Category: Living

Who doesn’t dream of a country house with a vast garden, a pergola, and beautiful flower beds? Unfortunately, life makes its adjustments, and we have to limit ourselves to a balcony or a tiny patio. Just a few meters from the house to the neighboring plot, a tiny front garden or a small patch of land near the porch – this is an urban reality.

When you think about it, that’s not a bad thing at all! Taking care of a large garden will require a lot of time and effort. Weeding and loosening, regular watering and pest control, pruning and planting seedlings – you can’t do without it. And the modern man has a lot of other things to do. As a result, dreams of beautiful flowerbeds become overgrown with weeds, and ideal lawns turn from dreams into unsightly bumpy realities.

A small, cozy patio is exactly what is best for active people building their lives and their careers! One or two trees (maybe even in tubs), a table with a bench, a few pots with flowers, and a small flower bed – a nice corner with minimal care. Even if tiny, but a garden!

Principles of a small yard

How to use your small yard? The idea to store unnecessary stuff or wash and repair the car there is better to discard immediately. The space outdoors should serve as a place to relax, be environmentally friendly, and be comfortable. There you can plant plants and arrange a corner for relaxation.

Functional content

The functional filling depends on the preferences of the owners of the house, on their interests and needs

• Brazier. Lovers of gatherings with friends in the first place will think of the grill, a comfortable table, and a shelter from the rain. If the house has a veranda or terrace, the place for guests is already defined. You can build a stationary grill in a corner of the yard or get a portable one.
• A secluded corner. For the one who likes to dream in solitude, read a book, or leisurely drink your morning coffee outdoors, there is nothing better than the closed from prying eyes corner twined with roses or grapes.
• A light gazebo, pergola, or flower arch in the yard will not be superfluous for sure! It is important to remember that a massive structure, such as a log gazebo, for a small space is not suitable. It is better to use trellises, screens, and arches, braided with climbing plants.
• Children’s corner. If the family is growing up children, then be sure to provide a place to play. A swing, a horizontal bar, a box for sand take up not much space, but the child will play in the fresh air. Wide swings replace the bench, they are loved by both children and adults. This structure will give a lot of joy in the hours of rest.

Landscaping

The right selection of plants is especially important for a small plot. The peculiarity of urban patios is their closed, enclosed space. The walls of the house, as well as high fences separating from the neighboring area – all these vertical planes turn the yard into a closed box.

There are many ways to visually expand space, but perhaps the most effective is proper landscaping. Climbing and climbing plants that braid the fence create coziness and hide the yard from prying eyes. One or two small trees will shade the resting place in the summer heat. If there is no room for a tree, a pergola with climbing roses or clematis will be very helpful.

Flowering plants are a great way to bring bright colors to the design of the yard. You can create a multi-colored flower bed, you can make a built-in flower bed, or put pots of blooming pelargonium out of the house – all options are suitable for enlivening a small garden.

The right light

Both people and plants need natural sunlight. It doesn’t make sense to put a roof over your patio, even if it’s tiny. It is nice to bask in the sun on a spring morning and at sunset on a summer day. Without it, the plants will wither and never enjoy a riot of green.

Particular attention should be paid to evening light. The right lighting can do wonders for pushing the boundaries of the plot. Lights should be installed to illuminate the resting place, the path to the house, elements of the decor, pond, or fountain, but hide in the thick shadow of the wall boundaries of the site.

It is important to properly select the power of the lights so that the light does not blind the eyes and does not highlight what is better to hide. Now there are many landscape lights that run on solar power. They do not depend on the power grid and can be installed almost anywhere.

Water features in a small area

Does your yard seem too cramped to build a pool? Take a look at how landscape designers are solving this problem. One idea is to place a pool along the frontage in the lower level of the yard. A wide porch with a canopy replaces the terrace. The lawn adjacent to the pool can be used for sun loungers, and fences for flowerbeds contemporary in style can be used as benches.

Another option is to widen the pool deck and align it with the wide porch. Climbing plants form a green wall on one side of the pool, with vases on the other. Checkerboard paving the bottom of the patio increases the degree of the greening of the space.

