November 25, 2015

No mercy for those who call a pile of stones and earth a rock garden! Landscape designer Olga Kirillova reveals professional secrets of creating a real alpine landscape in garden plot and gives valuable advice. The author will sort it out typical mistakes, and at the end of the publication you will find a bonus: a large table with the types and varieties of plants for the alpine hill, the features of caring for them and an indication of the growth rate.

If you are confident in your abilities, do not be afraid of strict criticism from a specialist, do as your heart tells you, based on the practical recommendations you have received. Moreover, some rules can be ignored, but some must be followed. Strictly, critically, to the point - this is the article that we bring to your attention.

Alpine slide in the country

Alpine slide, or rock garden, is a small architectural element of a garden plot, which is both a flower garden and a small architectural form simultaneously. Roughly speaking, on an artificially created small hill there is a flower garden with stones and sometimes water elements. A slide can be created in absolutely any shape and size, but, in my opinion, it is fundamentally wrong to create a miniature-sized structure in the corner of a flower garden and call it an alpine slide. We'll talk about this a little later.

Almost every customer of mine asks to allocate a place on his site for an alpine slide, since this is a very common, although not cheap, element of landscaping. But as the years go by, landscape designers adhere to modern trends and, guided by their own experience, they try to use it as rarely as possible in their gardens, despite the fact that amateur gardeners insist on originality, uniqueness and the need to have a slide on their plots.

In this article, I do not want to praise this form of landscaping as zealously as the authors of other articles on the same topic. I would like to talk to you about real things and real situations that you may encounter during and, most importantly, after implementing an alpine slide on your site.

Variety of alpine slides

Each alpine slide is unique. There will not be a single stone or a single plant that will be located in it in the same way. Of course, in their structure, all rock gardens are approximately similar, but they are often used to play up certain elements of the garden: a staircase, a retaining wall, uneven ground, a pond or a spring flowing on the site. Since the situations on the plots are always different, the hill in each garden will have its own character and its own unique atmosphere.

Perennials, coniferous and deciduous shrubs and sometimes dwarf trees, but this does not always happen. In general, a classic rock garden is not characterized by placement coniferous trees and shrubs, but to preserve the decorative effect of the flower garden for as long as possible, this rule can be neglected.

All plants must be frost-resistant and undemanding to watering. It is advisable to select slow-growing plants, then you can spend less time controlling the growth of planting zones.

Do it yourself or trust a designer?

This is what real alpine landscapes look like:

Beautiful, isn't it? Probably everyone, admiring such landscapes, is ready to feel the frosty fresh air with an admixture of sweetish aromas flowering plants. Of course, most gardeners near their home want to get closer to the beautiful or to bring the beautiful closer to themselves, therefore, inspired by such photographs, a person who has no experience in creation begins to draw diagrams and plan where on his site this structure will be located.

This is what happens in the end...

I don't think it looks like a source of inspiration. Of course, we have limited plot space and financially we are often not ready to spend too much, but why do such flower beds look so strange? A pile of earth clogged with stones and chaotically scattered plants cannot become the PEARL of your site. In my circle of friends among landscape designers, we call such alpine hills “dog graves”... Please don’t be angry, those who still like this, but not beaten by anything, a small mound appeared in the middle of the lawn or on the corner of a flower garden, lined with pebbles and flowers. with which it is not associated with anything else. Look again at the shapes of the slides shown in the photo above, at their location on the site - you should never do this!

Creating an alpine slide is indeed an extremely labor-intensive process. Without creating experience, it is incredibly difficult to make something tasteful. I remember when I created my first slide... Now I can’t even look at it without tears. It is important to take into account absolutely every touch, the stones that will be used, their location, the height of the embankment, the location on the site, the placement and abundance of plants on it.

Moreover, this is not a cheap pleasure if you do everything at once. For the most unattractive-looking flower garden, depending on the size, a self-taught owner can spend from 50,000 to 150,000 rubles. If you do good slide decent looking, then you need to count on an amount above 300,000 rubles (at least in the Moscow region).

The larger the flower garden, the more natural it looks, the more natural it is and is not associated with anything bad. But, naturally, than larger size, the more significantly more expensive.

Should you do it yourself or trust the designers? Looking at what gardeners are doing, I still recommend contacting a designer who has Practical experience in the creation of alpine slides. It won’t be much more expensive, if not for the same money that you would spend yourself, but it will look as it should, and not as it turns out...

How to build an alpine slide with your own hands

When is the best time to start making an alpine slide?

The construction of an alpine slide begins with selecting a location on the site. It should be protected from the wind and slightly shaded.

The slide itself can be done at any time you like throughout the entire summer season, but the timing of planting will have to be decided in advance. If you are going to sow some seeds perennial species, then most often this is done in the fall, but perennial seedlings It’s better to plant in the spring - this way it will be easier to decide on the quantity and location of planting and replant if something happens. If the plants were purchased in pots, then there are no specific planting dates, since root system formed and does not suffer during transplantation.

As I said above, it is extremely important to fit the rock garden organically into the area surrounding it, so that it does not look like a randomly formed bunch. To do this, be prepared to use a significant area. It’s good when the garden smoothly flows into an alpine hill, that is, as you approach it, stones and similar plants begin to appear more and more often, this will connect and balance the transition.

