Garden labyrinth in the backyard. The magic of stone labyrinths

When you create your own cozy corner on the site, then there is an irresistible desire to make it not only attractive, but also extraordinary. You can satisfy this desire with the help of such an idea as the design of a labyrinth.

It should be noted that this task is far from being possible for everyone, because it is not easy, but very exciting. With the right approach and thoughtful preliminary design, building a labyrinth will not take you much time.

How to create a decorative labyrinth?

In order for you to end up with a good result, you need to follow the work in a certain strict order:

Stone;

fantasy;

Garden labyrinth.

To make the right and right decision, you need to familiarize yourself with each of the types of labyrinth and, when choosing, pay attention to the following criteria:

Combination with other landscape forms already used in the adjoining area;

The size of the territory of the site under the labyrinth;

Landing and construction skills.

Creating a labyrinth of stones and its benefits

This way of creating this type of labyrinth is quite simple and allows you to achieve the maximum level of originality when decorating it. This type of landscaping has many advantages over other options. For example, the most important ones are:

1) high uniqueness and originality of each of the projects; 2) fast execution of a larger amount of work; 3) the result will be noticeable immediately upon completion of the space; 4) low cost; 5) availability of building materials; 6) the minimum time spent on caring for the area with the labyrinth, inclusive, until you decide to try to change it; 7) the attractiveness and originality of the landscape will be ensured not only in the summer period, but even in the winter season; 8) variety of species, both artificial and natural.

As for which stones should be preferred, then no special recommendations are needed for this, it all depends on your artistic taste and financial capabilities. For the construction of a stone labyrinth, almost all types and types of stones with a different nature of their origin can be suitable: crushed stone, gravel, boulders, pebbles, blocks, cobblestones.

The main requirement is the correct ratio of all the dimensions of the site with the parameters of the material. For example, large boulders on a small house territory will not be appropriate. But smaller options in this case would be preferable.

How to create a maze flower bed

This option also does not differ in any particular complexity, but at the same time it can provide saturation, brightness and showiness of the site in the period from spring to autumn. A very important point is the selection of a pattern for planting flowers and combining them in height and color.

It should be noted that the undeniable advantage of such a solution is:

The possibility of designing a labyrinth even in a small area;

Rapid display of the result of the work done;

Small amount of time for supervision and care.

What flowers should be used to form this labyrinth? The answer is pretty simple. When choosing a variety of flowers, please note that you should not use those species that can be actively reseeded to areas adjacent to this planting site. If this happens, then you will not be able to achieve a clear and definite delimitation of the territory. In this case, the lines of the selected pattern may certainly be broken.

It is necessary to give preference to such types of flowers:

1) Rose curb.

2) Dwarf snapdragon.

4) Coleus.

5) Fritillaries.

6) Narcissus.

7) Tulip.

8) Salvia sparkling.

The variety of shades of these rocks is very wide and therefore it will not be a problem for you to come up with a more interesting solution for creating contrast in the neighboring figures of the pattern of this labyrinth.

The main distinguishing features of the labyrinth garden

To equip such a landscape form, it is necessary to zoning the infield, based on the selected pattern using. For this purpose, different types of shrubs are most often used, which can be easily cut.

If you decide to give preference to a labyrinth of plants, then you should consider that the plants will require thorough care for them, as well as regular molding. Because otherwise it will not be possible to achieve the desired result, and all vegetation will turn into a shapeless mass.

The choice of plants depends solely on your imagination, but still there are the most acceptable options, thanks to which you can create a beautiful hedge, but with minimal waste of your precious time:

1) Derain white;

2) Common privet.

3) Boxwood evergreen.

4) Derain is blood red.

5) Small-leaved elm.

6) Common laurel.

7) Cotoneaster brilliant.

If you want to plant annual plants, then turn your attention to such a plant as broom cochia. The height of this shrub can reach one meter, and it gives abundant dense greenery.

Creation of attractive paths and characteristic features of the design of the labyrinth

When creating attractive walkways, there are a few specific rules to keep in mind at the design stage:

1) You may prefer more sinuous shapes when designing the maze.

2) If, nevertheless, they gave preference to the classics and the clearly calibrated geometry of all the figures, then make the paths straight with the same width along the entire length of this labyrinth.

