In landscape design, the same rules exist as in other forms of art - such as architecture, painting, poetry, music. These rules are dictated to us by nature itself. The natural landscape includes several closely interrelated elements: water, air masses, vegetation and wildlife. But nature has been preserved in its original form only in a few corners of the world. Almost everywhere there is a trace of human activity. Modern country estates are examples of artificial landscapes created by human hands.

Composition

“Composition” translated from Latin means “connection, connection.” We put a more generalized meaning into this word and mean by composition the arrangement of various forms in space in combination with each other, which creates a single whole. In other words, by arranging objects in space, we ensure that their combination pleases the eye and evokes a feeling of harmony. Building a composition is not so easy. Here it is necessary to take into account several properties that determine the spatial form, such as geometric appearance, size, mass, texture, location, light and shadow. The relationships between forms according to their properties form the means of composition. This includes unity, proportions, the laws of linear and aerial perspective, as well as techniques of symmetry and asymmetry, contrast and nuance, rhythm, scale, etc.

Correlation of shapes by geometric structure

Nature has not created clear geometric lines; they are a human invention. Therefore, each natural element can be visually placed in some geometric shape. The shape can be linear, planar and volumetric, depending on the ratio of its dimensions. In a linear form, one dimension dominates the other two; in a planar form, two dimensions are relatively equal to each other, but dominate the third. And in volumetric form, all three dimensions are close in magnitude. Look at the tree crowns. They all have their own shape. And each of them can be represented in the form geometric figure- sphere, cone, cube, etc. Compared to them, lower massifs, such as low-growing shrubs, flower beds and herbs, look like planes and have a planar shape. Paths and curbs have a linear shape.

Ratio of shapes by size

When choosing trees and shrubs for the garden, we are usually based on contrasts: large - small, tall - low, cone-shaped - spherical, etc. For example, straight paths in the garden connecting different points look great in combination with round flower beds flower beds. When designing a site, you should use one specific form. Using several at once will bring chaos to your corner of nature. And diversity can be achieved by giving these forms different sizes. So, a round pool can be located in the center of an oval area. The composition of square and rectangular areas is very interesting. But geometric shapes are interesting only when they are clearly visible - in paths, borders, a lawn or the outline of a pond. In the center of the composition it is necessary to place something spectacular, for example, a trimmed, original-shaped tree or a flower garden arranged in a flowerbed or tub. Trimmed trees and shrubs look great in the corners of a square or rectangular shape or at the end of paths. In this case, they emphasize the clarity of geometric lines.

Correlation of shapes by texture

Texture is the nature of the surface of objects. In our case, we are talking about the texture of trees, shrubs, lawns, flower beds, materials, stairs, fences, etc. The texture of tree crowns can be coarse (oak), medium (elm, linden) or fine (birch, willow).

Correlation of shapes by color

When choosing a color scheme, it is necessary to take into account the time of year, age-related changes in plants, and the color of flower beds. In summer, spring and autumn, the color scheme of plants is determined by the color of leaves, flowers, fruits, trunks, and branches. In winter, it consists of the coloring of the trunk and branches. Evergreens occupy a special place in the color of the composition. Lawns, flower beds, and a pond can serve as a background for trees.

Correlation of shapes by position in space

Here we mean the position of objects relative to each other and in relation to the observer. By arranging objects in space, we can obtain three types of spatial composition: frontal, volumetric and deep-spatial. The frontal composition presents only two dimensions. All three are clearly expressed in the volumetric composition. In the deep-spatial composition, deep perspectives are formed, the perception of which is determined by the laws of linear and aerial perspective.

Perspective

Perspective refers to the visual change in objects as they move away from the observer. It can be linear and airy. As we move away from the vertical post, we can notice that it remains vertical relative to the ground, but decreases in size. We can also say that a building located nearby appears taller than a taller building located further away. In this case we are talking about linear perspective. If, as we move away from an object, its brightness and clarity change, then here we are dealing with aerial perspective. Perspective is based on the point of view, the object being observed, and the field in between. All these components must form a unity and form one whole. An important element perspective is that its completion justifies the beginning, and its beginning justifies the end. Perspective is an important part of design. Depending on our perspective, we can experience movement or stillness. Some perspectives are static. They are visible only from one specific point. Others reveal themselves when observed from several places in the garden. Perspective consists of three planes: top, horizontal and vertical. The vertical plane can be the walls of a house, a fence, a vertically trimmed bush or tree. The horizontal plane can be a lawn, a pond, a paved path, the top plane can be the sky or the canopy of foliage of spreading trees. Using perspective, you can visually increase or decrease space. To increase the depth of the landscape, a group of trees or shrubs is placed in such a way that as the observer moves away, they become smaller in size. Aerial perspective is built depending on the perception of color and its emotional impact on a person.

Color

When choosing a color, you should not allow your area to be too variegated or a mess of colors. When combining different colors, it is necessary to achieve harmony. This can be achieved either by using contrasts or by combining different shades of the same color. Color affects emotions and feelings. Colors can be cold or warm, they can make an object light or heavy, evoke a feeling of fun or sadness, calm and excite. Warm colors (red, yellow, orange) are active, cold colors (blue, cyan, violet) have a calming effect. Green is an intermediate color, also called the color of physical balance. It is believed that color has a therapeutic effect. In sanatoriums, so-called blue gardens are organized to calm the nerves. Plants for such gardens can be blue spruce , white willow, angustifolia and silver oleaginous, scylla, forget-me-not, lobelia, cornflower, etc. It is known that in a bedroom decorated in cold colors, a person falls asleep faster than in a room decorated in warm colors. From all that has been said, we can conclude that by correctly choosing a certain range of colors in the area, you can control your mood and even treat existing diseases. Colors are divided into chromatic and achromatic. Chromatic are the colors of the spectrum: red, orange, yellow, cyan, violet, purple, blue, green. There are no sharp gradations of color in the spectrum. Achromatic colors include white, black and all shades of gray. White color brings light and vitality, gives a three-dimensional effect in plant compositions. Black color, on the contrary, reduces volume and enhances the effect of warm colors - red and yellow. Color is characterized by saturation (purity) and brightness (lightness). The saturation of color depends on the degree of presence of white in it. Brightness, on the contrary, is determined by the degree to which a color differs from white. Pure, saturated colors are rarely found in nature. Mostly they are sluggish and blurry. You can enhance the saturation of the yellow color of a flower by placing purple next to it; the pale red flower looks brighter against the green background. A bright blue plant will look less saturated if you place a red flower next to it. When choosing colors, you should also keep in mind that light colors appear light, while dark colors appear heavy. The bright yellow color tends upward and seems to lift the surface, especially when placed against a dark background. Blue is also a light color. The colors are differentiated into foreground and background colors. All warm tones appear closer in daylight and are classified as foreground colors. Cold tones, on the contrary, visually seem distant. Pure saturated tones in the distance mix, turning into a bluish haze; blue and dark blue, on the contrary, in the distance acquire greater density. All these color features must be taken into account when composing the composition. When designing a site, it is important to remember that the overall color will include not only flowers, trees, a pond, lawns, but also the coloring of the walls of the house, the fence, and the concrete fencing of the reservoir. All these colors and shades will take their appropriate place in your palette. It is important to learn to see color and evaluate it in relation to its surroundings. Only in this case will it be possible to select a suitable background and compose the composition in such a way that the background does not irritate the eyes or cause negative emotions. You should know that at dusk the color ratio changes. Blue and green become foreground colors and appear lighter. Reds and yellows turn into deeper and more distant tones. Don't forget about contrasts. Against a dark wall, plant light flowers with yellowish-green or silver-gray leaves. Near the white building, flowers with dark green foliage look beautiful, which partially absorbs the reflected light. Here you can plant barberries and arrange a flower garden of red roses. If the house is built of red or terracotta brick, the plants around it should be in cool or neutral tones. Blue-green juniper, mahonia with gray-green leaves, and bluish-silver oleaster are suitable for this. The design of the site must match the interior of the house. For example, the color of the furniture may be similar to the color of the plants growing on the lawn near the house. A yellow window curtain will match the bright yellow dandelions against the green grass. The fencing of the garden, grounds, and pond must also be included in the color scheme of your site.

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro plays an important role in the composition. With the help of chiaroscuro you can make plants more expressive and voluminous. The surface of any object reflects the light rays falling on it and leaves an unlit area on the ground, called a shadow. On that part of the surface where light rays do not reach, its own shadow is formed, and from the border of its own shadow towards the light a penumbra appears. Reflexes can occur within the shadows themselves - light reflected from other objects. Reflexes are clearly visible on shiny objects, which additionally contain glare - sparkling spots. All these features of light and shadow depend on the location of the object relative to the light source. Color gradations in chiaroscuro are determined by the intensity of illumination, the color of the object itself and the density of the shadow. With frontal lighting, when the light source is in front of the subject, the transitions from light to shadow are almost invisible and the composition looks expressionless. With side lighting, chiaroscuro becomes more pronounced and prominent. When the illuminated object is between the light source and the observer, backlight appears. At this moment, the sun highlights the texture of the object, emphasizes the silhouette, and its color becomes brighter. Color may vary depending on the nature of the lighting. Under electric lighting, blue appears less saturated, while red, on the contrary, becomes brighter. Today there are many light sources: incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, sodium lamps, etc. An incandescent lamp makes the red color purer and lighter. Orange color under the influence of this lamp it turns red, blue turns green, blue and violet darken and acquire a purple tint. When illuminated fluorescent lamp colors remain almost the same as in daylight. A mercury lamp gives greater saturation to blue and green colors, and red under the influence of a mercury lamp turns into black. When exposed to a sodium lamp, all colors except yellow turn gray. Mercury vapor is also used as a light source. They give a pleasant bluish-green light, which is recommended for coniferous trees. Sodium lamps, which produce a golden-yellow light, are more suitable for illuminating fall foliage. At night using artificial lighting You can achieve a spectacular alternation of light and shadow. The colors are transformed and the contrast is enhanced. The light regime is not the same in different areas of the globe. In the north the light is softer and weaker. Constant fogs and cloudy days soften the colors. In the south, on the contrary, the light is very saturated, the boundaries between light and shadow are clearly defined. In strong lighting, the ability to distinguish colors, especially warm ones, is dulled. A person from the south is able to distinguish fewer shades than a person living in the middle zone. During the daytime, red colors are best perceived; at dusk, blue-blue colors are best perceived. Now let's talk about composition techniques.

Symmetry and asymmetry

Elements can be located on the site symmetrically or asymmetrically relative to the selected axis. This could be a line of sight, a road, a home, a pond. In nature, symmetry is quite rare. It is created by man and associated with a certain order. In Europe, this word was synonymous with the word “beautiful” and meant an elegant, pleasant form. Perhaps symmetry is close to a person because his body is built on relative symmetry, which implies a system and is associated with clarity, balance, rhythm and stability. In a symmetrical composition, completeness is important. There is nothing superfluous in it, and if you remove one object from it, then the symmetry immediately disappears, followed by balance and unity. When contemplating a symmetrical composition, the eye catches a certain orderliness, rhythm, can predict the presence of a subsequent object and becomes confused if it is not found. Balance is very important not only in landscape design. It plays an essential role for all types of art. Any picture, if there is no balance in it, has an irritating and depressing effect. Although the natural landscape does not contain objects equally located in relation to each other, there is also a conditional balance here. In symmetrical compositions, this is achieved through equality of shapes and distances. But there is another way to achieve balance - with the help of an asymmetrical composition, when unequal objects are used. They are located in such a way and at such a distance from each other and in relation to the observer that the effect of balanced objects is created. Asymmetry is extraordinary and more interesting. It never gets boring, as it is unintentional and closest to naturalness. Flowers, shrubs and trees can be arranged asymmetrically on the site. You can make a pond asymmetrical. In this case, it will become more dynamic and closer to the natural conditions of the site. Contrast and nuance. These two means are no less important for the composition. Contrast is a clearly marked difference between the properties of spatial forms, for example, light - dark, large - small, high - low, etc. Two objects located next to each other with opposite properties are contrasted and emphasize each other’s features. An object appears large in size if there is something smaller next to it. The pond will look very tiny if surrounded tall trees, but it will seem much more significant if low-growing shrubs and flowers are planted next to it. With the help of contrast, you can visually change not only the shape and size, but also the colors. Thus, light objects against a dark background look even lighter, but fade in a gray, faceless environment. Grey colour against a blue background it acquires a yellowish tint, against a red background it becomes green, and against a green background it becomes red. When designing a site, contrast can provide an invaluable service. If you are not satisfied with the too strict geometric structure of your pond, surround it with smooth outlines of lawns, flowers, and lay out several winding paths. They will soften the contours and bring balance. But don’t overuse contrast. Excessive opposition of one quality to another can cause irritation and fatigue. You can’t just build your composition on it. Contrast is best paired with nuance. Nuance is a gradual transition from one form to another with the help of similar objects placed together. Nuance is used more often than contrast, and requires deep knowledge of the material and careful execution.

Rhythm

In landscape design, rhythm refers to the repeatability of individual components and the distance between them. Rhythm is most often used when creating alleys. It is clearly visible when the same objects are repeated at least 6–8 times. As the number of repetitions increases, the emotional impact of the composition increases. But you can’t overdo the rhythm, as it can develop into monotony. In order to avoid monotony, the distance between objects is changed, the rhythmic series is decorated with fountains and statues. When creating a rhythm of shrubs, they can be diversified by interspersing flower beds. In the garden you can alternate fruit trees with berry fields. So, we got acquainted with the basic rules and techniques of landscape design. Now it’s worth talking about style, which, like the previous components, is an integral part of the art of design.

Water Feature Styles

Regardless of what form your water feature will take, be it a quiet small stream hidden in the thickets of ornamental plants, or a large waterfall that amazes guests with its splendor and richness, be it a mini-pond arranged on your balcony, or a real wild pond in center of the garden with bright fish and exotic plants, no matter the size of your business, you should think about style. The concept of style includes, first of all, the layout of the reservoir, the use of certain combinations of plant specimens or individual plants, the type decorative design. The choice of pond style is determined primarily by the characteristics of the site itself. It must certainly be combined with architectural style the house itself. Style consists of lifestyle, fashion, national characteristics. When choosing a style, proceed from your taste and choose the one that is closest to you in spirit. It should become a reflection of your own style. First of all, carefully study all the features of your personal plot, carefully think through the details and take the necessary environmental measures. It is traditional to distinguish between formal (geometric) and free (landscape) styles. There has been a struggle between these two opposites in art for many years.

Formal style

Initially, nothing formal existed in nature: clear geometric lines and shapes. Man, striving to subjugate all living things, to establish his own rules, wanting to curb chaos and bring the unbridled nature of nature into strict conformity, introduced formality, rigor, and regularity into life. The trees, trimmed in the form of cones, rhombuses, and squares, acquired regular geometric shapes. Perennial wild grass was replaced by evenly trimmed lawns. Many people believe that geometry is true beauty; it is what creates order in the environment and gives it a well-groomed appearance. The formal style presupposes strict symmetry in the layout of your pond and the site as a whole. Symmetry is the placement of identical objects at equal distances from the axis. The formal style, as a rule, gives the site a strict, solemn appearance and gives a feeling of order and organization. The main feature of this style is that in it artificiality pushes aside everything natural and comes to the fore; a plot or a body of water is, as it were, enclosed within walls and fences, separating itself from the natural world and creating its own. Looking at such a site, one can say that human hands have worked here. This style is preferred by most people, since they feel more comfortable in order than in chaos; for them, symmetry is much more familiar than asymmetry. However, the formal style has its drawbacks. With its accuracy and correctness, it can easily destroy the sometimes so attractive naturalness of the landscape, turning it into something ordinary and uninteresting. Excessive formality can develop into pomposity and stiffness. In a strict formal style, as a rule, they build swimming pools with rigid waterproofing and, accordingly, a strict shape, as well as fountains, cascades, and wall fountains. The formal style is less popular today than in the past, when magnificent palaces were decorated with many sculptures that gave them solemnity and theatricality. However, many elements from that time are still revered today. Formal-style ponds look especially good near old mansions built in a classical style with columns, terraces, sculptures, pavilions and rotundas. Plant containers for formal ponds are usually made of ceramic and decorated with raised designs.

Landscape style

A feature of the landscape style is the preservation of naturalness. This style was created in the East and spread widely throughout Europe. In China and Japan, they admired the natural beauty of landscapes and believed that they possessed a kind of harmony and balance. Unlike the formal landscape style, it does not separate the building from the surrounding world, does not make it something isolated and stand out sharply from the environment. His task is to preserve the natural naturalness of the structure, to make it part of the wild nature. When looking at a pond of free outlines, arranged in a landscape style, you would never think that this miracle was created by human hands. But nevertheless, there is some artificiality here too. After all, when constructing any artificial reservoir, you are often faced with the problem of an inconvenient landscape, unsuitable terrain, lack of beautiful vegetation. A person corrects all these shortcomings in accordance with his taste, but this must be done in such a way as to bring his creation as close as possible to the natural landscape. Asymmetry is best suited for this. The asymmetrical arrangement of objects, freed from a rigid layout, fits harmoniously into the natural landscape. Next to such a body of water, objects of the most varied shapes are installed in such a way that a feeling of balance and harmony is created. It is on this principle that every element of the natural landscape is constructed, be it a wild pond deep in the forest or a mountainous area dotted with winding streams. Typically, a landscape style pond is more economical than a formal pond. It does not require large excavations, special retaining walls, screens or structures. Landscape style, with its naturalness and only some adjustment on the part of man, awakens romantic feelings and sentimentality. There is nothing violent here. On a site arranged in a landscape style, you will never see straight lines and outlines; there are no strictly trimmed trees and lawns, or even paths. Freedom and harmony reign everywhere. As mentioned earlier, the free landscape style came from the East, where a formal style never existed. The famous Japanese garden is known throughout the world, which is simply impossible not to mention when talking about styles.

Japanese garden

The area of ​​a Japanese garden is usually small. The main point of its creation is that every detail here is endowed with its own internal content. These can be paved paths in the form of waves on a sandy surface or symbolic compositions made of natural stone. But whatever it is, the basic principle of the Japanese garden should not be violated - a feeling of calm and tranquility, enjoyment of nature, its miniaturization. In a small area, using simple means, Japanese masters try to create the impression of spatial depth. To do this, you have to change the natural scale, reducing it, use dwarf trees and rocks, thus creating a feeling of romanticism. Perhaps, when contemplating a Japanese garden, you will ask what is natural here. Landscape arranged in Japanese style, not very similar to the wild landscape of nature. But that's not the point here. The main task when creating a Japanese garden is that the masters, when creating images, take the natural picture of nature as a basis. The author of the creation brings a certain meaning to the size and shape of the artificially grown branch, the location of the stone, and the coating material. Japanese garden built on personal plot not far from home, it is not intended for walking, but for passive contemplation from a certain point, for example from the window of a house. It can be compared to a picturesque painting from which it is impossible to take your eyes off. Peering at such a picture, you imperceptibly penetrate its space and find yourself alone with the splendor of wild nature. The elements of a Japanese garden, as a rule, are evergreen trees, stones of bizarre shapes and various shades. Among evergreens, umbrella pine is especially popular. The garden is built on the basis of symbols. A small fragment of rock covered with moss and a handful of sand symbolize the seashore. Water is introduced into the garden by constructing a pond, stream, or waterfall. These components enrich the garden, bringing freshness and variety to it. A Japanese garden can be built in different styles. The simplest of them is the tire style, the more complex is the co style, and the most complex is the jio style. Such compositions can take the form of a flat or hilly garden. The elements of a flat garden are sand, gravel, a few rocks and moss. For example, in one of the ten most famous gardens of all time, in the Royan Ji garden, a composition of fifteen stones and moss is located on raked gravel. A hilly garden can be created without the use of living material. Here, grandiose landscapes consist of cliffs, hills, mountains, stones symbolizing the seashore; pebbles, sand, depicting a river. By highlighting certain details, as well as creating the direction of water flow (usually from left to right), craftsmen endow the composition with a certain meaning. By combining elements of nature in this way, human perception can be influenced in different ways. The principle of constructing compositions in a Japanese garden is based on this. For example, an upright stone is associated with a steep cliff, a cobblestone represents soft slopes, a river pebble symbolizes a river, and a sea pebble represents the sea. In a composition with the presence of a reservoir, its shape is also given a certain meaning. In Russian conditions, on the territory of a personal plot, you can freely build a small Japanese garden or limit yourself to decorating a small fragment of a corner of Japan. You can also decorate the patio of your home in the style of a Japanese landscape. Here you should plant several green trees and shrubs and surround them with gray natural stones. At the same time, the architecture of the house itself must correspond to the style you choose. If you want to create a secluded corner for relaxation, then the place you have chosen for this purpose must be fenced off from the outside world with a high fence. The main element here is the presence of an evergreen tree. The gravel path will lead you to a simple bench made of stone, near which there will be a small ornamental shrub. In your garden you can receive guests and have tea parties in Japanese. The implementation of this idea does not require a lot of time and special knowledge. Place a straw mat on a wooden platform. Separate the area from the rest of the area with a bamboo fence. Plant climbing plants along the fence that, as they grow, will decorate your hedge. On the opposite side of the tea nook, build a swimming pool or an elegant pond. Plant a beautiful ornamental shrub, such as Japanese quince, near a pond. Instead of regular lawn grass, plant the area with ground cover plants. A Japanese garden is usually decorated with antiques, stone lanterns and vases. Typical accessories are bamboo fences, cool ponds with bridges or passages made of individual natural stones. If necessary, flowers of deep iridescent tones are used. From flower plants, brought from Japan, hosta and astilbe have acclimatized in our country. The Japanese chrysanthemum, so beloved by all Japanese, does not take root well in Russian conditions. Therefore, you can replace it with Korean chrysanthemum. Containers and flower beds for ornamental plants are made of ceramics and other natural materials and decorated with beautiful patterns. Containers can be in the form of wooden bowls with a relief pattern. Also welcome are graceful curtains with knots or moss under pine trees, which the Japanese call trees of longevity, groups of stones and stone lamps. Stone lanterns are considered the main element of the Japanese garden. They are placed at a certain compositional point in combination with stones, bushes, trees and ponds, for example at the foot of a mountain or on the shore of a pond, etc. Lanterns are not only a decorative component of the garden, but are also used as lighting in the evening and at night. They, unlike other elements of the garden, which are as close to nature as possible, are an artificial addition. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange them in such a way that they fit into the environment without disturbing the style. Japanese lamps come in several types: squat, with a wide lid, shaped like a house; elegant lanterns on a stand; secret lanterns. Lamps come on a stand or on legs. A stone lantern on a stand consists of elements such as a base, pedestal, lamp holder and finial. Sometimes lanterns are missing the base, top and pedestal. These lights are located directly on the ground. A lantern on the shore of a pond looks impressive. Horizontal coastal stones contrast beautifully with the vertically standing lamp, and tall bushes growing on the adjacent shore perfectly balance the composition. A lantern-lamp is placed on the bridge in front of the tea house. It looks great among vertical stones and tall greenery in an open space. You can add a little piece of Japan to your garden when you decorate it with accessories like tsukubai (water tank for bathing), small pagodas and carved stone steps. Plant azalea (rhododendron) and decorative cherry (sakura).

Modern

The Art Nouveau style has always been distinguished by its simplicity of lines. A garden designed in this style is an open room adjacent to the house. It is devoid of any decorations and has strict outlines. In the center, as a rule, there is a swimming pool. White walls can be decorated with dark grilles. The principle of arranging a site in the Art Nouveau style is simplicity and lack of bulkiness. Plants must also match this style. Hosta and gladioli with their pointed leaves are ideal here, as well as ornamental grasses. Colors must be pure, without various impurities and shades, and strictly contrast with each other. Dark-colored bars are used as fencing. Plant containers are made of concrete or in the form of simple terracotta pots. The surface is paved with tiles in the form of geometric patterns made of slabs of two colors - black and white. Pebble inserts are possible. Furniture of a strict form is devoid of all decorations and is made of modern materials– plastic and aluminum. An Art Nouveau garden typically has formal outlines, but does not adhere to strict symmetry.

Colonial style

Colonial style is an American invention. Its legislators were American colonists, hence the name. Today this style is very popular not only in America, but also in other countries. When decorating a personal plot and garden in a colonial style, bricks and boards are used. Plants are placed in wooden tubs or terracotta containers painted in White color. They are cut into complex shapes and thus resemble a formal geometric style. But unlike him, the composition is done carelessly, there are no clear correspondences, everything is done as if at random. The surface is paved with flagstone or covered with boards. Animal sculptures made of stone and wood can be used as decoration here. Being in such a garden, you will certainly feel some laziness and a soft, smooth flow of life. There are many sunny verandas decorated with flowering vines. On the site near the pond you can place hammocks, rocking chairs, and folding chairs with wicker backs.

Country style

This style is also called rustic, since its design is as close as possible to nature and rural life near a forest, river, lake or sea. This style, like the previous one, is characterized by simplicity of form, but preference is given to naturalness. Natural materials dominate here - such as wood, brick and a natural stone. The house and the plot are made of the same material. The garden is like a continuation of the home itself. Unlike modern, country style is filled with bright colors. Plants, magnificent in their simplicity, are full of all sorts of shades, contrasting with each other. Among them are daisy, mallow, and sweet pea. Mallow is usually planted near the porch near the house or along the edges of the fence. Barns and other outbuildings are decorated climbing roses And sweet peas. Flower pots are placed on an old wooden stepladder. Along the fence, dahlias are full of bright colors. Furniture for decorating in country style is best done with my own hands from improvised material. Use blocks of wood instead of chairs. Make a table from the frame of a cut down tree, and containers for plants from simple clay. The paths are paved with flagstone or brick. The path can be sprinkled with stone chips and creeping plants can be planted there. Decorative elements can be any tools or household items, for example, an ordinary zinc watering can. A place with the most fertile soil can be set aside for vegetable beds. As a fence, use boards dug into the ground, rods or wattle fence. You can also make gates from old bricks and decorate them climbing vines, wild grapes or hops and flowering shrubs.