I recommend not making artificial sharp boundaries of the flower garden. If on one side the rock garden is limited by a path, then extend its part on the other side. On the other hand, it is not necessary to lift the soil too much and lay large boulders; a few strokes are enough to complete the composition. If the alpine slide, limited by the path, is quite large, then there is no need to extend it on the other side.

When we drew a diagram of the location of the flower bed on the site and a planting diagram, I would also recommend making a flowering diagram. You decorate all the species selected and arranged in the diagram with the color of their main decorative effect in May, June, July and August. You will be surprised how clear it will become where to plant, what to exclude and what to add to your rock garden for permanent decoration. Otherwise, it may turn out like this: your flower garden was green, then in the summer it all bloomed at once, and then began to fade in bald patches and locally lose its decorative effect.

Where to start building an alpine slide

The construction itself begins with calculating the volume of required material in cubes. If you need to create a fairly large level of flower bed with terraces, but want to save money, then you can lay inverted layers of turf as the base. We dug up a bed of weeds where they got in the way and placed them in the skeleton of an alpine hill - two useful things at once.

Then we fill it with earth according to the intended shape. Try to give it the most natural shape possible. In nature, round or oval mounds look alien... The line of the flower bed should be landscape and dynamic.

Based on the situation, you should very carefully calculate the required volume of imported soil and stones so that you do not have to buy more and overpay for delivery.

How to calculate the volume of materials for an alpine slide?

For large perennials, it is good if the fertile layer of soil you pour is 15 - 30 cm. Less is possible, but the less, the worse the plants will grow. If the area of ​​our flower bed is 50 m², and the thickness of the poured soil is 30 cm, then we order 15 m³ of fertile soil. This is approximately one car. For the form itself, the skeleton, where we use turf or waste soil, there is no approximate calculation. This will depend on the shape and height of the desired mound. Rubble stone (fractions up to 50 cm) for such an area will also be 10-15 m³ (one truck).

While I was writing this article, one gardener asked me a question: Is it necessary to create a drainage layer of sand and crushed stone at the base of the slide?

I answer everyone who asked the same question: you can create a layer if you have nowhere to put an extra penny. In practice, there is simply no noticeable difference. The only thing is, if during the construction of a house you have heaps of spoiled earth with crushed stone, sand and stones on your site, you can use them in the foundation, or build a slide directly on them (to save money and labor costs).

What tools will you need to create a rock garden?

The best tool in creating an alpine slide is five workers... But seriously, building a frame for a flower bed with placing stones is an extremely labor-intensive process that can only be done alone if you want to work yourself out. The larger the boulders, the more picturesque they look, but placing them is extremely difficult.

In addition to the heroic labor force, you will need shovels, gloves, rubber boots, pegs with thread for lining the shape and rakes.

How long does it take to build an alpine slide?

Depending on the means and desire, as well as the time when work on the alpine slide begins, construction may take no more than a year.

If in early spring You start making the frame of a flower garden more than 30-40 cm high, arrange the stones, then after the soil settles (about a month later, if it rains), you can confidently plant the plants and not be afraid that the stones will crawl or a hole will form.

If the height of the rock garden is small, then you can plant the plants immediately after installing the base.

What to pay attention to so that the slide retains its beauty for a long time

Probably the most important thing to really pay attention to is the plants that will be used in your alpine garden. Namely, the abundance of species and their number per square meter.

I understand that there are a lot of plants suitable for it and they are all so cool that I want to use them as much as possible. BUT! Only large groups of the same type will look harmonious and natural. After all, we are creating an alpine landscape, and there plants, untouched by man, have grown over the years, forming indescribable carpets. These are the kind of carpets we need to create.

If we use ground cover plants, then it’s worth taking only a few types, but a lot, when organizing a carpet or the basis for a future carpet. When we add simple perennial bushes, we add them locally and a little, so that they grow quietly in the area allocated to them and do not outweigh the composition. They will look great coniferous shrubs and low-growing trees. They will form the basis for year-round decoration.

If at the initial stages you do not overdo it with thickening the planting, then in the near future you will not have to urgently plant them. I often encounter such a problem as an excessive excess of plants in customers’ flower beds. Of course, almost always the owner wants to have a visually completed and ready-made element of the garden, but there is no understanding that literally in the second year the plants begin to grow and choke less aggressive species, which are lost, wither and ultimately spoil the overall appearance. You have to dig up, stir up the entire planting, damage established plants and look for a new one seat for those who have been released. In addition, this is an overpayment for planting material, A extra expenses even wealthy people do not need them at all.

How to choose stones for a rock garden. Laying stones for an alpine slide

Don't turn your rock garden into a rock garden or a pile of roughly dumped cobblestones! Very often I meet people who overdo it with stones. There are a huge number of them on sale in all sorts of colors and shapes. They are so beautiful, they make your mouth water, and, of course, you want to decorate the area with them as much as possible.

Illustrative examples of sorting stones.

A large number of stones will look good on large areas with a corresponding transition of the site into a rock garden.

But if you set out to create an alpine landscape on a small plot, we forget about the impossible beauty and equally impossibly high prices. We buy ordinary rubble stone of large fractions and place it in groups in the flower garden and a little on the site. As you understand, it is only possible to guess where all the stones will lie approximately, so we focus on the spot.

If you are going to create a gushing spring with a stream on your alpine hill, then you can use fine gravel or rubble crushed stone to fill the gutter. Materials should only be used that are similar in structure. Otherwise it will look foreign and hurt your eyes.

