Scandinavian style: How to bring the spirit of northern traditions to your site
Simplicity, facticity and versatility are the main touches of the Scandinavian style, which is widely used in landscape design. The popular direction of arrangement of personal plots came from the Nordic countries, for whom the main task was to create a cozy and in harmony with nature, able to withstand the test of bad weather. The climate and topography of these regions have characteristic differences. However, when constructing personal maps of the inhabitants living on the peninsula, it is easy to find commonalities. Which ones – read below.
What is characteristic of the Scandinavian style? The main feature of this direction is the close unity with nature and life – mood. Because of this landscape, decorated in the Scandinavian style, disposes to a pleasant rest and at the same time, energizing and invigorating.
Scandinavian style successfully combines trends and styles that evolved in the northern regions of Scandinavia: Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
The Scandinavian style is characterized by natural simplicity, bordering on severe restraint in design and functionality.
At the same time site arrangement in the Scandinavian style includes the use of rich, lush colors. With the lack of daylight and harsh long winters, typical for the North, bright colors and bright colors will help to make the garden more cozy and bright.
Key elements characteristic of the Scandinavian style:
- open layout;
- hedges instead of fences;
- Containers of flowers instead of flowerbeds;
- paved rectangular areas;
- natural lists and oases with wild plants;
- Irreversible lawns without flower beds;
- An irregularly shaped artificial pond;
- Presence of a heather garden.
In the design of the Scandinavian side you will not find artificial landscaping. Instead, the garden is decorated with large stones and boulders, which, at first glance, are scattered around the site without any special system. All elements of landscape design are clarified by the clarity of lines and the correctness of geometric shapes.
Unity with nature helps to create Heather gardens – nice oases, effectively emphasizing the delicacy and lyricism of the landscape
A small vegetable garden consisting of just a few neatly designed beds can be a successful addition to the heather garden. To maintain the style of design the beds can be framed with frames of boards, and the passages between them are lined with gravel.
The main advantage of Scandinavian design is the ability to create a picturesque Scandinavian corner even on a small piece of land. Most of the bushes and flowers used to decorate Scandinavian corners, it will not be difficult to find in our latitudes.
The choice of plants for such a garden
It is difficult to imagine a Scandinavian garden without evergreens. The main decoration of the personal territory are pine, juniper, spruces and pyramidal thuas. Tiered beds of Scandinavian design replace all kinds of floor and flower pots. Hydrangea, Yew Tree and Boxwood look very impressive in containers.
Unpretentious in care boxwoods are perfectly amenable to pruning. Their crowns can be given original pyramidal and round shapes
A pavilion or seating area can be planted with climbing rocket plants. Ideal for this purpose are: climbing beans, hops, tablas, ivy, clematis.
Characteristic of the Scandinavian garden and miniature greenhouses, under the arch which grow warning decorative plants.
The most popular in creating flower compositions: lavender, rhododendron, peony, poppy, chamomile, as well as all wildflowers.
Elegant lawns of phlox, asters, calendula, and lines and islands are sometimes found in different parts of the garden. These joyful oases give the Scandinavian garden a special charm. And the atmosphere of the Scandinavian tribes will help to create semi-wild grains.
For the arrangement of stony gardens, Carpathian bellflower, Anchis alpine, sedum and gypsophila are creeping.
Sphere locations are often framed by trees. Mixed plantings of lilac, birch, aspen, spruce and pine look extremely picturesque.
In the choice of plants should be guided by the principle that the overall appearance of the garden should remain restrained and simple, and only some of its elements can be distinguished by bright colors.
Smaller architectural forms
Wood and stone are the main materials in the arrangement of the territory. Arrangement in the Scandinavian style is aimed at creating a cozy and truly comfortable corner for a pleasant rest. In the design of such areas necessarily present open arbors.
Spacious areas and cozy gazebos are equipped with wooden benches or lounge chairs.
Scandinavian style is also characterized by an abundance of stone objects. Large boulders and stone figures decorate not only the garden, but also the front part of the territory.
Boulders of untreated wild stone scattered in a somewhat chaotic order around the city
Artificial grottos are another characteristic feature of the style. They are made of stones and decorated with beautifully flowered flooring systems.
Stone fireplace – decorative medium-sized stone structures also contribute to giving the site a Nordic tradition.
