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 the tenderness of colors and the hardness of 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 activities will be great gift for you and your family. You will have your own piece of the Alps in the country or near 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, let's say that rockery and rock garden 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 sufficiently 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. different forms 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 that 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 with stones is being built in the garden large sizes 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.
Terraced slope - 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 not laid out very well in the curb great 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 in your country house.
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 take care that they get as much as possible sunlight... 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 the choice of the site consists in the analysis of the soil. 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;
- we 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 do not 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, lay out the second tier of stones. 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... Here it is important 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 in your 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 themselves are considered completely self-sufficient decorative details. And there is no point in adding various "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, as well as 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!
The picturesque landscape of the Alpine mountains inspired gardeners to create alpine slides, which traditionally consist of a combination of stone and mountain plants.
Relatively recently, in landscape design, new types of site decoration - rock gardens - have replaced the classic flower beds, ridges and plaster sculptures. They are arranged in rich estates and summer cottages, in city gardens and squares, on lawns near offices and in restaurant territories. Competently and tastefully selected stones and plants will create a zone of luxury, aesthetics and tranquility even on the most modest piece of land near the country house.
Alpine slide densely planted with plants opens the eye with its bright, juicy colors
Being a kind and very laborious decoration of the landscape, rock gardens seem to be complex in execution and inaccessible decorative elements. However, if you understand the technology of creation, then an alpine slide in the country can be arranged without the involvement of expensive designers.
A piece of the Alps at your dacha
When developing the design of alpine slides, you need to take into account that this is an imitation of rocky natural areas. This means that the basis of the composition should be stones and creeping low plants, characteristic of high mountain ranges. And the definition of "slide" dictates general form rock garden - a hill with the required elements: sole, slopes and top.
A rock garden is a "highlight" that can instantly transform the look of a garden landscape
There are several options for rock gardens, which repeat in their appearance various sites mountainous area:
- rocky cliff - a heap of practically naked large boulders with a minimum of plants in niches and "pockets";
Combining functionality and decorative function: stone steps and rocky rock garden
Larger plants are planted on the tops of the rolling pin, emphasizing the dynamics of the height difference
- mountain slope - a complex high composition of stones different sizes and with a wide variety of creeping and stunted plants;
To design such a rock garden, dwarf plants are used, as well as large stone blocks that imitate rock fragments
- valley in the mountains - large stones, partly protruding from the ground, surrounded by abundantly flowering ornamental plants;
The natural landscape made it possible with a little effort to create a blooming stone slide
- the gorge is the most difficult to perform, but also the most spectacular type of rock garden, which can be placed in a natural hollow, framing the slopes with stones and planting representatives of the rock flora.
Neatly folded stones in the shape of a semicircle in a composition with flowering plants - a spectacular club in your yard
Rockery is considered a separate type - a garden of stones, which are the main " actors”, In contrast to the rock garden, where stones serve as a background for plants.
As a site for the creation of rockeries, any landscape of the area is suitable, including absolutely flat ground.
How to make an alpine slide on a personal plot?
If you have firmly decided that a self-made alpine slide will become a decoration of your garden - step-by-step instructions will give you the opportunity to avoid gross mistakes and get the desired result. Before starting work, sketch out a sketch of a rock garden - this will help you decide how much area it will occupy, what configuration it will have and how many tiers you will make on it. You can even roughly estimate how much an alpine slide will cost you - a scaled diagram will help you calculate how many and what stones you need, how much drainage, sand and soil you will need to prepare. You need to make a scheme in relation to the terrain in order to use all the beneficial points of the existing landscape.
Creative decoration of rock gardens - clay bowl with plants
- When deciding on a place for the future rock garden, do not forget that you will need to look at it - choose the most favorable angles. Also, think - you might want to spend your free time with him. Then you will need an adjoining flat area with paths, a place for a table and a hearth.
The path from the rock garden leads directly to the recreation area
Cozy corner for relaxation in the "rock garden"
- Planted plants for an alpine slide will need solar heat - which means it is necessary to orient the slopes to the south and east.
- Very interesting visual effects will be obtained when using the natural unevenness of the relief - the decorative elements inscribed in the natural landscape will be a great addition to it.
