Artificial reservoir on the household plot is a beautiful design element that, nevertheless, requires considerable financial and labor investments. An alternative to him can become easier in leaving and not so spent option - a dry stream. Beautiful, original, safe for children and relatively cheap dry streams will not be difficult to make it yourself. In this article we will tell you how to adopt the garden with this unusual and attractive element of landscape design.
Advantages of dry stream
There are several reasons why dry stream is considered a good solution for gardening. Let's consider them in more detail:
- Such imitation of the reservoir will be wonderful at any plot, regardless of its stylistic design.
- The creation of a dry stream in the country will not require such large labor and material costs as the arrangement of the real reservoir.
- In order to make a waterfall, a cascade, a spring and a different element with moving water, it is necessary to have a sufficient bias of the area. Dry streams can be created even on strictly horizontal surfaces.
- Time to implement such an idea need quite a bit, just a few days. During this period, you can do all the necessary work: determine the place, width, shape of the stream, lay it out with pebbles and even arrange with beautiful plants. All these actions are fairly easily performed independently, there is no need to attract specialists to the case.
- The dry stream in the landscape design is good also, it practically does not need to care. This cannot be said about the real water branch, which requires the installation of filters, pumps, compressors, the right organization of the system of fence and supply water. In the case of a real reservoir, it is necessary to constantly monitor the purity of water, get rid of algae and carry out the mass of other work on maintaining the stream in proper condition.
- There are absolutely any plants around the dry stream, while only the moisture-loving varieties of cultures will take place near the water. A huge selection of options will allow realizing the most unusual, original and bold design solutions.
- The shape of the dry stream you are entitled to choose any. It may be a lake of a bizarre or correct shape, a combination of several winding beds, etc.
Common types of dry streams
The choice of dry stream design depends only on your imagination. You may not be limited to any specific forms or sizes, embodying unusual and bold ideas into reality. Below we give the several most popular options for the design of the dry stream:
- Sand jets. In our country, dry streams are most often laid out by pebbles or smooth pebbles, but there is another interesting option, especially common in Japan - sand jets. These are small width grooves filled with sand. The shape of such jets can be given different, they can also be connected to each other or breed in different directions. To simulate waves on the surface of the sand, it is necessary to accurately carry out garden rakes, making shallow winding grooves. Such streams can be additionally issued using large stones or shallow pebbles.
- The source of the stream. Dry stream will look more naturally, if you place its source slightly above the mouth. You can, for example, create a small stone well, from which will "flow" your stream. Instead of a well, you can imitate the rock, laying out it from large boulders. And if it is precisely those plants that are most often growing near the water bodies, the illusion of the real stream will be the most reliable.
- Merge sleeveless. If you wish to create the appearance that the stream falls into another "reservoir", take care in advance about its layout. On the way of such a "stream" should be located any barrier, for example, fence or plants accumulation. Dry stream does not have to have one channel, it can consist of several sleeves of different widths and shapes.
Arrangement of dry stream with your own hands
Preparatory stage
Getting Started, first of all, it is necessary to make a clear plan of how future design will look like. It is worth noting that with the help of a dry stream, some landscape flaws can be corrected, if any on the plot. Thus, a winding "stream" of a small width is able to visually increase the garden area, make it visually more spacious.
A simple and fascinating process of creating a dry stream on the site will allow you to show fantasy and designer talents. Designing the shape and dimensions of the artificial stone "reservoir" is quite easy, for this you can use ordinary sand. With it, the boundaries of the bed are placed, the shape of the stream, its branch is determined. Evaluating the result of the work, you can correct the contours of the stream where you need. When you finally plan the future element of the landscape, proceed to the selection of the material for its design.
Dry streams can be laid as large massive stones and fine smooth pebbles. Various combinations of materials are particularly effectively watching when large cobblestones are supplemented with small pebbles. The original design can also be created using the combination of different shades of the material. Stones of a specific color can be emphasized correctly selected plants. Materials such as slate, Gneis and Basalt will give a dry creek gray-blue shade. The "stream" of a reddish brown gamma can be obtained using marble, granite or limestone. If you wish, the stones can be opened with waterproof paint any color you need, and if you cover the pebble with a transparent varnish, it will look pretty effectively, creating the visibility of wet stones.
The coast of the stream is better to draw large in size elements, and the "stream" itself is putting a smooth small pebbles. The landscape drops can be favorably beat by creating the visibility of a waterfall made of stones of lighter tones.
Laying of a stone stream
Deciding with the place, form and sizes of the stream, you can proceed to its design. Direct creation of a decorative design consists of several stages:
- According to a predetermined contour, a small deepening in the ground should be burned. The depth of the RVA should be approximately 20-30 cm. The walls and bottom of the ditches are aligned using garden rake.
- To through the stones of the dry stream, we did not sprinkle plants, the recess must be fastened with a durable nonwoven material of dark color. The material should pass moisture and air, so the best option will be Loutrasil or geotextile. Instead of these materials, it is possible to use a polymer film or pour the groove with a thin layer of concrete.
- Prepared ravine can be filled with stones. This process should be started from the coast of the stream, which are made in large cobblestones or boot. The clefts are filled with their bareshoes, and the bed is made from the pebble of a small size.
Coloring crime plants
As mentioned earlier, a dry stream can be decorated with practically any cultures, as moisture, and not. It is important to consider the general style design of the garden, as well as the conditions in which you have to grow by your colors. Choose plants based on considerations how well they will come down on the site. Pay attention to the composition of the soil, the illumination of the territory, the presence of constant winds, etc.
Particularly naturally similar stone construction will look in the event that it is precisely those cultures that are often found on the banks of real water bodies. It is also desirable to choose plants not too high, otherwise they will simply close the line and do not give others to admire the results of your efforts.
Against the background of the stone stream, cultures with even narrow foliage are perfectly looking: Ivolet Sunflowers, Pampas Grass, Bamboo, Chinese Reed, etc. Plants with rich blue colors will create the illusion of real water. Such cultures can become irises, bells, forget-me-not, cornflowers. On the shores of the dry stream can also be seeding plants with the leaves of a blue shade: fuchsia, bison grass, a mosquito creek, which are pretty unpretentious and are well sued in any soil.
A beautiful element of the decor can be a small wooden bridge, converted through the stone stream. Such a bridge will create an impression that quite recently real water flowed on the dried bed.
Photo of a dry stream:
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