At the request of the customer, a more functional stone fireplace can be installed. And then sitting by the fire will be one of the favorite activities of the cool evenings.
Scandinavian design includes the use of utensils and household items from the past. Drowning pots, ceramic and straw figures, colored water, rude tubs, car wheels – all these items of folk life can be involved in the design of the location.
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Old objects or their quality imitation can create a unique atmosphere of a cozy and unusually picturesque place.
A spectacular addition to the exterior are items-baskets: screens, pots, coasters, stylized garden figures and baskets. To give the site bright lines, garden figures (Vikings, trolls, gnome) and individual exterior items are painted in red, blue or orange.
Arrangement of a decorative pond
As a frame for a decorative pond, the same stones are used as for a decorative pond.
Mandatory attribute Nordgarten is a small waterfall or decorative pond, the water surface which is decorated with graceful lilies beauties
If you can not equip the site of the pond, you can bring the atmosphere of the water element by installing a high water bath.
Garden furniture with character
Harmonious combination with nature helps to provide wooden elements of garden furniture.
Against the backdrop of colorful lawns with fragrant flowers, rough garden benches made of ordinary, trimmed protocols look picturesque.
The so-called container operations, in which it is convenient to store all kinds of garden tools, were also often used in the arrangement of plots. Due to these convenient functional structures Scandinavian gardens are also called “containers”.
The original garden and whimsically shaped figures and nestlings of ducks help to add expression to the image.
Wicker furniture is no less popular element of the Scandinavian style. It successfully combines an interesting design and usability.
When organizing the location, wicker chairs, sun loungers and tables most often do not put on open areas, and choose corners under the crowns of trees.
Scandinavian style is initially a successful combination of small details that create complete harmony and perfection of the single image.
Scandinavian style in landscape design – minimalistic naturalness of the garden
The Nordic landscape extends through the volcanic highlands of Iceland, the forests of Finland, the mountains and fjords of Norway, the meadows of Sweden and the sandy levels of Denmark. It’s phenomenally beautiful, and if that’s the view from your window, why change anything? And if you are an eco-friendly person with a great love for northern flora and fauna, this style will be a godsend for your site. Scandinavian style in landscape design is the ability to create a cozy corner in the suburbs or at the cottage. Let’s consider the features of Scandinavian landscape design in more detail.
Features of the Scandinavian style in the garden
Scandinavians respect nature and try to turn natural landscapes into landscape architecture, carefully and thoughtfully building and configuring each element, from covering the house to the garden path. Respect for nature is an important feature of Nordic garden design. In Scandinavian countries, nature is a kind of religion. In Scandinavia, closeness to nature is a privilege.
As the Scandinavians themselves say, we have a great respect for our environment – forests, lakes, fields and mountains. We were born close to nature, grew up, matured and have a knowledge of the environment. “The growing season lasts about 60 days in the northern parts of Scandinavia. The rest of the season is mostly a prelude to or recovery from winter. This is something to consider if you’re endowing your site with Nordic landscape features.” The main features of the basic style are green lawns with minimalist natural materials. Characteristic features of Scandinavian landscape design are:
- Simplicity, unhurriedness;
- Functionality;
- Naturalness;
- Accuracy.
To create such a creative composition in the country house are installed sculptures made of wood, compositions made of stones, arches, pergolas, comfortable benches. One of the requirements is the presence of a large number of evergreens (preferably conifers). The original solution is a combination of interesting sculptures in the square with trimmed shrubs of round and square shapes. To create a landscape in the right direction, you need a place with a size of 6 to 8 hectares.
Scandinavian style: the secrets of garden landscape
Site design in the Scandinavian style – fresh, with a minimum of unnatural decorations.
-
, the shape – square or rectangular;
- Natural oases (ponds with crops, perennials, shrubs);
- medium-sized garden in the Scandinavian style – raised beds with vegetables and herbs, surrounded by well-kept paths; ;
- wooden products painted in different shades;
The Scandinavian style is characterized by small greenhouses in which ornamental plants are grown. Representatives of flora are planted chaotically.
Wildflowers are also planted in plantations. Cereals, lavender look good, among the trees preference is given to maples, pines, pyramidal thuas and lilacs. To decorate the flower beds are used marble products, colorful small stones and naturally polished sea pebbles.
