Many people prefer to spend time in their summer cottages in the summer. To make the rest comfortable, the site is decorated and decorated different ways, using various structures. One of the popular landscape decorations, which pleases not only the owners, but also those around them, is an artificial stream. A moving water stream can be arranged in the most in an unusual way. If desired, fish can be bred in the stream. With all this, you can make an artificial stream with your own hands, which means saving money on the wages of specialists.
Having decided to make an artificial stream on the site, you need to decide on its type:
- Natural. It is an excellent option if there is a natural reservoir / stream nearby, from which a groove is dug in its area, according to the plan, then it is simply taken out of the fence and sent back to the reservoir.
- Real. It is built if there is no natural reservoir / stream nearby or if the volume of water is limited. A closed stream is simply made, the water into which enters from the main water supply, the movement along the ditch is carried out using a pump, and then returns to the source.
To choose which type of stream is right for your site, you need to familiarize yourself with the terrain, find and study all possible sources of water nearby, then think over a plan.
Many people are faced with the problem of how to locate the stream on the site. To solve it, you must first pay attention to certain features:
- the shape of the entire site;
- dimensions of other landscape forms;
- site topography.
The decorated stream should be combined with other elements of the site.
To make a beautiful and creative artificial stream on your site, you need to take into account some of the nuances:
- A narrow and winding stream will visually expand the site, making it larger and more spacious.
- If the territory is flat, then it is necessary to make a stream like a meadow, which will have enough a large number of convolutions.
- If the site has a slight slope, then it is best to model an artificial reservoir like a mountain stream with a cascading design.
The length, width and depth of the stream must be considered in advance. In this case, you need to rely only on fantasy or a personal vision of the landscape in the country. However, there are certain standard indicators that are taken into account during the construction of an artificial reservoir:
- The width of the stream should be from 0.4 to 1.5 m. If this figure is less than 40 cm, then the stream will become invisible on the site, especially if quite a lot of plants are planted along it. If the width is more than 1.5 m, then such a reservoir will take up a significant amount of surface and will look like a natural pond.
- The depth of the stream is usually taken from 0.3 to 0.5 m.
Before you make an artificial stream on your site, you need to prepare the following materials and tools:
- crushed stone, soil or other bulk materials that will be required for the foundation;
- sand (it is necessary for arranging sand cushion in the stream bed)
- waterproofing material;
- fasteners;
- concrete (required if the stream will have complex curved outlines);
- OSB board for formwork;
- pump, pipes or hoses;
- decorative ornaments (the most popular are natural stones, coarse gravel and various plants).
After all are prepared necessary materials, you should proceed directly to the arrangement of the future reservoir.
If the volume of water required is incorrectly calculated, then the production of the stream will fail. When calculating, one should take into account the fact that the pump pumps water over a distance equal to the length of the stream. When the water returns from the end point, its speed decreases as it has to go around rocks and plants. Moreover, consider the fact that water tends to evaporate. According to some calculations, on average, water in a stream moves 2 m in 1 minute. So, if your stream is 10 m long, then the movement of water in it will be up to 300 liters. When calculating, also take into account the area of \u200b\u200bthe base of the stream, the volume of the lower pond and the diameter of the hose that supplies water to highest point stream.
During the operation of the stream from time to time it will be necessary to add water to it. This is due to the ability of water to evaporate.
If all calculations preparatory work carried out, you can proceed to the direct construction of the stream. You need to start with its markup:
- Take pegs and rope and draw the outline of the future stream. In this case, it is not necessary to observe any geometric shapes. Try to give the stream naturalness due to smooth bends.
- After that, it is necessary to dig the earth under the channel. If the stream is on a slope, you can add steps or small rapids.
- The easiest method of making thresholds is to take boulders and set them on concrete.
- The bottom of the excavated channel should be cleaned of roots and compacted.
- Before laying the film on the bottom, fill up a layer of sand up to 60 mm.
- In order for the canvas to fit snugly to the base of the stream, it is recommended to moisten it well after laying.
- And only after that it is possible to carry out the laying of polyethylene.
If desired, the bottom can be made concrete, but in this case it should be decorated by placing pebbles or cobblestones on it different sizes. Along the edges of the stream, geotextiles are fixed with large stones.