If you use a rounded flat stone or flagstone, then, as you understand, this will go against the alpine theme.

Near the spring, it is good to create an imitation of a rockfall: large rubble stones mixed with rubble crushed stone of large and medium fractions. In this way, you can make the transition from large stones to filling the stream gutter.

Plants for alpine hills

For landscaping an alpine hill, you can use annual, perennial, cereal plants, as well as coniferous and deciduous trees and shrubs. Of course, trees in this case mean dwarf compact forms.

All plants selected for the rock garden must be undemanding to moisture and frost-resistant. Since you are creating an artificial hill, you should be prepared for faster loss of moisture and weathering. It is best to protect plantings from the north side to protect them from cold northern winds.

When using any plant in an alpine hill, special attention should be paid to its growth rate and aggressiveness. Since we need to create a harmonious and more or less varied carpet of plants that would look neat, we should limit the growth of “aggressors” by digging a plastic or metal edge around the growth area so that later we do not have to thin out the plantings.

To fill the voids among freshly planted perennials, trees and shrubs while they are growing, some use decorative mulch, but I recommend planting annual plants. Mulch is washed out quite quickly and spoils the whole look, and with the help of annuals you can diversify your flower garden with different colors for the first couple of years.

Steps for creating an alpine slide on the site

Now let’s break down what you will have to do if you decide to self-construction alpine slide.

1. We create a plan diagram of the location of the alpine hill on the site with a calendar of flowering plants.
2. We calculate the volume of required materials: earth, stones, plants and seeds, as well as other materials (if a stream, fountain, spring, etc. will be created).
3. We mark the future flower garden with pegs and adjust the shape according to the location.
4. We create the skeleton of the slide from upturned turf or soil damaged during construction.
5. We lay large boulders.
6. Add soil to give the final shape to the flower bed.
7. Water and let the water absorb. We are waiting for shrinkage if the rock garden is tall.
8. If you are making an artificial cyclic stream, then lay a hose or PVC pipe on the side of the gutter. We also hide the lighting and pump wiring in a black corrugated or HDPE pipe.
9. We lay geotextiles (or used advertising banners) in those places where there will be a stream gutter and a bowl at the source of a spring or fountain.
10. We add soil in places where the earth has settled.
11. Pour in small stones or crushed stone.
12. We plant plants and water them.

Assortment of plants for an alpine hill

When selecting plants for an alpine hill, the most difficult thing is to decide on their types and varieties. After all, they have different needs, growth rates and sizes.

I have compiled a table especially for you perennial plants, which displays plant species and varieties, sizes, their relationship to light, watering and growth rate. I hope this will help you in creating your own original rock garden.

Of course, that's not all possible types plants that are used on the alpine hill. These, in my opinion, are the most interesting and deserve your attention.

№	Name			Height/width, m.	Attitude to light	Peculiarities
	Russian	Latin	Variety
Perennials, cereals, bulbous plants
1	Ajania soothing	Ajania pacifica		0,3/0,9	full sun
2	Adonis spring	Adonis vernalis		0,3/0,3	penumbra	does not require watering; fast grows upward, slowly grows into sorons
3	Amsonia ciliata	Amsonia ciliata		0,9/0,9	penumbra
4	Armeria hybrid	Armeria hybrida		0,3/0,3	full sun
5	Armeria soddy	Armeria caespitosa		0,1/0,2	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
6	Armeria seaside	Armeria maritima	'Splendens', 'Rosea'	0,2/0,3	full sun
7	alpine aster	Aster alpinus	'Alhis', 'Albus'	0,2/0,4	full sun
8	Heather aster	Aster ericoides	'Snow Furry'	0,2/0,4	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
9	Aster Italiana	Aster amellus		0,5/0,5	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
10	Bush aster	Aster dumosus		0,4/0,3	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
11	Astragalus membranaceus	Astragalus membranaceus		0,5/0,4	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
12	Acena magellanica	Acaena magellanica		0,2/1,0	full sun
13	Bergenia hybrid	Vergenia hybrida		0,4/0,6	penumbra	watering is irregular; slow upward growth
14	Bergenia cordifolia	Bergenia cordifolia	‘Perfecta’, ‘Purpurea’, ‘Senior’, ‘Vinterglod’	0,6/0,7	penumbra	watering is irregular; slow upward growth
15	Schmidt's bergenia	Bergenia schmidtii		0,3/0,6	penumbra	watering is irregular; moderate growth
16	Baptisia cobwebs	Baptisia arachnifera		0,8/1,0	full sun	watering is irregular; moderate growth
17	Colchicum agrippina	Colchicum agrippinum		0,1/0,1	full sun	watering is irregular; moderate growth
18	Colchicum splendid	Colchicum speciosum	'Album', 'The Giant'	0,2/0,1	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
19	Colchicum Byzantine	Colchicum byzantinum		0,1/0,1	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
20	Colchicum hybrid	Colchicum Hybrid		0,2/0,2	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
21	Autumn colchicum	Colchicum autumnale	'Waterlily'	0,1/0,2	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
22	Spring whiteflower	Leucójum vernum		0,3/0,1	penumbra	watering is irregular; moderate growth
23	Boykinia James	Boykinia jamesii		0,2/0,3	full sun	watering is irregular; moderate growth
24	Brunnera macrofolia	Brunnera macrophylla	‘Variegata’	0,3/0,6	penumbra	watering is irregular; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
25	Budra ivy-shaped	Glechoma hederacea		0,3/0,8	penumbra	watering is irregular; rapid growth to the sides
26	Initial letter grandiflora	Betonica grandiflora		0,5/0,4	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
27	Mountain alyssum (Alyssum)	Alyssum montanum		0,4/0,3	full sun
28	Rock alyssum	Aurinia saxatilis	‘Compacta’, ‘Sulphurea’	0,3/0,3	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth to the sides
29	Waldsteinia gravilatoides	Waldsteinia geoides		0,3/0,8	penumbra	watering is irregular; rapid growth to the sides
30	Waldsteinia trifoliate	Waldsteinia ternata		0,1/0,6	penumbra	watering is irregular; moderate growth
31	Basil kiuzii	Thalictrum kiusianum		0,1/0,3	penumbra	watering is irregular; moderate growth
32	Monetary loosestrife	Lysimachia nummularia	‘Aurea’, ‘Goldilocks’	0,1/0,3	penumbra	watering is irregular; moderate growth
33	Veronica spicata	Veronica spicata	‘Blue charm’, ‘Heidekind’, ‘Icicle’, ‘Rotfuchs’, ‘Royal Candles’	0,3/0,3	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
34	Veronica creeping	Veronica repens		0,1/0,3	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth to the sides
35	Veronica creeping	Veronica prostrata		0,1/0,4	penumbra	watering is irregular; rapid growth to the sides
36	Lesser's anemone (Anemone)	Anemone lesserii		0,4/0,3	penumbra	watering is irregular; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
37	Narcissiflora anemone (Anemone)	Anemone narcissiflora		0,4/0,4	full sun	watering is irregular; slow sideways growth
38	Hybrid catchment (Aquilegia)	Aquilegia hybrida	any varieties	0,4/0,2-0,9/0,6	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
39	Graceful catchment (Aquilegia)	Aquilegia elegantula		06,/0,5	penumbra	watering is irregular; moderate growth
40	Viper onion (Muscari)	Muscari botryoides	'Album'	0,2/0,1	full sun
41	Crested viper onion (Muscari)	Muscari comosum	'Plumosum'	0,3/0,1	full sun	watering is irregular; fast growth upwards, slow growth to the sides
42	Gaillardia spinosa	Gailardia aristata	'Babycole'	0,2/0,1	full sun	does not require watering; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
43	Alpine carnation	Dianthus alpinus		0,1/0,1	full sun	does not require watering; moderate growth
44	Heuchera	Heuchera	'Chocolate ruffles', 'Crimson curls', 'Frosted violet', 'Mintfrost', 'Persian Carpet', 'Pewterveil', 'Raspberry regal', 'Saturn', 'Silver scrolls', 'Stormy seas', 'Swirling fantasy ', 'Velvet knight'	0,3/0,2-0,7/0,5	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
45	Helleborus crimson (Helleborus)	Helleborus atroubens		0,4/0,5	penumbra	watering is irregular; moderate growth
46	Geranium hybrid	Geranium cantabrigiense	‘Biokovo’, ‘Cambridge’, ‘Gravetye’, ‘Plenum’	0,2/0,5-0,3/0,6	full sun, partial shade	watering is irregular; moderate growth
47	Blood red geranium	Geranium sanguineum	‘Alan bloom’, ‘Album’, ‘Cedric Morris’, ‘Max Frei’, ‘Splendens’	0,1/0,6-0,6/1,0	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
48	Glaucidium palmate	Glaucidium palmatum		0,4/0,6	penumbra	watering is irregular; moderate growth
49	Gentian stemless	Gentiana acaulis		0,2/0,1	full sun	watering is irregular; moderate growth
50	Gravilate scarlet	Geum coccineum		0,4/0,3	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
51	Hybrid gravilate	Geum hybridum		0,3/0,3-0,6/0,4	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
52	Creeping gravilate	Sieversia reptans		0,1/0,2	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
53	Goose onion	Gagea lutea		0,1/0,1	penumbra	watering is irregular; fast growth upwards, slow growth to the sides
54	Inula elecampane	Inula ensifolia		0,3/0,3	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
55	Canadian dogwood	Cornus canadensis		0,2/0,2	penumbra	watering is irregular; moderate growth
56	Dicentra is magnificent	Dicentra spectabilis		1,0/0,5	penumbra	watering is irregular; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
57	Dicentra hybrid	Dicentra hybridum		0,3/0,3	penumbra	watering is irregular; moderate growth
58	Creeping tenacious	Ajuga reptans		0,2/0,3	penumbra	watering is irregular; moderate growth
59	Iris low	Iris pumila		0,1/0,1	full sun	watering is irregular; moderate growth
60	Callirhoe involucres	Callirhoe involucrata		0,3/1,0	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth to the sides
61	Saxifraga Arends	Saxifraga arendsii		0,1/0,4	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth to the sides
62	Bluebell hybrid	Campanula punctata		0,1/0,5	full sun	watering is irregular; moderate growth
63	Bluebell Carpathian	Campanula carpatica		0,2/0,2	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
64	Magellan's grass	Elymus magellanicus		0,3/0,6	full sun
65	Coreopsis whorled	Coreopsis verticillata		0,6/0,5	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
66	Crocus	Crocus		0,1/0,1	full sun	watering is irregular; fast growth upwards, slow growth to the sides
67	Large-flowered pterygoid	Aethionema grandiflorum		0,2/0,2	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
68	May lily of the valley	Convallaria majalis		0,2/0,3	penumbra	watering is irregular; moderate growth
69	Hybrid cinquefoil	Potentilla hybrida		0,4/0,5	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth to the sides
70	perennial flax	Linum perenne		0,6/0,3	full sun	watering is irregular; fast growth upwards, slow growth to the sides
71	Lupine hybrid	Lupinus hybridus	‘Gallery white’, ‘Gallery yellow’, ‘Polar princess’, ‘The governor’	1,0/0,8	full sun	watering is irregular; moderate growth
72	Mountain Buttercup	Ranunculus montanus		0,1/0,2	full sun	watering is irregular; moderate growth
73	Oriental poppy	Papaver orientale		0,8/0,4	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
74	Alpine cuff	Alchemilla alpina		0,1/0,1	full sun	does not require watering; moderate growth
75	Perennial daisy	Bellis perennis		0,2/0,1	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
76	White-spotted lungwort	Pulmonaria saccharata		0,4/0,3	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
77	Soapwort basilicofolia	Saponaria ocymoides		0,1/0,4	full sun
78	Ash gray fescue	Festuca glauca		0,5/0,6	full sun	does not require watering; grows quickly up and into the sky
79	White sedum	Sedum album		0,1/0,3	full sun	watering is irregular; slow sideways growth
80	Sedum prominent	Sedum spectabile		0,4/0,4	full sun	watering is irregular; moderate growth
81	Hybrid sedum	Sedum hybridum	‘Herbstfreude’, ‘Immergrunchen’, ‘Purple Emperor’, ‘Rosyglow’, ‘Rubyglow’, ‘Verajameson’	0,2/0,3-0,5/0,5	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth upwards and to the sides
82	False sedum	Sedum spurium		0,2/0,2	full sun	watering is irregular; moderate growth
83	Peony angustifolia	Paeonia tenuifolia		0,7/0,7	full sun	watering is irregular; moderate growth
84	Siberian Scilla	Scilla siberica		0,1/0,1	penumbra	watering is irregular; fast growth upwards, slow growth to the sides
85	Alpine lumbago	Pulsatilla alpina		0,3/0,2	penumbra	watering is irregular; moderate growth
86	Caucasian rhizome (Arabis)	Arabis caucasica	‘Heidi’, ‘Plena’, ‘Schneehaube’, ‘Variegata’	0,2/0,3	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth to the sides
87	Yarrow	Achillea millefolium	‘Cerise queen’, ‘Heidi’, ‘Lilac beauty’, ‘Ortel’s rose’	0,7/0,6	full sun	does not require watering; rapid upward growth
88	Phlox splayed	Phlox divaricata		0,1/0,3	penumbra	watering is irregular; rapid upward growth
89	Phlox subulate	Phlox subulata	‘Candy stripes’, ‘Emerald cushion blue’, ‘Pinkchinz’	0,1/0,5	full sun	watering is irregular; rapid growth to the sides
90	Chistets woolly	Stachys byzantina	‘Big ears’, ‘Countess Helene von Stein’, ‘Sheila McQueen’, ‘Silver carpet’	0,3/0,3	full sun	watering is irregular; moderate growth
91	Echinacea purpurea	Echinacea purpurea		1,2/0,6	full sun	watering is irregular; moderate growth
92	alpine jasmine	Cerastium alpinum		0,3/0,8	full sun	watering is irregular; fast growth to the sides, slow growth upwards

