Private house courtyard design. Choosing a stylistic direction

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A country cottage or a private house within the city is the pride of the owners. Once upon a time, such housing was certainly associated with beds, a vegetable garden and greenhouses. But times are changing, and the functional use of the courtyard has long faded into the background. Landscaping has gradually reached even the most remote villages; private houses are now real recreation parks in miniature. Where the potatoes grew, there is now a decorative pond, gazebos rise in place of greenhouses, and the beds have been replaced with flower beds and fountains.

It takes a lot of effort to decorate the territory adjacent to the house, and maintaining order takes a lot of time. But all the work is rewarded by the fact that in return you get a luxurious place to relax in silence or get-togethers with a noisy company..

The courtyard of a private house is made on several levels

A dining area can be arranged in the backyard

Small bridge in the courtyard of a private house

The first stage in the design of the courtyard design is the choice of stylistic direction. This choice plays a huge role, since it determines in which direction the designer needs to move on. It is worth determining here not only based on personal preferences, but also taking into account the following factors:

• the area that you have;
• a limit on the time that you are allowed to spend on maintaining the proper appearance of the yard;
• climate and soil type.

There are several of the most popular options that experts offer for the design of the courtyard of a private house..

English style

This style is ideal if the house is located at the back of the site and exhibits an open facade. Then in the courtyard you can arrange an alley leading to the front door, and in the backyard you can arrange a recreation area.

The English style assumes maximum naturalness. The area should look as if the person’s hand never touched it. This means smooth lines, lack of asymmetry, meandering paths and landscape irregularities. Plants are usually placed in tiers: first, grass and flowers, then shrubs and trees.

An artificial reservoir in the form of a small pond will fit perfectly here..

Original path from wood cuts

Allocation of a recreation area with bushes

Japanese style

Here, the reservoir is not just a desirable, but an obligatory element. Usually he is the central object, and everything else is already built around him. The pond is decorated with bridges, stones, gazebos are installed on its banks. The main representatives of the flora are rhododendron, juniper and dwarf pine.

The Japanese style is quite complex in design and perception, its beauty is deeper and is revealed gradually.

Such a courtyard tunes in to philosophical reasoning, relaxes and gives a person peace of mind..

Paths connect all functional areas on the site

Backyard with dining area

Recreation area in the yard of a private house

Mediterranean style

A harmonious combination of ancient Greek and Roman styles, this Mediterranean style is a favorite of landscape designers and recalls the wondrous beauty of southern nature..

Its distinctive feature is the abundance of stone in all its manifestations: these are marble chips, and sea pebbles, and simply untreated rocks..

A Mediterranean-style courtyard should be associated with a mountainous coastline, which is why it is customary to have various elevations on it. It can be a staircase, retaining wall or a slope with a terrace located on it..

Plants are of great importance here. In such gardens, topiary is widespread – curly haircuts of plants and giving them bizarre shapes. In addition, the flora of the Mediterranean delights with delicious fruits: citruses, pistachios and olives. Also used are small palms, flower beds planted with roses or variegated perennial flowers, herb lawns.

As for the architectural elements, there are enough of them here. In the inner part, a patio is equipped, the territory is decorated with arches, terraces and hedges, and, of course, fountains.

In the backyard, you can organize a small fountain and put a dining table

You can organize a gazebo in the yard

We plan the design of the yard

A beautiful courtyard plays a very important role, because it is from it that the first impression of the house and its owners begins. Therefore, the personal plot should be given no less attention than the cottage itself..

In order to save time and money, avoid alterations and reconstructions, when starting planning, it is worth answering a couple of questions.

What is more important to you – beauty or practicality?	If the need for practical use prevails, then first of all place the most necessary things in the yard, and only after that fill the free space with decorative elements.
For what purposes will you use the yard? How often do you gather with friends and arrange gatherings in the fresh air?	Planning to relax alone? Take care of a shady corner, install a fountain or pond. Gathering groups of friends? Build a gazebo, equip the area with a place for cooking.
Do you have children and pets?	Take care of their safety. Avoid deep bodies of water, be careful with fire and electrical wiring.
How do you imagine a beautiful courtyard?	Choose a style according to your own preferences, add decorative elements, plant plants.

Themed corners in the courtyard

Zoning of different parts of the yard

can be made by plants

Rest area on the site of a private house

It is on the answers to these questions that all your subsequent decisions depend. This is especially true for small yards, where there is no way to arrange everything at once, and you have to prioritize.

Having in mind some plan for creating landscape design, you can start placing objects on the ground. It is recommended to mentally divide the area into squares responsible for different functional areas. Each zone will correspond to one key figure – a gazebo, rock garden, pond, flower bed or patio. Thus, all objects will be distributed evenly and balanced throughout the yard..

Before proceeding directly to the construction, check the condition of the territory. If you find water accumulation, install a drain. At the same stage, all communications necessary for watering plants and the operation of reservoirs are laid.

The courtyard of a private house is made on several levels

A dining table can be arranged in the backyard

We lay the tracks

After we have divided the territory into zones, it is necessary to make sure that you can easily move between them. To do this, it is worth equipping special paths in the yard. They can be completely different: someone will like winding paths, someone will prefer straight trajectories, and some will like something in between..

