Provence style garden - the basic rules of formation

The article will talk about how to arrange a garden in the style of "Provence", what conceptual techniques to use, what plants to choose, which decor can best emphasize the described thematic direction. Photos and videos of ready-made examples will vividly demonstrate the principles of the implementation of the romance concept of the French village.

History of Creation

Landscaping in Provence style comes from the French province under the same name. She got it from the Rissan conquerors. Until the thirteenth century, Provence was part of the Roman Empire, then passed into the hands of the French Kingdom. The territory of the province has a unique geographical position: from the south it is washed by the waves of the Mediterranean Sea, from the north it is reliably protected from the winds and cold weather by the Alps. Therefore, a special microclimate has been formed inside Provence, which provides a large number of sunny days. Here is a very hot summer, mild winter, it rains only in April and in October.

Provence has repeatedly changed its owners, so you can see ancient Roman aqueducts and medieval castles, ancient monasteries and small estates, small villages and blue bays at the same time. Piercingly clear skies, turquoise sea, lavender lilac fields, golden sunflower plantations, cork oaks, olives, pyramidal poplars, spherical eucalyptus trees, thickets of hard-leaved shrubs and drought-resistant grasses - all this is the nature of Provence.

The local landscapes are so picturesque that many artists took them as a basis for their works. The spirit of lavender, roses, the taste of good wine and the smell of sea air could also inspire landscape designers. The desire to create on its site the atmosphere of the French Provence became the basis for the birth of a new style. Its main attribute is naturalness and simplicity. The formula for creating the described direction assumes the presence of eight main points.

Item 1 - open terraces

Most of Provence is located on hilly terrain. Local residents are forced to build stone supports to strengthen the hillsides. They allow you to get the basis on which you can break the summer terrace. It often planted grapes or olive trees. The terrace can have a flat platform, it can consist of several steps: it all depends on the height and steepness of the slope. Acceptance of the organization of such a space is a fundamental principle for the formation and implementation of the described concept.

In Provence itself there are support structures that were assembled in antiquity from stones that were folded together friend without solution. They are monuments of local architecture. The method of creating retaining walls is used in our days, but today the walls need to be strengthened with mortars. This allows you to increase their strength. Creeping plants are seated on top of the walls, thus forming the main symbol of landscape design. Stones and plants in it are equal elements.

Paragraph 2 - characteristic vegetation

The garden in this style is easily recognizable by trees, shrubs and grasses. Olive and cypress trees, fragrant spicy herbs (lavender and rosemary), drought-resistant shrubs (laurel viburnum and cistus) grow here. The garden is like an abandoned corner of nature, where you can, tired of walking, sit and relax in the shade of branchy trees and enjoy the scent of spicy plants.

Another attribute of Provence gardens is the planting of peach trees along the wall of the external fence . Trees are pruned as they grow and form palmettes. So they take up less space, give a bountiful harvest. Each fruit receives a lot of sun and light. There is no shade from peaches, therefore there is a place for planting herbs and flowers. If you achieve simultaneous flowering of the garden and vegetable garden, you will be able to create a very picturesque corner. The combination of beauty and benefit is another characteristic feature of the Provence garden.

Where the climate is harsh, peaches grow poorly. They can be replaced with apple trees or pears. If you choose decorative varieties, they do not need to be planted in a row: one tree will be enough to decorate the site with its flowering in the spring, and attract pollinators to it for the whole garden.

On our site you can find contacts of construction companies that provide construction loans and related services, among which are landscaping: planting of a plot, planting plants, ponds, slides, mountaineering, rockeries, etc. You can directly communicate with representatives by visiting the Low-rise Country exhibition.

Section 3 - terracotta

It is used to create tracks. This is a traditional material that is selected for outdoor paving. The style is characterized by a combination of wide stone paths and narrow paths decorated with a wood saw. With the help of large and small round logs winding paths are formed. They are laid on a sand and gravel bed, which reliably protects the paving against weed germination.

Clause 4 - pergolas, arched frames and trellis

The first ones are installed right in front of the house and are the decoration of the facade. They serve as a support for branchy beautiful flowering plants, which, growing, create a shadow near the main entrance. Often under the pergola exhibited garden furniture. It is used for morning and evening tea drinking.

Arches are installed along flat paths along which you can walk and enjoy nature. They help to create very picturesque vertical gardening, which also serves to create shade. In summer, the air temperature often warms up to +35 degrees, so there is a need to create large shady corners in which you can hide from the midday heat.

Trellis also serve as the basis for shading paths and terraces, they are most often used to support vineyards. If plantations are planted near the trellis, over time, their crown will weave the base and form a very beautiful canopy from the sun.

Clause 4 - fountains

In Provence there are often prolonged droughts, therefore any water source is a precious resource. Every garden of the locals must have a big or small fountain. They simultaneously supply water and cool the air in the hot season. Most often, the fountains are embedded in stone props. Such an element of decor is always impressive.

On our website you can find contacts of construction companies that own a full cycle of their own production and offer the service of erection of metal structures (sheds, greenhouses, etc.), the construction of winter gardens. Directly to communicate with representatives, you can visit the exhibition of houses "Low-rise Country".

Item 5 - pools and stone wells

Once such water sources were necessary to meet the water needs of local people. Nowadays, wells are rarely built: the main water supply system has been built everywhere for a long time. But such an element of decor will be able to bind together many disparate design objects. It will also highlight the charm of the romantic garden.

