How to make a beautiful dry stream at your dacha with your own hands: ideas, step-by-step instructions, photos

Most often, a dry stream in a dacha is created if it is necessary to smooth out relief differences or add a bright, unusual accent to the landscape. Such an object is attracted by its simple operations and availability of materials.

What is a dry stream

A dry stream of any type plays a decorative role in landscape design. This type of design at the dacha looks fascinating, provided that the steps during creation are carried out correctly.

From the name it becomes clear that in such a stream other materials are used instead of water. More often they take cobblestones, boulders, and pebbles. You can create a bed of low ground cover flowers.

Purpose of a dry stream:

• zoning of the site;
• correction of the configuration of the dacha territory;
• masking of cables, hoses, pipes, wires;
• arrangement of drainage;
• slowing down soil erosion.

An aesthetically pleasing dry stream located in the dacha turns the designated area into a cozy relaxation spot. The basic elements relate to the aesthetics of Japanese gardens.

Advantages of a dry stream:

1. Organizing such a landscape element does not require much time. It will be possible to arrange a small riverbed in 2–3 days.
2. The absence of expensive filtering devices is attractive. There is no need to lay water pipes or dig a deep trench.
3. The created dry stream will be safe for small children.They will be able to play in the countryside next to such a decorative stream without the fear of falling into the water.
4. You can arrange a dry stream without helpers. All stages of work are accessible, understandable and do not require special skills.
5. No need to purchase expensive materials. Often cobblestones and pebbles remain after construction work has been carried out at the dacha.
6. Caring for a dry stream is simple. It is necessary to periodically wash off dust and dirt with a hose. In the spring, you will need to correct the riverbed if distortions in shape appear.
7. The arrangement of an artificial flow that is amazing in aesthetics allows you to create any of its configurations, introduce interesting decor, and use color weaves.
8. Pleased with the absence of the accumulation of blood-sucking midges and mosquitoes characteristic of stagnant water.
9. The type of dry stream is easy to choose for any size, configuration, or topography of a dacha plot.

The decorative channel fits organically into any unevenness. It can pass through potholes, shallow ravines, and hummocks. The result is a natural composition that smoothes out various surface imperfections. The embankment created for the channel allows you to camouflage various infrastructure objects at the dacha: pipes, hatches, etc.

Step-by-step instructions will be presented below.

Planning

After analyzing the different options for a dry stream, they begin to draw up a detailed diagram. First you need to draw an accurate site plan. Then choose the place where it is supposed to create a decorative object. All nearby buildings and plants are taken into account. This will allow you to provide the necessary bends that will beautifully frame shrubs, flower beds, trees, and gazebos.

Mark places of movement. If necessary, a bridge will be provided.It is taken into account that decorative objects should stand out, so the view of the stream should be made open from different sides.

Interesting: DIY decorative bridge for the garden

Marking

After detailed development of the plan, you need to transfer it to the surface of the site. You will need rope and pegs. To mark curved contours, it is convenient to use white sand, which is used to mark smooth lines. When the main marking is done, you should visually evaluate the result. This will allow you to make the necessary adjustments.

Preparing the site

Focusing on the drawn contours, remove the top layer of soil with a shovel to a depth of 15 cm. If there are weeds on the site, then in the process of preparing the trench they are dug up by the roots. Then the bottom is leveled with a rake. Pour in a little sand and then compact the inner surface well.

To prevent the germination of weeds, cover the trench with geotextiles. This material allows moisture and air to pass through, but provides protection from unwanted vegetation.

On clay unstable soil, a geogrid is laid on top. It will allow you to secure the edges of the trench from possible sliding under the weight of stones. Crushed stone is poured onto the geotextile, which will serve as a drainage layer.

If the site is uneven, then in the process of preparing the ditch, beautiful terraces are created, creating an interesting cascade.

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Selection of stones

Since various stones will be used to simulate a water flow, you should immediately prepare the required number of them, depending on the calculated dimensions of the channel. Sandstone, pebbles, and large boulders are used in the work. You can buy crushed stone of marble, jasper, granite.

Laying stones

To ensure good stability of the rocky riverbed, large boulders are used to decorate the banks of the improvised stream. They can be buried slightly into the soil or fixed to a concrete pad. For the middle, use smaller stones.

If flat stones are placed on an edge, a visual perception of flowing water is obtained.

Interesting ideas for a dry stream for a summer residence

In order for the dry stream to fit organically into the overall natural atmosphere prevailing at the dacha, you need to introduce suitable design elements.

Crossing bridge

To enhance the illusion of the presence of a real babbling stream at the dacha, a bridge is thrown over a dry stream. Often it not only acts as a decorative addition, but also serves as a convenient crossing.

A few examples:

1. The easiest way is to put together a boardwalk. It is laid over a rocky stream in a place convenient for crossing.
   
2. If the banks are made of large cobblestones, the base of the bridge is made arched.
   
   
3. For safety, an arched small bridge is equipped with polished wooden railings.
   
   
4. An openwork bridge covered with white paint is a good option if a dry stream is laid at the dacha in a corner surrounded by greenery.
   
   
5. A bridge with elegant forged openwork railings will add a touch of elegance.
   
   

Backlight

The dim glow that highlights the dry stream in the dark makes the atmosphere at the dacha mysterious and attractive. Several technologies are used for lighting equipment:

1. An LED strip protected from moisture is fixed under the bridge. The wire is placed in a plastic tube, which is hidden in a shallow ditch leading to the house. Soil is poured on top.
   
   
2. The installation of street lamps powered by electricity is carried out at the stage of trench construction.All wires should be disguised in special boxes that are laid in the soil.
   
   
3. For a large area allocated for a decorative dry stream, a lantern is installed on a pole. It will provide good lighting and safe movement.
   
   
4. It is convenient to use lanterns that are equipped with solar panels.
   
   
5. An impressive effect can be achieved if stones coated with a luminescent composition or made of special luminous polymers are used to fill the bed of a dry stream. In the dark they begin to flicker, turning the entire atmosphere at the dacha into a fairy-tale landscape.
   
   

Coastal decor

A dry stream framed by colorful boulders looks unusual, but to enhance the decorative surroundings, you can decorate the coastal area with plants.

A few examples:

1. Green thickets will emphasize the natural component and create a cozy shady corner.
   
   
2. An interesting view arises if the frame of the riverbed is represented by flower glades.
   
   
3. If you plan to sow lawn grass, allow it to grow freely, forming a meadow landscape.
   
   
4. When laying a dry stream along an already established lawn, which is regularly trimmed, it is enough to decorate the source by planting cedar and tall flowering plants.
   
   
5. You can plant different plants, taking into account their characteristics. Conifers take root well in shady corners. They choose juniper and thuja.
   
   
6. Deciduous shrubs for garden landscaping should have a beautiful crown. It could be barberry, cotoneaster, etc.
   
   
7. Cereal plants fit in organically. The sedge thickets located along the banks add the impression of the presence of a real body of water.
   
   
8. Evergreen succulents create timeless decor.If the winter is cold, these crops are planted in tubs that can be brought into the room.
   
   
9. A charming forest landscape at the dacha is obtained if ferns with openwork large leaf plates are planted along the banks of a dry stream.
   
   
10. A decorative stream can be placed on the lawn. The composition includes trees growing here.
    

Garden figurines and benches

A dry stream becomes even more expressive if you provide for the installation of interesting decorative elements nearby.

A few ideas:

1. Garden figurines give the landscape a picturesque look. Near objects symbolizing bodies of water, it is appropriate to place images of birds feeding on fish. A colorful frog is conveniently located nearby.
   
   
2. Sculptures of animals that live in the forest and on the shore are suitable.
   
   
3. The figure of a wild boar coming to a decorative stream to drink will add exotic intonations to the landscape.
   
   
4. Abstract compositional groups can be established. The sculpture in them is well set off by a clay pot and a ceramic jug, as well as a tall stone.
   
   
5. A bright duck with adorable ducklings on a blue background of a decorative stream will look wonderful.
   
   
6. A sculpture of a resting girl can be located on the bridge.
   

Comfortable benches will be added to the corner equipped at the dacha with a decorative bed of comfort.

multi-stream stream

It is not always possible at a dacha to arrange a long natural object with beautiful curves. In such a situation, several channels are made, sprinkled with the same or different material. Such lines intersect, creating a unique panorama.

