Garden bridges. Decorative bridges for a summer residence - photo of landscape design ideas

In order to make your site truly unique and different from others, landscape designers have come up with another great solution - decorative bridges. They can be laid not only through a stream or must be used when decorating garden ponds. Such bridges can be safely integrated into a plant composition, decorate a ditch, or hide any other disadvantage of the territory. Great importance has a range of materials - the bridge can be stone, wooden, forged, or a combination (in the photo), thanks to which you can make such a decor with your own hands without the expense of extra work designers, on the design and appropriate installation of such a product.

The easiest way to have a beautiful front lawn

You've certainly seen the perfect lawn in a movie, on an alley, or perhaps on your neighbor's lawn. Those who have ever tried to grow a green area on their site will no doubt say that it is a huge amount of work. The lawn requires careful planting, care, fertilization, and watering. However, only inexperienced gardeners think this way; professionals have long known about the innovative product - liquid lawn AquaGrazz.

Before you take on the construction of a bridge at your dacha, you need to take into account a number of mandatory requirements that must be presented to such a product during its operation.

1. In addition, to make the bridge safer, it is necessary to provide it proper care, which includes painting and timely application of varnish, because this will protect the decor from pests and from the harmful influence of the external environment.
2. Secondly, safety comes first. Be sure to carefully follow the instructions when installing such a bridge, and the frame must be so strong that it can easily support the weight of several people.
3. Firstly, the structure must be strong and reliable, because this, above all, is the key to its durability and your safety. A bridge made of any material must be durable - be it stone, forged, or wood.
4. And the main requirement is decorativeness, as the purpose of this product. First of all, it is worth remembering that such a bridge at your dacha should harmoniously fit into the style of the site (pictured).

If you decide to make this decor yourself, without interfering with the design landscape designers, That universal advice there is only one left - the bridge should be a crossing, not an obstacle. It is best to throw it over a stream, ditch, pond or lake. In addition, you need to choose a single material and texture, then the composition will look more complete and harmonious.

Material

Since you are going to make a garden bridge with your own hands, you need to deal with possible materials, which are suitable for the design of this structure. The modern range of gardening decorative services most often offers products made of wood, stone, and forged ones.

Wooden garden bridge

The wooden bridge is a classic and an all-time hit (pictured above). Such popularity came to it for the reason that they can be of completely different prices, a variety of shapes and designs, all depending on your wishes.

1. In addition, wood products are easy to process and can be given the most incredible shapes.
2. Even if you have basic skills carpentry, then you can easily bring your idea to life.

But even if you are new to this business, you will also be able to build the desired decoration, the main thing is to follow the basic rules of wood processing and safety precautions.

Garden bridge made of stone

The stone bridge has external solidity and presentability (pictured). In addition, we can safely say that this is an almost eternal product if constructed correctly.

1. The main disadvantage is that you need to pay a significant amount of attention during its installation.
2. A stone bridge is a heavy product, and when placing it in the required place it will be difficult to do without the help of special equipment.
3. In addition, the stone bridge can be considered one of the most expensive designs, since the material itself is not cheap, the processing process is quite complex, and it is almost impossible to reliably install this type of decor with your own hands.

Decorative stone bridge with forged elements

A stone bridge is perfect if you need to make a path across a stream, because it has much best characteristics regarding strength and better resistance to water erosion and high humidity.

Wrought iron garden bridge

A garden bridge with wrought iron elements is also one of the most popular, frequently used types (pictured above).

Its peculiarity is its wide adaptation to absolutely any design at your dacha.

The only thing worth remembering is that you should never spare money on specialists who create forged products.

DIY decorative bridge for the garden

The main function of a decorative bridge is to create a convenient and aesthetic passage across a stream, lake or ditch. But, if you are not planning a similar ecosystem on your site, you can resort to a technique called a “dry stream”.

In this case, a wooden or stone bridge will look great if it is laid across a flower bed or any other plant composition.

