A beautiful garden is a real art that you can create with your own hands. You can decorate the territory not only with flowers, lush bushes, trees, but also with scenery. Regardless of the area, the garden bridge can harmoniously fit into any situation. To do this, we invite you to familiarize yourself with the secrets of landscape design and photo of the finished compositions.
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Bridges in landscape design
Garden bridges can fit into any landscape design. The main thing in decor is guided by the principle: the smaller the space, the simpler the design should be. Place bridges in those places where there is a special place reserved for him. Guests of the garden, and you yourself, getting into the zone of the created composition, will focus on this particular structure. Therefore, the design should be distinguished among plants and other landscape elements. When choosing the style of the garden bridge, follow the already designed section or combine it with the design of the project plan. So it will be easier for you to navigate in the selection of scenery. If it is a crossing over a pond, then the bridge should be beautifully reflected in the water, if it is located among the green plantings, then combine them among themselves in a color scheme. It looks beautiful that bridge, which fully fulfills its function. Its design should be strong. When building a building, consider that people will walk on such a structure. It should not only have an aesthetic appearance, but also a safe anti-slip base. On the bridge, both children and elderly people can cross. Everyone needs a comfortable, stable flooring in the transition.
Space for the bridge in the garden
First of all, the bridge structure is a separate structure and it needs to be assigned a separate location. Usually a water association arises with bridges. Not necessarily the bridge should lie over the pond. Although this is the key role of the structure, it can be located in the following places:
- over a dry stream;
- near flower beds and green spaces;
- above the paths and paths;
- over a ravine, a ditch, an artificial trench;
- near the waterfall;
- over a living stream or pond;
- over an artificial pond.
Picking up a place to install a garden bridge, choose the place where you can securely fix the base of the structure. Arrange the structure in the narrowest place for the crossing. The edges of the bridge, as a rule, adhere to the garden path. It is important to combine the materials of the bridge and the adjacent territory.
Decorative bridge and its role
The main role of the bridge is the crossing. The same applies to the garden bridges. Spreading from one bank to another, the construction will "transfer" you to the other side of the site, help to reduce the path over the flowing pond and allow you to admire your skilfully created lake.
In addition, the decorative bridge can be in the role of a viewing platform. Climbing the hill, you can look around the garden area, admire the landscape design and enjoy it.
Garden bridges have also near waterfalls. It happens that the design of some garden corner seems to be unfinished, and so, you will get a beautiful composition combining several decorations in the compartment.
Often, garden bridges complement the spreading flower bed. On the railing of the structure, flowers are placed in pots, curly lianas are planted along the handrails. On the perimeter of the bridge, blooming plants with bright colors look harmonious. Such a composition creates not only a combination of design, but also the general mood of the garden plot.
Bridge-pier serves as a kind of recreation area. This plot of garden area can be arranged for a pleasant pastime. Put in addition a couple of chairs, a table. Here you can take guests, sunbathe and admire the stunning views. Rising furniture above the water will create the illusion of a large pond.
Shape of a garden bridge
In the eastern culture there is a belief that bridges towering above the surface of garden reservoirs affect the fate and location of the owner's affairs. So, for example, the bridge of the zigzag form generates the host for good deeds, cleanses his worldly aura and helps to approach the divine beginning. Indeed it is so or not, it remains only to guess. And modern owners choose the most diverse forms of decorative bridges:
- bridge with steps - the first couple of steps are convenient for climbing the structure;
- direct bridge - convenient for self-manufacturing. Excellent fit in almost any landscape;
- zigzag - eastern guest, which requires additional work in the landscape of the garden ensemble;
- bridge-arch - semicircular form is most common for the design of the erected structure;
- a pendant bridge - an ideal addition for a stylishly designed pond;
- step-by-step - the projecting parts of the bridge assume a careful movement. A typical style of oriental culture.
The bridge is usually equipped with rails, but for garden bridges it is not necessary to use them. Decoration can have one handrail only on one side, or do not have them at all. The height of the support at the garden bridges is also different. Some have a small "curb", towering 30-40 cm above the canvas, others have a full railing about a meter high.
Selection of material for the garden bridge
Presentability and longevity of the garden bridge depends on the right material. Produce them the following material:
- Tree;
- Metal;
- A rock;
- Concrete;
- Combined material.
wooden garden bridge
Wood is the usual material for bridge construction. As the basis, it is customary to take oak, larch, cedar, pine, bamboo, acacia. You can find wood material in any construction shop or you can cut logs in natural conditions.
