Landscape slides do it yourself. Creating a pool of water - how to avoid disappointment

Anyone who has ever seen an alpine meadow in bloom will have an indelible impression forever. I want to go there again and again. You can, of course, go on vacation to Kabarda or Karachay-Cherkessia (at the top in the figure), instead of splashing in the sea or the pool of the water park at a popular resort, experiencing sensations that you would find the most lively response from the kilos in the bank. It is possible, ignoring the indignant cries of a wallet, to swing to Switzerland or Nepal, this is below in fig. But you always want blooming mountains, and the Alpine slide or rock garden, although it does not replace them completely, but it will clearly remind you. It is only necessary to properly build and plant it, which is what this article is about.

Note:   The stated material concerns rock gardens at a dacha or a household plot. Alpine house, table, balcony, window, seasonal require each separate description.

The construction and landscaping of rock garden is a rather laborious task, but it does not require complicated skills and special tools, as well as expensive materials or, for example, bulk concrete works that absorb a lot of water. Building an alpine slide with your own hands has the fullest meaning, since custom prohibitive, compared with the complexity of construction, roads. The same goes for plants; we will return to them later. Own, unique and unique, rock garden, it is possible to plant plants taken from nature, or purchased in ordinary, non-specialized nurseries at a price an order of magnitude lower. In this regard, some recommendations may seem unusual, but the material is focused on inexpensive or even free samples of the domestic flora, and pampered with an intensive selection of a special variety will be left to landscape design marketers.

General information

Alpine slides can be seen with a separate border (pos. 1 in the figure) and seemingly randomly scribbled, pos. 2, from angular blocks or round boulders of dense stone or porous limestone, pos. 1-4, clearly terraced from the plateau at the top, pos. 4, or naturally chaotic. Is all this diversity built anyhow? Far from it. The alpine slide device is subject to simple, but well-defined rules.

Time and place

They build a rock garden in early autumn, before the rains begin, so that by the spring of “settled down”: he gave a draft and the formation of a substrate was completed. In spring, the hill is planted and in the summer they are already admiring. This publication describes how to make an alpine slide with a sustainable biocenosis that can live for many years with minimal care or on its own.

To create a rock garden, enough space from about 2 square meters. m. If there is 20-50 square meters. m free, very good: this is the optimal value for labor for the maximum effect; a big slide at a glance is no longer okay. Mini-alpine slide is enough and 0.25-0.7 square meters. m, but the range of plants will have to be limited, which, however, with skillful selection will not reduce its decorative effect. It is desirable to build a rock garden in the garden, providing some of its shading from the north and northeast; this will greatly expand the possible vegetable variety on the hill. Soil in the area under the rock garden can be infertile or completely worthless; powerful humus will only be a hindrance.

Rock garden and water

Best of all, having conceived a rock garden, to build at the same time and. The excavated land will give an excellent backfill of the slide, and the water will bring coolness and moisture into the air, which will allow to plant some native plants of the mountains. On the aesthetic effect of rock garden with a pond, there is no need to say, see at least fig .:

With a lack of space, a mini-pond is included in the structure of the slide. Bowls for ponds are available in volumes from 30 liters, which can be a bit much for a small slide. In this case, the use of faience sanitary ware can be used to create a reservoir: a sink or even a toilet. Do not shun: hereinafter it will be described how to treat such a product to give it a completely natural look. In any case, more natural and durable than the purchase of a plastic bowl.

The rock garden does not tolerate a constant flow inside itself: it will swell up, spread away, and the plants in the soured soil will wither. Therefore, the capacity for an alpine slide with a pond should be drainless and waterproof; in second-hand earthenware bowls this is ensured by embedding the drain / outlet with concrete with a high content of rubble or (worse) silicone. But in this case, the water in the pond will stagnate, as can be seen in pos. 1 pic., And a small area of ​​its mirror will not create the desired microclimate in the vicinity.

Exit - a pond on an alpine slide with a fountain, pos. 2. Continuous spraying will refresh the air for near-water plants, see below, and saturated with oxygen to the limit, falling back will not let the water stagnate. When using unsuitable household vessels with a capacity of 5-20 liters on the basis of an inexpensive aquarium pump.

Another thing is a rock garden with a waterfall. Beautiful with him, no doubt. But even through a little low, as in pos. 3, waterfall, water flows from 1 cu. m / h when lifting it at least 0.5-1.5 m, which, taking into account losses in the hydraulic system, will require a pressure of 1.5-3 m. The pressure tank, which would allow the use of a batch pump, does not fit into the rock garden design therefore, the only possible way to supply the waterfall is with a submersible continuous pump in the lower accumulator, see fig.

As a result, we arrive at a disappointing conclusion for low-income owners: we need a special expensive pump for artificial waterfalls. Aquarium pump will not raise the water to the desired height, and the household submersible pump pumps too much and high, but periodically. The vibratory water pump can still be adapted to the waterfall by turning on the thyristor controller, but its lifespan will then be reduced to 1-5 years.

Sad consequences of the 2nd order - waterfall pumps take from the mains about 350 watts, or even all of 1.5-2 kW, which the meter will “wind” all summer. And the waterfall evaporates several times more than a fountain with the same flow rate, so you will have to lay out a lot of water for filling the reservoir. The capacity of the reservoir itself should be from 3-hour water discharge, and its depth - from 1.5 heights of the fall of the cascade, i.e. and the pond under the waterfall needs a big, deep, expensive and complicated.

How to build a rock garden?

Diagrams of alpine slides of the most common types are shown in Fig. Pos. A - rock garden in the pit with a retaining wall. The wall is actually a foundation of blocks, so a correctly built slide of this type can hold on and live for many years, even centuries, even if abandoned. If the wall is brought flush with the ground surface, the top structure of the alpine slide can be any of the following, but it takes a lot of work and costs a lot: blocks of durable resistant stone (granite, basalt, diorite, gabbro, diabase) are taken on the wall from about 400x400x400 mm. It is desirable to fasten underground walls of the wall with masonry mortar, as when laying the foundation of blocks.

Step-by-step instruction on the construction of a rock garden base with a retaining wall looks like this:

1. Determine the depth of the wall as the normative freezing depth in the area minus 0.5 height of the hill. In the Middle Band of the Russian Federation is about 1 m;
2. Pick up stones in size and shape;
3. Spread to the side on the ground wall on a dry along the contour of the hill, large blocks are allowed on the lower belt (s);
4. In the process of dry laying, the stones are adjusted to each other and checked for stability: the wall must stand indestructible when removing any 2 stones from it, incl. adjacent;
5. Transfer the resulting contour into place, for which it is convenient to use a long rail with stuffed crossbars;
6. Dig a pit along the contour of the hill to a depth of laying plus 0.3-0.5 m and with a margin around the contour of about 0.3 m. Humus and continental soil (underlying, materka) are stored separately;
7. Spread the wall in the pit, if necessary - already on the solution;
8. Covering the bottom of the pit with geotextiles and pouring the usual sand and gravel drainage with a capacity of 0.3-0.5 m;
9. Drainage poured in layers of 10-15 cm, carefully ramming with wetting, as when laying garden paths;
10. Layer-parallel, layers of 20-25 cm, with wetting and tamping, backfill the external stock and the pit. From the outside, they fall asleep with the removed material, and inside with the binder, in half with rubble.

Note: if the underlying rock is sandy, gravelly or light sandy loam, then nothing can be done about it - you need to look for loam on the binder. Loose moving soils will not bind anything, only themselves will crawl through the stones.

About stones

Alpine slide stones may use a variety of chemically neutral.  Strong, dense and resistant rocks will give the hill durability, but the substrate for plants on their surface will have to be created using the accelerated method described below. Plitnyak - sandstone, quartzite - is also suitable, in contrast to the facing of the pond, because in the rock garden, it will not be constantly saturated with moisture, and its small frost is unlikely and will not harm the hill. Only rocks prone to karst and pH-shifting soil: limestone, dolomite should be avoided. Nevertheless, there are types of rock gardens, fundamentally created from carbonate rocks, see below. The shell rock is definitely not suitable: rock gardens from it begin to collapse by 2-5 years.