Forged bridge

1. Before construction, it is necessary to clean as much as possible the place where you plan to place this decor.
2. It is advisable to completely level the area.
3. If you are going to install a stone bridge, it is important to consider the type of soil so that it does not subsequently sag.
4. Once the site is prepared, you can begin pouring the foundation yourself. Thanks to this, the structure becomes more durable.
5. After this, you need to choose the material and make the base for your bridge.
6. It will be very easy to do this with your own hands by holding two parallel wooden beams at the base.
7. Then the base is installed across the stream onto the foundation and the flooring is prepared.
8. It is best to use boards for flooring, because they are the easiest to process.
9. In addition, if your wallet allows it, you can choose a more refined material for these purposes.
10. After the flooring is completed, you can begin decorating the product, which can also be easily done with your own hands.

Decoration includes painting, varnishing, planting the plants you like, lighting, and finishing the handrails.

We continue to be inspired by various creative ideas, which can transform our dacha, make it more attractive, cozy and individual. In landscape design, special attention is paid to accents, for example, decorative bridges can attract attention, and this will be a bright accent.

Wooden bridge over a dry stream

Even such a simple wooden bridge will significantly improve the perception of space at the dacha; it can even be thrown over a gravel path.

Decorative bridge with railings

A nice bridge spanning a dry stream. Solar-powered lamps are installed in the railing posts.

The idea of ​​a bridge over a pond

You can often come across the idea of ​​a bridge that is thrown across a pond in the narrowest place. This also logically divides the pond into two parts, and also gives you the opportunity to create additional interesting place, to which you can draw attention.

Wooden bridge with railings for a summer house

Bridge idea with double railings, top part single, and the bottom has vertical slats. To make the bridge last longer, it is recommended to treat it with protective impregnations.

A simple bridge from decking boards

A geometric pond requires an equally modern bridge. The idea is somewhat strict, it seems to me, but there are also such amateurs!

Decorative bridge with rope railings

If your landscape design is close to a rural country style, such a bridge may well become a decoration for your space. The railing posts are round, and the railings themselves are made of ropes.

Traditional style swing bridge

A beautiful idea of ​​a bridge spanning a pond, decorated with flowers in tubs. The idea of ​​a full-fledged country house composition, there is even a fountain!

Bridge over a stream at the dacha

If you have a stream flowing through your area, then you can make a similar bridge in a narrow place. The design is traditional, classic, with two crossbars. However, even if there is an elongated pond on the site, a bridge would be quite appropriate.

Bridge as a transition

This bridge serves the purpose of logically connecting the patio and the rest of the garden. The structure is made of terrace boards and will last a long time. Pay attention to the lighting, which in the evening illuminates the space under the bridge, highlighting the silhouettes of rounded stones.

Small decorative country bridge

Similar bridges are common in Japanese gardens. This is completely decorative design, the length can be only 30-50 cm. It can be placed on two stone slabs and used as decoration in a rocky flowerbed - rockery.

Humpbacked bridge for a summer residence

An element of the path in the form of a humpbacked bridge, under which a stream of pebbles “flows”. The path itself is made of stone slabs.

Long bridge with double railings

And this traditional bridge can be built even on a street area, in a village, on a stream. Beautiful and stylish! A real pedestrian bridge that can support several adults.

Bridge with square posts

As you can see, the design principle of country decorative bridges is approximately the same - this is a “humpbacked” platform base, three or more support posts, railings, either single or double.

Convex bridge for a summer house

And here is the idea of ​​a bridge, the railings of which repeat the convexity of the platform structure. An original, beautiful idea, I think.

Model of a functional bridge over a stream

Well, the last idea modeled by the designer in the program. An idea for a real full-fledged bridge over a stream, either flowing through your territory, or to connect your site and the roadway, through a ditch.

It’s not difficult to make a bridge at the dacha with your own hands. If there is a ravine, stream or ditch at your summer cottage, then you can make a decorative bridge to give it an aesthetic appearance and to simplify movement. If there is an artificial pond at the dacha, then if it is stocked with fish, the bridge will also be a fishing bridge. Garden bridges used to cross between artificial islands on a dacha pond will look most impressive. The cheapest way is to build a bridge at your dacha with your own hands. If possible, you can order forged metal garden bridges. Country bridges are always an excellent decorative element for gardens.

A decorative bridge can be made from various materials: boards, concrete, pallets, metal rods, plastic, thick tree branches.

