Do-it-yourself Alpine slide at home for flowers. Do-it-yourself alpine slide (44 photos): step by step instructions

How to make an alpine slide in the country with your own hands

Alpine slide or rockeries - this is what is most attractive today in the private sector and suburban areas. The purpose of such rocky gardens is not just to show the flora of the highlands, but to create a composition that evokes the feeling of a natural landscape. Rock gardens were often part of palace complexes. At first, only outlandish plants of the highlands were always used. And later - and plants that resemble mountains, but do not grow there. Stylistically, such rock gardens, apparently, can be attributed to the type of fantasy gardens.

Rock gardens are popular due to their decorative effect. Now "rockeries" - obligatory detail personal plots. After all, this is a small piece of wildlife located in your garden. For such a masterpiece, you need to choose a place viewed from all sides. For a developed rock garden you need sunlight, so for him it is necessary to allocate a part of the garden, located away from the existing buildings and large trees with a developed crown.

Evergreens on an alpine hill

It is good if the slide is located on the south side, not far from the recreation area. This arrangement will allow you to get optimal lighting, and admire the beauty wild plants and rocky stones can be much more frequent. Also, when choosing a place for a decorative flower bed, you need to pay attention to the quality of the soil. It is much easier to equip a rock garden on sandstones, but if the soil is clayey, then you will need additional work to create drainage.

The rock garden is a beautiful landscape composition of stones and flowers.

After arranging the base in a couple of months, you can start planting plants. For such structures, you can use any type of plant that does not require particularly careful care, tolerate bright sun and heavy rainfall. It is better to select slow-growing specimens for arranging a rock garden in the country. Photos of finished compositions show how original and beautiful, for example, coniferous evergreens can look in such unusual flower beds.

Useful advice! In order for the rock garden to please with beauty for a whole year, you need to know the timing of flowering of various plants. Bulbs bloom in spring, in autumn, mostly perennial specimens, and in winter they do not allow such a hill to be empty - conifers.

The design of the rock garden does not look bad:

• some varieties of firs;
• juniper;
• mountain pine.

Such plants can be given any intricate shape. They will perfectly complement the flower garden with their original appearance. Gardeners give such representatives of the fauna a conical shape or cut them in the form of other interesting figures when creating an alpine slide with their own hands.

Rock garden with bright colors

From herbaceous plants for such slides are suitable:

• periwinkle;
• undersized carnation;
• thyme; nasturtiums;
• marigold;
• bell and many others.

A tastefully made slide will decorate any landscape, let's look at how best to make it.

DIY rock garden in the country

Alpine hill on the site: the creation of a rock garden in the country

Choosing a place for a slide. One of the priorities in the construction of a rock garden is the right choice of location. A rocky hill in the middle of the lawn will look deliberate. The most suitable place for a rock garden can be considered a natural slope, embankment, ravine or, at worst, the shore of a reservoir.

It is better to equip the hill on the south side of the site

Ideally, if the rockery will be lit by the sun before noon. In the sun, plants - and mostly mountain dwellers - will be subjected to severe overheating and suffer from drought. With rare exceptions, plants do not tolerate drying out of the soil as well as stagnant moisture. In summer, the scorching midday sun, dry air and overheated soil for most of them is the most severe test.

The rock garden is located on the slope of the site

On a site with a high level of groundwater, it is necessary to arrange a drainage system to remove excess moisture, but usually a 30-40 cm layer of drainage from broken brick, crushed stone or expanded clay is enough. By the way, construction waste and garbage can be embedded in the base of such a slide, including cans. In this case, you will kill two birds with one stone.

Rock garden in the country with the use of small and large stones

The next step is choosing a stone. Of course, you can manually collect boulders in the surrounding fields, but at the same time you are unlikely to be able to pick up stones of the same breed and color. As a result, your slide will be an eclectic collection of stones, but by no means an imitation of a mountain landscape. In addition, from an aesthetic point of view, a pile of dissimilar stones, even grouped by color, is unlikely to decorate your site. The most important principle of the rock garden is the uniformity of color, shape and texture of the stone. When choosing a particular rock, it is necessary to take into account its Chemical properties. So, a limestone hill will be unsuitable for plants that prefer acidic soil.

The rock garden is a decoration suburban area

The shape of the stone dictates how it is laid. Rounded boulders look better on the crests of alternating waves. lumps irregular shape look good if they fit snugly together with mating edges and form an asymmetric group with ups and downs. If the slide will take only a few square meters, then it is best made from flat stone slabs, which are laid in layers.

Soil for alpine hills

And the last important point in the construction of a rock garden is the preparation of the land mixture. In the process of evolution, plants have learned to get by with a minimum amount of nutrients. Therefore, the land mixture for them should not be too nutritious. You can use ordinary garden soil mixed with sand in equal proportions with a small addition of peat. For plants that love acidic soil, the amount of peat can be increased, and for inhabitants of limestone rocks, it is good to add ash or lime. The creation of these slides is given a separate place in the work on landscape design.

The scheme of planting plants on a hill

Rules for creating an alpine slide in the country

Landscape masters have developed plans and schemes according to which the rock garden is being arranged. They take into account all the subtleties and nuances that help determine the location of the flower bed and the order of planting.

Provided that the slide will be viewed from any side, the pyramidal shape, which has the most high point in the center. Maintaining symmetry when arranging a piece of wildlife is not worth it. The composition will look more original if all the elements are located abstractly. If you plan to locate the rock garden on an existing slope, then you can place parts of the structure on the same level.

Rock garden on both sides of the garden steps

The height of the slide should correspond to its area. For each meter of the diameter of the future club, it is worthwhile to provide for a rise of about 0.2 m, respectively, a slide with a diameter of about 4 meters should be at least 80 cm in height. step by step photos for creating rockeries with their own hands are presented below.

Time of year for arranging a rock garden

When creating an alpine slide in the country, the scope of work is such that it practically does not depend on the time of year. That's just in winter period it's not worth doing this weather conditions. But the best option after all, early autumn is considered when amateur gardeners have free time between harvesting and cleaning the site for the winter.

Rockery at their summer cottage

Note! The rock garden takes several months to naturally shrink. After that, all the errors that were invisible before will be noticeable. Before planting, these shortcomings should be eliminated.

If the planting of representatives of the flora is planned for the fall, preparations begin in the spring. There are several basic rules for creating a rock garden with your own hands. Step-by-step instruction to create a slide in the country, presented below, demonstrates all the subtleties of this process.

Alpine slide in the country with their own hands

Usually amateur gardeners ignore the stage preparatory work, equipping slides with their own hands. Photos of such not very successful compositions are presented in large numbers on various sites. Rock gardens, which are the usual pile of stones, with plants planted between them, quickly lose their appearance and shape. Therefore, before arranging such a masterpiece, you need to carefully read the stages of work.

When arranging such a slide, large stones were used.

Drainage and soil for the slide. Since the earth under the pressure of the heavy stones used to create the rock garden settles, a drainage base should be made for the entire structure. It is also necessary for expensive plants, as it allows you to create an optimal microclimate for their development. Often used as a drain:

• broken red or white brick;
• fine gravel;
• small stones;
• crushed stone;
• construction waste of non-wood origin.

To lay it, they dig a pit. The depth of the pit will be approximately 1 meter with a total area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe alpine garden of 8-9 m². This is about 3-4 bayonets of an ordinary shovel. The drainage is laid in a pit and well spilled with water, after which it is sprinkled with earth.

The choice of a place on the site and the drainage of the future slide

Useful advice! Each laid layer of drainage and soil is recommended to be thoroughly shed with water, as well as to carry out the final watering after planting all the plants.

An example good soil as mentioned above, a mixture of ordinary, cleared of weeds and debris, earth with peat and ordinary river sand in equal quantities can serve. In general, there are no special requirements for the composition of the base, because most often unpretentious plants are used for rock gardens.

The choice of stones and their location. There are many varieties of stones that will look great in the garden. This may include:

• granite;
• wild stone;
• limestone;
• sandstone and others.

Placement of stones in rockeries at their summer cottage

Observing the following simple rules, it is easy to create an alpine slide in the country with your own hands. Focusing on the photo of the location of the stones, you can choose optimal design for any area.

• the selected stones do not have to be the same size;
• it is preferable to pick up specimens that are uneven in shape and structure;
• the finished flower bed should be asymmetrical as possible;
• the selected stones must be of the same type.

The location of the stones on the hill

You can arrange stone elements in different ways, it all depends on the imagination of the owner. Professional designers offer several schemes for laying boulders. The large boulders of stone located over the entire area of ​​the rock garden look quite original, with smaller fragments scattered between them.

Rockery in the country

Someone will prefer to place the most beautiful and interesting boulder at the very top of the hill, while someone, on the contrary, will place large specimens closer to the bottom. Any options are eligible.

When creating an alpine slide out of massive stone, try asking your family and friends for help. It is quite difficult for one to master such a structure with his own hands. A photo of rock gardens with stones demonstrates the scale of these compositions.

Planting perennials

When installing large and medium stones, you should take care of their stability. In places invisible to the eye, they can be fixed with cement mortar to give the whole structure greater strength. Lightly buried boulders look good. Such a move allows you to simulate a break in the soil with rocky rocks and strengthen the entire rock garden.

Planting conifers

Useful advice! The alpine meadow looks good on the garden plot. This is a bright green meadow strewn with meadow flowers. For its device, stones are usually not used, but the effect of the slide is created by placing the plants in height.

Addition of small stones, the final formation of the rock garden

Caring for rock garden in the country

Work on the care of the rock garden should be carried out after planting. It may seem that the plants stone gardens unpretentious, but this is far from the case. Daily it is recommended to observe the plants, add soil, as it settles, loosen upper layer. It is necessary to water the plants abundantly, especially in the first days after planting. Over time, weeds may appear in the rock garden.

Rock garden at their summer cottage

Alpine slides must be weeded and prevented from flowering. IN summer period it is necessary to monitor the condition of each plant, since during this period many diseases spread and pests begin to appear. Viral diseases very dangerous for plants. IN Lately viruses have spread to almost all plants. Signs of the disease are clearly manifested on the leaves: they are deformed, curly appears.

Do-it-yourself rock garden at their summer cottage

On the flowers, signs of the disease are also noticeable - the flowers acquire a greenish tint or become barren. The main carriers of the disease are aphids and moths. Plant protection against viruses is the destruction of disease vectors, as well as compliance with general rules hygiene. Reliable way pest control - timely plant protection measures. If the pest has already settled on the plant, the diseased organ should be removed, sometimes the entire plant has to be removed.

Watering the finished rock garden

Highland plants require special care in rockeries in summer. They need to be constantly irrigated, thereby providing high level humidity. Species that died during the season are replaced by planting plants from a reserve site organized in the spring. Bulbs are planted in autumn; need to be done landing work until October, in which case the bulbs will take root well in the soil.

Types of alpine slides: ideas for landscape design of a summer residence

"Rocks" and "cliff" very effective as an independent slide. Rocks serve as an imitation of the natural outcrop of rocks. This type of rockeries is built only in the presence of a steep slope and very large boulders. Granite boulders are categorically not suitable. The laying principle is dry laying. The construction of such rocks requires a high artistic taste, professional skill, and is extremely laborious. The range of planted plants on the alpine hill - mountain pines, junipers, rocky and high mountain views: ampelous bells, sedums, fat women, wormwoods, dwarf ferns, etc.

"Mountain slope"- a complex landscape garden, conditionally simulating the highlands. It is a mountain scree, fixed by groups of dwarf pines. The best location is on a large sloping slope. To create such a slide, stone blocks are placed that imitate mountain fragments. It is possible to plant creeping coniferous, undersized rhododendrons, heathers, eric. No vertical accents are allowed - columnar and pyramidal conifers. Next to the groups of trees, there are "alpine lawns" - clumps of undersized ground cover plants.

"Mountain Valley"- a landscape rocky garden that creates the image of an alpine valley. It is an artistic composition. Both stone blocks and boulders of the same type are used. Boulders are sunk by 2/3. A system of paths close to natural is being laid (“step by step” is a possible option). It is possible to use composite tree and shrub groups of different heights. Spring ephimroids are added, groups of heathers, eric, cereals are used as connecting elements. The general background is stones overgrown with moss, rubble, bark. Against their background, ground cover looks great.

"Alpine lawn". We imitate plant communities of high mountains. Stylish but difficult type of landscaped gardens. Usually included as an element in the composition " rock slides”, “mountain slope” or “mountain valley”. Such a slide should give the impression of an alpine meadow and provide maximum comfortable conditions plant life. Their assortment includes only wild species of the high-mountainous alpine belt. These are undersized cereals, gentian, edelweiss, saxifrage, etc. rare plants. Care for such a site is difficult, because. mountain species in culture grow more actively and they need to be controlled, maintaining a given ratio between them.

"Forest ravine, hollow." A type of landscaped garden, possible only in the presence of natural soil depression. The slopes are fixed with dug-in stones. The most acceptable plants are bush and horizontally growing coniferous and shade-tolerant types of perennials: ferns, Volzhanka. Plants should not be densely planted. A possible “highlight” is a “waterfall-spring”, beating at the bottom of the “ravine”.

"Gorge". Usually one of the elements of a complex landscape garden, a "gorge" is created between the slopes of the hills. The walls of such a slide are laid out with dry masonry. It is desirable that the walls be of different heights, and this contributes to better penetration of light, which allows the use of a wider range of plants. Usually these are dwarf rock species.

"Rocky Ridge"- an old, now unused type of collection alpine slide. Its purpose is to create best conditions for the life of alpine plants. From an aesthetic point of view, it is of no value.

"Water cascade", "mountain stream"- an element of a landscape garden or independent artistic compositions. A cascade of reservoirs with a stream and a waterfall looks logical only against the background of a large composition or when using the features of the terrain. The structure should not be bulky and look artificial. Stones should be natural shapes. Along the banks, it is best to plant plants of coastal zones: Siberian and Japanese irises, cereals, primroses, buzulniks, bergenia, ferns. An excellent effect is achieved when creating a "dry cascade". In this case, the role of water is played by coarse gravel or paving with granite pellets.

"Swamp"- a natural landscape rocky garden created on a waterlogged site. The hilly garden surrounding a half-grown pond or a “quagmire” window looks interesting. On the swampy area enough to dig the soil to a shallow depth. For dry ones, an artificial reservoir is required. The "quagmire" is planted with marsh plants. Rounded boulders are dug into the shore. Stones should be ¾ buried. Wood snags look appropriate. The “quagmire” is planted with swamp plants, and only moisture-loving plants are used for planting along the edge.

"Mixborder"- a border, shirt or ridge, located along the path against the background of the lawn or on top of the retaining wall. This ornamental flower garden is densely planted garden plants. In a mixborder located along the paths, stones are steadily dug into the ground along the entire length of the flower bed or in small groups. The “mixborder” looks most impressive, in which groups of stones alternate with low (20-40 cm) terraces. On terraces and at the edge of the "mixborder" - with undersized groups or single specimens. On the edge of the terrace, descending ground cover plants are spectacular.

"Japanese garden"- an exquisite aristocratic rocky garden. This type does not model the traditional canonized garden, but only aesthetically resonates with it. It is most appropriate to place such a composition in a small isolated area, in order to avoid dissonance with other parts. landscape composition site.

The main rule is moderation and conciseness. In such a garden there is no place for a single superfluous or random detail, not a single extra plant. Everything in it is thought out to the smallest detail, well-groomed and tidy.

The stones in such a hill are old, mossy or covered with lichens. They are arranged in groups of 3-5, giving the impression of a collapsed rock. Free spaces are of great importance - they create perspective. They can be surfaces covered with moss, covered with pebbles or water surface. The range of plants is very important. Easily formed plants are suitable. This is an ordinary pine, mountain, dwarf varieties spruce and rhododendrons, mahonia, boxwood. From deciduous - these are willows, small-leaved maples, barberries, almonds. Plants are given a spherical, tiered horizontal or weeping shape. Columnar or pyramidal forms are not allowed, nor are free-growing ones.

Herbaceous: ferns, narrow-leaved irises and background ornamental leafy plants. The "Japanese Garden" does not overwhelm with colors and pomp of forms, but invites contemplation and reflection.

"Miniature Alpine Hill"- a type of modular flower garden that appeared in Europe, created in abandoned stone troughs for livestock. At present, industrial production of their imitation from artificial stone and ceramics has been established. The compositions completely repeat the appearance of a real rockery. The following plants are used - superdwarf plant varieties and slow-growing ground cover species: saxifrage, sedum, seed vivum.

It is also possible "indoor rocky garden" Assortment of indoor plants: non-wintering succulents, crassula, gasteria, haworthia, sedum, echiveria, cacti. Placed on the windowsill.

