How to decorate a garden path with plants on the sides. Do-it-yourself inexpensive garden paths. Materials for arranging paths in the garden

Garden paths are guiding threads connecting all functional areas of the site and other elements of landscape design into a single ensemble. It is impossible to achieve the artistic completeness of the garden without garden paths. The choice of the configuration of the paths laid along the territory of the site is carried out at the stage of landscape design. Depending on the purpose of the tracks, materials for their construction are selected, as well as laying technologies. In accordance with the classification adopted in gardening design, paths can be decorative and utilitarian, main and secondary, hard and soft, straight and zigzag, wide and narrow. The design of the road transport network of the site is carried out taking into account its relief, which can be flat, "saucer" or multistage (in the presence of significant differences in height).

Ornamental garden paths lined with individual natural stones, bring zest to the garden landscape design and facilitate admiring its beauty

Division of garden paths by appointment

There is a kind of hierarchy among the garden paths. Tracks can be main, secondary, connecting.

• The main path is the main connecting element of the garden. The width of this path should be more than 1.2 meters so that there is enough room for two people to walk.
• Secondary and connecting paths branch off from the main path to different sides of the garden. On narrow paths, which are about 0.5-0.7 meters wide, it is convenient to walk alone. The configuration of secondary and interconnecting lanes doesn't have to be complicated. Otherwise, these elements will enter into competition with the main path, which cannot be allowed.

With the help of the main, secondary and connecting paths, united into a single road transport network, all significant objects located on suburban area: house, garage, outbuildings, entrance area, open areas, recreation areas, artificial reservoirs.

A well-designed network of garden paths on the territory of the site allows you to easily get to any place in the garden

When designing a road transport network, it is necessary to adhere to the "golden" rule, which is that the axes of all tracks must intersect at a single point. This place, which is the compositional center of the garden, is decorated in the dominant style.

Garden path design

The design of garden paths is chosen depending on:

• the type and structure of the soil on the site;
• seasonal ground movements;
• groundwater level;
• the estimated load on the paving;
• intensity of use (seasonal or year-round).

Due to their design features, garden paths, in addition to their main purpose, are capable of performing another important function - drainage. To do this, their surfaces are given a slight slope, which ensures that rain and melt water flows into the drainage layer of the base of the track. You can build a garden path:

• two-profile (middle above the edges) - water flows in two directions;
• single-profile (one edge is raised above the other) - water flows down towards the slope.

Garden paths have not only a transverse profile, but also a longitudinal profile, which shows the difference in its height along the entire length (from beginning to end). The difference in height between the edges of the track in the transverse and longitudinal profile is measured in ppm. The following values \u200b\u200bare allowed:

• 15-60 ppm for the cross-slope of the track (depending on its width):
• 70 ppm or less - for the longitudinal slope of the track.

If the length of the longitudinal slope in any part of the garden path exceeds 70 ppm, it is recommended to arrange stairs for safety reasons. Otherwise the path will be too steep.

With a significant height difference in the territory of the garden plot, a path with stair steps is arranged to facilitate the ascent and descent along the slope

Classification of tracks by type of base

Any track consists of the following structural elements:

• subgrade (deepening in the ground corresponding to the dimensions of the track or site under construction);
• base, consisting of an underlying sand layer and (or) a buffer gravel-crushed stone bed of the layer. Both layers are designed to reduce the load on the subgrade, as well as to drain water from the site (drainage).

Depending on the functional purpose garden path, the type of base is selected. So much for garden paths used during summer season, it is enough to make a sandy base. For pedestrian paths that are operated year-round, the base should already be gravel and sand. Access roads and parking areas are built on a solid concrete basereinforced with reinforcement.

Dividing paths into groups by paving type

The roadbed is another essential structural element of any track. According to the type of coverage, all garden paths can be divided into two groups:

• hard ( monolithic concrete, clinker brick, paving slabs, a natural stone);
• soft (pebbles, gravel, granite screenings (chips), crushed stone).

In landscape design, combined paths are also used, which consist of sections with a hard or soft surface.

Combined paths are made of bulk materials and hard surfaces, presented here in the form of individual square stone slabs

For laying special roadway complex technologies are applied. These include green paths arranged on a geogrid or poured with decorative concrete. Most popular in suburban construction use rigid paths that allow you to implement a wide variety of style solutions for decorating a garden plot. In addition, they are more practical, as they are durable, reliable, and easy to clean. Soft paths will have to be cleaned of debris longer and more often repaired by leveling the bulk material.

It is customary to distinguish wooden coatings in a separate group, made in the form of floorings, platforms, boardwalks, paths from wood cuts.

Wood cuts in the design of garden paths are used in combination with objects built from rounded logs or beams.

Strengthening the edges of garden paths

The curbs used to reinforce the edges of garden paths allow:

• increase the stability of the coating;
• protect the edges of the coating from possible slipping and destruction;
• prevent the path from overgrowing with vegetation;
• protect lawns and flower beds adjacent to paths from trampling.

Installation of curbs is mandatory for garden paths with a soft surface. Rigid paths are framed with borders at the request of the owner of the suburban area.

The aesthetic value of paving garden paths

The bizarre shape of garden paths decorates the garden area, shading the greenery of the lawn and highlighting the small flower beds from the general background

Taking into account the relief when arranging tracks

Any path laid on a site with a practical or decorative purpose must be necessarily safe and also convenient to use. This is possible only if the paths are designed taking into account the features of the site's relief:

• Smooth terrain: secondary paths can be placed in any way (fan-shaped, in the form of branches from the main path, other options).
• "Saucer-shaped" relief: garden paths go out with the sun's rays from the lowest place on the site in which a decorative pond or gazebo is located.
• Relief with a difference in elevation: on gentle slopes, garden paths are arranged in a zigzag shape, the neighboring sections of which are connected with smooth transitions. On steep slopes, one cannot do without the construction of retaining walls and terraces, the transition to which is provided with the help of ramps and stair steps.

