"A-la Provence" At Your Dacha. Plot In Provence Style. Country Style. Photo

2023 Author: Ava Durham | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:50

When I just bought a summer cottage, the first thing I wanted to do was to plant it to the last piece of land with everything "useful and edible" so that, as they say, the good would not be wasted. Of course, it was my mistake, or maybe to some extent a manifestation of greed, because planting is half the battle, but try to cope with all this economy. But the point is not even in the expenditure of labor, but in the fact that my dacha turned into a continuous vegetable garden, which was also a recreation area.

The priorities of country life today have changed dramatically, people have become interested in growing not only potatoes, but also various ornamental plants for beauty and visual enjoyment. Every self-respecting summer resident at least once a season should give his neighbors a tour of his site, boasting of "exclusive landings." “Yes, I even have yuccas growing, here, as many as 10 pieces,” my neighbor in the country said proudly, pointing to a grove of exotic plants behind the barn. And they grow there not because it was so conceived according to some kind of landscape project, everything is much more commonplace - there is no free space on the site. The recreation area in this case is limited to a bench near the entrance to the house, because all six acres resemble a botanical garden of a thousand and one plants.

But a modern dacha is, first of all, that place, a secluded corner where you should rest and relax. Nobody forbids at the same time to engage in gardening and gardening, you can just bring everything to one style. It didn't take long to puzzle over the idea of a future style for my garden. We live in an amazing time when there is an opportunity to travel without leaving home, just connect the Internet or buy a magazine with bright pictures - and that's it, then it's up to our imagination. Once, traveling in this way, I got acquainted with the style of Provence and decided to definitely recreate something similar in my country house. Cozy and without clutter, leaving space and "air" for relaxation. Provence is a rustic "country" style, originally from the province in the south of France, is the best fit for a recreation area. We certainly do not have such a climate,which is inherent in the Mediterranean coast, but you can try to create "a-la Provence" in your country house.

What is characteristic of the Provence garden?

A lot has been written about this style, but I don’t want to repeat myself, using the usual set of characteristics from the category: “lavender, olives, rosemary, etc.”, especially when there is an opportunity to hear the opinion of an authoritative expert. Landscape architect, creator of a huge number of gardens, Alexander Sapelin shares his vision of Provence.

Commentary by landscape architect A. Sapelin: “Provence. Of course, I have my own associative array, someone agrees with it, someone does not. This is understandable, everyone has their own "pictures", but nevertheless, everyone has something in common. "My Provence" is a slightly misty air filled with aromas of lavender, roses and good wine at the same time. There are a lot of silvery plants here, which means that when choosing an assortment here for the “a-la Provence” garden, I will definitely take them, especially if their foliage is thin, lanceolate, pointed, and not bursty. And it doesn't matter to me whether these species grow there or not. I will certainly find a replacement for lavender (hyssop, catnip, sage), cypress (Virginian juniper variety), wine grape (Amur grape, fox) and even olives (narrow-leaved goose).

I can't get away from roses in this garden either, and, surprisingly, they will grow here interspersed with vegetables. When I saw this for the first time, I was shocked and did not immediately understand the charm of this approach. Time has passed, now I can easily imagine zucchini squash against the background of ornamental shrubs, otherwise understanding the phrase about "bread and circuses".

Indispensable terracotta pots, in which in summer there is a riot of flowers, and in November - a harvest of orange-colored pumpkins. They will serve as a decoration for my garden for some time, after which they will turn into "potage" (French vegetable soup) and will be eaten. There will remain only a white tuff stone (natural tuff stone, has a beige color and a very uneven porous surface), which has already slightly turned yellow and is populated by a variety of especially drought-resistant "green little things". Arrows of cypress trees will not lonely rise above the tuff stone walls for a long time. When spring comes, blooming apple and pear trees will overshadow them with white foam, which, in turn, will bear generous fruits, and after that, it is likely that they will turn into calvados (apple or pear French brandy). But this is not scary, because there are roses that will be here until autumn, and then pumpkins will come again. And so year after year.

And how nice it is to lie serenely in a hammock under an olive tree, which just yesterday turned 200 years old, slowly contemplate all this beauty … Of course, I would also like to add about an openwork metal table near the hammock, on which a porcelain plate with three pieces of French cheese grapes and a glass of pink Provencal, … but I'm not talking about gardens."

From words to deeds

For example, I want to offer you a detailed dendrological plan, where there is a list of plants that harmoniously combine with each other in terms of external and biological characteristics. It is possible that something will be able to be recreated on your site, some plants, maintaining the style, will be replaced with others. The main thing is to grasp the essence and understand the very principle of the selection of plants characteristic of the Provencal style.