It is necessary to dig a trench along the stream, up to 10 cm deep. A pipe coming from the pump will be laid in it. After laying them, this place must be masked. Upon completion, it remains to connect the pump and start the water.
simple stream
We suggest you familiarize yourself with the stream, which everyone can do. For its manufacture it is necessary to prepare:
- Plastic bottles, 5–6 l.
- Black polyethylene film.
- Pond pump or hose pump.
- Plastic basin.
- Pebble or gravel.
In this case, the mouth of the stream will be made of plastic bottles that are cut lengthwise. First, they should cut off the neck and bottom. So, laying out the halves plastic bottles in a chain, cover them with dense polyethylene. The pump is mounted in the lower tank, which is also made from a bottle wrapped in film.
In conclusion, the stream bed remains to be decorated. To do this, you can use pebbles or gravel. To organize the lower tank, you can use a plastic bowl in which the submersible pump will be placed. As for the hose, it can be hidden at the mouth of the stream under the pebbles, bringing it to the source.
Other original landscape element, which is done quite simply and does not require so much money, is a dry stream. He will be able to successfully hide the flaws in the relief, as well as visually enlarge the local area.
The advantage of a dry stream over a pond is that midges, mosquitoes and other insects that love moisture will not swarm over it. It is for this reason that many refuse a real stream and prefer a dry one.
Dry streams are especially popular in China. In the East, it is even considered that the landscape is unfinished if there is no water or its imitation. In fact, such an element landscape design may be the only right decision, because water does not always work. So, there are several advantages of such a structure:
- Near a dry stream, you can plant any plants, not only moisture-loving ones.
- There is no need to purchase equipment for pumping water.
- There is no need to deepen the relief for the movement of water, respectively, land work will not take so much time and effort.
- You can make a dry stream in 2-3 days.
- A dry stream can be made on a slope, in a ditch, in the shade and in the sun.
- At the same time it acts as a drain.
- It goes well with almost any style of landscape design.
If desired, you can build a dry lake. In this case, the mouth of the stream and the bottom of the lake are laid out with stone and rubble. The shore of a dry lake is shaped with reeds.
First of all, you need to decide on the size, shape of the stream and the material used. So, when choosing a form, consider not only the terrain, but also the area of \u200b\u200bthe site. If your site is narrow, then a dry lake can harmoniously fit in. If the territory of the site is wide, then you can build a winding stream. As for the device of the stream itself, it can have both a source and a mouth. The mouth can be hidden behind big leaves badana or, for example, hosts. And to make the illusion of a stream, make a small depression in the intended place by laying out gravel fine fraction.
If we talk about the material used, then in most cases it is gravel and pebbles of a small fraction. In this case, you can choose the appropriate tone of pebbles from gray-blue to gray. Gravel, in turn, can be used in such colors: blue-green, blue and blue. Often, basalt and shale are used to build a dry stream.
To place accents, you can use colored granite, blue-blue balls, glass granules. In the sun and even in cloudy weather, they will sparkle and shimmer. As a result, this effect will resemble a real stream.
The process of making a dry stream is as follows:
- Sand can be used for marking. They outline the contours of the future dry reservoir.
- If the size of the plot allows, then several channels can be made.
- In different areas, the width of the stream can be changed, so it will look even more natural.
- After marking in the indicated place, remove the turf layer and level the ground.
- As a result, the recess should be up to 150 mm.
- The bottom is covered with a layer of sand up to 50 mm thick.
- To prevent the germination of weeds, a polymer film or geotextile is laid on the bottom.
- After that, lay out large stones along the contour of the stream, and cover the channel itself with rubble or pebbles.
After these simple manipulations, your stream will be ready. In conclusion, it remains to plant plants along the stream. But do not overdo it with flowers. Otherwise, the stream will turn into an ordinary flower bed. It is better to choose plants that are associated with water, for example, with blue flowers or blue-yellow leaves.
Optionally, you can use some decorative elements for a spectacular design of the dry stream. For example, you can install a decorative bridge.
Who, if not a Russian person, can instantly find a use for an unnecessary object? This is what happened with used tires. When they appeared in the yards of many Russians, fences, flower beds, curbs and children's rides made of tires appeared. You can safely add a pond and a pool of tires to this list. Their use in the manufacture of ponds and pools will be discussed further.
