Even in the XVIII century in the territory of European countries the heyday of Voltaireism began. This is the name of the movement that supports free thinking - both religious and everyday. Naturalness, which was so valued at that time, reigned everywhere, including in parks and gardens. It was then that the landscape style appeared. In landscape design, it is commonly called English. However, for the sake of justice, let’s say: the birthplace of this style is Germany and Holland, just in England he managed to gain unprecedented popularity. Landscape style is also actively used by modern gardeners. For those who decided to create a magnificent natural landscape on their site, we have prepared new material!
What you need to know about landscape style?
Initially, this style had a huge number of opponents: it was even caustically called the lazy style. The fact is that in the XVIII century, people considered it a course, which is characterized by the achievement of excellent results without much effort. However, in most British estates this style has taken root over the years.
It is worth noting that the owners of the estates achieved the desired result with tremendous work: they dug canals, created artificial lakes, drained swamps and swamped waterless terrain. Over time, there were steady views on how a true English park should look. He needed a pond, a descent to the water and a pretty forest edge. At the same time, it was extremely important that all these components were not a reduced model. Everything had to be real. Let's say right away: you are unlikely to succeed in breaking a magnificent English park on two or three hundredths. The plot should be large enough to accommodate a small swamp or lake, shrubs, flowers and trees.
Characteristics
At first glance, the English style may seem quite simple and quite natural. However, experienced gardeners know that they will have to make a lot of effort and spend a lot of time in order to get a neat design. A soft and smooth transition from a lawn to bright bushes and tall trees, the absence of strict geometric lines, no rules and patterns - all these are the features of landscape style in landscape design. In order to recreate the stunning picture that opens in the pretty English courtyards, you must follow a number of rules.
The first thing you need to know about the English style is that it does not tolerate any symmetry. Straight lines and any geometric shapes are inappropriate here, preference is given to complete liberty in the layout. But what you can’t do without is architectural structures: you will need arbors, bridges, arches that will harmoniously fit into the landscape. Plains that alternate with hills and ravines, slopes and natural reservoirs also look good. Please note: transitions should be as smooth as possible. Speaking of the English landscape style in landscape design, it should be noted that it is characterized by an abundance of winding paths created from materials such as wild stone and saw cut tree trunks. With their help, you can not only decorate the site, but also connect the garden into a whole picture. In addition, such paths will make it possible to admire the garden from different points of view.
The landscape style is characterized by the use of completely different trees and shrubs. It is very important! It should be noted that they should not be repeated. For such a garden, not only garden flowers are suitable, but also field, and even forest plants. But what should not be is the point from which a view of the entire territory opens.
Benefits
Speaking about the advantages of landscape style in landscape design, impressive views should be noted. These gardens are so beautiful and natural, as if nature itself creates them. They resemble wild parks that have never been touched by a human hand. Another advantage is practicality. For such a garden, those flowers that grow in specific latitudes are suitable. You do not have to look for exotic plants, pick out those that feel good in your area. A plus will also be the fact that such plantations will quickly take root and will not require special care. Please note: in the landscape style, the following planting procedure is adopted: tall trees, shrubs, flowers, lawn. It is worth noting that the English style is ideally suited to decorate it with areas for recreation or sports games and areas for walking and recreation.
Garden in a landscape style: nuances
In order to arrange the site, you will need to develop a landscape design project. It will be necessary to indicate the location of the house and those elements that are necessary for comfort on the site. The next step is placing tracks. Branched paths should connect all the objects located on the site, and they need to be planned as follows: if the garden has amenities such as a toilet or an outdoor shower, the path to them should be short so that the person who wants to get there does not have to go around garden. Do not forget about curved turns, smooth lines!
When working on a landscape design project in this style, it is necessary to take into account that it is characterized by the presence of free space. Do not try to use the entire territory of the site to the maximum, the garden cannot be occupied with something useful, it must be free. Do not install luxurious fountains, do not erect water cascades. Use what already exists in your garden. Any irregularities and shortcomings must be involved: they must certainly turn into the advantages of the garden.
House for the garden
It’s good if the house is not yet built. In this case, you will be able to adhere to Victorian or British style in its design. But what if the site already has a house that is completely unsuitable for landscape style? Landscaping is an art! And a specialist in this field will surely find a solution to such a difficult problem. Alternatively, you can give the necessary appearance to the finished buildings, for this you need branching plants that hide their facades. In addition, you can plant a green hedge that will separate the local area from the garden. Another option is to replace some elements of the house. True, it should be understood that this will require financial investments.
Shades and colors
According to the description of landscape style in landscape design, tones play a special role here. Properly selected colors will increase the object or reduce it, bring some elements closer or, conversely, alienate them. It is the color that allows you to place emphasis on certain details and hide others. To make the garden look as natural as possible, gardeners recommend planting two or three bushes of the same species, but of different varieties. For example, you can place on your site the magnificent Elder Pulverulenta, which is characterized by the presence of spots on the leaves, and plant Marginata cultivar with magnificent silver foliage next to it. Next to them will look great elderberry Aurea, the main feature of which is the presence of bright yellow foliage. The feeling of depth of space will create shrubs with purple or dark green foliage. Please note: you can place them as far as possible from the viewer. For the foreground, it is better to pick lush green grasses or shrubs with golden foliage.
When engaging in color combinations in landscape design, you should pay attention to spirea: for example, you can plant a red-violet Tunberg in combination with a bright green Argut, thus obtaining a lighting effect even on the most cloudy day. In order for every corner of the garden to be attractive, plant conifers of blue tones in the most remote places.
Plant selection
What plantings harmoniously fit into the landscape style? In the landscape design of the garden, a large number of trees are appropriate. Moreover, even dried trunks entwined with ivy or wild grapes will become a wonderful accent. It’s a sin not to plant willows near an artificial reservoir; poplars, maples, spruce, oaks and pines should be placed on the hillocks. It is recommended to sow low-growing grasses along winding paths: wild garlic, cyclamen, cucumber grass and celandine are ideal. Behind them, it is best to place herbs higher: ferns, parsnips, wormwood, basil. Separately, they are not particularly noticeable, however, gathered in groups, they look elegant, and they also have an incredible spicy aroma.
How to create a landscape style in your garden? For small lawns, you should choose daisies, chicory, poppies, clover, medunica and plantain. If there are gaps on the lawn, licorice will help fill them. Glades of pink, white and blue inflorescences of scabiose will decorate. Landscape designers recommend planting a carpet from a mixture of flowers and herbs - it will bloom longer, and such glades will look incredibly cute and at the same time natural.
Design of ponds and paths
Landscape style in landscape design provides for the mandatory presence of a reservoir. Descent to it can be decorated with alder, viburnum, rowan trees. Stones located by a pond or swamp can be decorated with Icelandic moss. Do not do without water lilies floating in the water, duckweed. If you want to attract birds to your area, plant aronia and holly, and cedar pine and hazel will lure squirrels into your garden. Metal arches and hedges are completely unacceptable for paths. It is best if they are replaced by plexus of tree branches, hops, Amur grapes.
Decorative elements
What materials will create an English-style garden? Of course, wood, gray stone and forged elements. The latter can be used everywhere: it can be arbors, benches, bridges, elegant partitions. And in the garden, and at the entrance to the house you can arrange ceramic pots with neat trees and shrubs. By the way, the British are very fond of bicycles, and therefore on the old two-wheeled transport you can arrange elegant flower boxes for planting curly plants. When creating a landscape garden, you must try to make sure that each element becomes a part of nature, does not strike the eye, but is a single whole in the overall composition.