Gorka

Bulk rock garden of boulders can be built without a wall, directly on the ground, pos. B in pic. higher with slides, but its lifespan will be no more than 30-40 years; most likely - 10-15 years. The principle of construction is the same: the higher the stones, the smaller, but you can lay them out on the spot in layers. Stones of the next layer are chased and checked to see if they are staggering, then the aggregate is filled up (with wetting!), The next layer is laid out, etc. Humus in deep pockets make the laying layers, and finally on the outer surface in the spring.

To properly build an alpine slide, you need to know the nature of the underlying soil. On light permeable rocks such as sandy loam, pos. B1, it is enough to remove the humus. On clay and heavy loams, you need to additionally dig a shallow, 30-60 cm, pit, and fill it with sand and rubble drainage, pos. B2. This is necessary so that the surface runoff from the rock garden does not erode the territory adjacent to it.

Terraces and slopes

Terracing an alpine slide with the creation of artificial plateaus on it gives considerable advantages:

• It is possible to clearly break the rock garden into zones suitable for different types of plants.
• The runoff from the slide is being ordered and the danger of its erosion by rains is practically negated.
• Covering the plateau with crushed weeds makes rooting difficult, and it makes it easier for the gardener to fight them.
• Also facilitated the care of the slide, because after winter precipitation you can walk on the plateau.

The easiest way to terrace rock garden on the slope, pos. In, but according to the same scheme, the hills, which are like mountains, are zoned. The slopes of the terraces are laid out of quartzite or sandstone, its porosity will make the underground flow uniform. The ultimate goal of zoning is to obtain 3 zones of soil moisture, pos. D. Taking into account the orientation to the cardinal points, this will give 12 sectors with different conditions, and if there is shading on either side, the number of sectors will increase.

Track and lawn

Decorative and technological plates on pos. G and the bypass path around them are designed to approach the hill. The rock garden looks much more attractive on the lawn, but without solid paths of approach and waste, the grass will soon be trampled. The design of the surrounding zone of the zone must, of course, be linked to the rock garden. Artificial paving slabs, for example, with a piece of mountains does not fit; if there is no suitable stone on the paths / approaches, then it is better to fall asleep with rubble without a lawn.

What is not a hill

To finish with the schemes of the hills, we turn to the typical mistakes in their creation. The construction on poses. D is not a rock garden, and whether a flower bed, or a dug rabatka. Plant there irises, petunias, marigolds, pelargoniums, it will be good. But plants for slides are bad, and they will not show all their particular beauty. And the fact that the poses. E, a lot of land with stuck stones, for ornamental gardening is generally not suitable. Do not believe it - make such a small one and see what happens with it after the first rain.

About plitnyak

Natural limestone for rock garden is good not only because it provides a ready substrate and a uniform flow, but also because a very small alpine slide with its help can be successfully terraced. It is only necessary to lay the plates with a certain inclination inward, see fig. on the right, so that the runoff during precipitation does not go along the slope, but goes inland. Then the hill and without a wall, though it will settle down little by little, but strengthened at the same time.

What is a Czech rolling pin?

Rolling pin in this case is not utensils for rolling dough and finding out who is the owner (housewife) in the house, but a very specific type of rock garden imitating lime-dolomite cliffs broken by vertical cracks of the Tatras. Czechs from their skalok, i. small rocks, crazy, but in Central Europe, rolling pins are not very common, and in the continental climate, all their shortcomings are particularly pronounced:

1. It is difficult and expensive to build: carefully selected thin flagstone, a deep pit and careful filling of the gaps between the plates only 2-5 cm with clay, pos. 1 in fig. below.
2. Carbonate rocks shift the pH of the soil to the alkaline side, which very few plants tolerate.
3. Almost no vegetation takes root in narrow vertical gaps, and vertical hollows remain on the finished hill, which can easily be turned into deep ravine, pos. 2
4. Caring for the Czech rolling pin is complicated and she herself is short-lived, because outdoors, karst-prone rocks become very fragile.

Mini slides

In principle, a miniature rock garden can be just a handful of stones with an area of ​​up to 1 square meter. m, pos. 1 on the next Fig., but the choice of plants for him will be extremely limited, because There is no need to talk about terracing and zoning on soil moisture. If there are at least 2-3 squares available, then an alpine slide - a mini can be built in bulk, i.e. without a wall, arranging inside the surface water distribution accumulation drainage, pos. 2. It will, as it were, suck the moisture out of the zone of dryness, keep it in itself and gradually give up wet zones. On light soils under such a hill you need to arrange a clay castle.

Planting on a mini-hill in the open ground is still not possible any suitable plants; more suitable native grass and small subshrubs. The known scheme of gardening of mini-rock garden with herbs is shown in fig. on right.

In places with a fairly mild winter, in the black earth strip and to the south, rock garden plants can be kept in a pot (container) culture, pos. 3. This will allow to regulate the water regime of each individually, but there remains the danger of freezing in winter even for plants safely surviving the same frost in open ground.

From different wreckage

Facial stones for rock garden should be taken to choose from, so they will cost much more than the usual rubble. Is it possible to replace them with something; desirable - porous, but more resistant than quartzite or sandstone? It is possible, but the "slides" of bottles, tires, etc. let's go far away: they go to the mountains from civilization, and not behind its waste, even if it is reclaimed and sanitized.

For a good alpine slide made of scrap materials, stone building debris is enough: breaking brick, paving slabs, concrete fragments. The trick to make them "more natural than natural" is in a fertilizer ferment for the producers of the substrate. For brick kefir or rice water will go, but it is best to prepare it from bird droppings.

First of all, the dried raw material is fermented: plentifully, 3-4 times against the dry weight by volume, poured with water in a chemically neutral container and allowed to ferment. The vessel “reactor” is kept away from the dwelling: the “dukhan” will vibrate out of it. When the process is completed (the foam settles and the stench is reduced), the liquid from the top is drained into the sewer or directly into the sump, and the sediment is diluted with water by volume 10-20 times for soaking or 2-3 times for surface treatment.

Construction waste for the slide is soaked for 5–15 minutes before use (brick / concrete, respectively), and the faience plumbing is processed atop, having previously prepared it. To prepare, firstly, gently beat off the excess: the lugs of the toilet seat, the shelf of the sink. Then the glaze is also gently and carefully “wrapped” with a lightweight hammer crown, and the entire surface passes with a grinder with 120-140 sandpaper, or a drill with a flexible grinding wheel.

The treatment is done in the autumn warm, 1-2 weeks before the rains. Before the frost, the surface will go down like on the left of the figure, but this is only the beginning of "naturalization." The release of moss and lichen will loosen the top layer and create a substrate for which the roots of creeping and cover plants can “catch”, see below. After 1-3 years, the slide will look like the one on the right in fig. and gain the strength of the monolith. Believe a man who has come a lot of mountains - there are completely natural slopes, more like building rubbish and less strong.

Home beauty - plants

Although a good rock garden should look and naked in winter, the main thing on the hill is still plants. Designers with florists, we must give them their due, try for the sake of them with might and main, but the situation turns out to be similar to that with cars: there are more brands, and there are less and fewer samples released in the general flow. The reason, I suppose, in the organization of the post-industrial society itself: marketers find out what more can be sold, social engineers zombie the solvent mass properly, then the shaft is chased to consumer taste until the brand runs out, and then everything starts around the circle.

As for rock gardens, with this approach, with a great variety of plant varieties bred specifically for them, they simply lose their individuality. If you want a rock garden "like everyone else", with appropriate, but certainly better, costs than a neighbor, then please, in the video below the recommendations of plant specialists.

Video: selection of plants for standard rock garden

And do not worry: specialists are literate, recommendations are well-grounded, plants are specially bred for growing conditions on a hill. When buying at least as much for a florist to plant for free, and on the care of the slide discount.

We will go the other way. We will select plants for the alpine slide from the native flora, to be more exact, from the places of growth with similar conditions: poor soil, heated earth, stone in the path of roots and shoots. The names hereafter are also Latin: not all of the above can be found in the surroundings, but they exist in ordinary nurseries and botanical gardens. The exact scientific name will eliminate confusion in communication with experts.

Note: plants marked with "!" are protected. Their unauthorized collection for any purpose is tantamount to poaching, but they are in nurseries, and are much cheaper than the “special contingent” for rock gardens. Buyers are usually given instructions on planting, and general information about planting plants from nurseries is given in the following video:

Video: self-planting plants from the nursery

Condition

In addition to accessibility, our requirements for the aborigines for the alpine hills - if possible, they should give beautiful flowers or themselves be multicolored, like on an alpine meadow. What, by the way, many expensive imported varieties are deprived of, since their breeding for mass sale is more profitable. In particular, florists for hills almost ignore ericoid plants, i.e. heather and similar to heather, and some of them are simply amazing and as purposely created for rock gardens.

