Do you want to improve your skills in landscape design? Try making an alpine slide with your own hands. We warn you: it’s better not to get down to business without confident skill, otherwise you risk creating a mess in your flowerbed, making your neighbors laugh and being disappointed in the design. The editors of the publication understand the benefits of a rock garden and how to make one yourself.

Alpine slide: photos, ideas, combinations

This exterior element is based on a combination mountain plants with a stone. The Alpine slide is a serious and confident competitor to traditional flower beds and plaster sculptures. The latter is already difficult to surprise anyone, not to mention creating a unique atmosphere in the exterior.

Photo 1 - Composition by Debora Carl Landscape design

Alpine slides are used for decoration:

• private houses;
• country estates;
• squares;
• gardens;
• lawns of office buildings;
• areas near cafes and shopping centers.

Photo 3 - Landscape design from studio LANDARH

The design of the alpine slide is multi-level. There are many diagrams for beginners that help you avoid getting confused in the arrangement of design elements.

Plants for alpine hills: photos and names

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

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

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

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

How to make an alpine slide? Preparatory work

Photo 6 - Exterior from the design team Marianna Notkina & Khomjakov Stanislav

A few tips before you start arranging your rock garden:

1. take care of its basis - the soil;
2. keep in mind that the design should imitate natural areas typical of rocky terrain;
3. The compositional basis is stones, as well as plants of small height and creeping nature.

IMPORTANT! It is this kind of vegetation that is typical of the Alpine mountains, the atmosphere of which has become the basic idea of ​​the described landscape element.

"Wonderful Garden" "Wonderful Garden"

Creating a rock garden requires the presence of such elements as:

1. sole;
2. slopes leading to the top;
3. vertex.

Photo 9 - Exterior project from Alena Arsenyeva Landscape Workshop Photo 10 - Design from Skyline Ridge Landscape studio

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

Photo of alpine slides in the garden: choosing the type

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

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

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

Types of alpine slides:

• rock cliff - a hill, which provides a maximum of rock boulders and a minimum amount of vegetation;
• the mountainside is a composition in which stones of various sizes are combined with numerous vegetation. It is quite tall, which is its basic feature;
• mountain valley - a hill consisting of massive stones peeking out of the ground. The stones are surrounded by vegetation;
• gorge - a rock garden built in a natural hollow. The slopes are paved with stones, and plants that belong to rock flora are planted.

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

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

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

There is another kind landscape elements, which stand alongside alpine coasters in popularity, but differ from them. This is a rockery - a garden consisting of stones that act as a background for decorative vegetation.

Photo 16 - Exterior project by The Philbin Group Landscape Architecture

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

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

Photo 17 - Project by Calvin Design Bureau

We decided to keep it simple and, for convenience, divided the process of creating an alpine slide with our own hands into steps.

Do-it-yourself Alpine slide: step-by-step photos

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

• Step 1. Develop a sketch

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

Photo 19 - Multi-level flower bed by Remick Associates Architects + Master Builders

• Step 2. Determine the location

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

IMPORTANT! Don't forget to plan a place to relax near the rock garden. Nearby you can place a small flat area where you can put a sun lounger, a table, chairs and even install a gazebo.

Photo 20 - Statue in composition. Idea: Westover Landscape Design, Inc.

• Step 3: Create conditions for vegetation

In order for plants to thrive in the ecosystem, the slopes should be located to the east and south. This way the vegetation will receive enough sunlight and heat.

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

• Step 4. Consider the natural unevenness of the terrain

If there are a lot of natural unevenness in the area, best place Can't find one for a rock garden. Located on natural slopes, the alpine slide will look organic. And stones and plants will become a wonderful decor.

Photo 22 - Author landscape design Kimberley Bryan

• Step 5. Draw the lines

Lines from the sketch at the appropriate scale are transferred to the site, making it possible to indicate which element should be located and where.

Photo 23 - Landscape design idea from Princeton Scapes Inc.

• Step 6. Install the first boulders

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

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

• Step 7: Create a Space for Plants

When the boulders are laid around the perimeter and there are clear outlines of the hill, care should be taken to prepare a place for plants. To equip it, pour into the interior space of the rock garden suitable soil and plant vegetation.

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

This should be done in layers and gradually, separating each tier of the slide with stones. Otherwise, you will end up with something like a “slanted flower bed.”