For the owner of a suburban area with uneven terrain, material on strengthening the slopes and slopes on the site will also be useful:

The main garden path, immersed in the greenery of trees and stretching into the distance, allows you to climb to the terrace by a cascade of stairs

The combination of materials is the key to completeness of the composition

Garden paths that match the shape and color of the materials used with the decoration of the house, fences, gazebos, flower beds and flower beds, allow you to give compositional completeness to the garden. When designing tracks, you must adhere to the requirements of the chosen style. For example, in strict it is assumed that all garden paths will be necessarily straight. At the same time, the main path serves as a kind of axis of symmetry that divides the garden into two halves of the same design. The platforms arranged at the intersection of the tracks must also have a strict form of regular geometric shapes (circle, square).

The garden in a regular style is decorated with smooth and straight paths, drawn as if along a ruler by the skillful hand of a designer-artist

On the contrary, he does not accept strict and straight lines. In such a garden, winding paths leading to the most secluded corners of the site will be appropriate. Moreover, each bend of the winding garden path should open beautiful view to growing trees and flowers, skillfully created ponds with streams and waterfalls, inviting resting places, charming sculptures and other decorative elements.

Combining styles allows you to get unexpected results. With this mixing, the main path is made in the form of a straight line, and the secondary paths extending from it are given a free shape. The paths decorated with a floral border will help to emphasize the beauty of the Dutch style.

Creating a cozy and unique design personal plot, the owners, through logical thinking or an assessment of practical needs, will come to the conclusion that it is necessary to plan and construct garden paths. Next question which will arise on this occasion - a variant of their paving.

Construction and decoration of garden paths

Professionals with extensive practice in the production of paving paths and the so-called enthusiasts who improve their sites using a variety of methods give a positive characteristic to the simple, interesting and amazing result of the paving process. The first advantages that people who have tried the paving method note are the increased comfort of the created conditions, an aesthetically attractive appearance. For example, paths made of stone after the last rain will quickly shake and dry out, in the cold season they will not create problems when clearing ice and snow.

Going a little deeper into the process, it becomes clear that the paved paths prevent subsidence of the upper layers of the earth and their erosion, as well as the spread of mud formed during precipitation over the area. The designers also refer to the pluses and focus on the fact that the paved path on the site will not only become a bright fragment of the decor, but also unite its different zones.

DIY garden paths

Experts advise - when paving a path, do not forget about the need to decorate it with a border. It will serve as a rigid fixer for the boundaries of the path, as well as protect its edge from deformation, especially under the action of various climatic conditions... A border is not a prerequisite, but it is he who can favorably emphasize and preserve for a longer period an unusual, original way of paving. Basically, the curb is not used only when the path is planned from natural stone various configurations or concrete slabs.

Such a fence as a curb can protrude 5-15 cm above the ground. It can be made from different building materials: from special concrete blocks for curbs, from wood or concrete, natural stone or brick. The most commonly used curb material is red brick. Mount it with its end in the ground. This edging option does not require large financial investments and special skills. If the shape of the red brick border is planned with bends, you should prepare cement mortar, which will be needed for filling seams and joining.

A curb made of a product kit will look interesting. Podtokolnik - chocks with a curved cut, about half a meter long, about 10 cm in diameter. A crookedly cut end is better than a straight one, because it allows the unhindered outflow of precipitation, preventing, in turn, rotting of the upper part of the wooden fragment. In order to maximize the service life of such a curb, you need to apply an antiseptic on the chocks and wrap their lower part with tar paper.

Making a border from natural, large, flat stone is as follows:

• the source material is placed at a certain depth and covered with earth;
• when the stones are not large enough, the curb is drawn up using a solution.

In cases where a garden path is planned from slag, sand, gravel, pebbles - a border is required without fail. The most durable and strongest will be a concrete curb stacked on a concrete base.

Making the path to the house

A successful combination of motley building materials (brick, tile, wood, gravel), will add magnificence and originality to the personal plot. All paths on the site should be elegant and practical at the same time. And those that are located directly near the residential building should also guarantee a hassle-free and comfortable approach, and perhaps even an entrance, to it in any weather conditions.

How can you decorate a garden path

To make the track beautiful, you should first think over the option of decorating it. When choosing, you should take into account the material from which the track is made and its color. For example, plants with flowers of a similar shade (calendula or marigolds), or vice versa, contrasting ones, which would emphasize the orange shade of the material, are suitable for a brick path.

If the path is cement and has an inexpressive color, then the plants along it should attract all the attention to themselves, i.e. they should be distinguished by brightness of color and grace of form.

When decorating garden paths, you can use both perennial, annual and perennial, but when choosing the latter, the decor of the path will have to be thoroughly corrected and restored.

In the event that the paving of the path was done beautifully and from expensive natural materials, then it is not better to organize lawn strips on the sides of it - it will emphasize the attractive appearance and color of the material. At some distance you can plant flowering plants - hosts, irises. At the points where the paths intersect, designers recommend equipping flower beds from creeping and rapidly growing plants, very a good option there will be a ground cover rose planting.

What plants to plant along the paths

Of course, it is impossible to give an unequivocal answer to the question of which colors are best for decorating paths in the garden. The choice will depend on the style of the landscape, its color scheme, from the personal preferences of the garden owners. But general recommendations on this occasion, you can still take into account.

For example, paths framed by daylilies planted along them will look very attractive. The originality of the plant composition will be given by planting a daylily in a certain order with different shades of flowers: burgundy, yellow, orange, lilac, the second attractive moment is different periods flowering, if you choose the correct varieties of daylily, then the path will always be surrounded by flowers - until the flowering of one variety ends, the flowering of another will begin.

If a herbaceous border was built during the design of the droshky, then along it you can plant bushes of sedges or cereals, other plants with variegated leaves or decorative inflorescences. The periwinkle framing it will give brightness throughout the summer. Irises, hyacinths, daffodils or tulips are also suitable for planting, but remember that they bloom once a season, in early spring. For example, delicate daisies will bloom throughout the summer.

The framing of the paths will look more interesting if you pick up the plants and plant them in such a way that you get tiers. In the first of them, of course, there will be creeping or undersized:

• tenacious or stonecrop,
• periwinkle or saxifrage,
• thyme or lungwort,
• monotonous loosestrife, primrose.

The second tier can be formed from medium-sized crops, it can be annuals or perennial creeping conifers, badan, tall primroses.

From tall, to create the third tier, you can plant lilies and phlox paniculata, astilba, falaris. Columnar conifers can also be planted. Plants used in one composition should be combined in shape and color of leaves and flowers, the height of the tiers should be such that the plants are clearly visible, do not shade each other.

Planting creeping or undersized plants on uneven areas will help to visually brighten steps and bumps on the ground surface.

When there is a difference in the height of the soil, the path must be equipped with steps. You can also decorate the steps with flowers, moreover, competently selected types of them will help to make a flat flight of stairs or an uninteresting flat section of the path bizarrely curved. To do this, you will need to plant large, branched plants at several points, which will block the view of the continuation of the path.

You can also plant small-petaled plants, which, while growing, will roll over the edges of the path, thereby hiding all the errors made during its construction.

Decoration of paths in the garden with flower beds

flower borders

Often, flower beds of certain types are used as finishing paths. The simplest, but quite attractive, dense strip of plants, called a flower border, can have different widths. It can be used for carpet plants, of several types, growing very compactly. You can also use taller plants planted in several rows. Smaller ones are planted closer to the path, the subsequent, higher rows, with proper planning, should close with them. Most often used for this purpose: marigolds, vervain, sedum, ageratum.

discounts

Broader and more colorful flower beds located along the paths are called ridges. The recommended width is from 0.5 m to 1.5 m. If the track is long, then the rabat should be made intermittent. Such beds can be double-sided or one-sided. The latter are usually located near fences or walls of buildings, while tall plants should be planted closer to the walls or fence.

If the path lies in an open space, then equip a double-sided bed. Several of the plant species used in it are planted in the form of an ornament or parallel stripes. It is also assumed that a certain colors: white-pink, pink-burgundy, violet-yellow, yellow-blue.

In a double-sided bed, tall plants are placed in the middle line.

mixborders

Mixborders look more natural and relaxed; they are usually used to ennoble the territory near buildings or hedges, to border paths. the width of such a mixed-type flower garden can be from one and a half to four meters, the length - up to tens of meters. For a mixborder, you can pick up about two to three dozen different types of plants, but always in such a way that the period of their flowering follows each other. When planning a mixborder with a width of more than one and a half meters, it is advisable to provide for the presence of a path in the middle of it or at least a passage - it will be more convenient to take care of flowers and water.

Plants in a mixborder are placed in three groups - the tallest of them should bloom at the end of summer, medium-sized ones - in June-July, low-growing perennials - with a spring flowering period, it is desirable that they have bright, decorative leaves. Early flowering bulbous plants placed closer to the middle, their leaves wilted after flowering will hide bright plants located in the foreground.

When planting perennial crops, one should not forget that they will grow over time. The space left between them in the first year can be filled with annual plants.

The whole design largely depends on how the paths on the suburban area will be decorated. Even in such conditions when it is not possible to perform laborious and expensive work, you can choose more available options, which have been developed and already tested by folk craftsmen.

Do-it-yourself paths in the country can be made from the most different materialschoosing suitable option from below. For example, ordinary brick or round timber, sawn from logs, round, medium-sized pebbles or ordinary corks from plastic bottles... There are also removable track options that can be stacked exclusively on summer period... By the way, such tracks can also not only be purchased ready-made, but also made independently.

In any case, before laying any garden paths, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work.

First of all, you need to place a schematic house, outbuildings on the plan, connecting them together and paving the way to the entrance gate - these will be the main paths, which you cannot do without in any case.

Then, you need to plan the paths leading from the house to various areas of the site, for example, to the gazebo, pool, playground or to the zone.

If necessary, then, bringing the path to the garden or vegetable garden, it is worth branching it in such a way that it is convenient to get to every corner of the site in any weather, since the absence of paths is especially unpleasant for moving on the "bare" ground during or immediately after rain ...

After the project has been drawn up, you can transfer it to the site.

Marking on the ground

To determine the width and direction of the tracks, it is necessary to make markings on the ground. This is especially important if they will be kept in certain dimensions in width - for example, laid out from ready-made tiles or bricks.

The marking is carried out using hammered pegs and a cord pulled over them. To make it easier to visually figure out what the direction will look like, and whether the path is wide enough, each border on the sides can be slightly sprinkled with lime.

The best option is if, together with the path, immediately mark the location of the plants that will frame it, since everything looks somewhat different on the ground than in the project.

At the planting sites of bushes and trees, which will be located along the path, you can set up signs or spread stones, and mark the boundaries of future flower beds with lime.

It must be remembered that the pit to be torn off should be somewhat wider than the path itself, since in order for it to serve for many years, it must be protected on both sides with stone or concrete curbs. No matter what material it is planned to build the track, such a preparatory part will in any case increase the quality of the work and allow the laid track to function for a long time.

Having made the markup, you can start preparatory earthworks.

Preparing the base for a garden path

To prevent the path from crumbling in a year or overgrowing with grass with the same sad outcome, serious preparatory work needs to be done. It should be remembered that the path should have a slight slope in one or both directions. In addition, a small trench is made on the side of the slope, into which water will drain during rain.

