Connoisseurs of natural harmony strive to turn a place in the shade of a fragrant linden, mighty oak or compact chestnut tree into a cozy corner of relaxation and solitude.
For some summer residents, the best solution would be to put an ordinary bench under a 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 ornamental plants growing under it. There are species that do not tolerate any vegetation in the zone of the near-trunk circle. Such individual farmers include birch, willow, spruce, walnut, larch, maple, irga, thuja and pine.
These tree species have a shallow root system and will overwhelm 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 the 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 a design project. Flower plants are selected only shade-tolerant and resistant to uneven moisture. These plants include all types of hosta, most groundcovers, dwarf conifers, some perennials (bergenia, periwinkle, Volzhanka, lily of the valley, saxifrage, lungwort, snowdrop, ferns, foxglove, violet, raven, slipper, Goryanka, anemone) and bulbous.
As a rule, flowering of shade-loving plants occurs in early spring, when the crown still lets in 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. First, the top layer of soil is removed. 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, soddy soil 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 does not wash 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 the space for the growth of the roots of flower crops, you can design a raised or multi-tiered flower bed in the area under the tree. For the manufacture of 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 border 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. In 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 laying out the non-woven material, draining and backfilling the soil, 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 successfully complement a well-groomed garden without requiring a 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.
A table around a tree of the simplest design consists of a 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.
A plot under a tree can be a great place for an outdoor garden gazebo. At the same time, the crown of the tree will serve as a natural canopy from the scorching sun, and if the shade does not seem enough, then you can plant actinidia - a fruit-bearing vine weaving along the branches with large leaves that protect from the sun and light summer rain.
A garden gazebo around a tree serves as a comfortable place not only for outdoor activities and communication, but can also be a great corner for sleeping and reading. Its design can be very different, the design depends on the overall style of the 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 for decorating a plot in the area of the near-trunk circle can be actively applied to 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, this 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 for making a bench
- ✓ We make a bench with our own hands - photo and work progress
- ✓ Round bench around a tree - drawings
How to make a bench around a tree
For centuries, benches around trees have been a favorite garden furniture for backyard owners 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 large trees are 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 best suits these requirements, and it also 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 are slightly different from those indicated here, it does not matter - because 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 also do not need to be treated. Moisture can only be absorbed into the wood through the undersides of the legs, and therefore this surface must be coated with blue 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.
See also: How to make a 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 weather resistant. Larch and types of tropical wood are famous for their special natural endurance. In less resistant breeds, weather resistance is achieved through special processing. For this, protective impregnations are used, which must be periodically renewed. Increasingly, pressure impregnated softwood (especially pine) is used. 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
An unusual bench around a tree or a flower bed will harmoniously fit into the design of the garden. This homemade product will not only be a beautiful addition, but also an incredibly comfortable and beautiful place for family members to relax.
Materials and tools for homemade:
What do you need to create a bench around a tree with your own hands?
Boards
Hacksaw
Drill
Reiki
Primer
screws
Mounting bolts
cap nuts
Step one
The first step is to make notches in the shortest board of the seat. This is necessary so that the back fits snugly against it.
The recesses are made as follows. The part is sawn off at both ends at an angle of 60 degrees. You need to attach two slats to it. The first is for the size of the back, and the second will be the support.
It is important to remember that the back will be at an angle of 100 degrees to the seat. To do everything right, you need to take a carpenter's square and mark an angle of 100 degrees on the seat and use a hacksaw to cut out a "complex wedge"
In addition, we must not forget that all six bench seats must be the same. In order not to be mistaken, you can use the first sawn boards under the seat as a template. This will greatly simplify the manufacturing process.
step two
Edges are rounded with a cutter. Holes are made with a drill. And only after that you can proceed to mount the back.
By the way, before assembling the structure, you can treat the wood with a primer. This is necessary so that the product does not become unusable after a few weeks. Still, being in the open air harms the tree.
Step three. Final
The assembled seats and backs now need to be connected to each other. To do this, take the mounting bolts and cap nuts. It is important to bear in mind that some parts may move during assembly. Therefore, you need to control this by increasing or decreasing the gaps between the fastened parts with bolts.
Conclusion
A bench around a tree or flower bed will fit perfectly into any garden decor. It is very comfortable and beautiful. The advantage of such a homemade product is the simplicity of design. If you wish, you can decorate your garden and make an additional place to relax in the summer.
If you want to make interesting additions to your garden design, nothing beats wood benches with a stylish circular design. Circular wood benches are great, a carefully crafted wood bench designed to fit your space can cozy up any backyard with a contemporary style and personality.
See if the wood benches featured in this article could be a good fit for your backyard transformation, or perhaps provide some useful ideas.
You can use the circular bench not only in the garden, but also on the terrace adjacent to the house. Here it is convenient to add built-in drawers for storing pillows and other accessories to the bench.
Benches made of wood with their own hands.
A circular wooden bench is a fun DIY project you can make over the weekend.
We make a bench from six identical sections. The figure shows a general drawing of a bench, which we will specify according to our dimensions. We measure the diameter of our tree at a seat height of 40-45 cm. For an old tree, add 15 cm to the girth length, for a young tree, so as not to interfere with its growth, add 30 cm. Divide the resulting number by 1.75 to find the length of those closest to the trunk short seat slats.