Arranging a rock garden is an incredibly exciting activity that requires creative approach. In the process, a great abundance of possibilities opens up before you, the main thing is to show imagination and imagination.

What is an alpine slide? In essence, this is an imitation of a mountain landscape with perfectly selected beautiful flowers and plants. Such a composition in the garden should harmoniously fit into the overall landscape, complementing it favorably.

Creating 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 transitions, paths, steps and the structure as a whole.

Choosing the location of the alpine slide

It is very important that the location of the rock garden is well lit. Alpine plants are light-loving: it is the amount of sunlight that affects their growth and development. If we talk about soil, rocky soils with a limited amount of water will be optimal. Excess moisture is extremely destructive for mountain flora, so it is important to prevent stagnation of water in the drainage.

In garden plots, quite a lot of shapeless varieties of stones often form, which owners sometimes use for a future rock garden. In this case there is a risk instead beautiful design get a meaningless and ridiculous mountain of stones. Here, experienced landscape designers still recommend carefully selecting pebbles according to appearance, size and shape to create an exquisite mountain landscape.

How to choose the right stones for a rock garden

For your future rock garden, try to select stones of no more than two species of the same size and same structure as possible.

Also consider characteristics plants and flowers that you are planning for the slide. As a rule, they take root well on calcareous rocks with a porous structure, which facilitates the penetration of the roots inside. But such soil needs to be acidified periodically, since it has alkaline reaction. It is advisable to embellish the gaps between plants and stones marble chips or crushed stone. So, the rock garden will take on a beautiful finished look.

Tip: buy stones in special 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, slate 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 if there is steep slope. In this case, work begins from the base, where large blocks of stone are laid, and then various plants are planted.

