Artificial river on the site. DIY decorative stream - fast river in miniature

Most water features have little chance of appearing natural because they are pressed against a garden shed or fence, leaking under a tree, next to a garage, and other such places.

The constructed "stream" still has a chance to succeed where other waterworks would fail, because it is just a strip of water flowing from A to B.

When creating any, you need to think over its design in advance, provide it with a suitable source and mouth, and also install the pump correctly.

A meadow stream and a mountain stream will fit perfectly into the background of a rock garden or by an embankment.

Creek design

Of course, the water in the stream will always be circulated by a pump. Usually it is pumping water in the required direction.

Water must be collected at the mouth of the stream, which means that the pump must be completely immersed in water in this place in order to prevent the structure from drying out.

Since this is an artificial stream, it means that it must be built clearly on the horizontal, which will later turn into a reservoir. When buying a pump, pay attention to it specifications, because it is very important that it matches the design of the reservoir. A small pump in a very wide or deep stream will create an imperceptible and rather weak flow.

Landings along the edges of this artificial stream make it look like a natural one.

How to choose a pump for an artificial stream

To recreate a babbling stream, you need a fairly powerful pump. The flow of water can be no deeper than 15 cm and no wider than 30 cm, however, flowing down the slope, it will be quite strong. A stream flowing through a meadow is usually wider and often runs along the bottom of a ditch. While the width of the stream can reach up to 90 cm, its depth should be only 15-25 cm.

In this case, the flow is rarely turbulent due to the even surface of the soil. Its course is calm, and branches with leaves will not noticeably mix with water. A mountain river in the wild on its run significantly changes its speed of movement depending on the width and pressure of the stream that feeds it with water. You can arrange either a small babbling stream, or a stormy rapid, rushing through rocks and boulders. However, a stormy "river" is likely to look ridiculous in a tiny garden.

For a mountain stream, you can use any size pump, but when considering all of the pools in the garden as a whole, it's still best to take the largest pump you can fit and provide it with a valve to control the pressure.

How to create a "source" and "mouth" in an artificial stream

Bubbling streams tend to flow out of pipes, small tunnels, or from under a stone slab and disappear in much the same way. Drainage ditches are built of stone or brick, so they are rigid and mostly straight or slightly curved. Any abrupt change of direction must be created with a covered chamber so that the water enters in one direction and exits in the other. Such cameras can also be used at the end of a ditch.
Meadow streams make their way out of pipes and disappear into fairly large pipes, but also flow through tunnels and weirs built of stones or bricks. In a garden with a level landscape, you can arrange a stream at a lower level so that it flows to the bottom of a ditch 45 to 60 cm deep. Since an artificial stream often flows through a grassy area or lawn, you usually have to step through it. And from a distance, it is noticeable by a strip of tall wild flowers that violate the green expanse of grass.
If a transition from one side to the other is necessary, it can be provided with a bridge or a part of the stream can be hidden underground. The bridge is also suitable for the effective designation of the source and mouth of the stream. Mountain streams almost always flow from a pile of rocks or from a crevice in the surface of a boulder and disappear in the same way or under a large rock where a pump and reservoir may be located.

Streams can also be made to change direction unexpectedly, achieving spectacular effects, but there is a danger of water being lost from the system if too much spray occurs.

Stream flowing down the stone steps.

Therefore, it is very important to choose the type of flow that is most suitable for environment, as well as decide how strong the current will be, which way the stream will flow, and where it should begin and end.

The right combination can create a very realistic effect even in the most limited conditions.

Many people prefer to spend time in the summer summer cottages. To make the rest comfortable, the site is decorated and decorated different ways, using various structures. One of the popular landscape decorations, which pleases not only the owners, but also those around them, is an artificial stream. A moving water stream can be arranged in the most in an unusual way. If desired, fish can be bred in the stream. With all this, you can make an artificial stream with your own hands, which means saving money on the wages of specialists.

Having decided to make an artificial stream on the site, you need to decide on its type:

Natural. It is an excellent option if there is a natural reservoir / stream nearby, from which a groove is dug in its area, according to the plan, then it is simply led out of the fence and sent back to the reservoir.
Real. It is built if there is no natural reservoir / stream nearby or if the volume of water is limited. A closed stream is simply made, the water into which enters from the main water supply, the movement along the ditch is carried out using a pump, and then returns to the source.

To choose which type of stream is right for your site, you need to familiarize yourself with the terrain, find and study all possible sources of water nearby, then think over a plan.

Many people are faced with the problem of how to locate the stream on the site. To solve it, you must first pay attention to certain features:

the shape of the entire site;
dimensions of other landscape forms;
site topography.

The decorated stream should be combined with other elements of the site.

To make a beautiful and creative artificial stream on your site, you need to take into account some of the nuances:

A narrow and winding stream will visually expand the site, making it larger and more spacious.
If the territory is flat, then it is necessary to make a stream like a meadow, which will have enough a large number of convolutions.
If the site has a slight slope, then it is best to model an artificial reservoir like a mountain stream with a cascading design.

The length, width and depth of the stream must be considered in advance. In this case, you need to rely only on fantasy or a personal vision of the landscape in the country. However, there are certain standard indicators that are taken into account during the construction of an artificial reservoir:

The width of the stream should be from 0.4 to 1.5 m. If this figure is less than 40 cm, then the stream will become invisible on the site, especially if quite a lot of plants are planted along it. If the width is more than 1.5 m, then such a reservoir will take up a significant amount of surface and will look like a natural pond.
The depth of the stream is usually taken from 0.3 to 0.5 m.

Before you make an artificial stream on your site, you need to prepare the following materials and tools:

crushed stone, soil or other bulk materials that will be required for the foundation;
sand (it is necessary for arranging a sand cushion in the stream bed);
waterproofing material;
fasteners;
concrete (required if the stream will have complex curved outlines);
OSB board for formwork;
pump, pipes or hoses;
decorative ornaments (the most popular are natural stones, coarse gravel and various plants).

After all are prepared necessary materials, you should proceed directly to the arrangement of the future reservoir.

If the volume of water required is incorrectly calculated, then the production of the stream will fail. When calculating, one should take into account the fact that the pump pumps water over a distance equal to the length of the stream. When the water returns from the end point, its speed decreases as it has to go around rocks and plants. Moreover, consider the fact that water tends to evaporate. According to some calculations, on average, water in a stream moves 2 m in 1 minute. So, if your stream is 10 m long, then the movement of water in it will be up to 300 liters. When calculating, also take into account the area of \u200b\u200bthe base of the stream, the volume of the lower pond and the diameter of the hose that supplies water to highest point stream.

During the operation of the stream from time to time it will be necessary to add water to it. This is due to the ability of water to evaporate.

If all calculations preparatory work carried out, you can proceed to the direct construction of the stream. You need to start with its markup:

Take pegs and rope and draw the outline of the future stream. However, it is not necessary to follow any geometric shapes. Try to give the stream naturalness due to smooth bends.
After that, it is necessary to dig the earth under the channel. If the stream is on a slope, you can add steps or small rapids.
The easiest method of making thresholds is to take boulders and set them on concrete.
The bottom of the excavated channel should be cleaned of roots and compacted.
Before laying the film on the bottom, fill up a layer of sand up to 60 mm.
In order for the canvas to fit snugly to the base of the stream, it is recommended to moisten it well after laying.
And only after that it is possible to carry out the laying of polyethylene.

If desired, the bottom can be made concrete, but in this case it should be decorated by placing pebbles or cobblestones on it different sizes. Along the edges of the stream, geotextiles are fixed with large stones.

It is necessary to dig a trench along the stream, up to 10 cm deep. A pipe coming from the pump will be laid in it. After laying them, this place must be masked. Upon completion, it remains to connect the pump and start the water.

simple stream

We suggest you familiarize yourself with the stream, which everyone can do. For its manufacture it is necessary to prepare:

Plastic bottles, 5–6 l.
Black polyethylene film.
Pond pump or hose pump.
Plastic basin.
Pebble or gravel.

In this case, the mouth of the stream will be made of plastic bottles that are cut lengthwise. First, they should cut off the neck and bottom. So, laying out the halves of plastic bottles in a chain, cover them with dense polyethylene. The pump is mounted in the lower tank, which is also made from a bottle wrapped in film.

In conclusion, the stream bed remains to be decorated. To do this, you can use pebbles or gravel. To organize the lower tank, you can use a plastic bowl in which the submersible pump will be placed. As for the hose, it can be hidden at the mouth of the stream under the pebbles, bringing it to the source.

Other original landscape element, which is done quite simply and does not require so much money, is a dry stream. He will be able to successfully hide the flaws in the relief, as well as visually enlarge the local area.

The advantage of a dry stream over a pond is that midges, mosquitoes and other insects that love moisture will not swarm over it. It is for this reason that many refuse a real stream and prefer a dry one.

Dry streams are especially popular in China. In the East, it is even considered that the landscape is unfinished if there is no water or its imitation. In fact, such an element landscape design may be the only right decision, because water does not always work. So, there are several advantages of such a structure:

Near a dry stream, you can plant any plants, not only moisture-loving ones.
There is no need to purchase equipment for pumping water.
There is no need to deepen the relief for the movement of water, respectively land works I won't take that much time and effort.
You can make a dry stream in 2-3 days.
A dry stream can be made on a slope, in a ditch, in the shade and in the sun.
At the same time it acts as a drain.
It goes well with almost any style of landscape design.

If desired, you can build a dry lake. In this case, the mouth of the stream and the bottom of the lake are laid out with stone and rubble. The shore of a dry lake is shaped with reeds.

First of all, you need to decide on the size, shape of the stream and the material used. So, when choosing a form, consider not only the terrain, but also the area of \u200b\u200bthe site. If your site is narrow, then a dry lake can harmoniously fit in. If the territory of the site is wide, then you can build a winding stream. As for the device of the stream itself, it can have both a source and a mouth. The mouth can be hidden behind large leaves of bergenia or, for example, hosts. And to make the illusion of a stream, make a small depression in the intended place, laying out fine gravel.

If we talk about the material used, then in most cases it is gravel and pebbles of a small fraction. In this case, you can choose the appropriate tone of pebbles from gray-blue to gray. Gravel, in turn, can be used in such colors: blue-green, blue and blue. Often, basalt and shale are used to build a dry stream.

To place accents, you can use colored granite, blue-blue balls, glass granules. In the sun and even in cloudy weather, they will sparkle and shimmer. As a result, this effect will resemble a real stream.

The process of making a dry stream is as follows:

Sand can be used for marking. They outline the contours of the future dry reservoir.
If the size of the plot allows, then several channels can be made.
In different areas, the width of the stream can be changed, so it will look even more natural.
After marking in specified place remove the sod layer and level the ground.
As a result, the recess should be up to 150 mm.
The bottom is covered with a layer of sand up to 50 mm thick.
To prevent the germination of weeds, a polymer film or geotextile is laid on the bottom.
After that, lay out large stones along the contour of the stream, and cover the channel itself with rubble or pebbles.

After these simple manipulations, your stream will be ready. In conclusion, it remains to plant plants along the stream. But do not overdo it with flowers. Otherwise, the stream will turn into an ordinary flower bed. It is better to choose plants that are associated with water, for example, with blue flowers or blue-yellow leaves.

Optionally, you can use some decorative elements for spectacular design dry stream. For example, you can install a decorative bridge.

Who, if not a Russian person, can instantly find a use for an unnecessary object? This is what happened with used tires. When they appeared in the yards of many Russians, fences, flower beds, curbs and children's rides made of tires appeared. You can safely add a pond and a pool of tires to this list. Their use in the manufacture of ponds and pools will be discussed further.

The area under the pond must be cleared of stones, shrubs and debris. The bumps need to be leveled. Ultimately, you should end up with a flat area. Tires come in different sizes, allowing you to determine the size of the pond according to the size of the tire. The complex of small ponds located close to each other will look original.

At this stage, it is also worth deciding on the location of the pond, whether it will be in the ground or on it. The choice of decor depends on this, and, accordingly, the purchase of the necessary materials.

The pond, like the stream described above, should be made in the same style with the landscape of the site. Otherwise, it will be a ridiculous spot on the territory near the house.

When choosing a place for a pond, it is important to consider the following nuances:

the size of the pond and land;
level of occurrence ground water and soil structure;
terrain relief.

Water from a pond located in the sun will quickly evaporate in the summer heat. In addition, microorganisms multiply rapidly in the sun in water. It follows that before the final determination of the place for the pond, it is necessary to observe solar activity on the site.

Pond dimensions are the main determinant of tire size. small pond can be made from tires from a passenger car. More overall - from a tire from a bus, KamAZ or tractor. If you have to equip a pool from a tire, then it is best to purchase a tire from BelAZ.

To work, you will need such a tool:

Hacksaw for metal / electric jigsaw.
Roulette.
Building level.
Shovel.

Initially, the tire should be cleaned of dirt and washed. After you need to cut off the top of the tire. To complete this task, use a jigsaw or, in its absence, a hacksaw for metal. Measure the height and diameter of the tire. These measurements will help you calculate the depth and width of the pit.

The pit should be slightly wider than the tire. This will allow you to secure the waterproofing of the pond.

The water in the pond should fill it evenly. To do this, it is important to make a flat bottom under the tire. Its evenness is determined by the level. To prevent clay from entering the pond during operation, the tire should be installed just above ground level. This factor should not scare you, since you can later decorate your pond with stones or plants, so that the edge of the tire will remain absolutely invisible against the general background.

