How to decorate the yard with your own hands

The beautiful, well-groomed area near the house attracts the eye at any time of the year, delivering special pleasure in summer, when everything is blooming and fragrant. Let’s figure it out: how to decorate the yard so that the neighbors will envy and you will admire.

First, decide what the term “beautiful yard” means to you? The set of decorations for a private plot largely depends on your lifestyle and habits

Preparation

First, prepare a schematic plan of your area with dimensions. This will help to accurately plan the location of flower beds, decorative ponds, lawns and other decorations, especially since there is an opportunity to experiment with different variations..

Land improvement project

Yard landscaping should delight you and your guests

Determine your preferences: you want a minimalistic design with a neat lawn, or an abundance of flower beds, arches, bushes that bloom throughout the warm season. Flowers require special attention, caring for them always requires certain labor costs. Before planting flowers, it is necessary to dig up the allotted areas and remove weeds. If possible, the bed of the flower bed is covered with a drainage layer of sand 10-15 centimeters high, soil with fertilizer is laid on top. Then we moisten well so that the earth settles. The soil for planting is ready.

Beds and flower beds

In landscape design, free flower beds represent a mass planting of a variety of plants to your taste, without any boards. However, they are absolutely necessary for the neat appearance. Fence with boards made of plastic, wood, stones, or sprinkle along the edge with fine gravel.

It is important to properly organize the placement of flower beds and planting of perennial plants

You can decorate the yard with your own hands using the following types of flower beds.

A border flower garden is placed along paths, walls, and a fence. Usually low-growing flowers are used, one or two types, not very prominent (lavender, violets, navel, lupine).
Mixed curb (mixborder) – differs from the curb in the landing pattern. Flowers are planted singly, in groups of different heights, with colored spots. Moreover, the plants are chosen with different flowering periods, providing variety from spring to autumn..
Rabatka is a rectangular ridge along paths, arbors, fences. The planting is built with flowers of different heights: the near part is made of low plants, and the far ones are higher and higher. In a symmetrical version, tall plants in the middle, low at the edge.
The front garden is a strip of land that separates the house from the road. Choose bushes and perennials for this place, the main thing is that it looks equally good, both from the road and from the window. Fragrant lilac, jasmine, tea rose will fill the house with aromas, protecting from dust or heat.

The design of the developed area should be in harmony with the house itself

Also, flower beds can be made in the form of various geometric shapes. Create waves of colorful tulips in the springtime in the courtyard of a private house, or a fluttering colorful butterfly of marigolds, nasturtium, asters.

The flower beds are shaped and framed. Their appearance is limited only by your imagination. Any capacity is suitable for a flower bed that will be a decoration of the yard. It remains only to paint and fill with earth. Old tires, painted in different colors, a leaky watering can lying around for many years, baskets, furniture, plastic products, even dishes are used.

Plan planting flowers so that some blooms are followed by others.

In the back of the courtyard of a private house, you can lay out a small garden of stones. This trend came to us from Japan. Choose stones in shape and color that are most in harmony with the overall composition. They create a durable environment for your plants. Arrange them on the site as they would look in nature, or lay them out according to the chosen pattern-drawing.

If the size of the site allows, a small oriental-style rock garden can be placed in a secluded corner.

Shrub shearing

Another decoration of the yard is figuratively trimmed bushes. You will have to shape it with garden shears, a pruner or a delimber. The simplest shapes (ball, rectangle) can be made by everyone with their own hands. It is worth remembering that the processing will have to be done constantly. A missed cutting season will take 2-3 years to restore the result, and coniferous shrubs, which delight all year round, cannot be restored.

The results of cutting shrubs can be a variety of shapes – abstract, geometric or depicting animals and people.

Shrubs for a haircut are great for creating a “live” fence for a summer cottage

If you have the skill of a haircut, you will get neat bushes in the shape of an animal or, for example, a heart..

Ponds on the site

A pool, fountain or waterfall create the desired freshness and coolness in the courtyard of a private house on hot summer days. Falling water sound, garden shade, relaxing effect.

Even a small pond or fountain will add an atmosphere of relaxation and tranquility to your patio design.

A Chinese-style pond with concrete tiles in the form of islands will be a wonderful decoration of the yard.

It will not be difficult to create a reservoir. You can buy ready-made pallets, pumps and systems. For decoration, use river stones, broken tiles, tiles. Place a bench or chaise lounge next to it, you will have your own park on the site. A small waterfall will organically complement the rock garden.

Alcove

The main gathering place for families for cozy evening gatherings is the gazebo. They are of the following types.

Open. It is a system of pillars around the perimeter to support the lightweight roof. Most often, the frame is made of metal rods or wooden posts..
Closed. Small houses with windows and doors, which allows them to be used all year round in any weather.

Modern open-type gazebo in the courtyard of a private house

In a closed gazebo, you can organize a full-fledged summer kitchen

Choose a gazebo depending on the size of your site. The closed design is more suitable for large areas, as it looks quite massive. Open – the perfect decoration for the yard of any size. Due to its lightness and airiness, it does not clutter up the space.

Semi-open gazebos with several walls and a roof are popular.

The frame, decorated with climbing plants, will create shade and coolness inside. Having picked up a variety of climbing roses, you will get a lush bloom throughout the summer..

Light metal gazebo with climbing plants

The title of the most romantic gazebos rightfully belongs to tents. The fabric flowing in the wind, wicker furniture will give a unique look to your site.

Paths and steps

For ease of movement, strong tracks are needed. They can be made from many materials (tiles, stones, rubber), or they can be made independently using bulk forms of various patterns..

Natural stone or fine gravel can be used for paths

A platform made of concrete slabs in front of the main entrance

Gravel rest area

If your site is located on a slope or for decorative purposes, the path is combined with steps, decorated with flowerpots with flowers, curly shrubs.

Lighting

In the dark, correct lighting is required, which, in addition to a practical purpose, will perform a decorative function. The multi-colored illumination of reservoirs at night looks very impressive. Hanging old glass bottles can be used to illuminate the gazebo, decorate flower beds with decorative lanterns. Soft light guides you safely through the grounds, creating an atmosphere of magic.

Beautiful lighting can transform a site beyond recognition

Lighting of the courtyard has two functions – decorative and lighting

Winter decorations

And how to decorate the yard with your own hands in winter? Very simple. There are several ways to create a festive atmosphere on New Year’s Eve..

Gift boxes with bows

Decoration of a flower box under the window with fir branches and bright berries

Festive illumination. It will take a lot of street garlands, we wrap them around the branches of trees, bushes, the facade of the house. You can also purchase ready-made glowing designs of deer, snowman or Santa Claus sled.
Wreaths and garlands. From coniferous branches, cones, rowan berries, white paint, you can independently make a Christmas wreath on the front door. Spruce branches tied with red bows and Christmas balls can be used to decorate stair railings.
Gift boxes. You will need old boxes from household appliances, beautiful wrapping paper, large bows.
Lollipops. Using the water pipe trim, red and white duct tape, create giant candy canes in the area. Freeze water (with berries, cones, or just with a multi-colored dye) of various shapes, you get beautiful “sweets” for decorating the paths.
Styrofoam figures. Make a snowman, reindeer, or a bucket of snowballs.
Snow fortress and snowman. Build a fortress out of snow with the children, make ice colored glasses, put on a few lanterns, tie a scarf to the snowman – the New Year’s fairy tale is ready.