The next type is a mountain composition that transforms the design into a unique place of extraordinary beauty. To create such beauty, stone blocks are hidden two-thirds into the ground and chaotic paths are arranged, forming a stunning mountain landscape.

Color spectrum

The maximum effect in creating a rock garden can be achieved by a skillful game of color transitions.

Combinations of three shades are considered luxurious. For example, yellow harmonizes perfectly 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 it away using blue. Take a closer look at any landscape design. Surely you will notice that blue and blue flowers planted in the distance are almost invisible, and plants with warm shades, on the contrary, they visually bring objects closer.

Since ancient times, designers have been using the game of contrasts in order to, thanks to one element, emphasize the splendor and uniqueness of another. One large plant looks much brighter and more expressive if it is enveloped from all sides low-growing species. But compositions with whole and dissected leaves look most advantageous against each other.

Dominant element

The rock garden will look much more elegant if it is dominated by a bright dominant element. These can be the most spectacular flowers or plants, an original stone or a stream. This accent must be visible from all sides, because it is what gives final completeness to the design, and the landscape is perceived as one whole.

How to choose plants for a mountain composition

When choosing plantings, it is necessary to take into account their sensitivity to light in the place where the rock garden is planned. Remember, not all plants are suitable for a hill 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, bergenia, fern and hosta. Light-loving plants, for which soil drainage is less important, are much easier to choose. These are tulip, young, thyme, iris, etc.

There are also many universal varieties that are perfect for both sun and shade - violet, bellflower, crocus, muscari, phlox.

IN winter period looks good Canadian spruce, mountain pine, juniper. The most impressive are variegated and evergreen plantings.

Alpine slide in the country

In general, there are no absolutely two identical rock gardens, since each owner of the site tries to bring something new and individual to the design. By the way, many people believe that The best decision for a mountain composition - an option without any construction work(cement, brickwork, etc.). This approach provides the opportunity to rework the entire structure in the future and significantly facilitates the work process.

Do you decorate your garden plot? Tell us which version of the alpine slide design did you like the most?

A relatively new trend in landscape design is the construction of alpine slides. They replaced the classic flower beds and ridges and serve as decoration summer cottages and country houses.

Garden alpine slides are an island of artificially created wildlife alpine mountains To create them, rock stones are stacked and lush vegetation is planted among them.

Such a work of art exudes the pristine purity of nature. Having such a garden decoration is a true aesthetic pleasure.

Some people set up a rock garden with the help of specialists. But making an alpine slide with your own hands is quite possible, and in a fairly short time. How to equip an alpine slide and what you will need for this - we will talk about all this in detail further.

Rock garden in the country - an opportunity to make the garden brighter and more original

Those who want to diversify the landscape of their garden unusual elements, you should definitely pay attention to the rock gardens. With the help of a rock garden you can make your garden original and bright. Each alpine slide project is unique in its own way. General rules for their arrangement exist, but the implementation of ideas is a creative process.

There are countless examples of alpine slides in the country. One set of starting materials can result in infinite set variations. Anyone who creates a slide from a sketch can get it similar to the original in general terms, small parts will always be different.

Rock gardens have mandatory attributes.One of them is a large stone, which will symbolize mountain peak. The conventional slopes of such a mountain are planted with plants that would feel natural in a mountain climate.

It is worth understanding that simply stacked stones and plants making their way between them will not constitute an alpine slide. This landscape composition requires strength, good imagination and some financial investments.

Where is the best place to place an alpine slide, types of rock gardens

Choosing a location for an alpine slide is one of important stages in its creation. The main criteria for choosing the location of the alpine slide:

• space– the structure is quite massive, so it will require space;
• illumination– an alpine slide needs a lot of sunlight;
• review– this is still a flower garden and a decorative structure, it should be clearly visible.

When we make an alpine slide with our own hands, without the help of specialists, we need to calculate everything correctly. To make this landscape decoration organic, you need space. The larger the slide, the more organic it will look, the closest to its natural appearance.

Each site has its own characteristics. Therefore, you need to choose the right type of rock garden so that it is in harmony with all the elements of the landscape. Gardens with different types of plants and different climatic conditions are selected for different styles and areas different variants. Taking into account all the above factors, you can choose best option, which will harmonize and please the eye.

There are the following types of slides in the country:

The choice among types of rock gardens is quite wide, which means that there is a suitable option for each garden plot.

Important! On small areas Alpine slides look a little awkward. They are big and small garden will look too bulky.

A good place for a rock garden would be an open, sunny meadow. Relief areas look as natural as possible, and various ponds and paths are a great addition.

When and how to start work on creating a rock garden

When it comes to the question of how to properly design an alpine slide, you must follow the rules so that the structure looks harmonious and the plants on it feel good. Work related to the creation of a rock garden is carried out in different seasons.

The formation of the base of the slide, the filling of soil, and the laying of drainage are carried out in the fall. The stones are laid in the spring, and flowers are also planted in the spring.

The area allocated for the rock garden must be cleared of plants, weed roots and extra items. If necessary, a hill embankment is artificially created. On the marked area, according to the rock garden plan, a layer of soil of 20-30 cm is removed. In its place, the base of the alpine slide is laid. Alpine slide diagram:

• First layer– drainage. Has a thickness of 10-15 cm;
• Second layer– coarse sand 5 cm thick, well compacted;
• Third layer– fertile. Need to fill the remaining space fertile soil, for example, one part each of turf soil, peat, humus and sand.