Spectacular alpine slide with a small pond
This is not an imitation of a landscape, but simply an artistic composition of asymmetrically located boulders with paths between them and plant compositions.
- The next step is to transfer your schematic to the site. Make the markings with twine or sprinkling required lines contrasting material - sand, lime. This will allow you to look at the proposed location of the rock garden from the side. Perhaps you decide to slightly change its configuration in accordance with the relief.
The rock garden serves bright decoration garden, standing out from the green lawn
- Having approved the choice of location, you need to prepare the site for laying stones. Soil, mostly consisting of clay or chernozem, will have to be drained; sandy soils do not need such preparation. For drainage, take out the earth to a depth of at least 30 cm, fill the pit building materials large fractions, rammed and covered with removed soil flush with the surrounding ground. To compact the loosened soil, it is spilled with water.
A miniature rock garden with dwarf plants, placed around the perimeter of the terrace, will add personality to your relaxation area
- The largest boulders are laid along the perimeter of the prepared site. If necessary, they can be buried in the soil - then they will have a more natural look. Inner space filled with soil, which will become the basis for the next tier, as well as a habitat for plants.
A composition of stones located from the main facade of the house, a perfect addition to the image of your home
- Having retreated the calculated distance from the first row, put the next chain of stones, maintaining the desired configuration of the rock garden.
Advice! When laying large stones, leave a free space between them, which will be filled with soil - the planted plants will need space for the development of the root system.
- Having completed the required number of tiers, they form the top. To do this, you can lay one large stone, or use several small, stacked pyramids. This will prevent the soil from being washed out and will also complement the composition.
It is better to start work on laying a rock garden in the fall, then by spring the soil poured between the stones will sit down, and it will be possible to fill up all the voids that have formed. In addition, before planting the plants, you will have the opportunity to make final adjustments to the placement of the stones.
Vertical blooming alpine composition creates a romantic mood
Retaining wall in the form of a rock garden - a new salvation from "boring" walls
Advice!The main rule is that the rock garden should look decorative and beautiful even without flowers. The stones should create a sustainable and extremely natural composition in a harmonious and balanced way. The less symmetry it has, the more organic it will look.
Homeowner's pride - DIY alpine slide
The implemented step-by-step instructions for an alpine slide will give you the opportunity to create a real masterpiece of landscape design on your site. And to make it perfect, we will reveal some secrets that will help you in your work:
Mini-rock garden in a flower bed is very relevant for small courtyards, where there is no place for standard stone compositions
To create a miniature rock garden, you only need dwarf plants, pebbles and a terracotta pot
- The stones for the alpine slide need to be selected of the same type, of the same breed. Then the rock garden will look extremely natural.
Rock garden with a pond, decorated with stones of approximately the same shape
A high slide, built of stones and green spaces, can serve as a fence of the site
- The size of the stones should correspond to the area occupied by the rock garden - the larger it is, the larger the boulders can be used to fill it.
- When choosing flowers for an alpine slide, be guided by the timing of their flowering. Maximum decorativeness is achieved with a continuous series of various blooming spots on the surface of the rock garden you create.
Minimalist version of rock gardens - simplicity that emphasizes the architecture in the background
- The species composition of plants must be selected from undersized and evergreen options. Then the rock garden will not hide behind the lush greenery, and in the fall you will not have to choose fallen leaves among the stones.
- For a slide, you can take a couple of undersized conifers... They fit perfectly between stones without cluttering them. It is good to place creeping or cover species between them - green spots between stones look very decorative. Flowering plants also pick up short stature and small flowers.
The most popular plants for rock garden:
- dwarf spruce,
- thuja,
- juniper,
Juniper looks beautiful in a composition with stones
- cypress,
- cotoneaster,
When arranging an alpine slide, it is imperative to take into account the features of the landscape and, based on this, choose the appropriate improvement option
- dryad,
- Iberis,
- rejuvenated
- rocky beetroot,
Mountain waterfalls are also characteristic of the Alpine landscapes.
- short-stemmed carnation,
- saxifrage
Saxifragers bring color accents to the alpine corner
Alpine slide is a fashionable attribute of the arrangement of modern garden and park areas. Do-it-yourself rock garden device in the country: step-by-step photos, diagrams, selection of plants.
