How to decorate a dry stream of flowers. A dry stream is a stylish garden decoration. Where and how best to place streams without water

What kind of decoration techniques do designers use to transform ordinary garden plots into fabulous corners for complete relaxation? A dry stream is one of the popular modern landscaping tools, in which there is not a single drop of water, but only stones that imitate the bed of a dry stream. The main advantage of this “spicy” design element is that when deciding to create a dry stream with your own hands in a garden plot, the implementation of the idea does not require significant material costs.

The ubiquitous decorative element originates from sunny Japan. In the country rising sun The element of water is associated with purity and thirst for life, and the murmur is a symbol of the transience of time. Dry streams, which are very popular in Japanese gardens, are necessarily present in areas where water for some reason cannot be used as an element of landscape design. A dry stream in the garden, as an imitation of this element, allows you to create the impression that the water in the bed of the source has just dried up, and the first drops of rain will fill it again with life-giving moisture.

• The ability to create a dry stream with your own hands without much effort or significant financial expenses.
• Speed ​​of construction: selecting a location, marking the stream bed and filling it with stones takes only two to three days.
• Easy to maintain, which is limited only to maintaining the shape of the riverbed and removing weeds. While caring for a water stream involves timely cleaning of lime deposits and algae.
• The decoration of a dry stream with plants is not limited to anything. While for planting near a natural reservoir, the choice is limited only to moisture-loving flowers and plants.
• Safe for small children. In addition, in dry streams, unlike natural reservoirs, mosquitoes are not found, causing so much inconvenience for a good rest.

The bed of a dry stream does not require the purchase of expensive compressors, water supply and purification systems, which are a necessary attribute for the development of natural reservoirs.

A dry stream will be the optimal solution for plots of any garden style

We choose the shape of the structure and prepare the stones

Proper planning of the placement of a dry stream bed in a dacha will help disguise the imperfections of the terrain. A narrow meandering stream visually deepens the space, making a visually small garden somewhat larger.

Setting up a dry stream is a fun and easy-to-follow activity that allows you to realize on your site your ideas for creating an original decoration that will highlight the sophistication of your landscape design.

The contours of the stone stream are “drawn” based on the characteristics of the shapes and landscape of the area garden plot. A contour drawn with sand will allow you to preliminarily determine the shape of the future structure and its harmonious combination with existing decorative elements. The shape can be easily corrected by “writing out” new contours with a thin line of sand, selecting best option, which fits perfectly into the landscape of the area. Having decided on the shape and size of the stone structure, you can move on to choosing the nature of the material and its quantity.

One of the secrets that reveals how to make a dry stream that imitates the flow of water is the exclusion of clear boundaries and heterogeneity of the structure

A dry stream on the site that does not have the same width along the flow simulation looks more beautiful and natural.

Both large cobblestones and small pebbles are suitable for decorating a stream. Combination of stones various sizes, colors and textures allows you to create spectacular compositions that will become a bright addition to any direction of landscape design. You can get a stream of a gray-bluish tint by using slate, basalt and gneiss.

Ponds made of granite, marble and limestone acquire red-brown shades. Pebbles painted with waterproof paint, which gives light in the dark, can be an effective decoration for a stream. Stones exposed with a layer of varnish look no less original. Stones playing with shimmer in the sun’s rays give the compositions a “wet” effect.

The illusion of water flow can be easily achieved by adding a scattering of glass granules or balls to the composition of stones

In order for the stone stream to blend harmoniously with the natural landscape of the area, it is advisable to use local types of stones in the design of the structure. To create a flow effect, flat pebble stones are suitable, and larger stone blocks are suitable for the coastline. Uneven terrain is successfully decorated with waterfalls made of stones of lighter shades.

