Planning the landscape design of the site on 5 acres

There were times in the past when garden plots were used mainly for growing crops. Now their owners want to rest there with their souls, and therefore a lot of attention is paid to the arrangement. Even in a small area, only 5 acres, there is where to take a walk for those who try their hand at landscape design.

A plot of five acres is good because it is easy to care for. But planning such a small area often causes problems

Layout of a small plot

The preparatory phase will take a lot of time. You will need to think about what exactly you want to see on the site. Will there be only a small house surrounded by plantations and neat paths with places for rest? Or the landscape design of a plot of 5 acres may also imply a complex of buildings, including a bathhouse, and economic places. Perhaps a children's or sports ground is needed.

The development phase of the site design begins with the identification of locations for future buildings

After you decide on the list of necessary, you can begin to plan every centimeter. The main rule is to use the space as efficiently as possible, while not cluttering it up too much.

The plot is divided into functional zones interconnected by garden paths

If this is your first project, and you doubt how it will be better, you can use ready-made ideas based on the shape of the site:

1. On the oval-elongated territory, clear zoning with color looks good: cold shades on the long sides of the plot, warm shades on the short ones. Recreation and work areas are separated by hedges along which plants climb.
2. L-shaped plot can be arranged as follows: in the “branch” to make a recreation area, in front of it, at the intersection of lines - a house and a garden. Most of the letter “g” will be occupied by beautiful plants, and at the very bottom there will be a few farm buildings.
3. Layout on the site of a standard, rectangular shape, the most convenient. In one corner - farm buildings, in the other - a house, between them - a garden. All the rest of the space is designed for the soul.

Examples of planning decisions:

Vertical layout

There are several tricks to visually expand the space. Among them - a vertical layout, distracting attention from the small size of the site and attracting attention to accents. In practice, it may look like this:

• At the corners of the site, multi-tier flowerbeds are made of bricks with a base covered with crushed stone, rock gardens.
• Along the perimeter, if there is a base wall, you can fix flower pots and other containers with earth.
• On the site itself there are more racks, where each shelf is a bed, flower beds based on old chests of drawers and cabinets (with flowers in each drawer). An economical option is a pile of car tires that create tall flower beds.
• Hanging gardens can fulfill not only a decorative role, but also be used as beds. For example, in a cache-pot you can grow greens and various types of salad.
• The house is located clearly opposite the entrance to the site, and in the first place the main vertical route is laid out from the gate in the fence to the doors to the house.

The main path on the site is from the gate to the house, it is from it that the landscaping begins

Garden paths should be combined with the rest of the landscape

Look for inspirational photos with a vertical layout to adopt ready-made solutions or to adopt other people's ideas in order to come up with your own.

The most modern method of vertical gardening is a living wall. It does not take up much space, which makes it popular for small areas

Unpretentious plants that require minimal care are chosen to create phytowalls

Ergonomic layout of farm buildings

When the site is limited to 5 acres, it is better to make outbuildings as less noticeable as possible and to place them in remote corners of the garden if possible. In addition, it is better to decorate them with “creeping” plants so that they do not clutter up the space visually.

In order to save space, you can abandon a separate hozblok in favor of a small extension to the house

At the same time, do not forget about the legislative side of the issue: observe the norms of indentation from the objects of neighboring plots, if you do not want all the fruits of your efforts to be demolished once.

Norms of indentation from the boundaries of the land

Having solved the problem with buildings, pay sufficient attention to lighting. This is not only a matter of comfort, but also of security. Firstly, you yourself will be able to move around the site without risking tucking your leg, tripping over some part of the garden composition. Secondly, uninvited guests are unlikely to want a well-lit area.

Well-located lights can dramatically change the look of the garden at night and in the evening

Polycarbonate LED luminaires look original on a lawn or under tall trees

At least you need to light the porch, garage and garden paths. Secondly, take care of the fence. And the remote edges of the site can be left for later if there are financial constraints.

Style solutions for a small area

To make the territory look harmonious, style unity is necessary. Plus, a pre-defined general idea will help you choose plants and a little decor for an already designed site in the future.

It is necessary to choose a garden design so that it is pleasant to look at it

The most common today are three styles of design.

East color

Most often, the owners of small plots turn to the experience of the Japanese: they know a lot about the refinement of small territories. What are only the world-famous rock gardens, inspiring the beauty of minimalism.

Oriental style allows you to maximize the use of small space

Here are some other design ideas you can borrow in a typical Japanese garden:

• miniature trees that look exactly like real, but much smaller;
• low shrubs, mosses;
• light rail fences;
• waterfalls.

If you plan to build, a good solution is to design a gazebo in the form of a pagoda - this will emphasize the chosen style.

Japanese-style stone garden, characterized by laconicism and unpretentious care

In the oriental style there is not a single extra detail. If you plant trees, then they should be cherry, plum, so that they adorn the garden as long as possible. In the summer they will be useful for their fruits, and in the spring they will turn the garden into almost Japanese, with “sakura”.

Palace style

Details of this style are quite possible to fit into a small area, but it will be more difficult.Here you will have to weigh the number of elements, their size, so that everything looks neat.

The basis of the palace-style garden is the symmetrical shrub planting

Palace style includes:

• neat shrubs trimmed at the same height;
• manicured flower beds or fresh lawn;
• plants placed in elegant flowerpots;
• beautiful benches;
• forged decorated arches.

Think in advance if you are prepared for the restrictions that the palace style imposes. No bells and daisies are allowed here! Only spray roses and other plants that give an elegant look.

In a secluded corner of such a garden you can put a stone bench in the spirit of past centuries.

Theoretically, this is an expensive and pompous style, so look at the ideas of sites decorated in a palace style, and choose what is applicable on your 5 acres. Including, taking into account the budget. For example, a house decorated with columns, stone benches will look expensive and interesting, but several stone vases with flowers are less expensive.

Garden landscape

In contrast to the previous style, this one allows almost all the usual and simple landscapes, a riot of colors and colors.

The popularity of the landscape style is due to the desire of the owners of the sites to create a corner of untouched nature around themselves.

If you dream of admiring the ponds, a landscape style has simply been created for you. The center of the composition will be a pond, and you can additionally design it with a waterfall and a bridge. An alpine hill is also set nearby, the shore is made out with large stones, and plants are planted, which can not be dampened.

A small artificial pond will decorate the site and provide an opportunity to enjoy a good rest on its shore

In winter, in Russia, of course, it is difficult to do. But from early spring to late autumn - it is quite possible. If you live in northern cities, your way out is mobile flower beds. Potted flowers grown at home are simply transferred to the garden. At the same time, additional opportunities for experiments with the arrangement of plants and the change of the usual composition appear.

Those who wish to see their garden attractive in the winter can also recommend coniferous plants - spruce, thuja western or Cossack juniper

But the number of trees when planning a plot of 5 acres is better to reduce, otherwise they will greatly obscure the site. If you can not do without them, group with bushes around the perimeter: gooseberries, currants. And choose not too big, big-leafed trees: it is better to have undersized apple trees, dwarf fir, and decorative arborvitae.

Beautiful designs

Immediately accept the idea that on a plot of 5 acres it is impossible to plant all the plants that you like. Leave in the project only those without which you cannot imagine your own garden at all.

In a small area, small forms look advantageous, for example, a vintage gate in a stone wall, behind which, perhaps, there is no move, but such a composition looks very stylish

This garden is striking in the abundance of flowering plants, for small-growing specimens there was a place for higher

There are many options for planting flower beds, but in a small area, options are preferred when different types of plants grow close to each other. You can also arrange a rockery, where there will be stones next to the flowers.

To make the flowerbed look elegant all season, you need to select plants that bloom at different times

Conclusion

Even if you have a plot of 5 acres, landscape design is available for you. Experiment in the chosen style, leaving the minimum necessary. Zon the garden plot in accordance with the recommendations so that you are comfortable and pleasant to be on it.

Video: Choosing unpretentious plants for a garden plot

Photo ideas for arranging a small area