100 best ideas for designing a courtyard in a private house in the photo

If you are the owner of a country cottage or a private house located in the city, then you understand very well - the business does not end at the arrangement of your home. A lot of time, effort and money is spent on effective and beautiful decoration of the territory adjacent to the house. Currently, landscape design has been heard even in the most remote villages. But not all of our compatriots will agree that the time of the beds, broken throughout the plot, has passed, giving way to alpine hills, fountains and artificial ponds in an oriental style.

Most owners of private houses (both within the city and beyond) choose the option of decorating the territory adjacent to the dwelling, but with a functional background. In order for your work to be embodied in a harmonious, beautiful and practical landscape design that will please you and your family all year round, planning must be approached seriously. Fortunately, information on this topic is now more than enough. It is possible to equip a private territory with a minimum of financial costs, but you will have to spend a lot of time and effort. To maintain the beauty of your site, you will need to find the opportunity, and pay attention to plants, buildings, ponds and even garden furniture.

We plan the beauty of the yard

The courtyard around a city private house or a country cottage is an adjacent territory that meets not only the owners after a hard day (or a week, in the case of suburban estates), but also their guests. We can safely say that the impression of homeowners begins to take shape at the first glance at the design of a personal plot or yard.

Before you begin planning landscaping, decide what “beautiful yard” means to you? How would you like to see him, is it important for you to impress your neighbors and guests with the splendor of the courtyard design, or do you put practicality and convenience at the forefront? What is your way of life, do you have children and pets, do guests often gather for barbecue and barbecue, are there evening gatherings in the fresh air? Largely from the answers to these questions depends on the set of "scenery" of your private yard. Taking into account the many nuances of the further operation of your site at the initial planning stage, you will save not only money, but also time for subsequent alterations, reconstructions, and corrections.

Of course, in many respects the landscape design of your yard will depend on its size. If the territory is large, then the flight of your imagination will be limited only by the financial capabilities and landscape features of the territory, such as soil and being in relation to the cardinal points. But if we are talking about a small backyard of an urban private house, then in this case it is necessary to set clear priorities. A few square meters will be difficult to place a playground, and a place for barbecue, and a patio for relaxation, and a large flower bed.

Having worked out the optimal plan for creating landscape design, we move to the area and mark out the exact location of all objects (arbors, flowerbeds, rock gardens, ponds and patios). Experts recommend for simplicity to break the entire area into squares. Each such segment will have a key figure - a building or a decorative element. Thus, it is easier to evenly distribute all the planned objects of landscape design and create a balanced appearance of the site.

Before starting construction work (if planned), it is necessary to check the condition of the territory. If segments of water accumulation are detected, lay drainage. At the same stage, all communications necessary for watering the plants and the operation of artificial ponds, fountains and waterfalls are laid.

Walkways, steps and beds

Garden paths are an integral part of any landscape design. In addition to its main goal - the organization of safe movement around the site, paths perform the functions of zoning and decoration of the territory.

Garden paths can be laid out from large, but flat stones, concrete slabs, clinker or ordinary brick, cobblestones, covered with fine gravel or pebbles, fencing with special low curbs. Combining the material of the tracks, you can get not only the necessary functionality, but also the decorative decoration of the garden or yard.

Landscaping and geometry are inextricably linked. For some, harmony and balance in the environment is seen in smooth lines, rounded shapes, winding paths and oval flower beds. Someone needs rigor and clarity - direct garden paths, as satellites from point A to point B, strict forms of shrubs, trimmed with what is called a "ruler" and an absolutely even lawn. Only the owners know which plants and tree shapes can caress their eyes and bring calm and balance to their mood.

Planting flowers in flower beds or garden tubs, pots, it is better to plan in such a way that the flowering of one is replaced by the flowering of other varieties. In this case, your yard will be able to please you and your family with bright colors throughout the entire warm season (in most regions of our country, this is from mid-April to early October).

If the landscape of your site involves some hillyness, then instead of fighting with nature, creating artificial mounds and leveling the slopes, you can succumb to the natural arrangement of hills and lowlands and build beautiful steps that can act as a focal center, attracting everyone's attention.

Artificial ponds on the site, fountains and cascades

It is rare that an oriental landscape design does without a small artificial pond or a small source of water. And as we know, all European and American landscape designers, and even our compatriots, draw inspiration from the founders of the skill of bringing beauty and harmony to the territory surrounding the house - the eastern peoples.

Japanese masters consider water not only a source of life, but also together with the earth - a symbol of harmony, balance of all living things. It’s not easy to organize an artificial reservoir on the site, you will need to turn to specialists, study the features of the soil and landscape in order to choose the right place, conduct communications and subsequently tirelessly take care of the functioning of the fountain or cascade. But all the effort, work and money spent will pay off when you can watch the fish in your artificial pond or watch the water flow into a small tank.

Efficient private courtyard lighting system

Lighting the territory of a private courtyard is not only a question of the possibility of extending the time for communication with the surrounding nature, but also a safety priority. A well-thought-out and harmonious lighting system will allow you to safely move around the site in the dark, be on the patio and enjoy the backlighting of the courtyard’s landscape design decor items that are especially significant for you.