1. Clematis "Salute"

A profusely flowering variety that is adapted to our growing conditions. Blooms from late July to late September. The flowers are wide open, beautifully colored, purple-violet - 8-10 cm in diameter. Suitable for growing near pergolas, arches, nets and other garden supports. Perfectly decorates gazebos, terraces, balconies or walls of houses. Can climb trees and bushes. An unpretentious and strong liana reaches a height of 4-5 m.

2. Delphinium "Blue Cloud"

Perennial plant of the Buttercup family, up to 50 cm high with blue flowers collected in small clusters. Blooms in June-July, secondary flowering in August-September.

3. Narrow-leaved lavender

Lavender can be easily grown in any corner of our country, if you arrange for it a light shelter with dry leaves for the winter. The most famous fragrant plant forms a dense bush of almost spherical shape, up to 50 cm high and up to 70 cm in diameter. Purple-lilac flowers appear on long inflorescences at the end of July and persist until mid-August. But even before flowering, lavender is very attractive for its gray-green shoots with blue-gray small leaves.

4. Hybrid tea rose "Cappucino". This rose combines a wonderful classic flower shape with numerous double petals. The color of the petals is warm, yellow-cream, with a slight coffee tint and an orangey center. The flower is large - 10-12 cm in diameter, slowly opens from beautiful buds and stays on the stem for a long time. Flowering in waves, abundant and long lasting.

5. Japanese anemone

It pleases us with its bright flowering in the autumn. Delicate, bright pink flowers up to 5 cm in diameter, bloom in August and are beautifully combined with dark green, dissected leaves. Bloom for a long time, almost all September. Winters well in Ukraine. Grows best in partial shade.

6. Aconite bicolor

Very beautiful perennial with white flowers bordered by a violet-blue edge. The plant is unpretentious to growing conditions, grows well both on the floor in shady areas, and in the open sun, high frost resistance.

7. Peony "Paul Wight"

Large, fragrant, dark red, double flowers are covered with glossy foliage from late spring to early summer. The height of the bush is 80 cm, the size of the flower is 18 cm.

8. Dahlia "Bishop Landaf"

A perennial plant with bronze green leaves and dark red flowers. They bloom continuously all summer and autumn.

9. Apple tree "James Grieve"

The ripeness of apples occurs in late August - early September. Crispy, juicy apples with a sweet and sour taste. Rounded conical in shape, greenish-yellow with an orange-dark pink blush on most of the fruit.

10. Sweet peas

An annual fast growing tendril climber. Very fragrant flowers during summer and early fall are often used for cutting.

11. Sedum "Autumn joy"

Succulent perennials attractive to butterflies and bees. Salmon-pink umbrella, stand until frost.

12. Chubushnik crown "Snowfall"

A tall shrub up to 2.5 m high and up to 2 m wide with flowing branches. The leaves are small, pointed (3.5-5.5 cm long), dark green. Blooms in late June - early July with white, double fragrant flowers up to 5 cm in diameter.

13. Weigela "Bristol Snowflake"

A beautifully flowering shrub capable of remontant flowering. Blooms in late May - early June. Against the background of bright green foliage, its white bell-shaped flowers look spectacular.

14. Forsythia "Malach"

Beautifully flowering, ornamental shrub. It grows up to 0.8 - 1 m in height and up to 1 m in width. It blooms very early, when nothing but primroses blooms - in April, with long-tubular flowers of a beautiful yellow color.

15. Boxwood

An evergreen shrub with dark green shiny leaves. Boxwood is beautifully sheared, and various geometric and other topiary figures can be cut from its dense bushes.

16. Penstemon bearded

In early summer, it produces racemose inflorescences 25-30 cm long with beautiful tubular red flowers. Small bells, up to 2.5 cm in diameter, are densely located on a peduncle, which simultaneously combines loose flowers and many buds.

17. Onion chives

A decorative bow that can not only be admired, but also eaten. A dense clump of bright green stems with decorative lilac inflorescences.

18. Poppy self-seeding

Vigorous annual with large, dark red flowers in early summer. Prefers full sun and moist but well-drained soil.

19. Treelike hydrangea

Low 1-1.2 meter shrub. Flowering begins in mid-July and continues in August, when the bush is covered with large, globular white inflorescences, which turn green at the end of flowering.

20. Shaggy willow

The foliage is original, silvery, due to the coverage with fluffy hairs. The surface of the branches is also pubescent. Earrings are yellow, put forward in early spring, stand upright, giving decorative effect to the shrub.

And, of course, what is Provence without decor made of aged things, but more on that in the following articles. By the way, every example is contagious, so my neighbor in the country, looking at my innovations in the design of the site, decided to enter into a competitive struggle. True, he chose the Japanese style for himself, which inspired him - I don't know, but he plans to create a rock garden right on the spot where yuccas used to grow. I promised to help. The main thing is that he does not "overdo it" with stones and other paraphernalia, but I will follow. Neighbors, after all! And I wish you inspiration, and remember that life is short to spend it purely on cultivating a garden.

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