To ensure that water does not go into the ground from the pond, it is important to carry out its high-quality waterproofing. Most economically advantageous material – polyethylene film. But she can't handle heavy loads. If you want to make a long-lasting pond, then it is better to use waterproofing used for pools.

If the tire is laid on the base, then spread on the bottom and distribute the waterproofing material on the walls. The waterproofing layer should extend beyond the edges of the pond by 50 cm. This will prevent the waterproofing from slipping when the pond is filled with water.

Carry out an experimental filling of the pond with water. If there are no leaks and the work is done with high quality, then the excess material must be carefully wrapped. The edges of the pit should be covered with sand or fine gravel. This will protect the area near the pond from weeds, as well as fix the tire and waterproofing.

It depends on the decoration of the pond whether it will be in harmony with the landscape or not. To do this, a number of actions should be taken:

Plant plants in water. They can be installed on supplies at the bottom of the pond.
Arrange plants in pots / tubs around the pond. This will allow you to change the vegetation near the pond if necessary.
If you wish, you can breed ornamental fish in the pond.
Stone / flower arrangements will look very organic near the reservoir.

If the building ornamental pond does not seem so interesting to you, then you can make a pool for swimming. But to implement this idea, you need to purchase a tire from BelAZ, as mentioned above.

After that, you also need to dig a pit, fill the bottom with sand, and compact it. Then you can lay the waterproofing material on the bottom and walls of the pool. The same waterproofing that is used for arranging concrete pools is perfect for this.

You can decorate the pool with decking. It does not rot, does not absorb moisture, is durable and strong. From the same material, you can make a path to the pool. A ladder for descending or if the pool is above ground, then climbing into it must be made of moisture-resistant materials. It's easier to buy it, but here everything is left to your discretion.

The water in the pool quickly stagnates, as a result of which it becomes unusable. To avoid such a nuisance, you will need to use water purification reagents.

Such an inexpensive and quickly equipped pool is quite capable of being made by any master, a lover of homemade products.

So, we learned with you the technology of making a stream and a pond from tires. Following simple advice and recommendations, you will be able to do all the work yourself. And if you have fresh ideas in this direction, then write comments at the end of this article.

Video

Useful tips on how to make an artificial stream are provided in the video:

A photo

The provided photo gallery will help you decide on the choice of the type of stream:

It can be done even in a small area - the more sinuous the channel, the more picturesque this corner will look. The seething stream brings an expressive touch to the pacification surrounding nature, reminds that movement is life, creates conditions for endless contemplation. When viburnum blooms by the stream, you won’t find a more picturesque place.

The angle of difference is not critical - after all, the pump will be responsible for the movement of water. A slope of 3 cm per meter will already provide a visual perception of the flow of a silver stream.

Artificial stream in the country with their own hands. Site selection and channel formation

Well, if the landscape of the territory is uneven, then the channel needs minimal adjustment. On flat areas, you will have to create elevations in some places to look more natural. An artificial stream with your own hands is a closed cycle of pumping water from a reservoir and returning it to the lake:

The next step in creating a real mountain stream will be the formation of a channel. To do this, a ditch is dug with a depth of 30-50 cm and a width of 50 cm to 1.5 meters. As in real streams, the width of the channel along the entire length may be unequal. In some places you can go a little deeper to create the illusion of a pool. The configuration of the channel depends on the imagination and temperament of the owners of the site - from an almost flat line to intricate bends around trees or.

The finished ditch is cleared of stone, roots and other debris and compacted. Water overpass can be built in several ways:

Lazy - a piece of asbestos-cement pipe cut lengthwise is laid in a straight channel, while the stream will take the form of an irrigation canal.

Capital - the construction is carried out by concreting the bottom and walls, but this process requires a lot of labor.

Cheap - the channel is laid out cut along plastic bottles with a capacity of 5-6 liters with a remote neck and bottoms. This design is short lived.

It is much more interesting to show imagination, paving the way for the future river, and use flexible waterproofing as a material.

A layer of sand about 4-5 cm thick is laid in the ditch, then any waterproofing agent (butyl rubber, rubber, neoprene, etc.). After that, the channel is lined with a thin film.

The bottom of the future stream is decorated with rounded boulders, medium-sized boulders, fine gravel. On gentle areas, sandbanks can be made and laid.

Installation of a water circulation system

At the bottom of the reservoir into which flows artificial stream in the country with their own hands, is normal . The hose from it can run under the bed or to the side of it, disguised by grass or turf. Considering that the pumping system will have to be removed for the winter, it is better to use polypropylene pipes, which are easy to install, to supply water to the source. Another advantage of using a film is that the water can not be drained. If the base of the stream is made of concrete, frozen water can damage the integrity of the screed.

