Multilevel landscape. Multilevel plot Landscaping Landscaping with different levels

Landscaping of areas with difficult terrain is carried out in such a way as to rationally use their entire area. They have great potential, they are often more picturesque than flat areas. The Greentek company carries out landscape design, decoration, landscaping for areas with difficult terrain.

At the first stage, the site is assessed, topographical survey is carried out, drawings are prepared with the actual location of borders, capital structures, valuable plants. Be sure to remove the relief, mark the heights. With their large differences, the composition and structure of the soil are assessed. This is important in order to exclude its displacement, the formation of ravines, to optimally plan the location of improvement objects on the territory.

For areas with difficult terrain, surveys are very important. They become the basis for future design, help to assess the volume of upcoming work. Accurate determination of soil characteristics, groundwater level, insolation regime, wind loads is important for the correct placement of recreation areas, decorative compositions, open areas, and small architectural forms.

How is design done?

With multilevel relief, special attention is paid to vertical planning. When developing a project, it is envisaged to carry out work on grading or strengthening the soil. Individual irregularities can be smoothed out if they get in the way. With a large difference in elevation, it is possible with the use of retaining walls, planting plants, the root systems of which will protect the soil from displacement, the creation of reservoirs for collecting vermicompost, the use of geotextiles, geogrids to protect against soil slippage.

The horizontal and vertical planning of the territory is carried out first. They determine where the recreation areas, flower beds and flower beds, a garden, a vegetable garden, an economic zone, where the front zone will be located, and what elements it will consist of, will be located. At the same stage, paths are laid on the drawings, borders, lawns are indicated.

The engineering preparation of the site is planned separately. It involves the device of drainage and lowering the level of groundwater to protect against flooding, from waterlogging of the soil. For difficult areas, soil strengthening technologies are additionally applied. The design documentation determines where the cables for, pipelines for the automatic irrigation system will pass. All these elements should not interfere with existing and planned communications.

Sketch design determines how the site will look when completed. Its design must be consistent with the architecture of the buildings, with the appointment of separate zones on the site. On the basis of the approved sketches, a dendroplan (landscaping project), requirements for the design of individual improvement elements (sites, paths, MAF, street lighting, flower beds and flower beds, hedges, etc.) are being developed.

Features of the improvement of a multi-level site

Due to the difficult terrain, the use of special equipment is not in all cases possible, but almost always large-scale earthwork for profiling is carried out by excavators. If the ground is unstable and it is not safe to use heavy equipment, it may be reinforced or manual work.

The exact set of work is determined by how the territory will be organized. For multi-level areas, the following is additionally performed:

the device of massive retaining walls. These are constructions with their own foundations. The main part is vertical, with a rectangular or trapezoidal section. It works as a "barrier", holds the ground located above it, protects it from slipping;
arrangement of terraces. The organization of the relief, in which the slope is replaced by extended "steps", terraces. The surface of each of them is horizontal and is used as a separate area for landscaping, landscaping, or as an element of a multi-tiered decorative design of a slope. With a large slope, with unstable soil, the terraces are strengthened, protected from collapse;
laying geogrids. They are used to protect the top, fertile soil layer, to strengthen it. These are polymer tapes, which are interconnected in such a way as to obtain a voluminous and sufficiently rigid frame of cells. They are laid at a shallow depth, filled with soil;
drainage organization, etc. On multi-level areas with slopes, runoffs wash out fertile soil, can provoke the formation of ravines, waterlogging of lowlands. To avoid this, drainage is organized to lower the level of groundwater (the soil becomes more stable) and storm sewers, which removes melt, rainwater, and top water;
leveling, soil filling. Helps to “smooth out” small irregularities. It is carried out only after surveys: the change in the relief should not worsen the conditions on the site;
the device of stairs. They are placed in the breaks of the retaining walls, on slopes, along the line of footpaths with a large difference in elevation for moving around the territory. Greentek engineers recommend additional lighting of stairs so that they remain safe in the dark.

Nature does not have bad reliefs, everything is harmonious and original with it. It is believed that if you got a plot with a slope, then this is not good. But this is not a reason to be upset - this is a reason to think about how to turn its shortcomings into advantages. We will build a house at the top of the plot, decorate the middle with terraces, in the lowland under the slope - the best place for a small reservoir. Many flat land owners artificially create hills and lowlands in order to embody sophisticated design ideas. After all, the uneven relief is a huge field for creativity, the main thing is not to be afraid and roll up your sleeves.