• First of all, a fertile layer with a thickness of 15 ÷ 200 mm is removed from the places where the track will pass. In order for the depth of the pit to be approximately the same along its entire length, it is necessary to control its sides with a ruler.

• Further, in order to maintain the evenness of the edges of the future path, boards are installed inside, along the entire length of the walls of the pit, but it is advisable to add and compact a little sand under them.
• If the pit is limited to concrete curbs, then their width should be 70 ÷ 100 mm greater than the height of the pit walls. The curbs are set according to the level, and so that they do not move, they are fixed with reinforcing rods, which are driven into the ground inside the trench, next to the curbs. The length of the rods should be from 250 to 350 mm, and this segment should be hammered by 200 ÷ 300 mm. The pin remaining above the surface of the ground will hold the curb in the desired position.

• If the walls of the pit turned out to be uneven due to excessively loose soil, then reinforcing pins will also have to be driven along the walls, and then set, pressing the curbs against them, setting them in level and also fixing on the other hand pins.

• Further, crushed stone or gravel mixed with sand or cement is poured onto the bottom of the pit. can be from 50 to 100 mm after compaction.

... and carefully compacted to maximum density

• After backfilling and distribution over the pit, the resulting surface is periodically moistened and carefully tamped.

The type of filled material will largely depend on the total thickness of the "pillow", on the type of top decorative coating. Also, do not forget that between the "pillow" and the upper cladding, more often than not, there should still be a layer of sand.

Varieties of garden paths for a suburban area

As mentioned above, paths can be made of different materials. It is worth considering the installation of some of them in order to accurately determine the choice of the most suitable option.

Brick path

A fairly reliable, durable and aesthetic path is obtained from brick. It is laid out, in principle, using the same technology as paving slabs or. In order for such a track to last a long time, you need to choose high-quality clinker bricks and carry out work very neat.

• The base for the path, with a compacted top sand layer, must be well leveled using a homemade rule.

The rule is made from a board with perfectly flat and smooth end sides. The board should be 200 mm longer than the width of the path. The corners of the bottom of the board are cut to the thickness of the brick. Upper, longer, uncut parts boards, will serve as an emphasis and limiter when leveling the sand layer.

• When the entire sand layer is leveled, you can start installing the side bricks in the path, which are installed on the edge and driven into the sand half the width with a rubber hammer.

Laying and driving in a line of "border" bricks

• If a curb is not provided in the device of the path, then the side bricks are fastened together with a solution, and after it has solidified and removed, they must be fixed from the outside with reinforcing pins, and then arrange a crushed stone bed, which will need to be carefully tamped.
• After installing the side bricks on both sides of the path, you need to decide what pattern the middle of the path will be laid out in. The brick can be installed on the end or laid on its wide side.

• To make the masonry rigid, you need to lay one row along, and another across the path, driving bricks into the sand one level in height with the framing. However, in order for the path to be as reliable as possible, it is advised to fasten the bricks together with a cement-based glue solution intended for outdoor work - this will also reduce the risk of grass growing in the cracks between the bricks.

It is advisable to lay the solution in such a way that it does not protrude from above, but remains inside the masonry, which means that not too much of it will be required.

• After completing the masonry of the path, the gaps between the bricks are filled with sand. To do this, he spills out onto the path and with a long-bristled brush is first distributed over one area, then in another way - and so on until all the gaps are completely filled.

The remaining excess sand is swept from the surface with the same brush.

• Further, when the path is almost ready, the formwork from the boards is removed from its sides. On the outer edge of the path, crushed stone of the middle fraction is poured and carefully compacted, and another layer of crushed stone is freely poured on top of it.
• For the brightness of the color and the extension of its service, it is recommended to treat the brick with a penetrating primer, and after it dries, to cover it with a varnish that is suitable for stone in outdoor conditions.

With some assumption, a variety of such tracks can be considered those that are laid out from thick ones. How the process takes place is shown in detail in the video.

Video: master class on laying a garden path

Round timber path

Option number 1

To "pave" the path with posts, you must take a dried tree of one of the hard species. The round timber must have a flat surface, so they must be cut very carefully.

Then the surface of the stumps is cleaned and leveled.

• For the construction of the path, logs of different diameters are taken, so that it turns out to fill the pit space as tightly as possible.

The height of the round timber should be twice the height of the pit walls, counting from the compacted gravel, that is, the columns should rise above the surface of the soil located around the future path by 100 ÷ 130 mm.

• When the block blocks are prepared, it is necessary to treat their lower part with an antiseptic, which will protect the wood from biological pests and the negative effects of ground moisture on it.

It is better to do this by placing the hemp in turn in a container with liquid and leaving it for 3 ÷ 4 minutes. On the rest of the surface, simply apply with a wide brush. Before installing the paths in the pit, the round timber is thoroughly dried.

• After drying, the hemp is dipped in “Kuzbass varnish” for a few seconds - it will perfectly protect the wood from moisture. However, the disadvantage of this composition is that its structure is destroyed by exposure to ultraviolet rays and overheating. Nevertheless, if only the lower part of the hemp is processed with it, which will be closed by the wall of the pit, sand, geotextile and crushed stone, then such destructive effects are not threatened.

As a substitute for varnish, an ordinary heated tar can serve, which, when cooled, forms a rather dense film on the surface of the hemp - it is not afraid of either heatnor sunlight.

• Prepared round timber from trunks of different diameters begins to be installed on rammed at the bottom pit gravel as follows:

- A small amount of sand is poured to the transverse wall of the pit at the beginning of the path.

- Then, the first row of round timber is installed. It must be well sized so that it fits as tightly as possible.

- Sand is poured between the logs to the level of the top of the pit walls.

- Such cyclical manipulations continue until the end of the path.