At the top, you need to equip a source from where the silver stream originates. To do this, the water supply hose must be masked. Large boulders, ceramic elements or small stone structures in the form of a grotto or cave are suitable as a disguise. Looks interesting small wooden canopy, stylized as a well. Such buildings are found in forested mountainous areas to mark the outlets of natural sources.

Shore decoration

The naturalness of an artificial stream will be given by plants planted along the banks and stones. Before creating artificial stream in the country with their own hands, stones should be sorted. The bottom can be diversified - in places of large differences in relief it is better to install large flat stones. Such thresholds will create small cascades. Medium-sized round boulders laid out on gentle areas will become an obstacle even for a small current, and imitate whirlpools. The place where the stream flows into an artificial reservoir can be made almost sheer - then the river will acquire its own.

The plants that will be planted along the coastline are selected depending on whether the stream rages in the dense shade of centuries-old trees, or smoothly carries its waters along a sunny meadow, repeating bends.

Rule of thumb when choosing flowers and herbs - moisture content. Popular coastal residents are:

- perennial with a height of 10 cm to 2 m. Panicle inflorescences from pale pink to purple bloom in June-July. For the winter top part dies off.

- winter-hardy plant up to 40 cm tall, blooms in May-June

forget-me-not- bushy plant with silver-green leaves and small blue flowers. Begins to bloom in April.

Buzulnik– large bush up to 120 cm high with leaves similar to burdock (about 50 cm in diameter). Inflorescences - yellow baskets.

– ground cover shrub, distinctive feature which is the ability to grow in steep areas.

- spiky inflorescences of blue color growing on the banks of water bodies.

Widespread when making a stream with your own hands on household plots received, mosses and lichens. Of the plants with spectacular leaves, ferns and all kinds of hostas are most common. In the spring, irises, daylilies and bathing suits are indispensable on the shore. Properly selected plants will ensure that no one will call your stream artificial.

When decorating adjoining territory A number of difficulties arise at the design stage. Many forms of modern landscape design, although impressive in their spectacularity, are clearly visible in their artificial origin. The owners of cottages and summer cottages strive to reproduce an attractive, but as natural as possible picture of nature. The easiest way to emphasize the naturalness of the landscape is to create a stream.

The first task that you have to deal with is choosing the location of the stream and its shape. When creating a project, be sure to consider the following criteria:

To make your decision faster, consider the following tips:

Stream dimensions

Determine the length, width and depth of the stream yourself, taking into account your personal vision of the artistic picture of the landscape.

But take into account the standard indicators used to create an artificial stream in the country:

What is the feature of the stream device?

Unlike other types of artificial reservoirs, when arranging an artificial stream on a site, it is imperative to purchase and install a pump. With its help, there will be a constant circulation of water.

Which pump to choose?

For this form of landscaping, use a submersible pump, as such equipment will provide the desired result at little cost.

Among the advantages of such an installation, we highlight the following points:

Select the appropriate type of pumping system based on the characteristics of the artificial stream being created:

What material to choose for covering the bottom?

For the formation of the stream bed, the following types of materials are most often used:

How to correctly calculate the required volume of water?

To correctly determine the required volume for the stable functioning of an artificial stream, make a simple miscalculation by multiplying all its parameters.

Let's give an illustrative example for the following sizes:

Computational formula

How to arrange an artificial stream?

Depending on the type of material chosen for lining the channel, the construction technology will vary slightly. But general rules remain unchanged. Carefully read the sequence of work in order to complete the entire volume as correctly as possible.

What materials to prepare for the construction of an artificial stream?

Technology for the construction of an artificial stream

When designing an artificial stream, adhere to the following recommendations:

What plants to decorate the coastal zone?

For decoration coastal zone plant plants that prefer high humidity conditions.

Among all the available species, the following are especially popular with landscape designers:

When choosing stones, be guided by the style of the decorated source. For arranging a fast-moving mountain stream, give preference to medium-sized granite fragmentation elements or pebble placers. Decorate the meadow stream with large boulders, boulders or small particles of sandstone.

Video

Watch the video, which shows the entire process of creating an artificial stream, to more clearly understand the scope of work.

Conclusion

The whole process of creating an artificial stream on the site will not take much time and effort. At the same time, if the work is done correctly, it will certainly bring a special flavor to the entire landscape and will attract attention with its showiness. Therefore, carefully consider all the rules and recommendations, give preference only to high-quality materials in order to get the result that you expect.