Improvement of the inclined section will require serious both material and physical costs. But as a result, you will get a unique, stunningly beautiful and expressive landscape of the estate, prompted by nature itself.

To begin with, you need the direction of the water flow, the composition of the soil, the orientation of the slope in relation to the cardinal points. The next step will be planning the site for future buildings and recreation areas. It is better to entrust the design and all calculations for a site with a particularly difficult terrain to specialists, and a slight bias will make it possible to do all the work with your own hands.

Experts will help you evaluate the site from an engineering and architectural point of view, suggest how best to adapt the uneven area to the desired operating conditions.

In the process of planning a site on a slope, it is imperative to take into account several characteristic features of such a relief.

On the slopes, the soil is highly susceptible to various natural and climatic influences (snow, rain, wind and others), which can cause its erosion or sliding.
The microclimate will differ in different parts of the slope. The lower part is characterized by a slightly lower temperature, accumulation of moisture, and some stagnation of air masses. And the top of the slope is subject to strong influence of the sun and winds, so the land there quickly dries up.
Consideration should be given to the orientation of the slope relative to the parts of the world. The southern slope will always be sunny and the plants will need additional watering, and the northern one will be shady and wet.
When starting work on the improvement of a "complex" site, it is necessary to carefully consider the geoplastics of the soil. Where possible to level the relief as much as possible, removing part of the soil layer in one place and pouring it in another. Sometimes it may be necessary to additionally fill the area. This is due to the draining and raising of wet lowland soils or the formation of planes.

How to fill up a site or its parts depends on the further use of the territory and the tasks set. So, for strengthening the soil for construction, for leveling depressions, forming terraces (if there is a shortage of own soil), you can use construction waste (broken brick and concrete) in the lower layer, crushed stone or gravel for the middle layer. In damp, damp places with close groundwater, in addition to the listed materials, sand is also used. The covered area or part of it from above must be covered with a layer of fertile soil (for landscaping, the soil layer must be thicker).

The first priority is to avoid ground displacement. You can leave the natural slope, leveling its relief and strengthening. Another option is terracing a site on a slope. Most often, these options are combined.

Strengthening the slopes

If the slope of the site is small, then various plants with a highly branched root system can be used to strengthen it. These are dwarf species of Norway spruce, mountain pine, creeping junipers, cross-pair microbiota, cypress, hornbeam, hazel, willow, euonymus, snowberry, hawthorn, irga, barberry, Russian broom, golden currant, white turf, which you can learn more about. And fast-growing cornflowers, clovers, bluegrass, fescue, buttercups, daisies will not only help to strengthen the site with a slope, but will also create a beautiful Moorish lawn on it.

And what to do with strong slopes? Use geotextiles, geogrids, geogrids, geomats. These materials are highly durable, resistant to sunlight and aggressive environments, have a long service life, and do not harm the environment. They are laid on the slope, then covered with soil. And the plants planted on top will enhance the bonding effect of these materials.

A highly sloping area should also be reinforced with terraces.

Terracing

The reliable strengthening of the slope is the creation of horizontal "steps" -terraces over its entire surface. You should not make them long and straight, it is much more beautiful and practical when they are different in shape and size. The advantage of terraces is that they provide a horizontal plane for arranging recreation areas, gazebos, lawns. The terraces can be planted with fruit trees or garden beds. Each "step" of the tier should be decorated differently, which will make the landscape design on the slope especially interesting.

You can arrange the terraces in any order, showing your creative imagination. Their sizes will depend on the intended use. Each terrace is secured with a vertical retaining wall. The walls can be different in shape, but it is better to form them with ribbon-like bends that repeat the natural relief. This will make the entire structure more durable and bring harmony to the overall landscape.

The technology and materials for the construction of retaining walls are selected depending on the height of the ledge and the general landscape design of the uneven area.

If the height of the tiers is very small, up to 50 cm, then you can use simple masonry without a cement bond, and in the spaces between the stones seeds of perennial herbaceous plants are placed, which, germinating, strengthen and decorate the wall.

To create high retaining walls, as well as when placing construction objects (house, outbuildings) on the terrace, concreting is used, as well as foundation blocks and slabs. The enrichment of such walls is carried out using various materials that are suitable in style.

