Returning from the stuffy, dusty bustle of the city to their own suburban space, everyone is looking for coziness, tranquility, mental and physical comfort, and respite from the worries of a working day. Immersion in the atmosphere of this comfort and relaxation begins on the road, when you can see the house and the surrounding area from afar.
Landscape design in front of the house is not only the owner’s business card, indicating his social status and material capabilities.
The design of the area between the public and private areas speaks volumes about the taste preferences, stylistic preferences, interests and inclinations of the owner. Even some character traits can be guessed by looking at the space around the house.
Photo example:
The landscaping of the area between the street and the fence of a private property attracts even those passing by, communicating the hospitality of the owners. A small lawn, several groups of perennial flowers, and a gate decorated with climbing plants invite you to enter and take a break from the hot sun in the shade of the garden.
Maiden grapes, vine-shaped honeysuckle, climbing roses, actinidia are unpretentious perennial plants that create a welcoming shade over the entrance.
Types and functions of front gardens
A closed front garden is considered to be a flower garden, along the perimeter of which tall shrubs or trees are planted. They protect the territory from exhaust gases, wind, and dust. When entering the gate and near the fence, the view is blocked by plants. Planted here:
- rose hip;
- gooseberry;
- hawthorn;
- blackberries.
The front garden is open. This is a small area that is divided into zones. There are no bushes or trees here. He has no other cover besides the fence. It is recommended to build an open front garden near buildings that are located away from the road or near country houses. The name of the smallest is formal front garden. It is built if the area near the house is small. It can be used to plant greenery in multi-tiered structures or containers.
How to improve the entrance to the territory?
The wicket and gates that limit and open access to private property should be located conveniently for the owners and reveal the originality and attractiveness of the internal territory to those entering.
The materials and design of gates and gates are selected in accordance with the overall design of the fence and the style of the estate. Photo example:
This could be an openwork gate combined with a light lattice or hedge.
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The stonework of the fence organically frames the gate and metal gate with decorative cast-iron ornaments.
A house built in close proximity to a road, street, or entrance to the territory itself becomes a barrier to prying eyes, revealing the inner world only to those who are allowed onto the site. The design of such a limited home space comes down to organizing a flower garden with the functions of a front garden and a spectacular hedge.
Styles
The front garden in front of the house will turn out beautiful if, before planning the work, the style of the building and the interior design are taken into account. It can be decorated in a Mediterranean style, in which southern plants are planted in tubs. They are taken out into the front garden only in the summer, and in the winter they stand in the winter garden. A front garden decorated in an Asian style should contain perennial plants of calm tones. It is recommended to make a border in the form of tiers of irregular configuration from natural stones. Plant a short coniferous tree in one of them.
The Japanese style uses natural stones and a large amount of pine needles. There is also a rustic design style. Another name for country. It is a small-height fence woven from vines. Clay pots hang on existing stakes. The flower garden has:
- meadow forbs;
- dahlias;
- decorative sunflowers;
- daisies.
Climbing roses and clematis are planted on the site, which will decorate the low fence. The design of the front garden located in front of the house should echo the appearance of the building.
Types of flower beds
- Arabesque. The flowerbed has an unusual shape, for example, butterfly wings. For planting, low plants are used, shaped like a carpet. Placement in a flower bed is done according to the principle of symmetry.
- Rockery. This is a large stone of various shapes of one type. They are placed in the ground to give the flowerbed stability. Everything nearby is sprinkled with small pebbles. Plantings of low bushes, juniper plants, dwarf spruce, and miscanthus look good here.
- Japanese garden style. Round stones with moss growths are placed at a distance from each other. This design uses mainly boulders and pebbles. Plants are planted in small portions.
- Gabion. The design is a grid into which small stones are poured. The advantage of this flower bed is any shape and size. The flower garden is environmentally friendly, durable, has good soil drainage and will cost the site owner a small amount.
Other varieties
An alternative to the above types of flower beds may be the following types:
- Alpine slide. The center of the composition is a large boulder, with smaller stones placed around it. Plants of mountain varieties with a very well-developed root system are required for planting.
- Terraced slope. Flower bed material has different shapes and heights. It is made from stone fragments of granite or quartz rock. Different types of plants are planted in this flower bed.
