How to create a dry stream on your land?

What can it be made of?

A decorative dry stream fully justifies its name: it looks like a dried-up stream left without water. Dry streams at the dacha are made from what is at hand in large quantities.

The basis of an artificial dry stream is usually stones: large boulders, medium crushed stone, small pebbles. The latter is usually used in combination with large stones, making a border or decorating a dry stream on the site from the inside.

Using stones has certain advantages:

• it is easy to get them from rocks or water absolutely free of charge;
• stones are not afraid of wind, rain, snow – a dry stream in the country will look great all year round;
• a stone river will last for decades until you decide to dismantle it yourself.

If you are creating a design in a southern style, try combining stones with sand: a sandy path surrounded by a light stone border looks appropriate inside certain directions.

Also look at the options for plants and flowers that can be planted along the fence.

Less reliable, but no less beautiful – a dry stream of flowers. You need to plant a flower bed of such a shape that it resembles the flow of water. Landscape design experts recommend using one variety with white, blue or light blue buds – they will bloom at the same time, it will seem as if real water is running.

Low, preferably ground cover plants are suitable for a dry stream:

• petunia,
• thyme,
• arabis,
• phlox,
• aubrieta,
• ageratum.

Important! Plants are capricious in care – they require planting every spring, a watering system, pruning. But every year there will be a new composition!

When arranging a dry stream, consider the size. A small dry stream, for example, will look more harmonious from small material. Wide, long — from a combination of sizes or large stones.

The photo shows a combination of lawn grass and stones.

Where is it better to place it?

Before determining the location of a dry stream on the site, think about what exactly you want to achieve with the decoration:

• to emphasize the buildings between which it is located;
• to visually expand the area of the garden plot – a diagonal position is suitable for this;
• to ennoble flower beds or other objects, literally wrapping the composition around them.

Popular places for dry Streams in landscape design are considered to be:

1. Paths. Let them “flow” along garden paths, or intersect with them, creating an amazing relief. This option looks spectacular in combination with flower beds that occupy the voids between the path and the “water”.
2. Borders. The idea of zoning with a dry stream is one of the most beautiful. Make a whole composition, separating all areas of the site (house, vegetable garden, gazebo, garden) from each other.
3. Flower beds. The design of dry streams in combination with flower beds looks mesmerizing: why not make a stone river part of a flower bed? Flowers can be ordinary country or special water.
4. Reservoirs. Whether it is a small pond or a warm pool, the imitation of the current will become a frame or a kind of sign for guests (if you run it from the house towards the water).

The photo shows a composition with plants and figurines.

Design options

A dry stream made of pebbles or other stones still looks as if there was water here recently. Let’s play up the similarity in design!

A popular decoration is a bridge. Decorative or functional – for example, created for the purpose of crossing a wide channel of the dividing zone of the river.

Also look at examples of the design of beautiful summer cottages.

A dry stream with a wooden bridge looks harmonious – flat or rounded, with reliable wooden, iron or rope railings.

Important! The supports perform not only a decorative, but also a protective function. They are especially relevant on high bridges.

Stone structures are also appropriate – one flat, large stone like slate, or several boulders on a metal structure reinforced with cement mortar.

The photo shows pebbles installed on the end

Another popular option: a dry stream with a jug or pot. In this case, the imitation of water seems to pour out of the vessel. Jugs are used to play up the source of floral or stone “water”.

Why not combine the dry element with the water? Make a fountain the beginning of the stream – the main thing is that the flow of water does not fill the mouth, but stops somewhere at the source.

The photo shows an industrial garden design.

Design ideas

The simplest version of a dry stream on the site is a winding path of stones of approximately the same fraction. But if you connect your imagination, resorting to tricks, you will get something completely different from the usual composition.

The first idea we mentioned: combine different sizes. Make a gradient from large to small, use large boulders as a border along the bank, place large ones in the center, play with surrounding circles.

Important! Make curved lines instead of straight ones – curves look more natural, seem longer, visually increase the space.

The second piece of advice: place each detail on its end. A dry stream made of pebbles will look the most impressive – the overall look will be simply cosmic!

The third suggestion is to create a complete composition. Come up with a plot, shape, appearance. Add garden figures to liven up the landscape.

Idea #4: levels! Who said that the stream is exclusively flat? Run it from top to bottom, play up the complex landscape of the site or simply add dynamism to the design.

How to do it yourself?

It’s time to learn how to make a dry stream with your own hands. Anyone can handle the process. Let’s consider a stone composition.

First of all, you need a site plan: draw it on a regular A4 sheet, keeping to scale. Include all important unchangeable objects: buildings, flower beds, garden beds, ponds, paths.

Let’s move on to designing. Draw future curves where you want to place them. When planning, it is easy to change the shape, size, direction.

Important! The most natural-looking is a curved silhouette with sections of different widths.

Now you need to transfer the drawing from the plan to the real relief. Mark the outline with an ordinary stick or use a suitable tool for the surface.

Advice! Make an outline with sand: just draw the outer line.

Once you are sure of the calculations, remove the top layer of soil. 10-15 cm will be enough, but a deeper option is also available.

Don’t forget to protect the future project from weeds – lay geotextile or other non-woven material on the bottom. Cover the ground, cut along the contour. Non-woven fabric provides 100% protection, the sun does not hit the ground and the grass does not grow.

The photo shows a finished composition made of light stone

Proceed to the main process: laying out the stones! Here everything depends on imagination and skills.

How to create a dry stream of flowers, watch the video:

Have you already decided what the design will be? If you haven’t decided yet, look at the photo of a dry stream of stones in our gallery!