The second important condition is that our plants on the hill, with a minimum of moisture, on heavy, poor, detrital soil or give dwarf forms themselves, or they can be obtained using the bonsai upbringing technique: bending down, twisting the garter and cutting the shoots. If the tree is higher than the hill, then what are the associations with the mountains, which have already been or have not yet been. And since we are building a rock garden for ourselves, then its decoration with plants is far from the hardest, but the most pleasant and creative part of the work. For the same reason, we will avoid flowers with tall flower stalks.

Some of the description below will get you in the trade catalogs, and so what? It would be strange if the pros of their business did not know. But we will remind that they are not connected with profitability, therefore our choice and classification are not typical. In particular, we subdivide cover (ground cover) plants into:

• Carpets - from the name it is clear, they tighten the soil with a solid carpet.
• Creeping - a carpet with visible gaps, but thicker.
• Curly / climbing - fill cracks, dips, climb slopes.
• Ampelnye - veil hanging from above.
• Curtains - form clones / bushes of indefinite form.
• Pillows - pillow curtain.

Note: some of the described species, depending on the growing conditions, may change the group membership.

Carpet

The usual types of stonecrop on the roller coaster (Sedum aizoon - stonecrop tenacious, hernial grass, cat's paws, grass from 40 diseases, position 1 in Fig.) Are unpretentious, accessible, but the carpet creates a bit friable. A creeping carnation (Dianthus repens, pos. 2) is very effective in rock gardens, especially during flowering, but the carpet from it is formed by the merging of individual pillow specimens and therefore turns out uneven. But Lapland diapension (Diapensia lapponica!, Pos. 3) grows on the northern slopes with moderate moistening with a full glossy carpet and blooms beautifully, like its fellow northerners loiselerie (Loiseleuria procumbens!, Pos. 4) and blue phyllodoce (phyllodoce caer !, pos. 5) A successful culture of these tundra ericoids is possible, as a rule, not to the south of the Moscow region. To Voronezh and even Rostov-on-Don, an eight-legged dryad can grow on pristenenny hills (Dryas octopetala!, Pos. 6), but its carpet is somewhat looser.

A rather loose, but beautiful carpet that fills cracks and climbs over the slopes gives a smoky medicinal (Fumaria officinalis, pos. 7). This is a normal plant of medium latitudes and does not require special conditions for itself, as does the Alpine Poppy (Papaver alpinum, pos. 8) or the Poppy Burser (Papaver burseri), if they are taken from the nursery. Rugs mountain poppies give small, but fluffy and tender. They need adequate moisture.

A very nice thick carpet is given by a princess or a clearing (Rubus arcticus, pos. 9). On the hill, its leaves become shallow, but, unlike the decorative wild strawberries, the prince blooms beautifully, and its berries are tasty and healthy.

On large slides, the Asian high-rise swimsuit (Trollius asiaticus, item 1 on the next figure) and other types of swimsuits provide dense, rather high growth. It can also tighten the entire terrace with a fluffy carpet peony, or martin root, (Paeonia tenuifolia, pos. 2). If you manage to get the planting material of the Prince of Siberia (Atragene sibirica, pos. 3), then you will also get a climbing plant with spectacular flowers, but the Prince needs a lot of moisture and shading.

Curtins

The adonis (adonis) spring (Adonis vernalis, item 1 in the figure) and the bean frog warmer (Oxytropis lanata item 2) and the Arctic kopecker (Hedysarum arcticum, item 3 ), despite the name, well growing in Ryazan. Adonis, like all thin-leaved, you need quite moisture and a little bit of shade, and legumes, like all legumes, are dry-resistant and light-loving.

Pillows

With pillow plants in wet mid-latitudes, I must say, the problem. It can be solved with the help of conifers, which is further discussed, and the deciduous Aboriginal more or less decent cushions on the hills form the Crimean frankincense (Cistus tauricus, item 1 in the figure), but its culture to the north of the Black Soil Region is rare and difficult: the plant is unpretentious to moisture and soil, but light and heat-loving; blooms with beautiful pink flowers.

More like a green hedgehog than a pillow, it looks like a multi-leaved leaf (Chenopodium foliosum, ordinary red, pos. 2). This weed in the culture on the hill is very decorative, especially in autumn, when the bush is littered with red berries.

Tapeworms

Among the plant tapeworms there are many spectacular species suitable for rock garden. For example, a common forest (liver) in the woods (noble) (Hepatica nobilis, item 1 in the figure); she needs shade and moisture, as well as mountain violet of two colors (Viola biflora, pos. 2). She is fragrant with violet - the ancestor of pansies. It is better to plant a two-color violet at a reservoir with a fountain.

Chess grouse (Tritillaria miliagris, pos. 3), two-flowered tulip (Tulipa biflora, pos. 4) and Foster's tulip (Tulipa fosteriana, pos. 5) did not grow by height, therefore little is known in the flowerbed, but for a rock garden quite fit; however, the Foster tulip is southerner and north of Rostov-on-Don may not settle down.

Go soliter on the hill and some of the orchids. This is a huge family of tropical exotic only in stores, and in fact orchids grow from tundra to tundra. The conditions of the rock garden will agree to the aborigines of the middle latitudes of the helmet-bearing orchid (Orchis militaris, pos. 6) and the purple orchid (Orchis purpurea, pos. 7). The first one is sleeker and smaller, the second one is taller and tighter, so you can choose the look to the size of the slide.

Sockets

A separate type of single plants - rosettes. Of them the Craigulaceae succulents are the decoration of any alpine slide and are sold in many varieties and types. But for yourself it is better to take a rather unpretentious hare cabbage, or roofing young (Sempervivum tectorum!, Pos. 1) in the pic .:

In a nutshell, the tapeworm was very relative: it allows horizontal creeping shoots - stolons - on which daughter outlets are formed. The dignity of the young, except for accessibility, is that, by planting it, we will get a chance to see on the site now a rare beautiful butterfly of Europe - the Machaon, see fig. on right.

Not succulent, but graceful sizy rosettes gives the usual forest primrose, or powdery primrose (Primula farinosa, pos. 2); It blooms beautifully in early spring. Soldanella mountain is even more original (Soldanella montana!, Pos. 3), but it is demanding: moisture, shade, coolness. The carved gray rosettes form the Armenian Leontits (Leontice armeniaca, pos. 4); well-groomed in culture on a hill it is not a throw, but attractive.

Spring and autumn

Some early or late flowering plants are suitable for rock garden. On the northern slope of a pond, a Siberian blueberry or blue snowdrop (Scilla sibirica!, Pos. 1 in fig.) Will take root. In the wet zone there is a beautiful autumn colt (Colchicum speciosus, pos. 2) and other autumn crocuses, among which are blossoming in spring or autumn of various colors . However, all colchicums are very poisonous: you need to work with them in rubber gloves, which are then immediately thrown away, not to let children and pets to them. Therefore, instead of the colchicum, it is better to plant saffrons (crocuses) that are almost inferior to them, among which there are spring and autumn flowers; on pos. 3 - temperate aborigine saffron fine (Crocus speciosus).

Near-water

A number of plants on the alpine hill will acquire full beauty only at a reservoir with a fountain or a waterfall. For example, marsh marigold (Caltha palustris, pos. 1 in Fig.), Does not tolerate dryness at all. Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) on the rocky ground near the water grows compact compact bush, pos. 2, and its flowers are eagerly visited by another beautiful butterfly - the diurnal peacock eye, pos. 3. Also in the moist air it develops perfectly and densely surrounds the slopes of the great periwinkle (Vinca major, pos. 4).

Separately, it should be said about saxifrage. In the rock garden, you can recommend any of the temperate latitudes, if only the reservoir was near. Habitually (in appearance), saber-grinders are very diverse; for example on pos. 5-7 brook (Saxifraga rivularis), Siberian (Saxifraga sibirica) and hard-leaved (Saxifraga aizoides).