A great idea would be terracing a small yard, placing the pool in the center with long narrow lawns on both sides. On the narrow sides, the curbs turn into paved decks, and one of them is conveniently placed two sun loungers. The pool’s counterflow system allows swimming in the pool despite its short length.

Some designers use boxes of steel to construct a cascading pond system with a waterfall. The location along the fence leaves the maximum amount of patio space free for curb appeal. The modern style of the landscape blends perfectly with the facade and fencing of the site.

Dynamic design

Nature is changeable, the garden is transformed depending on the time of year. But for a miniature garden on a small plot, this can pose a problem. Garden beds are usually planned so that the blooming of one type of plant alternates with another, but does not stop until the cold weather.

In a tiny garden, such changes are implemented in a different way. Vases with flowers are used. They allow not only to create amazing compositions but also to change them at will. In May, indoor palms and lemons, hibiscuses, and oleanders are brought into the garden. They bring an element of tropical exoticism to the design. Large pots with large plants are placed closer to the wall for protection from the wind, smaller flowers are put in the foreground.

Spring bulbs create bright accents in the mini garden in the spring. Then they are replaced by pots with blooming pelargoniums and petunias. After they finish blooming, they are simply removed, replacing them with other species.

Sprouts of annual plants can be bought ready-made or grow on their own. Planted in pots or garden containers, they can stay in any corner until they begin to flower. Only then are they put out in their designated place.

Moving plants in containers allows you to change the design of the area at any time. Most indoor plants benefit from this relocation to the open air, they grow better and look healthier, their blooming lasts longer.

Another feature of container gardening appreciated the lovers of tropical flowers, which we usually grow as annuals. This petunia, this heat-loving spice plants rosemary and lavender, and many other interesting species – all of them in the places of natural habitat are perennial. Pots with these plants can be put away for the winter in the house, on the veranda or in the basement, and in spring they will please you with flowers in May and June.

It’s hard to argue with the fact that the fire not only warms but also creates a special atmosphere, pacifies. At the fireplace it is pleasant to gather in the evening with friends and family, cook barbecue or bake fragrant potatoes. It is indispensable and for standard gardening chores, whether it is the disposal of cut branches, weeds, or leaves with the onset of autumn.

Be that as it may, a backyard fire pit is really necessary, so we will look at the options for its arrangement and the possibility of building it with your own hands.

What is a fire pit?

In simple terms – it is a hole in the ground, encased in stone or fire bricks. In fact, it can be made of anything, the essence is the same – the pit with the walls that the fire had an opportunity to flare up and not to die out from wind gusts.

Such a structure can be an above-ground type, it all depends on the design and approach to the matter, but the design of the fireplace remains the same.

The fireplace can be not only round or square. Its shape can be anything – as long as it suits the overall ambience of the area. However, as practice shows, it is the round form of such a fireplace is the most convenient in service and use.

Bonfire in the landscape design – is an interesting and practical design move, which helps not only to ennoble the area but also to solve the problem of disposal of garbage, mainly vegetables.

Choice of location

One of the main aspects in this case – the right choice of location and compliance with fire regulations.

• Braziers, fireplaces, hearths, and other constructions, the operation of which is connected with an open flame, should be built at least 10 m away from wooden buildings. Such structures include barns, fences, cattle pens, and dwellings.
• Also, make sure that the chosen site is windless. To maximize comfort, it is recommended that the fire pit be accompanied by an area with appropriate cover (gravel, pebbles, decorative tiles, etc.) and comfortable benches. The seating can be stationary, and comfortable garden furniture can also be installed in this place, which will bring even more comfort to the surroundings.
• The fireplace in the cottage should be built on an elevated site. To protect backyard fire pits from storms and meltwater, you should consider the arrangement of a drainage system. Drainage is also needed to keep the area surrounding the outdoor hearth at the cottage dry.
• The most practical and convenient in operation is considered a round hearth. In it, the wood burns completely and evenly, creating a constant steady heat. The absence of corners prevents the accumulation of dirt and the development of mold.
• Starting to build a fireplace or barbecue with your own hands, you need to make sure that there are no communications under and over these structures. You should not build a garden hearth near large trees. Their roots can destroy the masonry, and the leaves will catch fire under the influence of an open flame.
• If it is planned to install the hearth in a gazebo, its floor, walls, and roof should be made of non-combustible materials. This can be tiles and steel panels. A gazebo with a fireplace in the center looks exotic and unusual, but it is necessary to think carefully about smoke extraction.