• Along the edge of the path, the sandy border is filled up and compacted.

Option number 2

Another option using round hemp, which is arranged in a complex with rubble or gravel.

In this case, only the curb is mounted from hemp, and the remaining stages of work with removing soil, pouring sand and installing hemp to the walls of the pit are carried out in the same way as a path made entirely of blocks. The process takes place in the following sequence:

• At the bottom of the pit, a “pillow” of sand is poured and rammed;
• Then, along the edge of the future path, stumps are installed, which are driven into one level and sprinkled with sand. The sand bed is compacted directly near the bottom of the hemp;
• After the borders of the logs are completely laid out, geotextiles are laid on the entire surface of the path, the edges whom bent on stumps by 80 ÷ 100 mm;

• The next step is to make an embankment of gravel or medium fraction rubble directly onto geotextiles;

The gravel fill is spread over the entire track in an even layer. If necessary, the layer is increased, since it should be equal in height to the level of the soil of the entire site.

The gravel layer should be the second retaining wall for the hemp in the curb.

• If the top of the hemp has different colour, but if you want to achieve harmony in the design of the track, then they can be covered with paint intended for external work, and the shade in this case is selected to the taste of the owner of the site.

Round river stone path

For those who value originality - a river stone mosaic path

Paths with amazing curls are obtained from the river Altai stone, which has bluish shades, from very light to dark gray-blue. To make such a miracle track, you need to prepare round and oval smooth stones different sizes, clean sand, a rubber or wooden hammer, cement, a sponge, a level, and, of course, water.

Preparatory work is carried out in almost the same way as with the construction of a brick path, but with minor deviations.

The whole process begins with sorting stones, since they come with a small marriage. If the flaw is not too large, then it can be hidden by turning the stone upside down.

After going through the stones, you need to choose a pattern that is suitable in size to the width of the track, the base for which has already been prepared. If you can't find a suitable one, then you can easily compose it yourself, using it as a basis for drawing to vadrats, into which the curls-shells will perfectly fit.

Option number 1

• The drawing from the sketch is transferred to the prepared base. The curl must be placed in the marked square, and it is desirable that this square has from all four sides of the sides that will not let the mosaic fall apart.

Since the base is made of rubble, the marking can be done with lime.

• The next step is to mix sand with cement, approximately 3: 1 or 4: 1, add water and make a thick mixture, from which a side is laid out according to the marking, having a width equal to the length of the pebbles. The stripes are arranged in small sections to make it easier to align the stones in them.
• An oval stone with rounded edges is folded into a small path - it is placed on the side and slightly pressed into the solution.

If the solution has already hardened a little, then in order to level all the stones, you can knock on them with a rubber hammer.

• When one of the strips is laid out, its evenness must be checked using a building level - there should not be strong protrusions above the general level of the track.

• So, looking at their sketch, row by row, they lay out a similar stone mosaic. It can be used as small oval smooth stones, with their installation on the edge, and round, if they fit well into the created pattern.

• In addition, you can use different shades of stones, for example, laying out one strip with light stones, the other with dark ones, or making a smooth color transition.
• Depending on the intended pattern, stones can be installed in height. The main thing is to keep constant control using the level.

• After one of the parts of the mosaic has been laid out, it is poured with water using a spray bottle. This will not only strengthen the hardening mortar, but also wash away excess from the surface of the mosaic.

• So, dividing the drawing into separate parts, gradually, in accordance with a previously thought out sequence, lay out the entire plane reserved for the mosaic. As a result, it should be densely filled with stones.

Option number 2

Another option can be called simpler, since the stones are placed immediately into the leveled wet sand, without the use of cement.

However, so that the created composition does not crumble ahead of time, it must be laid out in a limited space. For this, installed borders with temporary partitions can serve, since the mosaic is laid out in parts, or a kind of formwork from boards, which is removed only after compaction of each of the parts.

• So, on the base with compacted rubble, curbs are exposed and leveled, as well as temporary partitions, which will limit the area of \u200b\u200bthe work being carried out.
• Further, wet sand is poured into the resulting form, compacted and leveled with a rule. The height of the sand cushion should be 20 ÷ 30 mm lower than the sides of the curb or formwork - it is at this height that the stones will remain on the surface, and the laid mosaic will need to be aligned along the curb.

On the leveled sandy surface, lines are applied along which a mosaic of stone will be laid.

• It is more convenient to lay out the stones not one by one, but immediately fold them into a path and, tapping on top with a rubber hammer, deepen to the desired level. If necessary, the sand must be additionally moistened.

Carrying out work, the height of the stones must be constantly monitored with the help.

• Having laid out a certain section of the mosaic, until the sand has dried, you need to walk over the entire surface with a rubber hammer again, and then you need to pour more dry sand or a mixture of sand and cement on top. The excess of this backfill must then be immediately brushed off.

• After the laid surface is completely dry, you can brush over the surface again.

After a few hours, the sand will be compacted and slightly sink between the stones. After that, you need to repeat the procedure with a bedding and splashing.

• After another drying of the mosaic, all stones are washed with a wet sponge.

• The entire composition is moistened with water every day, for a week - this is necessary for the track to “gain hardness”.
• If a work in progress on the installation of the mosaic in an open space, then in order to avoid its blurring by rain, it is best to cover the entire composition with thin foam rubber at night. It will allow water to pass through, but will not allow sand to be washed out.
• If the work was carried out in plank formwork, after the completion of the masonry and its temporary fencing, it is imperative to strengthen the path by overlapping it with stones or bricks in the form of a curb.

Concrete path

For a concrete path, the marking is done in the same way as described above, and then the soil is excavated along the marked area.

Then, sand is poured onto the bottom of the pit, which is moistened and compacted. The total thickness of the compacted layer should be 60 ÷ 70 mm.

On top of the compacted sand, gravel is poured, which also needs to be compacted.

