The Winter Garden is an oasis of beauty, inspiration and peace

For many centuries, winter gardens have been rightfully considered the ideal home decoration. It can be called a dream come true place, because every inhabitant of the northern region misses the summer, wants to enjoy warmth, greenery, and flowering at any time of the year.

Many citizens who decide to acquire suburban housing choose a house project with a winter garden. This addition significantly increases the comfort and presentability of the cottage. But if it is not possible to build such housing, there is no need to give up the dream. Modern materials and technologies make it possible to create a full-fledged winter garden even in a city apartment.

Winter garden, its specificity, purpose

A winter garden is a room, a structure intended for heat-loving plants. Do not confuse it with a greenhouse. These structures are built for the year-round cultivation of flowers, exotic representatives of the flora. Greenhouses are a modification of industrial greenhouses designed for vegetables and herbs. The winter garden in the house, apartment, solid office performs other functions. This oasis:

• allows you to admire lush greenery and flowers throughout the year;
• creates excellent conditions for growing rare plants from different continents;
• is an ideal place for relaxation, recreation;
• becomes the main decoration of the house.

Comfortable furniture for a pleasant pastime is installed in the winter gardens. Often, cages with birds, aquariums are placed in the premises, ideally complementing the natural landscape. The climatic conditions of the winter garden are also excellent for representatives of the fauna; parrots, canaries, tropical fish, etc. feel comfortable here.

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History and modernity of winter gardens

There is no exact information about when the winter garden was first equipped. These corners of nature were arranged in royal and royal palaces, castles of noble nobles, houses of wealthy merchants, etc. In Russia, the monks on Solovki equipped the first winter garden. Thanks to their efforts, the Transfiguration Monastery of the Savior acquired its own oasis of eternal summer. The monks grew in it not only outlandish overseas plants, but also vegetables for the monastic diet.

The main condition for maintaining a winter garden is to maintain the optimum temperature, which is required by heat-loving plants. In the first premises of this kind, a hole was dug into which hot coal was poured. This material smolders for a long time, constantly releasing heat. Stove heating was used to create the required microclimate.

The rapid growth in popularity of winter gardens is due to several factors:

• the formation of an urgent need for citizens to communicate with nature, caused by the powerful pressure of the "stone jungle";
• the emergence of innovative glazing technology that allows you to create any design;
• availability of various types of efficient heating systems on the market.

A modern person gets very tired in the conditions of urban bustle, noise, and an abundance of concrete. Outdoor recreation is very popular. But it is not always possible to go out of town, go on vacation. The winter garden in the apartment, in the house makes it possible at any time to be in the atmosphere of the tropical jungle, to relax comfortably among the lush greenery and flowers.

Today's market provides an opportunity to create excellent conditions for plants in any place. Reliable panoramic glazing, lightweight, durable metal frames, electric, water, gas heating systems, air humidifiers allow you to create an ideal microclimate. Automation eliminates the need to spend a lot of time and effort on caring for plants.

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Types of structures

If a house project with a winter garden is being developed, a special room is allocated for it, in which panoramic glazing is installed to ensure maximum natural light. This creates favorable conditions for plants, allows you to save on the lighting system.

A winter garden can also be arranged in a settled country house. It will look like an extension. In the creation of frame structures, most of them use an aluminum profile. It can be given any shape. The building can be:

• square,
• rectangular,
• semicircular,
• combined,
• polygonal.

The choice depends on the specifics, style of the building. The roof can also be of any shape. One- and two-slope versions, domes, etc. are used. The best option for a winter garden is full glazing of the structure. This design guarantees the maximum intake of sunlight, reduces heating costs.

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Materials for creating a winter garden

There are several requirements for these structures. The design must:

• provide reliable protection from the cold;

• create conditions for high-quality lighting;

• have high resistance to external influences;

• have a long operational period.

Structures with a metal frame with an anti-corrosion coating comply with these requirements. These can be anodized aluminum profiles, steel rolled metal treated with powder dyes. Structures with a large glazing area are provided with the required strength, resistance to loads with the help of metal trusses.

In the creation of winter gardens, durable, reliable triplex, tempered glass are used. These materials are highly resistant to stress, safety. It is difficult to break such glasses. But if this happens, the risk of injury is eliminated, since the material crumbles into small pieces.