3) When choosing a material, consider the following nuances:

They will look interesting if they are made of wooden saw cuts. They will emphasize the beauty and originality of the entire incredible landscape;

Paths strewn with gravel or small pebbles will look more natural;

Excellent options for creating a pedestrian zone of rather large width are artificial materials (clinker brick or concrete), as well as large natural slabs.

When designing a labyrinth, the amount of work will be different and it depends on the scale of the territory for the labyrinth and the specific type already selected, but still the sequence of stages of this work will remain unchanged:

1) First of all, separate the area to create a maze.

2) Delimit a certain area for the labyrinth with pegs and rope, based on the lines of the selected pattern.

3) Gently and carefully remove the sod throughout the area.

4) Dig up the entire area.

5) Level the ground with a rake.

6) Beautifully decorate the walking area with the help of selected materials.

7) Holding the project with precision, plant the plants and lay out the stones.

8) The removed parts of the turf can be laid on free areas.

9) Compact it lightly to ensure the integrity of the ground cover.

And in conclusion, I would like to note that even despite the difficulties in creating a labyrinth, its attractiveness and originality, with the right good design, will constantly delight your eyes and your guests. If you nevertheless made such a decision how to equip your own site in this way, do all the work with the utmost care and accuracy, so that later you will not be disappointed with the result obtained upon completion of the project. Start with the simplest forms, without trying to immediately complete some complex task, and in the future you will successfully expand your own space.

Developing a fantasy maze with your own hands (Video)

Such a solution is acceptable if you have a large adjoining area and you like to do most of the planting and construction work yourself. In other words. A fantasy labyrinth is a kind of combination of all the previously listed types of this landscape form in a purely individual order.

Such projects are very complex in their design. It should be noted that often contrasting and smooth transitions from one figure to another can cover the entire area.

You must understand that it is difficult to create such a labyrinth on your own, and this requires excellent artistic taste in order to correctly distribute a wide range of species of stones and plants. And it will also require constant and complex care for the plants so that they remain in the same attractive form.

For more information about the labyrinth garden, see our video

A hedge maze is not just a garden decoration or a way to plant shrubs, not only intricate paths, winding passages and dead ends. This is the personification of exquisite aristocracy and dreaminess. No wonder the garden labyrinths were so loved by classical writers - in their shady corners, young people could hide from daddy, coo and make passionate promises to each other.

It is not known for certain who, when, and why decided to “plant” a maze of bushes, but there is a piquant legend that the first maze appeared in order to disguise the house of the mistress of King Henry II (England, XII century). The correct path was known only to the king, so his betrayals had to remain secret.

Living labyrinths reached their heyday in the 18th-19th centuries. They were built mainly at castles and family houses of European aristocrats. For England, they have even become something of a national symbol.

It is interesting that green labyrinths, for all their wild popularity, did not have an applied purpose. Some historians claim that they were made in order to protect the estate from wild animals, but, you see, a high fence would be a more obvious and convenient solution. No, labyrinths were planted, first of all, for the sake of aesthetic pleasure and leisure activities. It was a place for long walks, private conversations, games and entertainment. And yes, like the spacious ballrooms and the impressive staff of servants, they emphasized the high status of their owner.

By the way, turf labyrinths (as they are also called) may not necessarily have high green walls. You can find puzzles from low curbs, trellises entwined with plants, even lawn labyrinths with paved intertwining paths. But, of course, the most impressive option will always be with evenly trimmed walls of small-leaved shrubs, always high so that you can not look over the walls. Add to this a complex structure with many passages and dead ends and you get a platform for an exciting game. A good labyrinth is one in which you can get lost, which requires a solution.

Ideally, there should be an elevation next to the labyrinth park, from which one could see the landing pattern and make fun of those who got lost. You can fit elevations inside the structure - add bridges through walls, towers, high arbors.

What is the key to a successful maze? Let's answer with the example of the most popular park puzzles.

