Connoisseurs of natural harmony strive to turn a place in the shade of a fragrant linden, a mighty oak or a compact chestnut into cozy corner relaxation and solitude.
For some gardeners optimal solution will put an ordinary bench under the tree, while others are looking for original ideas.
In any case, a lawn under a tree can not only perform an aesthetic function, but also carry a functional load, serving as a place for a family tea party, an evening conversation with friends, or lonely thought.
Create a flower bed under a tree
A flower bed around a tree looks spectacular, and for inexperienced inhabitants, such an idea seems simple and easy to implement. However, when creating it, it is necessary to take into account the compatibility of the type of tree and the plants growing under it. ornamental plants. There are species that do not tolerate any vegetation in the zone trunk circle. Such individual farmers include birch, willow, spruce, Walnut, larch, maple, irga, thuja and pine.
These tree species have a surface root system and will oppress any closely growing plant, competing for nutrients and moisture. It is better to arrange the trunk circles of this group of trees in some other way than to create a flower garden doomed to death. Lawn grass will grow well under such trees.
However, with a strong desire in such cases, it is possible to create some elevation from soil mixture in the form of a podium, the design of such a flower garden will be discussed in more detail below. Hazel and chestnut produce substances that are toxic to other plants.
Apple, pear, mountain ash, linden, oak, poplar, ash and fir easily let grassy neighbors under their crown, allowing you to create luxurious compositions.
Regardless of the type of tree, when planning and arranging a flower garden, you will need to take into account some more features of such design project. flower plants only shade-tolerant and resistant to uneven moisture are selected. These plants include all types of hosta, most ground covers, dwarf conifers, some perennials (bergenia, periwinkle, volzhanka, lily of the valley, saxifrage, lungwort, snowdrop, ferns, foxglove, violet, raven, slipper, Goryanka, anemone) and bulbous.
Usually flowering shade-loving plants falls in early spring, when the crown still misses enough sunlight. Although the main decoration of the shady flower bed is decorative foliage.
Before planting flowers around a tree, you need to properly prepare the place. Removed first upper layer soil. This is done very carefully so as not to damage the root system of the tree. In some cases, planting is carried out in "pockets" between thick root branches. The bottom of the dug hole should be lined with non-woven material to protect the root system and restrain its growth.
Next, be sure to lay out a drainage layer of pebbles, broken bricks or crushed stone 10 cm thick. The removed soil is replaced with a nutrient mixture of compost, sod land and peat with complex mineral fertilizers. In the presence of rhizomes of weeds, it is recommended to carefully select them. Seedlings are planted in moist soil. Free areas are mulched with sawdust or wood chips. Complex flower beds of plants with different habits are made according to the principle: the higher, the closer to the trunk.
The shape of the flower bed can be either round or asymmetrical. So that the soil does not spill out and is not washed out during irrigation, the border of the flower garden must be marked using decorative stones or a border made of wood or plastic. The arrangement of flowers in a flower bed does not have to follow any scheme; chaotic compositions look interesting and natural.
DIY raised flower bed under a tree
When creating a flower bed under unfavorable trees, difficulties can arise due to the many roots penetrating the top layer of soil in the near-stem circle. Perennials with deep-penetrating roots cannot be used for the composition; it is much more profitable to plant annuals (ageratum, begonia, amaranth, annual asters, succession, carnation, gazania, lobelia, verbena).
To increase space for root growth flower crops, you can design a raised or multi-tiered flower bed on the site under the tree. To make the side of an asymmetric flower bed, you can use wooden slats and plastic bottles, and for a round one, bricks, old tires and a plastic curb are suitable. It is easy and quick to make a square wooden box from planks. It is important that the height of the soil covering the tree trunk does not exceed 10 cm. If the root collar is somewhat raised above the soil level, then the soil can be covered even higher.
You can make a flower bed of logs in an original and low-cost way. To do this, thick branches or the trunk of an old tree are sawn into cylinders 20–30 cm long, which, in turn, are split into halves. AT construction stores you can buy ready-made borders. Harvested logs are treated with an antiseptic and dried.
