The design of the courtyard of a private house. Choose a stylistic direction

A country cottage or a private house in the city is the pride of the owners. Once upon a time, such housing was certainly associated with beds, a garden and greenhouses. But times are changing, and the functional use of the yard has long faded into the background. Landscaping gradually reached even the most remote villages, private houses are now real miniature recreation parks. Where potatoes grew, a decorative pond is now spread out, arbours rise in the place of greenhouses, and the beds have been replaced with flower beds and fountains.

It takes a lot of effort to design the territory adjacent to the house, and maintaining order requires a lot of time. But all the work is rewarded with the fact that in return you get a luxurious place to relax in silence or gatherings with noisy company.

The courtyard of a private house is made in several levels

In the backyard you can organize a dining area

Small bridge in the courtyard of a private house

The first stage of designing a courtyard design is the choice of a stylistic direction. This choice plays a huge role, because it determines in what direction the designer needs to move on. It is worth determining here not only on the basis of personal preferences, but also taking into account the following factors:

• the area that you have;
• the time limit that you allow to spend on maintaining the proper appearance of the yard;
• climate and soil type.

There are several of the most popular options that experts offer for the design of the courtyard of a private house.

In the English style

This style is ideal if the house is located in the back of the plot and demonstrates an open facade. Then in the courtyard you can place an alley leading to the front door, and in the back yard to arrange a recreation area.

English style suggests maximum naturalness. The territory should look as if the person’s hand did not touch it. This means smooth lines, lack of asymmetry, winding paths and landscape bumps. Plants are usually placed in tiers: first grass and flowers, then shrubs and trees.

An artificial pond in the form of a small pond also fits perfectly here.

Original track made of wood cuts

Bushes for recreation

Japanese style

Here, a pond is not just desirable, but an indispensable element. Usually it is the central object, and everything else is being built around it. The pond is decorated with bridges, stones, arbors are installed on its banks. The main representatives of the flora are rhododendron, juniper and dwarf pine.

The Japanese style is quite complicated in design and perception, its beauty is deeper and is revealed gradually.

Such a yard sets up for philosophical reasoning, relaxes and gives a person peace of mind.

Paths connect all functional areas on the site

Back yard with dining area

Rest area on the yard of a private house

Mediterranean style

Representing a harmonious combination of ancient Greek and Roman styles, this Mediterranean style is a favorite of landscape designers and recalls the marvelous beauty of southern nature.

Its distinctive feature is the abundance of stone in all its manifestations: it is marble chips, sea pebbles, and just unprocessed rocks.

The Mediterranean-style courtyard should be associated with the mountain coast, so it is customary to have various elevations on it. This can be a staircase, retaining wall or slope with a terrace located on it.

Plants are of great importance. In such gardens, topia were widely used - curly haircuts of plants and giving them bizarre shapes. In addition, the Mediterranean flora pleases with delicious fruits: citruses, pistachios and olives. Also used are small palm trees, flower beds planted with roses or variegated perennial flowers, lawns made of spicy herbs.

As for the architectural elements, then there are enough of them. In the inner part there is a patio courtyard, the territory is decorated with arches, terraces and hedges, and, of course, fountains.

In the backyard you can organize a small fountain and put a dining table

In the yard you can organize a gazebo

We plan the design of the yard

A beautiful courtyard plays a very important role, because it is from him that the first impression of the house and its owners begins. Therefore, the personal plot should be given no less attention than the cottage itself.

In order to save time and money, to avoid alterations and reconstructions, proceeding to the planning, it is worth answering a couple of questions.

Thematic corners in the courtyard

Zoning of different sections of the yard
can be made by plants

Rest area on a private house plot

It is from the answers to these questions that all your subsequent decisions depend. This is especially true for small yards, where there is no way to arrange everything at once, and you have to prioritize.

Having in mind some plan for creating landscape design, you can begin to arrange objects on the ground. It is recommended to mentally divide the site into squares responsible for various functional areas. Each zone will correspond to one key figure - a gazebo, rock garden, pond, flowerbed or patio. Thus, all objects will be distributed evenly and balancedly around the yard.

Before proceeding directly to construction, check the condition of the territory. If water accumulation is detected, lay down the drain. At the same stage, all the necessary communications for watering plants and the operation of water bodies are laid.

The courtyard of a private house is made in several levels

In the backyard you can arrange a dining table.

Stacking tracks

After we divided the territory into zones, it is necessary to make sure that between them you can safely move around. To do this, it is worth equipping special tracks in the yard.They can be completely different: someone will like winding paths, someone will prefer direct paths, and some will like something in between.

The material of the tracks also provides a huge selection:

• large flat stones;
• brick;
• gravel;
• concrete plates;
• cobblestone.

Tracks can be left without a fence or underlined with a small fence or decorative border.

If the territory is uneven, it can be designed in different planes, connecting adjacent segments using stairs.

