A fence made from poles is most often performed decorative function. Low fences made of natural materials are used in landscape design. Ranch fences delineate pasture and farmland areas. In this article we will look at the main types of such fencing and describe the installation process of a standard structure.

Popular types of pole fences

Cross pole fence (“ranch”)

A fence made of transverse poles is most common, since such structures at the same time reliably protect areas from the penetration of large animals, are easy to install and are attractive in appearance.

Photo No. 1: “ranch” cross-bar fence

For the construction of a fence, thick poles made by yourself from illicit wood, which can be found everywhere, are optimally suited.

Fence made of vertical poles

Fence made of vertical poles - more complex design. For construction, rods or not too thick tree trunks are intertwined between horizontal logs.

Photo No. 2: vertical wire fence

Photo No. 3: vertical fence made of thin birch trunks and branches

Before installation, the poles are cleared of branches and twigs. To ensure that the structures last as long as possible, the end ends of the pickets are impregnated with resin and protective compounds.

Fences made of poles installed diagonally

To build such a fence you will need long poles. Their lower and upper ends are impregnated with resin. Metal wire is used for fixation.

Photo No. 4: a fence made of poles installed diagonally

Wattle is the most difficult lightweight fence made of poles to build. Construction will require a large number of long thin rods. They are intertwined between support posts driven vertically into the ground.

Photo No. 5: fence

Advantages and disadvantages of pole fences

Fences made from poles have a number of advantages.

• Low cost and environmentally friendly. Natural fencing materials can be found in the nearby forest.
• Attractive appearance. Fences made of poles look beautiful and interesting.
• Easy to install. Any of the above structures can be installed independently.

Both continuous and through fences are erected from poles. Constructions open type do not interfere with the cultivation of crops. The areas remain breathable. A solid pole fence protects the territory from prying eyes and the penetration of small animals.

The disadvantages of fences include:

• short service life, only structures made of thick poles and supports will last long;
• low level of security, such fences will not protect the site from intruders.

These disadvantages explain the fact that pole fences are usually erected for decorative purposes and to delineate farmland.

DIY fence made of poles

You can install a not too long fence made of poles with your own hands in a few days if you have the materials. Installation work will not require serious effort and financial costs.

Below we will take a closer look at how to install a ranch fence with your own hands.

Material calculation

Take measurements and calculate the number of supports and crossbars needed.

Note! The ideal pitch for installing posts for a ranch fence is 1.5–2 m. This way you will get the strongest possible fence. In addition, long poles and poles are much more difficult to find in nature.

The optimal height is 1.2–1.3 m. Each section will consist of 4 crossbars.

Do not forget to take into account that you will have to install 2 supports at each intermediate point, and thick logs/beams with drilled/hollowed out grooves in the corners. This is necessary to increase strength characteristics.

Where can I get poles and poles?

You will find unmarketable wood for construction in the nearest forest. If the fence is not too long, collecting materials will not take much time.

Important! Wood delivered to the site must be dried. Otherwise, the constructed fence will be deformed and lose its attractiveness.

If you don’t want to search, you can buy fence poles and support posts at a construction site. When purchasing, pay attention to the moisture level of the materials.

Photo No. 5: fence poles at a construction site

Necessary tools and additional materials

To build a ranch fence you will need:

• twine and pegs;
• bit;
• garden auger or shovel;
• crushed stone of medium fraction;
• bitumen-based impregnation;
• hammer;
• tamping;
• resin or drying oil for processing pillars and poles;
• nails or wire (for fastening the crossbars);
• metal brackets (for connecting double supports).

Step-by-step installation of a fence made of poles

Installation of a ranch fence is a 3-step process.

Stage 1. Marking the area

Stretch a rope around the perimeter of the future fence and drive pegs into the places where the supports will be installed. Make sure the wedges are placed correctly so you don't have to redo anything later.

Photo No. 6: site marking

Stage 2. Installation of pillars

To install the posts, use the butting method.

Image No. 1: pole butting diagram

1. Drill a hole 1.2–1.5 m deep.
2. Apply a bitumen-based impregnation to the part of the post immersed in the ground.
3. Place the support in the hole.
4. Holding the post upright, fill the hole with crushed stone and a small amount of sand. Tamp the pillow every 20 cm.

Important! Before butting the corner posts, use a chisel to hollow out grooves in them for mounting the crossbars. It is inconvenient to do this on already installed supports.

Stage 3. Installation of crossbars

Install wooden fence poles in in the right places. Use nails and/or wire for fastening.

After installing each section, connect the double pillars with metal brackets and treat the ends of the supports and crossbars with resin or drying oil.

Photo No. 7: finished fence made of poles

conclusions

As you can see, nothing complicated. If you want to build a decorative fence yourself, get started.

If protection from intruders and service life come to the fore, it is better to buy a wooden fence in Moscow, characterized by greater functionality, from a reliable construction company.

mixed - with a metal or tubular frame of supporting walls and an upper wooden sheathing.

The ends of the supports are embedded in monolithic foundation glasses measuring 40? 40 cm and filled with cement mortar.

Pergolas are decorated with climbing or climbing plants and are widely used in country houses and garden plots. They look great in any size garden, forming a natural canopy. Pergolas and arches come in a variety of designs and can decorate more than just the garden. They can be placed along the facade, fence, or combined with a gazebo (Fig. 18). You can arrange a relaxation area under the green pergola roof. There should be room for a bench, table and other garden furniture.

Rice. 18. Pergola design over the walkway

Pergolas and other structures, which will be discussed below, can be made from wood, plastic, and other available materials. Plastic pipes that are used for the construction of arched greenhouses are suitable: they are light and bend well.

Materials for the manufacture of metal parts of the pergola are steel pipes and corners, duralumin profiles of various configurations.

Large pergolas are made from thick pipes, as the mass of climbing plants increases.

The manufacture of a pergola begins with the manufacture of the sides. The required blanks are cut from the pipes. On the site, in marked places, holes are dug with a depth of 1–1.2 m. A sand cushion about 10 cm thick is poured onto the bottom and the hole is filled with concrete mortar to the level of installation of the ends of the support pipes of the sidewalls. After the concrete has set, a sidewall is installed and secured with retaining boards. Vertical installation is checked by plumb line. The second side panel is also installed.

Both pits with installed sidewalls are concreted, the top is reinforced and kept until the concrete hardens completely (about a week).

After 8–10 days you can install the top. The sidewalls are connected in several places by welding transverse pipes. The entire structure is covered with wire or mesh. The distance between the wires should be 10–15 cm. The plants will climb along them.

The wall is a vertical frame with climbing plants on it. The recreation area can be fenced off with two or more walls.

The walls are made from the same materials as pergolas.

Wooden pergola. This type of pergola is built from pine or spruce beams with a cross-section of 80? 80 mm, upper crossbars - from beams 80? 120 mm.

In accordance with the drawing, the necessary grooves and tenons are marked on the cut parts. Blind grooves are first drilled, then excess wood is removed, bringing the shape of each groove to the required shape. Particular care is required when filing the tenons of the struts to ensure they are tightly connected to the posts and crossbars at an angle of 45°. Having prepared all the details, they make a test assembly of the pergola. To do this, lay out the crossbars on a flat surface (with the grooves up) and lay the crossbars on them (also with the grooves up). The tenons of the racks with spacers and struts are inserted into the grooves of the crossbars. If necessary, the corresponding tenons and grooves are adjusted to each other. Wooden parts are antiseptic. The connections are secured with waterproof glue. Self-tapping wood screws with a hexagonal head are screwed into the places of the tenons. Guide holes with a diameter of 5 mm are drilled for the screws (Fig. 19).

Rice. 19. Construction of a wooden pergola over the entrance

The pergola can be installed on metal anchor supports. In this case, the lower ends of the racks must be impregnated with bitumen mastic or tar so that they do not rot.

Paint the pergola with paints for exterior wood work.

Main parts for assembling the pergola:

Racks (80 × 80 × 2600 mm) – 4 pcs.;

Crossbars (80 × 120 × 4600 mm) – 2 pcs;

Struts (80 × 80 × 1000 mm) – 4 pcs;

Spacers (80 × 80 × 580 mm) – 8 pcs;

Wood screws (8 × 70 mm);

Glue, antiseptic, decorative varnish;

Anchor supports – 4 pcs.

Screens and trellises. Screens are a special type of decorative devices for climbing plants. They serve as a backdrop for beautifully flowering tree or shrub plants, and sometimes for protection from the wind, dividing areas of the garden, isolating areas from each other, etc. Depending on the functional load, the screens can be dense and openwork. To create a screen, a trellis is used - a wooden or metal lattice. The supports must be strong and stable to support the mass of shoots and leaves, especially in windy conditions.

Trellis screens are used to divide the garden into separate functional areas. They are mobile, very diverse in size and shape and are appropriate anywhere in the garden. If you equip such a screen with a container for flowers, then for the winter you can move the plants into the house or onto the veranda. This is very convenient for plants that do not tolerate frost well. In winter, such trellises and screens can decorate your hall or winter garden, and in summer they can again be taken out into the garden or yard.

Along with the usual rectangular panels, you can design panels of any configuration with windows, seats and shelves.

Pergolas, arches, screens, trellises and trellises look great on the terrace. They can decorate a balcony and veranda, a bridge and a small pond.

Trellis. Trellis is a garden support made of wood or metal in the form of a lattice along which climbing plants rise.

The trellis is used to create quiet corners for relaxation, fencing utility areas, separating areas of the garden and plot.

The trellis is installed on supports that are recessed into pre-made foundation glasses measuring 40? 40 cm at a depth of 15–20 cm from the surface of the lawn or path. The trellis grid can be free-standing or wall-mounted. Both annual and perennial plants are placed near the trellises.

Features of keeping flower beds

Flowering plants used to create flower beds require care, which consists of caring for individual types of plants and caring for the flower garden as a composition.

Soil preparation. When creating flower beds in places where there is no fertile soil, clean the area, dig a shallow pit of appropriate size and configuration. Plant soil prepared in advance and filled with fertilizers is poured into it. The thickness of the fertile layer for annuals should be at least 20–30 cm, for perennials - 30–50, and for carpet plants - at least 15 cm.

Manure is used as fertilizer, complete mineral fertilizer(nitrogen – 10 g/m2, phosphorus – 9, potassium – 10 g/m2) or compost. Soil preparation is carried out two to three weeks before planting.

Planting. How to plant flowering plants? Before planting perennials, the soil is leveled with a rake. Then the flower garden is divided into areas for planting individual types of plants. Perennial plants that overwinter in the ground are planted in early autumn from August 15 to September 15 (in the south of the country - 15–25 days later). Perennials that reproduce by seed are planted in spring and autumn. After summer drying, tulip and daffodil bulbs are planted at the end of September. The planting depth of the bulbs is 15 cm, but depends on its size. The bulb should not be planted deeper than its height times three.

Perennial plants are often propagated by dividing the bush into several parts. The perennial bush is dug out of the soil and divided so that each part of the plant has 5–8 buds. These parts are planted in prepared places in accordance with the plan. From time to time, such plants need rejuvenation and replanting. Plants with creeping rhizomes grow in one place for 8–10 years, plants with compact rhizomes – 10–15 years. Perennial plants without rhizomes with a fibrous root system need to be replanted every 3–5 years.