Video: do-it-yourself alpine slide

Alpine hill in the country or in country house- it's very fashionable. It is in great demand because it promotes peace and good rest. Most often, it is not built independently, but with the help of specialists. Designers, of course, know their business, but the cost of their services is sometimes fabulous. In fact, there is nothing complicated in arranging a rock garden, and you can do it yourself in just a day or two. You just need to understand some of the subtleties, so as not to make typical mistakes.

Stages of work

Several stages can be distinguished:

1. First of all, you need to choose a place for a rock garden or rockery.
2. The second stage is the drainage device.
3. When the site is ready, you need to pick up the stones and lay them.
4. The next step is preparing the soil for vegetation.
5. The fifth stage is the planting of plants.

The whole process consists of only five stages, each of which must be analyzed in detail.

First you need to choose a sunny and noticeable corner on the site. A rock garden is a piece of wild nature created artificially. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that both stones and plants fit organically into the landscape.

A shaded place is not suitable for such purposes. In the same way, the area hidden from the eyes will not work either. The best place for the hill - the south side. There is usually optimal illumination in daylight hours days.

Site drainage

You need to build on a good drainage system. Otherwise, one fine day, the soil under the alpine hill will begin to subside, and it will no longer look so aesthetically pleasing and natural.

How to make a drainage system?

1. First you need to dig a pit.
2. The depth of the pit depends on the area of ​​​​the future rocky garden. So, for a rock garden measuring 2.5 by 2.5 meters optimum depth the pit will be about 1 meter.
3. A drainage system must be installed at the bottom. Here you can use sand, gravel, construction debris, shards. Wood shavings, however, cannot be laid.
4. Fertile soil is laid on top of the drainage.
5. The last stage is ramming.

Stones for the slide

When the drainage is ready, you need to pick up the stones.

Stones are laid in tiers. Below are those that are larger. At the very top, you can put some unusual or especially beautiful specimen of a boulder.

soil for plants

In order for vegetation to be planted on an alpine hill, you need to carefully prepare the soil. You can do it yourself. To do this, you need to take clay soil, clean enough so that later weeds do not appear on it. The soil is mixed with peat. Peat should be three times less than land. Next, you need to add some gravel to the soil.

The soil is poured into those places that are intended for landing. These can be crevices and empty spaces between boulders. You can also just pour the soil on the stones.

Vegetation selection

Plants for the alpine slide are selected according to certain criteria.

1. They must be unpretentious. This ensures that the owner does not have to constantly tend to his stone garden. After all, the rock garden should be as natural as possible. And this means that human intervention in its environment should be limited.
2. Plants should please the eye not only in summer, but even in the cold season.
3. All vegetation should coexist peacefully. Planting on the hill of those species that are at enmity with each other should be avoided.

Choose for the alpine slide unpretentious and cold-resistant plants that are compatible with each other.

The top is usually planted with low-growing shrubs. It can be both deciduous and coniferous trees. To enjoy the beauty of your creation all year round, it is necessary to plant both types of shrubs. From conifers, juniper, mountain pine and thuja are perfect. As for deciduous, here you can plant a cotoneaster. However, the choice of trees is best left to the owner.

Flowers for the Alpine slide are selected according to the same criteria. The most important thing is their compatibility and unpretentiousness.

Rock garden or rockery

Rockery - a garden of stones, rock garden - a garden of plants.

1. Rockery - in the first place, a rock garden. Here, vegetation may not be used at all or be present at a minimum. Rockery is usually not very high.
2. The rock garden can have a height of up to three meters, which is 3 times the size of the highest of the rockeries.

The history of rock gardens and rockeries

Structures such as rock gardens and rockeries have existed in Eastern culture for three thousand years. They came to the West a couple of centuries ago from China and Japan. Possessing a special charm, rock gardens instantly won the hearts of aristocrats and wealthy people.

Very soon there was a fashion for the creation of such corners of relaxation. The philosophy of creating these structures is that they are unique. There are many rock gardens in the world. However, it is impossible to find at least two similar ones.

Schemes

Use the techniques that nature itself provides. There are a lot of such sketches, and some of them are very difficult for a beginner. However, there are also quite real projects. For example, "Alpine Highlands" is one of the classic variants of such structures. It repeats the features of a typical highland area. Crafted from boulders and stones. Plants such as edelweiss and gentian are planted on them. At the very top you can place small pine trees. True, the flowers will have to be looked after. They are growing too fast.

More complex varieties of rock gardens can resemble gorges, swamps and ravines. Such work will require several days of hard work.

More realistic for self-creation is a slide that imitates an alpine slope with an embankment. Pine trees will look great on such a slope.

Imitation of a rocky cliff is also suitable for self-construction. True, there may be difficulty with stones. Very heavy boulders will be required here, so workers will need to be involved. Plants such as sagebrush and ferns can be planted on the cliff. At the top, juniper bushes and pines will look good. Due to the presence of coniferous trees, the rock garden will decorate the garden all year round.

You can find an idea for a stone garden by looking at pictures of nature. Rock garden - this is the kind of creativity that in itself pacifies. In order to create a masterpiece, you just need to be able to observe. There are no standard schemes here. After all, even two slopes cannot resemble each other.

Video: about the features of creating a rock garden

Video: the order of construction of the alpine slide

A photo

If you do not want to do these works on your own, then order landscape design and landscape design of a summer cottage. Landscaping also includes planting trees, flower beds and landscaping the site.

Alpine slide is one of the favorite elements of landscape design, both for owners of garden plots and for professional designers. But, at the same time, it is also one of the most difficult. To independently make a rocky hill in your garden, you must adhere to a sequence of fairly clear rules.

The algorithm for creating an alpine slide:

1. Choosing a place under the sun.

2. Decide on the size and shape.

3. Selection and purchase of a stone.

4. Drawing the contour of the rock garden on the ground.

5. Removal of the top fertile layer of the earth.

6. Preparation of the soil mixture.

7. The device of the drainage system.

8. Vertical planning of rock garden.

9. Water support on the hill.

10. Selection and planting of plants.

Choosing a place in the sun

A fragment of a mountain landscape is best placed on an elevated, well-lit area. In this case, the owners of a hilly area or slope are more fortunate. The most attractive rock garden will look against the backdrop of a lawn at a distance from tall trees that can project their shadow onto it.

Since our rock garden is a slide, it will have slopes oriented to different cardinal points. The rock garden project should be designed in such a way that the observer mostly surveys its southern and southeastern sides. These slopes are made more gentle than the north and northeast.

Decide on the size and shape of the slide

No matter how you imagine an alpine hill in your imagination, it should harmoniously fit into the overall style of the garden and not look like a pile of stones, because of which the house modestly looks out.

There are clear rules for determining the size of a rock garden for a specific area of ​​​​the site. On a plot of 6 - 8 acres, an alpine slide can occupy an area of ​​​​up to 5 - 10 m 2 and reach a height of 60 cm. The minimum size of the slide is 1.5 x 2.5 m. numbers. The maximum height of an alpine slide with an area of ​​​​more than 40 m 2 can be up to 1.5 m.

Choosing and buying a stone

The size and number of stones are chosen according to the size of the rock garden. For a rock garden with a size of 1.5 x 2.5 m and a height of 0.5 m, about 1 ton of stone will be required.

To create stone compositions, stones of the same breed are used, mostly local, which is the easiest to get and which will be most harmoniously combined with the area.

Stones and plants should emphasize the beauty of each other, therefore, in order for the final composition to correspond exactly to your ideas of beauty, choose the stones yourself and be present when they are loaded and unloaded.

Do not take stones that are chipped with unnaturally sharp edges or, conversely, perfectly smooth river ones. The best option would be a moss-covered stone that you accidentally found in the forest - and you don’t need to pay, and nature itself has already worked on the design.

Drawing the contour of the rock garden on the ground

On the site, which is intended for the construction of a rock garden, we draw the contours of the future structure. This stage at first glance seems simple, but its implementation is the basis of the entire process of building a slide. Having drawn the outline of the structure (using a rope, for example), view the future composition from all viewpoints, you may need to adjust the boundaries and location on the ground.

Removal of the top fertile layer of the earth

It is important to carefully remove the top fertile layer of the earth, which, after sieving, is added to the composition of the substrate to fill the space between the stones on the hill. The top layer of soil is removed to a depth of 20 - 30 cm over the entire area of ​​​​the future rock garden. It is advisable to carry out such work when the earth is dry enough to be sieved. If the site is heavily overgrown with cereal weeds, herbicides must be applied, otherwise the seeds remaining in the soil will sprout on a hill with dense turf.

Soil preparation

The substrate for filling the space between the stones on the alpine hill should be sufficiently nutritious and moderately moist. Prepare it yourself from 1/3 soddy land, 1/3 peat or compost, 1/3 coarse sand, you can also add perlite. If the land on the site is fertile enough, then the top layer, which was removed to prepare the pit for drainage, is used to prepare the soil mixture. Many gardeners recommend adding fertilizer to the composition of the substrate to increase soil fertility. But this is by no means applicable to alpine slides. Plants on such soil are strongly elongated, green mass predominates in their appearance, and flowering becomes less abundant, in addition, aggressive ground covers grow rapidly, covering the stone, as a result of which the whole meaning of the rocky garden is lost.

The soil mixture is poured onto the hill at the same time as the stones are laid, tamping it a little. At the final stage of work, the resulting slide must be well watered, and then the resulting recesses should be corrected.

Drainage system device

Creating a drainage system for an alpine slide is not always required. Drainage is necessary in areas with loamy or clay soil, as well as in flat areas with a high groundwater table.

For drainage, crushed stone or other small stones are used, which are poured in a layer of 0.1 - 0.3 m. The drainage layer is poured unevenly - where the elevation of the hill is planned, the layer will be thicker.

Sand is poured over the rocky layer with a layer of 0.1 m. At the same time, in places of future hills, it is thicker.

The next stage in the arrangement of the slide will be abundant watering, after which the drainage will thicken a little, and all the shortcomings of the work done will appear. But at this stage, everything is fixable.

Vertical planning of rock garden

The most crucial stage in the construction of the slide is the installation and grouping of stones. With the help of stones create three-dimensional compositions. At the same time, each separate group should differ from the neighboring size, ratio of sections and color. imitating Mountain landscape, avoid regular geometric shapes.

For vertical planning of the rock garden, the largest stone is laid first. Its location should be shifted from the center to the east side. Then smaller stones are laid, adhering to the rule - the closer to the border of the hill, the smaller the stone should be. Some groups of stones are laid tightly to each other, we leave gaps between others, avoiding symmetry as much as possible. When laying the stone, it is necessary to leave soil pockets for planting plants.

The stones should not swing, therefore, small depressions are prepared under their base for at least 1/3 of the height of the stone itself. If necessary, add soil or small stones.

If you are the owner of an absolutely flat area, then you will need imported land at the rate of 0.5 - 0.7 t / m 2.

Water accompaniment on the hill

The combination of water, stone and plants in an alpine slide is the most successful option implementation of your project. You can decorate a rocky hill with a murmuring stream, which will flow from stone to stone to a reservoir located on the south side at its foot.

Selecting and planting plants

Planting begins after several heavy waterings, when the earth settles and the resulting recesses are filled up.

The most photophilous plants are planted on the south or southeast side of the hill. Large plants are planted near large stones, small plants - near small ones, avoiding close placement of plants on a hill. Ground cover plants that grow rapidly are planted in 3 - 5 pieces / m 2. Cushion perennials are placed at 8 - 12 pieces / m 2. Dwarf trees and shrubs are planted separately or in small groups, so as to emphasize the asymmetry of the hill. In no case should trees be planted in the center of a stone placer or on its top.

After planting, the soil is mulched by screening out the stone that was used in the construction of the rock garden.

10 mistakes when building an alpine slide:

1. The device of a rock garden on a site with a close occurrence groundwater without drainage.

2. Placing a rock garden against the backdrop of outbuildings.

3. Unstable placement of stones.

4. The use of several different stony rocks in one composition.

5. Use of fragments of concrete slabs.

6. Use of rich soils and fertilizers that increase fertility as a substrate.

7. Compliance with symmetry when laying stones and planting plants.

8. Ignoring the watering of the slide after the drainage device and at the final stage.

9. Planting ground covers that grow rapidly next to small rosettes or very rare plants.

10. Planting annual plants.

Natalia Vysotskaya, landscape designer, Ph.D. -X. Sciences.

And to make your idea of ​​an ideal alpine slide more holistic, we invite you to admire the photo gallery of the most interesting (in our opinion) rock gardens and rocky gardens.

We also remind you that in our store you can purchase from private collections. On sale there are always seeds of gentians, carnations, saxifrage, primroses, penstemons, bluebells and other mountain (and not only!) species of plants. The range is constantly updated.

Alpine hill- a stone garden that you can create with your own hands. To do this, you should study thematic articles on the Internet and view the decoration options on a photo from step by step job description. Slides are also called rock gardens and rockeries. They will become an original decorative element on personal plot.

This type landscape design popular, especially among owners of country cottages. They are ready to allocate a large amount for the arrangement of their plot in the courtyard of the house to get a corner of untouched nature. For this purpose, it is advisable to invite a landscape designer, because he will be able to qualitatively translate into reality all your ideas and wishes.

Those who are not able to pay for his work should try to make a beautiful corner of nature on their own. So you will reduce costs to a minimum and get the desired result of your work.

The main thing is to plan the budget correctly and develop a project that will display all the stages of the planned changes. Take your time and try to think through all the details. Think over all the steps, choose the style of the slide, make a thorough preparation - this will be your guarantee of getting a beautiful rock garden. Follow the principles and rules of working with plants, study useful articles on the Internet on this topic, consult a designer.

The sequence of work on the creation of an alpine slide

It is necessary to finally determine the place for placing the alpine slide in the courtyard of the house. The main requirements for this space:

• openness;
• spaciousness;
• sunny side. This may be the southern and southwestern parts of the land.

The place must be chosen carefully so that you spend a lot of time here every day. The rock garden is created so that guests and owners country cottage had the opportunity to admire the beauty of nature every day. This is a place for peace, relaxation and recuperation after a hard day's work.

After choosing, you should buy building materials for arranging an alpine slide. Start digging a pit and laying a drainage layer. The depth of the pit is medium. For a 2x2 slide, a depth of 0.8-1 m is enough. stages of laying the drainage layer. Its quality will determine the life of the slide. Therefore, the layer should be laid out with high quality, because its function is to provide a reliable foundation for the structure and prevent subsidence of the soil. This will allow the rock garden not to fail and provide the proper conditions for the growth of flowers and plants.

You can get the desired drainage effect using expanded clay, gravel, gravel and construction debris. Do not use wood waste, which will begin to rot in the first months after completion of work. The drainage layer should be covered with sand or fine gravel, pebbles. The final stage - laying fertile soil 30-40 cm thick and carefully compacted.

What to prepare for arranging an alpine slide before starting work

A self-made rock garden will turn out to be aesthetic, subject to careful preparation and right choice site. To do this, select an open piece of land for ennoblement. Buy bricks, gravel, medium and big size, pebble. Ask for help from relatives or hire a worker to transport and lay heavy stones.

Decide on the plants for planting in the created rock garden. Buy seeds and seedlings for your collection, taking into account the compatibility of plants with each other, their flowering period, soil requirements for optimal development and growth. Download a photo from the Internet completed projects, the style of which suits you. These are design projects and works of craftsmen, created by their own hands without outside help.

Rules for the use of stones in rockeries

The size of the stone elements used is determined by the area of ​​​​the site that was allocated for the creation of rockeries. For a spacious area, you should choose large stones, and for a small area flagstone and medium boulders - the best way. Pay attention to the color and texture of the stones. To create a harmonious composition, the stones are selected to the created ensemble, emphasizing the beauty of the hill and the backyard.

Eclecticism is not the best solution for arranging rockeries on the territory of a country cottage. The main requirements are naturalness and natural beauty. Limit yourself to one of the types of stones. Use granite, quartzite, sandstone.

Laying of stones and decorative elements is carried out sequentially in tiers. The principle used is from largest to smallest. The rock garden is based on large boulders. They are able to provide a reliable foundation when creating a composition and translating into reality the design ideas of the owner. Place an original decorative element at the top small size. It will become a bright accent and make the composition complete.

The classic alpine slide consists of 3-5 tiers. These are stones of different sizes, laid out rationally and clearly. Moist soil should be poured over each layer. Do not forget to leave space between the stones for the growth of planted plants, their development.

The shape of the slide is completely your choice. It depends on the imagination, the chosen style, colors and the area of ​​the allotted land. Do not follow rigid rules for laying stones. The main requirement is a high-quality layout and a reliable foundation for an alpine slide. So it will stand for a long time and will delight you every day. The finished rock garden should look aesthetically pleasing even without plants!