Choosing a place for an alpine slide
When choosing a place for an alpine slide, it is important to provide for the following conditions:
In landscape design, there are many styles of garden design, including elements of a desert landscape, rocky gardens, ponds and bridges, which must be in harmony with the erected slide.
Do-it-yourself slide device is most preferable when decorating a garden. At self-fulfillment work, you can avoid high costs for the services of a landscape architect. Having step-by-step photos and diagrams for arranging the slide, it will not be difficult to complete the construction of a rock garden with your own hands.
It is very important to correctly conduct preparatory work so that the slide is stable
Alpine slide - preparation
First you need to determine the place on the site where the slide will be located. Shouldn't grow nearby perennial shrubs and trees that can obscure the plants on the slide over time. A place open on all sides, accessible for viewing from all corners of the garden, must be dry. A high water table will adversely affect the durability and strength of the slide base. In this case, the groundwater level needs to be lowered with the help of special drainage.
Do-it-yourself drainage under an alpine slide (step-by-step guide).
Diagram of the arrangement of an alpine slide with your own hands
While the natural shrinkage of the soil occurs, you can draw up a diagram, determine the location on the hill of boulders and stones, select the type of vegetation for planting. To create a rock garden you will need:
- natural stones, including pebbles;
- coarse sand;
- ornamental plants and flowers, including miniature trees and shrubs;
- sphagnum moss.
Scheme: arrangement of an alpine slide
Scheme and detailed plan, on which the rock garden will be created, should take into account that the construction of the slide is carried out at a height of 1 to 3 m.
Advice. With a rock garden height over 1 meter, a slide core device is required.
The alpine slide is a very unusual element of the garden, which changes its appearance several times per season.
Scheme: alpine slide in layers
Rock garden stones - choose the right one
Usually, during the construction of the slide, natural stones of rocks are used: basalt, granite, sandstone, limestone, as well as rare rocks, characterized by low porosity and strength. It is undesirable to use tuff, shell rock and dolomite for the device. These rocks absorb water strongly, as they are porous, so the stones quickly collapse.
The stones for the alpine slide must be strong, of different sizes
The shape and color of the stones are of great importance. Avoid rounded stones, as well as overly sharp-angled boulders. Stones of different colors look harmonious only on a certain type of alpine slides. The classic version of the arrangement of the slide involves the use of stones of the same breed, but of different shapes.
Scheme: deepening stones for an alpine slide
Place the stones on the slide in such a way that the edges in the viewing area have the most attractive shape. Defective stones should be masked by placing them in the most favorable way. Stones should be laid taking into account the size and weight, keeping an eye on the most harmonious appearance. created slide... Stones should be placed randomly, the most natural, therefore it is better not to use stone blocks and artificial boulders, manufactured in an industrial way.
DIY alpine slide - selection of plants
The device of an alpine slide, especially the selection of plants, requires additional knowledge about plant varieties and agricultural technology. Plants are selected depending on the type of slide. A rocky slide for sunny spots requires certain, drought-resistant plants. The classic version of the rock garden provides for the planting of miniature trees and shrubs, perennial grasses and flower crops.
Example # 1. Making an alpine slide with plants
They have proven themselves perfectly when planting in rockeries: fescue, beetroot, geranium, sedum, Iberis, rejuvenated, lumbago. Small-bulbous plants planted in small groups: crocuses, scilla, miniature, undersized and hazel grouses feel great on rocky hills. Small-bulbous plants bloom flowers in spring, when few plants are still blooming and the slide looks unpresentable. Everything changes when bright, blooming crocuses appear from under the snow.
Example # 2. Plants for an alpine slide
To create a highly decorative slide, it is required to provide for a landing perennial plants having different flowering periods. Then the slide will look unusual and decorative throughout the entire period. Riot of colors flowering plants will delight the eye from spring to autumn.
It is especially important to take into account the height of the plants used when planting in rockeries. Too tall specimens should not oppress undersized varieties, thereby affecting their full development. Bright plants should be placed in the foreground, in the viewing area.