Planting plants

At first glance, it might seem that planting is a matter that cannot cause any particular difficulties. However, many garden crops are quite capricious and excessive self-confidence here can lead to the fact that after some time all the work done will have to be redone again. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended that you follow a series of rules when landscaping the yard.

1. Do not place conifers and shrubs in covered areas. Despite the fact that they look pretty impressive here, every morning, removing their needles from the terrace is far from the best thing.
2. Do not plague yourself with excessively whimsical plants that require constant care. If you don’t feel much thirst for gardening in your soul, then opt for more modest bushes and trees.
3. The pond implies an elegant decor, but not plants, rinsing their leaves in it. Therefore, deciduous plants should be removed away from it.
4. The trend of replacing fences with hedges is gaining popularity. The plants used must be thick enough and have an average height, since too high will look messy, and low ones will not be able to protect the territory from prying eyes.
5. There is no site that would not be decorated with a beautiful flowerbed with flowers. You can break down one large as well as several small ones. But remember that if you plant several at once, it is important that they combine with each other.
6. A small area is not a reason to abandon landscaping. Use vertical layout using alpine slides, ledges and cascades.

In the courtyard you can put a decorative well

Japanese style house design on forest background

The stone fountain in the middle of the courtyard looks very beautiful

Arranging decor elements

In order to complete the view of the garden and make it clear that professionals had a hand in it, a few decorative elements should be added to the landscape design.

Classics of the genre are garden sculptures. They should overlap in style with the overall design of not only the site, but also at home. It can be both classical statues and abstract installations. Of great importance is their size, which is selected depending on the free area that you have. They can advantageously fill the free space of a large yard, and it is better not to clutter up a small territory with them.

In almost any area, decorative arches look good. To create an additional effect, they are twined with ivy or other plants, special lighting is selected for them. You can arrange them one by one, one after another or in one row.

Be sure to maintain a common style decor. If this is Provence, then clay pots and wicker hedges will fall into place, amphorae of different sizes will be appropriate for the Mediterranean style, and a drop of magic in the garden can be added using figures of animals, gnomes and other fairy-tale characters. The last option is sure to be appreciated by your children.

Stones combined with flowers perfectly complement the design of the courtyard

You can make a path out of stones, and plant tsetas nearby

Create ponds

Just imagine how pleasant it is to enjoy the cool of a clean pond in the shady corner of your own garden on a hot summer afternoon.The construction of the reservoir is a rather laborious, but worthwhile, process.

Artificial pond can be performed in completely different variations.

• A small pond. Populate it with fish, decorate with stones and water lilies, and this place will be of great interest to guests, and will also become a favorite place for games for the younger generation.
• Elegant fountain. This structure can take up very little space and is suitable for small yards. But its pleasant spray will be a real salvation from the summer heat.
• Mischievous brook or miniature waterfall. Their murmur relaxes and creates a unique atmosphere of relaxation alone with nature.

To make it pleasant to be in the yard, you need to keep it clean.

Well-groomed flowers and trees will look great in the yard

You can plant flowers near the path

We illuminate the territory

Artificial lighting of the yard performs several important functions at once.

• Provides the ability to move in the absence of natural light.
• Favorably highlights the decor elements, creating their aesthetic appearance.

The backlight should be set so as to cover the entire perimeter, without leaving dark corners and equip all the stairs and paths.

The mandatory lighting program also includes the following elements:

• facade of the house;
• outbuildings;
• parking;
• main entrance;
• rest zone.

After that, we move on to the decorative elements. It will be a shame if all this beauty can be enjoyed only in the daytime. Therefore, we also shed light on all fountains, alpine hills, sculptures and flowerbeds.

LED tapes will become a real find for decorating a night garden. They can emphasize the beauty of trees or arrange them along the edge of the stairs.

For reasons of economy and convenience, it is recommended to use lights in the courtyard that are charged with the energy of sunlight. They do not spend your electricity, and, therefore, do not require electricity to them.

You can decorate the yard with flowers

The design of the courtyard of a private house with a gazebo

We organize a resting place with a hearth

On the territory of the infield, a place for cooking on an open fire is requested. The most common options for this place are barbecue and barbecue, but you can find a more non-standard approach.

• Tandoor. This Asian stove is quite bulky, so be sure to consider your options when installing it. This oven can be folded both with your own hands and you can buy a ready-made one.
• Outdoor fireplace. It creates an amazing impression that you just sat in the living room, and moved to the garden in some magical way. Put upholstered furniture near it and sit back, enjoying at the same time the beauty of nature and the warmth of the hearth.

Owners of private houses with adjoining territories are truly lucky - landscape design opens up many opportunities for their aesthetic and functional arrangement. In the courtyard of your own house you will find a garden for walking, a relaxation area, and even a place for cooking.

Expert Opinion

Alina Kvileva

Landscape designer

Ask an expert a question

Hello, my name is Alina and I am a landscape designer, if you have any questions regarding landscape design, please answer them with pleasure.

Video: We equip the courtyard of a private house

50 photos of design ideas for the courtyard of a private house: