Alpine slide with your own hands. Alpine slides - the pride of the owners of suburban areas

In the event that you decide to give your dacha landscape especially picturesque and original view- make an alpine slide on it, which can be a real surprise for your guests. In the article, we will tell you how to properly make an alpine slide with your own hands in the country, and also give photo and video instructions.

Choosing the right place

The construction of a rock garden should start with a competent selection of a place for it. It is recommended to proceed from the following considerations:

the planned location of this item garden design should be located on the sunny side;
it should be removed from buildings (i.e. placed in a picturesque corner of the garden, for example);

An important condition for the sound performance of an alpine slide is the quality of the soil at its location, which excludes the proximity of groundwater.

Drainage marking and preparation

After choosing a place under the hill, you can start marking the site, made in accordance with the previously selected dimensions. At the end of the marking, it will be necessary to prepare the base for the "rock garden", which should become reliable protection from heavy rains and seasonal floods.

For this purpose, a ditch about forty centimeters deep must be dug along the perimeter of the marking. The bottom of such a pit is filled with a specially prepared drainage mixture, which can be used as the remnants of construction waste (crushed stone, pebbles, broken brick). Then all this is covered with a layer of sand about 5-10 cm thick, and from above it is covered with several layers fertile soil containing mineral nutritional mixtures. The soil should be well loosened and weeds and roots should be removed from it.

The base formed in this way should be allowed to settle for several days, during which all its layers will settle and gain the strength necessary to perform subsequent work.

Selecting and laying stones

While the base of the slide is shrinking, you can start selecting stones for it. The right combination of stones different sizes and the shape will allow you to create a rather original and at the same time natural looking alpine slide. At the same time, too many of them are not required, since an excellent composition can sometimes be created from 5-6 large stones (plus several small ones).

Before laying, lay out all the stone blanks and choose the most beautiful and original in shape. Preference should be given to stones made of valuable natural material(granite, limestone or boulders, for example). The most suitable option for a slide is considered different kinds limestone; sandstones and shales will also look good on it. All operations are recommended for the following reasons:

It is best to lay boulders in several tiers, and small gaps should be left between individual stones, which can later be covered with earth and planted with dwarf trees, for example. The very bottom of these gaps can be laid out with a small "fight", which prevents the growth of weeds.
In the course of laying, the largest stones are exposed first, which are buried in the ground by about two-thirds. This will allow you to securely fix them in the ground, and will also create the illusion of a natural result in the composition. It is recommended to lay out paths around the hill from small flat stones or from chips of a suitable shape.
It is also necessary to monitor that there is enough free soil between the stones for planting plants in it.

The slide will look more natural if you make the composition asymmetrical, i.e. with a slight deviation from geometrically correct shapes.

Planting flower beds

When erecting an alpine slide, due attention must be paid to the choice suitable plants capable of giving her an attractive appearance... Low-growing plants covering the ground with a continuous colorful carpet will look quite good in such a landscape. In this case, it is imperative to take into account the sophistication of their foliage and the beauty of the inflorescences themselves.

Ordinary snowdrops or violets will look ideal against an alpine background, and only a little will be inferior to them in this regard, saffron, phlox, daffodil, primrose or forget-me-not. It is also allowed to plant on a slide single plants like juniper, barberry or heather.

Rock garden care

Competent care of the slide involves its timely watering, as well as regular processing (loosening) of the soil. Particular attention should be paid to watering during the growth and flowering of the planted plants. In the fall, the hill requires special care, which consists in harvesting dried leaves and plants, as well as pruning overgrown shrubs. Individual plant samples must be insulated for the winter.

Spring care is associated with compaction of the soil and protection of flowers from harmful insects. At the same time, you can fertilize the soil using special mineral mixtures.

Video

In the following video, you will learn how to make an alpine slide for a beginner:

Photo

Do you want to pump your skills in landscape design? Try making an alpine slide with your own hands. We warn you: without confident skill, it is better not to get down to business, otherwise you risk growing a mess in the flower bed, making your neighbors laugh and becoming disillusioned with the design. The editors of the publication figure out what is the use of a rock garden and how to make it yourself.

Alpine slide: photos, ideas, combinations

This exterior element is based on the combination of mountain plants and stone. Alpine slide Is a serious and confident competitor to traditional flower beds and plaster sculptures. It is already difficult to surprise someone with the latter, let alone create a unique atmosphere in the exterior.

Photo 1 - Composition from Debora Carl Landscape design

Alpine slides are used for decoration:

private houses;
country estates;
squares;
gardens;
lawns of office buildings;
territories around cafes and malls.

Photo 3 - Landscaping from studio LANDARH

The design of the alpine slide is multi-level. There are many schemes for beginners to help you avoid confusion in the arrangement of design elements.

Plants for an alpine slide: photos and names

Mostly conifers and flowers are used. In terms of cost and practicality, the leaders are:

juniper;
spruce (dwarf);
dryad;
rejuvenated;
short-stemmed carnation.

IMPORTANT! The main rule for the selection of plants is a competent combination of all elements of a mini-ecosystem.

Photo 5 - Composition from Petriv Landscape Design: conifers and wildflowers

How to make an alpine slide? Preparatory work

Photo 6 - Exterior from the group of designers Marianna Notkina & Khomjakov Stanislav

A few tips before starting the arrangement of the rock garden:

take care of its base - the soil;
keep in mind that the design should provide for the imitation of natural areas typical for rocky terrain;
the compositional basis is stones, as well as plants of low height and creeping nature.

IMPORTANT! Such vegetation is typical for the Alpine mountains, the atmosphere of which became the basic idea of the described landscape element.

"Wonderful garden" "Wonderful garden"

The creation of a rock garden provides for the presence in it of such elements as:

sole;
slopes leading to the top;
vertex.

Photo 9 - Exterior project by Alena Arsenyeva Landscape Workshop Photo 10 - Design by Skyline Ridge Landscape Studio

Therefore, if you want to build an alpine slide, take care of these elements.

Photo of alpine slides in the garden: choose a view

Photo 11 - Project author: Mary-Liz Campbell Landscape Design

Before creating on garden plot alpine slide, you should familiarize yourself with their types. This will make it possible to arrange everything as competently and thoughtfully as possible.

Photo 12 - Exterior by Huettl Landscape Architecture Photo 13 - Project Banyon Tree Design Studio

Types of alpine slides:

rock cliff - a slide, which provides for a maximum of rocky boulders and a minimum amount of vegetation;
mountainside - a composition in which the stones of the most different sizes are combined with abundant vegetation. It is quite tall, which is its basic feature;
mountain valley - a slide consisting of massive stones peeking out of the ground. The stones are surrounded by vegetation;
gorge - rock garden, arranged in a hollow of natural character. The slopes are paved with stones, plants are planted that belong to the rocky species of flora.

Photo 14 - Flowerbed Design by Aaron Gordon Construction, Inc.

The arrangement of an alpine slide of this type is more complicated than in the previous versions. But there is an opinion that such a rock garden is visually the most spectacular.

Photo 15 - Rock garden from Case Design / Remodeling, Inc.

There is one more type of landscape elements that stand alongside with alpine slides in popularity, but differ from them. This is a rockery - a garden made up of stones that act as a backdrop for ornamental vegetation.

Photo 16 - Exterior design by The Philbin Group Landscape Architecture

Although it is not an alpine slide, it has a rather important positive feature... It can be set up on completely flat terrain.

Alpine slides: landscape design photos and step-by-step instructions for creating a rock garden

Photo 17 - Project bureau Calvin Design

We decided not to complicate things and broke the process of creating an alpine slide with our own hands into steps for convenience.

DIY alpine slide: step by step photos

Photo 18 - Exterior from the group of designers Imagine design & Construction pty LTD

Step 1. We develop a sketch

Draw a sketch of how your alpine slide should be. It is not necessary to make complete drawings. The main thing is to calculate the number of tiers and think over the vegetation. This approach will make it possible to avoid mistakes of incorrect planning.

Photo 19 - Multi-level flowerbed from Remick Associates Architects + Master Builders

Step 2. Determine the location

At this stage, it is important to remember about the decorative function of the rock garden and the fact that it will be looked at from different angles. It is necessary to plan the location of the alpine slide so that it looks interesting from different angles.

IMPORTANT! Do not forget about planning a vacation spot near the rock garden. Nearby, you can place a small flat area where you can put a chaise longue, table, chairs, and even install a gazebo.

Photo 20 - The statue in the composition. Idea: Westover Landscape Design, Inc.

Step 3. Create conditions for vegetation

For plants to thrive in the ecosystem, slopes should be positioned to the east and south. So the vegetation will get enough sunlight and warmth.

Photo 21 - The idea of the exterior from the designers of the studio Neumann Mendro Andrulaitis Architects LLP

Step 4. Consider the natural unevenness of the terrain

If there are a lot of natural irregularities on the site, better place for a rock garden can not be found. Located on natural slopes, the alpine slide will look organic. And stones and plants will become a wonderful decor.

Photo 22 - Author landscape design Kimberley bryan

Step 5. outline the lines

Lines from the sketch at the appropriate scale are transferred to the area, so you can indicate which element and where should be located.

Photo 23 - Landscaping Idea from Princeton Scapes Inc.

Step 6. Install the first boulders

First boulders big size should be installed around the perimeter. To make everything look organic, they can be slightly deepened into the ground. Such a solution will visually ensure that the stones are perceived as a natural and integral part of the existing landscape.

Photo 24 - Exterior project from the design group All Oregon Landscaping

Step 7. Create space for the plants

When the boulders around the perimeter are laid and there is a clear outline of the slide, care should be taken to prepare the place for the plants. To equip it, pour in inner space rock garden suitable soil and plant vegetation.

IMPORTANT! The soil of each previous layer becomes not only the habitat of vegetation, but also the basis for the previous one.

This should be done in layers and gradually, separating each tier of the slide with stones. Otherwise, you will end up with something like an "inclined flower bed".

Photo 25 - Landscape design project from Porebski Architects Chippendale

Step 8. Decoration of the vertex

When the tiers are ready, it is time for the top to form. This element can be set to one big Stone or a pair of small ones, folded in the shape of a pyramid. In addition to the fact that the top is of decisive importance in the formation of the visually complete image of the composition, it also protects against soil erosion.

Alpine slides in the country with their own hands: photos and the best ideas for the exterior

Photo 26 - Recreation area from the designers of the studio Cording Landscape Design

When flower beds and flower beds cease to amaze with originality, rock gardens become an excellent option. If you figured out a simple algorithm for creating a composition, you can try to make an alpine slide with a waterfall with your own hands. It can be not only with a waterfall, but also with a fountain.

Photo 27 - Design project from Huettl Landscape Architecture studio

A rock garden with a waterfall is more difficult to equip, but it is worth all the effort invested, because it looks more spectacular.

Photo 28 - Succulents in the design of a rock garden

The sequence of its creation is as follows:

we pull out the pit after marking the rock garden;
we fill the future pond with water;
fill the space around with sand, pour water over the edges, make several layers, which we then tamp;
for the cascade, we take stones with a flat surface - their installation is easier;
we tilt the structure back so that it is not noticeable;
we make fastening using polyurethane foam or cement mortar;
we remove excess building materials;
we mount a pump on the bottom (we select the power according to the height of the cascade);
we bring the hose to the top of the rock garden and mask it between the stones.

When all these steps are completed, the fountain is ready.

Photo 29 - Rock garden in the exterior from Envision Landscape Studio

Alpine slide: photo and editorial choice

Photo 30 - Stones in the exterior design from Paradise Restored Landscaping & Exterior Design

If you do not have ideas for developing sketches of an alpine slide yourself, decorating beautiful rock gardens, photos of which can be seen in the gallery below, will give you some interesting ideas.

Wildlife corner on the site - Alpine slide

Step-by-step instructions for creating an alpine slide (rock garden)

Alpine slide or rock garden- one of the favorite techniques in the device of landscape design, both among amateur gardeners and specialists-designers. A piece of untouched nature on your site can be created in the form of a fragment of a mountain landscape.

Undoubtedly rock garden perfectly decorates any area, but, at the same time, it is one of the most difficult compositions to create.

To do do it yourself Location on alpine slide right, it is imperative to adhere to clear rules, observing their sequence.

Step 1. Choosing a place for an alpine slide (rock garden)

Rocky hill it is best placed on a hill that will be well enough illuminated from all sides. The winners in this case are the owners of hilly areas or those who have areas on the slopes.

Very attractive rock garden looks against the background of a green lawn, and if in the background, a little further away, tall trees grow, which cast their shadow on the rock garden, then the composition will turn out to be very advantageous.

Alpine slide should have slopes that are oriented to different directions of the world.

By designing rock garden it is necessary to take into account the fact that its southern and southeastern slopes should be more visible, therefore these slopes are made flatter than the northern and northeastern ones.

Step 2. Choosing stones for an alpine slide (rock garden)

1) Select the size and number of stones according to the size of the alpine slide. For example, for a rock garden measuring 1.5 × 2.5 m and a height of 0.5 m, about 1 ton of stone will be required.

2) When creating rocky compositions, you need to remember that the stone must be natural, natural natural forms and surfaces.

3) Do not suit alpine slide from the remains of construction waste (fragments of slabs, curbs, concrete, etc.).

Alpine slide stones

4) Use stones of the same breed, let the stones come from your area, they are easier to find and cheaper to purchase and deliver to the site. Moreover, the "local" stones will be most harmoniously and naturally combined with the local landscape.

5) Rocks and plants in the rock garden should harmoniously emphasize the natural beauty of each other. Therefore, in order to obtain the final composition that will correspond to your ideas, choose the stones yourself and be present during their transportation.

6) Do not use chipped stones with unnaturally sharp edges or, conversely, stones of an ideal shape - smooth river stones.

7) The best option for a rock garden would be a moss-covered rock found in the forest. Such a stone will cost the least of all options, and the natural design of the stone, created by nature itself, could not be better!

Step 3. Dimensions and outlines of the alpine slide (rock garden)

One of important conditions when creating an alpine slide the fact that it should harmoniously fit into the overall picture of your site and not look like a pile of stones from behind which the house looks modestly.

There is clear calculations, with which it is possible to determine rock garden size for specific area plot:

On a site 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 an alpine slide is 1.5 x 2.5 m.

If you are the lucky owner of a larger territory, recalculate based on the given numbers.

The maximum height of an alpine slide with an area of more than 40 m 2 can be up to 1.5 m.

Step 4. Drawing a contour for an alpine slide (rock garden)

Before you start laying out stones on the site, which is intended for the construction of a rock garden, you need to outline the contours of the future structure.

This is a very important step that cannot be neglected!

At first glance, it seems that this is very simple, but its implementation is the basis of the entire process of the device of the slide.

Rock garden marking on the site

For an illustrative example, draw a draft of the future slide on paper, in the form of a drawing or diagram. Calculate the size and location of the alpine slide on the site, place the stones visually, marking them on the diagram.

Consider which plants will take place in your slide, distribute the location of the stones accordingly.

After drawing the contours on the paper, transfer it to land plot by laying out the outline of the structure with a rope, bright tape or garden hose.

View the future composition from all points of view: you may need to adjust the boundaries and location on the ground.

Step 5. Removal of the top fertile soil layer

An important stage rock garden device is also the removal of sod land. To do this, carefully remove the top fertile soil layer, which will need to be sieved, and after sifting, add 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.

This is best done when the soil is dry enough to be sieved.

If the site is heavily overgrown with cereal weeds, it is recommended to apply herbicides, otherwise the seeds remaining in the soil will germinate on a hill with dense sod.

Step 6. Arrangement of a drainage system for an alpine slide (rock garden)

Drainage system for an alpine slide necessary, but its creation is not always required. Drainage is indispensable in areas with loamy or clayey soil, as well as in flat areas with a high groundwater table.

Drainage layer for rock garden

Broken brick, crushed stone or other small stones are used as drainage, which are poured in a layer of 10-30 cm. The drainage layer is poured unevenly - where the elevation of the hill is planned, the layer will be thicker.

Sand is poured onto the drainage stony layer with a layer of 10 cm. Moreover, in places of future heights, it is thicker.

After laying the crushed stone and sand drainage, abundant watering is required. The need for watering is that after it the drainage will be slightly compacted, and all the shortcomings in the work done will manifest themselves. But at this stage, everything can still be fixed. Add rubble and sand to the formed gaps, spill it, once again evaluate the quality of the work done.

Step 7. Preparation of soil mixture for an alpine slide (rock garden)

Soil soil to fill the space between stones in the rock garden should be nutritious enough and moderately moist.

You can cook it yourself. Soil composition:

1/3 sod land,
1/3 peat or compost,
1/3 coarse sand,
you can also add perlite.

If the land on your site is good - fertile enough, then upper layer, which was removed to prepare the pit for drainage, can be used to prepare soil mixtures for an alpine slide.

One of the gross mistakes when preparing land for an alpine slide is that many amateurs recommend adding fertilizers to the composition of the plant substrate to increase soil fertility. This is by no means acceptable for alpine slides!

"Alpine" plants on such soil will stretch out strongly, green mass will prevail over flowering, and flowering will become less abundant.

In addition, aggressively growing ground cover will quickly fill the territory and cover the stone, as a result of which the whole meaning of the rocky hill is lost.

Sprinkle the soil on the hill at the same time as the stones are laid, tamping it down a little. Upon completion of the work, spill the resulting alpine slide well with water, and then fix the formed grooves.

Step 8. Vertical planning of the rock garden. Alpine slide creation

Now came the most crucial step in the construction of a rock garden. It consists in setting and grouping stones.

With the help of stones, voluminous compositions are created. Moreover, each individual group should differ from the neighboring one in size, ratio of sections and color.

Alpine slide scheme

Alpine slide has the basic principle of construction and includes several basic elements... She consists of the foot of the slide - " valleys» and three terraces. In the "valley" a lawn is planted, or a decorative embankment is poured, or an artificial reservoir is arranged.

The terraces are arranged one after the other in the form of a ladder. Each terrace is a small natural composition of plants and stones. The alternation of terraces only made of stone and terraces with stones and plants looks very interesting.

When creating a simulation mountain landscape correct geometric shapes must be avoided. This will give the composition a natural look, otherwise the natural look of the slide will lose its flavor.

Laying stones in an alpine slide

1) The first thing to start with when laying stones for a rock garden- this is to install the first stone, the so-called main from which the rest of the stones in the composition will fit. Choose the largest stone. Its location should be offset from the center to the east side.

2) Then place stones from medium to small size, adhere to the rule - the closer to the edge of the hill, the smaller the stones should be.

Place stones in groups. Place some groups of stones tightly to each other, leave gaps between others. Remember to avoid symmetry as much as possible.

When placing stones, it is necessary to leave soil pockets for planting plants.

The stones must be stable - they must not sway, so prepare small indentations for their base at least 1/3 of the height of the stone itself.

Add soil or small stones if necessary.

If your plot is absolutely flat, then you will need imported land at the rate of 0.5-0.7 t / m 2. With the help of drainage and imported land, create the necessary relief for your future alpine slide.

Artificial stream on an alpine slide

Create artificial stream, a combination of water, stone and plant in an alpine slide- this is the most ideal rock garden option. The murmur of water flowing over the stones and playing in the sun will fabulously decorate rocky hill.

A stream that will flow from stone to stone to artificial reservoir located on the south side at its foot.

Artificial reservoir will feed the stream, which, flowing down the stones of the slide, falls back into the reservoir. The principle of the cycle will ensure a continuous flow of water.

Artificial reservoir scheme

To create a reservoir:

1) It is necessary to dig a pit at the foot of the rock garden.

2) Cover the bottom with foil 0.8-1.2 mm thick.

3) Lay out the film with a layer of clay or loam, or sand 2 cm thick.

4) Cover with a layer of pebbles or gravel up to 1 cm thick.

To create a stream:

Artificial stream on the site for a rock garden

1) A gutter is laid from the artificial reservoir to the place from which the stream will drain (usually this is the top of the hill).

2) A hose is placed in the gutter and the "water supply" is sprinkled with sand, waterproofing is laid.

3) With the help of a pump (pump), water will flow from the reservoir through a hose to the source of the stream.

Waterfall on an alpine slide

4) The stream bed is arranged at the same time when creating an alpine slide, tamping and compacting clay soil, making it semicircular at 15 cm deep and 30 cm wide. You can lay out the stream bed with small stones or pebbles.

As a channel, you can use plastic water pipes of the appropriate diameter, cut along the length. After installation, the pipe must be masked with stones.

A stream on an alpine slide can be arranged in the form waterfall, cascades... It all depends on the size of the rock garden and your imagination.

Selection and planting of plants for rock garden

It is advisable to start planting plants in a rock garden after several abundant watering. After the earth settles and the resulting grooves will be filled up.

Plant the most light-loving plants on the south or southeast side of the hill.
Plant large plants near large stones, small plants near small ones. Avoid placing plants close to the slide!
Groundcover, rapidly growing plants, plant 3-5 pcs. / m 2.
Place cushion perennials at 8-12 pcs / m 2.
Plant dwarf trees and shrubs separately or in small groups, so as to emphasize the asymmetry of the slide.
In no case should you plant trees in the center or at the top of the rock garden!

Mulch the soil after planting by sifting the stone that was used in the construction of the rock garden or gravel, marble chips, pebbles, organic mulch(wood chips, agrovermiculite, perlite, etc.).

10 mistakes when constructing an alpine slide:

1) The device of a rock garden in an area with a close bedding groundwater without drainage.

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

3) Unstable placement of stones.

4) The use of several different rocky rocks in one composition.

5) Using fragments of concrete slabs.

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

7) Observance of symmetry when laying stones and planting plants.

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

9) Planting soil protectors, which grow rapidly, next to small rosette or very rare plants.

10) Planting annual plants.

Excellent( 4 ) Badly( 0 )

Landscape design specialists in recent times offer owners country houses create an island of the picturesque nature of the Alps on your site, having built a rock garden on it. This is how alpine slides are called - original and elegant compositions of plants and stones.

Rock garden - a piece of the Alps in your suburban area

Stone gardens were first developed on the Japanese islands. Their residents have always lacked free land areas, for this reason they have learned to create oases of beauty in very small areas. The Japanese are sure that the combination of tenderness of colors and hardness natural stones is an example of the true charm of nature, which you can admire forever.

Traditions of the distant eastern islands in the 16th century they began to penetrate the European continent. In Europe, it has become fashionable to transplant a variety of outlandish flowers and shrubs from the mountainous natural environment into gardens near their estates. A couple of centuries later, they learned about rock gardens in the Russian Empire.

Nowadays, make an alpine slide on summer cottage many dream. Realizing this desire is not difficult at all, because a rock garden can be equipped on your own, without using the services of expensive designers.

The work of creating landscape decorations from stones and flowers in the garden will require a lot of investment from you. But the chic result of laborious events will be a great gift for you and your family. You will have your own piece of the Alps in the country or near a country house, where you can enjoy the atmosphere of beauty and tranquility.

The homemade garden of plants and stones is an imitation of natural hilly areas. Therefore, the creation of its design is based on the use of a combination of low creeping vegetation inherent in the landscapes of the Alps, and stones of all sizes. Slides are the same garden decorations are called because they have a top, slopes of different lengths and a base (bottom).

Separately, we will say that rockeries and rock gardens should not be confused. You can arrange rockeries in the garden with a minimum of flowers and plants, or even without them. But the alpine landscape is created with big amount vegetation. In addition, the height of the rock garden reaches 2.5-3 meters,and the highest garden rockeries are made no more than a meter. Also note that the "piece of the Alps" can be located on a fairly large area and it is much more difficult to equip it.

Rock garden varieties - choose your own design

The main components in the construction of rock gardens are rock-break, cover and coniferous vegetation, as well as boulders and stones of various shapes and masses. The task of the designer is to create a hilly fragment of nature in the garden from these elements, which will be visually indistinguishable from the natural landscape of the Alps. This means that from flowers and stones in the country it is required to form a "chaotic" natural site, which will delight the eye with its naturalness.

The stones are placed on the slide according to several basic patterns. Depending on their location, alpine landscape decorations for suburban areas are divided into several groups.

A mountain slope or talus - small stones are poured at the foot of the hill, and large boulders are laid closer to the top. Such a composition is always performed at a great height. It requires the use of various low-growing and creeping plants and flowers.

Rock cliff - a steep hill is being built in the garden with large stones at the bottom. The closer to the top of the slide, the smaller the stones are used. This design involves the use of a small amount of vegetation, which is usually "hidden" in pockets and niches formed by boulders. To emphasize the height difference of such a slide, a large plant can be planted at the peak of the structure.

Slope with terraces - organized with small steps on a gentle hill. The steps are held securely in place by being propped up by large boulders.

Valley in the mountains - a composition of stones of different sizes, which are scattered over the area of the rock garden. In this case, the largest boulders should be partially buried in the ground and planted around them. decorative flowers with a long flowering period. It is relatively easy to create a mountain valley in the country, but on condition that your sense of taste does not change you, and you can arrange stones and plants naturally.

Forest ravine (gorge) - very popular due to its natural beauty and naturalness of the rock garden. It is advisable to equip it in a hollow or in some natural depression in a suburban area. Such a ravine should be framed with boulders overgrown with moss and dwarf plants.

Rocky wall - flat stones are laid out in a border of not very high height. The most popular is now recognized as a rock garden called "Czech rolling pin". It is made in the form of a stone hill from mountain plate stones, which are placed side by side in the ground next to each other. It is important to ensure that the ends of the boulders create a single wavy plane.

Any type can be used for the Czech rolling pin dwarf trees and low bushes. They are planted in the spaces between the stones, and then sprinkled on top with gravel and earthen crumbs. As a result, an island of mountain nature appears near your house. Visually, it seems that flowers and greenery are making their way directly from the rocky rock into the sunlight.

Now, knowing the main types of alpine slides, it will be easier for you to choose the landscape design option that you want to see at your dacha.

How to make a rock garden - step by step instructions

To create a luxurious landscape decoration in your garden, you need to strictly follow the recommendations. professional designers... They say that a rock garden can be made by following five steps in sequence:

Choose the right place for the slide.
Do .
Place boulders and stones in a certain order.
To cultivate the land for planting flowers and other vegetation.
Plant the plants.

It is necessary to choose a place in the country where the rock garden will be located, taking into account that it always appears in front of you in the most successful perspective. If you plan to relax near it after the construction of the slide, you should immediately think about a free area nearby, where you can build a stationary brazier, put a table, etc. Naturally, there should also be a convenient path leading to the place of your future rest.

Since the rock garden involves the use of plants, you need to make sure that as much sunlight as possible gets on them. For this reason, the "mountain slopes" at your dacha always need to be oriented to the east and south - the flowers will receive the warmth they need and bloom to your joy.

Another important aspect of site selection is soil analysis. If your site has sandy soil, it is allowed to break the rock garden right on it, without performing any additional work... If the land near the country house is oily or clayey, you will have to drain it. It is carried out as follows:

we take out the soil in the place where the rock garden will be located, to a depth of 30-50 centimeters;
fill the resulting pit with fine gravel, pieces of ordinary bricks, crushed stone, various waste of building materials;
we fill the pit filled with sand, and then with soil;
pour water on the loosened earth so that it becomes denser.

After that, you can proceed directly to the construction of a piece of the Alps on the territory of your country house.

We are building a rock garden - the most crucial stage of work

The mound of the future landscape decoration is made from special mixture consisting of the following components:

coarse sand;
clean land (ground);
humus (it should be thoroughly crushed).

If you have the opportunity, use the soil that moles throw out of their holes as soil. Finding her outside the city is not so difficult. Black mounds are often found in abandoned summer cottages and in forest plantations. If you don't find such soil, it's okay, make a mixture from ordinary soil. After the mound of the required height is formed, you need to take a short break (14–20 days) - the hill takes time to compact the layers and shrink them.

The site for the rock garden is fenced around the perimeter using large boulders. They will look more natural if you bury them in the ground. After a certain distance, the second tier of stones is laid out. The space between them is filled with soil, thereby we get a habitat for shrubs and flowers, as well as a foundation for the next stone tier.

Do not try to stack stones symmetrically. In nature, they never lie right. At the same time, try to use stones that are approximately the same in color and texture. So you will achieve the maximum harmony of the landscape design.

The geometrical dimensions of the tiers should be reduced according to the pyramid principle - from the bottom up. Experts advise:

equip an odd number of tiers;
at the lowest point of the tiers (all without exception), place a massive boulder, which will keep small pebbles from falling, thereby ensuring the reliability of the slide.

The final stage will be the arrangement of the top of the rock garden. The design of an alpine slide allows the use for these purposes of several stones of relatively small sizes or one massive boulder. Such a peak will protect your structure from soil erosion during rains.

"Populating" the hill with flowers and shrubs - which plants to choose?

The process of creating a "stone mound" ends with real magic. By it we mean the planting of vegetation. It should be planted correctly, taking into account several requirements. Firstly, on the surface of the hill, it is necessary to lay out a thin layer of a good soil mixture, in which the flora will take root without difficulty. Secondly, planting is carried out most often in the spring. But if you built a mound in the fall, you can "populate" it until the first serious frosts on the ground.

It is advisable to select the composition of plants from evergreen and undersized species. In this case, in the fall, you will not need to remove a lot of fallen leaves, risking destroying the rock garden. And in the summer he will not hide behind the lush and tall greenery.

Flowering plant varieties should be small flowers and short in stature. Covering and creeping vegetation, juniper, rocky beetroot, thuja, dwarf spruce, rejuvenated, dryad, cotoneaster, iberis, cypress, saxifrage, cloves with short stems perfectly take root among stones.

In principle, your rock garden can have any color solution... It is important here to rely on your taste and on the advice outlined above. Also take into account - in no case should artificial accessories be used to decorate the slide.

The rock garden is designed to give you a natural mountain atmosphere at the summer cottage. Therefore, all kinds of gypsum or granite figurines, amphorae and bowls, plastic and glassware will become an inappropriate addition to your landscape decoration... Vegetation and natural stones are considered to be completely self-sufficient decorative details in themselves. And there is no point in adding a variety of "tinsel" to them.

Professional advice - how to make a rock garden perfect?

The slides should be laid in those places suburban area where there are no thickets of bushes and trees, and there are no outbuildings. Trees, tall and dense shrubs are perfect as a backdrop for a landscape structure, but not part of it.

If you are planning to build a stone-flower garden with a waterfall or a small pond, try to find a place on the site with a small hollow or with a gentle slope. This will make it easier for you to equip an artificial reservoir. To implement the project of a rock garden with a pond or a waterfall, you will additionally need to dig a small pit, purchase a container for the "lake" and lay it out from the inside with a coarse film.

Waterfall projects also require a pump installation in the pond. The indicator of its power depends on how high the rock garden with a waterfall will have. The pump hose is pulled to the peak of the hill, where it is carefully masked by plants or stones. As you can see, making an alpine slide with your own hands with a waterfall or a modest fountain is not difficult at all.

Specialists landscape design give other useful tips:

Choose the right stones - the boulders should be the larger, the larger the area of the rock garden. It is advisable to use rocks of the same type.
When choosing flowers for the slide, consider the time and duration of their flowering. If blooming spots are constantly present on the surface of your alpine corner, then you have succeeded. You have managed to create a truly beautiful structure.
Before starting to carry out landscape activities, a diagram of your future rock garden and an estimate of the required costs must be drawn up, as well as a step-by-step construction instruction, which you must adhere to strictly.

Good luck, let the alpine corner bring you a lot of pleasant moments of relaxation in its silence!

In a garden or summer cottage, it is easy to create an atmosphere of pristine nature with the help of an alpine slide - a beautiful composition of stones and plants. It has long been actively used by landscape designers. Such a solution will not only hide any unevenness or ledge in the personal plot, but will also make it possible to bring all creative ideas to life.

Alpine slide in the country

Admiration for the harmony of a professional rock garden in the pictures is often replaced by bewilderment: how to build an alpine slide with your own hands and where to get this material? In fact, such a masterpiece in the country or in the apartment will be able to arrange each of any available materials. Even if the cost of creating a professional rock garden turns out to be too high, a flower bed surrounded by an arbitrary arrangement of stones would be a great idea. If everything is done correctly, then the care of the alpine slide will be minimal, and you long years admire your rocky garden.

Rock garden design

The name itself indicates that the landscape design resembles the views of the Alpine mountains. A rock garden in the country should be a small copy of the area where gorges, rocks, plains, waterfalls and beautiful mountain plants are located. You cannot find two identical alpine slides, since each is the result of an invention of one person.

How to make an alpine slide without resorting to expensive services of landscape designers? You should know what types they are divided into:

Rocks. They are made from ordinary stone boulders. Placed in areas that are located on the slopes.
Mountain valley. Looking for large stones overgrown with moss or covered with bark.
Lawn. Perfect option for a flat area. Often this design is complemented by a mountain valley and rocks.
Ravine. Great for small crevices. Looks nice with little artificial waterfall or a body of water.
The gorge. Serves as the main component of the landscape with several elements.
Stone garden. Performed on a flat area in the style of a Japanese garden.

How to create an alpine slide with your own hands

This is not to say that an alpine slide with your own hands in the country is easy to create. The improvement of the slide must begin with the choice of a place for the rock garden. For this, it is required to provide for some conditions:

to find open space so that the slide is visible from all sides;
have a flower garden in a sunny, bright place, not shaded by trees;
it is better to build a rocky hill and an ephedra in a space closed from the wind;
high groundwater levels are reduced by drainage.

Alpine slide drainage device

How to make an alpine slide so that it comes out inexpensively at a price? Do all types of work independently, starting with drainage. For this you need:

pre-mark the future rock garden with pegs and a cord;
dig a pit, which should be slightly larger than a rock garden in size, and the depth should not be less than 0.8 m;
fill the hole with pebbles, crushed stone or brick fight to a height of 0.3 m, and fill each layer of backfill with water;
pour 5-10 cm of sand and gravel mixture on top of the gravel layer, which is also filled with water and carefully compacted;
dug and cleaned soil is poured on top of all drainage layers;
to lay the rock garden, you need to wait for the drainage to shrink, and this will take 2-3 weeks;
an alpine slide of stones, as a rule, begins to be created in the fall, so that the soil will settle naturally by the spring.

Alpine slide stones

After the base has shrunk, a supporting structure is laid out around the perimeter, which is created from the largest stones. Their depth is about 60% of the volume. Small stones are placed next to large ones so that the rains cannot wash them away, otherwise the whole structure will be broken. Between the stones, you need to leave a place for planting a flower bed, placing a home pond, a fountain and other elements of the garden, which are provided according to the plan.

In order not to pay a high price for stones, they are looked for in local quarries or quarries. Often in frequent backyards or on farms, people want to remove unnecessary stones. On construction sites or abandoned sites, the required material is found. True, the choice is limited and you will have to take what is available. therefore it is better to purchase stones of the same breed for the rock garden, which belong to general type.

DIY rock garden - which plants to choose

Choose special vegetation for the rock garden. Flowers need to be selected, taking into account the timing of flowering, the proximity of different plants and other factors. How to make an alpine slide correctly so that it delights the eye with luxurious flowering not only in summer, but also in the autumn season? For arrangement beautiful flower beds it is necessary to select only low-growing plants that bloom alternately. Low coniferous specimens (dwarf pine, cypress, juniper) look beautiful and natural. For an accent, you can plant a couple of decorative evergreen shrubs (boxwood, barberry).

It is better to choose perennials, because the flower garden is created for many years. Preferred for a flower bed are delicate small flowers that are associated with a mountain landscape: armeria, erinus, salvia, primroses, daisies and other varieties. Their choice is very wide, so it is difficult not to overdo it with a variety of colors. In order not to violate the concept of a rock garden, it is better to first draw its diagram (figure), which will indicate the timing of flowering of the selected plants.

How to make an alpine slide in the garden yourself according to the scheme

Phased creation an alpine slide requires a certain sequence of actions. When planning, it is taken into account that the rock garden looks as natural as possible when its height does not exceed 1 meter. Facilitate the tasks of the alpine slide scheme. Step-by-step instructions on how to arrange a rock garden:

Site selection. South or southwest side personal plot preferable.
Site preparation. Provides for the device of a high-quality drainage system.
Purchase and laying of soil. If the price allows, it is better to buy good soil... Make it yourself by mixing clay soil with peat 3: 1.
Selection and laying of stones. Depends on the selected style. It can be shell rock, granite, basalt, limestone, sandstone and others. The color and texture of the stones should be in harmony with the overall picture. To make them look natural, arrange them randomly.
Selection and planting of plants. Arrange them so that they do not obscure the stones and the view of the entire composition. Flowers are planted in front, then undersized shrubs, and dwarf trees in the background. Flowers of the same color are planted in groups.
Paths and steps. They are designed to provide access to the flower garden for grooming. Avoid sharp corners or straight lines, because they are absent in nature. For paving, strong and flat stones are selected, which are firmly fixed. Between them, ground cover perennials or lawn grass must be sown.