A winter garden attached to the house can be built from polycarbonate. This material is now very popular. It has several significant advantages:

• high transparency;
• minimum weight;
• low cost;
• load resistance;
• durability.

Used in the creation of structures and double-glazed windows with metal-plastic, aluminum, wooden profiles. The advantages of the systems are ease of installation, reliable protection from the cold. The range of products includes energy-saving, multifunctional glasses.

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Maintaining an optimal climate

Representatives of the flora grow in these structures and premises, which have special requirements for air temperature. In the summer, a glazed building will naturally maintain the desired climate. But with the onset of cold weather, additional heating of the room will be required.

Various types of systems can be used in heating. A winter garden in a private house can be equipped with water, electric, gas communications, solid fuel heating equipment. The choice depends on:

• availability, fuel economy;
• the size of the room;
• plant species and their temperature requirements.

In addition to the heating system in the winter garden, it is necessary to equip ventilation that provides access to fresh air, allowing you to maintain optimal conditions. Opening windows, transoms, sashes will provide natural circulation. Systems with fans will also be required to provide air flow. Tropical plants may require humidifiers.

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Lighting in the winter garden

It is impossible to provide plants with conditions for good growth, flowering without high-quality lighting. In summer, there is enough natural sunlight if the greenhouse of the house is equipped with panoramic windows. But in spring, winter and autumn, additional light will be required.

There is no need to create a system with traditional incandescent lamps. These devices consume a lot of electricity, do not provide the blue, red spectrum rays necessary for the growth of greenery and flowering. Do not use luminescent models if there are frequent voltage drops in the network.

Now in the lighting of winter gardens, lamps are most often used:

• sodium
• metal halide
• LED.

These devices have a high luminous efficiency, economically consume energy. LEDs, halogen models have a long service life. The best option are special fitolamps designed for plants. They provide maximum proximity of artificial lighting to the spectrum of sunlight. The development of a lighting network scheme and its installation must be entrusted to qualified craftsmen who have the appropriate license.

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The main areas of the winter garden

The winter garden in the house is a place of rest, relaxation, pleasant pastime. When equipping this important room, it is necessary to ensure maximum convenience for plants and visitors, for care. Three zones are distinguished in each winter garden:

• recreational,
• communicative,
• decorative.

In the recreational part there is furniture for a comfortable secluded rest, friendly conversations, tea parties, etc. The choice of items depends on the design style. These can be soft sofas and armchairs with leather upholstery, rattan furniture, rocking chairs, etc.

The communicative zone is necessary for convenient movement around the winter garden, for which passages connecting all sections are equipped.

Plants are located in the decorative part. It can be supplemented with a small pond, decorative bridges, pergolas, sculptures, etc. Aquariums and bird cages are placed in this zone.

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Styles for decorating winter gardens

Often, this oasis is chosen for the style that prevails in the house to ensure harmony. But this is not a mandatory requirement, especially if it is a winter garden attached to the house. The main criterion is your own idea of ​​a cozy, comfortable place to stay. It is important to focus on your favorite plants that will please the eye.

In the design of the winter garden, any interior style can be used. The most popular destinations are:

• English;
• French;
• Italian;
• Japanese;
• African;
• avant-garde.

It is believed that the first winter gardens appeared in England. Several styles have been formed in this country. All of them are united by aristocracy, a certain brevity, elegance. The English style implies symmetry in the arrangement of interior items and plants, geometric strict lines. Ideal design elements are antiques, artificially aged furniture. In the choice of plants, preference is given to roses, lilacs, euonymus, weigel. Floors in English winter gardens are often covered with black and white tiles. A cozy carpet will not be superfluous.

French style will appeal to lovers of comfort and luxury. It also has symmetry. Paths with perfect lines are created in the winter garden, bushes are trimmed evenly. Baroque style furniture, luxurious ceramic vases, mirrors with carved frames, flower garlands give showiness and chic to the design. Basic shades: light green, pink, blue, white, gilding. Shrubs, lawn grass, medicinal plants and even vegetables are planted in the winter garden.

The design in the Italian format involves the use of a white, sandy finish. Low-growing shrubs are sheared in the form of balls or rhombuses. Flowers with bright buds are planted: daffodils, crocuses, tulips, hyacinths, etc. Be sure to include water elements, preferably fountains, cascades.

