Why does a house need a front garden? We tell about its true purpose

We all saw small, unpretentious gardens in front of the old houses, surrounded by low fences. Most often, flower beds are broken there, shrubs or fruit trees are planted. But what is the true purpose of this local area and why is it fenced off with a low picket fence? Read on for more details.

Reason one: cooling the house

The tradition of building front gardens appeared around the time when glass appeared in a wide course and the windows acquired a modern look, that is, they became large. Before that, the windows were small, since glass was expensive and not everyone could afford it. Large glazed windows were originally only in the houses of wealthy owners.

Glazed windows have radically changed the architecture of private housing construction. On the front facade they began to put them in several pieces. This is both natural lighting and ventilation. But in summer, in hot, clear weather, the sun's rays fell inside the house and heated it. In addition to this, the roof was warming up and the temperature in the houses reached unbearable. With this it was necessary to somehow fight.

Now it is not difficult to do this: put a split system or, in extreme cases, a fan, and the house is cool. But then there was no electricity at all. The way out was the trees in front of the house, which naturally created shade and did not allow the building to heat up. So there was a need, and then a tradition, to plant trees right in front of the house that could create dense shading.

So as not to eat the "split system"

Trees played the role of a natural cooler or, in a modern way, a split system. But the tree still needs to be grown! It now seems to be a simple matter: plant and water. And then, in the villages and suburbs, cattle were kept in almost every yard: cows, rams, goats, horses. The animals left for the pasture in the morning and returned in the evening. Everyone probably remembers a picture from rural life: dust stands in the distance as a pillar - living creatures are returning from the pasture.

All these living creatures in huge quantities, passing back and forth twice a day, trampled and ate all the plants on their way. No wonder that in old photographs, rural streets seem deserted. So, a low fence that protects the local area and seedlings from livestock, and became the prototype of the modern front garden with flower beds and flowers.

Why is the front garden fence low and sparse?

There is a good reason for the size and design of your front garden fence. To prevent cows, rams and goats from reaching the seedlings, a 1.2 meter high fence is sufficient - therefore, the fence is low. It was made from stakes or a picket fence with a small gap so that the fence did not interfere with the ventilation. That is, if you put a high solid fence, it will restrain air circulation and the cooling of the house will become less effective.

The width / step between the stakes was chosen not because of beauty, but so that the ram, goat and other small livestock could not stick their head through the fence. Perhaps the animal will not reach the sapling, but he is a ram and that can get stuck in the picket fence and break the fence. That's the whole construction!

What's growing in your front garden? Write in the comments!

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