Secrets of the most famous labyrinths of the world

Long haul

labyrinth Longleat Maze in the UK appeared in the 18th century and is still considered the longest. More precisely, it has the largest total length of passages - as much as 2.7 km.The park was created by the famous landscape architect Lancelot Brown, an adherent of the English landscape style. By the way, this style completely excludes any symmetry, preaches the idea of ​​the invisibility of human work on the landscape, as if everything had grown by itself, at the behest of nature. Landscape architects disliked labyrinths because they were usually symmetrical and too unnatural. Mr. Brown went against the grain and designed a picturesque labyrinth based on light, sinuous patterns found in nature - on fingerprints, coral polyps, walnuts, and so on.

scale

The largest maze in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records is the Pineapple Garden Maze in Hawaii with an area of ​​more than 2 hectares. It is located on the pineapple plantation of the Dole company, the world fruit supplier.Not only is the center of the park made in the form of a pineapple, but it is also planted with them! Of course, not all, in addition to pineapples, various varieties of hibiscus, heliconia, croton, etc. grow here. Here you can also buy the freshest pineapples, if you're lucky, then cut right in the labyrinth.

Difficulty of passing

Labyrinths don't have to be huge to be world famous. In the labyrinth of Villa Pisani (Il Labirinto) in Venice, for example, despite its relatively small size, it is easy to get lost. It is considered the most difficult of the existing ones, apparently because once Napoleon himself got lost in it.

Competent PR

The Hampton Court Maze in England made it into the Wikipedia entry on mazes only because it was mentioned by Jerome K. Jerome in his Three Men in a Boat Not Counting the Dog. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people come to the labyrinth in order to repeat the path of the protagonist.

Unusual drawing

In our information age of satellites, Google maps and private jets, the plan of the maze, its view from above, has become more important than the beautification of the paths. And a new popular type of green maze has emerged - the child of mystical crop circles and the classic "wandering gardens". These are maze paintings that farmers and artists create in corn fields in Europe and the USA. For example, the English farmer Tom Pirkey has been turning his fields into paintings for several years now. The advantage is that the drawing can be changed every year - either it's a huge astronaut, then Harry Potter, then James Bond. Its ever-changing York Maze, by the way, is the largest maze in Europe today and attracts many tourists.

If you don’t have your own cornfield, but you want to make a labyrinth, take it not in scale, but in complexity or decorativeness. It has now become popular to make mazes in amusement parks, country clubs, private schools, and the like. It's interesting, it always attracts people, gives children space to play tag, and adults the opportunity to feel like the heroes of a classic novel.

“... the labyrinth is perceived as an island of calm in a chaotic

world, a quiet place for reflection and contemplation.

The winding path of the labyrinth invites the visitor to clear

your mind, refresh your soul, temper your ardor, slow down"

J. Savard "Labyrinths"

The labyrinth is an amazing phenomenon in all respects that arose at the dawn of human history and is familiar to many cultures. The history of this symbol has more than one thousand years. The records of ancient historians (Herodotus, Diodorus) brought us information about the four greatest labyrinths of distant eras. The first one, today related to one of the seven wonders of the world - Egyptian - was built by Pharaoh Amenemhat around 2200 BC. Herodotus considered the Egyptian labyrinth colossal, amazing and unimaginable, overshadowing even the Great Pyramid. The second - the Cretan (or Knossos) labyrinth is known thanks to Greek myths to almost everyone on our planet, according to legend, it was built by an amazing architect and inventor Daedalus. The history of this labyrinth is forever connected with the ancient Greek myth about the Minotaur, about the brave young man Theseus, who defeated the monster and found a way out of the gloomy dungeon on the island of Crete, thanks to the love of the beautiful Ariadne. The third labyrinth existed on the island of Samos, and the fourth was located in Italy in the city of Clusium. Many ancient labyrinths were built in Europe - more than 600 of them were found in Great Britain alone, they are also in our North - on the rocky capes of the White and Barents Seas, in the depths of the Kola Peninsula.