It is widely used in retaining walls of natural stone or brick masonry, fastened with cement mortar.

Gabions are gaining popularity in landscape construction. These are metal wire mesh frames filled with natural stone. They are practical, easy to use, durable and decorative. It is easy to create retaining walls of any configuration from them. The manufacture of such blocks is not very difficult. Sometimes stones are mixed with soil inside the net, and then the seeds of ornamental plants are placed there. Any stone or even some other material can be used in gabions. In addition, they can be easily integrated into almost any landscape design of a site with a slope.

The use of timber in strengthening the retaining walls gives the site a certain color and looks very decorative. However, one should take into account the fragility of wood under various natural influences. Careful processing with special protective equipment will briefly extend the service life.

If the retaining walls are high, and are also built on loose, moving soil, then they must necessarily have a good foundation. For low walls (up to 1 m), a crushed stone or gravel cushion (20-40 cm) is sufficient at the base.

A retaining wall of any material should be backed up with fine gravel and at the bottom have a small pipe for draining water.

Drainage systems for slopes

A summer cottage on a slope is most susceptible to soil leaching under the influence of torrential rains and spring floods. Water also has a destructive effect on retaining walls. During the rainy season, the bottom of the slope will be excessively humid and damp. Therefore, during the formation of terraces and the construction of retaining walls, it is worth taking care of drainage. This can be a simple drainage, consisting of various culverts (broken brick, fine gravel, coarse sand, etc.) or a complex system using plastic drainage pipes and filtration holes. In parallel with drainage, an irrigation system is also arranged.

The drainage system can be closed or open. A closed one will save space, and an open one will become an element of decor. The water running down the open decorative gutters can, on some ledge, go into a small waterfall or form a decorative pond at the bottom of the slope. More practical owners can arrange collection of water in special containers on the site, from which they can then carry out automatic watering.

It doesn't matter which one you choose, the main thing is that the drainage system is made correctly, taking into account the features of the relief and the direction of water flows.

The owners of suburban areas are trying to equip the territory so that it is comfortable and beautiful. More and more beds ...

Walkways and steps

Landscaping of a site on a slope cannot do without paths and steps. They serve for easy movement around the territory and combine the terraces into a harmonious composition.

The paths are arranged on a relatively flat surface. Winding in various ways with a ribbon, the paths will visually smooth out the steepness of the slope. And twisted serpentine, on the contrary, will emphasize the elevation differences.

For harmonious integration into the overall landscape, stairs can be curved or radius. Long flights of stairs should be interrupted by rest areas where a bench or decorative piece can be placed. An interesting solution is when the staircase changes its direction from such a platform.

It is desirable that the paths and stairs are equal in width, and also made of the same or matching materials. It can be stone, wood, concrete, tiles.

When arranging stairs, the main thing is not to forget about safety. The steps should be non-slip, not steep and fairly wide. With a strong slope, the installation of a railing is required. Lighting is very important. Decorative lanterns and lighting must serve not only to decorate the landscape, but also to ensure the safety of movement.

Landscaping rules on a site with a slope

The landscape design of a summer cottage on a slope has a number of features. The location of the zones should be carried out taking into account each specific relief.

Most often, the house and outbuildings are located in the upper part of the slope. This is a more convenient option, since the entrance to the estate is close by, and the spring melt water does not cause any inconvenience. Tall trees are always planted at the top of the slope. The house, built at the bottom of the slope, is decorated with low-growing trees and various shrubs. In both cases, it is important that the plants do not cover the building.

If you want to visually smooth out the height difference, then the tallest plants are planted at the bottom point, and the undersized ones closer to the top.

The selection of plants will directly depend on the location of the slope relative to parts of the world.

For the south, sun-loving drought-resistant plants are suitable. For example, maples, hawthorn, barberry, junipers, mountain pine, irga, caragana shrub, St. John's wort, spirea, lilac.

Various rocky gardens (rockeries, rock gardens, alpine slides) are perfectly located on the southern and southwestern slopes. They will be decorated with cute ground cover and undersized plants. For example, arabis, thyme, yaskolka, evening primrose, catnip, sedum, loosestrife, woolly stachis, grass, perennial phlox. Lush pillows of fescue, carnations and a beautiful ground cover rose will add charm. And Vyazel and Pakhisandra will cover the slope with a dense green carpet and strengthen it.