The composition is based on miniature trees, especially conifers: spruce, juniper, cypress, pine. These plants have different shape crowns and look great on an alpine slide.
Decorative flowering shrubs used to equip an alpine slide: rhododendrons, erica, blueberries and lingonberries.
Of the perennial crops, they perfectly complement the alpine slide: badan, daylily (undersized), drooping reeds.
Alpine slide surrounded by lawn
Tip: when forming rockeries, preference should be given to decorative deciduous plants that retain their beauty even in the absence of flowers.
How to properly care for a rock garden?
In the first year, it will be necessary to fill up the soil several times, which is washed out during irrigation and precipitation, and also to strengthen the stones, if necessary. Viewing various videos and photos taken by professional landscape designers will help you get these jobs done correctly. The soil is poured neatly and compacted.
The soil should be evenly distributed between the stones.
Plant care consists in timely watering, removing faded flowers, damaged leaves, and pruning. During the season, plants should be fed with appropriate fertilizers several times. You should not use nitrogen fertilizers, they cause rapid plant growth, which should be avoided when planting on a hill.
Advice. Do not overfeed the plants on the alpine slide. Plants should not be overgrown.
Watering the plants is carried out carefully from a hose or a watering can with a spray, making sure that the soil does not erode.
Loose and falling stones should be strengthened.
Different small reservoirs will look very nice on an alpine slide
If necessary, plants are treated with pest control agents. Diseased plants that cannot be cured must be removed with the replacement of soil at the place of their growth.
When transplanting plants, you can use a special drug to relieve stress - epin.
Alpine slides in landscape design
An alpine slide, which does not require painstaking care, will be a wonderful decoration of the entire summer cottage
The design of park areas increasingly includes the creation of decorative rock gardens. Rockery serves as a continuation of rocky gardens, in perfect harmony with ponds, bridges, decorative lanterns, lawns and vertical gardening... Creating an alpine slide with your own hands at a summer cottage will perfectly decorate the territory, add charm and variety to the landscape design of the site.
How to create an alpine slide from scratch: video
Alpine slide: photo
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WITH create original landscape on the territory of a suburban area, an alpine slide with stones in the country with your own hands will help: photos of which can be viewed in this review... If there is an unevenness or a ledge in the country, you can try to create a similar structure.Alpine slides are made in the form of mountainous slopes, rocky surfaces or plateaus. Composition from unusual plants and stones of the original configuration can be built on their own. At the same time, it can be given any size and shape.
An example of the implementation of an alpine slide with stones
Projects of alpine slides with stones in the country with their own hands, the photos of which are presented below, are non-standard solutions. Exist useful rules when creating these objects, but the embodiment of ideas is only a creative approach.
There are two types of flower beds - rockery and rock garden. This is different ways arrangement of flower beds. Rockery belongs to the classic types of garden. Most of the structure is stone. An obligatory element of the rock garden is big Stone or even several that symbolize a mountain peak.
Interesting fact! The homeland of the alpine slide is Japan. It was in this country that they learned to create beauty and splendor in small areas due to the lack of territories. In Europe, similar flower beds appeared in the 16th century. At the same time, intricate plants were transplanted from the natural conditions of the mountain environment.
To make an original alpine slide, the following conditions are required:
- The presence of boulders of attractive shapes and different sizes.
- The site should be located on a slope and have uneven terrain.
- It is necessary to form the correct drainage system. For this, crushed stone, broken brick or sand are used.
- A variety of plants are used that are planted on the slopes.
If possible, an alpine slide with stones in the country with your own hands, the photos and types of which can be very diverse, should be isolated from the playground, etc. Such an object should be located close to water supply sources and recreation areas. Do not place a slide near lush flower beds.
Useful advice! The height of the slide should not contrast strongly with the surrounding landscape. Colors, textures and shapes should be in harmony with all the elements around.
Related article:
Alpine slide with your own hands. Step-by-step photos, drawings and competent planning of your own unique composition at the summer cottage. Recommendations from designers and some tricks in a special material.
Varieties and styles of rockeries and alpine slides
Rockery is a simplified version of an alpine slide. An important difference is the absence of a hill. Behind an alpine slide with stones in the country with your own hands, the photos and types of which are presented below, you need constant care.