The construction of the slide must begin with laying drainage - a kind of foundation. It can be neglected only if water does not stagnate in the area.

The technology for laying drainage is very simple. Before filling it, you need to make sure that there are no weeds left in the soil, otherwise they will penetrate through the stones and destroy the alpine hill. It is practiced to lay geotextiles under drainage.

Alpine slide: how to select and prepare stones

Different types of stones are chosen for rock gardens. Important criteria– natural texture and the right combination stones. It is important to choose the right combination of stones various sizes and shapes to create a harmonious looking slide.

Often, coils, quartz, sandstone, gabbro, granite, marble and other types of stone are used for rock gardens. The composition usually requires 5-6 large stones. You will also need small stones - gravel, crushed stone.

Laying stone on an alpine hill

Next stage The plan for building the slide includes laying stones and adding soil.

The stone composition begins to be laid out from the base to the top. First of all, they determine where the large stones will lie, then the place of the smaller stones. Rocks of rocks are buried into the soil to at least a third of the height.

When the stones are laid out, it is necessary to fill the spaces between them with earth. This will give the slide a more natural look. After this, the rock garden is well watered so that the soil and stones take their natural places.

It is not recommended to immediately plant plants on a hill; the rock garden should stand for two to three weeks. But ideally, the slide is made in the fall, and the plants are planted in the spring.

Important! Stones in the rock garden should be placed so that rain and melt water do not wash away the soil between them. If the soil is washed away, you will need to constantly refill, and the plants will suffer due to exposed roots.

How to choose and plant plants in a country rock garden

Unpretentious flowers are best suited for alpine slides. It is better to decorate flower gardens for a summer residence with unpretentious plants that do not require careful care.

The Alps have a harsh atmosphere, where plants fight for a place in the sun. They must be able to withstand heavy rains and strong winds. For ease of annual renewal of the rock garden, you can choose annual plants. It is also better to time the plants to bloom so that they alternate each other throughout the season.

The following plants are suitable for alpine slides:

• - symbol of the Alps. The plant is resistant to cold, it grows and, like a carpet, covers the slopes of an alpine hill;
• – unpretentious plant with creeping stems. Used as edging for rock gardens;
• - a popular plant for alpine slides. It has fleshy, attractive leaves and light purple flowers;
• - grows into a carpet that is strewn small flowers. Green shoots and leaves cover the stones. The plant prefers dark areas;
• Lumbago- a flower of the buttercup family, very good for growing on alpine hills. It is also called sleep-grass. It blooms in early spring.

Shrubs and flowers will look good:
Plant combinations look good. In this way you can create unique designs. It is also important to create the impression of multi-tieredness.

The Alpine slide has planting patterns. Between the stone placers there should be enough space for the growth and development of plants. Small holes are made at an angle, into which the seedlings are placed and their roots are sprinkled with soil. The soil around the stem is compacted and watered.

Did you know? When watering plants on an alpine hill, water should be poured from top to bottom. Flowing, the water will well saturate the soil.

On hills, rosette flowers should not be planted with ground cover, as the latter will quickly grow and crowd out rather delicate flowers. To prevent the rhizomes of plants from growing on the hill, they are planted inside a limiter, which can be a jar or bucket without a bottom.

A retaining wall in the form of a rock garden is a new salvation from “boring” walls

Advice!The main rule is that a rock garden should look decorative and beautiful even without flowers. Stones must be harmonious and balanced to create a stable and extremely natural composition. The less symmetry it has, the more organic it will look.

The pride of the homeowner - a do-it-yourself alpine slide

The implemented step-by-step instructions for an alpine slide will give you the opportunity to create a real masterpiece on your site landscape design. And to make it impeccable, we will reveal some secrets that will help you in your work:

A mini rock garden in a flower bed is very suitable for small courtyards where there is no room for standard stone compositions

To create a miniature rock garden you will only need dwarf plants, pebbles and terracotta pot

The most popular plants for rock gardens:

• • • • • • • • dwarf spruce,
              • juniper,

Juniper looks beautiful in a composition with stones

• • • • • • • • • cypress,

When arranging an alpine hill, you should definitely take into account the features of the landscape and, based on this, choose the appropriate landscaping option

• • • • • • • • • • dryad,
                  • Iberis,
                  • rock alyssum,

Mountain waterfalls are also characteristic of Alpine landscapes

• • • • • • • • • • • short-stemmed,
                    • saxifrage.

Saxifraga will contribute color accents to the alpine corner

An element such as an alpine slide has long become a common element in the design of garden plots. Even small rock gardens add variety to standard garden designs. And, with just a little imagination, you can create a real work of art from a generally ordinary element of landscape design.

About the history of alpine slides

The first rock gardens were supposed to imitate rocky fragments of the area, so plants were far from their main element. Over time, there was a gradual shift towards more intensive use of plants in the design of the slide.

As for the idea of ​​​​using alpine slides in gardens, it owes its origin to chance. The fact is that at the beginning of the century before last, travelers began to actively bring plants that were outlandish at that time to England, for example, thyme or adonis. But they simply refused to grow on seemingly such fertile soil.