On the western slope, bulbous primroses, as well as irises, echinacea, mallow, and alyssum will comfortably accommodate. East is suitable for dicentra, astilba, badan, aquilegia.

The northern slope is the most problematic, it is shady, humid, not very warm. On such a site, you can plant dwarf conifers, pea cypress, hazel, euonymus, snowberry, fieldfare. In the spring, they will delight with the flowering of primroses, lungwort, anemone, then astilbe, Volzhanka, geranium, aconite, rogersia will pick up the baton. You can also pick up shade-tolerant ground cover plants, for example, periwinkle, saxifrage, duchenea, tenacious.

A small decorative reservoir will ideally be located in the lowland. The merlin, astilba, meadowsweet, miscanthus, hosts, marsh geranium, swimsuit, brunner, various ferns will help to ennoble its banks.

On one of the upper terraces, you can equip a recreation area, so it will be pleasant to relax while admiring the panoramic view of the entire site. If you prefer privacy, then create a seating area downstairs so that on a hot summer day you can read an interesting book in silence and coolness.

Terraces will give you the opportunity to show all your creative imagination. For landscaping, you can use various design directions. The most successful will be an alpine garden in the chalet style or a rustic landscape (natural) style.

We examined the basic principles of planning and design of an area with a sloping relief. Now you know how to make your “difficult” slope site comfortable, beautiful and original. Despite the sufficient laboriousness of the process, the result obtained will more than pay off all the difficulties. You will end up with much more than a trite rectangle of earth.

Home → Useful → Design of a garden and a park → Design of a multi-level plot

At first glance, a multi-level plot may not seem very attractive to owners. However, this perception is widespread because most simply do not know how large the resources of such land are. Rough terrain, slopes, hills, ravines are usually much more scenic than the dull and smooth plain.

If you are not afraid of the fact that on such a site you will have to invest a little more in landscaping and landscaping both financially and temporarily, and at the same time you like non-standard solutions and attractive views, then this option is definitely for you.

What to consider when landscaping a multi-level site?

Such plots are difficult to design - in the work on them you cannot do without the help of professionals from the Greentek-landscaping studio of landscape design (g.

Moscow). Preparation for the start of work should be very careful, because the relief area highlights all the miscalculations like a litmus test. This is the flip side of the fact that it is areas on the slopes and hilly areas that have every chance of becoming a real work of art in the hands of a competent specialist. The first and most important condition for success is choosing the right contractor.

In the landscape design of a multi-level plot, the following factors come to the fore:

Terrain relief.
A multi-level relief can be very diverse: a gentle or steep slope, a hollow with slopes around the circumference, a hilly surface, an area with a ravine, a combination of the above options, etc. The design solution will be based on the analysis of all the properties of a particular site, and they are always absolutely unique for such objects.
Soil quality... This factor plays a special role due to the fact that some types of soil are more prone to sliding off slopes, some less.
So her research will be a decisive factor in choosing the options for strengthening the slopes. You also need to accurately determine the quality of the soil, the presence of moisture in it in the lowlands and on the hills. This information is needed to plan the planting of trees (especially large trees) and other plants.
Plot orientation to the cardinal points... For a site with difficult terrain, this factor becomes decisive in further design.
It will always be sunny on the southern and south-western slopes; heat-loving plants will feel great here. On the north and north-east side, you cannot escape the feeling of lack of light, but the coolness that is so necessary in hot, dry periods will reign here. A well-thought-out arrangement of objects on a site with a combination of slopes, lowlands and hills will allow the owners to feel as comfortable as possible and grow plants with different climatic preferences.
Availability of facilities.
If the site already has outbuildings, a house, gazebos, terraces, reservoirs, etc., then it will be necessary to make a decision on their preservation, transfer or demolition.

For example, perhaps in the lowest part of your site, on the side of the northern slope, there is an artificial pond that you inherited from your old owners. On the one hand, such a decision seems logical, since water in nature always accumulates in lowlands. However, an experienced designer of the Greentek-greening company will tell you that a pond in your backyard is a place for relaxation.

It should be pleasant to relax here, look at the water surface, enjoy the splash of the jets of a fountain or cascades of a waterfall. In the lowlands, the water will only attract a lot of insects, create excess moisture and make staying in the immediate vicinity of the pond unbearable. In this case, the decision to move the old one or equip a new reservoir will be very reasonable.