Laying stones along the prepared contour

Having chosen a place and decided on the contours of the structure and the materials of the composition, you can begin construction. A “trough” is dug along the contour marked with sand: a layer of earth 15-30 cm deep is removed. The surface of the “pit” is leveled with a rake. In order to avoid the growth of weeds, which can spoil all the beauty of a dry stream, the bottom should be covered with a dark non-woven covering material that allows moisture and air to pass through, for example: geotextile or lutrasil. Alternative option A thin layer of concrete or polymer film may also appear. The leveled and covered surface can now be decorated with stones.

The main requirement for the design of a stone composition is laconicism and moderation.

Laying a stone pond begins with the “banks”. Rubble and cobblestones are used to support the inner edges, pebbles are used to fill crevices, and the bed of the stone reservoir itself is filled with small pebbles.

Decorating a rock pond with plants

Plants are an obligatory element in the design of a stone stream. A dry stream of flowers allows you to get the maximum effect of the similarity of a stone structure with a real body of water.

When choosing plants to decorate the “banks” of a stone stream, you can use any shrub, decorative foliage and beautifully flowering plants. The main requirement is that the flower arrangement must be harmoniously combined. When selecting plants, the illumination of the site, soil composition, moisture and temperature conditions. When designing the bed of a stone stream, it is advisable to use plants that actually grow in water.

Against the background of small pebbles, plants whose color is associated with the water element look impressive, for example: large-leaved forget-me-not or creeping tenacious

Plants of blue-green shades with long leaves are also associated with water spaces. Plants whose flowers are painted in rich shades will become a spectacular decoration of a stone stream. of blue color. Among the beauties that bloom in all possible shades of blue, the following are suitable for decorating a pond: lobelia, aubrietta, blue fescue, creeping tenacious, bearded iris, large-leaved brunera.

Chinese reed, pampas grass, willow sunflower, hosta, daylily, and plantain sedge can be successful additions to the composition.

When planning a stone pond on your site, you can use the following design option with plants: 1 – leafy bamboo, 2 – varieties of bearded iris, 3 – lobelia, 4 – creeping tenacious, 5 – Poskharsky’s bellflower, 6 – hybrid forms of aubrieta, 7 – large-leaved brunera , 8 – stylifolia bryozoan, 9 – red-leaved creeping tenacious, 10 – reed arundo

When creating a dry stream in a country house, it is advisable to use more natural elements to create a harmonious composition. A decorative wooden bridge looks very impressive against the background of a stream.

The decoration in the form of a dried up stream bed will add a touch of romance and wildlife to the monotonous landscape. Unlike an alpine slide, which has a similar aesthetics, a dry stream in a country house or near a house can have applied value. If you build it along the path of communications, electrical wiring or water supply, you can provide easy access, especially to the joints, if repairs are necessary.

With skillful planning, you can combine a decorative effect with drainage, which removes excess moisture from cultivated areas of land.

Layout features

To create a picture close to nature, you need to decide on the location and area that needs to be allocated for a dry stream.

In areas with a slope, an imitation of a rocky mountain stream will look good. The smaller the area, the more compact this should look decorative element. A sinuous and sometimes expanding pattern will complement the illusion.

The choice of location for the source and channel also matters. A stone stream can unexpectedly peek out from the thickets, and at the end of a serpentine flow into a decorative jug half buried in the ground.

For large projects, a hill of boulders is built at the source, and a small decorative pond is laid out below.

On flat areas of land, the beds of decorative dry streams can be evenly lined or meandering. Additional items made of plants, clay decor, artificial and road bridges will complement the design.

Nuances of construction

Making a dry stream with your own hands is not difficult, you can give free rein to your imagination, and if the result does not justify itself, redo it or move it finished project to another place.

IN step by step form The creation of this decor looks like this:

• Creating a project: choosing a location and materials, with a trajectory drawing and placement of decorative accents.
• Channel marking. You can use threads or wooden pegs. But in order to visually imagine the occupied area and once again check the pattern, it is better to draw a stream of sand over the area of ​​work.
• Digging a shallow (10-15 cm) channel. With a narrow channel, it is necessary to provide for a slope of the walls, which will allow the pattern to be preserved.
• Land clearing and compaction.
• Isolation of the riverbed using waterproof material - construction or other polypropylene film.
• Laying stones along the shoreline and filling the riverbed with small pebbles or expanded clay.
• Final installation.