Preparatory work

Before construction, the functionality and type of bridge should be determined. The bridge should not be built on level ground, otherwise it will cause confusion among visitors. A bridge in the garden must be built over some landscape object: a flower bed, a ravine, a ditch, across decorative pond(lake), bridges over a stream. For improvement landscape design Paths or paths should be built to the bridge.

Bridges can be of various types:

1. Direct. The easiest one to make yourself.
2. Arched. They have an aesthetic appearance and will decorate the site.
3. Hanging. The most difficult to manufacture, require precise calculations and careful preparation.
4. Stepped. Similar to stairs with a common landing.
5. "Zigzag". Asian type.
6. Step by step. They are smooth flat stones, which are laid at a step distance (0.8 m). Construction is not difficult at all.

It is worth determining the main material for making the bridge. Wooden bridges are less labor-intensive; stone bridges have a monumental appearance (but stone is heavy, so they are most often used artificial stones) and so on.

After determining the type and location of the bridge in the garden, you should draw a sketch of it and put down dimensions for calculation required quantity materials.

Tools and materials

For work you will need the following tools and materials:

• shovel;
• plane;
• screwdrivers;
• hammer;
• Grinder;
• saw;
• drill;
• file;
• measuring instruments (ruler, level, protractor);
• paint brush;
• cement;
• sand, gravel (crushed stone);
• nails and screws;
• varnish and paint;
• timber, boards (from 4 cm thick);
• marker for marking;
• waterproof wood glue.

All wooden materials It’s worth taking from coniferous trees, because they are more durable.

Preparing the site for installing the bridge

After determining the type and location of construction, preparatory work should be carried out. All beams and boards should be treated with an antiseptic and waterproof solution. You can't build a bridge on wet surface, since dampness will start rotting processes and it will deteriorate in 2-3 years.

Drawing of a humpback bridge: 1-3 - location of the bases.

At first preparatory work space should be cleared for the installation of the bridge. There should be no trees or large plants with a strong root system at the intended installation site and 0.5 - 0.7 meters from it.

After cleaning the area, the bridge supports and the place over which the bridge is installed (the bottom of a lake, stream or ravine) should be strengthened. If the bridge is installed over a pond, then the latter should be drained. Then strengthen the edges (banks) and the bottom.

Bottom strengthening is being done in the following way: all silt is removed from the bottom and banks, sand is poured with a height of 5-10 cm and a width equal to the width of the bridge plus 0.3 - 0.5 m, after which approximately the same layer of gravel (crushed stone) is poured on top of the sand and compacted. Concrete supports should be placed where the bridge rests. Concrete supports are made as follows: holes are dug for the foundation, into which a cushion of sand and crushed stone is poured, and after compacting the cushion, formwork is made and the remaining volume is filled with concrete.

Before pouring concrete, bridge piles should be installed. Beams of 150x150 mm or 200x200 mm are used as piles - this depends on the dimensions of the bridge. Then you need to wait for the concrete to dry.

Assembly of the structure

Construction of a wooden bridge: 1 - logs, 2 - flooring, 3 - railing posts, 4 - railings, 5 - crossbar (dimensions in cm).

Logs (guides) are attached to the piles. Before installing the guides, markings should be applied to them for attaching the flooring.

Beams of 0.2x0.35 m are used as logs. Further actions depend on the type of bridge, for example, for an arched bridge, the logs must be bent. To bend the beams, you need to cut off the edges, soak them in water, and then bend them according to the sketch. The log beams should have the same shape after soaking. They are treated with an antiseptic and waterproof solution after drying. It makes sense to fix the guides in several places metal profile. This will prevent the lags from shifting.

Pipes or fittings can be used as logs for an arched bridge - they are easier to bend.

If the length of the logs is less than the expected length of the bridge (or end to end), then additional piles should be driven between the banks. Additional piles will also need to be driven in for the stepped bridge.

Next, according to the markings, the flooring is filled onto the guides. The size and location of the deck depends on the size of the obstacle over which the bridge is thrown. The distance between flooring boards can be from 10 to 35-40 mm. The flooring should protrude beyond the supporting beams by about 0.5 m. You can fill the flooring using nails or self-tapping screws. Fastening the flooring with self-tapping screws is more preferable. Before nailing the deck boards, it is recommended to drill holes at the fastening points with a diameter of two times smaller diameter nail. This is done to prevent cracks in the boards and beams.

After fixing the flooring, the wooden bridge is ready. Observation platforms can be provided on the long bridge. For them, before packing the flooring, additional guides (logs) are fixed perpendicular to the main ones, onto which the flooring is packed in the same way as on the main guides.

When building a stepped bridge, additional beams are placed on the guide beams. The dimensions of the beams depend on the size of the “steps” of the bridge.

If garden bridges will serve not only a decorative function, but will also be actively used, railings should be installed on them to prevent injuries.

DIY installation of railings on a garden bridge

In addition to preventing injuries, railings installed on garden bridges also have significant decorative functions. Therefore, it makes sense to use not primitive grilles, but figured balusters. Can be used under balusters wooden beams, which with the help grinder You can give it a beautiful shape, or you can buy ready-made products.

The most effective height of the railing is 0.7 - 1 m, so the balusters are selected to the selected height minus 10-15 cm (margin for the handrail).

To simplify the installation of balusters, grooves should be made in the flooring boards. The size of the groove depends on the length and width (or diameter) of the base of the baluster. The depth of the grooves should be 5-10 mm. After cutting out the grooves, balusters are driven (or screwed) into them using glue.

After installing the balusters, handrails are placed on them. Bars can be used under the handrails. Before installation, the beams are processed with a plane and grinder. To install handrails, you need to measure the length of the beam and determine the balusters on which the two handrails will meet, then use a ruler to divide the top of the baluster in half. Before installation, the top of the balusters is coated with glue, after which a handrail is placed on them. After the glue has dried, the crossbars should be screwed on with self-tapping screws; it is advisable to attach the handrail to each baluster: due to the fact that the handrails are often touched, they will become loose, and additional fastenings allow you to evenly distribute the load and extend their service life.

Installation of the structure can be carried out either on site or in a workshop with further removal to the garden and installation of the finished bridge.

If necessary, you can make a railing from ropes; a parachute lanyard or climbing ropes are perfect for this.

Final stage

After filling the decking and installing the railings, it should be sanded finished design and varnish. Wooden version, varnished, will look great surrounded by garden trees.

If there is a rock garden on the site, then the bridge should be painted to look like stone. Modern industry produces a huge amount paint and varnish materials, allowing you to paint wood like marble, wild stone, and so on.

The iron bridge should be treated with an anti-corrosion solution. Some time after installing the bridge in the garden, it will begin to darken slightly - a patina will begin to form on it. Patina will give the structure a more aesthetic appearance.

To give more decorative look The concrete foundation of the bridge can be covered with stones. On the bridge you can organize a flower bed with climbing plants, then the railings will become “live”. It is also worth installing lanterns on the bridge for illumination - they will give the structure additional charm.

A pond bridge is a great decoration for your pond, garden or cottage. It not only transforms the area beyond recognition, but also carries out a special functional load. Among possible options use - the basis for planting plants that bloom wildly or climb. If properly designed, a bridge on a pond with your own hands has every chance of becoming a support for installing lighting and containers with flowers.

In a word, the element is useful, functional and very necessary. But how to build a bridge without outside help, is it realistic? Of course - and our article will teach you how to build a beautiful bridge or even a pier yourself.

Bridges in landscape design

Bridges are a variety of structures that allow you to overcome some kind of obstacle. For example, a small river or ravine. Some experts are inclined to think that a decorative bridge with your own hands can only be built in big garden. However, this is not the case, and a solution can be found for a plot of almost any size. This is a logical continuation of the path, allowing you to both cross something uncomfortable or watery, and add a little intrigue to your walk.

Miniature bridge in the garden

It is customary to build a bridge across a pond with your own hands across narrow and wide streams. With their help, the island in the center of the pond is connected to the shore. Any homemade pier allows you to “force” the water area and constantly wet places. In landscape design, such a design always looks stylish. It fits organically into the garden space, but only with proper organization. It is believed that what smaller area, the simpler the bridge in the garden should be.

Bridges of various sizes can be located in the garden

Successful accommodation options, basic rules

Most suitable place for installing a bridge on personal plot counts:

• A small lake or stream, an artificially created pond.
• Natural ravines and ditches.
• Separately designed flower beds and flower beds
• Paths, paths.

When placing constructed buildings above a body of water, it is necessary to observe a number of simple rules. We will introduce you to the most important of them.

The crossing over the pond should be installed in the narrowest place. The smaller the structure, the stronger it will be. Yes, and it looks nicer. Bridges with a dry stream are characterized by such qualities as miniature and compactness. The material used is always combined with the coating and is a continuation of the path.

Bridge over a dry stream

Choosing a place to install a small architectural form, it is worth considering the style of the garden plot. For example, slightly simplified, rough wooden structures more suitable for country style. Also, without any frills or decorations, they can complement a park area stylized as a forest.

When garden plot has different differences in ground height, the installation of a forged bridge is recommended. Regardless of which material is chosen, the structure must support a minimum weight of 200 kg.

Garden bridges: popular design options

Absolutely any material is suitable for construction. Of course, we are used to seeing decorative bridges on a pond made of wood and concrete. However, it can be stone or even metal. Their combination will look especially elegant. For example, the combination natural stone medium size together with treated wood.

Combining materials when building a bridge

If we talk about the classification of such products, it is very, very arbitrary. It all depends on the design features:

• A classic direct option for a pond in the country. A universal structure that will harmoniously fit into absolutely any landscape. It can be forged, wooden, concrete, with beautiful balusters, painted in contrasting colors, and so on. Not every specialist can make a forged bridge at the dacha with their own hands. But you can always buy a ready-made model in the store or order it from a master.
• Curved structures. They are also called “humpbacks”. Most often they complement beautiful landscapes in the form of a hedge or flower bed. A pier made of stone will remind you of the Middle Ages, a forged bridge with floral ligature will remind you of the greatness of St. Petersburg. Yes, yes, it was the St. Petersburg architects who came up with it at the beginning of the 19th century. According to construction requirements, the bend of the bridge should not be more than 20 degrees.
• Zigzag shaped designs. They came to us from Japan, they are built exactly the same as “yatsuhashi”. A special feature is the absence of fences, the location of the decking is rather low above the ground. Perfect option to create decorations for the “dry stream” and decorate the Japanese garden.
• Suspension bridge. An extreme option, but this is precisely its attractiveness. Such bridges are practically not built with your own hands, because they are quite complex technically and require special durable material. The flooring is on metal cables and chains.
• Step by step design. Consists of several flat stones that are carefully placed at the bottom of a shallow stream. Stones with uneven edges look delightful among the thickets, and concrete plates with smooth edges - in an elegant garden.
• Stepped structure. Another popular option, consisting of two platforms. Make it high enough and you will be able to survey your territories.

Video review of decorative bridges

Wooden bridge: construction and materials

Why wood and not stone or concrete? When the question arises, how to make a bridge on a pond summer cottage,the most comfortable material it is wood that is used for work. Firstly, the structure is easy to assemble and install, and secondly, its parts can be fastened with self-tapping screws or even nails. That is, there is no need to mix the solution, buy cement, and so on.

Wooden bridge in a Japanese garden

A classic set of tools and materials for bridge construction looks like this:

• Pegs or piles. They will be installed in the ground under the frame.
• Waterproof partition.
• To install the railings, stock up on poles with a section of 75 x 75 mm.
• Also, to create a bend in the railing, take wooden planks assembled in layers.
• For transverse fastening of the span they will use wooden planks 40 mm thick. The span is secured with body bolts.
• Self-tapping screws, ropes and nails.
• Flooring boards. Should have a thickness of 20-30 mm.
• We also use corrugated boards for flooring; we use familiar materials (pebbles, gravel or stones) as a base.