Features of working with soil on a multi-level plot

As you know, the soil tends to slide down from inclined surfaces.

The fertile layer comes off, exposing the clay under it and the roots of the plants. This process also leads to many fatal consequences, for example, if it touches the soil under the house, the building can crack.

In this regard, the first stage of direct work on the transformation of the site is soil strengthening, or geoplastics.

Multilevel garden: layout features

The main techniques in this work are the construction of retaining walls that strengthen and redistribute the soil. At this stage, the site is divided into functional zones, it is planned where the observation platforms will be located.

In order to prevent the soil from slipping, it is also necessary to strengthen the strength of the top layer. One of the effective methods is geogrids, which are polymer tapes connected to each other in a checkerboard pattern, as a result of which a cellular formation is obtained that does not allow the soil to move.

Another option to restrain the loss of earth is to strengthen the soil with plants.

For this, at a distance of about five meters from each other, it will be useful to plant shrubs. These can be berry crops such as currants, gooseberries, cherry plums, etc., or lush flowering bushes of acacia, hawthorn, lilac, weigella, forsythia, etc. They are surrounded by strong curbs, and the free space is sown with clover.

It is important to take special care of the soil in the areas designated by the project for the vegetable garden and flower crops.

It is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of drainage, irrigation and active soil erosion on uneven areas. Water will accumulate in the lowlands - additional drainage will be needed here. Water will flow off very quickly from slopes and hills, so intensive watering will be required here. But even under this condition, it is necessary to select drought-resistant plants for such places.

Decoration of the relief territory

Landscaping on multi-level areas is possible almost any, but at the same time such objects as stairs, bridges, reservoirs with cascading waterfalls, alpine slides, terraces in such areas are almost irreplaceable and look much more profitable and more organic than in other conditions.

The main decorative emphasis is placed on the terraces, reinforced with retaining walls.

They are specially equipped flat areas on the slope, which are not allowed to crumble by the retaining walls made of concrete. The decorative resource is the paving of terraces and wall cladding. The most common materials for these purposes are natural stone, its imitation, brick, tile, wood. Beautiful garden furniture, swings, hearths with live fire, sculptures and flowerpots in flowerpots will make such sites magnificent recreation areas.

Another important point is the decision in what ways the movement around the site will be carried out.

The most popular option is a staircase. The material for these structures usually repeats the material of the terraces. In areas where the differences between the levels are not too large, the connection of functional areas can be carried out using tracks with different slope angles.

In the choice of the main decorative elements, the individual character of the site is decisive.

For example, if it is completely located on a slope, then it would be logical to choose a waterfall from the water bodies. If, on the whole, the site is flat, but on some piece of it there is a hill, then it is quite possible to afford an ordinary pond in a well-lit place, and use the resources of the hill for planting shrubs, fruit trees, arranging a gazebo or a house (depending on the area of the hill ).

Lands with ravines are very difficult to arrange, since the ravine has a tendency to grow.

But if you nevertheless find the courage to take on such a site, you will get a view unsurpassed in terms of scenic properties.

According to the designers of the Moscow company "Greentek-greening", eco-style is perfect for such places. Large-sized conifers and forest shrubs will strengthen the soil, a fast forest stream will give the landscape dynamics, flower beds of shade-loving plants will decorate the slopes, and all this together will create the atmosphere of a primeval Russian forest.

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There is an opinion that a plot with different heights is a disadvantage, but this is not at all the case - the difference in garden heights is rather a highlight and allows you to translate into reality the most incredible ideas of landscape design.

When creating a landscape project, all plants, buildings, paths, a recreation area must certainly be linked into a single composition. Everything should be designed to the smallest detail, since even the smallest flaws will immediately catch your eye.

Strengthening the soil

The choice of ideas for landscape design directly depends on the relief and condition of the site. For multi-level surfaces, professionals advise using the methods of geoplastics, which consist in the development of the structure and arrangement of retaining walls that perform the functions of strengthening and redistributing the soil.

Geoplastics allows you to divide a site into separate zones, design an observation deck, or plan the construction of additional relief zones.

To strengthen the strength of the upper inclined soil layer, an engineering technique such as geogrids is used - these are polymer tapes staggered together, which create a cellular structure that provides effective soil strengthening.

Features of the layout

The choice of the appearance of a split-level garden completely depends on your preferences.

Perhaps you want to equip a traditional garden with a spacious lawn and a courtyard where children will play, or you want to maximize the beauty of nature and arrange a garden, for example, in a Japanese style.

Basically, when planning a garden, they try to combine business with pleasure, but the final result depends on your imagination and desires.

Having created a project for a summer cottage, you need to take into account some objective limitations.

Secondly, it is important to consider factors such as:

type and topography of the soil;
the location of the site and the presence of structures in it;
the climate of the area.

For example, you want a view of a beautiful decorative pond from the windows of your living room, but it is preferable to place it in the sunniest place, where it would be nice to have a place to relax. In this case, you will have to choose or combine.

In addition, the choice of plants depends on the natural conditions. Many of their species will be able to grow in sunny places, and not every flower or bush will survive in the shade.

When arranging a multi-level garden, give free rein to your imagination, the main thing is that there are contrasts in everything. In such a garden, landscape stairs, streams, waterfalls, terraces, stone flower beds will look great. Garden structures are located closer to the house, located at the very top of the site. Combine various buildings into complexes.

When planning a site, a rule called "golden proportion" is used, namely, 3 parts of the area are equipped with flowers, bushes, 5 - paths, alpine slides, rotary, fountains, etc., 8 - lawns (3: 5: 8). With such a layout, the garden will look harmonious.

In a private garden, there must necessarily be some small detail that will become the highlight of the garden, and will certainly immediately attract attention. An elegant fountain, a sundial, or an exotic plant can become such a detail. Whatever it is, the main thing is that this zest fully meets the style of the garden.

Terracing the site

Layout and preparation

When arranging a multi-level garden, at the very beginning, it is important to determine how many terraces the sloping relief can be divided into. If this is a small slope, then 2-3 levels will be enough.

The length and height of the slope should also be calculated. To do this, you need to drive in two poles at the top of the slope and at the foot, between which horizontally pull the rope using a level. The distance from the rope to the stick located at the top of the slope will be equal to its height, and the length of the horizontal cord will be equal to the length of the slope. The number of terraces is determined depending on the length of the slope, and the total height of the slope gives an idea of the height of each of the terraces.

After all the design work on the site, markings are made and the soil is removed in those areas where the first terrace will end and the other will begin - as a result, large earthen steps are obtained.

When terracing a site, horizontal platforms (terraces) are formed, reinforced with retaining walls. This method can also be used to transform a flat area into a multi-level garden.

The boundaries of the terraces may not be straightforward; bends look more aesthetically pleasing in landscaped gardens.

The terraces comfortably accommodate lawns, rockeries, ponds, fountains, vegetable gardens and fruitful plants.

Retaining walls

There are two types of retaining walls: capital and light.

The first type provides heavy loads and is used as a support for the cut soil. The thickness of the main retaining wall should be at least 25 cm. To improve its performance, the wall should be built with a slight slope towards the slope, while drainage holes must be provided in the lower part to drain excess water.

To build a retaining wall, you should initially organize the foundation. To do this, dig a trench about 40 centimeters deep, then fill it halfway with rubble or small stones, reinforce it with cement mortar. The next step is to lay the stones of the retaining wall. It is advisable to do it with a slight slope to strengthen the structure. The cracks between the stones must be filled with compost, consisting of sand and leaf humus.

Light retaining walls perform mainly a decorative function, with their help, you can erect small raised flower beds. Such supports do not require a project, and they can be as thick as one brick.

Plants can be planted in the seams of the walls. Benches can be placed near brick or wooden walls, or they can be equipped in the body of the retaining wall itself, if it has the appropriate dimensions.

Garden paths

Garden paths are the best way to draw attention to something and direct your gaze correctly. Garden alleys with a clear border are immediately perceived as a compositional axis; for these purposes, such undersized plants as spirea and boxwood are perfect.

Fountain

Fountain-stream

Water streams of such a fountain pass from bowl to bowl in a cascade. It is not at all difficult to choose a pump, you just need to take into account the estimated pumped volumes of water and the height of the structure. The main task in the construction of a fountain - a stream - is to properly organize a cascade, which consists of several bowls (mainly 3 or 4), each of which has its own foundation. The water jets of the waterfall descend into the reservoir in the form of a small lake. Both natural and artificial stones are suitable as finishing materials. By grinding the surface, you can simulate the appearance of water flows (from thin jets to solid small waves).