When laying, you can use design tricks:

• Flat river stones installed on an edge or at an angle will create the effect of a fast flow;
• For the illusion of a shallow, you can install a massive stone, with sand and pebbles randomly located close to it;
• The color palette of the filler can be made darker towards the middle of the channel to create the effect of depth;
• Glass beads and small mirror inclusions, as well as varnished stones, will help create the effect of water.

When choosing materials, you need to ensure against possible injuries, avoid cutting and sharp materials, or place them out of reach of people. When working on an inclined plane, the risk of collapse must be avoided.

Design ideas and styles

In order to obtain an effect as close to natural as possible, it is necessary not only to take into account the characteristics of the site, but also to make additional plantings of characteristic plants. This most difficult project to implement must be thought out to the smallest detail; only unprocessed natural material must be used for masonry.

To maintain the illusion, regular maintenance and adjustments to the overall picture may be necessary. This approach is more expedient to apply in the case when the features of the relief are as close as possible to the possibilities of simulation.

Semi-stylized options are used most often. At the same time, the wild beauty of the stones can be set off with stylish decor, creating the impression of being well-groomed and allowing you to individualize the project.

When laying, you can use inclusions of painted stone, glass, and shells. Sandboxes, bridges, flower beds located along a trajectory will help to fit a new element into the overall landscape.

Dry streams can complement artificial reservoirs, alpine coaster and gazebos, becoming a tool for zoning the territory. Examples of dry stream design projects presented in the photo show the variety of possible options.

Purely decorative projects are usually used to create children's fairy tales, with figurines of characters and blue pebbles that replace water in a stream.

Another option is a geometrically outlined masonry created in a minimalist style from stones of the same size.

Photo of a dry stream

Creating an artificial stream on a summer cottage or personal plot is quite a labor-intensive task. It is especially difficult to establish continuous circulation of water. An alternative to a water stream is a dry stream, which is much easier to make. In addition, it has other advantages, for example, the absence of insects that like to gather near the water. And if there are small children in the family, such a reservoir will not pose a danger to them.

Arguments for a dry stream

You can lay the path of a dry stream in any part of the garden, no matter whether it is a hill or a depression, a sunny or shady place. In contrast, the bed of an artificial stream must have a slope.

In addition, in an open place, water evaporates too quickly, which is why it needs to be constantly replenished.
A dry stream is often used as part of a drainage system, and the cost of creating it is much reduced.

Another advantage is ease of maintenance: you do not need to monitor the cleanliness of the water and the condition of the bottom. Since there is no mechanical part (pumps and filters), there is no need to purchase and maintain it.
Another important advantage is that any vegetation can be used in the design of a dry stream. Only moisture-loving plants can grow near ordinary bodies of water.

Dry stream planning

First of all, the trajectory and width of the channel are determined, and suitable material to imitate it. The length of the stream depends on the capabilities of the garden plot, but, regardless of size, it must include the mouth and source. Usually the mouth is located at any point, and for the source it is preferable to choose a small hill so that the composition has a more expressive appearance.

An imitation of a source laid out in the form of a stone well will help give the stream a natural look. You can also make a slide from large stones, creating the illusion of a stream emerging from the rock.

Advice! If it’s difficult to decide on a design on your own, it’s easy to find photos of finished landscapes with a dry stream on the Internet and use them as a basis. An example could even be a sketch of a natural stream, if slightly modified.

Pebbles and pea gravel are the most popular materials for creating a dry stream. They can be found in nature, for example, on the banks of a river. Basalt and shale are often used to create a channel. Large stones, colored granite, and glass blue granules will help add emphasis to the composition.

How to make a dry stream

Stages of creating a dry stream

The riverbed is marked using sand. The outlined area is cleared of weeds and slightly deepened. It is advisable that the notch is not too deep, otherwise the stream will look unnatural. The next step is to lay a layer of sand and material that prevents the germination of weeds. It is best to cover the sand cushion with agrofibre.