First of all, think over functional lighting - highlighting the facade of the house and additional buildings, the entrance to the garage or the parking lot of the car, the main entrance. Experts recommend placing lighting devices in such a way that the outlines of the perimeter of your yard are visible and possible ways of moving around the site are highlighted - garden paths, steps.

Next, you can begin to develop a plan for decorative lighting. You can create lighting near the flowerbed, garden sculpture, rock garden or pond. With the help of LED strips, trees and shrubs are illuminated, the so-called "backlighting without lights."

Lamps can be integrated in the spaces between the degrees, but this point needs to be considered at the initial stage of designing the location of landscape design objects. Currently, there are many lighting devices that run on miniature storage batteries that draw energy from sunlight. You do not have to spend money on electricity bills, the dim light of energy-saving lamps will be enough for safe movement along the tracks of the site.

The place of rest with the center

Even in a small area, you can find a corner for organizing a vacation spot with the possibility of cooking on an open fire. Agree, it is unfair to deny yourself the opportunity to call friends for barbecue, living in a private house with a yard, even if it is located in the city center.

The round hearth serves as an excellent focal point around which there is garden furniture (chairs or small sofas), paths are formed and plants are planted. The beam layout system in this case will be the most advantageous.

A street fireplace or a large stove made of stone will become not only the functional embodiment of cooking various dishes on an open fire, but will also form a resting place in which you can simply relax while watching the flame in the hearth.

Outdoor dining area or canopy

To install a dining group, you need very little space. You just need to purchase a table and chairs (or mini-chairs) to get the opportunity to dine in the fresh air.

But if you have the opportunity to organize an indoor canopy for the dining area on the site, then in this case bad weather conditions will not be able to influence your plans. In hot weather, you and your family or guests will be protected from the sun, in rainy weather - you can safely continue lunch or dinner.

How to equip a small backyard

Very often, urban private houses cannot boast of having a large surrounding area. Usually in front of the house there is a place for parking a car or arranging a garage and all the recreation areas, games and cooking in the fresh air have to be transferred to the backyard, the size of which is very limited.

In this case, it will be effective to arrange a wooden platform or deck as a basis for arranging a patio or outdoor dining area. Perennial plants in bulk beds around the perimeter of the territory or near the fence will not only decorate your back yard, but also hide your site from prying eyes.

Further, you just have to choose garden furniture, which will serve to organize a place of rest or meal in the open air. Outdoor furniture can be portable or stationary. Usually, stone or solid massive furniture acts as stationary furniture, but for small courtyards without awnings this option is not the most successful. It is better to give preference to folding furniture, which you can hide in the pantry or in the attic with the onset of cold weather.

Currently, there are many options for garden furniture for every taste and size of the wallet. The most popular among our compatriots is furniture for the street, made of plastic (affordable price and ease of transportation) and artificial rattan (looks respectable and expensive). But there are many models made of wood, forged metal, stone and even bamboo. The choice of furniture for a private patio will depend on your financial capabilities, frequency of operation and the possibility of maintaining furniture. For example, plastic furniture can be washed with a hose, but rattan products are very dependent on moisture. Shod chairs and tables need to be tinted every 2-3 years, and wooden furniture needs to be impregnated with oil and varnished or with protective antiseptics.

Decoration of your back yard can be a hedge. In addition to the main goal - protecting the territory and protecting against the penetration of outsiders, the fence can also perform a decorative function. Its frame can serve as the basis for the arrangement of weaving plants, forming a combined fence, or the design of the fence itself can stand out against the general background of landscape design.

The unusual design of the fence or its bright color will bring a positive mood not only to the recreation area, but also to the entire territory of the backyard. The furniture or soft fillings selected for the color of the fence will create a harmonious patio with an attractive appearance.

The backyard area, in addition to the option with a wooden platform, can be laid out with concrete or stone slabs, covered with fine gravel or decorative pebbles, outlining the borders with low borders or metal (polycarbonate) stops. But in the case of loose flooring, you need to be prepared for the constant pouring of material and align it to the site.

The organization of the dining area on a wooden platform is one of the most common options for using a small area of the backyard. What could be better than a meal with family or in the company of friends and relatives in the fresh air? In such an environment, both appetite is better and the food tastes better.

For the dining area on the street, it is better to use light but stable furniture that you can bring under a canopy or even in a room, put it into storage in the winter. But in addition to the design and material of garden furniture, the design of the products, their color and texture are also important. If the entire composition of the dining area is sustained in close tones, the place for eating will delight and soothe, creating a peaceful atmosphere. If you decide to use bright, accent items of furniture or decor, then the atmosphere of the dining area will become tonic, energizing with optimism and good mood. It all depends on the temperament of the homeowners and the result that they want to get from staying in the backyard.

In addition to organizing a place to relax or dining, in the backyard you can place a segment for the preparation of barbecue and barbecue. Whether it is a stationary hearth, portable barbecue, a real Russian stove or just a big grill - it all depends on your preferences and the size of the courtyard. But in any case, you will need to take care of the seating areas near the fire and the table, which will perform many functions.