The location of flower beds should not interfere with movement around the yard and garden.
Plants for the front garden
It is necessary to decorate the front garden near the house on the street with plants. They can be planted in containers that are hung on hooks, placed on the porch, along the wall, along the entire length of the fence. Small spaces are made in the paving, annual and perennial herbs and small shrubs are planted in them. When selecting green spaces, you should take into account their size and structure. If the trees have a spreading crown and there is not enough space on the site, then in the wind the branches will knock on the windows. You need to focus on the cardinal directions. Shade-tolerant ones are planted in the shade, light-loving ones are planted in the sun. Not everyone can immediately purchase a large number of flowers they like, so you can plant your front garden gradually. Temporarily empty spaces should be sown with annuals, which will then be replaced with more beautiful perennials.
Perennials
If you look at the photo, many people plant perennial flowers in the front garden of their house. A constantly growing flower garden can be created by planting different types of plants. Any variety of roses and peonies will help decorate the local area. It is recommended to plant hosta in dark areas. A tall, erect delphinium will help create a background for low-growing flowers such as lobelias, cinerarias or violas. Hydrangeas will delight the eye with long flowering. Rudbeckia is suitable for all front garden styles. You can make the area bright with the help of gaillardia, reminiscent of miniature sunflowers.
Coniferous plants
To decorate and plant the front garden near the house, it is recommended to use various evergreen creeping or low-growing plants. These are cypress, spruce, thuja, juniper. If you plant a lot of coniferous trees, the landscape will turn out to be inexpressive. Junipers and thujas, the crowns of which are trimmed in the shape of a ball or pyramid, look good on a trimmed lawn. Large trees can also be planted as hedges to form a dense wall, but you need to choose those that grow slowly.
Ornamental shrubs
Those who have been to the village note that deciduous shrubs often grow in the front gardens. If there is enough space, they are arranged in groups, but often they are planted one at a time. Annual and perennial flowers look nice among the green bushes. The following are recognized as suitable deciduous shrubs:
- Skumpia. Its flowers look like large and lush panicles.
- Tamarisk. The leaves look like small needles. The inflorescences are elongated pink.
- Barberry Thunberg. The leaves of different varieties are yellow, burgundy or light green.
Using decorative bushes you can make living fences. If it is planned to be trimmed in the future, then it is advisable to plant mock orange, snowberry, and privet - they have a fairly thick crown.
Evergreens
Vegetation whose foliage does not fade is quite suitable for organizing a magnificent landscape design of the area in front of the house. The created compositions from holly and holly mahonia will look excellent in winter and summer. Along the paths you can use cinquefoil bushes that grow low, thereby giving the border a colorful look. Cinquefoil blooms for a long time, its flowers are colorful yellow, and its petals are shiny. During the rest of the period, the plant remains attractive due to its always green small leaves.
Evergreen plants suitable for arranging a front garden include boxwood. This hardy shrub resembles a small tree. In the front garden at the dacha, you can plant ground cover periwinkle and chickweed, which remain green even in winter.
Attention!
It must be borne in mind that in winter the decorative value of cover crops is lost due to the presence of snow cover. But after it melts, these plants will appear very first.
Annual flowers
Annual flowers are distinguished by lush and dazzling blooms. They can be planted with ornamental shrubs, perennials and conifers. There are annuals in alpine hills, in borders, ridges, as flower beds with strict outlines are called, in mixborders - flower beds, full of a variety of flowers.
Most often, plot owners prefer to plant:
- aster;
- bordered spurge;
- Snapdragon;
- petunia;
- salvia;
- zinnia.
The area near the house will become more exotic if you plant ornamental cabbage, castor beans, cineraria, and broom kochia.
Front garden design ideas
Replace the traditional lawn with an eclectic mix of low-growing ornamental grasses, shrubs, succulents and groundcover perennials. Even with limited use of colors, the entire landscape will be visually compelling. Metal and stone flower containers complete the dynamic sequence of front garden paintings.
Select plants for soil, lighting and climate conditions
Let's say USDA zone 4, which includes most of Russia. Shade-tolerant, frost-resistant plants are planted near a house located in the shade. An attractive mixture of conifers, deciduous trees, shrubs, and hardy forest perennials:
- white spruce,
- pendulous form (Picea glauca Pendula),
- holly (Red Sprite form),
- derain (Cornus sericea Flaviramea),
- Various variations of hosta.