It allows moisture to pass through well, but weeds do not penetrate through it.
The coastline is laid out from large stones, and inner space filled with crushed stone, pebbles and small stones.

Bright blue shards of glass tiles, evenly scattered along the entire length of the riverbed, will help create the impression of water reflections.

Vegetation is selected depending on the landscape. It is not recommended to use quickly growing shrubs, which in a few years will cover the entire composition with green mass.

If the style of the site allows, single planted low-growing perennials are used in the design. The bulk of the plants used in dry creek landscaping are herbaceous ground cover planted in the spaces between the boulders.

Sometimes a dry stream settles on a green, trimmed lawn. In this case, it attracts all the attention, so the selection of stones must be approached with greater care.

Water decorative elements refresh the exterior, regardless of the area of ​​the site. Even in the most modest courtyard there is room for artificial pond or a fountain decorated with natural stone and aquatic plants. No less popular are dry streams, which from afar skillfully imitate moving water or hint at its presence. The article talks about how to make a dry stream at your dacha with your own hands, the intricacies of its design, the rules for carrying out the work and the choice of material.

Design features of a dry stream

Not every part of a dacha or village has perfectly flat terrain. To hide the imperfections of the relief or to add originality to the exterior, the owners equip different elements decor. One of the popular options is the development of Japanese designers, made from natural stones in the form of a dry stream.

• A meandering narrow line of a stream deepens the space, visually enlarging a small flower bed, orchard or rockery.
• The design of the facility is developed individually, taking into account the scale and quantity of consumables.
• The contour, often drawn from coarse sand, repeats the features of the landscape of the area.

Important! The winding strip should fit harmoniously into the overall picture adjoining plot, echo other elements of its design.

The base of the stream is constructed from natural stones different breeds And color range. The wider the range of bulk materials, the more natural the object will be. Don't be afraid of making mistakes when laying out pebbles; the contour can be easily corrected with a new portion of sand.

An important point is the selection of consumables; they should differ not only in color, but also in size. A natural stream looks colorful, including light streams of water and dark depth tones.

Advice! To recreate such beauty on a site, it’s worth thinking through everything down to the smallest detail. It’s even better to familiarize yourself with the works of other masters in order to develop your own, original and extraordinary project.

A dry stream passing through a flowerbed - fashion trend in landscape design

What stones are needed for a dry stream?

To decorate a stream, you need to stock up on coarse sand and stones. Before using the sand component, it is recommended to sift the workpiece using a fine sieve. This will make it possible to get rid of debris and foreign objects.

1. Stones should be selected in different colors and parameters. Small pebbles, large cobblestones and even crushed stone are suitable. Ideally, natural minerals will differ significantly in texture and shape.
2. The stream will acquire a gray-blue tonality if you use a combination of basalt, slate, and gneiss in your work. A mound made of marble, limestone and granite will help give a reddish-brown hue.
3. To make an object truly unique, pre-painted stones that glow in dark time days. To do this, part of the workpiece is coated with waterproof paint with a glow effect.

On a note! At daylight the stream sparkles underneath sun rays, if the top layer is equipped with stones covered with waterproof varnish. Thanks to this technique, it is also possible to create a “wet effect”.

Sea rocks as filler for a dry stream - looks amazing

What to pay attention to when organizing a dry stream at your dacha

By doing installation work worth observing important points, which will make the composition as similar as possible to a natural stream:

• Local rocks look more natural in the landscape;
• the coastline is formed by large stone blocks;
• the flow effect is created using pebbles;

As you can see, it’s beautiful to design the landscape summer cottage, you can even use ordinary stones, the main thing is not to be afraid of change

How to make a dry stream with your own hands: laying out the outline (photo)

After the boundaries of the location of the design object have been determined on the site and prepared Consumables, you can start working.

The contour of the stream is filled with sand, after which a pit is dug up to 30 cm deep. There is no point in digging deeper, since a dry stream in a dacha is purely decorative.