DIY wooden bridge (video)

Wooden bridge - assembly of the structure and its installation

• Used as guides long boards. After treating with an antiseptic and painting, you will need to bend them. To do this, the edges of the parts are cut off, they are soaked and bent according to the template. This is done until the wood is completely dry. If you plan to build a straight pier, antiseptic and painting will be enough.
• By the way, when a small bridge is built, they can be used as guides PVC pipes. They bend perfectly, and for additional strength they can be reinforced with thick metal rods. The latter are simply inserted inside.
• How to make flooring correctly? To do this, you need to nail transverse boards or bars to the already prepared logs.
• During and after rain, the deck will become slippery. However, corrugated boards that are nailed on top can help you out.
• We figured out how to make a bridge across a pond with our own hands from wood. It remains to figure out how to install it correctly. For these purposes, two embankments of gravel or stone are constructed. The assembled product will be mounted on them. When self-built piers are used only for decoration, the work can be considered complete.
• It’s another matter if the bridge leading to the lake will be regularly used for crossing. You can’t do without a strong, reliable fixation. As a fixing element we use piles, which are driven in on both sides of each guide (that is, 4 pieces). The length of each pile is about 80 cm.

Railings can be used as decoration. This element is not necessary if the structure is practically adjacent to the ground or adorns a “dry” stream. When there are small children in the family, and the bridge itself is quite high, it is impossible to do without installing railings. They are strong and tall (up to 80 cm), have a lattice or frequently spaced slats.

Wooden bridge with railings

It is worth understanding that the presence of such additional element, like a railing, makes the bridge much more attractive. Parts made of wood can be decorated with carvings or painted to match the surrounding buildings.

Choose conifers so that the product lasts as long as possible. For example, larch or pine. The final touch will be the application of varnish and antiseptic.

Is it easy to make a concrete bridge at the dacha?

A reinforced concrete structure takes more time and effort than a wooden one. All elements are prepared in the following forms:

• To create the form, boards and wooden blocks. The outlines must exactly follow the contours of the part. By the way, the lines don't have to be straight.
• To perform reinforcement, metal rods are used. They are placed inside the mold and bent in the desired direction.
• Pouring concrete. As for the width of the layer, it should be at least 10 centimeters. You will need to wait 2-3 days until it dries completely. Then the blanks are removed from the molds and mounted in the desired location.
• Cladding of the structure. Materials such as paving stones, clinker bricks, natural stone or its equivalent, as well as mosaics can be used for decoration. A path made using the same cladding material will look especially good.
• Don't forget that concrete can expand over time, primarily due to sudden changes in temperature. Therefore, it is recommended to drive in bridge supports only on one side.

Concrete bridge

Thus, using available materials, acquired knowledge and skills from various sources, you will be able to build a decorative bridge for the garden with your own hands in just a few days. We recommend starting with a simple and unpretentious design. If in the future you think about a more sophisticated model, you can also make it yourself.

Decorative bridges for the garden can not be found on every site, because this landscape element has not become as widespread as, for example, flower beds or flower beds. However, decorative bridges for a summer residence extremely enliven the area and add variety to the landscape. Bridges across a pond are built quite often, but this structure can be erected without having a waterway on the site. To do this, it is necessary to arrange a “dry” pond at the dacha.

Landscape bridges at the dacha

Bridges in the country are not just small decorative elements akin to garden figurines. The impression they make is much stronger. Even the smallest garden bridge is perceived as a full-fledged landscape object.

Look at the photo: decorative bridges for the garden are beautiful, and most importantly, effective elements of site design. Of course, in most cases there is no direct practical need for constructing bridges in a private garden, especially if there are no reservoirs, but from the point of view of landscape design they have a deep meaning.

Landscape bridges are vertical elements and a means of forming or highlighting the relief of a site. There are many elements with similar functions, but bridges have a special effect on our perception.

Firstly, because purely psychologically we perceive a landscape with such detail as larger in size, and space as more complex in structure. It's pleasing to the eyes.

Secondly, bridges are decorative element, not natural, and it has many types, finishing options, it “catches” the eye and always decorates. In any garden, even the smallest one (2-3 acres), there is always room for at least a small decorative bridge. Try it and you will see immediate benefits!

Location of garden bridges (with photo)

Bridges are necessary if there is some kind of landscape object or relief feature on the site that needs to be stepped over or crossed. It can also be an object on a plane, the beauty of which needs to be emphasized.

