Decorative flower beds or flower arches where necessary, at the dacha, can significantly change the general appearance of the site, and place accents. Make your garden beautiful, comfortable for everyone. We always strive to equip the territory of our stay with comfort, not forgetting the aesthetic side. For many of us, the cottage is not only a source of environmentally friendly vegetables and fruits, but a place where the soul and body rest.
What is a flower arch
The arch is an ancient architectural element, relevant at all times, successfully used today by landscape designers. With its help, you can harmoniously zonate the space, create an atmosphere of relaxation, comfort, give a touch of romance of the local area. Arches are installed at the entrance to the garden, they make out paths, combine with arbors, placing tables, benches for relaxation inside.
The general perception of this decorative element largely depends on the type of structure, the material from which it is made. Strength, stability, along with an attractive appearance at any time of the year are the main requirements for the construction of arches. For their manufacture, wood, stone, plastic, brick, forged fragments, metal are used.
DIY flower arches, photo:
The country arch can be of any shape: voluminous (pergola), trellis, consisting of many arches, trellis - it all depends on your imagination. Forged constructions look spectacular, sometimes weaving plants should be thinned out so that the beauty of the work itself and the grace of the lines are visible.
When erecting this design, it must be borne in mind that its height should be higher than human height, the width should be more than 1 meter. In its size, the modification of the arch should look harmoniously against the background of the house, other buildings. The country arch for flowers can be easily erected with one's own hand, we will consider some examples here.
General requirements:
- Material for manufacturing must be reliable, withstand the pressure of winds, snow, and other weather conditions.
- It should always look beautiful: in spring, summer, autumn, winter - it looks equally aesthetically pleasing with or without plants.
- Its size should correspond to the growth of all family members. The nuance that it will subsequently be braided by plants, should also be taken into account when determining the dimensions.
Arches can be conditionally divided by shape, by material of manufacture, according to purpose. They are rectangular, semicircular, triangular, in the form of canopies, etc.
Do-it-yourself arch
Brick or stone arches are the most durable. If anyone can build a construction of bricks, then for decorative masonry it is necessary to attract professionals.
The simplest option may be a curved iron rod - a frame that will climb around climbing plants. Any metal parts should be degreased first and then coated with paint.
A wooden arch is more preferable for perennial plants, since in frost it does not become as cold as metal. If the arch consists of wooden fragments, then it is better to fasten them with galvanized materials. The tree fits harmoniously into any style, if you wish, you can create a whole ensemble, including a gazebo, decorative fences, trellises.
A simple example of a wooden arch can be a structure consisting of stairs located opposite each other (elements resembling ordinary stairs), fastened at the top with a wooden bridge.
Flexible varieties of flowers or shrubs will look great on it. Over time, the stems of plants become coarser, lignified, take the form that the arch sets.
An arch for flowers made of metal can be made of metal rods or fittings.
For load-bearing arcs, reinforcement with a 10 mm cross section can be used, for transverse fragments a little thinner - 6 mm. Two main arcs are made, and between them, to give rigidity, stability, cross members are installed. These joints can be of various shapes: curved rings, snakes, cross-welded straight sections of an iron rod. These fittings can be welded to the base with a welding machine or securely screwed with a flexible metal wire. They are located one after another - the distance between them is about 20-30 cm.
The depth of immersion in the ground is 40-60 cm. In the same way, a number of arches can be made, which will be located one after the other. Subsequently, they will look like a flower tunnel.
For work, you will need construction tools:
- pipe bender;
- hacksaw for metal;
- pliers;
- nippers;
- wire;
- roulette;
- a hammer;
- level;
- in some cases, a welding machine.
It is sometimes difficult to achieve the same symmetry of the arcs, but this is not a big problem. Subsequently, this structure will be braided by plants, flowers, which will hide minor flaws.
How to make a flower arch with plastic pipes yourself? To achieve this goal, it is not necessary to be a specialist, it is enough to know the features of working with the material, adhere to simple recommendations.
Make the right measurements, calculate the plan for the future design, pre-draw an arch on paper. The main structure consists of fragments of a plastic water pipe, which are connected using fittings. For reliable welding of parts, you will also need a special soldering iron-iron with nozzles.
The process of creating a similar arch:
- In accordance with the agreed dimensions, the pipe is cut into fragments.
- Suitable adapters are selected in size (diameter).
- Docking points are degreased.
- The required parts are put on the soldering iron nozzle, heated to a certain temperature, and then connected to the adapters. Docking places can only be touched after final cooling.
- If there is no “ironing”, you can use a suitable glue. The outer surface of one part, as well as the inner surface of the adapter are covered with glue. It holds for a certain time, after which the parts are connected and slightly rotated.