Track material also provides a huge selection:

• large flat stones;
• brick;
• gravel;
• concrete plates;
• cobblestone.

Paths can be left without fencing or emphasized with a small fence or decorative border.

If the territory is uneven, it can be arranged in different planes by connecting adjacent segments using stairs.

Planting plants

At first glance, it may seem that planting is a matter that cannot be particularly difficult. However, many garden crops are quite capricious and excessive self-confidence here can lead to the fact that after a while all the work done will have to be redone again. To prevent this from happening, when landscaping the yard, it is recommended to follow a number of rules..

1. Do not place conifers and shrubs in covered areas. Despite the fact that they look quite impressive here, removing their needles from the terrace every morning is far from the best thing to do..
2. Do not exhaust yourself with unnecessarily whimsical plants that require constant care. If you do not feel a special craving for gardening in your soul, then opt for more modest bushes and trees..
3. The pond implies an elegant decor, but not the plants that rinse their leaves in it. Therefore, deciduous plants should be removed from it..
4. There is a growing trend to replace fences with hedges. At the same time, the plants used should be sufficiently dense and have an average height, since too tall will look sloppy, and low ones will not be able to hide the area from prying eyes..
5. There is no such area that would not be decorated with a beautiful flower bed. You can split both one large and several small ones. But remember that if you plant several at once, then it is important that they are combined with each other..
6. A small area is not a reason to give up landscaping. Use vertical position with alpine slides, ledges and cascades.

You can put a decorative well in the yard

Japanese-style house design with forest background

The stone fountain in the middle of the courtyard looks very beautiful

We arrange decor elements

In order for the view of the personal plot to be complete and make it clear that professionals have put their hand here, a few decorative elements should be added to the landscape design.

The classics of the genre are garden sculptures. They should overlap in style with the general design of not only the site, but also the house. These can be both classical statues and abstract installations. Their size is of great importance, which is chosen depending on the free area that you have. They can profitably fill the free space of a large yard, and it is better not to clutter up a small area with them..

Decorative arches look good on almost any site. To create an additional effect, they are covered with ivy or other plants, and special lighting is selected for them. You can arrange them one by one, one after another or in one row..

Be sure to maintain the overall style with the decor. If this is Provence, then clay pots and wicker hedges will fall into place, amphoras of different sizes will be appropriate for the Mediterranean style, and a drop of magic in the garden can be added with the help of figures of animals, gnomes and other fairy-tale characters. The last option will definitely be appreciated by your children..

Stones in combination with flowers will perfectly complement the design of the yard

You can make a path from stones, and plant flowers next to it

We create reservoirs

Just imagine how pleasant it is to enjoy the coolness of a clean pond in a shady corner of your own garden on a sultry summer afternoon. The construction of a reservoir is a rather laborious, but worthwhile process.

An artificial reservoir can be performed in completely different variations..

• Small pond. Populate it with fish, decorate with stones and water lilies, and this place will be of great interest to guests, as well as become a favorite playground for the younger generation..
• A graceful fountain. This structure can take up very little space and is suitable for small yards. But its pleasant splashes will be a real salvation from the summer heat..
• A mischievous stream or miniature waterfall. Their murmur relaxes and creates a unique atmosphere of relaxation alone with nature.

To be pleasant to be in the yard, you need to keep it clean

Well-groomed flowers and trees will look great in the yard

Flowers can be planted next to the path

Lighting up the territory

Artificial courtyard lighting performs several important functions at once..

• Provides mobility in the absence of natural light.
• Advantageously illuminates decorative elements, creating their aesthetic appearance.

Lights should be installed to cover the entire perimeter without leaving dark corners and equip all stairs and paths.

The compulsory lighting program also includes the following elements:

• house facade;
• outbuildings;
• parking;
• main entrance;
• rest zone.

After that, we move on to the decorative elements. It will be a shame if all this beauty can be enjoyed only during daylight hours. Therefore, we also shed light on all fountains, alpine slides, sculptures and flower beds..

LED strips will become a real find for decorating a night garden. They can emphasize the beauty of trees or place them along the edge of the stairs..

For the sake of economy and convenience, it is recommended to use solar-powered luminaires in the yard. They do not waste your electricity, and therefore do not require electricity to be supplied to them..

You can decorate the yard with flowers

Design of the courtyard of a private house with a gazebo

We organize a resting place with a hearth

The territory of the personal plot just asks for a place to cook food on an open fire. The most common options for such a place are barbecue and barbecue, but you can find a more non-standard approach..

• Tandoor. This Asian stove is quite bulky, so be sure to consider your options when installing it. You can fold this oven both with your own hands and purchase a ready-made one..
• Outdoor fireplace. It creates the amazing impression that you have just sat in the living room and were transported to the garden in some magical way. Place upholstered furniture next to it and make yourself comfortable, enjoying both the beauty of nature and the warmth of the hearth.

The owners of private houses with adjacent territories are really lucky – landscape design opens up many opportunities for their aesthetic and functional arrangement. In the courtyard of your own house, you will find a garden for walking, a recreation area, and even a place for cooking..

Expert opinion Alina Kvileva.

Video: We equip the courtyard of a private house

50 photos of design ideas for the courtyard of a private house: