Ornamental garden: how to create a vegetable bed in my cottage
At the stage of acquisition of houses, I decided that the standard of the garden it will not. Maximum – a few beds of greens. And potatoes and tomatoes you can buy in the market, not digging in the ground from morning till night. And something to hide: many vegetables, same cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, by the middle of summer do not look too neat. Bare stalks, yellowing leaves – all that I’ve seen it from the neighbors. And I wanted to see the site brought aesthetic pleasure, and without exception every garden.
A year after the purchase of the garden, I studied the problems of planning. Slowly planted flower beds, making paths, in General, learned the basics of landscape design in practice. Despite my sophisticated, my husband was periodically reminded that we are not all as humans. And have at least a petrushechka Yes, the onion plant. As by this time knowledge in landscape art I had a spare, I decided to make a nice husband. And build the same garden. But far from simple and decorative with raised beds-flower beds planted with plants that are all season are able to maintain a decent appearance.
The contents
The layout of my decorative vegetable garden
Promised so to do. I discovered the Almighty Google with his pictures and found many pictures of ornamental gardens. Once dismissed rectangular raised beds, standing in a row – not interesting to me. Decided to do something with meaning. And here, on the Internet, I saw a wonderful photo of raised vegetable garden-flower garden in the sun. In the centre of the ensemble is a raised round flower bed-the sun, and moving away from her elongated triangular flowerbeds-rays, their boundaries delineated by curbs. Inside of the beds – mixed planting of flowers and garden plants, mainly herbs. The greens grow quickly, seeds can interplant in any period of the season, the young plants reach maturity in just a couple of weeks.
And so I came up with the idea to create such a garden-the sun. First, all planned out on paper. Paths between the clubs will be lined with pavers. The width of the two circular tracks – 60 cm, diameter 40 cm internal Diameter circular flower bed – 280 cm At a distance of 60 cm from it will diverge to the sides 16 sectors-rays, length 300 cm Smaller side of each sector – 30 cm large and 150 cm For frame sectors and the Central circle will be used in concrete curbs. With their help, will be able to achieve geometrically precise shapes and sizes of the sectors of the garden, as well as to make possible their «elation» above ground level.
Immediately say, that work on the creation of raised sectors and tracks, laying of curbs I have decided to leave the team of builders. Myself, I took the role of organizer, for planting in the garden I also, of course, she’ll.
The formation of sectors of a decorative vegetable garden
With a hired crew, we were lucky. Worked so smoothly and quickly that the fault was not what. The day marked out all the elements of the flower beds, dug sector-rays and dug concrete curbs.
Excavated beds-segments for future decorative garden
I wanted this border to serve if not a lifetime, then a couple of decades for sure. So the choice fell on the concrete. Frankly, I was afraid that the frame would look awkward, but the song was quite nice.
The size of the borders 20х7 cm, length 50 cm When installed they were buried at half height, that is, the Remaining 10 cm 10 cm protrude above the level of the tracks. So how many elements are semicircular, the curbs had to be cut on the lapidary machine, at an angle, and then attach the corners.
In the internal space is framed by flowerbeds additionally put earth below the surface was a raised.
Around segments covered with concrete curbs
Picture already emerges! You can begin to track.
Creating paths between the beds
I’ve been thinking of what to do track. Requirements for them are: the possibility of safe travel, decorative and durable. The first thing that occurred to me – not to strain and cover the whole thing with mulch of decorative mulch. Like beautiful and useful, and convenient. Weeds through the mulch did not germinate, the powder looks neat. But then I thought that melirovannye tracks after heavy rains is not particularly like, is the mud. Yes and put some mulch will have from time to time. Another option to asphalt paths. Difficult, also not suitable. But the paving stones – at the time. Stayed.
Gave guidance to the workers and they started to create tracks. The technology is as follows:
- At the indicated shape of the tracks to dig trenches. You need to dig to clay, that is, removing all the topsoil. In our case, to a depth of 15-20 cm.
- The bottom is lined with geotextile to powder, which is from above, seeping through the soil. Otherwise, the pavement under pressure can sink, to change the angle.
- The geotextile is poured in layers: sand – 5 cm, crushed – 5 cm, again the sand is 5 cm the Thickness is approximate, can vary, depending on the situation and his own eye.
- Sand-gravel cushion is spilled with water from a hose to completely wet.
- Cushion roller compacted so that it does not remain traces when stepping. When there is insufficient compaction, the sand eventually gives way and paving it will stagger and then fall off. Compaction is an important part of the work!
- The top is filled with a mixture of sand and cement about 3 cm in height.
- To the mixture of pavers are placed, each element is driven with a rubber hammer.
- The joints between the pavers are sealed puskesmas.
All of the above steps were performed, after which the beds for my decorative vegetable garden was ready for planting. I opened a field for landscape experiments!
The paving stones of the paths between the raised beds of the vegetable garden
Landscaping decorative garden
Unfortunately, the yard was already autumn, the season ended, so the settlement of garden crops in the first year I decided not to. And since the spring, bought the strawberry bushes and planted them half of the sectors-beams (8 PCs.). The remaining sectors are still covered with black non-woven material («Spunbond») to the weeds from growing and do not spoil the look of the garden.
In the Central flowerbed I have a flower garden, so there I put 3 Stam lilac «Palibin», bury a few roots of the peonies and planted bushes Geiger. For bright spots on a great circle of the sun were planted clumps of the Vale of eternal blossoms pink begonias. Bought a ready-made blooming seedlings in greenhouses, where it is quite inexpensive. Sorry begonia, our winters can not stand each year, if you want to save a song, will have to buy new bushes.
Strawberries on decorative garden bloomed and gave a good harvest in the first year!
I admit, this year I was very busy with the landscaping of other parts of the plot, so the garden had made it into the background. And stood, half-covered covering material the entire season.
But next spring I already prepared a planting plan, beginning the crops. In the flower beds-rays put different salads, carrots, onions, beets, parsley and dill.
Land on the Central flower bed I zamulchirovat decorative chips
A very important event in the care of ornamental garden – watering, preferably in the heat every day. Without organized, regular moisture, the harvest you will receive. But beauty and bright juicy greens will be forgotten. If you are in the country only on weekends, the best exit in such situation – the organization of drip irrigation. I have raised beds along the stretched hoses, the water is supplied from the storage barrels.
Most importantly, do not water the plants from above in the afternoon when the sun is shining. Otherwise, the thin leaves will burn. If watering from the top (e.g. with a circular scatterer), only in the evening or in cloudy weather. A decorative vegetable garden is not the usual beds, this is a kind of flower, but only for vegetables and herbs.
The Central flowerbed bloom peonies and lilacs
At the beginning of June, all garden the sun turned green in various shades bloomed peonies and lilacs, fluffed the leaves Geiger. I have a different plant – the leaves are green, yellow, purple. They are planted around the rim of a circular flower bed in the center framed by composition of peonies and lilacs Stam. In General flowerbed-flower bed makes for such an unusual color in the ornamental garden, dilutes the color of greenery with their bright colors.
At the same time, despite the fact that the segments of the rays planted one green, each culture has its own color. Oak salad – brown lettuce – green onions – dark green. Parsley – carved, dill, woolly, and in the summer it still blooms yellow umbrellas. Everything is so different that it looks like the garden is not boring, not monotone.
Greens grow very quickly, so in early summer ornamental garden looked quite full flowerbed
Different shades of green on the decorative vegetable garden make it bright
A riot of decorative garden in mid-summer, the greens grew and closed all the voids, flowered ukrop
Of course, I’ll change everything, mix, you might boost the green colors on the contour plots. And while I like everything and so. This is a very unusual and pleasant feeling when you realize that all this beauty that blooms and green — your doing. And, through his own work, managed to organize not the usual garden and design vegetable flowerbed. Perhaps my suggestions will help someone to build your decorative garden. Go for it, and you will succeed!
Irina