Then the geotextile tape is cut off, to which the logs are attached with staples or nails. Geotextiles will protect the tree from moisture and extend the life of the curb. At the next stage, the finished border is buried in the soil around the tree and fixed with steel rods. After layout nonwoven fabric, drainage and backfilling devices, the flower bed is ready for planting.
Resting place under the tree: bench and table
The trunk circle zone can be not only beautiful, but also useful. A round, hexagonal or square bench around a tree trunk and a table will complement a well-groomed garden without requiring highlighting. separate place. The bench and table can have a different design, differing in style and complexity of execution.
Most often, garden furniture is arranged under birch, chestnut, walnut and willow. The main rule: buildings should not fit snugly against the trunk, be sure to leave room for growth. Wood is more acceptable as a material, but metal and stone are also used.
Of the breeds, it is preferable to choose larch - the record holder for durability and resistance to external influences. Less expensive options: pine, acacia, spruce and cherry.
The most common garden bench design is hexagonal, backless or high backed.
To make a simple bench with your own hands, you will need to do the following work:
- preparation of the material (wide boards for the seat, 12 bars about half a meter long for the legs, 6 planks for the back, small blanks for joining and self-tapping screws);
- section size determination (largest side = trunk diameter + 15 cm, smallest inner side = longest side length / 1.75);
- cutting the parts that make up each of the 6 sections, while the cut angle should be 30º;
- processing of all parts and places of cuts with an antiseptic, followed by drying;
- assembly of sections, consisting in fixing the seat slats to meter-long transverse boards;
- assembling the legs, which consists in fixing the outer and inner legs to a common wide bar using self-tapping screws, as a result, 6 prefabricated elements should be obtained;
- fastening adjacent sections to the legs, in this case two parts of 3 sections each should be obtained;
- fastening parts around a tree;
- installation of back parts;
- the finished structure is coated with a wax-containing impregnation.
The table around the tree of the simplest design consists of metal frame with bars fixed around the trunk, and a tabletop consisting of several sections. The connection of the frame and the tabletop is carried out by means of wooden planks.
How to arrange a gazebo around a tree?
If the creation of a flower bed and a bench seems too simple and unoriginal, you can think about building something larger, for example, a gazebo or a cozy seating area.
The area under the tree can become great place for open garden gazebo. In this case, the crown of the tree will serve as a natural canopy from scorching sun, and if the shadow does not seem enough, then you can plant actinidia - a fruit-bearing vine weaving along the branches with large leaves protecting from the sun and light summer rain.
A garden gazebo around a tree serves as a comfortable place not only for active rest and communication, but also can be a great nook for sleeping and reading. Its design can be very different, the design depends on general style garden. A simplified solution is a small wooden deck podium.
If you add a low fence to the raised flooring, you get a fairly simple open gazebo.
For those who want to create more monumental structures and, so to speak, rise above the ground, buildings on high wooden racks can be advised. They look quite impressive, and allow you to enjoy the picturesque view of the site.
All considered design ideas design of the site in the zone of the near-trunk circle can be actively used on any garden plot, adding new details and modifying the proposed appearance of the building. In addition to the options presented, the area around the tree can be decorated with pebbles, sown with grass or mulched with wood chips. In some design styles such minimalism is the best choice.
- ✓ To make a bench around a tree, you will need
- ✓ Lumber Features
- ✓ Prefer a homemade bench with a back?
- ✓ Suitable wood to make a bench
- ✓ We make a bench with our own hands - photo and work progress
- ✓ round bench around the tree - drawings
How to make a bench around a tree
For centuries, benches around trees have been a favorite garden furniture owners suburban areas and landscape designers.
Made of wood or metal, with or without a back, very simple or ornamented, they never go out of style.
Why is it so? Perhaps because big trees attractive to people, under their branches a person feels protected. Perhaps because in summer there is no place more beautiful than in the thin shade of a tree crown. And perhaps the reason is also that the bench under the tree is a symbol of the unity of man with nature, and the tree with the bench around it becomes part of the inhabited garden.
The most important part of this pair, of course, is the tree - without a tree there is no bench around. The bench should not constrain or damage the trunk. The distance between the seat and the tree should leave room for the trunk to grow in thickness.
