Winter Garden: design styles, rules of arrangement

In the conditions of the harsh Russian climate, I want to keep the summer as long as possible and not let loose the winter, protecting it from my house. Since mid-autumn, nature begins to fade, with the onset of the first frost, it freezes in deep sleep until spring awakening. A depressing picture: snow drifts, "bald patches" of mud, black trees with bare branches. Such a landscape really sets off a depression and causes a breakdown. But who said that winter must be let in to your house? It is easy to stop, saving a piece of greenery, flowering and life. Summer is simply "canned" in a separate room where numerous plants are grown. This is not an ordinary corner of living flora, and not a group of flowers in pots, but a real winter garden, with its own atmosphere and special microclimate. Its appearance and development is closely connected with the emergence of primitive heating, irrigation systems and methods of isolating individual rooms, for the sake of heat. In closed constructions, a strictly defined temperature is maintained around the clock, in expensive versions they use special equipment that simulates various natural phenomena (rain, wind). The design of the winter conservatory, in fact, is a mixture of interior design and landscape at the dacha. On how to arrange a beautiful, impressive winter garden, in which there is a place for the exotic, and for the usual "summer" plants, and let's talk further.

History of origin

The winter garden is a complex engineering system. The first mention of growing plants in homes are found in the written sources of ancient Egypt. These documents are over 4,000 years old. The Egyptians in those days only began to apply the practice of planting plants and trees in pots of earth and vases of stone. Pictures with similar decor are found on the walls of tombs and temples, which depicted scenes from the daily life of the Egyptians. The method was very popular with the Romans, who went much further. They began to use specially designated places for pots - window sills. And then the first perestiliums appeared - “inner” courtyards, which were fenced from all sides with a colonnade. They laid out gardens, additionally decorated with fountains and a large sculpture depicting deities and heroes of the epic. Although they were located under the open sky, the isolation of plantings was the first prerequisite for the creation of winter structures. Since modern polycarbonate in those days, of course, did not exist, primitive greenhouses were covered with a layer of mica, which had relative transparency, which allowed the surface to transmit scattered sunlight. The Mediterranean climate was ideal for such experiments. In the Old World, the first to test the method of preserving summer plants in the palace in the winter was the king of Holland, Wilhelm. His servants warmed the room so qualitatively that the gentle representatives of the flora were not afraid of even severe frosts. Guests arriving at the feast were amazed at what they saw.


    

At the same time, active trade in exotic plants begins and opens up a new mode of transportation - in Ward’s boxes, which became the prototype of modern florariums. For orange trees, which are popular in Europe, they construct “orange houses” - a kind of greenhouse. For other citrus, date trees and thermophilic palm trees create special greenhouses. But the grandees and their retinues liked not only occasionally to visit their "green corners", but also to spend holidays in them, therefore the greenhouse method of planting plants in partially isolated ground was replaced with "room", that is, in pots and tubs. This made it possible to free up more space, and the winter gardens themselves were moved to the spacious pavilions of the palaces. That's how they appeared in the form that is familiar to each of us. To create a full-fledged winter garden attracted designers, architects and professional gardeners. So far, one of the most beautiful greenhouses in the world remains the Versailles, which was built in the time of Louis XIV. The king had a weakness for citrus, so most of the garden is occupied by oranges. The greenhouse still functions, although it has survived restorations and redevelopments that have changed its authentic look. For a long time, the winter garden was considered the lot of private property, and only by the end of the XIX century they began to be placed in fashionable apartments. The first in Russia the idea of ​​planting plants in enclosed spaces was adopted by the clergy. The monks thus cultivated vegetables and fruits year-round.


    

In the conditions of the Russian climate, there is simply no other reliable option than the winter garden for the preservation of exotic, thermophilic plants. Orange, pomegranate trees, lemons and mangoes are sometimes planted in open ground, but they are surrounded by a solid construction with thermal insulation for wintering, which is associated with annual troubles on the eve of winter.

Features of creation and location options

To create a winter garden in your home, you need to take into account several rules, the non-observance of which will make the whole campaign a failure:

  • the greenhouse should have a good illumination, sufficient for the growth of different plants. For this reason, its walls and roof are often made of glass or other transparent material;
  • consider the correct location of the communication lines of the heating and ventilation systems. The first will be required in the winter, and the second - in the summer. There is no need for them if the winter garden is located in the buffer room;
  • if the budget allows, the greenhouse is also supplied with an automatic irrigation system. This will remove most of the care of the garden from the owners. In the economy options will have to independently carry out watering with a watering can and spray.

     

In addition, you will have to carry out all the usual procedures for gardeners and gardeners: loosen and replace the soil every couple of years, cut, remove diseased or weak branches, fertilize and process plants from diseases, pests, plant overgrown bushes or transfer them to more spacious tubs where the entire root system fits. Depending on the functional purpose, winter gardens are classified into three types:

  • residential - they are comfortable not only plants, but also man;
  • greenhouses - this room is intended exclusively for flora;
  • buffer garden - it is equipped in a “cold” building, which can be used only in certain seasons (in summer).

Depending on the location of the winter garden relative to the main building (country house, cottage, cottage) they are divided into three groups:

  • Inline. They are located inside the dwelling and are often used in city apartments, where it is not possible to arrange a winter garden separately. As a "victim" they usually use a balcony or loggia. Separate rooms will be converted into a winter garden only in rare cases if the apartment is too spacious with an excess of useful space or the cottage has a second (third) floor. It looks great solution with the placement of greenhouses under a glass dome-roof.
  • Attached. They represent an additional pavilion, which is usually built much later than building a house. To get into such a garden, you do not need to leave the house. Buffer extensions, as a rule, separate the dwelling from the street, that is, in fact, these are converted verandas.
  • Freestanding. If the size of the private area allows, you can equip a huge greenhouse, which completely replaces the outdoor garden. Such a solution will be effective in a too capricious climate that “kills” most of the seedlings. Also the refined gazebos look beautiful, which are warmed and forced by tubs and pots with plants.


    

Depending on the location relative to the cardinal points, winter gardens are classified into four types:

  • North. Most of their windows look north. Although the room will quickly accumulate heat, it will not be able to hold it for long. In such gardens it is recommended to install a high quality heating system.
  • Oriental. The best option of all. Plants will receive a sufficient amount of light, but they will not overheat.
  • Western. They are characterized by heat retention over a long period. However, in hot, dry summer, this advantage is re-qualified as a disadvantage, as the winter garden turns into a steam room.
  • South. In such gardens, by analogy with Western ones, overheating occurs during the hot season. We'll have to equip the ventilation for the circulation of air flow and irrigation system for irrigation.

Types of designs

Constructions of winter gardens differ in the form of the buildings themselves, the types of roofs (monopitch, gable, four-five-beam, broken, domes) and the materials of execution. If the first two characteristics are completely dependent on the style of landscape design of the site and the exterior design of the house to which they are attached, then in the latter case, the value is played by durability and functionality. For the construction of winter gardens use:

  • Aluminum. Durable, reliable and lightweight material that does not corrode. From it usually create mobile structures that are easily assembled and dismantled. Aluminum beams are not deformed, but because of the special strength of the material, the profile is made thin.
  • Wood. Classic material that was used during the first greenhouse buildings. Wood is capricious and impractical, because it will have to be systematically treated with special compounds that protect against moisture, invasions of pests, fungi and mold. Otherwise, the wooden structure will begin to rot, deform, and eventually become useless. For the construction of a winter garden using birch, oak, pine, larch. The undeniable advantage of solid wood is its naturalness and special beauty.
  • Polyvinyl chloride PVC is relatively cheap, and the manufacture of designs to order will allow to embody the most daring ideas of decoration. However, plastic greenhouses do not withstand heavy loads, so the overall space will have to be further strengthened.
  • Metal-plastic. This material has gathered the benefits of two main "components". From plastic, he took over the lightness, anti-corrosion and the ability to take any form in the manufacture, and from metal alloys took strength and relative flexibility.
  • All-glass. For such structures use a special type of tempered, laminated glass. It perfectly passes light, but at the same time it does not react even to strong blows, since triplex possesses super-strength. If the surface is still able to deliver a crushing blow, it will only be covered with a pattern of cracks, keeping the fragments in place.

    

Also, designs differ in the types of doors and windows with which they are equipped.

Lighting

Proper lighting is the key to well-being of the “inhabitants” of the winter garden. It would seem that it could be easier than installing a pair of lamps and spot decorative lights to fill the plants with light. But in fact, everything is not so easy. Some plants love shade (for example, tropical), while others need plenty of light for comfort. Lamp power and lighting intensity should be selected in accordance with the rules of cultivation of certain species. This is especially important in our climate, as the sun rarely looks out in winter, which means that the lack of attention will have to be compensated artificially. In principle, a winter garden can even be equipped with ordinary incandescent lamps, but they are more suitable for rooms where people live, and not plants. Their light spectrum is devoid of blue and red rays, which are necessary for the full growth of the flora. In addition, they have high heat transfer, which can burn out the leaves of plants and cause them to wilt. Experts recommend choosing fluorescent lamps. They give a powerful stream of light, have low heat dissipation and excellent energy-saving characteristics.