Perennials that do not overwinter in the ground (dahlias, gladioli) are dug up at the end of September - beginning of October, the above-ground part is cut off with a knife, and the rhizomes and tubers are cleared of soil, dried and stored in winter in cellars or special storage facilities. In the second half of winter they are germinated in greenhouses and greenhouses, and in the spring they are planted in flower beds.

Biennials are planted as seedlings, which are first grown in greenhouses or in special beds. Plant seedlings in the ground in early autumn. Biennial plants bloom in spring. After flowering, they are removed from the flower garden or flower bed, and seedlings of summer trees or ground cover plants are planted in their place.

Summer flowers are also planted in place of faded bulbs (tulips, daffodils, crocuses).

Two weeks before planting, prepare planting sites in flower beds, ridges, and parterres. The edges of flower beds should be 5–10 cm higher than the surrounding lawns and paths and be bordered by a narrow strip of good turf or a thin curb. The contour lines of the design are drawn onto the planned and watered surface of the flower bed. You can draw these lines with chalk.

For planting, it is best to take well-formed seedlings at the flowering stage. Plants with an annual development cycle are planted only when the danger of the last frost has passed. Planting is carried out in the morning or evening. 4–5 hours before transplanting, the seedlings are thoroughly watered. Seedlings take root best if they are planted together with a lump of earth. Planting is done manually: holes are dug required size so that the roots of the plants do not bend when planting, and the seedlings are planted slightly deeper than the root collar. Leave a small gap between the flower border and the bordered plants so that the border stands out more clearly.

After planting, the flower garden is immediately watered with not very cold water. Areas of the lawn where flowers are not planted are sown with lawn grass or covered with turf. The sown areas can be sprinkled with peat crumbs in a layer of 1–1.5 cm. It retards the evaporation of moisture from the surface of the flower bed and gives it a neat appearance.

The emerging seedlings of summer shoots need to be thinned out once or twice. After thinning, the remaining plants develop faster and bloom more abundantly.

Plants have different moisture needs. Therefore, it is not advisable to plant moisture-loving and drought-resistant plants close to each other. Tuberous plants, such as dahlias and bulbous plants, have high moisture requirements. Most of all, plants need watering during the period of growth, budding and flowering.

The relative soil humidity during these periods should be 70–80% for moisture-loving plants and 60–70% for drought-resistant ones. The irrigation rate for annuals is 15–20 l/m2, and for perennials – 30–40 l/m2. The frequency of watering depends on weather conditions and soil properties. Perennials require additional watering in preparation for dormancy.

Small and frequent watering is impractical, as it compacts the soil surface and does not provide sufficient moisture to the root system. Watering is best done in the evening or early in the morning. The stream of water should fall down. When watering, dust and dirt are washed off from the foliage. Along with watering, spraying is carried out to lower the air temperature in the ground layer and increase its humidity between and near plants. Sprinklers are often installed on large flowers.

Loosening the soil. To preserve moisture, improve air exchange and kill weeds, it is necessary to timely loosen the soil of the flower garden. The first loosening is carried out in early spring, as soon as the top layer of soil dries out. The depth of loosening depends on the nature of the location of the underground parts of the plants. The soil under plants with shallow roots is loosened to a depth of 3–5 cm.

The soil under plants that have horizontal rhizomes, creeping and creeping above-ground shoots is carefully loosened to a depth of 2–3 cm. Loosening is carried out around individual groups of plants.

Mulching significantly improves the growth conditions of perennials. Peat or peat composts are used as mulch. You can use sawdust, sand, and fine gravel. Mulch is applied over the surface of the flower bed in a layer of 2.5–3 cm if the flower bed is new, and for flower beds that are several years old – in a layer of 5–8 cm.

The timing of mulching is early spring and autumn, in the period after pruning faded shoots. It is enough to carry out mulching once every 2–3 years. Mulching is especially important in areas with arid climates and low rainfall.

Fencing a site not only protects its boundaries. It can become a decoration of the landscape and part of landscape composition. According to its purpose and appearance fences may be different. The fence must be suitable for its purpose and be functional. At the same time, it not only and not so much can be a fence, but can also perform a purely decorative function.

Depending on the height, there are several types of fences. High fences (3–7 m) are installed along the boundaries of large parks, gardens, and large estates. These fences provide reliable protection.

Medium-height fences - from 1 to 1.5 m - are most often installed along the borders summer cottages, mansions and estates.

Low fences are built near flower beds, parterres, ponds, at the boundaries of individual zones of the estate and have a height of 0.5–0.8 m. There are also decorative and partial fences, which are used as a design element. An example of such fences are decorative walls, arches and screens made of stone, wood and other materials.

Borders are low fences that limit paths, flower beds, flower beds and individual trees.

Fences are built from various materials: wood, plastic, metal and natural or artificial stone. Hedges are another type of fence that is popular and is constantly being enriched with new plant samples and methods of constructing the hedges themselves.

Manufacturing of fences

When constructing high fences, a plinth made of stone blocks is laid on a pre-made foundation. A metal frame is installed on the base into which the grille is attached. If the fence is made of stone, the masonry begins from the foundation, laying a layer of waterproofing. The trench for the foundation and base is made wider than the wall by 10 cm on both sides of the axis and 30-40 cm deep. Prefabricated reinforced concrete elements are installed first with temporary fastening, and then clamped with clamps until they fit snugly against the posts in the grooves. Several sections are verified and all walls are finally concreted. To fasten the racks, concrete of a grade of at least M200 and frost resistance of at least 50 is used. Wooden racks with a diameter of at least 14 cm and a length of 2.3 m are also used. The part of the rack buried in the ground is protected from rotting by heated bitumen or firing.

Fences from steel mesh They are made in the form of sections installed between pipe racks. Wooden and mesh fences are made without a solid foundation, limited to installing posts. For low fences, stone and concrete borders, low cast iron and metal gratings, ceramic figured blocks, brickwork, wood and plastic are used. Many companies produce ready-made lightweight plastic borders that can be installed around a flower bed or lawn in a short time.

Low fences can be made from steel water pipes with a diameter of 38 mm. The racks are made of the same material, the parts are fastened with ready-made threaded tees.

Low fences can be multifunctional. Such fences are used as benches or retaining walls. Metal and wooden parts of fences are painted with nitro-enamel paints in soft tones.

Tree trunk fencing - a special type of fencing for individual trees and shrubs. The fencing lattice protects root system trees from compaction, limits the hole for watering and fertilizing. A trellis around the trunk can serve as a support for climbing plants.

Site fencing

The more valuable the property, the stronger the fence the owner wants to install. You can see a wide variety of fences - made of concrete, brick, with forged elements. Of course, they are beautiful and reliable. But for a small house, an ordinary fence is quite enough.

Before starting construction, it is necessary to determine the location of the pillars and the material from which it will be made. Pillars are the main load-bearing element, so their manufacture and installation require special care. The base of wooden posts is burned, coated with hot bitumen or tar, or wrapped in several layers of plastic film or roofing felt. When making poles from metal or asbestos-cement pipes, it is necessary to prevent water from getting inside. Their internal cavity is filled with cement mortar.

Crossbars, or slegs, are attached to round posts with metal brackets, brackets or clamps. The staples are made of reinforcing iron with a diameter of 10–12 mm, so that the legs fit into them with a gap of 2–3 mm. The brackets are secured to the posts with nuts or welded.

The clamps are made of strip steel 2–3 mm thick and tightened with bolts, securing them together. In columns made of asbestos-cement pipes, the legs are secured with brackets made of sheet steel 5–6 mm thick. To do this, holes are cut or drilled in the pillars into which brackets are inserted, and the internal cavity is filled with concrete.

Wood, tubular steel and concrete poles are currently available for sale. You can make pillars from asbestos-cement pipes and other materials (cuts of steel angles, channels, etc.).

You can make concrete pillars yourself. The formwork is made from boards, preferably on several pillars at once, taking into account the long period of concrete curing before hardening. The finished formwork is sheathed from the inside sheet iron. A frame is knitted from reinforcing wire with a diameter of 6–8 mm and placed in formwork, poured with concrete. A mold for simultaneous casting of four pillars of quadrangular cross-section is made as follows. The board made of boards is covered with galvanized iron and seven boards are prepared. Four of them (two extreme and two end) are covered with iron on one side, the rest of the boards - on both sides.

All dividing boards are attached to the shield and to each other with steel spikes. To maintain the correct angles, they are additionally fastened with cap hooks.

For reinforcement, take a steel rod with a diameter of 6–8 mm. The reinforcement is knitted with wire with a diameter of 3–5 mm, the ends of which simultaneously serve to fix the reinforcement in the mold.

You can immediately weld the linings to the reinforcement to secure the veins.

The inner surface of the mold is coated with used machine oil. The reinforcement is laid and the form is filled with concrete mortar.

To prepare the solution, take a mixture of cement, sand and small crushed stone in a ratio of 1:2:2. Mix everything thoroughly and fill it with water at the rate of 2–2.5 liters of water per 1 kg of cement.

Concrete is laid in parts, each time leveling it over the entire form. After filling, the form is covered with damp burlap and left for a week until the concrete has completely hardened (the form is placed in the shade).

The form is gradually freed from concrete. First, remove the outer boards and take out the two outer pillars. Then, having removed the remaining boards, the remaining pillars are removed.

Preparation of the pillars begins with the manufacture of clamps for fastening the veins. Overlays can be welded onto tubular steel posts to secure the veins.

Holes for bolts in the veins are made using wood drills.

Pillars (including concrete ones) are installed on a concrete base. The diameter of the pit is made 2–2.5 times larger than the diameter of the pillar.

Sand is poured into a 20 cm layer at the bottom of the pit. Then a concrete solution is prepared: cement (2 parts), sand (1.5 parts), fine crushed stone (3 parts), diluted with water to the consistency of liquid sour cream (for acidic soils it is better to use crushed limestone).

A layer of small rubble stone (15–20 cm) is placed in the hole and filled with concrete mixture. Tap with a thick pole to remove air bubbles from the concrete. They place a pole, align it with other poles and with a plumb line, and fix it. Fill the hole in layers, filling the stone with concrete and all the time compacting the concrete with a pole. Having reached the surface level, they install a special form for the plinth made of sheet iron, lubricating the inner surface with machine oil.

The mold is filled with concrete mixture so that the concrete is 5–8 cm above the ground level. The top of the pillar foundation is made flat, the surface is reinforced, that is, sprinkled with clean cement and the surface is carefully smoothed. The top of the pillar foundation with the form is covered with a damp rag and left for a week.

Features of installing round pillars made of asbestos-cement pipes. To strengthen them, metal reinforcement is inserted inside them and filled with concrete. The composition of the concrete is the same as for pillar foundations, only without stone, and the crushed stone should be smaller. To make the pillars even stronger, the concrete mixture is mixed with a solution of water-based paint.

An asbestos-cement pillar installed in a hole is filled to 20–30 cm with concrete mixture, tapping it with a pole. Fill the lower part of the column with concrete, insert reinforcement and continue pouring concrete in layers. The top of the pillar is made dome-shaped and carefully ironed. Then cover with wet burlap and leave for a week.

When installing poles with a distance of 2–3 m between them, markings are carried out using a cord and a plumb line. The pillars are buried 50–80 cm with obligatory reinforcement with brick or crushed stone. It is advisable to secure the upper part at the base with mortar or concrete screed.

The front side of the fence is often built with pillars and a brick base. The foundations for them are made of rubble stone with a mandatory mortar or concrete screed. Brick pillars intended for hanging gates and wickets must be reinforced with reinforcement placed in the middle of the masonry and filled with liquid cement mortar with filler.

To fasten the slabs, grooves are left in the masonry or metal brackets are inserted using steel corners. The depth of the foundations of brick pillars is 50–80 cm. The pillars are connected to each other by a base one brick wide, which serves as a blind area for sheathing the fence.

Often, fences are built from one base with metal stands and braces. It is based on concrete laid in formwork. Sometimes the concrete base is lined with natural stone, granite crushed stone or decorative concrete panels. The fence is made of picket fence, metal mesh, lattice and other materials.

Wooden fence

This is the shortest type of fence, its service life is no more than 8–12 years, depending on the climate and quality of the wood. However, wooden fences are cheap and do not require special construction costs (Fig. 20).

Rice. 20. Construction of a wooden fence

Wooden parts must be treated. Preparation consists of processing the pillars, sawing and antisepticizing the picket fence. Slegs, or veins, serve as a load-bearing element; they are made from thick beams or poles cleared of bark with a diameter of 6–10 cm of any length. You can splice them, making sure that the joints of the upper and lower layers do not coincide. The beams are joined in half-tree width or in height with an oblique cut. In the through sockets of the pillars, the legs are secured with wooden wedges. You can fasten the stakes in the brackets of concrete pillars in the simplest way: in the middle of the bracket, with blows of a hammer, it is bent and pressed into the wood.

For a wooden fence, a picket fence is usually used - strips and boards of various sections 1.2–1.8 m long. It is filled along a cord or according to a template. The cord is tightly pulled using two strips with a distance between them of 3–5 m at the height of the upper end of the picket fence. The template is a cross, the stand of which is made of a board, equal in width to the gap between the picket fence, the crossbar is made of a thin strip 40–50 cm long, nailed to the stand at a right angle. This template allows you to quickly fill the fence sheathing. In this case, the cord is used only for control.

The pillars are sanded with sandpaper and the tops are sawed down into two slopes. To better preserve the pillars, their lower part is covered with 2–3 layers of roofing material with hot tar.

The veins on top are planed onto one slope so that the water flows down. The distance between the pillars is 3 m, with a length of veins of 6 m.

The holes are dug with a drill, after removing the turf.

The depth of the pits is usually 1–1.3 m, the thickness of the sand cushion is 0.2 m.

The corner posts are installed first, then the rest are placed along the cord. The post installed in the hole is fixed. Verticality is checked with a level or plumb line. The gap between the pillar and the wall of the pit is filled with sand.

After installing the pillars, mark the places of cuts in the pillars for the lower and upper veins. The joints of the lower and upper veins are separated into different pillars.

The veins are nailed, then the picket fence is stuffed along the cord or according to the template.

When nailing the picket fence, in addition to the template, the craftsmen use a special hammer. Such a hammer has a blind hole closer to the striker.

Having inserted the end of the nail into the hole, bend the end of the nail with a hammer, using it as a lever, then the end of the nail is recessed into the vein. This makes the fence much stronger.

There are many various options picket battens, but those that increase the durability of the fence deserve special attention. The most common type is a picket fence, the upper ends of which are cut downward to allow moisture to roll off. However, such lathing has a drawback - an oblique cut increases the area of ​​the end, and this leads to increased wetting of the wood along the fibers. It is more effective to use a longitudinal facing strip installed flat or with a slight slope.

The lower end part of the picket fence is subject to intense exposure to destructive factors. It is advisable to build a plinth made of brick, concrete or rubble stone between the pillars.

When constructing wooden fences, you can use cheap, accessible materials - benches, poles, brushwood. Wicker fences are very decorative. They are constructed from twigs of vine, willow, hazel and other flexible woods. The frame of a wattle fence is made of pillars and three posts.

The durability of such a fence increases if materials that have been cleared of bark are used. Before you begin constructing the fence, you need to measure the perimeter of the area and divide it into equal sections. At the boundaries of their connection, pillars 1.5 m high are dug in. To make fence panels, three holes are drilled in two side boards for pipes or beams that form horizontal crossbars. Steel pipes with a diameter of 25 mm or beams are fixed in the holes of the side boards to form a frame. It is more convenient to carry out further work on filling its plane by positioning the frame horizontally. Each board or rod is sequentially passed over one extreme pipe (or beam), then under the middle one and again over the other extreme one. The next board is passed in the reverse order and is placed close to the previous one. The finished shields are attached to the posts through the side boards. Assembling a fence in this way is convenient if you need to replace the old fence with a new one, leaving the old posts.

To make the fence even, when drilling holes, you need to stretch the rope between the outer posts at the level of each row of holes.

Decorative low fences can be made in the form of a lattice from an inclined set of birch switches with a diameter of 25–40 mm (the lower end of the picket fence is sharpened and driven into the ground at an angle of approximately 60°, then attached to the stakes) or a low fence from logs driven or dug into the ground with a diameter of 120 –150 mm.

If a wooden fence is installed on concrete, tubular steel or asbestos-cement tubular posts, then if properly maintained it can last up to 20 years.

Fence made of poles and wire

A simple, cheap and beautiful fence can be built from poles and wire, which are nailed to outside pole.

Such a fence will be stronger if the lower ends of the dry poles, which are then dug into the ground, are tarred, and the nails, staples and wire are coated with oil paint. It is advisable to paint the sawn-off ends of the poles with the same paint to protect them from moisture. However, if the poles are fresh, there is a chance that they will take root and you will have a hedge.

The wire will stretch better and the fence will be stronger if you make supports for the posts and stakes. Stones are placed under the lower ends of the supports or supports are dug into holes filled with rubble. For the supporting fence posts, a hole is dug somewhat larger than the diameter of the posts and filled with rubble and stone fragments. To make a fence, you can use old slats, tying them at the top and bottom with thick wire. The fence sections woven in this way are nailed to posts dug in at a distance of 2–3 m from each other.

The lower ends of wooden fence poles can be impregnated with resin or paint. You can use for this purpose a piece of pipe with a diameter larger than the diameter of the poles. The pipe is fixed into a tripod made of thick wire, its lower end is placed on a brick, filled with resin and heated over a fire. The lower ends of the poles are immersed in the melted resin and held for several minutes so that they have time to soak.

Combined fences

Combined fences have a concrete, stone or brick base and pillars (Fig. 21) . The thickness of the masonry should be at least 40 cm, but if the length of the fence is over 20 m, retaining walls must be installed every 8–10 m.

Rice. 21. Types of combined fences: a – a fence made of stone, brick and wood; b – fence made of bricks and ready-made concrete modules

The spans between the pillars can be made of ready-made concrete modules, mesh, wood, brick or casting. Often what is left over from construction is used for the fence.

For gates, posts with a cross section of at least 50? 50 cm using reinforcement. The foundation is made the same as for brick pillars.

The upper end of the stone fence to protect against impact atmospheric precipitation they are plastered with mortar or lined with concrete tiles, tiles on mortar, covered with roofing iron, and small blind areas are arranged on both sides to drain water. To give a decorative look and at the same time for durability, the front side of the fence can be made from a combination of different building materials, for example, pillars and plinth - from red brick or natural stone, fencing - from metal or wooden sheathing.

The pillars do rectangular shape cross section 250? 750 mm and height 140 cm (including the base part). The sheathing is made from wide boards on wooden slats.

Fences with metal sheathing are durable. The load-bearing elements of such a fence can be metal round posts (a 25 cm wide base made of brick or natural stone is laid between them) with a sheathing made of reinforcing mesh, which is welded to a frame made of pipes, angles or box profiles. The frame posts are supported by struts fixed in the base of the fence, which can be lined with natural stone or glazed tiles.

It should be remembered that fences made of metal structures need regular painting. Fences made of brick or shaped ceramics with through sheathing on sand-cement or lime mortar. The base for them is the same as for other fences, with the difference that the distance between the posts should be a multiple of the size of the ceramic block used.

Mesh fence

Compared to a picket fence, such a fence lasts longer and does not block the plants from light. The posts for a mesh fence can be anything: steel, asbestos-cement, reinforced concrete or wood. It is not necessary to cement them, although pouring the base makes the fence more stable. But you can simply strengthen the pillars with bricks buried flush with the surface of the ground. The easiest way to install steel pipes is to hammer them in with a sledgehammer.

The mesh is usually sold in rolls of 10–20 m, 1.5–2 m wide. When installed on poles, the mesh is raised 15–25 cm above the ground so that its bottom rusts less.

When spans between posts are less than 3 m, the mesh does not bend or sag even without being tied to a tensioned wire.

However, a mesh attached to a wire with a diameter of 5–6 mm, stretched between the posts, is both more beautiful and more reliable. A fence looks good if it has wooden veins running along the top and bottom of the posts, to which the mesh is attached. The veins are made from boards 30–40 mm thick and about 10 cm wide.

The most durable and beautiful fence is made from metal sections in the form of frames to which a mesh is welded.

When installed, corner posts often tilt inward, causing the mesh to sag. They can be strengthened with struts and spacers.

Mesh fence on concrete pillars

This type of fence is the most durable and convenient for summer cottages and garden plots. They combine reliability, efficiency and ease of installation.

Ready-made sections of mesh fence are available for sale, but you can make them yourself. To make such a mesh fence you need concrete pillars, a steel angle and a mesh. Choose an equal-sided corner with a shelf of at least 32 mm and an uneven-sided corner with a shelf of at least 40? 25 mm. The mesh is sold in rolls measuring 1.5? 10 m. Sections are made 3 m long. One corner 9 m long is enough for one section.

The ends of the sections are filed at an angle of 45° and the frame is welded. The mesh is welded in 2-3 places to one short side.

Next, using a crowbar as a lever, pull the mesh and weld it in 2-3 places to the other short side of the frame. Pulling the mesh, weld it in 2-3 places in the middle of one long side, then the other. Pulling up the mesh, weld it in the corners, and then along the entire perimeter in increments of 8–10 cm. The mesh can be attached to the frame with wire threaded through the holes in the corner.

The posts under the mesh fence are placed taking into account the length of the section. The sections are welded to plates embedded in posts or to clamps. Corner sections can be strengthened by welding braces from the corner.

Mesh fence with wooden veins or metal frames

When constructing such a fence, there is no need to reinforce the corners. However, sometimes the mesh has to be joined from several pieces. You can separate (unscrew) the outer wire, attach the ends of the two pieces to each other, and then connect them by screwing in the wire. The connection will be strong and invisible.

The second method: connect the ends of the pieces with a piece of straight wire, piercing the cells with it, like a knitting needle.

After this, it can be attached to the poles. If wooden veins are mounted on them, this operation is not difficult: the mesh is slightly stretched and nailed. If it needs to be hung on wire or only on poles, a fairly strong tension will be required.

A steel rod is passed through the outermost cells of the mesh, a cable is tied to it, with which tension is applied. It’s easier to use a lever - a long strong pole, one end of which is lowered into a hole (so as not to slip), and the other is pulled with ropes.

Another tensioning device is based on the beam principle: a strong double rope or cable is twisted. You can use a threaded tension coupling.

The beam or coupling must be hooked onto a tree, pole, building, or dug a log into the ground. The mesh is attached to the posts with wire, preferably stainless steel, or with bolts and large-diameter washers - this is more reliable and neat.

The final operation is painting the mesh. This work is labor-intensive, and the smaller the cells, the more difficult it is to paint them. Therefore, it is advisable to use a mesh with large cells (30–50 mm), which looks more beautiful and is easier to paint. It is more convenient to work together, standing on both sides of the fence opposite each other. A brush is used for painting, since the paint roller does not paint over the weave.

Making wire mesh

It’s easy to make wire mesh for a fence yourself using simple devices. The most common mesh sizes (height, width) of wire mesh are 80? 80 mm, 60 ? 60 and 45? 45 mm. Let us give an example of a design for weaving wire mesh and the process of weaving a mesh with cells measuring 80? 80 mm.

To prevent the wire from getting tangled, it is placed in concentric circles on a feed drum - an inverted bucket placed on a flat board, under which a large bearing is placed. The position of the bucket is fixed with a weight.

From the feed drum, the wire flows to a pre-tensioning device, which is a piece of steel channel into which three rollers are mounted. By changing the position of the central roller, the tension force of the wire is adjusted. To ensure that the rollers rotate easily, restrictive washers with a thickness of 1–1.5 mm are placed on the bolts that serve as the axis of the rollers on both sides. After tension, the wire is removed using a rag heavily soaked in oil lying on a stand.

The lubricated wire is fed into a bending machine mounted on a flat steel plate over 0.5 m long, attached to a sturdy work table. A wire bending machine is a thick-walled steel tube in which a blade made of hard strip steel rotates. A 4–5 mm spiral groove is cut out in the pipe with a pitch of 45°, which ends in a round hole at a distance of 5 cm from the edge of the pipe. The pipe is welded to the steel angle (so that the welding does not cover the groove) and then the angle with the pipe is welded to the base plate. After this, the axis of the supporting part is manufactured and installed. The correct installation of the supporting part is adjusted with washers. The knife in the groove of the shaft is secured with a screw or pin. The shaft should rotate freely. A hole is drilled at the top of the supporting part to fill the lubricant. The gap between the pipe walls and the knife should be 0.5–1 mm.

The work table is positioned so that the wire stretched at an angle flows upward onto the receiving drum. The drum can be a stand to which a rotating wooden shaft or wire mesh winding pole is attached. The mesh is stretched with a load - bricks suspended from a strong wire. The bent end of the wire is attached to one of the mesh cells. When part of the mesh is wound on the drum shaft, the hook of the tension wire is hooked onto another cell of the mesh.

Weaving wire mesh is performed in the following sequence. Work begins with thorough lubrication of the tensioning device and bending machine. The wire is pulled through a tension device and a lubrication device, its end is bent in the shape of a hook half the length of the side of the cell, the wire is pulled through the groove of the pipe of the bending machine and attached to the edge of the knife. The wire coming out of the machine is cut into equal lengths and intertwined on the work table. The finished mesh is wound onto the drum shaft. Using a homemade bending machine, you can weave wire mesh of any height and length. The most suitable for weaving a mesh is 2.2 mm soft galvanized wire, from 1.45 m of which 1 m is wavy.

The weight of 1 m of wire is 30 g, therefore, for 1 m 2 of mesh it will require 1.1 kg. If the wire is hard and does not bend well, the skein is heated over a fire and allowed to cool slowly.

Gates and wickets

There are many gate designs made of different materials (Fig. 22). They must be strong enough and durable, have a locking device that prevents spontaneous closing of the doors in gusty winds.

Rice. 22. Gate in a stone wall

Gates are usually built from two halves (leaves) with a total width of 2.2–2.4 m, a height of 1.6–1.8 m, the width of the gate is about 1 m. If there is one gate, it is advisable to provide an easily removable fence span with sides of the street for vehicle entry. Often, when constructing a gate, difficulties arise in the equipment of the entrance and exit - the section of road connecting the yard with the roadway of the street. If there is a drainage ditch running along the site, the entrance must be built in such a way as not to disturb the drainage. A metal or concrete pipe of the appropriate diameter and length of at least 3.5 m is laid at the bottom of the ditch, an embankment is made and it is limited on the sides by formwork made of thick boards, logs or concrete. The entrance must have a hard surface.

The depth under the pillars must be at least 60–80 cm, otherwise the pillars may swing and the gate will not close. The bases of concrete, metal and wooden pillars are installed to a depth of about 1 m, covered with rubble, compacted and the upper part of the backfill is concreted. The most common material for making gates is wood.

When making a picket fence, gates are usually made 2.8–3 m wide, and the posts for them are additionally reinforced. The braces and strapping of both halves of the gate are done on spikes. Gates are hung on posts using special gate hinges. They are placed on the inside (the gate opens towards the site). The picket fence is filled using a template. To lock the gate, it is better to use a device whose main part is a beam with a cross-section of 40? 80 mm.

One end of the beam is inserted into an eye fixed on one post. Placed in two V-shaped brackets located on both converging gate leaves. Then the beam is pushed into the second eye fixed to another post. The gate is closed using a cape and a lock. Hitch wooden gates on poles not made of logs is similar to hanging gate leaves.

When making gates from metal mesh, both halves of the gate are made in the same way as sections of the fence, but braces must be installed. The hinges are welded to the gate halves and secured to the posts. The hinges for the lock are welded in the middle of both gate leaves.

Important elements of all gates are the so-called thrust bearings - small posts. When the gate is closed, the middle thrust bearing keeps it in a horizontal position and prevents the gate from tilting or opening in the opposite direction. Side thrust bearings keep the gate open.

Safety metal poles, sections of a mesh fence depend on the correctness and regularity of painting. Before painting the metal parts of the fence, it is necessary to remove rust from them. Doing this work mechanically takes a long time and sometimes is impossible. Available chemical compositions, with the help of which parts are easily and quickly cleaned to a shine.

Available for sale ready-made compositions to remove rust. Here are a few examples of self-preparing such compositions.

Recipe 1. Add 1 tablet of hexamine to 1 liter of 15% hydrochloric acid solution. The mixture is applied to metal parts with a brush several times until the surfaces are completely free of rust.

Then apply a 5–10% solution of soda ash with a brush and thoroughly wash the metal.

Recipe 2. Prepare two solutions.

Solution A. Concentrated formaldehyde is mixed with 25% ammonia in a volume ratio of 8:5.

Solution B. Make a 15% solution of hydrochloric acid, adding 1 tablet of hexamine for each liter of solution. The solutions are mixed at the rate of 26 ml of solution A per liter of solution B. Further processing is the same as in recipe 1.

Recipe 3. Prepare two solutions.

Solution A. Hydrochloric acid – 470 ml, water – 300 ml, methenamine – 1 tablet, asbestos (crumbs) – 40 g.

Solution B. Liquid glass – 50 ml, water – 150 ml.

Solution B is poured into solution A and mixed. Consume after aging for 18–20 hours. Processing is the same as in recipe 1.

As a rule, asphalt, bitumen and pitch varnishes are used to paint metal fence parts. They are all, unfortunately, black.

It is possible to coat metal with organosilicon (SO), rubber (CR), phenolic (PL), vinyl chloride (VC) and some other paints. You just need to make sure that the first number of the brand after the letters is 1. This means that the paint is intended for outdoor use.

Metal gates. Such gates are usually equipped with a mechanism for locking the leaves in closed and open positions. It works in such a way that the doors, having passed the neutral position (approximately 45°), are held by a spring in the closed or open position. In addition, such a system provides the necessary safety, eliminating spontaneous closing of the doors during gusts of wind.

To make the gate, four metal bed headboards of the same design are required. They are disassembled, arcs are sawn in half, into which inserts from a pipe of the same diameter are inserted. Along the sides and middle of the frames there are strips of steel with a cross section of 5? 40 mm. The horizontal elements of the sheathing are made of thin-walled pipes with a diameter of 20–22 mm, the vertical ones are made of pipes with a diameter of 10–12 mm, and the half-arcs are made of strip steel with a cross-section of 4 ? 25 mm.

The manufacture and assembly of gates can be made easier if you make a plaza - a life-size outline drawing of one gate leaf on plywood, hardboard, cardboard, etc.

All parts are laid out along the contour of the pattern on the plaza and secured on one side by welding. Then the sash is removed and completely scalded. In the middle of the gate, two plates made of sheet steel 4 mm thick are welded to attach a locking device and a latch-lock built into the gate, the frame of which is made from corners, and the frame is made from pipes with a diameter of 28–30 mm and corners 30? thirty ? 3 mm. Hang the gate on two door hinges, welded to the box and frame in such a way that the gate can be removed.

On the outer sides of the gate leaves, openings are made for the passage of the spring mechanism wiring. It is attached to the gate on a removable axis, and on the other side - with a spring to a metal frame post inside the post.

Part of the internal volume of one of the pillars is used to construct a mailbox. Its frame is welded from corners with a cross-section of 25? 25? 3 mm, sheathed on all sides with sheet iron, and a vertical slot is made on the front wall for mail receipts. On back wall The box is made into a door that closes with a window lock.

Especially carefully it is necessary to build the foundations for the pillars, masonry and fastening of the pins for hanging the gate. The foundation is laid with a size of 50? 50 cm and a depth of at least 80 cm. A metal pipe with a diameter of 50–60 mm is placed in the middle of it, secured with rubble and filled with concrete screed. Columns with a cross section of 380? 380 mm is laid out from red brick (one and a half bricks) with the void filled with the remains of mortar and broken bricks. During masonry, pins are installed from a steel rod with a diameter of 15–16 mm in an L-shape and a corner measuring 40? 40? 410 mm, which, using a crossbar welded to it, is tied with soft wire to the metal pipe of the post.

The brickwork is being jointed. If the fence is already standing, the ends should be wrapped in roofing felt and lined with brick. If there is no fence yet, for fastening the walls are placed between the joints of the masonry. metal corners 50 ? 50 ? 450 mm and fasten them to a metal pipe inside the post; they are fastened to the free ends of the corners with bolts or screws.

The gate is hung on the pivots using bushings welded to the frame. In the middle of the passage there is a stop for the closed position of the gate, and on the side there are two stops for the open position of the gates.

Lifting lattice gates. Very easy to use (due to the counterweight) and easy to manufacture. They can cover a span of up to 3 m, which makes them suitable for equipping the entrance to a garage, entering a yard, driving livestock, etc. The upper and lower hinge legs of the gate are hung on axles in paired gate posts. The end of the upper slab, facing the other side of the post, is equipped with a counterweight (fixed weight), balancing the sash with a picket batten, hinged to the upper and lower slabs.

Wooden gates and wickets. Gates and wickets made of wood consist of a frame and sheathing. Rectangular frames are knitted with a through single tenon from bars with a cross-section of 50? 100 mm, necessarily with a diagonal jib to prevent sagging of the gate leaves. It is better to assemble frames using epoxy glue, as it is not afraid of dampness.

Tenon joints are additionally reinforced with screws or dowels (wooden nails). Finished frames are hung and adjusted without lathing, which makes it easier to build gates and adjust the picket fence in height.

Gates and wickets are hung on barn-type hinges. To attach them to metal or concrete poles, wooden plates are installed, which are secured to the poles with nails, bolts or screws. It is advisable to equip a gate mortise lock, locked from the inside and outside, the gates are locked from the side of the yard, towards which they open. If the gates have a large span, they can be locked using a lock and four staples. In the closed position, the doors rest against a limiter installed in the middle of the entrance; in the open position, they are locked with a spring lock.

The stand is made from a pipe with a diameter of 20–25 mm and a length of 40–50 cm. An oblique slot is cut in the pipe so that under the action of the spring the latch rises up only to the level of the lower edge of the gate. It is cut out of sheet steel 3–4 mm thick and attached to the stand on an axis. You can use any spring, but it should not be tight; They also use an ordinary elastic band twisted into a tourniquet.

The lathing is stuffed after hanging the frames at the same level as the picket fence, starting from the middle of the gate, the first strip is nailed to one of the halves exactly at the junction of the frames, closing it and forming a rebate necessary for locking the gate.

When operating the gate in winter, the clearance between the sheathing and the road surface should be correctly set: it should be at least 10–15 cm (based on snow cover).

It is not difficult to make a gate if both the fence and the posts are made of wood. First, prepare two posts for the gate, hemming them (making one side flat). A beam is nailed from the side of the hem. The pillars are buried in a hole, taking into account that the gate should open to the street (in winter it will be easier to free it from snow).

The headband of the gate is both a decoration and a rigid connection between the posts. If you do not make such a connection, in the spring or autumn the pillars may become skewed.

For a gate that does not face the main street, the headband can be made from a board that tightens the posts of the gate. To protect the gate, a roof made of sheet iron is placed over the headband.

The frame (frame) of the gate is made with spikes and a brace must be installed. The hinges are secured with screws, preferably galvanized or cadmium-plated. Then a picket fence is nailed to the harness, the handles and lock are secured.

An iron strip with a cross section of 4? 80 mm. Holes are drilled in the strip to secure the roof boards. A strip of roofing felt (roofing felt, glassine) is laid between the iron strip and the boards. The top of the boards is covered with galvanized iron sheets, the edges of which can be decorated with a perforated pattern, and a so-called kokoshnik made of bent or perforated iron is placed.

If the fence has pillars made of metal pipes, the gate and headband are attached to them. Using thermite welding, the hinges are welded to the post. A corner is welded to the second post. The iron headband strip is also welded to the posts.

If welding cannot be used, standard clamps are used that are attached to the posts. Prepare two wooden blocks, of which one quarter is selected. The ends of the clamps securing the bars are cut so that one hole remains for the bolt.

The vein bars are secured with clamps, then loops are placed in the selected quarter of the bar and a gate is hung. In the same way, a gate is installed on asbestos-cement pillars.

A wrought iron gate goes well with a chain link fence. In this case, powerful pillars (not wooden) are needed, which are embedded in a larger concrete base. Due to the rigidity of the frame, the mesh fence does not pull on the gate posts, so the gate can be made without a headband.

The pads welded to the posts are wider than usual. Loops are welded to two overlays shortened on one side, and a corner is welded to the curved overlays at the other post (to support the gate).

The gate door is made in the same way as the fence to the porch. Door elements are welded with thermite or riveted.

If the head of the gate is attached to asbestos-cement pillars, then before pouring them, a threaded pin is welded to the reinforcement placed in the pillars at the outer end. After installing such a post, a metal strip of the headband is attached to the stud using a nut. Two layers of roofing felt are laid between the strip and the roof board.

When making homemade concrete pillars, the stud is also welded to the reinforcement. Holes are made in the end board of the mold through which the ends of the pins are passed.

It is more difficult to strengthen bolts (studs) in prefabricated concrete pillars. In such pillars, a hole is drilled or etched at the upper end, in which a bolt (pin) is secured with special “iron” putties. Two putty recipes have already been given. You can also use the following composition: cement grade M300 and higher is mixed with a liquid solution of PVA glue. The hole in the post is coated with PVA glue, the bolt is degreased and also coated with PVA glue. The bolt is then secured in the hole with putty.

It is advisable to equip the gate with a bell and an electromagnetic latch. If the gate is used infrequently, then the gate is constantly in operation. Make it durable beautiful gate not difficult.

You can use, for example, a frame from an old metal bed, you just need to weld the hinges and patterns from a steel bar.

The construction of a new gate from corners, rods and 1-mm metal plates begins with the manufacture of a frame. Blanks of appropriate length are cut from the corners, the joining corners are cut at an angle of 45° and all the blanks are welded. When the frame is ready, it is filled with a decorative lattice made of rods curved on a simple device.

The locking device is more reliable and durable. The bushings can also serve as hinges for hanging the gate: welded to the frame, they are put on the L-shaped axial rods on the post. Welded on the inside door lock, covering it with a metal plate with a hole for the key.

After graduation welding work The seams are thoroughly cleaned of scale with a metal brush, the surface of the parts and the gate itself are treated before painting. The prepared gate is primed in dry weather, after drying it is cleaned with emery cloth and painted with bitumen varnish or oil paints.

Garden bridges

Bridges connect opposite banks of water bodies, elements of the road and path network, and can be open or closed (pipe crossings) (Fig. 23). These are quite complex engineering structures, and it is unlikely that the construction of a bridge according to all the rules would be appropriate in a private park.

Rice. 23. Types of simple bridge designs

Open bridges are built on wide water channels and can be made of stone arches or suspension bridges with an upper platform at the same level as the road and path network approaches to it. To imitate a closed bridge, you can make a pergola or arch over it.

Bridges can be reinforced concrete, wood or metal and are built according to specially developed designs (Fig. 24).

Rice. 24. garden bridge

A bridge over a stream or ravine will decorate any landscape that has water features. And even a walkway on the shore of a small body of water is a good find for the designer.

The bridge consists of a span and supports. With a wooden span structure, the supports can be wooden or stone. The bridge span structure includes the roadway, main supporting structures (main trusses) and connections.

The carriageway or pedestrian part consists of a road surface supported by a system of longitudinal and transverse beams. Typically these are steel profile parts (angles, rails and channels). Boards are laid across them to serve as road surfaces. The spatial stability of the span, as well as the transmission of horizontal loads (wind pressure, braking forces, etc.) to the supports are ensured by the joint work of longitudinal and transverse links, purlins, transverse beams and main trusses.

Wooden supports must be treated with an antiseptic and coated with bitumen to prevent wood rotting. In addition, where the bridge connects with the shore, it must be reinforced with concrete or boulders so that the connection is strong and the shore does not settle. Concrete pipes can be used instead of trusses and supports. Water will flow through the lumen of the pipe, and the pipe itself (or several) will serve as a support for the bridge. In this case, the bridge will be simple and durable; all that remains is to decorate it - build a railing, cultivate the bank, install a pergola or arch.

A hanging bridge made of wicker, a cable car bridge, a bridge made of old tree trunks laid nearby will help diversify the landscape and decorate the pond. If there is no reservoir, then it is quite possible to arrange one.

Water devices

In a landscape garden, ponds have one of the important architectural, aesthetic, therapeutic and health significance, since together with plantings they clean the air of dust, lower its temperature on a hot summer day (by 3–5°C), and increase relative humidity ( by 20–30%), i.e., they create a unique microclimate that increases a person’s vitality. In addition, the presence of reservoirs improves the condition of the green spaces themselves. But any body of water requires constant care.

In the reservoirs of gardening and park objects in the summer-autumn period, it is necessary to regulate the exchange of water at least 2-4 times. The depth of the reservoir in the spring-summer period should be at least 1.5 m.

Improvement of natural reservoirs. Natural bodies of water in a landscape garden include rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams, the main types of landscaping of which are securing slopes and cleaning the bottom.

There are several methods for fastening slopes, when choosing which special attention should be paid to the aesthetic perception of the technical structure.

The most technically difficult part is fastening the slopes of lakes, flowing ponds and watercourse embankments.

The stability of the slopes is ensured by the construction of a low banquet wall reaching to the middle water edge, with a continuous sheet-pile wooden or reinforced concrete row of piles, which prevents the washout of soil from the base of the slope during wave formation. Such a low fastening makes it possible not to disrupt the biological relationship between aquatic and coastal vegetation and the normal life of waterfowl inhabiting inland waters. The surface of the slope above the banquet wall is also reinforced with various materials to prevent the effects of precipitation, temperature fluctuations, periodic rises of water, wind or ship waves. As a rule, in such cases, herbal clothing is used.

Within the boundaries of rising water, slopes must be reinforced with masonry, reinforced concrete slabs with holes for plant soil and sowing seeds, or continuous sod.

The slopes of canals, rivers and streams in the forested park area are secured in simple ways:

Planting twigs or shoots of willow trees;

Single planting of cuttings or shoots in a checkerboard pattern.

In the first case, in the spring, rods 1.5–2 m long are laid horizontally in pre-prepared grooves located in parallel rows and covered with plant soil. The distance between the rows is 1–2 m. The rods are reinforced with stakes 0.8–1 m long and driven 4/5 of the way into the soil of the slope. Regular watering is carried out for a month - first daily, and then every 2-3 days. In the first year (autumn), the grown plants are pruned “to the stump”.

In the second case, cuttings and shoots of willow or poplar are planted in prepared soil in a checkerboard pattern. The planting technique and subsequent care technology are common. The distance in rows and between rows is 0.8 m.

The bottom of natural reservoirs is cleaned in two ways: with pumping water from the entire reservoir and without pumping.

When cleaning using the first method using electric or diesel pumps, all the water is pumped into another reservoir or into a storm sewer, for which purpose a depression is arranged in the lowest slope of the bottom of the reservoir - a “pit” – for water intake. The surface freed from water is left to dry for several days, then the bottom silt is raked to the edges of the reservoir and moved to storage areas, where after a year of ventilation it can be used for landscaping purposes. The cleaned bottom of the reservoir is leveled according to the design marks and covered with a layer of drainage material - coarse sand or gravel - at least 20 cm thick. The banks are secured using one of the methods described above; In the territories adjacent to them, paths are laid, platforms, structures and small architectural forms are placed. If necessary, existing green spaces are supplemented with new plantings and flower beds.

In the second method (without pumping out water), the reservoir is cleaned using excavators and dredgers of different sizes. The choice of brands of mechanisms and methods of moving sludge pulp depend on the size of the reservoir and its depth.

Artificial reservoirs

An artificial pond created on the site will significantly increase the comfort of the garden, enrich the landscape and increase the value of the property. In modern conditions, areas for gardens and parks are usually represented by waste lands, peat bogs, swamps and landfills, where artificial lakes, ponds, pools and watercourses can be built.

Lake. A lake is an artificially created deep-water space that has a constant visible influx (river, stream, in rare cases, a conduit) and a discharge of water through a dam or drainage pipe, which creates a flow in the water column, although hardly noticeable. The bottom of the reservoir is designed with an appropriate slope.

The basis for the design of a reservoir can be natural depressions in the surface of the area, which, when deepened, become the bottom of the lake, in the center of which a channel is made with slopes from the water supply source to the water intake device. The latter may be the underlying reservoir or storm sewer network. The shores of the lake and their outlines are subordinate to the external landscape environment and emphasize its main viewpoints or contribute to their comprehensive overview.

The profile of the shores should have pronounced relief differences: hills, stone ridges and ledges with closely approaching dark coniferous and dark-leaved plantings on the northern side of the lake and low, extensive lawn spaces with separate groups of freely growing trees and shrubs on the southeastern side. This combination of relief and vegetation makes it possible to solve the spatial illumination of the water surface. The size of the lake, the methods of its construction and feeding are determined by a special project that can be carried out by a specialized organization.

Ponds. A pond is an artificially created deep closed water structure fed by the collection of surface melt and rainwater and underground groundwater.

Ponds are located on folds of the terrain where surface runoff collects. On a flat surface, they are created by digging a volumetric pit and directing the surface slopes towards it with the overall vertical layout of the site.

Ponds are bodies of water with a smaller area than lakes; they are intended for swimming, boating, waterfowl and fish.

The pond includes a power source - water pipelines for artificial replenishment with melt and rainwater, specially equipped hydraulic structures in a dam or earthen slope: drain pipes, stopper valves designed to replace water and clean the reservoir (Fig. 25). The construction of modern ponds is carried out according to technical work projects based on in-depth study and application of the research carried out.

Rice. 25. Diagram of a simple pond

Ponds are distinguished by food sources, which determine not only their location, but also the area of ​​the water surface, depth and conditions for their further operation and maintenance. They can be flowing, with their power sources being rivers, streams, spring or groundwater, and non-flowing, when their power sources are city water pipelines or water flows from other reservoirs by gravity or forced, as well as surface water runoff.

Ponds can be single or in combination with others to form an entire water system with a depth of at least 1 m near the shore and up to 4.5 m in the middle with a slope slope from the coastline of 1:5. Such parameters of the pond prevent the rapid overgrowing of the reservoir with algae and sedge, which contributes to the development of mosquito larvae, silting of the bottom, blooming of the water surface and the appearance of an unpleasant, pungent odor of rotting vegetation.

When digging a pond bowl with excavators or bulldozers, the soil is used to vertically level the area. The bottom of the reservoir is given design slopes to ensure independent drainage of water through the drain holes. When constructing a pond bed, special attention is paid to preventing water from filtering through it into the ground. The water resistance of the pond bed is ensured by the presence of ribbon clays at its base. If the base consists of permeable soils (sand, sandy loam), then its waterproofing is required. The simplest and most affordable way is to construct a clay base, or “castle.”

After planning the bowl bed, crumpled clay, “clay dough” or rich loam is laid on its surface in a layer of 0.3–0.5 m with layer-by-layer (0.15–0.2 m) compaction using a tamper. The clay layer should extend 0.4–0.5 m above the water's edge in order to waterproof the banks.

On top of the waterproof clay covering - the “castle” - a gravel load with a layer thickness of 4–5 cm is placed, which is tamped into the clay, turning it into a dense gravel base. Next, a layer of coarse sand up to 15 cm thick is laid over the surface. This waterproofing ensures almost complete waterproofness of the pond bed. For small ponds, it is possible to use continuous laying on a clay base instead of gravel-sand loading of cobblestones (based on the cobblestone principle). Simultaneously with the waterproofing work, a drainage device is installed.

Another way to waterproof the bed and walls of a small pond is to install a coating of roofing felt or roofing felt on bitumen along the bottom.

On a carefully planned and compacted soil base of the bed, one or two layers of roofing felt or roofing felt are laid overlapping, with one sheet overlapping the other by 8–10 cm and filling these seams with heated bitumen.

With a two-layer coating, the surface of the first layer insulating material After laying, the base is covered with heated bitumen and a second layer of insulating material is laid on it in a perpendicular direction. The seams formed between the layers are coated with bitumen. Layers of insulation are brought to coastline above the water's edge by 0.4–0.5 m, their ends are carefully secured with soil and gravel poured on top. A layer of coarse sand 5 cm thick is poured onto the insulating coating made in this way and leveled.

Ponds located on rivers, streams and ravines are created using waterproof soil dams, wooden or reinforced concrete walls with a spillway device, on top of which driveways or passages are built that connect the banks. Dam slopes are from 1:1.5 to 1:3.5.

Swimming pools

Swimming pools are open artificial reservoirs with a specially built bath for filling and draining water. According to their purpose, they can be splashing, decorative, etc. (depending on the size of the area); by bathtub size - large and small. In addition, pools can be open or closed (Fig. 26).

Rice. 26. Indoor swimming pool

Open ones are usually used in the summer. But sometimes such pools are built with artificially heated water, which allows them to be used all year round.

The shape of the pool can be any, but it should be remembered that it depends on the purpose of the pool. For example, sports pools generally have a rectangular shape and a length that is a multiple of 12.5 m.

Depending on the purpose of the pool, the bath usually consists of two parts: shallow (0.7–1 m deep) and deep (2.5–4.5 m). Outdoor pools are completely or partially buried in the ground. The bottom and walls of the bathtub, made of reinforced concrete and covered with finishing material, are waterproofed. The pools are provided with water, electricity and sewerage. The areas around the pool are mowed lawns with dense turf, and paths and areas must have a hard top surface.

The materials for making bathtubs are monolithic or prefabricated reinforced concrete and plastic. The inner surface of the bath should not be slippery, and its corners should be rounded. Water is supplied to the pool through a hole in the center of the side wall and discharged through special bottom drains into the storm sewer network.

Several pool options. Let's consider the procedure for building a small pool measuring 2? 2 m and a depth of 0.6 m. To prevent moisture from accumulating at the bottom during construction, it is necessary to provide drainage. To do this, cut the bottom with a slope towards the center of the pit, dig a small hole 0.3–0.4 m deep, then mark points for pegs. Should the result be a square of 1.8? 1.8 m, at the corners of which pegs with a cross section of 5? 5 cm and 90 cm long, impregnated with bitumen so that the upper ends rise 25 mm above the ground.

The walls of the pit are sheathed with roofing felt, wrapping its upper edge around a board with a cross-section of 25? 100 mm and nail it to the pegs so that the roofing material is sandwiched between the pegs and the board, and the board rises 15 mm above the peg. The lower edge of the roofing felt is wrapped inside the pit, having previously been cut at the corners. After this, the drainage at the bottom of the pit is filled with gravel until a flat surface is formed. The bottom is covered with sand from above. The depth of the pit to the top edge of the board is about 55 cm. The gap between the walls of the pit and the roofing felt is filled with gravel to provide lateral drainage.

Next, you need to make removable grates from slats and cut out a pool bathtub from plastic film measuring 3? 3 m. The edges of the film, combined with the fabric, are placed between slats with a cross section of 15? 50 mm and 2 m long and fastened with nails. Then they spread the bath at the bottom of the pit and, wrapping the resulting corners in outside, lay the slats behind the boards secured to the pegs. The slats are fixed at the top. The fixing elements are four sections, two with longitudinal racks (long) and two with transverse racks (short). The long section is assembled from three transverse struts - boards with a cross-section of 100? 20 mm, to which boards with a cross section of 25? 100 mm and length 440 mm. The spacers are enclosed in the frame.

The upper plane in the longitudinal direction is sheathed with slats with a cross section of 40? 15 mm at intervals of 10 mm. The short section is 185 cm long, the outer struts serve as the ends of the frame. The slats of the upper plane are placed in the transverse direction. The finished sections are installed so that the grooves of the transverse struts fix the embedded slats of the bathtub. All wooden parts are primed with drying oil, painted or varnished.

For the winter, the film bath is removed. If you fold it diagonally and wrap the remaining “tail” around the assembled slats, you will get a package measuring 200? thirty ? 20 cm. The pit is covered with boards to prevent precipitation.

Swimming pool for children. The area of ​​such a pool is about 4 m2. The bottom from the entrance to the pool is lowered by a maximum of 50 cm (you can make steps 10–15 cm high). On the entrance side, an English lawn is laid out or tiles are laid to prevent dirt from getting into the water.

The pool is concrete, its bottom is reinforced. It is advisable that the pool be placed on clay soil that does not allow water to pass through. If there is no clay, it is advisable to bring it before concreting the floor and lay it on the bottom in a layer of 10–11 cm, compact it thoroughly. Tiles are laid along the edges of the pool to prevent dirt from getting in.

To drain water, hard plastic pipes are used, the outlet is placed in the deepest place. When concreting, it should be ensured that the flat part of the bottom slopes moderately towards the outlet.

An overflow pipe is installed near the high wall to drain excess water and remove dirt from the surface of the pool. The water should flow out in a thin layer of maximum width. In square-shaped pools, dirt collects in the corners, so it is best to install catch basins in the back two corners. The water is collected into a collection tank and used to replenish the pool. The collection is constructed from concrete with a plan size of at least 70? 70 cm. For safety, it is covered with a wooden grill or lid.

Swimming pool. This is a small structure with an area of ​​4 m2, a depth of 80 to 100 cm. The most convenient material is reinforced concrete.

The pipeline for draining water is made of plastic pipes. The pipe for draining water is laid in the lowest place of the bottom and a pipe with an internal thread is mounted on it, onto which a pipe is attached perpendicularly to remove dirt from the surface of the water. A nut is screwed onto the upper end of the pipe, unscrewing which can open the outlet hole.

For concreting a wall 80–100 cm high and 8 cm thick, a concrete mixture with a ratio of cement and sand (gravel) of 1:6 is used. The size of gravel or pebbles is no more than 3 cm. On dry days, it is necessary to moisten the concrete along with the formwork. The walls of the pool are plastered with finishing cement mortar, a cement screed is laid on the bottom or tiled.

In winter, the water from the pool is drained and the outlet is left open. After draining the water, it is covered with a lid made of boards, and roofing felt or film is placed on top.

Large swimming pool. Pool size 12? It is advisable to place 8 m away from trees so that leaves do not fall into the water.

From the lowest point of the pit, dig a shallow groove outside the pool for a waste pipe 5–6 m long and 50 mm in diameter, bend the end of the pipe upward so that it protrudes above the bottom of the pit by about 20 cm, put a plastic sleeve with a removable grate on it and secure it with a clamp or copper wire. A thin layer of washed gravel or crushed stone is poured onto the bottom of the pit and concrete is laid in a layer of 7–8 cm. A metal mesh made of steel reinforcing bar or wire with a diameter of 6–8 mm with cells of 20? 30 cm. Place a second layer of mortar about 8 cm thick on the reinforcement and level it well. Thickness concrete base together with the gravel substrate should be at least 20 cm.

It is better to lay the walls of the pool from bricks. It is advisable to cement the brickwork from the inside of the pool and insulate the outside with bitumen. The steps of the stairs to the pool and foot bath are made of bricks laid on a base of gravel and concrete. A drain hole is provided in the corner of the bath.

After two or three days, when the concrete has hardened, you can seal up the uneven areas and sinkholes. For this purpose, use a solution of cement and sand (1:3). For quick setting, add 1-2% liquid glass to the solution.

In two or three weeks, when the concrete is strong enough, they begin lining the border and finishing the pool. It is advisable to line the border with bricks and cement mortar. The brick is laid across the wall of the pool. Sharp edges protruding into the pool must be dulled with an emery stone.

A flat earthen embankment 1 m wide is made around the pool, equal in height to the wall of the pool. Near the pool you can make a small beach; the horizontal part of the embankment can be lined with decorative flat stones of irregular shape or large pebbles. The slopes of the embankment and the cracks between the stones are laid out with turf or sown with grass. The pool is filled with clean water: tap, river or well.

You can make a lawn around the pool. A green grass carpet will decorate the yard, provide coolness on a hot day, and trap dust and harmful gases. A mixture of grasses is sown on leveled, fertilized (preferably with peat) soil: meadow bluegrass (5 parts), meadow fescue (1 part), bentgrass (2 parts, you can add perennial ryegrass). Lawn grasses are best sown in spring. The seeds are raked shallow into the ground and the area is watered for the first 8–10 days. The lawn requires constant care; in summer it must be watered, fertilized and mowed so that the grass height does not exceed 5–6 cm. Mowing strengthens the root system of plants, destroys annuals and weakens the development of perennial weeds. The grass is mowed for the first time three weeks after germination.

Swimming pools made from prefabricated prefabricated structures are equipped with water supply and drainage equipment. They are installed on a flat area of ​​the site, disassembled for the winter and stored. The diameter of the prefabricated pools is from 5 to 7 m, the depth (height) is 1.2 m.

The construction of a swimming pool involves a large amount of excavation work, but this can be significantly reduced. The design of the pool allows you to create a new topography of the site, simplifies water drainage and reduces the cost of waterproofing. In addition, the tiled mound can be used as a solarium. The pool area is usually 10–15 m2. They select a place and mark the site taking into account the width of the embankment, which, as a rule, is 1/3 of the entire width of the pool. Then the top layer of soil is removed and trenches are marked for a foundation pit 60 cm deep. The walls are carefully leveled and filled with concrete as quickly as possible so that they do not have time to crumble. Before concreting, the outer walls of the trench are covered with sheets of roofing felt with an overlap of 20–30 cm, which serve as waterproofing. Their length is taken with a margin so that it is enough to cover the formwork. Then reinforcement is installed in the form of a coarse mesh.

Fill the trench with concrete, install the formwork and fill the upper part of the walls, leaving a hole for the overflow and drain pipes. Two sections of asbestos-cement pipe with a diameter of 100–120 mm are inserted between the walls of the trench. After the concrete “sets” and acquires sufficient strength, the formwork is removed and a pit is dug, while simultaneously forming an embankment up to the base of the walls. Crushed stone or gravel is poured onto the bottom and carefully compacted in a layer of 10 cm, after which a layer of sand is placed, leveled and compacted using water. Waterproofing is spread on the surface - roofing felt or plastic film in several layers, then lay reinforcement and fill with concrete. The bottom must be made with a slope of 5–6% towards the spillway.

The pool is lined with tiles or cement mortar (1:2) followed by iron, the embankment is covered with concrete slabs, and the slope is covered with turf. It is also necessary to build a removable metal staircase with handrails. The ladder is installed on four pipes, two of which are embedded in the bottom, and the other two in the embankment, the handrails are attached to the pipes with studs.

Before use, the pool is filled with water for a day, and the water is changed two or three more times to remove the unpleasant odor that freshly laid concrete gives off.

In the middle of a larger pool you can make a jacuzzi by connecting a pump and heating to the bath (Fig. 27).

Rice. 27. Jacuzzi connection diagram

Decorative pools

Decorative pools are not intended for swimming. These are landscape gardening elements that add solemnity and elegance to the park landscape, as well as creating the effect of reflecting structures, monuments, and crown shapes of ornamental trees and shrubs. The size of the pools is determined by their location. For optimal visual perception, they should not exceed 1/5–1/6 of the surrounding area.

The shape of the pools is different (from round, oval, rectangular to free, natural, smooth outlines), the area is from 10 to 50 m2 or more.

The main building materials are monolithic and precast reinforced concrete; For decoration they use stones, ceramic and concrete vases, sculptures, bridges, and passages (Fig. 28).

Rice. 28. Construction of a decorative pool with a cascade and aquatic plants

The bottom of the pool is decorated with ceramic tiles of different colors or treated with mosaics illuminated in the evening. Swimming pools don't have to be particularly fancy; they are decorated with a low concrete or stone side (at the level of the lawn and platform), and the areas around them are decorated with tiled paving and flower vases of simple shapes.

Plants with a clear silhouette of branches, leaves and flowers are arranged near decorative pools. These are shrubs (junipers, thujas, Thunberg barberry, etc.), perennial flowering plants (irises, bergenia, funkia, daylily, bell, delphinium, aquilegia, astilbe, etc.). Low decorative pools are decorated along the edge with flowering mixborders, plantings of perennial flowering plants or low coniferous and deciduous shrubs (Fig. 29).

Rice. 29. Decorative pool

To grow aquatic plants, a depression is made in the bottom of the pool, where a metal basket or concrete bowl is placed, which is removed for inspection and winter storage of plants. You can also use rocks at the bottom with a small layer of rich soil between them.

Waterfall. A waterfall is a special hydraulic structure, which is a stream of water falling from a height of several meters (Fig. 30). An indispensable condition for the shape of the waterfall is a large width in relation to the height of the stream. Only this ratio can give the necessary visual effect.

Rice. thirty. Waterfall

Waterfalls are located on sharp depressions in the relief, differences between two levels of the future channel, which is created by spillway dams, stone dams during mandatory condition constant movement of water from the upper terrace to the lower one through the spillway.

Different requirements are placed on the construction of a waterfall for regular and landscape layouts. The waterfall is the dominant element of the composition, subjugating the surrounding space.

When planning a landscape design, the waterfall should be natural and fit into the landscape. It is especially important to design the banks and channel of the spillway, freely arrange stones or boulders, picturesquely cut the banks and place trees and shrubs, and naturally lay down paths with a dirt or sand-gravel top covering.

With regular planning, the waterfall is equipped with small architectural forms using high-quality processed materials: granite, marble, flagstone, tuff of different colors, etc.

Thresholds. These are artificial breakwaters in the channel of a moving stream of water. Rapids are created by piling up large stones in the bed of a watercourse in the path of the main flow of water, which breaks against an obstacle, goes around it with noise and foam, and rolls further along the riverbed.

Cascades. They are smaller than waterfalls, and the water falls in cascades in steps along ledges created according to the principle of architectural and artistic composition.

The interstage upper platforms of the cascade can have a horizontal or inclined position, which reduces or increases the speed of water movement. Parallel to the cascade, staircases with viewing platforms are built, on which decorative sculptures, ceramic park forms and flower modules with beautiful flowering plants are installed. The cascade is combined with other water devices - fountains, water jets, etc.

Creating a cascade or rocky stream requires painstaking work. It is better to create a stream on the slope of a large rock garden or on a natural slope reinforced with stones. It is very important that the structure is not bulky and does not look artificial. To prevent the cascade from looking unfinished, natural stones treated with water are used. The walls of the pools are coated with clay, the bottom is covered with pebbles to hide all traces of their artificial origin. Plants of the coastal zone are planted along the banks: Siberian and Japanese irises, cereals, primroses, caltas, and ferns. Carpet species descending to the water, real mosses, look beautiful.

Other hydraulic structures

Channels open artificial conduits that serve certain sporting purposes or connect reservoirs over the shortest distance are called. This designation of the channels determines their clear geometric shape, which enriches the landscape with linear perspective.

Channel depth – 2–4 m; the width depends on the width of the lanes established by the rules for competitions in rowing, water skiing and water-motor sports. The width of water supply channels is determined based on the volume of water moved per unit of time.

The banks of the canals are reinforced with piles (banquet rows), the slopes are strengthened with turf, and an embankment is equipped.

Streams or channels- These are open artificial water conduits that serve as a connecting link between reservoirs.

The channels vary in width depending on the turns, branches in the form of branches, creeks, islands and rapids. The bottom and the flooded part of the bank must have a natural or artificial waterproof layer with sand and gravel loading.

The banks of the channel, due to the weak flow of water, are secured in the flooded part with stonework or scattering, in the non-flooded part - with grass, low shrubs and perennial flowers, as a result of which they are a favorite place for waterfowl.

Ditches- these are small artificial open water conduits that serve for temporary or permanent discharge of water and, with appropriate design of the walls, are a decorative element.

To decorate the channels, flagstone, cobblestone, brick, antiseptic wooden grating, and wattle structures are used. Plants are planted along the slopes: daffodils, ferns, hemerocallis, etc. Paths are made along the decorative ditches, which give the landscape a natural look and make them easier to see.

"Swamp"- a type of rocky garden created in a waterlogged area. In swampy areas, it is enough to dig out the soil to a shallow depth; in drier areas, it is necessary to construct an artificial reservoir.

Soil is poured onto the edges of the reservoir, giving them the shape of low hills. Glacier-rounded granite boulders are dug into the shore around. The stones must be different sizes. They are placed singly or in small groups, and dug in to almost 3/4 of their height. The boulders should be “sunk” into the ground, as if protruding from the banks and supporting them. Woody snags found in a natural swamp or pond look interesting in a “swamp”. Since the “swamp” is typical for moist soil, you can lay a walkway or path from wood cuts to it.

The “quagmire” is planted with marsh plants of the local flora: calla lily (swamp calla), three-leaved wagweed, and cereals. For planting on the banks, only moisture-tolerant plants are also used, and drier-loving plants are planted between stones on hilly banks. Forest plants are appropriate in a composition located in the shade: dwarf varieties common spruce and thuja, heathers (including rhododendrons), ferns.

Industrial and fire-fighting reservoirs– technical structures used in arid and hot climates to irrigate plants and create comfortable conditions for recreation for visitors to a landscape garden. Reservoirs of this type include ditches with sprinklers and water curtains enclosing recreational areas, decorative ponds with numerous fountain jets and lighting in the evening.

Decoration of reservoirs

To design natural and artificial reservoirs, as well as to improve the composition of water, aquatic plants are used, which, depending on the growing conditions, are:

Floating (yellow water lily, white water rose, fragrant water rose, water nut, etc.);

Shallow water (swamp calamus, calamus, golden iris, bitter trefoil, plume, etc.);

Coastal (forget-me-nots, canary grass, common reed, primrose, etc.).