The following types of rock garden are distinguished:
- A popular option is a rocky slide, which is a small hill with scattered stones.
- The landscape rock garden combines a rocky plain, a rocky slope or a waterfall. It is suitable for any architectural structure.
- For the arrangement of the terraced slope, special limestone is used. A similar element consists of support walls.
- Rocks and cliffs are considered the original solution of the rock garden. They look great with hilly landscapes.
- The mountain slope is an exact imitation of high mountain areas. In this case, plants in the form of pyramids are used.
- A mountain valley is considered an interesting and stylish composition.
- An alpine lawn is considered a stylish option. It can look like an alpine meadow between boulders standing at a certain distance.
- The composition of a forest ravine can be decorated with a spring or an artificial waterfall.
Do-it-yourself options for an alpine slide with stones in the country can be seen in the photo. IN different countries such structures have their own characteristics.
When planning landscape design on a site, it is worth considering the following areas:
- Slide in English style decorated with many ornamental plants... Cereals and conifers are predominant.
- Japanese buildings are decorated with lanterns and various bodies of water. In this case, simulations of sources can be used.
- In a Chinese garden, the slide is covered with a lot of stones. Also, the landscape is complemented by water, which can occupy most of the site and stone bridges and islets.
- The Karelian style is characterized by the use of torn and chipped stones, which are laid in horizontal layers. From plants, dwarf spruces are used.
Helpful information! Rockeries can be flat. With their help, the site is divided into functional zones.
Video: 50 examples of an alpine slide for every taste
Installation steps
Previously, such landscape design structures were created on country estates by designers. Now you can use step by step instructions create a beautiful object on own site on one's own.
Site selection
Work on the creation of the slide begins with the marking of the area. The place under the structure should be well lit and visible. The sun-drenched southern side of the site will do. It must be borne in mind that a pile of boulders is not suitable for a small area. You should not place a garden of stones along or against the background of fruit trees.
Helpful information! Designers advise placing a slide near a pond or next to a recreation area.
Preparatory work
Do-it-yourself installation of an alpine slide with stones in the country, which can be seen in the photo, presupposes a high-quality drainage system... Depending on the planned dimensions of the structure, a pit is pulled out. Broken brick or gravel is used to create the bottom layer. Then the sand is spread. All layers are well filled with water. The soil for the structure can be purchased or prepared by yourself. To do this, the soil mixture must be mixed with peat in a ratio of 3 to 1. Then a little gravel is added to the composition. First, drainage is done, and the soil is laid on top.
Drainage system
Drainage is performed to protect against excess water. Strong accumulation of water leads to poor growth plants and subsidence of stones. For the drainage layer, crushed stone and pebbles are selected.
Laying stones
The stones are laid in tiers. In this case, large boulders are used for laying out the base. Smaller stones are laid out on top. For the stability of the composition, two-thirds of large boulders are buried in the ground.
When installing stones, some parameters should be taken into account:
- The dimensions of the boulders are selected in proportion to the dimensions of the rock garden.
- The decor of the slide should look natural.
- The pile is made of stones of a certain breed.
Do-it-yourself terraced alpine slide with stones in the country house: the photo is made from rocks rough relief. The stones are installed on the slope in the form of stone walls and have different lengths and shapes. Polished and smooth stones look good next to an artificial reservoir.
Helpful information! On a site with different levels, all elements are laid out evenly. When creating a flat structure, the stones are deepened by half. Large stones are the central accent in the composition, while small ones are used to decorate borders.
Plant selection
The composition will be decorated with a combination of stones and plants. The natural landscape will help to create perennial flowers, conifers and wild cereals. Plants are selected depending on the location and general style registration. First, the territory of the structure is compacted and watered, and then you can begin to plant the plants.
Article
Arrangement of a rock garden is an extremely exciting activity that requires a creative approach. In the process, a great abundance of opportunities opens up in front of you, the main thing is to show your imagination and imagination.
What is an alpine slide? In fact, this is an imitation of a mountain landscape with perfectly matched beautiful flowers and plants. Such a composition in the garden should harmoniously fit the overall landscape, complementing it favorably.
The creation of a rock garden is a step-by-step process that requires attention to nuances. First of all, you need to think about the size of the slide itself, optimal location passages, paths, steps and structures in general.
Choosing the location of the alpine slide
It is very important that the location of the rock garden is well lit. Alpine plants are photophilous: it is the amount of sunlight that affects their growth and development. In terms of soil, rocky soils with a limited amount of water are optimal. Excessive moisture is extremely detrimental to mountain flora, therefore it is important to prevent stagnation of water in the drainage.
On personal plots, quite a lot of shapeless varieties of stones are often formed, which the owners sometimes use for the future rock garden. In this case, there is a risk instead of beautiful design get a senseless and ridiculous mountain of stones. Here, experienced landscape designers still recommend carefully selecting pebbles according to appearance, in size and shape to obtain an exquisite mountain landscape.
How to choose the right stones for a rock garden
For the future rock garden, try to select stones of no more than two rocks of the same size and structure as possible.
Also consider the characteristics of the plants and flowers that you plan for the slide. As a rule, they perfectly take root on limestone rocks with a porous structure, which facilitates the penetration of the root inside. But such soil periodically needs to be acidified, since it has an alkaline reaction. And it is advisable to embellish the gaps between plants and stones with marble chips or gravel. So, the rock garden will take on a beautiful finished look.
Tip: Buy stones at specialty stores. This is the only way you will be confident in the quality of the material, because the stones must be environmentally friendly and have a heterogeneous structure.
The most suitable rocks are granite, travertine, limestone, shale and sandstone. Use stones of the same type, weighing about 100 kg and showing signs of erosion. Optimal height rock garden - up to 1.5 meters.
Varieties of alpine slides
The most common and simplest type is a rocky cliff. Naturally, it is possible in the presence of a steep slope. In this case, work begins from the base, where large boulders are laid, and then various plants are planted.
The next view is a mountain composition that transforms the design into a unique place of extraordinary beauty. To create this beauty, boulders are buried two-thirds of the way in the ground and chaotic paths are arranged that form a stunning mountain landscape.
Color spectrum
The maximum effect in creating a rock garden can be achieved by a skillful play of color transitions.
Combinations of three shades are considered luxurious. For example, yellow is in perfect harmony with pinkish, or lilac flowers... Thus, yellow is balanced by two similar shades.
You can visually bring an object closer by combining yellow and orange, and move away - using of blue color... Take a closer look at any landscape design. Surely you will notice that those planted in the distance are blue and blue flowers almost invisible, and plants with warm shades, on the contrary, visually bring objects closer.
For a long time, designers have used the play of contrasts in order to emphasize the magnificence and uniqueness of another thanks to one element. One large plant looks much brighter and more expressive if it is enveloped from all sides by undersized species. But compositions with solid and dismembered leaves look the most advantageous against each other.
Dominant element
The rock garden will look much more sophisticated if a bright dominant element dominates in it. The most spectacular flowers or plants, an original stone or a stream can act as such. This accent must necessarily be visible from all sides, because it is he who gives the final completeness to the design, and the landscape is perceived as a whole.
How to choose plants for a mountain composition
When choosing plantings, it is necessary to take into account their susceptibility to light in the place where the rock garden is planned. Remember, by no means all plants are suitable for a slide and are combined with stones or other types of plantings.
So, for example, the location of the rock garden in the northern part suggests shade-tolerant types. They will also need enough moisture. These include primrose, incense, fern and host. Light-loving plants, for which soil drainage is less important, are much easier to choose. These are tulip, rejuvenated, thyme, iris, etc.
There are also many universal varieties for which both the sun and the shade are perfect - these are violets, bells, crocus, muscari, phlox.
IN winter period Canadian spruce, mountain pine, juniper look beautiful. The greatest impression is made by variegated and evergreen plantations.
Alpine slide in the country
In general, there are no absolutely two identical rock gardens, since each site owner tries to bring something new, individual to the design. By the way, many believe that The best decision for a mountain composition - an option without any construction works(cement, brickwork, etc.). This approach provides in the future the possibility of reworking the entire structure and greatly facilitates the workflow.
And you decorate your private plot? Tell us, which version of the design of the alpine slide did you like the most?