Fountain - source

For connoisseurs of natural beauty, there will be a fountain in the form of a spring.

Here you can use a variety of sculptures that serve as the design of the source, the main thing is to give free rein to imagination. A stone, concrete or polymer concrete is suitable as a construction material; you also need to worry about the foundation in advance - the guarantee of stability. To supply water, you will certainly need a submersible pump.

Floating fountain

This type of fountain is quite popular among consumers; it can be arranged on a natural deep reservoir. It is sold already assembled, and you can clearly see how the fountain will look in your garden, so here it will not be possible to show your imagination in its improvement. For installation, you just need to choose a suitable place and connect it to the network.

Alpine slide and rockery

The alpine slide and rockery are great ways to diversify your garden landscape.

To create such decorative elements, people were inspired by the relief of the Alpine mountains - a society of stones and plants, and both play the same role, so it is very important that the whole composition is carefully selected and looks harmoniously together.

The difference between an alpine slide and a rockery is that the first forms the form of a mound, which is decorated with stones on top and plants are planted, and for rockeries, a mound is not required, a rocky garden is usually arranged on a flat surface or on slopes.

To make an alpine slide, you should initially prepare a trench for the foundation with a depth of no more than 1 m.The bottom, leaving about 40 cm to the surface, is covered with small stones, broken bricks, sprinkled on top with river sand, the layer thickness of which should be 5-8 cm.

The next stage is the most creative - stone laying. Initially, we install the largest stones, then smaller ones, and the smallest ones at the top. Experts advise not to equip an alpine slide of the correct geometric shape, since it should be as natural as possible. Then you should start planting plants. For these purposes, heather, juniper and saxifrage are perfect. The most light-loving plants are planted at the very top, and herbs are planted below, since they need moisture most of all.

For an alpine slide, regardless of its design, evergreens, for example, periwinkle, are ideal.

In order for your slide to bloom all the time, take care of planting "transition zones" plants, such as violets, bells, tulips, euonymus, etc.

For rockeries, the arrangement of the foundation is not required, it is enough just to correctly harmoniously, in accordance with the style of the entire garden, arrange stones and plant plants on the relief of the site.

In a garden with smooth paths, rockeries should correspond to nature as much as possible - it is highly discouraged to use straight, symmetrical lines with sharp corners, but on the contrary, rounding, s-shaped transitions are encouraged. It can blend into an alpine lawn or scree. Quartz, granite, quartzite, steppe can be used as accents. Plants can also act as the main touch, then in this case you need to use discreet gravel and river pebbles.

Two symmetrical rocky gardens on both sides of the entrance to the house will look very harmonious.

Break all rockery plants according to the height criterion. Place the tallest (such as spruce, thuja, mountain ash) in the first tier, lower plants (barberry, spirea, mountain pine) in the second, and plant low creeping plants in the third tier.

Stairs in the garden

In a multi-level garden, stairs are indispensable and they should be considered not only as a necessity, but also as part of landscape design. A staircase in the garden will undoubtedly decorate the hill, and on an almost flat area, decorative steps will create the effect of a difference in height, allowing you to look at the garden from different points. It can be both the beginning and the continuation of garden paths, and when using the same building material, it will further emphasize the landscape style.

The most common and at the same time the simplest option are gravel and wood stairs. To organize it, it is enough to lay wooden sleepers and fill them with gravel, which forms smoothly rising steps. Various plants can be planted around the edges to smooth the contours of the corner and create a more effective composition.

The most important thing when building a staircase in the garden is that it should be as safe and comfortable as possible. The steps should be optimal in width and slope, as too narrow and with a steep rise of the stairs will negatively affect the walk in the garden. It is also important not to make the steps too smooth as they can slip easily in wet weather.

It is also necessary to take care of high-quality lighting of the ascent; in the dark, every step must be visible, so that it does not turn into a "stumbling block".

Place to rest

On multi-level landscapes, you definitely need to take care of a place to relax, where it will be calm, calm and where you can inspect the rest of the site. If the plot is medium in size, then it can be arranged in the form of a gazebo or a bench with a table. On a large area, you can even equip a sports field with a rocking chair or a pool with a sun lounger.