Natural ecological garden

Due to the unfavorable environmental situation in the world, this style is becoming increasingly popular in many countries. If you decide to settle on it, then two main tasks arise: restoring the damaged ecology and obtaining maximum results at the lowest cost associated with arranging and caring for your garden plot. When creating your ecological corner, you should not be guided by fashion and use its latest achievements. Here the environmental factor comes to the fore, ensuring the normal existence of living organisms in various ecosystems: forests, deserts, lakes, rivers, etc. When creating a natural garden, the topography, composition of the soil and the plants growing on it remain unchanged. If there are ravines and depressions on your site, then you can build a pond in them and populate it with moisture-loving plants that will collect rainwater And excess moisture. In open sunny places you can create a flowering lawn. Mown grass, dried branches and fallen leaves in your mini-ecosystem will also find use. They can be composted and used as plant fertilizer. On a site with a natural garden, several ecological zones can coexist at once: in a sunny area - “steppe” or “meadow”, in wet places - “swamp” or “pond”, in hilly areas - “mountains”, in the shade - “forest” etc. The garden can gradually turn into a real forest. In the natural garden, set aside a place for fruit trees and vegetable garden. Apart from the listed features, in all other respects this garden is no different from others. A children's playground, a flower garden, and paved paths can be located here. The main thing is that the basic principle of a natural ecological garden is preserved - the principle of preserving the normal functioning of the ecological system, ensuring the durability of all its elements. A natural garden is very easy to maintain, easy to care for, and requires the least amount of effort and time to create compared to all other styles. All this can be achieved if you constantly remember that your little backyard creation lives by the same laws as all wild nature. Therefore, it is necessary to create conditions for plants and animals that are as close to natural as possible. This can be done if: 1. Organize a balanced agricultural background for the flora and fauna that populate your garden and pond. 2. Use waste for fertilizer. 3. Carefully select plants based on the fact that some of them grow well next to others, but absolutely cannot stand the proximity of others. 4. Create favorable conditions for the successful coexistence of plants, animals, birds, fish and insects. 5. Exclude from use pesticides harmful to humans and all living organisms. Don't be discouraged if your area is very small or you don't have one at all. After all, you can create a corner of wildlife at home, for example, arrange a small mini-pond on your balcony and populate it with aquatic plants and small colorful fish. This way you will acquire your own mini-ecosystem.

Mini ponds

Recently, water features have become increasingly miniature and can serve both as a large, eye-catching object, and as a fragmentary element of the garden, detected only by the quiet murmur of water. In addition, this significantly saves effort and money on creating reservoirs and simplifies their care. A pond of not very large size can be arranged not only on your property, but also on your balcony or terrace. In this case, you need to calculate whether she can withstand it. A large structure or a container with a diameter of 0.5–1.2 m can serve as a decorative reservoir. You can use a box or tub as a container, where you need to pour water, plant aquatic plants, and you will have a small pond; several tubs will make a composition, and the size of the tub may not be the same. As a material for their manufacture, you can use durable wood covered with a waterproofing layer (if it is a tub). But it is preferable to use barrels. Moreover, the barrels should not be new, as this can damage the plants. In general, a variety of materials are used. For example, ceramic and earthenware bowls look great, but they are not suitable for sudden changes in temperature and break easily, and cheap plastic, although durable, does not give the impression of luxury, unlike ceramics. When using clay bowls, please note that their inner surface must be covered with glaze so that the water does not constantly decrease as it evaporates. In such a mini-reservoir you can not only plant plants, but also add fish. The plants will be graceful, small sizes. They will be discussed in more detail in the chapter “Ponds”. The main thing is that you need to competently approach the composition of flora and fauna, taking into account the compatibility of all components of your mini-reservoir. The same should be remembered when planning. The location of the mini-reservoir should be suitable for all its inhabitants. The most important components for their good development and growth are clean water, fresh air and sunlight. From this it follows that the water should not be allowed to become polluted, and in hot weather it is imperative to top it up due to strong evaporation; It is not recommended to locate the reservoir in northern or shaded areas, since the time it is illuminated by the sun should be 6–8 hours a day. Before filling it with water, you should place newspaper on the bottom to prevent the gravel from moving, then plant the plants. We must not forget that for a miniature reservoir, design is no less important than for a large one. Compositions of stones and plants, originally selected to each other and complementing each other, can serve as a frame. overall design. For example, a mini-pond lined with boulders and climbing plants in the background. We briefly told you about how to arrange a mini-pond on your terrace. In the following chapters we will talk about larger water structures installed directly on a personal plot. Read

All landscape design objects are characterized by a certain territory, which has a varied configuration in plan and different physical dimensions. All these territories usually represent a collection of vegetation, water features, small architectural forms, and sites for various functional purposes. The main task in their formation is to identify the artistic image of a given environment, which is achieved using techniques of architectural composition.

Composition(from Latin composition- composition, construction, structure) is a means of revealing the ideological and artistic content of a work. Without knowledge and correct use of the principles of composition, it is impossible to identify a creative concept.

Architectural composition- this is a natural and optimal combination of volumes and space into a single harmonious system that meets functional and aesthetic requirements. The main tasks of architectural composition include:

Organization of volumes and spaces in accordance with the functional process;

Harmonious unification and subordination of volumes and space into an integral system that has a positive emotional impact on a person.

Landscape composition- this is the art of placing various elements on a given territory to create a comfortable environment according to functional, environmental and aesthetic requirements. It is expressed in the placement of structures, small architectural forms, vegetation, water features, platforms, in the organization of traffic, the division of the territory into parts, in the proportions of individual parts, the sizes of all elements that make up a given territory and their relationships. Landscape composition predetermines the use of all landscaping means (Fig. 11).

Landscape design means include natural elements of the environment - vegetation, relief, water features and artificial elements of the environment - small architectural forms, decorative coating, visual communications, decorative sculpture. The creation of any landscape object is carried out mainly using the above-listed landscape design tools in a certain relationship and interdependence to achieve the unity of the composition and its vivid figurative impact. The spatial environment of landscape objects includes planes - the surface of the earth (with a lawn, flower bed, covering), as well as relief elements, water features and volumes - plant groups, small architectural forms, sculpture, visual communications.

The relationship between space, plane and volume is determined by volumetric-spatial composition. When solving compositional problems in the formation of architectural and landscape objects, the geometric appearance of the form, size, mass, texture, color, illumination, and position in space are taken into account. A landscape architect must understand the basic properties of space: the characteristics of depth, length, discontinuity and continuity, finitude and infinity, dismemberment of space.

When creating space using landscape design tools, it is necessary to understand its emotional and psychological impact on a person. There are four aspects of a person’s relationship to space:

Objective - depending on such characteristics of space as area, main dimensions, width, length, geometric shapes;

Psycho-physiological - associated with the ability of space to excite, tire, calm, depress;

Associative - determining a person’s ability to make various associations during perception;

Semantic - related to the functional purpose of the object.

Some spaces can be expressive, while others can be expressionless. When forming any space, frontal or deep, it is necessary to solve the following compositional problems:

Determination of the planning style and large-scale characteristics of the formative elements (small architectural forms, decorative sculpture, vegetation, etc.);

Proportionation of territory;

Identifying the center of the composition and the main and minor axes;

Determination of landscape accents and their viewing points;

Use of contrast, nuance and identity, series (metric and rhythmic);

Unexpected revelation of accents;

Identifying the background and using the features of linear perspective (Fig. 12).

Scale is the most important means of architectural composition, a means of achieving artistic expressiveness of landscape objects. Unfortunately, in landscape architecture, the impact of scale on humans has not been sufficiently developed. According to many experts, scale helps to identify compositional integrity and artistic expression any landscape object. Architectural scale characterizes three forms of large-scale connections:

The relationship of elements to the whole and to each other;

The relationship of the object to the architectural and natural environment, to the size and scale of the environment;

The ratio of the size of an object and its elements to a person.

In landscape design, there is some variety of spatial scale characteristics:

The first scale (main) is the scale of elements commensurate with the anthropometric data of an adult;

The second scale (individual) is commensurate with the anthropometric data of a particular age group of children (depending on the functional purpose of the object);

The third scale (miniature) is the scale of elements of small landscape spaces in interiors with the inclusion of bonsai;

The fourth scale (monumental) is the scale of elements that emphasizes the symbolism in landscape space, most clearly revealing its artistic image.

Landscape objects, depending on their functional purpose, can have all the stated large-scale characteristics of constructing spaces. The emotional impact of spaces with these large-scale characteristics is quite large. The main parameters characterizing the compositional construction of space are: composition style, asymmetry or symmetry, physical dimensions, length and width, area that determine the frontal or deep space.

To decide the nature of placement and identify the relationship between natural and artificial elements of the environment, it is necessary to determine the planning technique. It can be regular, landscape or mixed. The regular planning technique is characterized by a geometric grid, including the rectilinear layout of roads, the geometric shape of parterres and flower beds, the symmetrical design of axis compositions, the emphasized dominance of the building, the clear contours of reservoirs, and row plantings of trees. Unlike the regular one, the landscape planning technique displays and emphasizes the beauty of natural nature. It is characterized by a free grid plan, winding roads, natural relief, free contours of reservoirs, and free-growing trees. A mixed technique characterizes a combination of elements of regular and landscape planning techniques. Regular planning techniques, as a rule, characterize a symmetrical plan, and a landscape plan - an asymmetrical one. Forms of a symmetrical plan, if skilfully executed and placed, can express an idea and excite in a person a sense of discipline of the highest order, magnificence, strength, monumentality and high perfection. The geometric plan, clear and obvious, is quickly comprehended. This is its advantage. But it also has a drawback - monotony. An asymmetrical plan is more expressive, but its spatial orientation is complex.

In the formation of any landscape object, much attention is paid to identifying compositional axes. There are major and minor axes of composition. The axis of the composition is the directed development of landscape construction of space. The main axis usually coincides with the main flow of movement through the territory and leads to the compositional center. Secondary axes can intersect the main axis at different angles or run parallel to it. The main axis - the alley - may differ from the secondary alleys in its wider width, original alley tree planting and richer floral design. There should not be many paths on the territory of any landscape object, and the main paths must necessarily lead to some purpose - a pavilion, gazebo, recreation area, fountain, flower garden, etc. Paths must have smooth bends determined by the topography, the placement of vegetation or water features. Avoid crossing paths at right angles.

In the formation of any landscape design objects, it is necessary to identify the center of the composition, that is, to determine the main and secondary. The center of composition is the main thing in every landscape object. It can have different specific expressions. In some cases, the compositional center of the territory will be a square with a fountain or flower bed, in others - a decorative pond or a small architectural form. All other elements of the composition are subordinate to the compositional center and are therefore considered secondary. They come in smaller sizes and more modestly decorated. The compositional center, depending on the adopted planning structure and creative concept, can be placed at the entrance, in the geometric center of the territory or in the depths. The compositional center, in fact, is the main landscape accent of any space. In large areas of complex configuration there should be several secondary landscape accents. They all need to have thoughtful vantage points. The vantage point is the location from which the view is best perceived. Any landscape object must include several viewpoints.

In landscape design objects, based on the harmonious connection of natural and artificial (anthropogenic) elements, such patterns of constructing spatial forms as nuance, contrast and identity are used. In landscape objects they are perceived as the degree of similarity and difference in the relationships between homogeneous qualities and properties of their constituent elements and spaces. The principle of contrast is most widely used in the construction of landscape compositions. For example, small is contrasted with large, low with high, smooth with rough, dark with light.

Particularly impressive are the contrasts that arise from juxtaposing trees with opposite crown properties. For example, the weeping shape of the crown of a birch stands out favorably from the pyramidal shape of the crown of a fir or spruce. The most commonly used type of contrast is a sudden change in the character of the layout. For example, dark corridors of alleys and sunny meadows, light coloring of leaves with dark foliage, etc., as well as the sudden perception of an object.

Suddenness, that is, the unexpected revelation of an object, forces the viewer to concentrate attention in a certain direction, but this object must be aesthetically interesting.

To achieve artistic expressiveness of any territory, the use of meter and rhythm is of great importance. Rhythm in landscape design is the natural alternation of decorative elements and any finished composition. Heights, green volumes, colors, etc. can alternate. Rhythm emphasizes the peculiarity and nature of the zoning of space, the varied position of elements in space, and is a means of organizing movement. Along with rhythm, the formation of landscape objects is of great importance correct use laws of linear perspective, with the help of which you can change (improve) some spatial characteristics. So, for example, any of the landscape accents can be “brought closer” or “removed” if the alley leading to it is made shorter by changing its width in the foreground or background. You can also create the illusion of enhanced relief. So, for example, a hill with pyramidal poplars planted on top will appear higher.

To achieve artistic expressiveness of landscape compositions, it is necessary to use a background. The background is the background of the landscape, against which certain elements of the landscape located in the foreground are perceived. For landscape compositions, the background can be tall trees, hedges, trellises, buildings, etc.

Compositional construction of landscape objects is impossible without taking into account color. The creation of a landscape environment is carried out with the active inclusion of color as an important means of artistic expressiveness of compositions and a factor that has an emotional impact on the human condition. The construction of the color scheme of landscape objects is carried out according to the principle of contrast or nuance. In the perception of color, the lighting conditions of landscape objects are of great importance, depending on their orientation to the cardinal points, as well as the distance of the viewing points. From a great distance, bright colors in contrasting combinations, collected in large color spots, are better perceived.

Lighting is also very important in landscape compositions. Properly selected and installed lamps allow you to enjoy the beauty of nature even at night. Soft, unobtrusive light further emphasizes the decorative nature of the compositions, highlighting the most expressive accents. When planning the installation of lighting fixtures, it is necessary to carefully consider what we will achieve by installing the lamp in this particular place. A good result can be obtained experimentally by installing lamps in different places and evaluating the resulting effect. It is necessary to take into account changes that may occur after a few years due to plant growth. This path is the simplest, since it is much easier to make temporary wiring by trying several and choosing the best option.

There are several requirements for lighting. Lamps are installed in such places to highlight the most attractive elements of the decorative design. The light should not be bright, blinding, or irritating; it is designed to act calmingly, as an auxiliary means of perceiving beauty. The number of lamps is determined by the concept of reasonableness; an excessive number will devalue the effect of use. When choosing lamps, you need to take into account their capabilities and skillfully use different types.

Illumination of reservoirs can only be carried out with lamps specially designed for this purpose. As a rule, they are all designed for low voltage and are connected through step-down transformers. There is no point in dwelling on the characteristics of lamps. There is a wide range of them, and specialists will provide the best assistance in choosing. Considering that electrical devices are high-risk devices, all work related to them should be performed only by electricians.

Having chosen the installation locations for the lamps, proceed to laying the electrical cable. At the same time, the installation locations of circuit breakers, necessary sockets and switches are taken into account. They should be located so that they are convenient to use and at the same time inaccessible to children. Electrical cable laid underground, often along paths, hidden in pipes to prevent accidental damage during excavation work. All laid cables are marked on the site plan, and a diagram for connecting electrical devices is drawn up.

And finally, an important compositional factor, especially when designing private estates, is the zoning of the territory. Based on the location of the house, the plot, as a rule, can be divided into two parts: the front part, which is located from the entrance to the courtyard and to the facade of the house, and the rest, on which a place for recreation, a playground, a garden and a vegetable garden, and outbuildings are planned. Along with them, areas for other sites can be allocated. For example, for playing sports. The division into such zones is conditional and does not have clear boundaries. The luck of the designer, his embodiment creative approach there will be a smooth transition from one zone to another. The presence of separate compositions between them, as it were, visually smoothes out the contrasts caused by their purpose.

The recreation area is located away from outbuildings, usually closer to the house. The utility room is located as far as possible from the residential building and always taking into account the prevailing winds. Particular attention is paid to choosing a location for the playground. The best place for it is a bright place, but at the same time protected from direct sunlight. Light shade, south facing is the best option.

The second criterion is the direction of the prevailing winds. The place should be level and free of stagnant water. A mandatory condition is considered, in the presence of small children, to be away from natural and artificial bodies of water. As a rule, the playground should be visible from the premises so that the child is always in sight of the mother and family members. The garden and vegetable garden, if they are created, are best located near the economic zone, behind the recreation area and the children's playground.

The carefully thought out design gives even small garden stylish look at any time of the year. Once you become familiar with the basic principles of landscape and architectural design, you will easily cope with the development of your own design.

Straight lines, geometric shapes and symmetry are harmonious in themselves. It is better to focus on any one form, since completeness landscape composition most often achieved due to the ease of perception of the main drawing. Diversity is achieved by the different size of the shape that you choose for landscaping your seating area, lawn, flower beds and other corners of the garden.

For example, a recreation area with smooth border lines can be placed in the center of a lawn of a similar shape, into which the rest of the green composition “flows”. The latter can have, for example, the shape of an oval, the ends of which must fit exactly into a semicircle.

However, the variety of geometric shapes in landscape design acquires the desired decorativeness only if the outlines of these shapes are clearly defined - in garden paths, hedges, borders, retaining walls, and small architectural forms. The easiest way to do this is by paving or edging paths and flower beds with low borders of decorative perennials suitable for trimming.

The composition in landscape design should have a spectacular center. Trees with topiaries, original plants in tubs, sundials, terracotta vases, a sculpture of any kind or a flowing fountain allow you to beautifully fill the center of a round composition.

To frame the entrance to the house, porch or bench, figurally trimmed soloist trees growing in the ground or in tubs are ideal. They are good at the corners of flower beds and at the ends of paths, where they emphasize the clarity of geometric shapes. Since the majority woody plants, used for landscaping the garden, belongs to evergreen species; they decorate the garden in winter.

The compositional solution for garden landscape design can be based on an oval formed by a semicircular bench and a ridge with roses. Its most picturesque part is a pond framed with roses with a fountain. The second half is more modestly landscaped: a couple of pots with flowering plants and two pyramidal poplars placed symmetrically on either side of the bench. The trees echo the shape of the narrow stream of water from the fountain, distracting the eye from the hedge, behind which, perhaps, the neighboring plot already begins.

Borders emphasize lines and boundaries. The boundaries of paths and flower beds can be smooth, blurred, or you can make their design contrast with the surrounding elements, due to borders of evenly trimmed plants. The corner under the vine-covered pergola and the lawn in front of it with a small paved area form regular triangles. A circle paved with brick inside the pergola, a sundial and boxwood balls framed by paths add soft lines to the composition. The repetition of these geometric shapes allows you to create a harmonious ensemble.

Landscape composition

The concept of landscape composition. Word " composition"translated from Greek as a harmonious relationship of parts. At the same time, an architectural composition, including a landscape one, unlike, for example, a musical or pictorial composition, must solve functional problems at an artistic level. That is why the landscape composition is based on recreational, demographic, sanitary, hygienic, environmental and aesthetic requirements. An artistically meaningful landscape should be created at different levels:

• planning, i.e. organization of the environment of vast territories;
• creation of specific objects - from the city gardening system

to individual parks and squares;

Development of details of a landscape object.

Features of landscape composition. Distinctive feature works of landscape, including gardening, art are a harmonious combination of natural and artificial components. TO natural ingredients include terrain, bodies of water and green spaces. Artificial components- road and path network and various structures, from large buildings to covering parts and equipment.

All these elements can be divided into two groups: immutable(taken as the basis of the composition) and directionally changeable(projected). Natural conditions - climate, hydrography of the area, prevailing type of landscape. Lighting conditions are the basis of landscape composition of any scale. In addition, large landforms, vast bodies of water and forests are decisive. In cities and agglomerations, urban planning factors - the density and number of storeys of buildings, the mutual placement of residential, industrial and green areas, the population - along with natural conditions are the basis of the landscape composition. Of the artificial components, large transport routes, the existing road system and large public buildings are often taken as initial ones, the design of which is beyond the scope of the activities of landscaping specialists.

Other important feature landscape composition is that it is subject to continuous change depending on natural, biogenic and anthropogenic factors. The result of anthropogenic transformations changes not only the composition, but also the very conditions of landscape development. Depending on human activity, the use of the territory, recreational and environmental load on the natural basis changes. Therefore, the creation of a landscape composition should be a purposeful change in the landscape to provide a comfortable and appropriate living environment for humans.

Principles of constructing a landscape composition and its perception.

The expressiveness of a landscape composition depends not only on its own qualities, but also on the characteristics of a person’s orientation in the landscape and the possibilities of his visual perception. Isolating the main element, subordinate details and a neutral background is the basic rule for constructing a composition. Centers, main and secondary dominants, local accents and background make up the architectural and spatial structure of a park or garden. The complexity of this structure depends on the purpose of the object, the features of the functional zoning of the territory, the topography and the size of the site.

Dominants themselves express a certain idea - the basis of the artistic image of a park or garden. Such a dominant can be an artificial structure in the landscape (a stadium, a concert hall in a large park), but most often it is formed on the basis of the natural forms of the local landscape - large landforms, a forest, a large reservoir. Dominants are most often located in the center of the park, organize the main route of movement, and are perceived from several vantage points.

Local accents small architectural forms become - gazebos, bridges, stairs, sculpture; they emphasize the end of the alleys, the centers of individual areas.

Background allows you to create neutral pauses in the composition, prepare the viewer to perceive the dominant or accent, and at the same time maintain the effect of surprise, which makes exploring the park or garden exciting.

The combination of composition elements can be built according to the laws of contrast or nuance.

Contrast - This is a comparison of elements in which differences on a certain basis are brought to the point of opposition. This sign should be easily identifiable and understandable - for example, the shape or delicacy of the crown of plants, surface texture, color, degree of enclosure of the space, the nature of the illumination of the area.

Nuance relationship implies slight differences in one quality or another, when the similarity of elements in this quality is more pronounced than the difference. In this case, subtle transitions of color, plasticity, shape, texture, and lighting are used.

The vast space of a park or garden requires the introduction of an axis to create order. Spatial axis often becomes the main route of movement through the park, for example the central alley in regular compositions. In landscape parks and large park areas, the introduction of a straight axis turns out to be impractical; the axis acquires a smooth bend that follows the main walking route. The spatial axis may not coincide with the alley or road, but is a kind of “visual corridor” connecting the most expressive areas of the landscape. In axial compositions, the elements must be subordinated to it in one way or another; There are two fundamentally different methods of organizing space relative to an axis: symmetry and asymmetry.

Symmetry assumes the same arrangement of equal elements, parts or spaces relative to the axis: the placement of flower beds along the path, trees and sculptures along the alley, the location of front gardens along the street of the village.

Asymmetry is the opposite of symmetry and involves unequal placement of different elements relative to the axis. The beauty of asymmetrical compositions lies in the visual balance and subordination of parts. The asymmetrical plan of the park emphasizes the features of the landscape and the structures in it, provides the best overview of the compositional nodes and small forms from various points, and allows you to create a varied walking route.

The entire variety of spaces in a park or garden can be described using varying degrees of closure, from completely open to completely closed areas. The degree of enclosure of the space depends on the geometric configuration of the boundaries, their height and the distance of the viewer to them. IN closed spaces are dominated by volumetric large-sized elements - tall green areas, buildings and structures blocking the horizon line. In a park or garden, enclosed spaces form areas of shade. Open the spaces are formed by vast planes: a meadow or lawn, the surface of a reservoir, a paved area or a floral parterre. In an open landscape, the viewer is presented with wide vistas up to the horizon, vast sunlit areas. A special group consists of sparse spaces in which individual volumetric elements do not interfere with end-to-end viewing. An example of such a space is a birch grove.

Depending on the inspection conditions, planar, volumetric and spatial compositions are distinguished.

Planar the composition is assessed entirely from one stationary point of view or from an axis of movement pointing directly at it. Frontal composition is a type of planar composition, it also develops in one plane - vertical; These are, for example, vertical gardening techniques, floral decoration of building facades, monuments and memorial plaques, multi-tiered mixborders along the walls of buildings.

Volumetric the composition is designed to be traversed in a circular manner; its perception from several points should be varied.

Spatial the composition presupposes an obligatory movement in depth. With this movement, various visual impressions arise, replacing each other, a system of successive contrasts is visible in the degree of enclosure, illumination, and color environment of the spaces. Details of a landscape composition - a park, garden, boulevard, square, recreation area - can be regarded as planar or volumetric. The entire ensemble is a spatial composition.

The construction of a landscape composition and its perception largely depends on the characteristics of human vision. Up close we see the texture and texture of surfaces, small parts, structural features of the leaves and branches of the plant; As you move away from the object, large divisions of shape, silhouette, and pronounced color spots become decisive.

The most important role in landscape composition is played by the peculiarities of human perception of color and light, which are inseparable from each other. The connection between the phenomena of color and illumination is reflected in the concept color and light environment of the landscape: this is a combination of climatic and weather conditions, terrain, color and reflective properties of coatings and buildings, color of foliage of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. Color design is based on pure - spectral - colors. For a landscape composition as a whole, not only the color of flowers, fruits and foliage of plants is important, but also the color of structures, small forms, coverings, and garden decor. Using color in a landscape composition, you can create color accents in the most significant areas, introduce a certain psychological relationship between spaces, and set a rhythm in the perception of space.

The integrity of the perception of the landscape composition is ensured by a consistent style. Style connects together various methods of transforming the relief, reservoirs and water devices, plantings, principles of tracing the road and path network, the nature of structures and small forms.

For modern objects of landscape architecture, especially objects of large area, it is difficult to introduce an unambiguous stylistic classification. One of the modern classifications is based on a goal to achieve which the existing landscape is changed.

The first principle is the requirements for utilitarian use: growing crops, construction, organizing recreation for the population. This approach underlies the oldest known historical gardens; their solution was determined by the logic of the irrigation system or relief stabilization. Utilitarian requirements underlie modern recreation areas, various agricultural landscapes, and individual garden plots.

