Slender white-birch birches with languidly hanging thin branches, a log well, a small pond with a wooden bridge, an old cart densely overgrown with wildflowers, apple trees, pears, spreading bushes of currants and raspberries surround a large, solid house-tower, near which there are small benches here and there . Passing along the winding narrow paths deep into the garden, we go out to a cozy gazebo, in the shade of which you can enjoy peace and quiet, the delicate aroma of flowers, quiet birdsong and the murmur of water. All this is called the Russian style in landscape design.
Features of the Russian style
The style of the Russian estate implies the presence of a rather impressive plot of land, necessary for domestic and decorative buildings, a large garden with flower beds and fruit trees, a natural or artificial pond, and, of course, for the house itself, similar to a Russian log tower 2-3 in height floors.
Making out a personal plot, it is necessary to remember that all elements should harmoniously fit into the natural landscape. If coniferous or deciduous trees grow in the garden, a cheerful brook flows, or there is a meadow overgrown with grass, then do not rush to clean them.
The Russian style is characterized by a combination of external beauty with functionality and practicality. For example, next to blooming flower beds there may be a small garden with medicinal and herbs, and not far from the house there is a summer kitchen, a bathhouse and a neat shed for inventory.
The hallmark of the style are wooden buildings. A manor house made of thick pine logs smelling of resin, a well that could well carry a decorative load and be used for other purposes, an openwork arbor, carved benches, bridges across the reservoir - all this is saturated with the Russian spirit and is close to us thanks to the historical heritage.
In the Russian manor style, the entire plot is divided into the following zones:
- front door with a front garden;
- household with household buildings;
- landscape or walking with forest plantations;
- garden with fruit trees and shrubs;
- garden with vegetable crops and medicinal herbs;
- rest zone.
Front zone
The front garden is the first thing that guests see when they enter the site, so you need to arrange the front zone taking into account the characteristic features of the Russian estate style.
The path from the gate to the porch of the house can be sprinkled with bark of trees, which has become fashionable lately. Also, gravel and tree cuts are used for the embankment.
On the site, flower beds or mixborders of irregular shape with brightly flowering plants and fruit and berry bushes can be located. Flowers should be picked and planted in such a way that their fragrance does not stop all summer.
The fence in the front garden can be a low fence, wicker or hedge. An additional decoration can be wooden garden figures of characters from Russian folk tales.
It is appropriate to place a small artificial pond surrounded by plants in the front garden. Ponds are also an integral part of the Russian style.
Economic zone
The Russian man was always distinguished by hospitality, which could not but affect the structure of the infield. In the household zone, a summer kitchen with a large dining table, a barbecue, a wooden shed with woodpile, and even a village bathhouse is often installed.
The economic zone can be decorated with a decorative well in the form of an original flower bed.
Walking area
Deciduous trees and tall bushes bring summer coolness, casting a shadow on garden paths, smoothly enveloping flower beds, ponds and wooden sculptures. Handsome maples, ash trees, luxurious linden trees and sad birches, intertwining their branches, create cozy shady alleys and arches.
In large areas, you can locate areas of mixed forests and groves for the decoration of which traditional coniferous and deciduous plants are suitable: yew, birch, spruce, thuja, mountain ash, pine, maple, oak, linden, juniper, lianas, fragrant lilac and jasmine.
The winding paths diverge from the central part of the site in different directions and connect all the zones. The paths are usually sprinkled with sand, gravel or tree bark, and if the paths are planned to be made of slabs, then it is advisable to leave gaps between the dies and sprinkle them with earth. The breaking grass will just create the appearance of a certain negligence and slight neglect, which is typical for the Russian style.
Garden area and garden
Fruit trees and shrubs are an invariable component of the Russian estate style. Apple trees, pears, plums, sea buckthorn, honeysuckle, raspberries, currants and gooseberries have always been popular garden plants in our country.
On small beds, often hidden from prying eyes behind hedges, medicinal and spicy plants are grown, as well as some vegetable crops.
Rest zone
It is better to arrange a recreation area in the shady part of the garden with high-growing spreading trees. Here you can sit in a gazebo with a book or needlework, relax in a comfortably swinging hammock, ride a rope swing or play with children on a specially equipped playground.
Although there are certain canons for the design of the site, modern landscape designers are not tired of offering innovative solutions using the latest materials, which helps to create a unique and comfortable garden in the Russian style.