As a seasonal near-water in rock gardens, the usual tradescantia zebra (Tradescantia zebrina, pos. 8), or simply zebrina, would be appropriate. True, in the daylight its leaves will become bright green, but they will not lose grace. Zebrina, so to speak, plant-semi-amphibian. Reaching for water, its whips continue to grow there, reviving the reservoir, which is important when its capacity is small. Zebrina will not survive the winter on the street, but it is easily propagated vegetatively, and in room culture is extremely unpretentious, so in the spring the cuttings are simply rooted and planted. Zebrina is growing rapidly, and its whips will begin to swim even before summer.

Bushes

The ericoids described above and an incense are essentially bushes, since their branches lignify. But in the rock garden you want to see and "real" bushes, only small. First of all, Mahonia aquifolium (Mahonia aquifolium) is suitable for this: in ordinary gardens it grows up to St. Petersburg, and the monks managed to grow it in Solovki. Mahonia is hollow in the rock garden itself grows dwarf and very decorative, especially in the autumn, pos. 1 in fig. on right. In winter, it preserves green foliage.

To the south approximately Tver in rock gardens one can grow a mini-form of a cotoneaster Swedish (Cornus suecica, pos. 2). Its berries, unlike the southern varieties, are not tasty and are not suitable for jam, but the view is still anyway.

Trees

With trees for an alpine slide, you can already do without Latin: everyday names suitable are well established. Suitable for alpine slides of natural origin should be sought in the inconvenience: in the swamp, clay cliffs, in ravines, in stony placers. It is necessary to take absolutely tiny sprouts, not higher than a palm. However, their age in conditions on the verge of survival can be solid, therefore, when digging out, be careful with the roots; it is better to undermine deeper and take with a lump of earth, especially since trees for an alpine slide form a mycorrhiza.

The easiest way to miniaturize in the technique of bonsai birch. In nature, under extreme conditions, it itself often forms bizarre dwarf forms, pos. 1 in fig. Willow, willow, rakita on the lean land with minimal watering also grow dwarfs by themselves, pos. 2, but “bonded” is even easier than birch, which allows for 1-3 years to get fancy shapes, pos. 3

Little known in culture growing from China to Chukotka Chozenia. It is unpretentious, it decreases itself with a lack of moisture in heavy soil. In summer, in temperate latitudes, its foliage is yellowish-green; a dark trunk and branches appear through it, which gives a stunning visual effect, poses 4. In the autumn of chosenia it almost reddens like maple, pos. five.

Unfortunately, no one has ever managed to dilute vegetatively with chozenia. Each tree has to be grown from seed or to seek out in nature, therefore, planting material is not cheap.

Pines in nature also often come across dwarfed, pos. 6. Pine in the rock garden coveted settler, but it must be transplanted doubly carefully. How exactly - see the video:

Video: how to transplant pine correctly

Cultural conifers

In fact, coniferous plants have long taken root on the slides and there are many varieties for rock gardens on sale. An overview of conifers for alpine slides, see below:

Video: coniferous plants for alpine slides

  And how to plant cultural conifers - here:

Video: planting coniferous plants

  We will linger here on some points that are significant from the above point of view.

Juniper pos. 7, fills cracks / holes well, but grows very slowly, it is difficult and therefore expensive to select and form. Thuis are of a different type both in terms of form and color, pos. 8-10. Can form pillows that are not inferior to quality and teresken, pos. 14a, but quite thermophilic and therefore north of Moscow in the amateur culture are rare.

The best cultural conifer for homemade alpine slides - fir. It grows anywhere, from the Crimea to the Kola Peninsula. A variety of varieties of garden fir is difficult to describe, in pos. 11-14 are just a few examples. Moreover, garden fir due to unpretentiousness and rapid growth is inexpensive: a smart specimen ready for planting can be found for 200-250 rubles. There are also many dwarf varieties, at 10-20 years of age not exceeding 30 cm, which is also suitable for a mini-rock garden.

Alpinaria - the original flower garden, ahead of the traditional flower beds in popularity. Even a novice landscape designer will be able to vividly express himself when it is arranged, since this work opens a lot of room for creativity. Alpine slide with his own hands is created for one season and does not need special care. It is only important to choose the right stones and perennials that will take root even on poor soils and are undemanding to watering.

Where to begin

It is believed that a good start is half the battle. When creating an alpine slide in the country, the preparatory stage is even more important. On how literate will be the first action, depends on the attractiveness of the flower garden for years to come.

Choosing a place

Many experts agree that the hill is the main decoration of any plot - cultivated or preserved in its original, “natural” form. To accomplish this task, a place downhill:

• must be viewed from all corners of the garden;
• be sunny, free from tall shade trees;
• located on the south side of the house or fence, if the slide is “tied” to any structure;
• be protected from the winds.

A large alpine slide is best placed in the center of the site

The summer resident can work on a rock garden in any convenient season. However, experienced people recommend doing it in the early autumn, before the harvest comes.  In addition, during the winter, a natural sediment of the flower garden usually occurs, and the gardener has a reserve of time to correct the detected defects before planting on the hill of plants.

Alpinaria Schemes

Landscape designers have developed many schemes that help a summer resident to “see” the future structure, to orient in the choice of material and plants, to “tie” a flower garden to a location.

The stones in these schemes are the main actors, depending on their location, the rock gardens are:

• the rock (the slides are the steepest, the stones at their base are large, and at the top the structures are small);
• mountain slope (solid boulders - at the top, below - stone scree);
• terraced slope (arranged in the form of steps);
• "Czech rolling pin" (thin plates are recessed into the ground by the end part);
• a valley in the mountains (the composition is built horizontally, the location of the stones is free);
• ravine (rock garden settles down in a sink-like depression, using boulders covered with moss).

Tall plants can be located on the side of the rock garden

Alpine classics is considered a pyramid shape.  Its highest point is most often located in the center of the flower bed, but asymmetry can make the composition more original. The schemes provide for the height of such structures from 1 to 3 m. If the rock garden is small (the diameter of the base is 1 m), then the height is also small - 20 cm on average.

In the pyramidal center you can plant high varieties of coniferous trees.

What plants to choose

The rock garden scheme is usually supplemented with detailed recommendations on the selection of flowers and shrubs for its design.

You can go a more difficult way - choose the plants yourself, taking into account the design of the future slides, features of the local climate, the type of soil on your site, and, of course, your own preferences. For the rock garden it is customary to use perennial crops that:

• undemanding to soil fertility and climatic conditions;
• stunted and moderately growing;
• not breeding "aggressively."

Since the focus is on slow growing crops, voids may appear in the composition of the “young rock garden”, which can be filled with annuals:

• gypsophila;
• marigolds;
• purslane;
• lobelia.

To fill the upper tier, slides pick the most resistant perennials, because they will get the least amount of water and they will suffer from the wind more than other inhabitants of the rock garden. The famous mountain edelweiss is well suited for this role. It blooms in the second year after planting, and in order to preserve its decorativeness, it requires regular transplants.

Next to edelweiss, you can place evergreen iberis, whose snow-white buds bloom from May to June, and various varieties of undersized carnations (grass, bluish carnations), they one after another delight in their flowering throughout the summer. Purple creeping thyme rugs that attract butterflies and bees with their fragrance look great in the upper part of the composition.

Record for endurance - young, original plant from fleshy, collected in a beautiful rosette of leaves. He, too, will find a place at the top of the composition. The plant has enough small cracks between the stones to gain a foothold in them for many years.

Rejuvenated can take root in the most unassuming places

To fill the middle tier zone, where representatives of flora get more moisture, and the sun's rays are less burning, there are a lot of applicants:

• subulate phlox - distinguished by a variety of colors, blooms in May;
• obrieta cultural - its buds bloom after phlox, in early summer, moreover, the plant can bloom again closer to autumn;
• the Carpathian bell - blooms beautifully and for a long time, but is somewhat aggressive in reproduction, is best suited for the western slope, where it behaves more restrained;
• woolly chistets - valued for their leaves, fluffy with silver color;
• sunflower monetchaty - evergreen dwarf shrub, white, pink and yellow flowers that bloom throughout the summer;
• alpine aster - with beautiful large buds;
• cotoneaster - a beautiful groundcover;
• stonecrop (several species) - forms a rich, red bilberry or yellow carpet.

At the foot of the rock garden, on its lower tier, there are plants that are more demanding of moisture: Indian Duchenaea (its fruits resemble strawberries), creeping survivors, and stone shrimp.