The theme of a special kind of garden decorations - labyrinths also has a long history. Garden labyrinths are created from more or less high hedges, located at an angle or in the form of narrowing circles so that paths are formed between them leading to one center, but communicating with each other so intricately that it is not so easy for a walker to reach the center of the whole composition, as well as finding the way back. Originally of religious significance, since the Middle Ages, living plant labyrinths have been erected all over the world for entertainment and decoration. At first, park labyrinths were not built high, only up to the knee. They had to be admired from above: low hedges formed intricate geometric ornaments. The free space between the bushes was filled with beautifully flowering plants, colored sand and gravel. Over time, the "live" labyrinths became higher and higher. Hedge labyrinths become an indispensable part of many gardens and parks in Europe, and a walk among the tangled paths and dead ends turns into a very popular entertainment for the aristocracy. Numerous "living" labyrinths, distinguished by exquisite taste, were in the possession of the powerful Gonzaga clan from Mantua, a walk through the labyrinth created in 1669 in the Garden of Versailles was considered unforgettable entertainment, and the labyrinth created in 1670 in the garden of the Villa Altieri in Rome became favorite pastime of Pope Clement X.

The British were especially fond of labyrinths with hedges made of trees and shrubs, turning the art of creating landscape labyrinths into one of the national symbols of the kingdom. One of the first English hedge mazes was planted in the 12th century during the reign of King Henry II in the garden near his palace at Woodstock. It was called Rosamund's Boudoir after the king's favorite, Rosamund Clifford. The maze in the Tudor garden at Hatfield House in Hetfordshire struck with its splendor, and the labyrinth of laurel bushes at Glendergen House in Cornwall, planted in 1833, still impresses with the tortuousness of its paths. One of the most famous and still existing English labyrinths of this kind - Hampton Court - was created in 1691 at the court of William of Orange on the banks of the Thames, 16 km southeast of London. Every year, thousands of tourists from all over the world come to England to walk the path of their favorite character from Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat Not Counting the Dog.

The twentieth century is marked by the creation of new amazing "living" labyrinths. Particularly widespread are park-puzzle moves, called in the English manner “mazes” (maze). Maze, by its design, is even more intricate than the labyrinth, it is not so easy to get to its center or any goal. Usually, in mazes, the creators have laid down several possible ways to achieve the goal - the center of the composition, two or more entrances and exits, the paths communicate with each other and form various forks. An example of such a decoration is a maze created in 1988 in Leeds from 2,400 yew trees. The paths of the Leeds "puzzle" form an image of the royal crown, towers and bastions are installed in the corners, and the exit from the labyrinth is carried out through an underground grotto specially arranged for this purpose. The labyrinth, located in the garden of the English castle Blenheim, is considered the largest in the world, its length is 88 m, and its width is 55.5 m. It was called the "symbolic" labyrinth, since the heraldic signs of the British Empire are located on its "walls".

In Russian parks, labyrinths, as an attribute of a regular garden, became widespread in the 18th-19th centuries. Thus, during the reign of Peter the Great, labyrinths of the Summer Garden with sculptures on the themes of Aesop's fables were arranged in the Summer Garden. The labyrinth of the Summer Garden consisted of four clumps with a complex system of paths. Among the “living” walls, 32 niches were arranged, in which there were life-size figures cast from lead and gilded - the heroes of some Aesop’s fable: mice, frogs, snakes, a hawk, chickens, a hedgehog, a turtle, an eagle. At the entrance to the labyrinth stood a statue of Aesop himself.

At the beginning of this summer, residents and guests of St. Petersburg will have the opportunity to walk along the paths of the "green" labyrinths. This year, from May 27 to June 3, 2009, the second International Festival of Landscape Art "Imperial Gardens of Russia" will be held in the Mikhailovsky Garden of the Russian Museum. Within its framework, an unusual exhibition-competition of landscape design "Labyrinth-Ornament-Symbol" will be held. Participants of the exhibition-competition "Labyrinth-Ornament-Symbol" are invited to reveal the ornamental and symbolic diversity of the labyrinth by means of landscape design and garden and park art. Adrian Schiefer, an outstanding world designer of maze and the creator of numerous labyrinths, who has already created more than 500 such structures, agreed to enter the jury of this competition. For example, at last year's Olympics in China, Fischer, as part of the cultural program of this event, built a labyrinth with a total length of 8 kilometers, breaking Guinness Book records.

IN Mikhailovsky garden 20 expo places were allocated for creating labyrinths, among the participants of the competition are representatives of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Germany, Holland, France. The announced topics of the projects are striking in their diversity. Here is a variation on the theme of the labyrinth of the English park "Hampton Court", mentioned in the book by Jerome K. Jerome "Three in a boat, not counting the dog", and a recreation of a wooden fragment of the "Labyrinth" bosquet of the Summer Garden; "Sicilian Garden in Prussia"; interactive maze "The Little Prince", which will be especially interesting for children; labyrinth-symbol "In Search of the Russian Garden".

The Imperial Gardens of Russia festival is included in the official program of City Day celebrations. During the festival, ancient sculptures will come to life in the space of the Mikhailovsky Garden, in the “Street” zone, the paintings of the Russian Museum will turn into their graffiti twins, and in the “Quiet” part of the garden, guests will be able to try on dresses created by florists from natural flowers. Avant-garde art and an open-air library, theatrical performances and a film lecture hall will await visitors in the Mikhailovsky Garden.

Advance ticket sales will begin at the box office of the palaces of the Russian Museum two weeks before the opening of the festival. The ticket price is the same as last year: for all visitors 100 rubles, for privileged categories of citizens (pensioners, students and schoolchildren) - 30 rubles. All relevant categories of museum visitors have the right to free admission: disabled people of groups I and II, veterans of the Great Patriotic War, etc.

Do you want to diversify the rest of your children by turning improvised means into a field for creativity? Then, when arranging the playground and manufacturing gaming equipment, use household equipment that has served its time and natural materials that have not been used in the economy. Be sure that the playground created by your hands will always be filled with laughter and sonorous voices of children playing on it.

Playing with water is one of the most favorite activities for children of all ages. They are able not only to entertain an inquisitive baby, but also serve as a means of learning about the world around them.

You can enjoy communicating with the water element by arranging an impromptu water maze on the grass in the playground area

You can assemble a water maze from containers of any size. For this purpose feel free to use:

• plastic bottles;
• an old teapot with a spout;
• flower vases and pots;
• metal bowls and bowls.

But still, it is most preferable to use plastic bottles when arranging the labyrinth. It is convenient to cut them both lengthwise and across, giving the desired shape. Some of the bottles can even be screwed on with plastic caps, having previously drilled small holes in them.

The containers only need to be placed on a vertical plane so that the water flows smoothly from one to another, descending to the foot of the structure. To create grooves and tunnels, it is convenient to use polypropylene rigid or corrugated easily bending pipes of different diameters.

As a reliable, but at the same time lightweight support for placing a structure, it is easiest to use a fence, a firmly fixed trellis or one of the walls of the house

There is no strict technology for creating a water supply labyrinth: containers can be placed on a vertical plane in any order. It is easiest to fix bottles and bowls on the shield using clamps and screws. Elements can be made both stationary and removable. The second option is preferable because it allows children to change the location of the bowls during the game, each time paving new paths for flowing streams.

The bowls suspended at different heights can only be connected by pipe segments, laying them at different angles so that when the water drains, it creates interesting turns and unexpected turns.

To make the process of water flowing more spectacular, first tint the liquid with watercolors or gouache paints in the desired shade.

Such a labyrinth created from improvised means will certainly cause a lot of delight in children, giving a great opportunity to have fun with an interesting activity.

Playing with water will contribute to the development of coordination of the child's movements in the "eye-hand" system and tactile-kinesthetic sensitivity, in parallel with this, relieving tension and providing a psychotherapeutic effect.

Option #2 - natural constructor

Small stumps, round saw cuts and branches left after pruning the orchard can also be used on the playground. They will serve as an excellent basis for creating a natural building kit.

It will be pleasant for a child to pick up carefully cleaned blocks, using them to build multi-tiered towers and high castles.

From stumps, young designers will be happy to build forest houses for dolls and reliable fortresses for the soldiers guarding them, and from round saw cuts, children will lay out pyramids and multi-level structures.

Thinner twigs and fir cones can be adapted to the material for laying out puzzles on the grass or to create geometric patterns.

To protect kids from scratches and splinters when playing with natural material, each workpiece must be carefully cleaned with sandpaper from nicks and sharp edges.

Material on crafts for the playground will also be useful:

Option # 3 - twister on the grass

Young fidgets will appreciate the offer to play an active twister game. The main task of the game is to maintain balance, resting your feet and palms on the circles drawn on the playing field at a certain distance from each other. The rules of the game are so simple that children can master them in just a few minutes.

It is difficult to keep from laughing, trying to complete the leader's task and reach out with your foot or palm to the coveted circle, without burying your face in the grass

The beauty of the twister game is that it is interesting not only to play it. Watching from the side how the participants are trying to wriggle out to take the position indicated by the arrow is very exciting and funny.

In order not to bother with unfolding a large canvas every time, the playing field for the twister can be built directly on the grass. For work you will need:

• lace and pegs for marking the site;
• round cardboard stencil;
• a set of strips of thick cardboard;
• 2 cans of small diameter;
• spray paint in 4 colors.

The circles of the playing field in the traditional twister set are painted in four colors: yellow, red, green and blue. In the absence of such shades, you can use any other color you like. The main thing is that it should look contrasting against the background of green grass.

When choosing a paint for applying circles, give preference to compositions based on latex, vinyl-acrylic or water-based. They have bright saturated shades and do not pose a danger to the health of children.

To equip the playing field, select a flat area measuring 4x2.5 meters. With the help of pegs and lace, mark the boundaries of the future field and mark 4 lines for placing rows of colored circles. Then, dividing each line into 6 equal sections, mark the points for placing colored circles. You should get a field consisting of 4 rows, each of which contains 6 circles of the same color.

To get colored circles with smooth edges, and the playing field to have a neat appearance, use a stencil when painting the "islands"

Spray the paint through the stencil, forming row after row of the playing field. While the paint dries, start making a tape measure. It will indicate which position a particular player needs to take. You can make it from the same cardboard. But you can do it much easier. This will require 2 cans. Stripes will be embedded in them:

• in the first jar - strips of the corresponding four colors;
• in the second - white stripes depicting the right and left feet and, accordingly, the right and left palms.

During the game, the leader will simply take out one strip from the cans and form a “paired” task for each of the players in turn.

A fascinating game in the fresh air will become a bright attribute of the recreation area and easily turn an ordinary day off into a fun holiday

Option #4 - Xylophone Musical Wall

Noise instruments contribute to the development of children's musical and creative abilities, not to mention the joy that a home orchestra organized by children brings. By combining all kinds of "noisemakers", "rattlers", "ringers" into a single structure, you can build a musical wall.

Do-it-yourself noise instruments made from improvised means will make the child hear the wonderful world of sounds in a new way.

To create a musical wall you will need:

• empty tin cans;
• metal covers;
• plastic bottles;
• old cutlery.

In principle, you can use any kitchen utensils from which you can extract sounds. Plastic bottles can be easily adapted for rattles by filling them with old buttons or persimmon and apricot seeds, and then hanging them on a strong thread to the shield.

Several metal corners and old disks suspended on an old hanger will make a sound like bells every time they come into contact with each other.

To turn nutshells into “rattles”, and plastic bottle caps into “rattlers”, you will need a minimum of effort and skill.

By varying the ways of playing, the baby will explore the sounds, creating musical images close to him and taking the first steps in music making.

To create more muffled, but not inferior in melodious sounds, you can even build a xylophone. The instrument outwardly resembles a small shield, including up to twenty wooden plates connected to each other in a sequential scale.

Assemble a xylophone from 10-15 wooden blocks. The longest plate can reach 50-60 cm, and each subsequent one should be 3-4 cm shorter than the previous one

To protect young musicians from splinters and scratches, each bar is cleaned with sandpaper. For each “note”, a middle is marked with a marker. Departing from the center 4-5 cm in each direction, they mark points for holes for fixing the rope. A rope is attached along the outlined contour, fixing it with nails or paper clips so that the distance between the bars is at least 1.5 cm.

When hanging a xylophone, pay attention to the angle of inclination: it largely determines the sound of the instrument.

Playing with sounds is the right way to start improvisation, thanks to which the child will successfully form figurative-associative thinking.

Such games in the fresh air will help develop the figurative perception of music, opening up a wide scope for the kids to manifest their "I".

Option # 5 - stone cave "elves"

All without exception, children love to spend time building different shelters. They can spend hours digging in the garden, from branches, blankets and curtains, and then equipping their own housing.

However, such buildings have one unfortunate drawback: with careless movement during active games, they can literally collapse before our eyes. Take the initiative in your own hands and offer to build a more stable house for young fidgets.

Having built a fabulous house of "elves", you will provide the children with their own space and give young dreamers the opportunity to develop their imagination

A fairy-tale house that looks like a stone cave is easy and fun to make. It is better to choose a place for its arrangement on an open and well-viewed site from all sides. Its surface is leveled, cleaned of stones and plant roots.

To make an elven house you will need:

• a piece of tarpaulin or a dense polyethylene film measuring 2.5x2.5 m;
• reinforcing wire mesh;
• wire ties;
• plastic pipe d20 mm;
• concrete M300, sifted sand and water.

For work, you can use both a metal reinforcing mesh and made of polypropylene.

From the materials you need to prepare:

• scissors for metal work;
• container for mixing the solution;
• plaster trowel;
• spray;
• insulating tape;
• protective clothing, gloves and goggles.

The prepared base is lined with a layer of tarpaulin. This will facilitate the subsequent process of cleaning up construction residues and pieces of falling hardened cement mixture.

Material on how to create original figures for a cement garden will also be useful:

First of all, a circle of the base of the frame is constructed. To do this, cut off a piece of pipe 5 meters long and connect its ends to each other.

The easiest way to form a circle is by closing the ends of the pipe end-to-end with a connecting tube of a smaller diameter, fix the joined edges by wrapping electrical tape

The vertical arches of the frame are erected using the same PVC pipe d20 mm. To do this, take 4 equal segments 3.5 m long. Arches are formed from the segments, setting them at right angles to each other. The edges of each segment are fixed to the base, evenly filling the gaps around the entire circumference.

Two horizontal crossbars are fixed on the vertical arches: the lower one is 4.7 meters long, the upper one is 3.4 meters. The crossbars are placed on the outside of the frame, fixing them to the arches with electrical tape.

To form the walls of the cave, the finished frame is wrapped with a reinforcing mesh. Wire ties will help to ensure reliable fastening, which must be performed over the entire plane every 250 mm. To create a more reliable design, the mesh is applied in 2-3 layers.

Having outlined a place for arranging a doorway, with the help of wire shears, cut off the excess part of the mesh and bend the edges. By the same principle, a small window is made opposite the doorway.

The walls of the house are “built” from cement mortar, diluted in a separate container, laying it on a cellular grid and evenly distributing it over a vertical surface

Apply the cement mixture only in protective latex gloves, the dense structure of which will protect delicate skin from “corrosion”.

When laying the finished mixture on the grid, do not press hard, otherwise, when pressed, it will fall through the cells. To create strong walls, the solution is laid out in several layers, keeping each subsequent time interval of 5-8 hours before applying. At this stage, do not rush. The time-consuming process can take several days. If the plaster dries too quickly, wet the surface with water from a spray bottle or a regular hose before applying each subsequent layer.

If, under the weight of the plaster mixture, the wire base begins to sag, support the walls with wooden bars until the mortar hardens.

Laying out each layer of plaster, and waiting until it acquires the necessary strength, you should use a plaster trowel to correct surface irregularities.

After applying the last layer, it remains only to slightly level the walls of the cave, carefully cleaning out the defects, while trying to maintain its "natural" appearance.

To protect the building from atmospheric precipitation and give it a more presentable appearance, cover the outer and inner walls with oil or water-based paint. Yes, to create such a cave you will have to make a lot of effort. But the result will fully justify it: there will be no limit to children's happiness. Little dreamers and young fans of elves will be happy to spend time in their new fabulous "home".

If you wish, you can even build several caves nearby, creating a small town for children to role-play with reincarnation into fairy-tale characters.

In the process of organizing the space of your own site, there is certainly a desire to make it not just attractive, but as original as possible.

The most interesting solution to achieve this goal is the design of the labyrinth. Note that this activity is far from simple, although certainly exciting, but still, with the right approach and careful preliminary design, it will not take much time.

How to make a decorative labyrinth?