- When all parts are securely fastened together, you can install the design. In order for your arch to withstand gusts of wind, other natural “attacks”, indentations in the soil for it should be at least 40-50 cm.
- We put the arch, the installation site is covered with soil, carefully rammed.
It is better to clean plastic arches in the barn with the onset of winter, as frost destructively affects the material. They are moisture resistant, more practical compared to wood or metal, which over time lend themselves to rotting or corrosion.
The warranty for the use of plastic pipes is designed for about 50 years, such an arch can be relatively quickly made and installed. Low cost is also an added plus.
Flowers, plants for the arch
Thinking about what flowers to plant for the arch, first comes the thought of climbing roses. This garden design is very convenient for growing these flowers: it gives the shoots the desired shape, the best way demonstrates the beauty, especially the variety. When choosing flowers, it is important to take into account the climatic features of the region, plant varieties, so that at any time of the year the arched design looks attractive.
For this, annual and perennial plants are suitable, which should be planted as close as possible to the base of the arch. Since perennials fully reveal their decorative qualities 1-2 years after planting, you can plant curly annuals next to them - morning glory, sweet pea, kobe, nasturtium. It is possible to suspend a cache-pot with ampelous petunias, begonias. Decorating with annual plants will help brighten up the waiting time, when clematis or a climbing rose will gain strength, grow in its permanent place.
Curly roses are considered a classic of garden decoration, they are voluminous, have a rich color palette, have a magical aroma, they do not need troublesome care. The bush is planted at the base of the arch, and then the shoots are tied to the structure as they grow. Before winter, roses are covered with appropriate covering materials so that they do not freeze.
Before you make an arch with your own hands for flowers, think about the material of its manufacture. Roses, for example, are very responsive to cold. So that the stems do not suffer from contact with cold metal, a plastic or wooden arch will be more appropriate for them.
Evergreen ivy is attractive with its lush emerald foliage, it is viable, does not require special care, will decorate your arch even in winter. It grows slowly, so before you wait for the result, you have to be patient.
Magnificent leafy girl's grapes are also hardy, unpretentious in care, grows in the sun or in the shade. It’s enough to sometimes trim with scissors to always have a beautiful arch. It can simply be planted near the structure, and then he himself, clinging to the antennae, will braid it.
Clematis in its beauty is not inferior to roses, differs in dense long flowering until late autumn. It requires care, loves fertile soil, regular watering, top dressing. However, the end justifies the means. Plenty of color clematis are very beautiful. Some varieties have an amazing aroma. They need to be planted at a distance of 20-30 cm from the arch, not close.
Campsis is a tree-like liana, characterized by an unpretentious character, rapid growth.
In July, among the lush foliage, large bright orange and yellow “gramophone” appear, which delight the eyes with their beauty before the onset of the first frosts. In frosts above -20 ° C, the campsis should be covered with spruce branches, film or covering material - for reliability.
Honeysuckle - curly flowers for the arch, with a variety of colors, sweet aroma.
It blooms throughout the summer, grows on any soil, in partial shade or in the sun, and has dense lush foliage. Some varieties, such as Henry's honeysuckle, remain green even in winter. You should know that the fruits of some species of this plant are poisonous.
Hops need little care. It grows well in warm weather, stretching up to 10 meters, braiding an arched structure in just a year. This plant is attractive for its small yellow bumps, which are used to treat nervous disorders (infusions, decoctions). A decoction of hop cones has long been used to strengthen hair growth, as well as a diuretic. Thus, hops planted near the arch will not only decorate your summer cottage, but also benefit your health.
Colomict actinidia is a winter-hardy vine giving flowers by the end of May. The white flowers of this plant have an incredible aroma, somewhat reminiscent of lilies of the valley and lemon. Foliage also deserves attention - at first the young leaves have a bronze hue, then they turn green, begin to turn white from the tip, and then turn into a crimson color. With free pollination, actinidia can have fruits (probability 50-70%) that can be eaten. The green berries of actinidia in appearance are somewhat reminiscent of olives, have a rich vitamin composition.
According to gardeners, bougainvillea is considered the best plant for shady areas. He likes a warm climate, plentiful watering, fertile, drained soil. The creeping shoots of this plant can reach 10 meters in length. It blooms profusely with white, purple, orange, raspberry flowers, which can have a different shape. From April to September, it needs phosphorus top dressing, which must be applied 3 times a month.
Arches for flowers in the country house allow you to favorably represent all the advantages of the site, give it a romantic touch, an atmosphere of mystery. Despite the simplicity of the design, the aesthetics of the arches are undeniable and in demand both today and centuries ago. Depending on the purpose of the installation, the arch can be the main or additional design element, serve as a support for climbing plants. With the help of this decorative structure, you can make your site individual, not like the others.