Enjoyment from every angle
The design of the front garden should please not only on the way from the gate to the front door, but also when viewed from the house. Fountains and small waterfalls mask the city noise, fragrant plants refresh and disinfect the air.
Actinidia will decorate the walls of the house with whitish, pink, and crimson foliage. The shade-loving tiarella will delight the winter garden with a scattering of ruby leaves.
Herbs
To keep the area in the front garden close to nature, it is recommended to sow ornamental grasses. It is advisable to plant flowers of the same color, variety, type more densely. This method of growing is called clump. With it, the beauty and color of flowers and foliage is revealed to the maximum.
This is especially true for small plants:
- hairy pinnate;
- maned barley;
- blue fescue.
You can pay attention to the pampas grass, which has tall, spreading stems on which are located magnificent hairy inflorescences. The beautiful ornamental grass, which includes ophiopogon, comes in several varieties. They differ in the color of their leathery linear leaves. There are white ones with a narrow green stripe, green ones with a yellow or white stripe, almost black ones, and green ones.
Fence
The appearance of the area near the house is influenced by the fence installed, which decorates and protects the area. Fences are different. The classic variety is a wooden picket fence of different colors. Sometimes there are gaps between the elements of the picket fence or they are built as a continuous sheet. Wooden fencing is inexpensive and ready-made structures come in a variety of shapes.
If there are forged bars on the windows, designers advise setting up the same front garden. It will look great. A metal fence will last a very long time. Durable and reliable fences include barriers made of brick and concrete.
The entire front garden can be fenced off with a fence made of stone. The material is available, it is possible to create a nice fence without huge financial expenses. One of the cheapest materials is chain-link mesh, which is easy to work with. Although its appearance does not shine with beauty, but by planting plants that climb along the mesh, the fence will become very attractive.
How to plant a flower bed near your house?
When creating a flower bed, it is important to remember the following rules:
- Compliance with the scale of the building and flower garden: for a large front building, the classic, strict appearance of a flower bed with large bright flowering plants and decorative leafy shrubs is appropriate, and a small house will be harmoniously decorated with a flower bed made up of compact specimens;
- Plants in the immediate vicinity of the building should match the color of the walls;
- Designers advise designing a flower bed in a compact area in a cool color scheme;
- When choosing plants for a flower garden, you need to take into account the conditions of their maintenance: in a shady place, many flowers will lose their decorative effect, and shade-loving ones in sunny flower beds will fade
- For a year-round decorative effect, evergreen conifers and deciduous trees with bright bark are planted in front of the house: burgundy barberry branches, bright redwood shoots will enliven a monochromatic snowy landscape
You can complete the design of the local area with a fountain, installation of flowerpots, hanging flowerpots, garden sculptures, since the choice of these decorative elements for any stylistic direction is limited only by the imagination and capabilities of the owner of the site.
Borders for flower beds and lawns
The flowerbed will take on a finished look if you build a border. It can be built from paving stones, hollow blocks, or plastic. The flower garden looks beautiful, along the edges of which pebbles are neatly laid out. It is advisable that tall growing plants be fenced with decorative fences. All plants need to be given due attention and care. Lack of care will cause the flower garden and front garden to decay.
You can make the lawn in front of your house attractive and neat by planting ornamental grass. In this case, it will only be necessary to trim it systematically.
Bridges and paths
It will be easy to decorate beautiful front gardens in front of your house with your own hands if you listen to the advice of designers. On a large local area, experts advise placing additional items, which include decorative bridges. Even a small structure will transform the site. They mark out zones and install them above any water sources. For this you can use stone, brick or wood.
Attention!
Designers welcome it if bridges are placed directly on the path, or if they extend it.
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Thanks to the paths, planted vegetation will not be trampled. Paving wood is used to create paths. However, the service life is short, because it is less likely to be changed and requires treatment with special means. Paths on the street can be made of brick. Silicate is not suitable for these purposes; it will quickly crumble. It is best to use the clinker type, which is more resistant to destruction. They can also be built from natural stone. From an environmental point of view, the material is absolutely clean. Stones can have a very interesting design; their ability to combine well with flowers is noted. However, paths made from this material will be expensive. The stone will have to be systematically treated with special compounds that repel water. Walking on stone paths in winter is dangerous, as an ice crust forms on them.
