisai juveniles on rocky areas. The list of plants can be expanded many times, depending on the local climate zone. Although some exotic species plants can be used in the creation of a wild garden, the emphasis should be placed precisely on the cultural forms of native plants characteristic of the region.
Contemporary organic style advocates are trying to combine wild garden ideas with maintenance ideas. surrounding nature unchanged (or with minimal changes). This approach can often be observed in landscape architecture, for example, in Finland.
We are fulfilling another order from our readers in this collection of ideas for creating an original garden. What associations do you have with the words “wild garden? Quiet corner with natural landscape, slightly overgrown but still beautiful. It is so pleasant to walk along its paths alone, to think and dream. These are moments of harmony with yourself and the world, an ideal rest in the hustle and bustle of a dynamic life…
If you are passionate about this idea, let's try to figure out how to create such a "wild garden" with your own hands. By the way, this is a very economical solution.
What is a "wild garden"? This is an imitation of the landscape, as close as possible to the natural. Its dimensions, in principle, do not play a special role: the illusion of a secluded corner can be realized simply by hiding it from prying eyes. But, of course, it is better if such a garden is located as far as possible from the entrance to the house and from the gate.
Start by taking a close look at the existing landscape. Notice the change in relief, this will add volume and variety to the garden, and separate sections can be beaten with stones or steps. If your site is completely flat, you may need to add bulk soil to a small part.
Pay attention to the lush trees, the crown of which shelters from the sun, here you can settle shade-loving plants and forest flowers.
Find a lawn that is well lit by the sun and is perfect for meadow grasses and wildflowers (or those that look like them).
Think over the plot: a forest clearing, a piece of the steppe, a flower field, something national or universal. In your "wild garden" there may be a place for Alpine slide and for Japanese garden stones, the larger the area and harder terrain, the easier it is to implement absolutely any ideas.
It's important that your wild garden doesn't look like it's in the palm of your hand, so separate the corners from each other with weaving plants and shrubs, trees, or vintage-style trellises.
But this is only general tips. And each wild garden has its own “zest”, which you can add to it. About how to do it - read our secrets to creating a wild garden and see sample pictures.
Have a nice trip!
secret number 1: naturalness
A wild garden should give the impression of naturalness, as if it was born by nature itself. There is no place for pretentiousness, excessive orderliness and a clear rhythm in it.
But that doesn't mean you don't have to take care of it. Although doing this, unlike the more "civilized" option, will be much easier. Nobody canceled weeding weeds and cleaning dry branches. And the paths should be comfortable for walking.
Interesting additions can be created with stone compositions, bridges, different height and shades of plants (lower and lighter ones should be located in the foreground).
secret number 2: a secret corner
In every wild garden there is a certain “secret” that only the initiated know about. A secluded gazebo, an unusual metal sculpture, a tiny fountain or an amazing wooden barrel.
secret number 3: reservoir
Many natural landscapes that fascinate us with their beauty have water bodies. It's great if you already have one like this in your area.
And if not, try to make it yourself, even if it is almost a “doll” size. Settle there aquatic plants and add a little bit of natural fauna, the life of which can be observed during a walk.
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Secret #4: Herbs
Growing herbs in the garden has become fashionable, and now you can buy anything you want. From time to time, a celebrity shows off his "herb garden".
For a wild garden, choose those herbs that are close to the chosen natural landscape (plot). Add originality with contrasting colors and unusual shape shoots.
secret number 5: creepers
Weaving plants (lianas) will help you hide the most secluded corners of the wild garden from prying eyes. It is better to choose not blooming, but those that are interesting in the shape of the leaves and grow quickly enough.
plants for the wild garden close-up:
You can read more about them in the landscaping guides. And we will only draw your attention to the colors: the bulk of the colors should be light or muted tones. But individual bright accents do not interfere, although they should be much smaller than in a regular garden.
Flowers with high stems (surrounding the lawn), as well as creeping along the ground (under the trees) look very impressive. And one more tip: try not to choose "exotics", especially when it comes to flowers. An exception is appropriate only in one case: you set out to create a "tropical jungle", you have enough money and time for this - to care for overseas whims.
Every year there are new fashionable accents in the design. suburban areas. In 2018, they are focused around providing maximum comfort, unity with nature, create conditions for pleasant communication with loved ones and guests. Much attention is paid to growing their own vegetables and fruits. It should be cozy, beautiful and interesting outside the city - and for these purposes you can use different instruments.
Small, elegant, yours!
Every year the areas of plots and houses are becoming more compact. small size becomes a kind of challenge for the designer: how to turn a limited space into a real garden? Multifunctionality is the solution. For example, if there is a concrete hearth in the garden, a place can be allocated in its horizontal surface for plants, vertical walls suitable as a support for the backs of the seats. There may be a watershed inside. And, of course, the hearth will be used for its intended purpose.
Another variant - wide application plant containers. They allow you to combine different kinds flora, creating unusual compositions in color, shape. For example, Japanese maple, which does not like the bright sun and grows rather slowly, can be placed in the same container with geraniums and sedges.
Dining in the garden
For many years, they tried to place a place for eating on the site next to the house or directly in the kitchen. Now they are trying to push such gazebos into the garden. May have to carry your plate a little further - but it's worth it. It turns out unusual and fresh: a family ritual of eating against the backdrop of trees, flowers and shrubs. To achieve the most vivid impressions, you need to make special floors in the gazebo, equip lighting, pick up garden furniture, and surround it, for example, with a variety of plants in containers. It’s good if there are other “gathering points” of people next to it - the same hearth or pool.
Instead of mass production- handmade
Another trend is the use of items created in a single copy. The garden is perceived as a place where we come into contact with nature, so the results of the author's work look organic in it. These can be gazebos, pergolas and other buildings made of wood or stone. Next to them, you can place bright shrubs, such as dogwood, azalea, dicentra (" broken heart”), as well as the host. Unusual ones are suitable as containers for plants. clay pots handmade.
Experiment with what you grow
Another one interesting idea is to combine useful and beautiful. You can devote part of your garden to vegetables, fruits, berries and culinary herbs, especially since now there are no problems with choosing seeds and seedlings. You can arrange spice boxes by labeling each section - for example, by combining thyme, oregano, sage, mint, cilantro, parsley, onion. Such boxes or boxes do not take up much space, but can look elegant. Flowers will look good nearby: zinnias, nasturtiums, fragrant alyssum and a cactus composition. Vegetables, berries, herbs will decorate the garden and become a nice addition to the table.
Shelter from the outside world
Usually the garden is surrounded by a fence. Unfortunately, even behind a fence you can feel like you are on a busy street or inside a hard box. To create a personal comfortable space, you can do " protective screen": plant maples, large bushes of dogwood, juniper along the fence, arrange a green terrace or place a variety of bushes and plants between the fence and the lawn. This will elegantly isolate the area from the outside world, giving you a place of silence and visual comfort.
« suburban area is a real platform for creativity, - Egor Rumakin, partner of the META Group, is sure. – In order to arrange it to your own taste, now there are a lot of options. Can choose interesting plants, to find beautiful furniture, order a canopy, build a gazebo or equip a barbecue area. The choice is yours. When buying plots in our projects in the Moscow region and New Moscow, you choose locations surrounded by beautiful nature. It can harmonize perfectly with your own garden. For our part, we are ready to recommend companies that will make high-quality landscape design and implement exactly the ideas that you have in mind on your site.”