With wooden structures it is easy to work, to give them shape, to mount, to select the location. Natural construction can easily fit into any landscape, and on its non-slip surface, even babies will confidently move. At cost, lightweight construction is one of the most budgetary.
Wooden decorations can be given almost any shape. If desired, the railings and partitions are cut out with a pattern or a simple pattern. The color decision is yours. Natural designs always fit organically into the landscape design, but the idea is easily changed with the help of colors, pigments for wood and paints.
metal bridges
On the right of one of the most reliable designs are metal bridges. They are able to withstand the weight of several people at once, therefore these facilities are installed as a practical decoration. When choosing a metal structure, you should pay attention to the fact that the surface of such a garden bridge is very slippery. Take care that the base has an anti-slip coating.
From the metal decoration you can pave a stone path, make a path with flowers. Cold, at first glance, the design can be fun to beat for any garden design. Near it beautifully look ceramic figures of animals, fairy-tale characters, statuettes of birds. Even the lantern, located at the foot of the bridge, will accentuate the created composition. For the design of the garden usually forged bridges, made entirely of metal, or in combination with wood, stone, concrete.
Metal bridge, as a rule, is an expensive construction. To produce it is a labor-intensive process, as the creation of a metal decoration requires the presence of special equipment for metal carving, its alloy and forging. But, if you buy it in finished form, then you can make the installation yourself.
stone bridges
Garden bridges of natural stone are very heavy structures. Their production is sandstone, marble, granite. If you want an easier design, then you will be fine with an artificial stone. Clutch from it can be carried out not only professionals, but also amateurs.
Usually a metal frame is used as a basis, strengthen its bottom and spread artificial or natural material from above. The stone garden bridge will actually look among the greenery, reservoirs, stone compositions created by the type of the ruins of the Counts, the garden of the garden.
concrete bridges
Smooth and smooth construction of the concrete bridge will be an ideal solution for a green area with low plants, in a garden in which the plantings are removed from each other, the location will be original near fountains, waterfalls, elevation above the pond.
Weigh a lot of this structure, so to install a heavy frame will require special lifting equipment. This design can go as a separate sheet, without handrails or complete with sophisticated metal handrails.
combined bridges
Combined bridges are made from a combination of certain materials. For example, stone and metal, wood and metal, concrete and metal. There are masterpieces that combine three materials at the same time: wood, stone and concrete, or wood, ceramics, concrete.
The bridge itself
Agree, only the author can do it. Therefore, to create the ideal garden bridge, you need to get down to work on your own. One of the simple materials for making the garden bridge is a tree. The garden bridge width is usually not less than 1.2 m and 2-3 m in length. Length is extremely important, but width can be increased by 10-15 cm.
As the main workpiece, two curved beams will be needed, the size of the cross-section being 0.2 m * 0.35 m and length 2 m. They are fastened to the support of wooden posts. Before fixing on both sides, measure the same width.
Prepare boards can be made from straight blanks. Use a jigsaw to remove excess wood. After the beams are installed, secure them with frame rails.
Over the boards are attached guides.
Support for railing (height - 1 m, cross section - 8 * 8 cm) is fixed to the beams on bolts.
Then the flooring is fixed. The width of each bar is 4 cm, the distance between them is 1 cm. The boards are evenly distributed along the width of the beams.
From above the support under the railing put the handrails.
Now it's the turn to make a foot for the garden bridge. To the very first horizontal bar on the bottom, screw the bar. In width, it should be half the size of the main bar, as in the photo.
Now take the logs and cut into them a hole for fastening to the newly installed beam.
Secure the lugs with a bar on the nails.
From above lay out the flooring, keeping the interval between the slats at 1 cm, as on the bridge. Fix the pieces of wood to the logs with screws.
Now it remains to decide on the color of the bridge, to open it with a protective coating and finish it at your own discretion. Given that the garden bridge is located near the reservoir, it must be carefully protected from moisture. To do this, use penetrating and film-forming protective equipment. In addition, to protect from decay, eating wood with various insects, it is necessary to treat the coating at least once a season with antiseptics - a universal paste or a liquid solution. So, observing the basic measures for the preservation of the wooden structure, your bridge will last for many years.
Below is a video, which shows another option for making a wooden bridge with your own hands. Success in the household!
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