Photo 25 - Landscape design project from Porebski Architects Chippendale

• Step 8. Top decoration

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

Do-it-yourself Alpine slides in the country: photos and the best ideas for the exterior

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

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

Photo 27 - Design project from Huettl Landscape Architecture studio

A rock garden with a waterfall is more difficult to set up, but it is worth all the effort because it looks more impressive.

Photo 28 - Succulents in the design of a rock garden

The sequence of its creation is as follows:

1. we dig out the pit after marking the rock garden;
2. fill the future pond with water;
3. fill the space around with sand, pour water over the edges, make several layers, which we then compact;
4. for the cascade we take stones with a flat surface - their installation is easier;
5. tilt the structure back so that it is not noticeable;
6. We fix it using polyurethane foam or cement mortar;
7. remove excess building materials;
8. we install a pump on the bottom (we select the power according to the height of the cascade);
9. We bring the hose to the top of the rock garden and disguise it between the stones.

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

Photo 29 - Exterior rock garden from Envision Landscape Studio

Alpine slide: photos and editor's choice

Photo 30 - Exterior stones from Paradise Restored Landscaping & Exterior Design

If you don’t have ideas for independently developing sketches of an alpine slide, the design of beautiful rock gardens, photos of which can be seen below in the gallery, will lead to interesting ideas.

Mountain landscapes have always attracted people with their simple and natural beauty. Being on a mountain plateau or standing on a rocky cliff overgrown with grass, small plants and delicate flowers, you feel an inexplicable freedom, a special unity with pure, untouched nature. And I really want to keep these wonderful feelings in my soul for longer. An alpine slide will help with this, which you can create with your own hands in the garden. It will become not only a small island of harmony, but also a magnificent decoration of the garden, an object of universal admiration.

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

The rock garden is very close to the alpine hill, as they both represent a composition of plants and stones. But these two types of flower beds should not be confused. Rockeries are an imitation of a mountain plateau or scree, located mainly on flat terrain and are not limited in the selection of plants. A rock garden is always hills and slopes, and the selection of plants is limited to the alpine zone.

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

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

But despite these disadvantages, the rock garden also has undeniable advantages.

• Unconditional originality and unique beauty of the composition.
• Possibility to use waste land. Only a rock garden will help decorate the slope. The Alpine slide will hide the abandoned place.
• Low maintenance requirements. Correct selection unpretentious plants will make caring for the flower garden easy.
• Interesting creative work. An alpine slide at the dacha with your own hands can be created together by the whole family and turn this labor-intensive process into an exciting activity.

If you are not afraid of difficulties, then first we will choose suitable look rock garden, so that you can start working in early autumn.

Design ideas for rock gardens

When deciding how to make an alpine slide at your dacha, you should get acquainted with existing species such flower beds.

Based on the type of placement of stones, the following types are distinguished:

1. Rocky cliff. This version of the alpine slide will be appropriate on any site. It is a steep hill with large rocks at the base and smaller ones at the top. Vegetation in this option is planted in “pockets” between stones and crevices. At the top of such a cliff, a stone of an original shape is placed or a large plant is planted.
2. Mountain slope or scree. This perfect solution for areas with natural gentle slopes. To naturally imitate mountain scree, large boulders are placed at the top of the slope, and at its base there are small pebbles with occasional larger stones. This composition is fixed with dwarf and creeping conifers, as well as creeping plants.



Mountain slope or scree

3. Terraced slope. Will create a stone composition in the spirit of an “abandoned” garden. It is simply ideal for a site on a slope. This alpine slide is created with your own hands in the form of steps, which are supported by boulders or special walls made of large stones.
4. Mountain valley. A solution for a large flat area. To create the image of a high-mountain valley, huge blocks of stone and boulders are distributed over a designated area and dug into the ground up to half their size. Paths are built between them. Plants for an alpine slide of this type must correspond to the created image; these are mosses, miniature shrubs, cereals, as well as plants with a long flowering period.



mountain valley

5. Gorge. Enough difficult option, but also the most different natural beauty. This do-it-yourself alpine slide can most easily be installed on an area with uneven, hilly terrain. However, embankments can also be made artificially. Such hills are lined with very large stones different heights. The stone “walls” of the gorge are decorated with moss and creeping plants, and dwarf plants are planted in the middle.



6. Ravine. If there is a natural depression on your site, then such a depression in the soil can be used when constructing an alpine slide in the form of a ravine. The walls are secured with dug large stones, and shade-loving plants are planted below. Or you can equip an artificial mini-reservoir at the bottom of the ravine.
7. Mountain Lake. If you are the happy owner of a small pond on your property, then a small alpine slide can be created on its shore using moisture-loving plants.



mountain waterfall

And specialists will be able to help arrange even a miniature mountain waterfall, since this will require the installation of a water pump.