In Japanese styles, perfect order reigns, full compliance with the science of Feng Shui is ensured. This direction is characterized by conciseness and spaciousness. The design reflects three elements: air, water, earth. A properly designed Japanese conservatory is the perfect stress reliever. Stones covered with greenery of moss, bonsai trees, flowers with discreet buds in pastel colors will find their place in it.

Exotic African style is very popular now. In such a garden, an abundance of tropical plants, vines, flowers with large buds is created. The design uses bright colors: yellow, orange, red, brown. Rattan, wenge furniture is installed, skins or successful imitations, clay vases, products made from elephant tusk, tortoise shell, etc. are used in the interior.

It may seem that modern loft or high-tech styles are absolutely not suitable for decorating a winter garden. But designers manage to create spectacular, interesting combinations of metal structures and green spaces, flowers. Such interiors successfully combine the severity of straight lines and raw surfaces and the gentle charm of flower beds, tropical exoticism.

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Selection of plants and accessories for winter gardens

When designing a winter garden in a private house, apartment or office, it is necessary to take into account the type of plants that will grow in it. Representatives of the flora of the tropics and subtropics have different requirements for temperature and humidity. It is undesirable to combine them. If you can maintain a humid, warm climate with temperatures around 25°C-26°C, you can choose tropical plants for your garden. Representatives of the subtropics do not need such heat. They feel great at temperatures of 20°C-22°C.

It is not so easy to navigate the variety of plants, to find the best options for the garden. You can be guided by the advice of designers intended for decorations in various styles.

If you chose the English version, it should be dominated by greens. Mandatory elements are hedges, climbing varieties of roses. Complement the design of large stones, classical sculptures.

In a luxurious French winter garden, you can plant an ornamental apple tree, honeysuckle, barberry, thuja. It will be decorated with a variety of flowers and medicinal herbs: wormwood, irises, ferns, sage, lilies, geraniums, lavender, etc. Climbing varieties of roses and stock roses harmoniously look in these designs. It is advisable to arrange a small decorative garden on a high bed.

A Mediterranean garden may include barberry and juniper, pistachio, thuja and ficus, citrus trees and laurel. In such gardens, lavender, mahonia, veronica, periwinkle, etc. are grown.

The accents of the African design are palm trees, ficuses, lianas. Ampel plants with bright colors look great in it. They can be planted in wicker hanging pots, clay vases, etc. An excellent option for this winter garden will be variegated representatives of the flora. Filamentous washingtonia, vriesia, zygocactus will decorate the garden.

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General recommendations for winter garden equipment

You have decided to equip a winter garden in an apartment, in a private house to allocate a balcony or a loggia for it, it is important to make it cozy, beautiful, to create ideal conditions for plants and for relaxation. To achieve this result, the advice of experienced gardeners will help:

• Making a garden, it is desirable to create a three-level composition. It will provide high-quality filling of space. You need to use successful combinations of different shades of greenery, foliage shapes, shades of flower buds.

• Do not be limited in the choice of garden varieties. The landscape will look more natural if it combines large and small textures, bright and modest representatives of the flora. It is necessary to supplement it with stones, lawn grass, etc.

• It is advisable to build at least a miniature reservoir in the winter garden. It can be a small fountain, a small pond. Water elements not only perfectly decorate the garden, but are also a source of moisture and are involved in maintaining a comfortable microclimate.

• Placing all plants and groups along windows is a common mistake. Such placement does not allow creating the most natural natural atmosphere. Plants and resting place will become autonomous, completely separated zones.

• Even if the garden is small, it is desirable to find a place in it for a large plant. It will become a successful accent, advantageously transform the landscape. You can put it in the corner so that the plant does not create a visual separation of space.

• A good element of the winter garden will be vertical gardening. It will fit well into any style, if you choose the right plant varieties.

The choice of furniture for the room must be given special attention. The greenhouse of the house should be made in the same style. It should be borne in mind that a humid, warm microclimate will be maintained in the winter garden. The basis, frameworks, an upholstery of products have to be strong, practical. Furniture should provide convenience for relaxation, pleasant pastime with friends and relatives.

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