The northern slope of the hill requires special attention, on which only plants that are absolutely not afraid of shade can feel comfortably. Experts offer to stop the choice on the bell Pozharsky, Caucasian rezuh, Haller crested.

From trees, the preference in rock gardens is given to undersized coniferous species:

• juniper;
• mountain pine;
• canadian spruce.

All types of juniper have exceptional decoration that any gardener will appreciate.

Deciduous trees for alpine slides are practically not used, and experts recommend growing from shrubs:

• thunberg barberry - its height does not exceed 30 cm, flowering continues throughout the summer, and in the fall red berries look very decorative;
• evergreen boxwood - tolerates the winter well under the snow cover;
• japanese spirea - spherical miniature bush with elegant foliage.

Selection of stones

For equipment slides suitable:

• basalt;
• sandstone;
• granite.

These rocks are strong, with low porosity. Tuff and shell rock not possessing such virtues are not suitable for rock gardens - they are easily soaked with water and destroyed. Not suitable for decorative reasons, imitation of boulders and blocks of industrial production, devoid of naturalness.

As for the shape, the stones with sharp corners and rounded - not the best option. Not welcome and the diversity of rocks and flowers within a single rock garden (in nature this usually does not happen).

It is impossible to lay stones too tightly, this will not allow the plants to develop normally, especially for those of them with branched roots.

How to make an alpine hill with your own hands - step by step instructions

On the mistakes - learn. The most serious and, alas, common among beginners is that they were too lazy to make a reliable drainage system. As a result, the land subsided, and the slide was almost on par with the surrounding landscape. Water began to stagnate in the flower garden.

Here is what the procedure should be after the place for the rock garden is determined:

1. Make a mark under the pit, outlining its future borders with pegs and "fencing" tapes. The area of ​​the pit should correspond to the size of the proposed flower garden or slightly exceed them. It is necessary to go deep into the earth, also being guided by parameters of a rock garden. If, for example, its length and width are 2.5 m, it is necessary to dig to a depth of 1 m.
   

   The minimum depth even for miniature rock gardens is 0.8 m.

2. At the bottom, fill the drainage of rubble, pebbles, fragments of bricks and construction waste corresponding to the task. The layer (not less than 0.3 m thick) should be smooth, and not in the form of a slide. It is shed water. Then lay another layer of drainage, sand and gravel, its thickness - from 5 to 10 cm. It must also be leveled, spilled with water and tamped.
3. On top of the drainage, empty the ground that you dug out while digging the pit. But first, clean it from debris, plant roots.
4. Begin installing the stones in 2–3 weeks, waiting for the ground to shrink. The first to lay the largest copies, they must be reliably buried in the soil.

   Small stones are placed so that they can not "wash" from the composition of heavy rain.

5. At the end of the formation of a hill with stones, start greening works.

   Plants need to be planted in accordance with seasonal terms.

Little slide

Even a small slide looks decorative, and it will take quite a bit of space to decorate it. One-sided slide is placed near the fence or wall of the house, round - in the center of the lawn or plot.

A miniature rock garden can have a stepped construction. For its design will need stones of unusual shape and color, very accurately selected plants with a long flowering period.

A small rock garden will be appropriate in a decorative flowerpot, which is installed on the terrace or porch of the house

Landscape designers recommend including a pond in the composition - even a tiny one, in the form of a small bowl imitating a lake, it will make the hill more attractive. Creative ideas when creating mini-rock gardens are generally welcome - they can, for example, be arranged in an old sink or basin.

In a hill with a waterfall or fountain, everything should look very natural. The most common version of the composition - elevation, created from three combined tiers, complemented by a stream.

In the manufacture of such rock garden, it is important to consider a number of nuances:

• the place should not be too sunny, otherwise the water under the influence of bright rays will quickly begin to turn green;
• absolute shadow is also not suitable, it will adversely affect the growth and flowering of plants;
• close neighbors in the form of trees will not work either - their falling foliage will litter both runoff and water, and regular cleaning will be required.

Since water constantly flows down the hill, the structure must be made reliably.  If the height of the rock garden is 0.5 m, the top layer of soil will first have to be removed, replacing it with crushed stone.

It is also advisable to use geotextiles - a modern, inexpensive material that protects against water erosion (in this case, heat-glued, with a density of 250-400 g / m2).

It is important not to overdo it with the choice of plants - if there are too many of them, they will cover the entire surface of the reservoir with leaves.

Under the waterfall height of 1 m prepare the foundation. Pit a hole dug to a depth of 20 cm with rubble half its volume, lay iron bars (the parameters of the “windows” are 20x20 cm). Pull off the intersection with clamps, then fill the contents of the pit with concrete - in 2 weeks the structure will turn into a monolith.

To create a waterfall effect, you need a pump (submersible model). Power is selected depending on the height of the waterfall.

A rock garden of this kind expands the choice of plants. It can be arrowhead, sedge, water chestnut, water lily.

Slide with decorative pond

The depth of the reservoir, equipped near the alpine slide, is on average from 0.8 to 1.5 m. The main tasks during the creation of the pond are to isolate its bottom and ensure the circulation of water.

So that the water in the pond does not stagnate, a pump is installed at the bottom of the reservoir.

In a dug trench, first pour a 5 cm layer of sand, pour it with water and tamp it down. Lay a special insulating film on the bottom of the pond or purchase and install the finished form, carefully sealing up all the gaps that form. Put the stones near such reservoirs in the form of beads (sometimes in 2 rows), which will strengthen the banks and hide the edges of the insulating material. Of the plants for the design of the coastal zone fit delphiniums, marsh irises, junipers, thujas.

One of the easiest ways to create a pond for an alpine slide is with an ordinary tire.

Such a pond will not take up much space, but will become a central element of landscape design.

Care features

A year after the arrangement of the rock garden, you may have to strengthen the stones on the hill. What is to be done without fail is to pour in the soil, which will be regularly washed out by rains and during watering, until after a year or two it is completely condensed.

Plants will also require care: treatment with Epin will be needed when planting seedlings (to relieve stress and better rooting), and later - pruning, removing old flowers and dried leaves and feeding (without the use of nitrogen fertilizers, provoking an active increase in green mass).   Watering is carried out using sprayers to protect the soil from erosion.May require treatment from pests.

To rid yourself of excess weed, before planting plants do the treatment with any herbicide (for example, Glyphor) and repeat it after a few weeks.

If the plant is seriously ill, it will have to be removed so that the infection does not spread to other inhabitants of the rock garden.

Special care requires moss, often used in alpine compositions. It, by the way, is fixed on stones with the help of a mixture consisting of earth, kefir and sugar mixed in a blender. It is applied to the stones with a brush. To moss caught, the first 20 days it is watered.

In winter, plants, especially from the upper tier of the hill, need protection from the bright sun, so trees and shrubs in rock gardens are covered in advance with special agrofiber or ordinary sacking.

From frost and excessive moisture, ornamental crops are protected with drawers or structures such as tents. To prevent ground cover damage from decaying, in the fall, remove any fallen leaves from the hill. It does not hurt to install a shield near the alpine slide, which will protect it from piercing winds.

In landscape design developed many interesting ideas and concepts. Many of them can be easily implemented on your site. One of the most beautiful ideas is the alpine slide. The graceful structure is a composition that reproduces the mountain landscape, stones of different sizes are scattered on its slope and various plants, bushes, flowers are planted, and one or several stones look like a cherry on the cake above. Below you can find information on how to build a beautiful alpine hill on a private house or cottage plot.

The optimal time to createconstruction

You can create an alpine slide with your own hands at your country house or plot at any time of the year, with the exception of winter. But landscape designers still recommend doing this fall, when there is still no rain and cold. Autumn construction has indisputable advantages: firstly, during autumn and winter the land will settle and new voids can be corrected, and secondly, you can once again appreciate the composition and add new stones, remove or move old ones, and start spring planting of plants and flowers.

Choosing a place

Of course, you can put the construction with your own hands in any place convenient for you, but remember that the final result depends largely on the selected location.