Design style
The opinion that plants in the front garden are planted chaotically, without a specific concept, is wrong. Landscape design methods offer many styles, among which you can choose the direction that best suits your own worldview about harmony and aesthetics.
Advice! When determining the design style of the flower garden in front of the house, it is recommended to maintain compatibility with the rest of the landscape design of the site and the architectural concept of the buildings.
Rural style
The reason for purchasing a country plot is often the desire to become closer to nature and move away from the bustle of the metropolis. The front garden and the rest of the landscape design with traditional village elements will help you immerse yourself in the atmosphere of naturalness as much as possible. A characteristic feature of a flower garden with an emphasis on rural themes is a certain touch of sloppiness. There are no clearly defined lines, rigor or pretentiousness here.
For decoration, choose perennial flowering plants that are undemanding in care. A low fence looks relevant. This could be a wicker fence or a picket fence. The rural style of landscape design is the optimal solution for decorating a front garden with your own hands.
East direction
The direct opposite of a rural flower bed is a flower garden with a touch of oriental style. As a rule, these are rockeries or other forms of front gardens, complemented by stones and artificial ponds. Characteristic design features:
- The lines of the landscape design are arbitrary, but there is clarity in the configuration. There is no place for chaos here.
- Preference is given to laconic forms. The flowers are selected to be medium-sized, without bright colors.
- Evergreen plants of dwarf species are extremely in demand for decoration.
- Stones are used as fencing.
The originality of oriental motifs is demonstrated by the front garden in the photo below:
Mediterranean atmosphere
A feature of landscape design, which declares the Mediterranean style, is mobility. The front garden is decorated by planting flowers in pots and tubs, which can be easily moved to another place.
Mediterranean style is distinguished by brightness and variety of decorative elements. Here you can find a comfortable chaise lounge for an afternoon rest or wicker chairs with a table. Plants are chosen with lush greenery or bright blooms. Often the use of wooden trellises entwined with vines. A comfortable stay in such an environment will be ensured.
Democratic modernity
There are no special restrictions when decorating a front garden in a modern style. Experiments in planting new plant varieties are encouraged here. For example, European larch and boxwood will look organic, and natural stones will not be out of place. If desired, you can build an alpine slide.
The landscape design of the front garden with a touch of modernity necessarily includes neat paths lined with paving slabs. From the outside, this design resembles a small corner of a decorative park.
Hints of romance
A conversation about a romantic atmosphere in landscape design invariably evokes associations with exquisite roses. When decorating a front garden, mostly bright plants with beautiful flowering are used. The fencing material used varies, but the most stylish look is a low wrought-iron fence with openwork elements.
An arch entwined with climbing plants will effectively complement the atmosphere of a front garden in a romantic style. Their varieties will be discussed further.
Decor
You can beautifully decorate your front garden using various available materials. The area will be decorated with illuminated borders, figurines of animals and birds, and beautiful cobblestones. Figurines in the front garden are placed near the walls of the house, between the plants. It is recommended to install concrete stands for hanging flowers in the front garden, and trellises for climbing flowers. If there is not enough space, then trellises are used for vertical gardening. By placing benches, you can relax and experience pleasure while looking at the flowers. Small lamps are a unique decoration. Wire ones made in the shape of ladybugs, bees or butterflies look beautiful.
Where to place the flower garden
Proper placement of the flower garden will ensure the best appearance of the entire garden plot.
The most successful places for creating a flower bed made of stones are the front garden under the windows of the house, the space near the fence on the street side, along the wall of an outbuilding.
The following recommendations must be followed:
- A properly constructed flower bed should fit well into the garden design without creating a burden on the surrounding landscape.
- It is necessary to ensure free movement on the site and watering of the flower garden. The location for installing the flower bed depends on its shape.
- Round, oval or rectangular flower beds are placed in an open area.
- Rectangular structures can be installed near a wall.
- The gabion will look good if it is divided along the length of a wall or fence.
- The Alpine slide looks good in open areas of the landscape, with a small difference in height.
- A raised flower bed will be a good center of the entire composition on the site.
- A flat surface that is clearly visible is ideal for a rock garden.