An open arched gazebo would be a great option for relaxation. This structure should be located at the intersection of walkways and will require a set of nylon-lined steel pipes to assemble it.

Plant climbing roses near each counter, which will soon braid the structure and create a wonderful cozy atmosphere for relaxation. In this case, the gazebo acts as the main element of the garden layout.

Landscaping rules for multilevel gardens

Unlike flat garden surfaces, slopes are more often exposed to the wind, so you need to think about planting wind-resistant plants: pines, black poplar, field maple, barberry, wrinkled rose, etc.
Also very common problem on slopes is soil washout, spring landslides and dry slopes. This lawn does not always have the strength to anchor the soil, as a result of which it often dries up. The solution to this problem is to plant plants with a deep root system, for example, sea buckthorn, spirea, fieldfare.

To exclude soil convergence due to possible water flows, it is necessary to organize a so-called drainage system. To do this, it will be enough to properly plant plants with a fast-growing root system and herbs, for example, bluegrass, oatmeal, clover, thanks to this, the water flows will not drain as they want, but as you need it. If the angle of inclination of your site becomes more than 30 degrees, then experts advise using a geo-shot, which is a honeycomb module planted with various grasses or small bushes. It is worth remembering that plants must be resistant to a lack of moisture, since water will drain off the slope very quickly. It would be appropriate to create an irrigation system.
By multilevel, they understand the presence of plants of various tiers: low-growing herbal plants, shrubs and trees themselves. In the case of the last level, it is a little difficult here, as the seedlings need a lot of time to grow into larger trees. Designers to solve this problem immediately plant mature trees, which makes it possible to zoning the garden literally within a year.
More than 2/3 of the total area of the summer cottage should not be allocated for planting trees and shrubs, since large-sized ones grow throughout their life, which means that over time they can create unwanted shade for low-growing plants and nearby buildings.
Trees should be planted more than 10 meters from the house and shrubs 5 meters away.
If you want your garden to develop quickly, then by all means opt for forsythia and buddleia - they will become powerful flowering shrubs in a year. But, for example, kalmia, wolfberry and rhododendron grow much longer and you will need to wait about 5 years for their flowering. A hedge is perfect for dividing the site into zones; it will act as a beautiful frame for the garden. Perennial flowers such as geraniums, delphiniums, phloxes are a real salvation for those who wish to see their garden blooming every year without planting anything in the spring.

Does your site lack large, flat surfaces? Broke your head, how can you use your land beneficially? Do you want to spend time in a paradise? This is not an easy task, but it makes it all the more interesting for true professionals. Indeed, it is on the intricate hills and outstanding reliefs that the imagination of designers can manifest itself in all colors.

We create a project

If you have contacted the company with a request to design your garden, you will be provided with a project that will take into account all the nuances of the upcoming work. The project will outline all the desired zones, define the architectural forms and select the necessary plants. And only then, the previously inconspicuous garden, will be able to turn into the embodiment of the best works of landscape design, which you can admire and be proud of for many years.

If you look closely at the ready-made works of designers on multi-level areas, you begin to involuntarily realize that there are no trifles in this. Especially carefully you need to choose materials and plants, as well as furniture and decorative attributes. It is very interesting for clarity in the future and just for history to take a photo before the start of work and after its completion.

Geological site plastic

Very often, it is the initial state that dictates the conditions for further work. But it was precisely for difficult-to-work, multi-level areas that specialists came up with geological plastic - this is the distribution of soil and the construction of retaining walls to regulate and prepare the soil relief for future work. This allows you to divide the entire site into different zones in advance and facilitates their arrangement.

The most, perhaps, serious problems that arise when improving this type of summer cottages are soil erosion and difficulties with watering. But, if you approach the design professionally, then they can be minimized and even turned into advantages.

Decor

On any natural slopes, stones and wood look very beautiful, therefore, when decorating a multi-level site, you must adhere to the laws of nature. Focus on alpine slides, dry streams and any structures made of natural stone and climbing plants that do not require further complex maintenance. Then the landscape design of the garden area will look very harmonious.

Garden paths inside the cottage, so as not to get out of the general idea, it would be good to make from flat stones or wooden blanks. Choose plants with a strong root system. It is best to provide a mechanical water supply for irrigation.