Clause 6 - flower pots and pots

They perform as the main decoration of the garden. Made from clay or stone, flowerpots are found in every garden in Provence. But there they are used very sparingly. This is done in order not to overload the overall composition. In such containers are often planted plants that do not tolerate winter. With the onset of cold weather the pots are simply brought into a warm room. A flower bed in Provence style is a small vegetable garden with herbs.

When choosing flowering plants, it is important to consider the combination of colors. In Provence, there are no bright and catchy colors, the color of the clear sky and the azure surface dominate here. You can create it with the help of carpet plantings of sage, hyssop and catnip.

The sky blue and azure are perfectly combined with silvery sheen. You can create them by planting sucker and wormwood. No way to do without lavender. It grows poorly in cold climates. There it is capable of replacing it with willow-tea or mountain mint, a variety of which is called a "flaming sunset." Her color is not lavender, but rather, light purple. But Provence style allows such deviations.

Paragraph 7 - a trace of scuffing and old age

Many villages in Provence have a battered appearance. But he does not spoil the general charm of the natural landscape, on the contrary, gives it some charm. Therefore, when recreating the concept, it is necessary to use the traces of antiquity. They can be recreated by choosing pieces of furniture or garden decor with a long history. For example, near the flower pots you can put an old cart wheel. Let it be completely overgrown with herbs, then the wheel will turn into an original decorative object.

Everything that can be found in the attic will do: an old wooden table, worn chairs from different collections . And even a stein, covered with cracks or chips, would be appropriate as a stand for napkins. If all these items are thoroughly cleaned, walk on the wood with the skin, the old items will turn into a cool trendy decor.

It is good to have an open-air pergola in the garden, covered with climbing roses.It is possible to put a dining group in it or place a comfortable sofa with a large number of pillows. At the same time there should be a slight negligence and neglect, but they should not disturb the atmosphere of comfort and spiritual warmth.

It is clear that many designers remake the French style to national traditions. Therefore, a large number of proposals make it possible to choose one or another style direction.

For example, in this video, architects offered a gazebo in the style of "Provence a la Rus":

This could be interesting! In the article on the following link, read about landscape style in landscape design: how to recreate the beauty of nature.

Section 8 - decoration of the facade of the house

Properly decorating the exterior of a residential building is the most difficult task. It must comply with the concept of landscape design. For many owners this is the most painful moment. If nothing is done, the whole work of gardening will be meaningless. The house will turn into an alien object, which will be very different from the general landscape. This is sure to spoil the overall impression of the site. Therefore, you need to try to remove such a dissonance.

The house should not give the impression of modern housing. In its decoration there should not be artificial finishing materials (plastic, for example, or artificial stone). Well, if the building will be built of brick or wood.

If there is no desire to stylize the facade of a building under the chosen concept, you just need to close it with green climbing plants. In front of the entrance doors, place the pots with herbs, build an open terrace in front of the house and decorate it with hanging flower pots.

The video shows a house decorated in the style of "Provence":

It may be interesting! In the article on the following link, read about what features are inherent in the modern style of landscape design.

How to put all this into practice

A characteristic feature of the Provence style is a combination of practicality, art and comfort. Really create a beautiful picture is difficult. But if you follow certain rules, everything will be very successful.

You need to start with painting the fence. It is important to paint it white, to plant a large fruit tree (an ornamental apple tree) near it, to form a palmette from it. Near to plant a pear tree with the same crown formation. If you do not want to see fruit trees in your area, you can replace them with a pyramidal yew.

At the feet of the trees, experts advise planting roses that bloom profusely with pale pink buds. To make it beautiful, you need to plant bushes according to a special method: sow seedlings at a great distance from each other in a single landing pit.

It might be interesting! In the article on the following link, read about what time of year it is better to choose a country house - than good every season.

It is better to plant overgrown sage at the feet of the rose. He will successfully contrast with his small flowers with the lush buds of the princess. After flowering, spicy grass bushes will remain.

A gray-blue carnation with bluish leaves is planted below the growth of sage. Open places and the foot of the apple tree should be closed by planting wormwood, the foot of the pear can be closed with a pink chistets. Growing up, it will completely close the lower part of the tree trunk.

The presented bed pattern in Provence style can be added to a zucchini, which has beautiful ornamental leaves (they are appropriate for decoration of the edge of a flower bed). The other edge of the zucchini can be filled with the bushes of the famous lavender. Geranium with its carved leaves echoes well with it. The final finishing touch will allow you to put kale, the variety of which has the unusual name "Kai and Gerda." It is better to plant on the edge. To such a flower bed should lead a paved path.

The compositions of the described style are characterized by natural compositions that have a landscape imprint. A relatively regular layout is used. It assumes the presence of open solar spaces. Pergolas and arches are decorated with decorative varieties of wine grapes, clematis varieties and climbing roses. It is important to remember that the gardens of Provence is not just a beautiful picture, but also the smell of spicy herbs. Therefore, among the plantings must be basil, anise and mint, thyme and oregano, as well as green arugula.

The video tells you what other techniques you can use to form a garden with a beautiful appearance of the French province:

This could be interesting! In the article on the following link read about the Norwegian modular house - telescope: a project for construction in the most picturesque places.

Summary on the topic

A garden in the style of French Provence is created with the help of certain elements. There must be fruit trees or pyramidal cypress trees, spicy herbs, flowering plants whose inflorescences represent all shades of pink and blue. It is necessary to plant fragrant roses, lay stone paths, paint the walls in calm pastel colors. As garden furniture it is better to use objects on which the print of antiquity is easily read.