DIY fire pit

It is not as difficult as it may seem. Even a beginner can cope with this task. In general, you can take the easiest way and make a fireplace with your own hands from an iron barrel. This work will take you one day, and you will be able to use the fireplace the next evening.

The fireplace from a barrel

1. The surface of the ground is leveled and thoroughly tamped. Very often it is necessary to remove a layer of earth (about 30 cm).
2. Dig a hole in the ground, according to the size and shape of the barrel.
3. The barrel is cut off the top and bottom (to get a metal ring), then it is installed in the prepared pit.
4. At the bottom of the poured crushed stone, pebbles, or gravel, about 20 cm layer.
5. The distance between the sides of the barrel and the edges of the pit is also filled with crushed stone.
6. On top of the rubble, you can pour concrete, and the surrounding ground is paved with decorative stones, pebbles, or paving slabs.

If such a fire pit will be located on a small elevation, the protruding part can be beautifully surrounded by fire bricks. You can use standard cement mortar, or you can buy a ready-made brick or stone masonry mixture in the building department.

Brick fire pit

A fire pit made of bricks is arranged according to a similar pattern:

1. Prepares the place: the top layer of soil is removed (about 20-30 cm), the whole working area is tamped down.
2. A hole is dug, the depth of which is 50-60 cm.
3. The sides of the pit are lined with bricks, they are placed vertically. For a denser shrinkage, do not forget to tap each brick with a hammer.
4. At the bottom of the pit poured gravel or gravel of large fractions, about 20 cm layer.
5. The gaps between the bricks can be filled with fire clay.
6. The frame of the fire pit can be made of similar bricks or other suitable materials.

Fire pit design options

Concrete blocks, which can easily be replaced with paving tiles or cobblestones, are considered the optimal, simple, and beautiful material. Such a design is fastened thanks to a mortar, with refractory additives. For natural stones, clay oven mortar is used.

The area around the fireplace should be free in a radius of 90 cm. to protect against sparks. A double ring of corrugated steel does not lose its demand in the arrangement of hearths. The bonding material is a self-tapping screw.

Furniture or benches should be placed at least one meter from the fire source.

The area around the fire is laid out in the shape of a solar circle. A stone of a different shade depicts the rays. Such a creative and original approach has generated a lot of ideas for decorating the fireplace. A place to rest with the fire gives a variety of appearances: a moon crater, a gemstone, an outdoor fireplace, etc.

An exclusive hearth of the original shape is created depending on the overall style of the homestead plot. Adherents of the natural style choose huge stone boulders to decorate the fireplace.

Next to such a fire feels the primordial power and splendor of the elements. A textured contrast, for the same classic landscape treatment, will create the design of the fire pit with a garden wall of stone.

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The hearth does not have to be a wood-burning fire. A gas flame can easily replace the fire of logs. In the arrangement of the technical part it is more complicated, but in operation is easier.

Choosing a non-standard shape, such as elongated, and accurately thinking through the scheme of paving can create a spectacular composition for the art Noumea style. In the daytime, such a flame is not visible, but in the dark, it transforms the site, completely changing its usual atmosphere.

With the help of the site for the fireplace, it is convenient to divide the private area into zones. The location of such a site is noticeably lower if you compare it with its neighbors. This safety measure is originally played up in relief and design in general. On a flat surface part of the land is removed.

To summarize

To build a hearth for a fire on your own homestead plot, without resorting to the services of specialists, is quite realistic. The main thing – a competent selection of materials, a serious attitude to the task, as well as the choice of a suitable place where the fireplace will be located.