A reinforcing grid is installed on the crushed stone, which will make the track much stronger.

Then, you can do one of two ways, depending on which track you want to get.

1. If a flat surface should be obtained, then a thin one is made, with which the formwork is poured.

- In the case when concrete is poured into the space between the already installed curbs, then the rule will need to be made independently, and it should have the same fundamental form as the one described in the section on sand leveling when constructing a brick path.

- The finished track is strengthened with iron. To do this, dry cement is scattered on a still wet surface in a thin layer, which is immediately gently rubbed with a grout. Commercially available hardening topping mixes can be used.

2. If the path is planned to be made using a form that helps to simulate the laying of a stone, then the concrete mixture is poured into the formwork in two layers.

- The first layer is poured at half the height of the formwork and leveled also using the rule. In this case, a coarse mortar consisting of cement and gravel is used. The surface should turn out to be fairly flat, and in order to achieve this, it is recommended to install beacons of the required height, and equalize the concrete along them.

- After the concrete has set, a form is installed on its surface and filled with a thin solution. It is aligned to the surface of the mold. The concrete-filled form is left to harden for 3 ÷ 5 days.

Curly shapes for a "paved path" effect

If there is only one form, then the work, of course, will take too long, therefore, when using this technology, it is desirable to have at least two similar forms at your disposal. It should be noted that with their help you can arrange not only the paths, but also the floor in the gazebo, the area near the gate or near the garage.

Video: An example of using a form to fill a "paved" path

Garden paths from covers

Highly interesting option tracks - it turns out that it can be made from caps from ordinary plastic bottles. Thanks to their bright and varied colors, they can be used to make various ornamental patterns that will help to decorate the garden landscape.

The only difficulty that will be encountered on the way of a master who decides to make this piece will be collecting the required amount these "mosaic elements" of the future track.

Having conceived to do this work, you need to start assembling the covers in advance. While the process is going on from the boron, you can think over which pattern to choose for the track and draw up a rough sketch of it.

Do not wait until the required number of covers are fully assembled for the entire length of the path. Having collected a certain number of them, you can begin to mount elements of the future canvas from them. For example, to assemble the fragment shown in the photo, you will need only 19 caps.

A large number of caps are usually found on the beach during the summer. And by the way, you can get triple benefits from the collection process:

- at least a little to clean the sand beach from foreign objects;

- get some fresh air while walking along the beach;

- get completely free material for making a track.

• To connect the covers in the desired pattern, you need a "gypsy" needle, an awl, always with a wooden handle, and a large amount of fishing line. A wooden handle is needed due to the fact that the awl will have to be heated over a fire, so that it is easy to make holes in the covers to fasten them together.
• Needle holes are punctured on the sides of the covers as shown in the photo above.
• First gather individual elements, according to the prepared sketch , and when several of them are ready, they are connected to each other.
• The work on assembling the elements of such a track is quite long and painstaking, but it does not require tore-intensive preparation of the base associated with earth or concrete work.

With the availability of material and the necessary diligence and patience, you can "pave" sufficiently large areas

• When the lid mat is completely ready, the place for it is prepared as follows:

- marked space for installation, spilled with weed control;

- then, a prepared rug of covers is laid on it;

- so that during operation less soil gets to the surface of the track, it is recommended to install a brick or stone curb along the track;

- for this, the top soil is removed in depth by about two-thirds of the brick, and then the space is half-filled with sand, into which the brick is set at an angle and touched. The side gaps between the soil and the brick are also filled with sand, which is moistened in advance.

Prefabricated paths from plastic plates

Mobile garden paths can be laid quickly, without arranging a base for them, using special plastic panels.

From them you can assemble a path of any width, since they have fasteners that will allow you to connect them both along and across.

The connecting elements, which are large enough, impart rigidity to the structure, since every two plates are fastened in two places and serve as a kind of support legs.

The advantage of such slabs-panels is not only the quickness of installation, but also the fact that their surface is absolutely non-slippery, such paths withstand quite heavy loads, they are very durable in operation.

For the manufacture of plates, frost-resistant plastic is used, which well withstands not only low temperatures up to - 35 ÷ 40, but also high temperatures up to + 45 ÷ 50 degrees. However, leaving such a garden path for the winter does not make much sense - if you wish, you can quickly and easily disassemble it, put it in a pile and send it for storage to one of the outbuildings. The tile will not take up much space, and in the spring the track will not be tied up in the shortest time to lay it out again anywhere on the site.

The tile has a very convenient size for working with it - it is 570 × 570 mm in width and length, and its thickness is 22 mm.

In addition, the convenience of such a tile also lies in the fact that water does not accumulate on it, since there are longitudinal holes on the surface.

By the way, on winter period you can lay out a rug from such a tile in front of the entrance door - its surface is corrugated, which means it will not allow you to slip and get injured.

This option for arranging garden paths does not require much effort for installation, since the tiles can be laid both on and on the soil surface. If grass begins to sprout through the holes of the tile, the track can be easily moved or disassembled, and after getting rid of the grass, collect and put it back in place.

"Garden parquet"

"Garden parquet" - quite expensive the kind of material that they are used not only for laying on the site, but also for decorating floors in gazebos, on verandas, terraces and on balconies.

Expensive, but very cool - "garden parquet"

It has similar characteristics to plastic plates. This option is perfect for laying on garden paths - "garden parquet" is also quickly assembled and disassembled, as it has special fasteners for this, which have their own specific features.

Fastening the tiles of the "garden parquet"

A detailed panel can have a different arrangement of the elements that make up its drawing. They are placed on a compacted gravel mixture or fine gravel.

Laying "garden parquet" will never take long

Such a "parquet" is made of wood, treated in a special way and does not react to ordinary external "stimuli" - it is not afraid of moisture, direct sun rays, temperature changes, biological effects. However, in addition to wood for the manufacture of "garden parquet" (its relatively inexpensive models), special plastic is used, which perfectly imitates natural wood... It is clear that the second version of the parquet flooring is much more affordable for the average landlord.

So, there are a very large number of summer cottages. After a careful study, you can always choose the one that is suitable for the price, design and complexity of independent execution of all work. Therefore, if the time comes for planning a site, you need to carefully think over all the nuances and calculate your strengths and capabilities.

Video: Variety of options for garden paths

The owners of home gardens, firmly convinced that garden paths exist only for ease of movement, are not only deeply mistaken, but also deprive themselves of the opportunity to enjoy the amazing design of the dramatically transformed plot, complemented by picturesque paths. However, creative people with aesthetic taste do not miss this chance and try to turn the garden path into an object of pride. How they manage it, and what are the main options for decorating paths in the garden - you can find the answers to all your questions in the article.

What you need to know before you start decorating garden paths?

Before you start arranging, and even more so decorating garden paths, you need to recreate the project of future paths with due scrupulousness, mentally or on paper, and it is better to do this at the design stage country house... This will be a great way to carry out advance zoning of the garden area, to allocate space for the most important objects and landscape elements. However, if a country house was built a long time ago, and all the objects are located on the backyard territory, you should not despair and worry about a missed moment, on the contrary, it is better to take care not only about the convenience of movement along the garden paths, but also about their appearance. When designing and decorating garden paths, it is important to consider the general style of the site.

The design of garden paths at this stage is gaining more and more recognition and can rightfully be called a very fashionable field of landscape design, which not only helps to test your imagination, but also allows you to become the owner of a delightfully decorated garden, which can become a source of pride for the owners. A wide range of modern decorative materials and design options allows you to create exquisite works of art in the garden, which are characterized by ornate forms, multiple forks and differences in height, as well as a wide variety of materials. In general, there are no restrictions, the main thing is that the finished paths are not only convenient in their daily use, but also harmoniously fit into the landscape design space.

Decoration of garden paths with flowers: borders and mixborders

Decorating garden paths with flowers is very popular at all times. One of the most famous and available ways is the arrangement of a border of plants near the paths.

Such curbs are a narrow strip of plants, the width of which is no more than 20-30 cm, characterized by one or two-sided arrangement.

To make the paths look the most profitable, it is enough to use one or two rows of ornamental crops.

It is important to take into account that for arranging the border located along the edge of the path, it is important to choose the right decorative plant varieties. Firstly, preference should be given to low-growing crops, and, secondly, it is important that the selected plants are characterized by the same varietal affiliation, otherwise incompatible varieties can lead to the death of one of the crops.

In this way, the best option the following cultures will become:

1.Dwarf spire;

2. Daurian cinquefoil;

4. Madunitsa;

5.Markets;

The actual way to decorate the path to the house with the help of flowers is the creation of mixborders or, so-called, mixed flower beds, which are characterized by an oblong shape.

Often, they combine both annual and perennial crops. In exceptional cases, mixborders include shrubs, dwarf trees and even climbing plants... In order for mixborders to delight the owners with their flowering during the entire warm period, it is recommended to use varieties with different growing seasons and flowering periods, then flowering crops can alternate one another. Mixborder planning is no less painstaking work than the selection of the crops themselves.

The complexity of the arrangement of varieties is complicated by the fact that for the correct development and vital activity of plants, it is necessary to follow certain rules, the observance of which will be the key to an enviable mixborder that blooms all summer. According to these rules, tall plants are located in the background, the next row is reserved for medium-sized crops, and it is desirable to plant low-growing plants or grass closer to the path itself.

The area between the mixborder and the lawn can be sown lawn grass, which will be no less original solution.

Decorating a garden path with mixborders is a rather bold decision, since picturesque flower beds require constant maintenance, which can be very difficult without minimal knowledge of floristry. But, despite this, mixborders were and remain one of the most picturesque options for landscape decoration of garden paths.

The main methods of decoration: wood cuts and mosaics

One of the most affordable ways to decorate a garden path is decorating with wooden saw cuts. Despite the discreet design, such a garden path looks very impressive. Shredded shingles or small pebbles can be a source of additional originality, which can be used to fill the space between the cuts.

However, if you want to see something more sophisticated on your site than a path made of wooden saw cuts, mosaic will come to your aid as another way decorative design garden paths. With the help of ordinary river pebbles or decorative rubble, you can recreate the most intricate patterns that will become real masterpieces.

It is necessary to approach the choice of material correctly: patterns laid out from small elements of approximately equal format look the most elegant. However, if the path is characterized by an impressive width, experts do not recommend giving preference to small mosaics. Instead, designers advise choosing larger paving elements or combining material in one compositional solution different sizes.

A profitable compositional solution will be the combined use of large stone and pieces of ceramic or brick, as well as stone chips. It is also practiced to use flat stones and smaller paving elements together.

The original solution for decorating garden paths with the help of mosaics will be to recreate mosaic waves, reminiscent of a cool trickle that tries to make its way through picturesque flower beds.

Original ways of decorating. What to choose?

Fans of Japanese gardens will like the following way to decorate garden paths.

You can build such a track from the usual wooden boards, however, it is necessary to focus on the details, namely the elements located between the boards.

It can be white stones of various sizes and fluffy dark green small bushes that play in contrast.

For lovers of original design solutionsthose who care about the preservation of the environment will love the idea of \u200b\u200bdecorating paths with glass bottles. For a more harmonious design, it is advisable to choose a material of the same color and size.

In addition to the above options for decorating garden paths, there are many ways to diversify the everyday appearance such an indispensable element of a personal plot as a garden path.