The area under the pond must be cleared of stones, shrubs and debris. The bumps need to be leveled. Ultimately, you should end up with a flat area. Tires come in different sizes, allowing you to determine the size of the pond according to the size of the tire. The complex of small ponds located close to each other will look original.
At this stage, it is also worth deciding on the location of the pond, whether it will be in the ground or on it. The choice of decor depends on this, and, accordingly, the purchase of the necessary materials.
The pond, like the stream described above, must be made in one style decision with the site landscape. Otherwise, it will be a ridiculous spot on the territory near the house.
When choosing a place for a pond, it is important to consider the following nuances:
- the size of the pond and land;
- level of occurrence ground water and soil structure;
- terrain relief.
Water from a pond located in the sun will quickly evaporate in the summer heat. In addition, microorganisms multiply rapidly in the sun in water. It follows that before the final determination of the place for the pond, it is necessary to observe solar activity on the site.
Pond dimensions are the main determinant of tire size. A small pond can be made from tires from a passenger car. More overall - from a tire from a bus, KamAZ or tractor. If you have to equip a pool from a tire, then it is best to purchase a tire from BelAZ.
To work, you will need such a tool:
- Hacksaw for metal / electric jigsaw.
- Roulette.
- Building level.
- Shovel.
Initially, the tire should be cleaned of dirt and washed. After you need to cut upper part tires. To complete this task, use a jigsaw or, in its absence, a hacksaw for metal. Measure the height and diameter of the tire. These measurements will help you calculate the depth and width of the pit.
The pit should be slightly wider than the tire. This will allow you to secure the waterproofing of the pond.
The water in the pond should fill it evenly. To do this, it is important to make a flat bottom under the tire. Its evenness is determined by the level. To prevent clay from entering the pond during operation, the tire should be installed just above ground level. This factor should not scare you, since you can later decorate your pond with stones or plants, so that the edge of the tire will remain absolutely invisible against the general background.
To ensure that water does not go into the ground from the pond, it is important to carry out its high-quality waterproofing. Most economically advantageous material – polyethylene film. But she can't handle heavy loads. If you want to make a long-lasting pond, then it is better to use waterproofing used for pools.
If the tire is laid on the base, then spread on the bottom and distribute the waterproofing material on the walls. The waterproofing layer should extend beyond the edges of the pond by 50 cm. This will prevent the waterproofing from slipping when the pond is filled with water.
Carry out an experimental filling of the pond with water. If there are no leaks and the work is done with high quality, then the excess material must be carefully wrapped. The edges of the pit should be covered with sand or fine gravel. This will protect the area near the pond from weeds, as well as fix the tire and waterproofing.
It depends on the decoration of the pond whether it will be in harmony with the landscape or not. To do this, a number of actions should be taken:
- Plant plants in water. They can be installed on supplies at the bottom of the pond.
- Arrange plants in pots / tubs around the pond. This will allow you to change the vegetation near the pond if necessary.
- If you wish, you can breed ornamental fish in the pond.
- Stone / flower arrangements will look very organic near the reservoir.
If the building ornamental pond does not seem so interesting to you, then you can make a pool for swimming. But to implement this idea, you need to purchase a tire from BelAZ, as mentioned above.
After that, you also need to dig a pit, fill the bottom with sand, and compact it. Then you can lay the waterproofing material on the bottom and walls of the pool. The same waterproofing that is used for arranging concrete pools is perfect for this.
You can decorate the pool with decking. It does not rot, does not absorb moisture, is durable and strong. From the same material, you can make a path to the pool. A ladder for descending, or if the pool is ground, then climbing into it must be made from moisture resistant materials. It's easier to buy it, but here everything is left to your discretion.
The water in the pool quickly stagnates, as a result of which it becomes unusable. To avoid such a nuisance, you will need to use water purification reagents.
Such an inexpensive and quickly equipped pool is quite capable of being made by any master, a lover of homemade products.
So, we learned with you the technology of making a stream and a pond from tires. Following simple advice and recommendations, you will be able to do all the work yourself. And if you have fresh ideas in this direction, then write comments at the end of this article.