Falling asleep soil and planting plants in the created rock garden

Soil mixture for alpine hills - a special composition for planting plants, their normal growth and development. Buy the mix from a flower shop or make your own. The main thing is that it contains all the necessary nutrients and minerals. So planted plants will grow well, making the slide aesthetic and natural.

The optimal composition is 1:3 (peat and clay soil). Part of the gravel is taken for a part of this composition from soil and peat. It is important that the land is kept clean by removing weeds and their seeds from it. So you prevent the emergence of weeds among planted plants and flowers.

Planting plants on an alpine hill starts from the top. This beautiful shrubs and trees. Next, move on to perennials. Initially, rock gardens were created from alpine plants. Now these restrictions have lost their meaning and all the plants, trees, flowers you have chosen will look aesthetically pleasing.

Suitable:

• perennial plants;
• shrubs;
• ferns;
• cereals, herbs;
• bulbous plants.

They will complement the composition, making it even more aesthetic. The main thing is to take into account the compatibility of the selected plants with each other. So you prevent unpleasant consequences and the need to re-plant plants. Arrange the plants so that your rock garden looks beautiful and advantageous all year round. Flowering in different plants began sequentially, replacing each other.

To preserve the aesthetics of the alpine slide in winter, plant coniferous plants. Thuja, pine, juniper are perfect for planting. Show your imagination by adding medicinal herbs, deciduous and evergreen shrubs, bulbous, ferns and flowers - daffodils, nasturtiums to the composition.

Moisten the soil before planting for better growth and establishment. After planting, tamp the ground and cover it with a layer of fine pebbles. This will prevent the rapid growth of weeds and maintain the primary shape of the rock garden. Pebbles cover the ground around the created alpine slide. A photo examples of such compositions you will find on the Internet on thematic sites with step by step description of the work performed do it yourself.

Classification of alpine slides for a country cottage

The admiration for the beauty and thoughtfulness of details in rock gardens is amazing. In them, each stone is in the right place, and the flowering of plants lasts all year. Alpine slide - an aesthetic decorative element in the courtyard of a country house. There are 7 styles of its design:

1. Natural rocky surface.
2. "Mountain slopes" with coniferous trees, complex bends and huge blocks of stone.
3. "Valley in the mountains". This style of execution involves the random placement of stones. different sizes on the territory of the Alpine hill.
4. "Slope with a terrace." Different wall heights, use unusual shapes and elements.
5. "Forest ravine" - decorative space with natural springs, waterfall. It can be created artificially.
6. "Stone wall". Here the stones are arranged in a chaotic manner, and the mound has a small height.
7. "Rock from the Czech Republic". The masonry in it is made in layers of stones of the same size.
8. "Lawn in the Alps". This is a combination of wild mountain plants, coniferous trees. All of them germinate exclusively in the mountains, therefore special conditions should be created for their optimal growth and development.

Remember! It is impossible to create an aesthetic alpine slide in one day. This is hard work, which will take at least two weeks. Therefore, you should start preparing now in order to soon enjoy the beauty of the courtyard of a country cottage or cottage. You have to work hard, because the alpine slides created by yourself - careful preparation, availability necessary materials and photos with finished projects.

Create the basis of a rock garden in the fall, so that in the spring plant seeds and tree seedlings will be planted in the ground. Already in the summer you will enjoy the aesthetic beauty of the created composition.

To design a personal plot in an original way and with a touch of individuality, an alpine slide created by oneself will help. Traditionally, it has the form of a small hill made of stones, a mountain slope or a ravine covered with various flowers. It is worth noting that such compositions of stones and flowers are quite simple to do on your own, choosing the shape of an alpine slide to your liking.

History of Alpine slides

The origins of rock gardens lead to Japan. It was there, several thousand years ago, that they began to appear lovely gardens on the stones. The Japanese, who have always felt the shortage of free territory very acutely, wanting to surround themselves with beautiful flowers, came up with the idea of ​​planting them in any free areas. Also, the Japanese canons of beauty say that true beauty is visible only in natural phenomena. That's why amazing combination a dead, cold stone and a tender, living plant contributes to the creation of a true harmony of beauty.

In European countries, alpine slides began to appear only in the sixteenth century. At that time, they represented a certain territory, which was planted with wild flowers brought from the mountainous regions.

To date, the fashion for the creation of alpine slides has covered a large number of countries. And a lot of people are thinking about how to make an alpine slide with their own hands, on a personal plot.

Rock garden and rockery. Main similarities and differences

Quite often even experienced gardeners confuse the concepts of rock garden and rockery. And this is not surprising. Having enough big amount general characteristics, it is difficult not to confuse them.

Rock gardens, like rockeries, are a way to create a flower garden, which is based on the use of stones and flowers.

But at the same time, rockeries are a classic version of a rock garden, in the creation of which only one rock. The stones are laid out in a chaotic manner or in parallel stripes. This approach contributes to the creation of a visual effect of wildlife. Rockeries are planted with a variety of flowers, only in this case they act as a secondary element, forming a natural floral background.

Rock garden - a type of rock garden in which flowers and plants play a major role. A variety of plant species, a riot of colors and unusual color combinations amaze the imagination and make you admire the alpine slide for a long time.

Creation of an alpine slide

With a competent approach to planning and carrying out all activities, to create an alpine slide in the country with your own hands, the arrangement will take only one day. So that the created beauty does not have to be redone or even dismantled, it is very important to adhere to certain rules when creating alpine slides.

The whole process of step-by-step creation of an alpine slide with your own hands can be divided into the following stages:

1. We select a place for the location of the rock garden.
2. Let's start creating a drainage system.
3. We select stones optimal size and start setting them up.
4. We prepare the soil for planting plants.
5. At the end, we plant plants and flowers.