The legs of the bench should not damage the roots. Our simple wooden bench the best way satisfies these requirements, in addition, it serves as a beautiful frame for the tree. The bench is suitable for trees with a girth of up to 185 cm, or a diameter of 60 cm.
To make a bench around a tree, you will need
- planed lumber 45 x 70 mm (A), about 9 m
- planed lumber 70 x 70 mm (B), approx. 2 m: 4 pieces x 480 mm
- terrace boards 22 x 95 mm, about 30 m: 8 pieces of 520 mm (C),
- 8 pieces of 650 mm (D), 40 pieces of different lengths (E)
- screws
- corners: 8 pieces
lumber features
If the dimensions of the bars and support boards slightly different from those indicated here, it does not matter - after all, the design remains unchanged. The outer frame must in any case be square; the length of both short sides is decisive; for the long sides, double the thickness of the timber should be added.
This bench, like all furniture and structures that are installed in the garden for a long time, is made of weather-resistant impregnated wood. All construction details are impregnated under pressure. Pressure impregnated wood does not need to be painted, as the impregnation is sufficient for protection, and since all cuts are closed, they do not need to be treated either. Moisture can only be absorbed into wood through lower sides legs, and therefore this surface must be covered with azure or wood oil. A very good protection is also provided by a wax-like compound for the protection of the ends of the wood, which coats the surface with a water-repellent layer.
The crown of the old willow, under which the bench stands, is light and airy, the leaves rustle from the slightest breath of wind. Leaning back on the rough bark of the trunk is very pleasant
The layout of the corners is clearly visible on the plan. The four legs have sufficient load capacity.” If you are looking for heavy loads, you can install additional legs in the inner square. However, this can lead to difficulties with installation on uneven ground.
Read also: How to make beautiful bench in the garden
Prefer a homemade bench with a back?
The bench consists of four separate parts and four loose seats and backs. The fabricated parts form an octagonal bench. The slightly reclined back is very comfortable. Thanks to the thoughtful design of the legs with only two points of support on each seat, the bench is stable and very load-bearing. The inner diameter is 65 cm, which means that the bench is suitable for trees with a trunk girth of up to 200 cm.
Suitable wood for making a bench
Wood used in the garden must be resistant to atmospheric influences. Larch and types of tropical wood are famous for their special natural endurance. In less resistant breeds, weather resistance is achieved due to special processing. For this, protective impregnations are used, which must be periodically renewed. Increasing use of wood conifers(especially pine), impregnated under pressure. Pine has many knots, but due to the fibrous structure, the impregnation penetrates deeply. Pressure impregnated wood does not require additional protection. Only the cutting surfaces need to be processed.
We make a bench with our own hands - photo and work progress
For comfort and convenience, the garden needs to be decorated and supplemented with various elements, these can be pools, fountains, artificial ponds. But besides them and beautiful flowering plants, in the garden there should also be recreation areas in order to comfortably admire this beauty. If the area of the site allows, you can make a luxurious gazebo or a table with benches, but for small and compact gardens it is best to choose benches.
Benches around a tree
One of the most attractive and unusual options garden benches. It looks original and advantageous, organically fitting into the surrounding landscape. In addition, even a teenager can make it with his own hands, and a recreation area made with his own hands will be even more comfortable and dear.
How to make a circular bench near a tree with your own hands: production technology
Let's take as a basis standard version a hexagonal bench without a back with six transverse boards on the seat, drawings will help with this.
During construction you will need:
- boards;
- self-tapping screws;
- screwdriver;
- drill;
- clamps;
- bolts, nuts and a key to them;
- saw or carpentry machine;
- shovel.
Stages of work:
- Select a suitable tree in the area
It is better to choose mature and strong specimens with already slow growth. They will allow you not to worry that the bench will soon interfere with the trunk, and the thick shade from the spreading crown will help you relax comfortably on hot days. It is also recommended to choose walnut, oak, birch, chestnut or willow, but fruit species with a tendency to fall off should be avoided, because during the ripening period, ripe fruits will fall on the surface of the bench, pollute it and interfere with normal rest.