To get an excellent result, do all the work in a strictly defined sequence:

How to choose a site for a labyrinth?

Delimit the area in which you are ready to create a decorative maze. There are no clear recommendations in this regard, since this form of landscape design is easy to organize both on flat terrain and on hilly ones.

Important! The main conditions follow the following rules:

What to look for when drawing up a composition plan?

Creating a maze scheme is the most responsible answer. The subsequent attractiveness of the local area depends entirely on how competently you do this work.

Important! Before you start designing a labyrinth on the site, consider the options for ready-made schemes, from which choose the ideas that are most interesting to you.

The sequence of work in the preparation of the project:

Which type of labyrinth to choose?

In modern landscape design, there are several directions for creating this form:

Important! Familiarize yourself with the features of each type to make the right decision. When choosing, be guided by the following criteria:

Why is it worth creating a labyrinth of stones?

This method is the simplest, but at the same time allows you to achieve maximum originality when decorating. Favorably distinguishes this type of landscaping a number of advantages compared to other options.

Important! Take into account that the creation of a stone labyrinth is quite accessible for self-fulfillment, even in the absence of any skills.

Advantages of the stone labyrinth

There are a lot of advantages of such a solution, so we will highlight only the most significant:

Important! This phenomenon is due to the practical impossibility of choosing an absolutely identical material in shape, color and size. Therefore, even when using the most popular scheme as the basis, the result will differ significantly from the source.

What stones to give preference?

Almost all types of stones of various origins are suitable for creating a stone labyrinth:

How to make a maze flower bed?

This option also does not differ in particular complexity, but at the same time it will provide special brightness, saturation and extraordinary showiness of the site from spring to autumn. It is very important to choose the right pattern for planting flowers and combine them in color and height.

Important! Note that the undeniable advantages of such a solution are:

What flowers to use to form a labyrinth?

When choosing varieties, please note that it is undesirable to use those types of flowers that are actively resown to areas adjacent to the planting site. In this case, you will not be able to achieve a clear demarcation of the territory and the lines of the selected pattern will certainly be violated.

Give preference to the following types:

Important! The variety of shades of these rocks is so wide that it will not be a problem for you to find the most interesting solution for creating contrast in the neighboring figures of the labyrinth pattern.

Distinctive features of the labyrinth garden

The arrangement of this landscape form is the zoning of the site in accordance with the selected pattern using hedges. Most often, various types of shrubs are used for this purpose, which are easy to cut.

Important! If you decide to give preference to a labyrinth of plants, please note that the plants will require thorough care and regular molding. Otherwise, it will not be possible to achieve the desired result, and all vegetation will become a shapeless mass.

What plants to choose?

The choice of suitable plants is determined solely by your imagination, but there are several of the most popular options, the use of which will allow you to create a beautiful hedge with minimal time:

Important! In the case when you decide to prefer planting annual plants, pay attention to broom kochia - it gives dense abundant greenery, and the height of the shrub reaches 1 meter.

How to make a fantasy maze with your own hands?

Such a solution is acceptable only if your local area is impressive in size, and you are used to doing most of the construction and planting work yourself. At its core, a fantasy labyrinth is a combination of all of the above types of this landscape form in a purely individual order.

Such projects are very complex in design and often smooth and contrasting transitions from one figure to another cover the entire area.

Important! Please note that the difficulty of creating this type of labyrinth on your own lies not only in the need for excellent artistic taste in order to correctly arrange a wide range of species of plants and stones. It will require quite complex ongoing maintenance of green spaces to maintain the attractiveness of the form.

Video

Watch the video, which shows an example of a large-scale maze, to appreciate the complexity of such a project.

How to create attractive tracks?

There are also a few simple rules for doing this work, which you must follow at the design stage:

Features of the design of the labyrinth

The scope of work will vary depending on the scale of the territory under the labyrinth and the type chosen, but the sequence of stages remains unchanged:

Conclusion

Despite the complexity of creating a labyrinth, its attractiveness, with the right design, will delight your eyes and delight guests. Therefore, if you decide to arrange your own site in this way, carefully and very carefully do all the work so as not to be disappointed in the result. Do not try to complete a complex project right away, start with the simplest form, further adjusting it to your liking and expanding the space.