Video
Useful tips on how to make an artificial stream are provided in the video:
A photo
The provided photo gallery will help you decide on the choice of the type of stream:
The dream of any summer resident or owner of a private house with an adjacent territory is to have a natural source of water on the plot. Therefore, if you are a happy owner of a piece of land through which even a small stream flows, then you are incredibly lucky. In this case, you don't need once again to spend money on the creation of artificial reservoirs, and it remains only to carefully consider how to ennoble the bed of a natural stream so that it not only looks beautiful, but is also functional to the maximum.
How to beautifully arrange the water bed of the stream
Before proceeding with the beautification and design of the landscape around the stream, you should observe its "behavior" in different seasons. After all, it is quite possible that a thin, barely murmuring ribbon of water during the period of intense rains will turn almost into a raging river.
A beautifully decorated and well-groomed stream in the country or near the house will undoubtedly become a favorite vacation spot in hot weather
This point must be taken into account in the process of designing, selecting and placing decorative elements so that they are simply not washed away by the stream at the very first downpour, putting all efforts in vain.
Creating artificial thresholds with your own hands
If a land plot is located on a slope, and the stream flows down it, then it can easily be turned into a small copy of a mountain stream by providing the channel with home-made rapids made of boulders and stones. Thanks to them, it is easy to create beautiful cascades or waterfalls. The more relief the terrain and the stronger its drops, the greater the number of thresholds you need to equip.
At the same time, it should be taken into account that sharp steep thresholds will inevitably lead to a constant noise of falling water, for this reason, if the source is located in the immediate vicinity of the house, it is better to make them stepped.
artificial rapids in the channel, they are usually equipped with carefully selected and correctly located stones of various sizes, fastened together with cement mortar.
Emphasis on the source of the natural key
If the stream flows on a flat area, but at the same time it does not just cross the site, but originates on it, then special emphasis can be placed on the source from which the water flows. One of options– dig around a natural spring a small reservoir with a diameter of no more than 1.5 m and a depth of about 0.5–0.8 m, and decorate it with aquatic and moisture-loving coastal plants, such as water lily, water lily, calamus acutifolia, three-leaf watch, cattail, plantain chastuha, arrowhead.
At the same time, aquatic plants are planted directly on the bottom of the reservoir at a depth necessary for successful vegetation, and its edges are strengthened with coastal ones.
Proper decoration and landscaping of the banks
There are many ways to ennoble the stream by decorating its banks. An indispensable attribute in this case are stones of different sizes, shapes and shades. Smooth polished pebbles with even smoothed edges give the flow more calm and peace, and rough boulders with sharp, as if broken off, edges make the stream aggressive.
Landscape designers advise choosing several large picturesque stones of an unusual shape as central decorative elements, laying them in four to five places on the shore on top of small pebbles, rubble or moss. Shale or sandy rocks should not be used, as they quickly lose their attractive appearance from constant interaction with water. appearance.
You can also ennoble the stream on the site with the help of vegetation that loves constant proximity to large quantity water. But before planting it, you should carefully study the already growing flora, so that the stream is not lost behind a variety of greenery, and the overall composition does not lose its appearance, becoming like untidy thickets.
Usually, perennials are planted on the banks, which have an increased need for moisture. These can be Kampfer's irises, blooming throughout the spring-summer season, primroses, motley golden-yellow southern reed, black sedge, the dark inflorescences of which look amazing against the background of young leaves of a bluish color with a metallic sheen. Bushes look very advantageous and small trees with a "weeping" crown hanging over the water, under which you can install a small bench for rest.
Arrangement of fords and bridges
If the stream is wide enough so that both an adult and a child can easily cross it, it is worth considering creating a ford or a small bridge to cross to the other side.
A ford is made if the depth of the stream is insignificant. For this big flat stones with a rough surface are laid across the flow at a distance of no more than one short step from each other. In other cases, one cannot do without a bridge, which will simultaneously perform both a practical and a decorative function. If the stream is long, then it is advisable to make several of them in different places personal plot.
Bridges can be built from boards, logs, artificial stone, metal, triplex and others modern materials, providing them with railings for greater safety. The main thing is that the appearance of the structure as a result organically fits into the overall design and style of the entire backyard.