IN artificial reservoirs aquatic plants are grown in containers lowered to the bottom in specially designated areas.

To do this, containers are filled with a mixture of leaf soil, clay and medium-grained sand (in equal proportions).

All water devices require systematic care: daily in summer and periodically in spring-winter-autumn.

Debris must be removed immediately from the surface of the water.

It is necessary to monitor the condition of the banks, the body of dams, cascades, fountains, etc., and repair faulty structures immediately.

Reservoirs should be cleaned in a timely manner to prevent the water surface from becoming overgrown with aquatic vegetation, which is regularly removed with a rake and transported to the shore in boats, and then composted in pits.

Major repairs involve cleaning the bottom and underwater part of the reservoir from accumulated silt, which appears due to the ingress of leaves and tiny solid dust particles.

Cleaning reservoirs is best done in autumn-winter and early spring, when the flow of visitors sharply decreases. To do this, late in the fall, after installing permanent ice, water is pumped out. The ice is lowered onto the ground and, using an excavator with a backhoe (to the face), along with the sludge, is transported on dump trucks to places of storage and subsequent use.

In small reservoirs with water discharge devices, the bottom is cleaned after 2–3 years. Simultaneously with the cleaning of reservoirs with the onset of constant warmth, all disturbed coastal areas are repaired: lawns, paths and playgrounds.

In spring and summer, it is necessary to monitor the installation of stones on the thresholds: if the composition is disturbed, the stones are corrected.

It is necessary to carefully monitor the water exchange regime in swimming pools: recycle water, if there are devices for its cleaning and disinfection, or change the entire volume of water daily. Flowing water exchange should account for 25–30% of hourly water consumption per shift.

The lighting of decorative pools and fountains should be the subject of close attention, since it also participates in the evening illumination of the surrounding area.

It is enough to disturb one or two lamps or spotlights so that not only the intended effect of evening lighting disappears, but also part of the territory disappears in the dark.

Aquatic plants also require care. Aquatic plants are pruned and partially removed to avoid overgrowth, self-suppression and death.

Plants are thinned 2-3 times a year by removing rhizomes.

In winter, reservoirs and pools are protected from complete freezing by making ice holes, pumping out excess water through them and then insulating them.

Small decorative ponds with vegetation are completely covered for the winter insulating materials: peat, dry leaf. In the spring, with the onset of the first days with above-zero temperatures, the insulation is removed.

If the reservoir is large enough, a measure to combat aquatic vegetation may be to keep herbivorous fish in the reservoirs.

Fountains are artificial devices for knocking out streams of water from a special hole. Streams of water pour and fall at different heights, at different angles, and are splashed in different ways. A jet, column, streams or individual drops of water create countless variations of fountains (Fig. 31). The maximum height of the water jets should not exceed half the diameter of the fountain bowl, since with a higher jet height and strong wind, the water enters the surrounding area, which prevents visitors from accessing the fountain. Water flow in the fountains of a gardening facility should not exceed 50–60 l/s. Water supply to fountains can be carried out:

From the city water supply or local source using a pump, and sometimes by gravity;

From the reservoir in which the fountain is located, using a pump.

Rice. 31. Types of fountains

Water discharge is organized into an open tray, storm sewer network, or a water supply or water recycling is created.

To free the fountain bowl from water during the winter, its bottom is made with a slope towards the outlet point.

There are fountains of various shapes. For their design, colored asphalt and concrete, ceramic tiles, and embossing are used.

Parks often have wall fountains with several water collection bowls.

Fountains are also built without catchment bowls, where the water looks like a curtain or a thin film. Such structures consist of a metal plate or concrete slab on a support with a pipe through which water rises.

Water gushes very weakly over the surface of the slab or plate, covers it with a thin film and, flowing along the perimeter, forms a water curtain, after which it goes into the drainage layer of pebbles.

One of the interesting forms is a fountain without a bowl, which is created directly on the lawn and consists of separate jets with special lighting.

Springs, keys and springs. Sources, or springs, are the simplest fountain structures, built on the site of natural springs and used both as decorative elements and for economic purposes (a means of water supply to the territory).

A spring is a low bowl - a log house or stone structure without a bottom, from which spring water pours out or into which it flows.

In the second case, a retaining stone or decorative wall is built with a drainage pipe from the source built into it.

Drinking fountains. Small devices in the form of miniature fountains various designs serve to decorate and quench thirst.

They consist of a foundation, a water supply system with a drain tap and a fountain device, a cabinet with a drain bowl and a sewer outlet system. The height of the cabinet is 65–90 cm.

Sprinkler installations. Fountaining, or sprinkler, installations on lawns and flower beds are sprinkler devices - structures with blades and holes for supplying and spraying water. Installations on the fittings of watering taps or hoses or paddle turntables are used. Under the influence of water pressure, they begin to move, uniformly distributing water around them at a distance of 1.5–2.5 m.

Such installations create a halo of light and the finest fog, which allows you to admire the rainbow every day. The easiest way to set up such an installation is to punch small holes in a plastic pipe, lay it on the ground with the holes facing up and supply water. The height of the spray is controlled by water pressure. Such devices are installed on a permanent water supply network or fixed to a fitting watering hose and as the plantings are irrigated, they are moved to another place, covering the irrigation area.

For temporary fencing of the territory or as an open fence marking the boundaries of the site, a fence made of poles is installed. It is easy to install, and the raw material gives the fence an original and distinctive appearance.

Advantages

A fence made of poles is used for both external delimitation and internal zoning. Some of it is used to decorate flower beds and gazebos. There are several advantages that a fence made of poles has:

• Cheapness of the material used: even illicit wood can be used to make a fence, and it will look appropriate.
• Using poles you can create an original landscape design in country style. By fencing the area from the outside, you can create your own ranch.
• Easy to install.
• Good resistance to strong winds, structural stability.

Such a fence will not hide your private territory from prying eyes, but will reliably protect against the entry of large animals. There is no need to worry about a through fence: it can be turned into a blank wall by decorating it with a hedge of climbing plants.

Types of fences made of poles

The simplest fence of long poles is built without respect for symmetry and aesthetics. However, you can distinguish other types of fences made of poles with your own hands:

• A fence made of transverse poles: vertical poles of medium thickness are woven into three horizontal ones. The result is a light through fence made of intertwined flexible rods.
• A fence with longitudinal weaving: long poles are stretched between dug posts. It consists of a line of vertical supports, between which branches are woven, forming a continuous fabric.

Fences with parallel poles also have several design options. Beams can be attached: horizontally to each other; vertically, forming a palisade; or diagonally. The last option is original fences using wire ties.

Required materials and tools

To install a “country” fence you will need the following materials and tools:

• Wooden supports.
• Crossed.
• Wire for tying elements.
• Shovel or drill hole.
• Resin or drying oil for coating parts.
• Axe, sledgehammer.
• Hardware.
• Twine, fishing line.

Installation

To make a fence from poles, you first need to clear the area and mark its location. To do this, you need to stretch the fishing line or twine between the fence stakes. Depending on the number of supports, dig the required number of holes for the pillars. A distance of 2-3 meters is usually maintained between supports.

The lower end of the supports is sharpened to make it easier to install (drive) into the ground. It also needs to be coated with resin or drying oil. Impregnation protects wood from rotting in wet soil.

To drive the posts into the holes, use a sledgehammer. Buttoning or wooden pegs will help strengthen the supports. Also, the space between the pillars and the ground of the recesses can be filled with crushed stone. The structure will be more stable if you build double pillars: they are fastened to each other with a tie, and then poles are laid between them, connecting with wire or staples.

After these steps, you can begin installing transverse, longitudinal or diagonal poles, which are mounted on a wooden frame. To protect the ends of the trunks from destruction, they are coated with resin. After assembling the structure, the pillars, poles, rods can be coated with a colorless protective varnish, then the wood will not lose its color and will be resistant to external influences.

Ranch style fencing is gaining popularity. This is largely due to the use of accessible, inexpensive material and the ease of assembling the fence. In addition, there are quite wide choose types of fence design made from poles.

Garden buildings made of unsanded poles bring the charm of rustic simplicity and comfort to the garden. They “dissolve” so organically in nature that they become an integral part of it.

For a master who arranges his garden according to his own plans and dreams of special, “not like everyone else” fences, gazebos, gates and pergolas, the ideal building material is untreated poles that have preserved the natural, living lines of the tree and beautiful bark. Among the unsanded poles, you won’t find two identical ones, no matter how hard you try. Buildings made from such material are absolutely unique. They fit perfectly into the garden, designed in rustic style, which was called “rustic” for its slight roughness.

gifts of nature
In the lumber markets, it is not difficult to find pine poles of different diameters up to 6-8 m in length. You can also prepare material for small buildings yourself: illicit wood from the undergrowth, such as hazel bushes, which grow in continuous thickets and require periodic thinning, is suitable for this purpose. Hazel poles are thinner and shorter than pine poles, no more than 3 meters in length. Hazel bark does not have such an expressive texture as pine.

rot protection
In order for the construction to be durable, the lower ends of the poles must be tarred or lowered for 30-40 minutes in a waste water. machine oil. Every wooden part dip one end into the melted resin and keep in it for 5-7 minutes. The lower parts of the racks can be left in a bucket with the composition overnight so that the ends are thoroughly soaked. A good remedy for rotting is burning wood with a flame. blowtorch. To protect the top cuts of the poles from rain, they are coated with oil paint. It is also used to process metal fasteners - wire and staples.

fence cases
The most common version of rustic buildings made of poles is light fences and picket fences. The basis of the fence is made up of pillars and horizontal veins attached to them, onto which poles are then nailed vertically. By varying the height and density of the poles, you can turn the fence into a real picket fence. Using short sections cut at an angle, you can create various geometric patterns between the posts and veins. Round or split along the length of the poles, fastened with galvanized wire, form a “roll fence”. All that is needed to install it is to roll out the “track”, cut off the excess and attach it to the posts.

open the gate slowly
A “rustic” gate will give a completed look to a fence made of poles. The gate is constantly being opened and closed; therefore it must have a strong frame. The supporting structure can be assembled from poles or, for greater reliability, built from a planed beam with a section of 5 x 5 cm. The parts are connected with 50 mm screws and reinforced with steel corners. Sections of poles are placed on the outer side of the frame and drilled with self-tapping screws.

The protruding ends are smoothed with a saw or left as is. A gate that is a frame filled with pieces of poles looks more neat. To install them, guides are drilled on the inner surface of the frame.

choose wisely
Poles are thin long tree trunks cleared of twigs and branches, the thickness of which at the upper end without bark is 3-7 cm.
They are suitable for light buildings; in serious buildings, the poles are combined with thicker trunks-pillars 6-13 cm thick and thin logs with a diameter of 14-24 cm. Poles and thin logs are used to create the structural basis of buildings, thin poles are used for filling elements.
Rigidity is given to the building with the help of numerous diagonal struts and jumpers.
For decoration, you can also use gnarled “gnarled” branches - they will give the structure a picturesque, slightly “wild” look.