The second principle for solving a territory may be compliance with the specific existing landscape and the logic of its development, preserving its originality. In this case, the architectural and planning structure and landscape organization of the object are based on the features of the original landscape and a clear zoning of the territory according to the nature of use. Landscape-realistic parks of the 19th century, modern national parks, nature reserves and reserves were built according to this principle.

The third principle is compliance with a certain ideological or aesthetic “program”, philosophical ideas about the relationship between man and nature. Many French and Italian regular gardens of the Renaissance and Baroque, English landscape gardens of classicism, landscape-romantic parks of Russian estates, modern memorial parks and abstract gardens were built according to this principle. The concept of style is most often associated with this principle.

Styles of landscape compositions. In the layout of spaces, two directions have always existed in parallel: regular-geometric and picturesque-landscape, which never completely excluded each other. Nor are they polar opposites, since they reflect the idea of ​​the beauty of nature - transformed or not transformed by man. Somewhat conventionally, regular, irregular and mixed styles are distinguished.

Regular the style assumes a rectilinear or ray-shaped tracing of the road and path network with intersections that are marked by platforms, small forms or plantings. The relief of a regular garden is flat or designed in the form of terraces with retaining walls different heights. Open surfaces of lawns and flower beds of strict geometric shape play an important role. The ponds of a regular garden have a round, square, rectangular or polygonal shape, often reflecting ponds are complemented by fountains or cascades. The plantings involve the artificial formation of crowns and are represented by green walls or geometric shapes, green bosquet cabinets, linear plantings of trees and shrubs along the alleys. The dominant feature of a regular park is often a large building - palace, administrative, entertainment.

Irregular The style is based on imitation of the natural landscape, revealing its picturesqueness. The paths and paths of the irregular park have picturesque outlines, are laid in accordance with the terrain and along the most compositionally advantageous routes. The relief is preserved in its original form or enhanced by creating embankments or recesses of natural contours. The reservoirs of the landscape park are natural (lakes) or artificial, but imitate a natural prototype (pond, stream, cascade). The plantings are based on groups and arrays, selected according to the color and shape of the crown, growth dynamics; much attention is paid single landings ornamental breeds. The background for them is the surface of a lawn or meadow with arrays of flowers imitating natural ones. Architectural structures and small forms are actively included in the landscape, but do not dominate it.

It is also possible to combine regular and irregular techniques within one composition - mixed style. For example, the straight main alley of the park contrasts in design with the picturesque walking paths. Irregularly designed green spaces can soften the rigidity of the geometric layout of paths and ponds. Within one object, geometric and picturesque areas can coexist, for example, a regular entrance area with picturesque clearings for walks in the park.

To create a royal garden around an estate or a modest rural landscape around a country house, to design a city park or to landscape and create a harmonious living environment in a cottage village, you need to know and master the laws of constructing volumetric plastic landscapes.

IN landscape design there are the same rules as in other types of art - such as architecture, painting, poetry, music and scenography and direction. These rules are dictated to us by nature itself.

The natural landscape includes several interrelated natural elements: water, air masses, vegetation, geoplasticity of the earth. Modern country estates or public areas are an example of an artificial landscape created by human hands and includes artificially created lakes, streams, hills and artificially planted trees, shrubs, and flowers.

Thus, admiring the “naturalness” or, conversely, the “emphasized artificiality” of certain cultural landscapes, one should pay attention to the basic techniques of their volumetric-spatial composition and the diversity of interaction of landscape components.

I consider scenography and direction to be one of the most important techniques in landscape construction. Just as a director in his films completely recreates the atmosphere of a particular historical period or looks into the future, he “paints” pictures of other countries and worlds. Thus, a landscape architect can recreate an ancient park, greenhouse, or create a park of the future, using certain types of plants, complementing them with appropriate small forms and decor.

But you need to start with choosing a plot.

Scene selection

Design any landscape must be subordinated to a clearly formulated internal idea. Now this is more relevant than ever for the creation and landscaping of such facilities as a water park, country restaurants and clubs, large companies, yacht clubs, cottage villages, club houses, city parks and squares. This is also important for landscaping and landscaping of private estates, since the modern customer places special demands on the quality of landscaping; it is no longer enough for him to just have a lawn, thujas and spruce trees in front of the house.

Integrity of the designed composition is preserved only when the succession of landscape paintings is not just a random set of views, but is a plot basis intended to be “read” when moving from one painting to another. In the most famous historical and cultural landscapes, the sequence of landscapes was carefully thought out and linked to the walking route and the external natural environment. Between particularly spectacular views, landscape pauses were introduced to give the visitor an emotional respite, and then surprise the visitor with expressive panoramas that open again. This technique of logical construction of changing pictures allows you to avoid monotony and create a constant change of impressions, due to which there is unflagging interest in the walk. Unfortunately, we have to admit that, despite the seeming abundance of specialists in the field of landscape design, now this art of nuances is almost lost.

Organization of space

Any landscape is a volumetric-spatial structure, which consists of the following interconnected elements:

planning (alleys, paths, platforms, etc.);

volumetric (landforms, stones, trees, shrubs and herbaceous vegetation, large architectural structures and small forms);

planar (reservoirs, lawns, clearings, parterres, etc.).

Compositional combinations These elements determine the spatial character of a particular landscape.

As the “father of new gardening” W. Kent noted, spatiality, as well as the contrast of light and shadow, are the most important in landscape design.

G. Repton established the rules for constructing spatial plans. To draw attention to the compositional center of the designed landscape, it is necessary to create a certain depth of perspective. The following serve this purpose elements of a multidimensional perspective:

Viewpoint and first spatial plan. The main elements of the foreground serve as a kind of frame for the main landscape painting. The depth of the foreground should be double (or triple) the height of the tallest object. For example, a tree that forms a kind of frame for the main landscape painting has a height of 10 m, therefore, the optimal distance for it best review will be 20 m.

Intermediate medium shot. It affects the degree of openness or closedness of the view. Therefore, depending on the task at hand, it can be formed by dense clumps of trees and shrubs, a clearing, the slopes of a river valley above the water surface, etc.

The background and focus of the composition, to which the perspective is directed. The focal point of the composition is the most expressive element of a multifaceted landscape, concentrating the viewer’s attention on itself. Depending on the scale of the composition, the focal point of the perspective can be: a decorative group of trees, a tapeworm, a pond, a waterfall, an architectural structure, or a landscape background - an endless expanse of water lost in the haze, hilltops, etc.

The ratio of the depth of space between plans is expressed by the proportion 1:2:4. For example, the height of a tree is 10 m, therefore, the depth of the first plan is 20 m, the middle one is 40 m, and the back one is 80 m. Moreover, each of the main spatial plans can represent a series of smaller nuanced plans that differ in the process of their more careful consideration (Nikolaevskaya 3 . A., 1989, p.58).

When creating a planning composition of a landscape, it is important to take into account patterns of his visual perception. These include:

the angle of view of an object or landscape;

the law of linear perspective (the relationship between the apparent size of an object and its distance);

the law of aerial perspective (weakening of the clarity of the contours and colors of objects as they move away). Knowledge and application of the laws of perspective are especially necessary when creating panoramas with distant views and large open spaces.

Spatial landscape design.

IN in this case we mean the position of objects relative to each other and in relation to the observer. By arranging objects in space, we can obtain a frontal, volumetric or deep-spatial composition. The perception of deep-spatial composition is determined through linear and aerial perspective.

Law of linear perspective.

Due to the fact that the apparent size of an object decreases as it moves away from the observer - the law of linear perspective, it is possible to visually modify the space of the landscape as a whole and the sizes of its individual elements. For example, an open, flat and gradually rising surface appears larger, while a descending surface, on the contrary, appears smaller in size. Also, low banks of reservoirs, especially if they do not have dense vegetation, contribute to visual expansion water space.

As a rule, objects look better if they are placed either on a horizontal surface or

on a surface with a slight rise. But some design objects are most interesting when viewed from above or below. In particular, planning elements of the landscape (ponds, lawns, etc.) make the most favorable impression when viewed from above, and some volumetric elements (for example, trees with a pyramidal, weeping or openwork crown shape) look most impressive against the background of the sky, so they It's better to look from below. Taking this into account, the intended point of view should also change: in the first case - from a hillside, terrace, etc., and in the second case - from a lower area.

In addition, the distance between the viewer and a distant object is optically reduced if the terrain lying between them is hidden (with bushes, lower relief, etc.). This is because the eye of the observer in this case has no scale for comparison, so the interesting landscape of the surrounding area will be visually included in the cultural landscape. In Chinese and Japanese gardening art, this technique was called “the technique of borrowed landscape” (Golosova E.V., 2002; Ketchel R., 2002; Malyavin V.V., 1997).

Law of Aerial Perspective

In landscape design, the law of aerial perspective is of great importance. The further an object is located from the observer, the more its color and outline soften. Therefore, if there is a need to optically increase the depth of space, the plan can be successfully implemented, for example, with the help of appropriate selection of vegetation. In particular, the use of trees and shrubs with soft contours of crowns and bluish tint of foliage or needles at a considerable distance from the viewer will significantly enhance the impression of depth in the landscape. Conversely, designing plantings with silver, variegated and light-colored foliage in the foreground will optically bring them closer to the observer.

Landscape design - choosing a color combination

When choosing a color scheme, it is necessary to take into account the time of year, age-related changes in plants, and the color of flower beds.

In summer, spring and autumn, the color scheme of plants is determined by the color of leaves, flowers, fruits, trunks and branches. And in winter only from the coloring of the trunk and branches. Flower beds, lawns, and ponds can serve as a background for trees.

Color and light.

Color in the landscape and solar lighting are closely interconnected. Changing lighting during the day affects the properties of color, the effect of combining individual tones, as well as the perception of space.

In particular, the red color in bright daylight comes forward and approaches; in twilight it serves as a background and creates the impression of depth. The yellow color lifts the surface and makes it appear larger. It has long been noted that white and yellow extend to darker colors located nearby, visually reducing their size, and blue - in daylight, removes the object (therefore it is often used for optical expansion of small areas). In twilight colors, dark blue, violet, and black make the subject appear smaller. Green color the most calm, but we should not forget that in large spaces of green a person also feels uncomfortable, constantly trying to look for some element of a different color. In this case, introducing a spot of color or a chiaroscuro effect can enliven the monotonous green tone and structure of the landscape.

Composition in landscape design

“Composition” translated from Latin means “connection, connection.” By composition we mean the arrangement of various forms in space in combination with each other, which creates a single whole. In order to build a composition, it is necessary to take into account the geometric appearance, size, mass, texture, location, light, color and chiaroscuro of objects. This also includes: unity, proportions, laws of linear and aerial perspective.

The most important compositional techniques landscape design are rhythm, symmetry and asymmetry, contrast and nuance.

Rhythm. An example of the rhythmic repetition of individual elements and the distances between them can be alley plantings. A stable impression of rhythm is formed by repeating elements at least 4-6 times, but up to a certain limit, since a feeling of monotony of perception may arise. To avoid emotional fatigue, rhythmic formations include sculpture, flower beds, fountains, and alternate in groups different kinds trees and shrubs (for example, three pyramidal spruce trees and five lilac bushes).

Contrast represents a strongly pronounced difference between objects in one or more

characteristics - by shape, color, openness and closedness of space, light and shadow, etc. In order to enhance the impression being created, several contrasting features can be used simultaneously, but it should be remembered that with a contrastive comparison, the opposite properties of each object stand out much more prominently, so the contrast should not be too sharp and frequent.

Let us give an example of a contrasting combination of two tree species in the shape of the crown, its density and the seasonal color scheme of the foliage (needles), as well as the color of the bark of the trunks (Table 1), which can be used to create a group. However, it should be remembered that if this combination occurs frequently in the landscape, then the expressiveness of such a group will be significantly reduced.

There are also consistent contrasts. They arise during movement, and therefore the impression of the landscape depends to a large extent on previous impressions. For example, after the closed space of a dark spruce forest, an open sunny area will seem even more joyful and bright, etc.

Nuance. When constructing a landscape composition, a combination of contrast and nuance is required. Nuance is a subtle transition, a subtle difference in shapes, colors, spaces. Nuanced relationships are intended to be observed from very close distances, so they require very careful elaboration. Most often used in landscape compositions color nuances For example, in a tree group, species can be used that are contrasting in a number of characteristics (crown shape), but with nuanced shades - similarity in crown density and seasonal color of foliage (Table 2).

Symmetry and asymmetry. Harmony and balance in a landscape composition can be achieved through the use of two techniques - symmetry and asymmetry. With an asymmetrical compositional solution (typical of the landscape direction), the so-called dynamic balance is formed, when objects that differ in color, size and shape (spatial, volumetric, planar) are placed in such a way that the impression of harmony is created.

In other words, the dynamic balance of an asymmetric composition when viewed should create the impression that the sum of the elements of the landscape picture on one side of the direction of the line of sight (reservoirs, groups of trees, tapeworms, their color, illumination, etc.) is balanced by the corresponding sum of contrasting elements on the other side.

A symmetrical layout is characterized by the introduction of orderliness and rigor; a clear axial division of the territory, where the same main elements of the composition, as well as their smaller parts and details, are located at an equal distance from the main axial perspective, which creates the impression of solemnity.

It is interesting to note that during the heyday of the Baroque style and even French classicism, deviations were made from the strictness of the geometric layout in order to achieve even greater diversity in the park landscape. As previously noted, this was especially noticeable in Russia. The issue of the relationship between symmetry and asymmetry in gardening art is very delicate; it is characterized by subtle, elusive edges of transitions, subordinate to the principles of harmony and diversity.

The student of the French landscape architect J.B. Leblond-d'Argenville answers this question in the most detailed way, so it is difficult to resist quoting his statement: “...When planning a garden and distributing its individual parts, you should always take care that they are are opposed to each other, such as, for example, a forest - a parterre or a bowling green, and in no case should you place the entire forest on one side, and all the parterres on the other. You should also not place the bullet green against the pool, since by doing so we place one recess. symmetrical to the other, which should be avoided, but we place the hillside opposite the free space and tall buildings against flat ones to create variety in themes.

Variety should always be sought not only in the general plan of the garden, but also in the details, so that if two groves are located on the parterre side and although their external shapes and sizes are the same, then for variety you should not repeat their design, but each should be made so, so that they differ internally, since it would be extremely unpleasant if you saw one grove, and in another nothing aroused your curiosity to examine it. Such a garden with repetitions will be no more than half its plan, the variety of the plan will be halved, while The greatest beauty of gardens is their diversity.

You should also diversify every part of every piece. If the pond is round, then the path that surrounds it should be orthogonal (octagonal), and the same should be noted about each lawn or bowling green that is located in the middle of the grove. Identical structures should not be located on both sides of the central axis, except in open places where the eye can take in them at once.

Can be done comparative analysis compositional construction of building architecture and landscape architecture. The composition of buildings is static, building elements do not move in space, do not change color and structure with the changing seasons, unlike the composition of landscape gardens and parks, where these constant dynamic changes occur. Therefore, I consider the compositional construction of landscape objects more complex. Japanese gardens are proof and an example of the complexity of the compositional construction of the landscape; the harmony of their structures does not change and does not lose its qualities at all times of the year. To many landscape designers Even many specialists from the East are unable to create or repeat Japanese masterpieces.

Landscape design and the relationship of geometric shapes.

Nature has not created clear geometric lines; they are a human invention. Each natural element is closely related to some geometric shape. Look at the tree crowns! They all have a different shape, but each of them can be represented in the form of a ball, cone, pyramid, etc. Low-growing shrubs, flower beds and herbs have a flat shape. Paths and curbs have a linear shape.

The ratio of shape sizes in landscape design

When choosing trees and shrubs for the garden, we are based on contrasts: large - small, tall - low, cone-shaped - spherical, etc. For example, straight paths look great in combination with round flower beds. When planning the design of a site, you should not use a large number of different elements; to achieve diversity, it is better to use the law of scaling.

Geometric shapes are interesting in designing paths, borders, and lawns. In the center of the composition it is necessary to place something original, for example, an unusually shaped tree, a bright flower bed arranged in a flowerbed or tub. Trimmed trees and shrubs will look good in the corners of a square and rectangular flower garden or at the end of paths.

Using texture in landscape design

Texture- This is the nature of the surface of objects. The texture of the tree crown can be coarse (oak), medium (elm, linden) or fine (birch, willow).

Techniques of scenography and directing in landscape construction

Using the technique of scenographic construction of a landscape, you can create your own special world around a building or structure. Some people like classic formal garden, and someone wants to see a mysterious garden around them, plunging a person into the romance of the Middle Ages or other past centuries, and someone wants to walk in Japanese garden. Well, if we create green scenes along the walking paths, then scenography techniques will help open up the garden space gradually, showing us more and more new views and pictures.

By creating gardens and parks in compliance with all the laws of landscape design, we can change the feeling of space and time.

Dynamics and statics in the landscape

One of the features in landscape architecture is the creation of dynamic and static compositions. Although, in essence, the landscape is always dynamic in time. But when creating landscape panoramas, we can “paint quiet peace,” or add the dynamics of a stormy stream, a winding stream or a multi-tiered waterfall. It’s easy to create a dynamic “picture” on an area with relief or a large difference in elevation. It is very important to skillfully combine dynamic and static elements in gardens and parks.