There are general rules for choosing a place for an alpine slide, which will allow you to achieve maximum beauty and convenience:

• Ideal place with a natural bump. Such a choice will help save energy and resources.
• It is best to choose a place that is clearly visible, for example, the center of the site. This will allow you to admire the rock garden in different parts of the garden from different angles.
• The slope should be placed on the south and east side so that the plants can receive the necessary sunlight and grow normally.
• The place should be protected from strong winds.
• It is not necessary to do a design against buildings, fences, fences. The most profitable and interesting is a hill against the backdrop of vegetation and trees.
• Various buildings, swimming pool, playground should not be close.
• Also, do not place the composition next to the trees, bright and lush flower gardens, otherwise they will eclipse the rock garden and make it nondescript.
• It is necessary to provide a place to which you can make comfortable tracks.

Tip!   If you do not have the opportunity to place the slope on the south or east side, then plant shade and moisture-loving plants that will be comfortable on the north side.

What stones to use

Stones - the basis of the alpine slide. At first glance it seems that everything is simple, but there are some features in terms of choosing the right material.

The following stones are ideal for the construction:

• tuff (travertine);

• granite;

• sandstone;

• limestone;

• gneiss;

• basalt.

But whichever of the above listed stones you decide to use, you need to remember the following recommendations:

• For the construction you need to choose stones of different sizes to imitate natural naturalness.
• Also desirable materials that are heterogeneous in structure and form.
• Install the stones securely so that they do not accidentally slide down.
• Stones can be quite heavy in weight, so when creating a structure, you need to call relatives or friends for help.
• Some landscape designers advise to use the material of the same breed, the most similar to each other in color, thanks to this, you can achieve natural naturalness. But this is not necessary, you can focus on your taste.

Many people often have a question about where to get the stones for the design of the composition. You can buy stones in specialized hardware stores, in markets, in garden centers.

What plants and flowers are suitable for alpine slides

When choosing plants for decorating your own composition, you should follow these rules:

• first of all, perennials should be chosen;
• they must be short and compact;
• unpretentious and not capricious;
• moderately growing;
• if you are interested in the beauty of the design in the winter, you should plant conifers;
• plant plants that bloom at different times, it will allow the rock garden to look beautiful continuously;
• choose cultures that will live peacefully with each other.

Video: plants that are best used for alpine slides.

Step-by-step instruction on the creation of rock garden

There are different schemes of the device rock garden with their own hands. It is difficult to say which ones are better, because they are all interesting and attractive in their own way. Consider one of the instructions for creating an alpine slide on the example of the most classical and popular scheme.

Before exploring step-by-step instructions in detail, pay attention to the stages of creating an alpine slide with your own hands:

1. Planning (sketching, sketching).
2. Selection of stone materials and flowers, plants.
3. Site selection.
4. The layout of the future structure.
5. Creating a drainage.
6. Bookmark stones.
7. Planting.

Step-by-step instructions for creating an alpine slide will help any summer resident and gardener to make a wonderful composition on his site. And now you can go to a more detailed description.

The markup of the future design

Ideally, you need to make a sketch of the future composition. It will help to understand how well the place is chosen, and how organically the slide will fit into the site. With the help of a sketch-scheme, you need to decide how much space the construction will take, what height it will have, and also approximately calculate how much material you will need - stones, substrate, sand.

When you decide on the shapes and boundaries of the composition, you can make markup. To do this, it is best to use a thick rope or make a markup using lines from any material (for example, sand, crushed chalk).

Site preparation

If the soil of your choice is sandy, you can not do the drainage base, but in other cases you cannot do without drainage.

Creating a drainage base includes the following steps:

• It is necessary to make a dimple at the selected place at least thirty centimeters (optimally 50 cm) and fill the pit with drainage material (the optimal drainage thickness is 10 centimeters, and if the soil is very dense, the layer can be made thicker). Crushed stone, broken brick, stones of moderate parameters, gravel are ideal.
• On top of this layer it is recommended to pour sand about 5 centimeters thick.
• After that, the material needs to be slightly compacted and covered with excavated soil to the level of the rest of the ground. But before laying the soil is extremely necessary to clean it from weeds.
• Then it is imperative to pour this place abundantly in order for the earth to subside.

The drainage layer will protect the area from stagnant moisture, ensure normal air permeability in the soil. Thanks to this, the plants will be able to develop and grow normally, delighting with its beauty.

Installing stones

Now you can go to the installation of stones. The ideal form for an alpine slide is a pyramid. Stones are laid in tiers (as a rule, from three to six tiers). That is, you need to lay stones in tiers like a pyramid to imitate the slope.

It is necessary to adhere to the following sequence of work when placing stones:

1)   First, the largest stones are laid. It will be better if you dip them into the ground a little (for maximum reliability and naturalness).

2) Then the ground is filled with soil, between established boulders. As a soil, you can use a mixture of garden soil, peat, sand (mix in the same ratio).

Important!  Do not lay stones too tightly, otherwise there will be no place for plants and the normal development of their root system. Between the stones should remain free space filled with earth.

3)   After that, you need to fold the second row of stones, which is smaller than the first row in size and also fill the empty space with soil. Pay attention to make the slope of rock garden, you need to make each subsequent row smaller than the previous one.

4) After you have set the required number of rows (and the required number is determined by your desires), you should perform the top of the composition - you can install one large or several not very large stones on top.

Consider the classic Alpine slide creation and the location of the stones:

Note!   It is recommended to pour water over the structure after laying each level. It is also necessary to do after planting vegetation.

Video: instructions on how to make an alpine slide with your own hands.

Planting plants

There are several excellent options for planting plants, for sure everyone will be able to find the perfect option for their garden or garden. To make a real alpine slope with your own hands, you need to choose the appropriate plants.

Below you can explore several popular alpine slide planting schemes and choose the best option for yourself:

How to care for rock garden

The rock garden will delight you with its beauty and elegance only with proper and timely care. Otherwise, the exotic corner will become a bulky structure with overgrown weeds and withered plants. Performing the following activities will help to avoid this:

• Correct watering. After planting, it is necessary to produce a generous watering for the first 7-10 days. In the future, you need to water in a timely manner as needed, depending on the characteristics of the planted crops. This should be done carefully so that the water pressure does not expose the root system.
• Weeding. The presence of weeds can disrupt the entire aesthetics of the composition, “steal” the necessary substances in the soil from the planted plants and suppress their growth. Therefore it is necessary to regularly remove weeds.
• Mulching. As a mulching material, you can use wood bark, peat, sawdust. Mulch retains optimal moisture in the soil, helps prevent the growth of weeds.
• Stone care. Over time, the destruction of stones is possible, because they crack, crumble. It is not recommended to allow complete destruction of the material on the structure, because it can provoke damage to the roots, subsidence of the soil. Just replace the damaged stones with new, whole material.
• Fertilizing and fertilizing. In order for plants to grow normally and be pleased with the lush color, it is sometimes necessary to feed them. But do not abuse feedings.

Video: how to do weeding in rock gardens.

Recommendations to help create the perfect rock garden

In addition to the basic instructions and features of the choice of stones and vegetation, there are other features of creating rock garden. When making a composition, pay attention to the following recommendations:

• It is not enough just to arrange an alpine slide at a dacha or a private house plot, you need to take care of it regularly so that it does not lose its beautiful and tidy look. On how to properly care for rock garden, read below.
• You should not strive for symmetrical, ideal forms, the stone structure will look more vivid and interesting with natural unevenness and asymmetry.
• Very successful solution for the device alpine slides with their own hands   - make next to her a small platform for recreation. You can place a table, a few chairs on it and enjoy your vacation with your family or friends while drinking delicious tea.
• Do not overdo it with stones. If there are too many of them, the whole emphasis will be on the stones, which will break the whole concept. Flowers and stones should look naturally and harmoniously together, so follow the measure.
• If you want to perform a large construction, you can take large stones, but if you want to make a small and compact slide, then it is appropriate to use a material of small size.
• Looks great alpine slide with an artificial waterfall, stream, lake. If you have the opportunity, you can create an artificial reservoir.

The photos are a great example of an alpine slide with a pond:

Photo gallery for ideas and inspiration

Visual images can help us decide what we want to see in our summer cottage. Therefore, before making a composition with your own hands, it is recommended to study photographs of different rock gardens, they will help to form the final idea and become a source of inspiration.