Consider the main stages of creating an alpine slide with your own hands in more detail.

Location selection

When deciding to create an alpine slide with their own hands, a novice gardener should very carefully and very critically inspect the selected area. Of course, you can choose desired plants for any type of soil and location of the site. But it will be better if a spacious, well-lit area is chosen to create a future rock garden.

It is also very important to think in advance from what angle the alpine slide will be well viewed. After all, you will certainly want to show such beauty to friends and relatives.

When choosing a location to create a rock garden, pay attention to the type of soil. Sandy soil is the least problematic option for creating an alpine slide on it. Clay or oily soil requires mandatory additional measures before planting. As a rule, they consist in the creation of a drainage system.

Creation of a drainage system

An indication for the creation of a drainage system is not only the type of soil. Exist certain types plants, for which it is also not desirable for water to stagnate in the soil. For example, these include flowers that grow in the mountains. To prepare the soil and avoid the problems of stagnant water, experts recommend that you definitely lay a certain foundation.

To do this, remove the top layer of soil. Then the recess is covered with rubble, or as an economical option - with small construction waste or brick fragments. The backfill is covered with a layer of sand, and then with earth. After the last layer of earth is covered, everything is well spilled with water and left alone for a certain time to dry.

Advice ! For the best performance of the drainage system, it is good to use lime stones which have excellent air permeability.

Stone laying

After being created drainage system, the process of laying stones begins.

When choosing the size of the stones, you need to remember that the more compact the future rock garden is, the smaller the size of the stones should be. For a large alpine slide, boulders are perfect, and for a small rock garden, flagstone of small sizes is perfect.

In creating a rock garden, there is no specific scheme for laying stones. The only thing that the designer must adhere to is the principle of naturalness and natural location.

Attention ! You do not need to adhere to any schemes or drawings when creating a rock garden. Light negligence will make the alpine slide as close as possible to the natural wild look.

Another nuance that needs to be taken into account when selecting and laying stones is that you should not use several types of boulder rocks on one hill at once. As a rule, in nature, rock gardens consist of one rock. The advantage should be given only to natural materials. The rock garden has, as a rule, several tiers. In order for the alpine slide to have really beautiful view, it should attract the eye even without flowers. It is these rock gardens that are created by real master professionals.

Granite has very rich colors and a bright pattern, so they need to be laid in such a way that there is no feeling that a granite memorial is being erected instead of a hill.

Sandstone is very easy to work with. Therefore, using this feature, you can independently give it the desired shape, according to your taste and idea.

When laying the tiers of an alpine hill, do not forget that live plants will soon be planted on it. Therefore, each tier must be covered with layers of moist, fertile soil. Stones should not be stacked too tightly.

Advice ! Naturalness and the greatest similarity with wildlife can be achieved if, when creating a rock garden, alternate large and small stones.

We select soil for plants

It is quite difficult to imagine an alpine hill without living plants. Therefore, for their landing, it is worth thoroughly preparing fertile soil. It is quite possible to do it yourself. The composition of the soil for rock garden plants includes: clean clay soil, peat and gravel. Ratio clay soil and peat is 3:1.

The soil is laid only in the place where the flowers will be planted. As a rule, crevices and gaps between boulders are used for these purposes. Sometimes the soil is poured directly onto bare stones.

Advice ! Moss and lichen make the alpine slide closest in appearance to wild nature. A favorable environment for the growth of these types of vegetation is limestone.

Choosing plants for rock garden

Plants to create a rock garden are selected based on the following criteria:

1. Unpretentiousness. This feature gives a guarantee for the owner of the future rock garden that you do not have to constantly treat diseased plants and plant new ones. A flower garden on stones should look as close to the wild as possible, which means that the human factor in creating a rock garden should be minimized.
2. All plants should tolerate well not only sunny summers, but also cold winters.
3. Flowers are selected in such a way that they can freely grow next to each other.
4. For the top point of the rock garden, small shrubs are the most suitable. As a rule, this deciduous trees or needles. In order for the alpine slide to please with its beauty all year round, it is advisable to use both shrubs.

   Tip! Of the conifers, juniper, thuja and mountain pine are most suitable. From hardwoods, you can choose cotoneaster.

5. With regards to flowers, their choice is similar to the selection of shrubs.

When planting vegetation, pay attention to their height. No need to place tall shrubs on the top of the mountain. Also, do not plant tall plants among small stones. Stones generally should not be completely covered with plants.

The choice of an assortment of plants depends entirely on which rocks are used for the rock garden. For plants with light leaves, dark stones will be the best background, and for plants with dark green leaves, stones of light shades will be the best.

Types of Alpine slides

There are several types of alpine slides, in landscape design handmade, which are very similar to various sections mountainous area:

• Rock cliff. This is a heap of smooth, rather large boulders, with a minimum of any flowers in niches and crevices.
• Hillside . This is a rather complex composition, made of stones of various sizes, around which there are many small plants.
• Mountain valley. This is a territory that is made up of stones protruding from the ground, surrounded by a large number of flowering plants.
• Gorge. This is the most difficult to perform, but perhaps the most beautiful type of rock garden. It can be placed in a natural excavation, overlaying the slopes with stones and planting plants suitable for landscape design.

Conclusion

Never add artificial decor items when creating alpine slides. Thus, it is possible to destroy all that natural beauty that the combination of a stone and a living plant is intended to create. After all, the alpine hill is created precisely so that the unique atmosphere of the mountains is present on the plot.

When creating an alpine slide, one of the most important stages is the choice of plants. What plants are best used when creating an alpine slide, we will find out in the next video