Bench made of wood drawing Measure this length on the wooden seat slats, cutting the edges at a 30 degree angle. Using the planks of the first seat as a template, prepare the planks for all other sections.
Arrange the seats in a hexagon on a flat surface, using 0.5 cm of spacer between the planks, as shown in the photo. Starting with the inner seat slats, align and adjust the joints between them. Then adjust the outer slats until the seams line up and the edges meet neatly together.
The legs of the bench consist of an inner and outer support sandwiched between two bars. Prepare 12 legs, the length of which is equal to the height of the bench minus the thickness of the seat. If the ground around the tree is uneven, make the legs longer so you can level the bench later by digging the soil underneath. Measure along the cut the distance from the middle of the edge of the inner seat strap to the end of the outer strap, subtract 7 cm from it - this is a reserved place for the back and apron. Cut out 12 bars. Make a 30 degree bevel at each bar from the side of the apron. On the outer leg on both sides, make a mark 5 cm from the outer edge. Fasten the leg between the two bars with two bolts, in accordance with the marks you made. Slip your inside leg between the bars and secure it a few inches from your outside leg. Do not place your inside foot close to the inside edge as this will roots will interfere with it.
Assemble the bench on a flat surface without securing two opposite sections. Set the bench near the tree, if necessary, adjust the plane by choosing the ground under the legs of the bench. Fasten all sections.
Prepare the planks for the back. Install them flush with the inner edge of the seat slats closest to the tree, bevel the side edges of the slats to be prepared 30 degrees. Glue the slats to the seat and bolt through the bottom of the seat.
Prepare planks for the apron of the wooden bench. Measure the distance between the two farthest points of the horizontal bars of each section. Cut 6 strips of this length, beveling the cuts 30 degrees. Drill pilot holes and attach the planks to the battens with screws.
Finish the job by sanding the surface of the bench.
Benches made of wood design options.
You can easily modify the basic design of a wooden bench by making the apron and back of wicker wicker.
Or, abandoning the back and placing the bench away from the trunk, place a beautiful flower garden in the inner space.
Feel free to experiment with the size and shape of the bench, using the unique opportunity to build a comfortable and original bench.
Give your cottage a personality - you can create a unique seating area with a single wooden bench.
Integrate flower containers into the bench or.
Intricately shaped wooden benches give the garden a refined elegance and style.
Sharp complex shapes are not for everyone. Invite your friends to relax on this cozy bench with a soft, rounded shape.
Benches made of wood photo.
This wooden bench, along with the original, turned a corner of the garden into an interesting bright space that is perfect for both adult parties and children's parties.
Circular benches can be made not only from wood, a natural stone bench adds an interesting texture and natural beauty to the garden.
Decoration options such as bench around the tree, can be attributed both to practical and spectacular ways to diversify landscape design.
How to choose the right tree
The place where you want to place the bench, first of all, you need to choose the right tree itself. First of all, you should not opt for a young tree, no matter how beautiful it may seem. Indeed, over time, the tree will grow in width - and it will simply not have enough space for full growth.
In addition, the thicker the tree, the prettier it will look with the bench. This is especially true for round benches.
What preparatory work needs to be done
First of all, you will need to choose the right type of wood for the manufacture of benches. Great options would be:
- Pine;
- Larch, as well as other species that are resistant to adverse effects and quite durable.
First you need to make all the details for the future bench in accordance with the drawings. They will also need to be carefully sanded, treated with antiseptics. In particular, you should pay attention to the processing of the ends of the parts and the lower part of the legs. The impregnation should dry for at least 18 hours, and it is better to leave the parts alone for a day.
You will also need to level the area in front of the tree. Excess earth is removed, and in places of recesses, on the contrary, it is filled up. In this case, you need to try not to damage the roots. It is recommended to shower the site with gravel or small gravel.
Arrangement of a bench around a tree
The bench itself should in no case damage the bark of the tree. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure a small indent from the trunk - about 15 cm. Around the trunk, 4 reference external points and 4 external ones are planned.
Next, 4 support racks are made. Each will require 4 boards 60 centimeters long, 10 centimeters wide, and 2 boards 40 centimeters long. They are fastened together with bolts. Then the support posts are installed at pre-marked points.
You will also need 4 boards for each section of the bench. In the event that the trunk is 50 cm thick, taking into account the indentation from the crown by 15 cm, you will need to take a board a meter long. You will also need to make an oblique cut on the board at an angle of 45 degrees.
Short boards are fixed to the support posts with self-tapping screws or bolts. Leaving a gap of a couple of centimeters, you will need to attach the subsequent strips, cutting them also at an angle of 45 degrees. The boards should protrude a little - to cover the legs.
Sidebar: Important: Be sure to leave a small gap between the slats - so that the water flows down, and does not stagnate on the seat.
The second bar should be 126.5 centimeters long, the third - 153.5 centimeters, and the longest - 180 centimeters. You can also follow this rule: each subsequent bar should be 20 centimeters longer than the previous one. In general, it is necessary to focus on the thickness of the tree.
After the planks are fixed, it remains to finish the finished bench.
Drawing conclusions
Arranging a bench around a tree in your suburban area is a task that anyone who has at least minimal skills in the construction business can do. However, if there are serious doubts about your abilities, then you can buy ready-made options for benches, or seek help from professionals who will do everything in the best possible way and as soon as possible.