Wooden bench next to a tree
- Make a template
Before starting work, you need to roughly estimate the amount of wood, for this the selected tree is measured, 15 centimeters are added to its diameter for an adult specimen with slow growth and 30 for an actively growing young one. This reserve will allow you not to worry that in a couple of years the boards will squeeze the trunk. Next, the resulting amount must be divided by 4 - this will be the length inside board closest to the tree.
- Purchase and prepare boards
For an outdoor bench, it is best to choose strong and resistant wood species, it can be pine, which has a high resin content, or oak, one of the most durable types of wood. The choice depends on the personal preferences of the builder and financial capabilities. Further, all wood is wetted protective compounds, increasing the resistance of the material to moisture, rot, fungus and insects, after this procedure, the boards must be dried for 14-18 hours.
- Take the first board and measure on it the distance obtained in paragraph 2 - this will be the short side of the segment, then you need to measure the outer corners of 30 degrees on both sides, as in the photo. In the same way, five more boards should be sawn - and the inner row is ready.
- Further, for the convenience of cutting the boards with your own hands, it is recommended that next to the first, shortest board, put five more uncut pieces on the table, lay gaskets between them with a thickness of 1 centimeter, and then use a ruler to mark the angle of inclination on them, focusing on the inner , already finished board. The process is well illustrated in the photo.
- Cut the boards on the machine or with a saw according to the marks. The easiest way to perform this procedure is on a machine with the ability to set the saw angle.
- In the same way, cut out the boards for the remaining five sections of the bench with your own hands.
- When all parts are ready, it is recommended to check the correctness of the angles by folding the bench seat on flat surface as in the photo. It must be remembered that the boards will have gaps of a centimeter between them, so they need to be laid between them with spacers. This step will help identify possible mistakes before building the structure.
- Next, you can proceed to the legs, they are also easy to do with your own hands. First you need to decide on the height of the bench, taking into account the average height of the inhabitants of the house. If the area around the tree is uneven, then it is recommended to make the legs as long as possible in order to further level the surface of the bench by digging some posts into the ground.
- The legs are made of two vertically arranged boards, sandwiched between two horizontal supports - it will be convenient to attach the seat boards to them later. Taking into account required height benches are cut out 12 pieces of board and 12 supports along the width of the seat. On each support board, the end is cut at an angle of 30 degrees in order to later attach a protective apron to the cut.
- We collect the legs
To do this, the boards of the legs and supports are fastened with clamps, drilled with a drill through holes at a distance of about 5 centimeters from the edges and with the help of bolts, the legs are fastened together. The features of this stage are discussed in the photo.
- Collection of individual sections
Seat boards are attached to one leg with the help of self-tapping screws and a screwdriver, they must lie on one side support and half the thickness of the leg. You also need to monitor the maintenance of gaps between individual boards, which is ensured with the help of gaskets. Thus, a construction is obtained from two adjacent sections, and the second double section is assembled in the same way.
- Bench assembly
Finished sections are installed with opposite sides the trunk and the rest of the boards are attached to them to obtain a one-piece structure.
- The bench is leveled with a shovel, for this, individual legs are dug into the soil, as in the photo.
- An external apron will add beauty to the bench, for this you need to cut the board along the length of the external distance between the legs of the sections, cut the edges at an angle of 30 degrees and attach with screws to the support boards cut in advance. So sew up the entire perimeter of the bench, the final view is shown in the photo.
If desired, the design of the bench can be different:
- without back;
- With small back in one board;
- with a high back, made of boards horizontally knocked down in a circle.
Lovingly hand-made decor elements become a real decoration of the garden, and a bench made by yourself will be not only beautiful, but also a convenient addition to the site.
For comfort and convenience, the garden needs to be decorated and supplemented with various elements, these can be pools, fountains, artificial ponds. But, in addition to them and beautifully flowering plants, the garden should also have recreation areas in order to comfortably admire this beauty. If the area of the site allows, you can make a luxurious gazebo or a table with benches, but for small and compact gardens it is best to choose benches.
Benches around a tree
One of the most attractive and unusual options for garden benches. It looks original and advantageous, organically fitting into the surrounding landscape. In addition, even a teenager can make it with his own hands, and a recreation area made with his own hands will be even more comfortable and dear.