Mountain landscapes have always attracted people with their simple and natural beauty. Being on a mountain plateau or standing on a rocky cliff overgrown with grass, small plants and delicate flowers, you feel an inexplicable freedom, a special unity with pure, untouched nature. And so it would be desirable to keep these wonderful sensations in the soul longer. This will help alpine slide, which the strength to create their own hands on the garden plot. It will become not only a small island of harmony, but also a magnificent decoration of the garden, the subject of universal admiration.

Alpine hill or rock garden is a reduced model of the mountain landscape, as close as possible to the natural landscape, which provides for a harmonious combination of stones and plants of the Alpine and subalpine mountain areas. Between themselves, these two concepts differ only in scale: a rock garden is a big composition, and an alpine slide can be quite small.

Very close to the alpine hill rockeries, as they both represent a composition of plants and stones. But do not confuse these two types of flower gardens. Rockery is an imitation of a mountain plateau or scree, located mainly on flat terrain and is not limited in the selection of plants. The rock garden is always hills and slopes, and the selection of plants is limited to the alpine zone.

The art of creating alpine slides came to us from England, but then it was unfairly forgotten. Now the fashion for such flower gardens has returned, although they have slightly changed. For example, in modern rock gardens you can use almost any flowers that can grow on stones and blend harmoniously with the mountain landscape. The emphasis in such a composition has shifted from stones to ornamental plants.

Since the alpine slide is a rather complex composition, its creation requires very careful planning, as well as a large amount of work. Therefore, this project is always expensive. And the arrangement of the alpine slide with their own hands will require huge physical and time costs.

But despite these shortcomings, the rock garden has some undeniable advantages.

• Unconditional originality and the unique beauty of the composition.
• Ability to use waste land. Only rock garden will help to decorate the slope. Alpine slide will hide an abandoned place.
• Undemanding care. Proper selection of unpretentious plants will make caring for a flower garden easy.
• Interesting creative work. Alpine slide in the country with their own hands can be created together by the whole family and turn this time-consuming process into an exciting activity.

If you are not afraid of difficulties, then first choose the appropriate type of rock garden, then to start work in early autumn.

Alpinist design ideas

Deciding how to make an alpine slide in the country, you should get acquainted with the existing types of such flower beds.

By type of placement of stones distinguish the following types:

1. Rock cliff This version of the alpine slide will be appropriate on any site. This is a steep hill with large stones at the base and smaller ones on top. Vegetation in this version is planted in the "pockets" between the stones and crevices. On the top of such a cliff, a stone of the original form is placed or a large plant is planted.
2. Mountain slope or scree. This is an excellent solution for sites with natural gentle slopes. In order to naturally imitate mountain scree, large boulders are placed on the top of a slope, and at its base there are small pebbles with sparse, larger stones. Such a composition is fixed by dwarf and creeping branches, and also by creeping plants.



Mountain slope or scree

3. Terraced slope. Will create a stone composition in the spirit of "abandoned" garden. It is just perfect for a plot on a hillside. This alpine slide is created with its own hands in the form of steps, which serve as a support for boulders or special walls made of large stones.
4. Mountain valley. The solution for a flat area of ​​a large area. To create an image of a high-mountain valley, huge boulders and boulders are distributed over the designated area and are dug into the ground up to half of its size. Between them settling tracks. Plants for an alpine slide of this type should correspond to the image being created; these are mosses, miniature bushes, grasses, and also plants with a long flowering period.



Mountain valley

5. The gorge. A rather complicated option, but also featuring the most natural beauty. This alpine slide with your own hands the easiest way to be equipped on a plot with uneven, hilly terrain. However, the mound can be made artificially. Such hills are lined with very large stones of various heights. The stone "walls" of the gorge are decorated with moss and creeping plants, and dwarf plants are planted in the middle.



6. Ravine. If your site has a natural hollow, then such a lowering of the soil can be used in the construction of an alpine slide in the form of a ravine. The walls are fixed with large stones dug, and shade-loving plants are planted below. And it is possible to equip an artificial mini-reservoir at the bottom of the ravine.
7. Mountain Lake. If you are a happy owner on the site of a small reservoir, then on its shore a small alpine slide can be created using moisture-loving plants.



Mountain waterfall

And experts will be able to help equip even a miniature mountain waterfall, since it will require the installation of a water pump.



Scheme of a mountain waterfall

8. Czech rock (rolling pin). Very popular now a rock garden. An alpine slide of this type is created from installed vertically flat stone plates. A small distance is left between these plates, which is filled with a fertile soil mixture, and then compact slow-growing drought-resistant plants are planted.

  Czech rock (rolling pin)

If the traditional device of alpine slides is impossible for some reason, then as an alternative you can equip a flat rock garden, which is a raised flower bed. First, a fence is formed, drainage is arranged between the walls, covered with fertile soil mixture, and then plants are planted. Such a flower bed can be equipped in the form of small multi-level terraces. On such terraces hanging plants look very beautiful, as well as slow-growing. This flower garden takes up little space and is very decorative.

Multi level terrace

We called not all models of rock gardens. Despite the differences, all existing alpine hills are very beautiful and will be able to adequately decorate any landscape.

It is impossible to imagine the landscape design of an individual or suburban area without picturesque corners designed to decorate a garden and so pleasing to the eyes of its owners. The raisin that can instantly transform the look of a garden landscape is an exotic guest from the Mediterranean for our latitudes — an Alpine slide, created in the form of an island of wildlife in the Alpine mountains, built of rock stone with bright patches of lush vegetation. We suggest you understand how this design is arranged.

Types and schemes of the device rock garden

Armed with patience and fantasy, you can easily create a rock garden with your own hands. Let's look at how to properly plan and lay the alpine slide without the involvement of specialized specialists. Please note that the main component in the construction of rock garden is a group of stones of various sizes, the "gray silence" of which is diluted by representatives of the flora characteristic of the Alpine terrain - coniferous, cover and stone calico plants. Creating a rock garden in the country or near a country house, you form a mountainous fragment of nature, reminiscent of the natural, therefore, the stones and plants need to have randomly, naturally.

The rock garden serves as a bright garden decoration, standing out against a green lawn.

Depending on how the stones are selected and placed, rock gardens are of the following types:

• Rock  - a steep alpine slide with dominant large boulders at the base surrounded by stones of medium and small size, located closer to the top.
• Scree or mountain slope  - a rock garden with a single slope, where the overall stones are closer to the top, and a small stone placer at the base.
• Mountain valley  - horizontal composition of rock garden with boulders, medium and small stones located in a free way.
• Terraced slope  - The rock garden of this type is organized on a gentle slope in the form of small steps supported by large stone blocks.
• Forest Ravine  - This rock garden is located in a recess, similar to a shell, decorated with moss-covered massive boulders.
• Stony wall  - This is a rock garden, formed mainly of flat stone, folded in the form of a low curb.
• Separately, I want to highlight the last peep of fashion - rock garden " czech rolling pin". We wrote a separate article about him.

Sometimes alpine slide is called. In fact, rockeries differ from rock garden by selecting stones - when it is laid, not only rocks are used, but also rounded boulders or large pebbles.

The rock garden in the form of a rocky wall made of laminated stone can become an original solution for decorating a hedge.

Choosing a location

Choosing a place to create a rock garden on your land, you need to consider that you create an accent designed to decorate your garden, so you need to place an alpine slide in an open space so that it is a site with a good view from all sides. As a rule, the alpine hill is broken in the center or on the edge of a grass lawn. Orient the rock garden is best to the south or south-west - so it will be well lit by the sun and get enough heat.

Alpine slide in the center of the green lawn will be the dominant element in the landscape design of your site

Terraced alpine slide harmoniously fit into the natural landscape of the garden

When laying an alpine slide, it is necessary to avoid places adjacent to buildings and in the shade of massive trees, however, shrubs or trees can be present in the background, at some distance to create a background for a spectacular perception of rock garden. Not bad, when the rock garden is inscribed in the existing landscape of the land plot, located on a gentle slope or in a ravine, blending into the natural elevation differences - lowland and elevation of the plot.

Aim for the trees and shrubs in the background of the rock garden to be monochromatic in color. The colorful background will distract from the overall perception of the alpine slide, as an accent element of the landscape of the site.

A staircase leading up the slope can be beautifully complemented by an alpine slide imitating a rocky landscape.

The starting point for creating a rocky slide can serve as a rock garden scheme, drawn to the scale, where you pre-plan the location of the stones and planting plants. If the rock garden is supposed to be placed in the depth of the garden, you need to think about the paths and paths leading to it.