It is certainly possible to ennoble a natural water source with my own hands, but you should still consult with groundwater experts, designers and landscape designers beforehand, since the slightest improper intervention can cause waterlogging of the area around the stream and lead to a number of unnecessary problems that you definitely cannot solve on your own.
Examples: a stream on the site
A cheerful babbling brook in the country gives inspiration to any garden. How nice it is to pass through your fingers a stream of clean and cool water on a hot summer day! In addition, murmuring water promotes relaxation and stress relief, which, alas, is enough in our hectic life.
A country stream assumes the presence of at least a small reservoir on the site, and if it is not there? In this case, you can create a small pond with your own hands. There is already a good article on this. It's so nice to have a pond in the country, and a merrily singing brook - and even more so! In addition, the stream will saturate the pond with oxygen and will not allow water to stagnate. Such is the mini-circulation of water on your suburban area 🙂
Having even a small reservoir, making a stream on the site will not be difficult. For its equipment, a powerful pump is installed at the bottom of the source reservoir, from which hoses are pulled or polypropylene pipes(depending on the configuration of pumping equipment) along the entire course of the stream. Then the reservoir is filled, the pump is turned on, and water is supplied under pressure to the source of the country stream, and then the stream returns “home” again - to the country pond. The coast is decorated to taste. Now let's look at how to do it right.
Sectional diagram of a stream
Planning the course of a country stream
The “character” of a country stream will be determined immediately and will depend on the terrain of your site. If the slope for the equipment of the stream is gentle, then it will begin to flow slowly, without a soothing murmur. But to create a babbling stream, you will need steep slopes and large boulders in the center of the channel, from which the water will begin to fall in a continuous stream, revealing all the signs of a real “highlander” in your pioneer.
When planning the course of a stream, use the natural terrain. A stream can curve around your flower beds, flow next to trees, murmur near recreational areas, or meander beautifully around. garden sculptures, somewhere creating quiet backwaters, and somewhere - small waterfalls, shallows or islands. Make it as natural as possible, respecting the smooth natural forms. Some summer residents spend the bed of a country stream along garden paths, trying to give it the right geometric shape. But replacing natural lines with strict geometry does not look very aesthetically pleasing, in addition, such a stream in the country often turns into an ordinary ditch and may well blur your garden paths during heavy rains.
At the stage of planning the stream bed, consider creating an artificial waterfall (if the terrain allows), as well as organizing a receiving reservoir, that is, a second pond in the country. This is necessary if you plan to create a fairly long stream that goes around a decent part of your site. In this case, you may have to purchase an additional pump equipment to install it in the second body of water, it will depend on the length of the stream and the features of the terrain where it flows.
The coast of ponds can be decorated with flowering plants that love constantly moist soil: sedge, meadowsweet, hosts, bergenia, bathing suit and others. Choose the length and width of the stream bed at your discretion, but standard sizes usually vary within 0.5-1.5 m - width and 0.3-0.5 m - depth.
Stages of creating a stream on the site
Stage 1. So, you have decided on the terrain and figured out where your stream will flow. Now arm yourself with a rope and pegs and walk along the bed of the future stream, driving in pegs close to each other and loosely connecting them with a rope (we don’t need strict geometry).
Stage 2. Dig the soil under the stream bed to the depth you planned. Add sill steps if the slope allows. Instead of thresholds along a steep channel, large boulders can be fixed in some places (you can use concrete mortar) or make masonry, but the channel itself must be thoroughly cleaned of stones, plant roots and tamped the ground. If you are building a large stream, then it is better to concrete its channel, and in the places marked for the rapids, lay down flat stones and fasten them with concrete mortar.
Stage 3. You may want to build the mouth of a stream and decorate it with aquatic and coastal plants (for example, as in this photo).
In this case, from the edge of the reservoir, where the stream will flow, expose the waterproofing coating and make a trench for the mouth. Sprinkle it with a layer of sand or gravel 5-7 cm high, then cover it with geotextile so that you get a margin around the edges. Then moisten the geotextile well (you can pour it with water from a hose). This is done so that the geotextile tightly fits the mouth. Then fix the canvas on the sides with large stones, and in the middle of the channel make masonry: lay flat stones, fixing them with concrete mortar. Apply another layer on top of the masonry concrete mortar and decorate the structure with pebbles.