    

Ventilation and heating system

In addition to the central or autonomous heating devices located around the perimeter of the room, it is necessary to install special infrared heaters. They are panels that are fixed on the walls or ceiling. This backup option is useful during particularly harsh winters, when the main system can not cope with the task. Such reinsurance is necessary in the winter gardens, the design of which consists of glass for more than 50%. Another option for additional heating is a modern “warm” floor, the temperature of which can be regulated. With it it will be comfortable not only to plants, but also to the people walking on a greenhouse in house slippers. The ventilation system can be artificial or natural. One way or another, fresh air is vital for plants. If unpretentious species are grown in the garden that calmly tolerate average temperatures, then natural ventilation will do. Artificial or mechanical version is used for capricious plants that are sensitive to any changes in the environment. Such ventilation allows you to control and adjust the circulation of air flow.


    

Styles and tips on design

The winter garden, like the house, has its own stylistic solutions. For its design mainly ethnic directions are used, since the practice of decorating these premises in each country has gone its own way of development. A popular group of European styles is considered, which includes Dutch, French, English and Mediterranean. In these countries, the winter garden has become an integral part of the country estates. For lovers of exotic flora fit African, Moorish or Mexican pavilion.

Classic style

In the classic winter garden there is a place for each family member. The floor is trimmed with stone, and the walls are plastered. The window frames are painted white. Decorate the room with wood panels. In order to preserve the spirit of conservatism, a soft sofa with a coffee-colored upholstery, a pair of chairs to match with it, a large round table for dinner covered with a tablecloth are chosen from the furniture. It would be appropriate to place an antique cabinet for dishes. From plants choose palm trees, ferns, clematis and creepers. A fireplace will become a stylish element in the decoration of the winter garden.


    

English style

The British love winter gardens so much that most of their free time is still spent here. They rest in the greenhouse, drink tea, receive guests and even arrange modest family holidays. English style is divided into several areas that correspond to a specific era in the life of the country:

  • Victorian. The style appeared during the reign of Queen Victoria. The interior does not save in decorations, but the design itself has a rectangular shape with a rounded end and a gable roof.
  • Georgian. The design has the shape of a semicircle with a flat roof. The windows are decorated with frequent internal partitions.
  • Edvardinsky. The winter garden has a strict rectangular shape, and its ridge is necessarily decorated with exterior decor. In interior design adhere to the principles of restraint.

In the English winter gardens, windows are decorated with stained glass, and the floors are covered with large, soft carpets. Furniture choose old, preferably antiques. You can also use wicker chairs and sofas. Coffee table is covered with a tablecloth with floral patterns.

French style

In the French style observe rigor and orderliness. The shrubs in the winter garden are always neatly trimmed. The furniture used is soft and voluminous, as in a full living room. Pink, blue, white and gold prevail in the color palette. The interior of the winter garden is ideal for personal meetings and a relaxing holiday alone. Its decor is luxurious. Flowers and exotic fruits, medicinal plants, vegetables and herbs prevail in the living “filling”. The tubs and pots with them are put on special elevations so that the greens can be clearly seen from any point in the winter garden. Furniture choose massive with expensive upholstery. The decor used mirrors in gilded vases, stucco, skillfully made porcelain vases, sculpture and floor lamps with a floral pattern.


    

Mediterranean

Mediterranean style is laconic. The floor of the winter garden is trimmed with ceramic tiles, and the walls are painted in such colors as to create the impression of a “burnt-out” surface under the scorching sun. The design, as a rule, has a rectangular shape and is adjacent to the house. In this part of Europe, a warm climate has settled, which does not spare anyone in the summer, so the room is used as a salutary oasis from the heat. In trees, fruit trees and spicy herbs prevail. Decorate the room with sculptures, fountains and romantic pergolas entwined with whipping roses. Furniture using simple and concise with elements of forging.

Japanese style

It is rather difficult to create a Japanese winter garden without deep knowledge of Eastern philosophy. Решающую роль в его оформлении будет играть правильное построение композиции. Японцы с помощью сложной схемы выявляют «энергетические» точки, то есть акцентные зоны, которых в традиционных вариантах встречается четыре.The winter garden becomes a place where three elements collide: air, earth and water. Indoors there are necessarily artificial reservoirs, rock gardens, compositions of dwarf trees, moss and toro stone lights. Rest on the wide benches. The Japanese winter garden is the best place for holding tea ceremonies and a quiet rest in solitude.


    

Hi-tech style

In the high-tech style, you can create a laconic garden of the future. It is dominated by simple forms and strict order. Pots with plants arranged on snow-white shelves. There should be no natural asymmetry in such a winter garden. The decoration uses an abundance of glass, plastic, chrome-plated decorative elements and follow the principle of free space "for maneuver." The floor in the room is either self-leveling or from the floorboard of black, brown color. The walls are decorated with plastic panels or simply covered with white plaster. Additionally, they are decorated with a photo gallery with the author's pictures. The colors are neutral gray, white and black. The seating area is furnished with angular furniture and a low glass coffee table. From the plants choose wicker species and a variety of palm trees, cacti.

Country style

Country garden literally immersed in greenery. Pots and tubs are arranged in a chaotic mess. Since the direction is characterized by a rustic flavor, among the flowers and fruit trees, there are neat vegetable beds with greens, onions, tomatoes and cucumbers, that is, the garden is combined with a greenhouse. The floor and walls are trimmed with roughly treated wood or tiles. Ceiling plaster. Furniture use wicker, light. The sofa is covered with a rug and decorated with a group of pads. The table is covered with a flirtatious checkered tablecloth.

Plant selection

For the winter garden choose plants of the following types:

  • Heat-loving flowers.
  • Fruit trees in pails.
  • Palm trees.
  • Spices.
  • Typical indoor plants.
  • Weaving species.
  • Vegetables on miniature beds.
  • Water or coastal views, if in the winter garden there is an artificial reservoir.
  • Exotic.


    

When choosing plants, you should pay attention to the temperature regime, which is maintained in winter. If the values ​​do not exceed 15-17 degrees, then species typical of subtropics are grown in the garden: azaleas, rubber plants, palm trees, rapis, ivy, jasmine, creepers, dragon, begonias, spathyphylum and anthurium. In this garden, you can not arrange drafts and sudden temperature changes. In the greenhouse, where it is maintained 20-15 degrees, the tropics are grown. Here ficuses, calatheas, dieffenbachia, arrowroot, anthuriums, guzmanii, friezes and callas will feel good. Such plants should grow in partial shade, the abundance of sunlight will be disastrous for them. The humidity level should not fall below 70%. In cool gardens, where in winter the temperature does not exceed 10 degrees, more resistant plants and trees are grown: ferns, eucalyptus trees, rhododendrons, laurels, fuchsia, aloe, kalanchoe, pelargonium and citrus. In winter, the room must be provided with additional lighting, otherwise live “decorations” will lose their aesthetic appearance: their leaves will become small, and the branches will stretch.

Location on the balcony / loggia in the apartment

Balcony or loggia is increasingly seen as an additional functional area. The use of this room for arranging a winter garden has recently become popular. Of course, the balcony will have to be glazed and equipped with a warm floor. Windows must be equipped with blinds, which will help to regulate the intensity of the sun's rays. Pots and tubs set not only on the floor and window sill. For them, equipped with special shelves with stands and purchase pots, suspended from the ceiling. Owners of cramped apartments with balconies will have to say goodbye to the dream of a big winter garden, but the mini-greenhouse with a place to rest will fit in such a modest frame.

Location on the roof of a country house

A winter garden on the roof of a private house is ideal for small plots of land where there is no room for an extension or an individual pavilion. As a rule, such a room has impressive dimensions, which allows you to equip a real oasis with separate zones. In the expensive and luxurious apartments they equip a glass roof-dome on a sturdy frame that will bring the conditions as close as possible to the natural ones. In more budgetary variants, only part of the walls is made of transparent material.

In a private house on the veranda

Veranda serves as a kind of "waiting room". It is usually “cold”, that is, it is not heated and is used only in summer for relaxation or evening gatherings. It is possible to build a buffer winter garden on it, that is, to decorate it with plants only in the warm season. As an option, the veranda is warmed and connected to the central heating of the house. Now the garden will bloom and smell year-round. The walls of the veranda are traditionally 50% glazed, which is suitable for plants in need of sunlight, which means that serious repairs will not be necessary.

Conclusion

Winter Garden has become a dream for many. Of course, it requires regular care, which will eat the lion's share of time, but the greenhouse will make you feel like a resident of a hot country where the sun always shines and vegetation blooms all year round. In winter, it is especially important to arrange for yourself a quiet, secluded corner, where there is no place for despondency and depression, where a piece of summer is preserved, and the aromas soaring in the air evoke pleasant emotions and are charged with good mood.

Watch the video: How to Plan a Vegetable Garden: Design Your Best Garden Layout (March 2024).

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