For a multi-flow decorative stream, several branches are made, which requires more time to create.

The end result looks impressive, since the multi-flow channel improves an area with several zones at the dacha, for example, it goes around a flower bed and highlights the lawn.

More often, larger boulders are prepared for the central channel, which symbolize the coastline. Small streams can be covered with pebbles or coarse sand.

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Wet stone effect

One of the advantages of a dry stream is the variety of shades and decor. To enhance the natural surroundings, cobblestones can be given the appearance of a wet surface.

Selected stones must be washed to remove dirt. They are dried and then degreased by wiping with alcohol. Then coat with clear varnish. To ensure the strength of the coating, several layers are made.

Cascade

If the dacha has a pronounced uneven topography, it is worth using a cascade laying of stones to arrange a dry stream. This technology involves constructing successive terraces from cobblestones along the riverbed.

You can make a stream-waterfall, emphasizing natural irregularities. A rocky stream falls from the highest point.

Multicolor combination

To obtain a bright design when decorating the territory of your dacha, you can create a composition for an unusual dry stream from stones, which are pre-coated with waterproof paint of different shades. For flow, a blue tone of varying saturation is often used.

If it is difficult to select a large area at the dacha, pour a winding riverbed of a blue hue directly on the flowerbed. The ornamental plants planted here serve as a harmonious decoration of the banks.

There are interesting varieties of natural stones with beautiful colors.The color of this decor will not fade under the influence of rain and sun.

A few examples:

1. Red jasper. Gives the flow sparkling red accents. A stone with a beautiful texture will decorate any landscape corner.
   
   
2. Landscape jasper. This type of stone, often used in the arrangement of a dry stream, is characterized by a beautiful variegated color. It will make the created object unique.
   
   
3. A crumb of green coil. It will make it possible to give the flow an imitation of deep, clear water, in which the trees growing in the country are reflected.
   
   
4. You can buy marble chips, for example, in a beige shade. It will look good next to coastal vegetation.
   
   
5. Yellow goldstone has a unique appearance. Microscopic inclusions of silver and gold give the stone a shimmer that intensifies under the sun's rays.
   
   
6. Crushed stone “Mix colored”. If the landscape at your dacha lacks brightness, you can purchase a mixture of several species for a dry stream. It includes coal dolomite, red and variegated jasper, green serpentine, yellow felsite, etc.
   
   

If you combine stones of different shades, you will get an unusual design of a landscape object.

The proximity of a flower garden enhances the charm of a multi-colored dry stream. This design option for a dacha attracts attention.

Islets

If the bed of the future dry stream, arranged at the dacha, is wide, you can add such a twist to its design as an island. In such a situation, they take a large boulder and place it in the desired sector of the flow.

A few ideas:

1. Large stones are laid out sequentially along the coastline.
   
   
2. To simulate flowing water, flat cobblestones are laid along the riverbed in different directions. The illusion of streams of water flowing around huge boulders appears.They create the feeling of a whirlpool.
   
   
3. If you want to give the stream the appearance of a calm flow, a smoothed stone is placed in its center, which is surrounded by pebbles.
   
   
4. An imitation of a stormy current appears if boulders of different shapes and sizes are scattered both in the center of the channel and near the banks.
   
   
5. An interesting composition is represented by a group of boulders, picturesquely scattered on a riverbed of small light crushed stone.
   
   
6. The rocky riverbed with an island overgrown with plants looks original.
   

stream of flowers

A colorful design is obtained by making streams that imitate water streams from flowers.

To indicate the source, a large container is placed on its side. This can be a pot, bucket or other container with soil. Flowering plants are planted so that they create the illusion of spreading water streams.

When creating a dry stream at the dacha with your own hands, first study different options. This will add a bright accent to the dacha. How acceptable do you think such an artificial object is in the landscape? If you were attracted by the ideas presented in the article, share your impressions with your friends via repost on social networks and save the material to your bookmarks.