Everything that was described in the article is just the most common methods that you should not be limited to. In this case, everything is in your hands, and you can give preference to the most unusual design ideas... It can be luminous stones, which are gaining popularity, and brick stepped paths, made in a checkerboard pattern, and alternating dark stones and colored pebbles ...

There are many options, you just need to follow your imagination!

It is called creeping hops, beer hops, curly hops, bitter hops ... This powerful and beautiful vine has everything to be useful to man. Hops are revered by many peoples of the world, it is a symbol of fertility, strong economy, daring, happiness and longevity, it is depicted on coats of arms and coins. But many summer residents are not at all happy with him. Hops tend to grow rapidly, suppressing the growth of cultivated plants around them. But is it really necessary to fight it?

Pork with Eggplant - Delicious stew with vegetables and savory rice is easy and simple to prepare for dinner or lunch. It will take about half an hour to cook, so this recipe can be classified as "if you need dinner quickly." The dish turns out to be hearty, aromatic, piquant. Turmeric colors the ingredients in a beautiful golden yellow color, cloves, cardamom, garlic and chili peppers add a spicy flavor to the dish. Choose lean meat for this recipe.

Seed reproduction in the garden strawberry we are used to, unfortunately, leads to the appearance of less productive plants and weaker bushes. But another type of these sweet berries - alpine strawberries, can be successfully grown from seeds. Let's find out about the main advantages and disadvantages of this culture, consider the main varieties and features of agricultural technology. The information presented in this article will help you decide whether to allocate space for her in the berry.

Despite the confusion accumulated over the past decades with the name "Christmas cactus", one of the most recognizable and striking forest cacti, epiphyllums, remain universal favorites. Leafless, with flattened stems, amazingly profusely blooming, hybrid epiphyllums with their drooping shoots and delicate flowers do not require particularly difficult care from their owners. They can become the most striking flowering succulents in any collection.

Merchant-style buckwheat with meat and pumpkin is a simple recipe for a delicious dinner or lunch. I advise you to bring it to readiness in the oven, although it is possible on the stove. Firstly, it tastes better in the oven, since buckwheat is steamed, it becomes very tasty, and the meat turns out to be tender. Secondly, the hour that it languishes in the oven can be spent on yourself or on communication with loved ones. Perhaps many people will decide that buckwheat with meat is an ordinary dish, but try to cook it according to this recipe.

Often, when we see a beautiful flower, we instinctively bend over to smell its fragrance. All fragrant flowers can be divided into two large groups: nocturnal (pollinated by moths) and daytime, whose pollinators are mainly bees. For a florist and a designer, both groups of plants are important, because we often walk around the garden during the day and relax in our favorite corners with the onset of the evening. The fragrance of our favorite fragrant flowers never fails.

Many gardeners consider the pumpkin the queen of the garden beds. And not only because of its size, variety of shapes and colors, but also for its excellent taste, useful qualities and a rich harvest. Pumpkin contains a large amount of carotene, iron, various vitamins and minerals. Thanks to the possibility of long-term storage, this vegetable supports our health all year round. If you decide to plant a pumpkin on your site, you will be interested to know how to get the largest harvest possible.

Scottish eggs - incredibly delicious! Try to cook this dish at home, there is nothing difficult to prepare. Scotch eggs are hard boiled eggs wrapped in chopped meat, breaded in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and deep-fried. For frying, you need a frying pan with a high side, and if you have a deep fryer, it's just great - even less hassle. You will also need deep-fat oil to keep the kitchen out of smoke. Choose farm eggs for this recipe.

One of the most amazing large-flowered tubs, Cubanola Dominican, fully justifies its status as a tropical miracle. Heat-loving, slow-growing, with huge and in many ways unique flower bells, Cubanola is a fragrant star with a complex character. She requires special conditions in the rooms. But for those who are looking for exclusive plants for their interior, there is no better (and more chocolate) candidate for the role of indoor giant.

Chickpea Curry with Meat is a hearty hot dish for lunch or dinner, inspired by Indian cuisine. This curry is quick to prepare but requires preparation. Chickpeas must first be soaked in large quantities cold water for several hours, preferably at night, the water can be changed several times. It is also better to leave the meat in the marinade overnight to make it juicy and tender. Then you should boil the chickpeas until tender and then cook the curry according to the recipe.

Rhubarb is not found on everyone garden plot... It's a pity. This plant is a storehouse of vitamins and can be widely used in cooking. What is not prepared from rhubarb: soups and cabbage soup, salads, delicious jam, kvass, compotes and juices, candied fruits and marmalade, and even wine. But that's not all! A large green or red rosette of plant leaves, resembling a burdock, acts as a beautiful backdrop for annuals. Not surprisingly, rhubarb can also be seen in flower beds.

Today, the trend is to experiment with non-trivial combinations and non-standard colors in the garden. For example, plants with black inflorescences have become very fashionable. All black flowers are original and specific, and it is important for them to be able to select suitable partners and location. Therefore, this article will not only introduce you to the assortment of plants with slate-black inflorescences, but also teach you the intricacies of using such mystical plants in garden design.

3 delicious sandwiches - cucumber sandwich, chicken sandwich, cabbage and meat sandwich - great idea for a quick snack or for a picnic in nature. Only fresh vegetables, juicy chicken and cream cheese and some spices. There are no onions in these sandwiches, if you wish, you can add onion marinated in balsamic vinegar to any of the sandwiches, this will not spoil the taste. Having quickly prepared snacks, all that remains is to collect a picnic basket and go to the nearest green lawn.

Depending on the varietal group, the age of seedlings suitable for planting in open ground is: for early tomatoes - 45-50 days, average ripening periods - 55-60 and later dates - at least 70 days. When planting tomato seedlings at a younger age, the period of its adaptation to new conditions is significantly lengthened. But success in obtaining a high-quality tomato crop also depends on the careful implementation of the basic rules for planting seedlings in open ground.