How to make a circular bench near a tree with your own hands: production technology
We take as a basis the standard version of a hexagonal bench without a back with six transverse boards on the seat, the drawings will help with this.
During construction you will need:
- boards;
- self-tapping screws;
- screwdriver;
- drill;
- clamps;
- bolts, nuts and a key to them;
- saw or carpentry machine;
- shovel.
Stages of work:
- Select a suitable tree in the area
It is better to choose mature and strong specimens with already slow growth. They will allow you not to worry that the bench will soon interfere with the trunk, and the thick shade from the spreading crown will help you relax comfortably on hot days. It is also recommended to choose walnut, oak, birch, chestnut or willow, but fruit species with a tendency to fall off should be avoided, because during the ripening period, ripe fruits will fall on the surface of the bench, pollute it and interfere with normal rest.
Wooden bench next to a tree
- Make a template
Before starting work, you need to roughly estimate the amount of wood, for this the selected tree is measured, 15 centimeters are added to its diameter for an adult specimen with slow growth and 30 for an actively growing young one. This reserve will allow you not to worry that in a couple of years the boards will squeeze the trunk. Further, the resulting amount must be divided by 4 - this will be the length of the inner side of the board closest to the tree.
- Purchase and prepare boards
For an outdoor bench, it is best to choose strong and resistant wood species, it can be pine, which has a high resin content, or oak, one of the most durable types of wood. The choice depends on the personal preferences of the builder and financial capabilities. Further, all wood is wetted with protective compounds that increase the resistance of the material to moisture, rot, fungus and insects, after this procedure, the boards must be dried for 14-18 hours.
- Take the first board and measure on it the distance obtained in paragraph 2 - this will be the short side of the segment, then you need to measure the outer corners of 30 degrees on both sides, as in the photo. In the same way, five more boards should be sawn - and the inner row is ready.
- Further, for the convenience of cutting the boards with your own hands, it is recommended that next to the first, shortest board, put five more uncut pieces on the table, lay gaskets between them with a thickness of 1 centimeter, and then use a ruler to mark the angle of inclination on them, focusing on the inner , already finished board. The process is well illustrated in the photo.
- Cut the boards on the machine or with a saw according to the marks. The easiest way to perform this procedure is on a machine with the ability to set the saw angle.
- In the same way, cut out the boards for the remaining five sections of the bench with your own hands.
- When all parts are ready, it is recommended to check the correctness of the angles by folding the bench seat on a flat surface, as in the photo. It must be remembered that the boards will have gaps of a centimeter between them, so they need to be laid between them with spacers. This step will help identify possible errors before assembling the structure.
- Next, you can proceed to the legs, they are also easy to do with your own hands. First you need to decide on the height of the bench, taking into account the average height of the inhabitants of the house. If the area around the tree is uneven, then it is recommended to make the legs as long as possible in order to further level the surface of the bench by digging some posts into the ground.
- The legs are made of two vertically arranged boards, sandwiched between two horizontal supports - it will be convenient to attach the seat boards to them later. Taking into account the required height of the bench, 12 pieces of board and 12 supports are cut along the width of the seat. On each support board, the end is cut at an angle of 30 degrees in order to later attach a protective apron to the cut.
Making a bench around a tree
- We collect the legs
To do this, the boards of the legs and supports are fastened with clamps, through holes are drilled with a drill at a distance of about 5 centimeters from the edges, and with the help of bolts the legs are fastened together. The features of this stage are discussed in the photo.
- Collection of individual sections
Seat boards are attached to one leg with the help of self-tapping screws and a screwdriver, they must lie on one side support and half the thickness of the leg. You also need to monitor the maintenance of gaps between individual boards, which is ensured with the help of gaskets. Thus, a construction of two adjacent sections is obtained, and the second double section is assembled in the same way.
- Bench assembly
Finished sections are installed on opposite sides of the trunk and the rest of the boards are attached to them to obtain a one-piece structure.
- The bench is leveled with a shovel, for this, individual legs are dug into the soil, as in the photo.
- An external apron will add beauty to the bench, for this you need to cut the board along the length of the external distance between the legs of the sections, cut the edges at an angle of 30 degrees and attach with screws to the support boards cut in advance. So sew up the entire perimeter of the bench, the final view is shown in the photo.