Scandinavian garden style: how to use decorative elements made of natural raw materials
Decorative elements are of great importance when creating a Scandinavian style in landscape design. Usually they are made of wood material, then covered with paints of light shades. But a few elements should stand out with bright accents to attract attention. Benches are made of wood, and next to them are often installed special containers or wooden structures in which to store garden tools.
When decorating the room, preference is given to tables, chairs and chaise lounges woven from natural vines. In addition, the garden decor is complemented by:
- old broken clay jugs;
- wooden carts without wheels;
- watering cans for watering.
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The use of unique fences in the Scandinavian design style
Residents of northern countries do not build a fence, but enclose the space with trees or shrubs. But even there you can find fences around plots. Fences and other types of fences in Scandinavia are mostly a combination of a maximum of natural wood and a minimum of iron. Fences are often built from the trunks of young conifers and set at an angle to the ground (as pictured). The posts are also made from the same wood. Wicker fences made of thin branches are also popular in Scandinavia and are often used as supports for various plants and flowers.
Gazebo for a northern garden: characteristic features of the design
If you want to complement the garden with the features of northern European countries, equip them with gazebos. Dacha and garden buildings in the Scandinavian style have medium parameters with windows (often unglazed). Inside the structure a table and benches are installed. They can be wooden, wicker or upholstered, they can be picked up in garden furniture stores. The main rule – the construction should not be bulky, wood or natural stone is used for finishing. The shade of the gazebo – light blue or white. Fashionable accent in the design of the gazebo will be large asymmetrical boulders. Near the building should be a lot of flowerbeds planted with bright representatives of flora. If desired, a grill is installed near the building, clay pots and wooden structures are placed in the open pergola. Open pergola is often complemented by wicker – figures of vines, which are placed on tables next to the flowerbeds.
Garden design in the Scandinavian style: the choice of decorative decorations
Backyard plot in the Scandinavian style assumes not only a heated house with a terrace, but also various original elements of landscape decor.
Most often, the northern garden is decorated with the following elements:
- miniature houses of gnomes, elves;
- wooden figures; .
Scandinavian style in garden landscape design involves the installation of various figures, small buildings, grottos, statuettes and images of fairy tale characters in the layout of the site. Plants often serve as the basis for the creative creation of sculptures of various forms from natural materials. When choosing decorative components it is necessary to respect the measure, to combine fantasy with an original approach, designers advise.
Tips of the landscape architect on decorating the garden in the Scandinavian style
Here are a few recommendations from experts on the design of the garden plot in the Scandinavian style
Be more outdoors.
During the warm season, spend as much time outdoors as possible. In the kitchen, bedroom or living room, install large windows and, if possible, access to the garden where you can go out in the summer. Have a summer kitchen with two shelves under the eaves where you can store plates and cups. Install an outdoor faucet for washing dishes, a dining table with chairs and a barbecue grill nearby. This will encourage you to spend more time in the garden.
Use recycled materials in your design
Use natural and recycled materials. Weathered wood, neat old benches, metal buckets or bowls turned into flower pots will add simplicity and humility to your garden.
What color palette to use
Use colors that are often found in northern nature. Gray, brown, white and green backgrounds complement the plants and trees in the surrounding Scandinavian landscape.
Minimalism in a Scandinavian garden
Be minimalist in the design of elements such as paths and fences so that they blend in with the natural surroundings of your garden. Don’t try to manage your garden. Allow plant seeds to disperse after blooming. Plant plants between rocks. Do minimal pruning of plants.
Take care of your plants.
Pay attention to the flowering plants in your yard, how happy they are with sunlight, soil and moisture. Allow them to spread as they want, and don’t waste time on crops that don’t grow well in your garden.
Use light wisely
Poor sunlight is part of everyday life in Scandinavia. In your garden, you can control how light passes through your plot. Which elements – outbuildings, tall trees – create shaded areas in the garden. How sunlight enters your garden in spring, summer and fall. This is the main criterion for choosing a planting location.
Don’t give up gardening in the winter.
Organize a place indoors where it’s comfortable to work in bad weather. This can be a winter garden or a greenhouse. They will be a great place for you to spend your free time in winter.
If you like the Scandinavian style and want to design your garden in this direction, try to pay attention to minimalism and naturalness, which are some of the main characteristics of the northern garden.