DIY dry stream - digging a ditch

The soil must be well-permeable to air and moisture so that fungi and mold do not develop in the embankment. Otherwise, an unpleasant putrid odor may appear in the area.

The basis for a dry stream can be a concrete surface or concrete blocks. If the latter option is chosen, then the bottom part is carefully leveled and compacted with a tamper.

In order to further avoid the germination of weeds from under the stones, it is recommended to lay geotextiles (lutrasil) over the entire surface. Experts do not recommend using plastic film for these purposes.

Laying stones should begin from the coastal part. Large fragments (cobblestones, rubble) will not only give natural shapes, but will also serve as support for the edge line.

Pebbles are ideal for filling crevices, and small pebbles can imitate the bed of a stone reservoir.

Decorating a dry stream on the site with plants (photo)

When decorating a dry stream with your own hands, you cannot do without vegetation. The lack of flowers and greenery will not allow you to make a beautiful and accurate imitation. And the aesthetic qualities of a bare stone path are low.

The maximum resemblance to a real stream is achieved by planting decorative foliage flowers and shrubs along the shoreline, which become especially attractive during the flowering period.

Beautiful and well-kept garden

• the selected crops must be combined according to external signs and getting along with each other;
• matching lighting and soil type;
• the composition should include plants that grow in nature near water;

Important! A picture consisting only of flowers looks sparse ( ideal option considered a combination of shrubs, flowers, green grass with tall foliage).

When choosing colors, preference should be given to blue-green colors in different shades. The following plants are ideal for landscaping the coastal zone:

photo	Variety name
	Aubrieta - perennial, having beautiful bright purple flowers. Ideal for planting in open ground.
	Creeping tenacious- a very unpretentious perennial plant that gives a dry stream a special mood and style.
	Lobelia- a representative of the bellflower family. They can grow well either alone or together with other plants.
	Blue fescue- a herbaceous plant with a spherical shape and a pale blue color. From a distance, blue fescue resembles a sea urchin.
	- a perennial plant species. It has beautiful pale blue inflorescences and huge leaves. Tolerates winter and cool weather well and does not require frequent watering.

It is appropriate to complement the picture with Chinese reed, daylily, plantain sedge, willow sunflower, and pampas grass. Throughout the warm season, the stream will look beautiful if you choose crops with different flowering periods.

Composition option

• bamboo leaf;
• aubrieta (hybrid varieties);
• red-leaved creeping tenacious;
• brunera macrofolia;
• bearded iris (any variety);
• awl-leaved bryozoan;
• arundo reed;
• Poskharsky's bell;

An original idea is to supplement a dry stream with other decorative elements, for example, a wooden bridge or a water mill. It is considered appropriate to install single garden sculptures along the coastal part.

Rules for selecting vegetation

Why a dry stream in landscape design is stylish and fashionable (photo)

The main advantage of a dry stream is the ability to create a decorative object with your own efforts. Another significant addition is independent project development. The design of dry streams will be exclusive thanks to the embodied imagination and developments.

• Dry stream in landscape design is popular among owners of private households due to other equally valuable advantages:

• It only takes 1-3 days to arrange the facility;
• Easy maintenance (there is no need to frequently clean lime deposits, as is the case with ponds);
• The ability to change the composition of plants, equip the area with lighting or other devices, which does not require disassembling the structure;
• Does not occur during operation dangerous situations for animals and children;
• The absence of water prevents the accumulation of mosquitoes and other insects and mammals on the site.

Separately, it is worth noting that when organizing a dry stream at the dacha, a lot of money is saved on equipment that is necessary for water bodies.

The dry stream in the yard impresses with its beauty throughout the warm season, changing its tone each time depending on the flowering period of the plants.

Having decided on the landscape design of the future dry stream, it is necessary to mark the channel on the site. You can do this with sand, or stretch a rope along the intended stream. It is more convenient to work with sand, the composition looks natural, it is easy to make corrections by outlining a different contour. The next step is construction.