Step 4. Dig shallow (up to 10 cm) grooves parallel to the stream bed and lay the hoses (or pipes) from the pump there. Backfill the grooves and mask them with a layer of turf. Connect the pump, start the water and that's it - the babbling country brook has taken over!
There are many other ways to build a country stream with your own hands, but more on that in the next article. I have described the most simplest way, with which even a novice summer resident can cope, without dwelling on particulars.
We ennoble the country stream
Now your murmuring friend needs to be ennobled. Along the entire path of the stream on its banks, you can put beautiful rounded stones, alternating them with water-loving plants: undersized moss, primroses, daylilies, ostriches, ferns and others. And it is customary to decorate the bed of a country stream with creeping plants: tenacious, loosestrife, speedwell, etc., which gives it a piquant decorative effect. All plants along the path of the stream are best planted in groups to give natural naturalness to the landscape. Also, the banks and the mouth of the stream can be beautifully decorated with “weeping” plants with a crown hanging down to the water, for example, goat willow or tree-like caragana. And a little further away you can plant jasmine, forsythia or lilac and enjoy not only the sound of water, but also the wonderful smells of flowers.
Garden stream care
If you have built cottage stream correctly, taking into account all the features of the relief, then further care behind it is not complicated at all. You just need to adhere to the following rules:
As necessary, add fresh water to the source reservoir where the pump is installed, so it eventually goes into the ground.
Completely drain the water from the reservoir and fill it with fresh water once a year.
keep ok submersible pump: Clean the filters regularly and keep the hoses (pipes) in good condition.
Clean out the silt decorative stones on the shore as they become polluted.
For the winter, it is better to drain the stream, completely freeing it from water.
It is always pleasant to see the fruits of your man-made labor, but it is doubly pleasant to hear and feel them. A babbling brook can turn into a real friend for us. He will console you in difficult times, calm you down, help you relax and allow you to forget about pressing problems at least for a while. Is there a country stream in your suburban area?
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There will be a pond in the country great place rest, the murmur of water will soothe, and bright flowers and plants will delight the eye. And in order to arrange cozy corner in nature, it is not necessary to contact specialists. It is not difficult to create a stream in the country with your own hands. It is important to follow the sequence of technology, and soon your site will be transformed.
Consider step by step instructions on the organization of a stream, in which there will be a small waterfall with good water filtration and beautiful green spaces. Additional photos and videos of this exciting process will help to thoroughly study the construction.
Site planning
According to the planned plan, at the chosen place, we mark the bends of the future stream with pegs. The sinuous look enhances the overall landscaping of the site.
Then we dig a trench. Since it was decided to arrange a small waterfall, the sections of the reservoir will have different depths.
Arrangement of the trench of the future stream
To equip the bottom, it is necessary to purchase geotextiles and waterproofing film. It should be borne in mind that the size of the material must completely cover the bottom area and have allowances of 60 cm on both sides for fixing on the shore.
Since the stream will run along the entire site, we plan in advance the place where a small bridge will be installed.
Before making out the bottom, it is necessary to install a weir.
To do this, we use a pipe located horizontally. Additionally, it should be wrapped with insulating material.
Installation of a stepped structure
We use the “stepwise” method, which will make it possible to obtain required level water in areas with different slopes and an artificial waterfall. The boundaries of such areas are divided by wooden planks, creating partitions.
We clean the banks near the stream from excess grass, and for strengthening we cover them with pebbles. To create the base of the reservoir, we use 3 layers alternately waterproofing material: geofabric, film, geofabric.
Along the edges, you can temporarily overlay the base wooden planks. Note that the pieces of textile are overlapped, and the edges of the film are fixed with double-sided adhesive tape. Upper layer geofabric protects the film from blisters and shear.
In winding places, laying the foundation is more difficult. In this case, creating a stream in the country with your own hands, as in the photo, you can fill it with a little water. The material will completely repeat the natural curves of the reservoir.
For natural water filtration, we additionally install peat cushions.
Strengthening the stream
For beauty, small and large sea pebbles can be added to the bottom and along the edges. Since the stream on the site divides the garden into two parts, we build a wooden bridge for the crossing.
Sometimes, in the autumn season, rainwater fills the stream. And on deep areas the reservoir may overflow. For strengthening, we lay stones and rubble of various sizes on the coast.
Laying flat stones
Near the waterfall you can use flat stones. This is the starting point of our stream.
It is not known who first came up with the idea to make an artificial stream, but this idea itself is simply ideal in its simplicity. Everyone can build a stream in the country with their own hands. Everything will turn out beautifully if you follow the advice of experienced craftsmen exactly.
For this job you will need:
- submersible pump;
- water hose (for a stationary stream, you will need metal-plastic pipe, for the seasonal option, you can use a reinforced rubber hose that is used for irrigation);
- crushed stone;
- shovel;
- polyethylene film;
- concrete;
- boulders or pebbles;
- lumber;
- hammer and nails.
Proper design
Artificial streams are best suited to areas that have an uneven surface.
We start building an artificial stream in the country with site planning. First, decide on the location of the artificial spring and reservoir. Water will circulate from the reservoir through a hose system to the source of the stream. From the outside, it will seem that the spring really beats out of the ground. And only you will know exactly how all this beauty works.
From the source of the stream to the reservoir, make markings by setting pegs and pulling a cord over them. AT vivo streams are rarely straight, so try to give the direction of the curve as natural as possible.
This is easy to do, since the existing plantings of the building can simply be surrounded by a stream bed. If your yard is uneven, then it's bad for the lawn, but perfect for a man-made stream. Indeed, in this case, you can provide it with a waterfall. The murmur of water will give summer cottage special aura.
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Digging the foundation and preparing the channel
According to the existing markup, you have to dig a pit. We will not talk about dimensions (width and depth), since there are no specific canons of construction here, and each master independently chooses these parameters based on overall design garden plot. It is advisable to carefully measure the resulting pit to ensure a certain slope. It will be enough for you to provide a height difference of 5 cm for every 2 m of the stream length. Due to the fact that the water will be continuously supplied by the pump, its movement will be ensured anyway, but such a forced flow of water will seem unnatural to you. It is better to bring the structure of the stream on the site with your own hands to the most natural parameters.
Place a pillow of river sand (about 5 cm) on the bottom of the stream and cover it with a film.
Such a measure will not allow water to freely penetrate the soil, the site will not turn into a swamp over time. The edges of the film should protrude to the surface along the stream, occupying a distance of 30-40 cm on both sides. Concrete up to 10 cm thick will have to be poured over the film (in the inner part of the pit). When concreting, do not forget to provide a height difference. At the same stage, you can place artificial stone barriers at the bottom of the future stream.
Concrete must dry for at least two weeks. It is desirable that it sets evenly, so it should be covered with a film. In the meantime, this process lasts, you can work on hoses, a pump and electrical wiring.
It is good if all the supply pipes and cables are invisible to an outside visitor. Electrical wiring can be run plastic pipe, veiling it under any structure (for example, under an arch).
The water pipe will be placed underground. There is no need to provide a certain depth that prevents the freezing of the pipe, since on winter period the electric pump is removed from the reservoir, and the pipes are freed from water. It is enough to place them under the turf layer.
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Decoration of the stream with decorative elements
And now you need to think over the details and arrange the stream. First, equip the bottom of your stream. Here you can use various materials. If you are convinced of the transparency of the water in your artificial stream, then place natural natural pebbles or large river sand. When organizing a sandy bottom, it is recommended to alternate this material with crushed stone or small boulders. Firstly, it will be beautiful, and secondly, the stones will prevent the sand from washing away towards the reservoir.
Along the banks of the stream, do-it-yourself is also made out with the help of boulders and landings. It can be reminded like alpine slide, and natural stream middle lane. In the first case, you use the maximum number of boulders and landings coniferous plants, in the second - any flowers that love moist soil. If the stream is located in the garden, then several blueberry bushes can be planted near it. Get the atmosphere of the Kola Peninsula. And in combination with Karelian birch, blueberries and mosses will look simply gorgeous near the stream. Suitable here are ferns planted mixed with roses, or any planting option that you personally like. Over time, natural aquatic plants may appear in the reservoir and at the bottom of the stream: lilies, reeds, water lilies. With such living decorations additional measures may or may not be needed.
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