If desired, the design of the bench can be different:
- without back;
- with a small back in one board;
- with a high back, made of boards horizontally knocked down in a circle.
Lovingly hand-made decor elements become a real decoration of the garden, and a bench made by yourself will be not only beautiful, but also a convenient addition to the site.
Round tree benches are the most popular option.
Benches around the trees invite you to sit down and enjoy the tranquility of nature. What could be better than this! If you thought that such benches needed to be made and mounted only according to custom order, you were wrong.
Indeed, you can hire a professional to make the bench of your dreams, or you can purchase it from an online store and easily install it yourself. Here are some of the most interesting projects presented on the market.
Round benches around trees
The trunk of a tree is round, so it makes sense that many benches around trees are also made round. This bench, which offers a wonderful view, is a real decoration of the deck. The slats from which it is made echo the slats of the fence.
Round bench around a tree with a great view
This bench from Forever Redwood has a comfortable back, which is very pleasant to lean on while you are in the clouds. The bench is made of superbly sanded mahogany and the sealant guarantees weather resistance.
Round bench around mahogany tree
Carved bench around a tree from Benches.co.uk, featured on the actual top photo full of personality. Design with round holes at the top of the back is reminiscent of the Midcentury style, and the wooden slats radiate from the center of the bench. Absolutely great product!
What could be better than pens, allowing you to designate personal space, especially if the bench is located in public place! And again, mahogany in the Luna model from Forever Redwood. Please note that this bench is available in three standard sizes.
Tree Bench by Forever Redwood
Hexagonal benches around trees
Round shapes are great, but add a few corners and you'll end up with an image that embraces both the hexagon itself and the space behind it. This bench around the tree on the deck creates clean lines.
Bench around a tree on a wooden deck
Benches around trees can be placed on wooden decks, green lawns, in stone patios. It cannot be denied that this bench in gray tone looks very modern
Gray hexagonal bench around a tree
The bench in the photo below is truly the centerpiece of a pebbly garden full of treasures. Notice how good warm tone benches are in harmony with warm color brick gardening.
Hexagonal bench in the yard covered with pebbles
Below is a hexagonal wooden model Coral Coast Fillmore by Hayneedle, which provides back support and weather-resistant cedar adds golden tones to the yard.
Wooden bench from Hayneedle
Like the previous model, the bench from Brookstone encircles the tree of your choice:
Hexagonal bench from Brookstone
creative solutions
Today's review ends with benches that defy mediocrity.
To create more unusual look it is worth abandoning the bench, located completely around the tree, and choose L shape as it is in the photo below:
Modern L-Shaped Tree Bench
For variety, you can choose a semi-circular bench, especially in the case when installing a bench completely around the tree is not possible. The photo below shows the Miramar bench from Forever Redwood, which is available in three available sizes.
Semi-circular bench from Forever Redwood
Isn't it true that these creative ideas for garden benches from BHG, simply fabulous? The photo on the left shows a painted bench, in which each plank has its own shade. To the right is a bench floral design lined with mosaics.
Garden Creativity by BHG
Sleek and modern appearance square bench in the photo below echoes the shape of square bright ottomans that add zest modern courtyard at home.
Contemporary square bench around a tree
No tree is too thin for a bench! For a strong effect, leave a small hole in the center of the bench. Modern and stunning, don't you think?
Square bench around a thin tree
Leave extra space in the center of the bench, fill it with soil and arrange flower bed. Why not extract maximum benefit from space?
Flower bed in a bench around a tree
This unusual bench near a tree looks more like a deck chair. And there is nothing wrong with that! Attractive pillows complete the casual look.
Bench-chaise longue in a beautiful patio
Last but not least. Several creative solutions from Mono Goen, which will be able to transform the interior space.
All it takes is one or two indoor plants. Are you looking for a solution with a bench, or interesting option with a table and a chair, the ideas presented in the photos below will help you create an original interior.
Unusual seating by Mono Goen
Which type of bench around the tree do you prefer? Round or hexagonal? Or maybe something more unusual? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment on the article.
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