The most common location of garden bridges is ponds, canals, and streams. Sometimes structures are placed in the most unusual places.

As you can see in the photo, garden bridges look just as impressive over “dry” ponds; over a sharp decrease in relief; in places with a beautiful view.

Decorative wooden bridge on a pond

There are many varieties of these structures, but the most important division is this: there are bridges for functional purposes, that is, “real” ones, and purely decorative ones.

Functional bridges can be safely used for their intended purpose: you can walk on them. First of all, this is, of course, regardless of their type. Then a decorative wooden bridge on a pond can be built across a stream, canal, pond or swamp, or you can make a bridge that only approaches the water or slightly “enters” the water. But a real body of water is not at all required condition for bridges.

Decorative bridges on a pond differ from functional ones in that they are smaller in size and cannot be walked on. They are installed “for beauty”. But in terms of their design role and the effect they produce, they are almost no different from large, real bridges. They can be installed over a small stream, or indeed in any beautiful corner of the garden.

Bridge structures across the pond

The designs of bridges across a pond can be different: high or low, straight, in the form of a simple deck, flat-curved, in the shape of an arc, consist of separate elements, have railings various shapes and designs.

As can be seen in the photo, decorative bridges are often made from wooden planks, logs, forged metal, made of brick, natural stone, made of concrete or can be combined, using several materials at the same time. Which bridge should you choose for your site? This issue is clearly resolved based on the prevailing shapes, lines and style of your garden.

How to make a decorative bridge at the dacha

Before making a decorative bridge, prepare a strong frame - it is most often made of metal and wood, but it can also be concrete. If this is a real bridge, especially over a body of water, it must have a foundation. Further installation takes place on the frame decorative materials and bridge finishing.

In some styles, for example, in Japanese, the bridge is simply large flat stones laid in a chain. Considering the heaviness of the stones and the simplicity of the design, a foundation is not required for such a bridge.

But if the same bridge is made from tree stumps large diameter, a foundation is needed. But making everything building regulations It is required only for functional bridges; decorative bridges do not need such serious “preparation”.

For example, a small decorative bridge from thin logs is made like this: first, the arched supports of the future bridge are cut out of wood required sizes, then slots are cut into them, into which thin logs are then installed. Any other elements can be installed in such slots. Railings for the bridge can be made, for example, from thick branches.

A decorative bridge at the dacha can be folded yourself from beautiful brick or natural stone:

But the easiest option is to install a ready-made bridge in your style. Decorative bridges can be purchased ready-made or ordered.

Particularly beautiful are small forged bridges, as well as those in which skillful forging is combined with wooden elements.

Bridge over a dry pond

The installation of “dry ponds” is an effective technique in landscape design and an excellent opportunity for those who, for some reason, cannot arrange a real pond on their site.

A dry pond is a symbol of water, its imitation using natural remedies of a different origin, for example, using pebbles, decorative gravel (natural color or tinted), tree bark, low flowers, and many other means.

If you want to make a “reservoir” from bulk materials, then you first need to mark the shape or bed of the future “reservoir”, remove a small layer of soil, lay down a black film and fill it with a layer of sand, and then fill it with material that imitates water. For example, you can make a stream from pebbles, or you can make a “pond” from blue gravel or greenish bark. If you want to make a pond bigger size, there is an effective technique: polyethylene film, and on it is a scattering of blue or white gravel. Despite the elementary nature of the material, the film will look impressive: in some places it will sparkle in the sun, creating the illusion of real water.

If you are planning a “flower pond,” then you need to dig up the bed of the future pond, dig a low flexible plastic border around the perimeter, and then densely, in clumps, plant the “bed” with flowers or herbs. It will be especially beautiful if they are plants of the same species with flowers of the same color, for example, a “stream” of ageratum, or a stream of white alyssum.

Bridges across a “dry body of water” are always functional. Even if there is no pond or stream on your site, you can build a bridge in an area of ​​relief change, as a stand for something. Show your imagination and your garden will sparkle with new colors!

You can also use low ones with decorative foliage, for example, arrange a “stream” of miniature hostas of variegated colors.