Ecological style of landscape design – life in harmony with nature

Recommendation points

• Eco-style colors
• Features of zoning
• Lawn decoration
• Paths and fences
• Small forms
• Water
• Plants for the eco-garden

In this article, we will talk about the features of the ecological style in landscape design, the popularity of which is due to the human desire for the natural beauty of nature. After all, eco-style is a kind of embodiment of the genetic memory of the pristine harmony of the natural landscape.

Landscape design in a fashionable eco-style is most often preferred by sophisticated people who have good taste, but at the same time they believe that natural simplicity and naturalness conceal the highest harmony, which the creations of human hands often do not reach..

It is this thought that can be called the main concept of eco-style in landscape design..

Today, this trend is incredibly popular in Western Europe and the real examples of style are created by Western architects and landscape designers..

It is believed that the more complex the landscape of the site, the more natural plantations, stumps, boulders, etc. on it, the easier it is to set up a “naturgarden” – a natural garden, in contrast to a flat and empty site, which will require more effort and expense. In other words, for owners of non-standard plots, this style can be a real boon, because even a swamp or a ravine can turn from a problem into a real decoration..

Eco gardens are often referred to as lazy gardens. In fact, such a garden really does not need constant and painstaking care, but just a neglected and unkempt site cannot be passed off as an eco-style, since the ecological landscape has its own appearance, style and features.

Eco-style colors

For no style of landscape design, color does not matter as much as for “eco”. Only the colors of the natural palette of the area are allowed. Any bright, non-natural color will be a dissonance, a foreign blotch. This rule also applies to the house, but eco-style is widely reflected in modern architecture, so it will not be difficult to choose a suitable project.

The facade should be made of natural wood or stone. Also, one of the techniques that are used when bringing a house or a fence into a general style is vertical gardening. With its help, you can hide a fence made of a professional sheet or a wall of a house sheathed with plastic siding.

Features of zoning

When zoning, the main rule must be observed – do not isolate the zones from each other, there must be stylistic unity between them. It is also important to ensure smooth transitions from one zone to another. The recreation area can be highlighted by a tall tree, under which a cozy hut will hide, from which a view of the fireplace of the barbecue area and a path running into the forest beyond the border of the site will open. Convenience and simplicity, no clear lines and symmetry: such zoning is alien to nature, which means that it is not suitable for an ecological garden.

Lawn decoration

It is not worth arranging a lawn as such in an eco-garden, and even more so to level the surface under it. If a grass cover already exists on the site, then it is wiser to preserve it by mowing and sowing clover or wildflower seeds. You can sow the seeds of a Mauritanian lawn: for uniform germination when sowing, they must be mixed with sand (one part of the seeds with three parts of sand). It is very easy to care for such a lawn-meadow when it takes root and grows. The most important thing is to regularly water and mow it in the fall 10 cm from the soil..

Paths and fences

Paths, or paths, should look natural. They can be mowed in various directions. Paths lined with gravel or, even better, natural stone will also look good, but it is better to make them not straight and without borders. Paths are also arranged from wooden cuts or boards of natural color.

It is better to refuse fences altogether, allowing your site to be part of the overall ecosystem. But if you can’t do without them, they should merge with the surrounding landscape: fences made of unpainted wood, vertical landscaping on a natural basis, dense shrubs, a mound of natural stones.

Small forms

The main decoration of the site should be items of natural origin: forest trees, huge boulders, driftwood and old stumps. Such “natural small forms” will not only decorate the site, but also “help” in the arrangement of zones. For example, a tree with a curved trunk will be an excellent base for a rope swing in a children’s area, and a house can hide in its foliage. Boulders and stumps will become “furniture” for a recreation area with a barbecue.

Garden furniture, for the manufacture of which any natural materials are suitable: wood cuts, untreated branches, natural stone, etc., must be unpainted.

It is better to place the barbecue area closer to the border of the site. The ideal option is a fireplace, surrounded by stylized benches made of logs, natural stone or just stumps.

Eco-style law:even man-made must look as miraculous as possible.

The same rules apply to a gazebo, the ideal variant of which is a hut, or its stylization. The gazebo should be minimalistic, comfortable, made only of natural materials. It is very good if it does not stand out among the general landscape, but is, as it were, built into it. To do this, you can use trunks of living trees or boulders as props and supporting beams..

Water

An ideal solution for an eco-garden is a natural reservoir: a stream or a river, and even a part of the swamp will harmoniously fit into the overall design. If you have to make a reservoir with your own hands, then the main task is to give it a natural look. So, a pond can resemble a forest lake, on the banks of which plants natural for the area grow.

Plants for the eco-garden

It is very important to make the most of all the plants that grow on the site. This is their natural environment and a guarantee that the eco-garden will be green without much effort. It is worth preserving all types of forest trees, without trying to replace birch trees with trees, for which this soil may simply not be suitable..

Any wild-growing shrubs can be used in the eco-garden, which will serve as the selection of zones as fences. Lilac, mock orange, elderberry, dogwood, forest raspberry are perfect.

A necessary attribute of landscape design is cereals. These are sedge, feather grass, pearl barley, brilliant sesleria, oats, molin, reed grass, etc..

All kinds of wildflowers will decorate your lawns. Forget-me-nots, reeds, reeds, bathing suits are planted near reservoirs. Bulbous plants are also recommended. They should not be varietal, their wild species are planted – lilies of the valley, quinodox, irises, crocuses, ornamental onions. Care for such plants is, of course, minimal. However, the ecological garden must look alive and blooming..

Very often, those who want to arrange their site in eco-style have a question, is it possible to build a vegetable garden or orchard. It is quite difficult to do this – well-groomed fruit trees and neat beds will not be able to fit into the overall style. However, thickets of raspberries or strawberry bushes can look very harmonious. You can, without attracting attention, also plant onions or herbs in the secluded corners of the eco-garden. However, fans of gardening and horticulture should not choose this style for their site..

Eco-style in landscape design gives a person the opportunity to get as close to nature as possible, to merge with it, making his home a part of the natural ecosystem. According to leading designers, this is the style of the future and its popularity will only grow..