A bench lost in the depths of the garden, surrounded by a wild corner of nature, originally from the Alps can be a great place for secluded relaxation

It looks spectacular when an alpine hill is crossed by a stony winding trail or a dry stream of small stones, and a bench or a grotto with a bench is located nearby, from where you can admire the result of your landscape creativity.

Looks great rock garden in tandem with a small lake, overgrown with reeds and water lilies

A rock garden with a pond looks very harmonious, especially if it is a slightly swampy pond with characteristic moisture-loving plants planted along the coast. An interesting solution to decorating a pond can be planting a bulky tree or a coniferous bush on a tiny patch of land adjacent to the water. This technique will visually expand the boundaries of the site.

Rock garden created from huge boulders in combination with a small waterfall will truly decorate your garden

The spectacular accent of an alpine slide, combined with a pond, can be a small waterfall, falling from an artificial canyon or a stone wall.

Step by step arrangement of rock garden

Preparatory work at the tab

Using a previously created plan for a rock garden device, start its bookmark by marking the selected site - determine the diameter of the slide, its height and the location of large accent stones. The height of the hill is calculated on the basis of the diameter of its base - 1 m of the base is 10-20 cm in height. The height of the rock garden is optimally within 0.5-1.5 meters.

Create an alpine slide scheme, denoting its size and placement of the main elements of the composition

Form the slopes of the alpine slide in such a way that one of them was more gentle and oriented to the south

Many are wondering how to make a rock garden resistant to natural processes of destruction under the influence of wind, groundwater and precipitation? It is best to start arrangement of rock garden in the fall and carefully prepare the basis for it. Soil preparation, prior to the creation of an alpine slide, consists in clearing the site and removing the top layer of soil to a depth of 20-30 cm.

Before laying the rock garden form a drainage layer to drain water

This penetration is necessary for the installation of drainage - drainage of water from the rock garden, for which it is filled with gravel, expanded clay, crushed bricks or construction debris to a height of 10 cm. , stones are laid and plants are planted.

When arranging a terraced rock garden, a large stone is laid at the base of each tier.

When preparing the site for the rock garden, pay special attention to weeding, to get rid of perennial weeds such as wheatgrass, which germinate, can destroy the hill from the inside. It is advisable to further treat the area under the alpinaria bookmark with herbicides.

Creating a basic composition of stones

Creating a composition of stones, start with the laying of large blocks in the base of the alpine slide

The composition of stones is the basis of any rock garden. It is important to choose stones of the same type for the whole hill, but of different sizes — several large boulders, stones of medium and small size. Provide flat stones - they will serve as a kind of steps for movement during the care of an alpine slide. It is necessary to start laying stones from the bottom up - from large to small ones, grouping and distributing them. It will be erroneous to place the stones in a regular way with equal distances between them. Stones for rock garden should be located randomly, as close as possible to the natural mountain landscape.

When arranging an alpine slide, the stones need to be slightly buried in the soil

When laying an alpine slide, the stones are buried 1/2 or 1/3 of their height, and then, they are additionally filled with fertile soil, which includes sod earth, peat, humus and sand in equal parts. After the sinuses between the stones are powdered, the earth is rammed and sprayed with a spray so that the soil is not washed out. Planting plants is not recommended to perform immediately after the composition of the composition of stones - the hill should be given a time of about 2-3 weeks, so that it settles and subsides a bit. It is best if the hill survives the winter, and in the spring to begin planting.

Another moment - when you form a composition of stones, periodically move away from the slide at a distance of 3-5 meters to assess its harmony and integrity.

Selection and planting of plants

After wintering, the rock garden is ready for planting in the spring. Usually, these are plants characteristic of the highlands of the Alps. At first, shrubs are planted, then grassy plant species, and finally, ground cover "alpines". Plants for the rock garden should be selected in such a way that the hill looked spectacular at any time of the year, pleasing the eye with the flowering of spring primroses, bright foliage of ground cover representatives of the flora and evergreen conifers.

For planting in the ground between the stones dug a hole, the bottom of which is strengthened with gravel, where the plant is then placed. After planting, the earth is rammed around and mixed with fine gravel.

Proper placement of plants will contribute to their growth and enhance the aesthetic sound of the alpine slide

The center of the composition of rock garden-conifer can be a dwarf weeping tree

It is important to know that the rock garden of conifers, when the stone composition is diluted with evergreen shrubs and trees, can become a rather unpretentious version of landscape design.

How to choose a suitable stone?

Selecting a stone for rock garden you need to pay attention to its size, shape and surface features. Considering that the rock garden imitates a mountain landscape where the stones are ground by precipitation and winds, have an irregular but natural shape, it is undesirable for an alpine slide to use a rounded river stone of origin or a scrap of stone with sharp edges.

A good choice for rock garden would be limestone or sandstone. Dolomite is suitable - sedimentary rock, slate with a layered structure, basalt, travertine, tufa, and light gneiss. A forest boulder overgrown with moss and lichen will be a particularly valuable specimen for rock garden.

For the formation of an alpine slide, it is necessary to select a stone of various sizes - from huge boulders to small gravel

A fine choice for an alpine slide will be sandstone - a layered stone of light beige tones.

Stone options for the rock garden device:

• White-green quartz - fragmentation stone, smoothed in fragments, ranging in size from 20 to 60 centimeters, is mined in the Orenburg region;
• Milk quartz is a stone with an uneven rough surface from 30 to 70 cm, mined in the Urals;
• Sirpantenit - a stone of silver or green color, 25-45 cm in size, is mined in the Caucasus, 15 rubles / kg;
• Elbrus - a gray or beige stone measuring 20-90 cm, 11 rubles / kg;
• “Petrified wood” from quartzite of oblong yellow-beige color with veins, size 20-50 cm, 16 rubles / kg;
• Jasper green and red, size 20-60 cm, 12 rubles / kg;
• Coil green - stone size 20-80 cm, 19 rubles / kg;
• Quarter "Rainbow" - a stone of yellow-brown color, 10-70 cm in size, 11 rubles / kg;
• Sandstone is a stone of arbitrary rounded shape of sand or gray color, with a size of 30-90 cm.

If limestone is used to create a rock garden, then the soil poured between the stones will have an alkaline reaction unsuitable for some plants, so the soil will have to be acidified.

Alpine planting plants

Shade-tolerant alpine plants that are planted on the northern slope of the rock garden:

The spectacular solution for rock garden in the form of a stone fence - colorful flower cover

Periwinkle and cloves - the traditional inhabitants of the alpine hills

Light-loving alpine plants that are planted on the southern slope of the alpine slide:

• Adonis - perennial with bright colors.
• Azena - does not lose foliage in winter, and flowers after flowering take the form of needle-shaped balls of red color.
• Decorative bow - large leaves in combination with long vertical arrows with spherical color.
• Iris is a perennial bulbous plant with orchid-like flowers.
• Lavender - evergreen shrub with a small purple color.
• Rejuvenated - small rosette fleshy leaves of light green color.

The combination of cover plants with stonefragment and primroses creates a harmonious plant composition of rock garden

Universal plants for alpine slides:

• Arabis - a perennial groundcover, blooms in May and late autumn.
• Bell - has a rich color in from July to October.
• Crocus - a bulbous bulbous plant, primrose.
• Muscari - bulbous plant resembling a hyacinth.

An interesting step in the design of the rocky trail is the combination of wooden steps and rock garden-conifer.

Evergreens harmoniously and naturally complement the alpine slide rock ensemble:

• Spruce and Canadian spruce;
• Mountain pine;
• Juniper Cossack, rocky or ordinary.

Shrubs that form an intermediate tier between low trees and ground cover crops in rock gardens:

• Almond;
• Russian broom;
• Japanese spirea;
• Red barberry;
• Euonymus;
• Heather;
• Cotoneaster horizontal;
• Bloodroot.

Forest boulders overgrown with lichen, located on the shore of the reservoir - an original idea for the design of rock garden

Care of the rock garden involves weeding, the removal of dried inflorescences and rare watering. They fertilize the alpine hill with phosphate and potash fertilizers, but not often - only for preparation for winter. To protect against freezing in the winter, the plants are covered with chips, fir spruce or sacking. When the snow falls - constantly maintain snow cover on the hill to help the plants overwinter.

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