It was then that the gardeners of that time came up with the idea of ​​using rocky soil, which was more familiar to plants. Over time, the idea of ​​using stone in gardens was appreciated in other countries, and new fashion began to actively spread throughout the world.

The design of the garden slide has undergone several major changes since its inception.

Of course, these changes occurred smoothly, but three characteristic stages of development can be distinguished:

• stone dominance- on initial stage Large boulders and even entire stone grottoes were actively used. Plants peeked out modestly from the cracks between the stones and were used only to emphasize the age of the stone structure;

• gradually the greenery took over the position from the stone and soon it was possible to fix parity. Stone was still the basis of the composition, but plants also received considerable attention;
• In the end, the triumph of life came - a modern alpine coaster- this is a riot of colors and greenery, slightly diluted by lifeless gray stone. Moreover, it is not necessary to use only one stone to create it. Soil, an excess of which was formed, for example, after digging a foundation pit, is also suitable.

Note!
For small areas, the last 2 types of slides are suitable; large stone structures or individual boulders will look ridiculous on a small garden plot.

Homemade alpine slide - a guide to action

A do-it-yourself slide in the garden always looks impressive, but many people refuse it because of the apparent complexity and labor-intensive nature of the work.

In fact, there is nothing complicated about this, but the main attention should be paid to several points:

• choose correct location Location on;
• do not miss the size, the rock garden should not be lost on the site, but it should not overwhelm with its grandeur either;
• avoid symmetry when filling the body of the slide and decorating it with stones;

• choosing the right plants is still not a flowerbed or a flowerbed, so not all types of flowers are suitable.

Layout

Ideally, the location of the slide on the site should be dominant. That is, when drawing up a plan, you must first place the rock garden on optimal location and based on this, lay paths, lay out flower beds and think through further design.

In reality, this doesn’t always happen, so it’s a good idea to know a few rules for choosing a place for a rock garden:

• the place should be dry, and the groundwater should lie as deep as possible;

Note!
It is advisable to place alpine slides in the garden on a hill.
This guarantees protection from groundwater, and in case of heavy precipitation, the water will not stagnate at the foot of the rock garden.

• It is extremely undesirable to place the slide directly next to the fence or near the house; most of the effect will simply be lost. If such placement is necessary, then you need to create an advantageous background; a low bush is suitable for this. For the same reason, it is necessary to avoid the proximity of rock gardens and tall thick trees;

• the area should be well lit.

Preparatory stage

Here you will need to decide on the type of materials and think in general terms about the design of the future rock garden.

The instructions at this stage look like this:

• the area of ​​the rock garden base is determined;
• in this area it is necessary to ensure good drainage; for this, turf (layer vegetable soil 20-30 cm thick) is removed, and the free space is filled with any well-draining material. Not only crushed stone or gravel will do, but also regular construction waste, such as broken bricks or pieces of concrete.

Note!
In this case, it is better not to use the removed fertile layer for filling the hill itself.
Over time, the grass stems and roots will rot and the structure will shrink quite a bit, which can destroy the entire composition.

You can combine regular soil and gravel backfill. That is, the body of the slide is filled with gravel or crushed stone. Then there is a layer of soil and only then the structure is decorated with stones. There are many options for solving the question of how to build an alpine slide on a garden plot, the main thing is to ensure good drainage.

About the size, shape and technology of constructing a rock garden

Asymmetry can be considered a general rule when designing an alpine slide. No need to try to make it look perfectly correct geometric figure. Indeed, in nature, symmetry occurs only as an exception.

The stepped form is quite popular, it allows you to group plants different types on separate tiers. Decorative stones in this case, they act as miniature retaining walls and prevent the soil from floating over time.

Note!
The dimensions of the ledges are selected individually for each specific case, but you can focus on the average height of the ledge in the range of 0.2 - 0.3 m.

As for the collection of stones, the use of boulders with noticeable inclusions of other rocks can be considered ideal. Small defects (for example, chipped areas) are also an advantage - plants can be planted in them. All boulders must be of the same type, that is, smooth, rolled stone should not be adjacent to crushed granite.

The size, as a rule, decreases from bottom to top, and the top of the hill is finished with a group of small stones, or one large one. The correct selection of stones is very important, especially since the price of the structure practically does not change.

Note!
It is allowed to use large elongated stones.
They are usually simply dug into the ground, and the slide itself is placed around such stones.

As for construction technology, it is necessary to start laying boulders some time after filling the body of the slide. During this time, under the influence of its own weight and moisture from precipitation, shrinkage will end.

Selection of plants

Previously, it was considered a sign of bad taste to make rock gardens too bright and flashy. Currently, there is some departure from this rule, but turning a slide into an ordinary flowerbed still cannot be recommended. Why not list all types of plants by name, let’s break them down suitable species into groups.

Allowed to use:

• herbaceous perennials;
• small shrub, both coniferous and deciduous;
• bulbous (planted in a small area);
• ground cover species - fill all available space.

When planting in the ground, you need to make a small hole around the stem and fill it with small crushed stone. The hole will collect the water the plant needs, and the crushed stone will choke out the weeds.

Summarizing

Even the simplest rock garden will beneficially diversify the design of any garden. There is no need to be afraid of an unfamiliar name; even a novice summer resident can cope with the construction of an alpine slide. The tips presented in this article will help you avoid common beginner mistakes.

The video in this article shows an example of constructing a simple alpine slide with minimal financial costs.