You need to dig a small pit along the bed of the future stream; the ratio of the width and depth of the bed should be approximately 2:1. If your stream width in some place is 1 m, then the depth of the pit in this place should be 0.5 m. Level the surface of the pit with a rake.

It is necessary to put some kind of covering on the bottom, for example, geotextiles, which allows water and air to pass through, so that weeds do not grow in the future stream. You can also concrete the bottom, use a polymer film or roofing felt. If you are afraid that water will erode your stone bed over time, you can concrete the bottom layer of pebbles into the bed, and add more stones on top so that the bottom is not visible.

Then you can lay stones on the surface, starting from the banks. Large cobblestones are placed along the edges, interspersed with small pebbles. To imitate waterfalls and rapids, the brightest and lightest stones are used. You can also place glass pebbles at the bottom of the riverbed to imitate water.

Flat stones - plasters, placed on their edges, create an imitation of the movement of water. The same effect can be achieved using stones of blue shades. If you place a boulder in the middle of a “water” channel, you can use pebbles to create the illusion of a “whirlpool” around it. The main thing is that the composition of stones looks natural.

A good addition to a dry stream would be a bridge. If you have a large solid stone on your site, you can lay it across the stream so that the “water” seems to run under it. If you have the desire and the materials, you can make an imitation of a bridge from wood, and do it yourself. A wooden bridge and a dry stream in landscape design will go well together.

The next step in creating a dry stream is decorating the banks with plants. When selecting them, it is necessary to take into account the climate of your region, as well as the composition of the soil on the site, the presence of sunlight, humidity and temperature.

Among flowering plants, preference should be given to species with blue, blue, purple flowers. You can also plant perennials such as loberia, primrose, periwinkle, silver lily of the valley, etc. Plants that naturally grow along the banks of reservoirs look good: sedge, calamus, blue oatmeal, lilies, and cereal grasses. The streams will be decorated with tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and lilies.

Give individuality landscape design it is possible by planting conifers along the rocky banks of a dry stream - dwarf species junipers, fir, mountain pines. Light sandy or loamy soils are well suited for them.

Planting shrubs with small leaves must be approached with caution, since during autumn leaf fall you will have to pick out fallen leaves from your stream that get stuck among the stones. If you purchased for cleaning leaves garden vacuum cleaner, you can safely plant dogwood and barberry bushes near your dry stream; a beautiful landscape due to the changing color of the leaves of these wonderful shrubs will be provided to you all year round.

Dry stream care

Caring for a dry stream usually does not present any particular difficulties. It will be necessary to periodically weed, remove weeds, and water the planted plants. It should be remembered that ants like to live under stones; you will also have to get rid of them regularly so that your dry stream does not turn into an anthill over time.

But, in addition to its decorative functions, a dry stream also performs important tasks of landscape design:

• Serves as a kind of drainage system that ensures the outflow of rain and flood water from your site;
• Helps retain moisture under stones, saving you time and reducing the frequency of watering planted plants;
• Visually divides the site, allowing you to emphasize individual areas of landscape design;
• Helps reduce soil erosion;
• Visually expands the territory of your garden plot.

Calculation of pebbles to create a dry stream in landscape design

To calculate the approximate volume of pebbles needed to create a dry stream, you need to take several measurements. After you have decided on the path of the future stream bed and marked it on the site using sand, use a tape measure, measuring tape or rope to measure the length of the stream in meters. Then indicate the average width of the channel (approximately 50-80 cm), convert to meters (0.5-0.8 m). The thickness of the pebble layer of your future riverbed will be approximately 5 to 8 cm, that is, 0.05-0.08 m. Now you need to multiply the resulting values.

Let's say the length of the stream is assumed to be 25 m, then the volume of the required amount of pebbles will be equal to:

Pebble volume = length * thickness * average channel width;

25m * 0.08m * 0.8m = 1.6m cubic.

If you plan to make additional branches, highlight the source or mouth, you need to take this into account when purchasing materials to create a dry stream.