Mountain waterfall diagram

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

Czech rock (skalka)

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

Multi-level terrace

We have not named all models of rock gardens. Despite the differences, all existing alpine slides are very beautiful and can adequately decorate any landscape.

Every dacha owner or country house strives to give his site beauty and originality. There are many ways to do this - neat lawns, trimmed bushes, exotic trees.

All this will make the area near the house cozy and well-groomed. But such a mini-park can hardly be called original. But to make your site unique, you need a non-standard solution.

And there is such a solution - this is an alpine slide. There are practically no limits to imagination when creating it. There are no strict patterns or rules in its design and decoration - everything depends on the creative ideas of the owner of the site.

Of course, there is a certain set of rules for creating an alpine slide. And he is well known to landscape designers who know their business very well.

But why pay a lot of money for something that you can do yourself? After all, creating a rock garden does not require special training or qualifications. By following simple rules, you can add beauty and originality to your suburban area with your own hands.

What does it represent

An alpine hill is a copy of a mountain landscape, decorated with a variety of plants. Sometimes a rock garden includes small ponds and even waterfalls.

It is impossible to find two absolutely identical slides - each of them is made in a single copy and is the embodiment of the fantasies of the person who created it.

There are several types of alpine slides that copy one or another mountain landscape:

1. "Rocks"- made up of large boulders.
   
   Photo: "Rocks"
2. - installed on sloped areas.
   
   Photo: “Mountain Slope”
3. - for flat areas, many flowering plants are used.
   
   Photo: “Valley”
4. - an excellent option for creating an alpine slide with your own hands on a flat area, it involves the use of small stones in combination with flowering plants.

   Photo: “Alpine lawn”

5. - Suitable for areas with rugged landscape.
   Photo: “Ravine”
6. "Stone Garden"- rock garden in style Japanese garden stones.
   
   Photo: "Stone Garden"

In practice, these options are often mixed or new ones created, original types alpine slides.

Selecting a location

Not only the beautiful appearance the hill itself, but the site as a whole.

Therefore, when determining a place for it, a number of significant factors should be taken into account:

• It is necessary that the alpine slide fits organically into the landscape of the site. Tomato and cabbage beds are not the best neighborhood for a piece of mountain landscape;
• the alpine slide is a highlight suburban area. Therefore, it should be in plain sight, located next to the recreation area, and not hidden behind a garage or currant bushes;
• the area for the rock garden should not be too large; the optimal area is considered to be from 2 to 6 square meters, with a height of up to one and a half meters (at a higher height, it will be difficult to care for the slide);

If the size of the plot allows, then you can place the rock garden on larger area, but not more than 50 square meters, otherwise during the inspection the feeling of the integrity of the composition will be lost.

• For an alpine slide, it is better to take a sunny, unshaded place. This is necessary for good plant growth and rapid evaporation of excess moisture.

Site preparation

It is better to start building an alpine slide in early autumn, before the onset of heavy rains. This time is optimal, because over the winter the soil inside the hill will settle a little, and in the spring, having added soil to the spaces between the stones, you can safely begin planting.

The first thing that needs to be done when installing a slide is laying drainage. Drainage is necessary in order, firstly, to avoid subsidence of the soil under the hill, and secondly, to prevent the accumulation of excess moisture under it.

The drainage is constructed in the following sequence:

What materials are used

When decorating an alpine slide with your own hands, you should carefully consider the choice of materials, because its appearance and attractiveness depend on this.

The size of the stones should depend on the size of the slide itself. For a large rock garden, massive boulders are suitable, which will create its base.

For slides with an area of ​​2 to 5 square meters, it is more advisable to use medium-sized stones and flagstone. It will be very good if the stones are of the same type - this will give the slide more naturalness.

The most suitable rocks are granite, sandstone, and limestone. The stones themselves must have good view- after all, in winter and in early spring the plants on the hill will not give it a lively appearance, and its attractiveness will depend entirely on the stones that make it up.

Formation of a rock garden

There are no strict schemes or requirements for the formation of an alpine slide. What it should be depends only on the imagination and desires of the owner of the site on which it is created.

But there are some rules that must be taken into account when creating it:

What plants are needed

After the formation of the rock garden is completed, they begin to plant it. It is very important to choose the optimal set of plants.

This is especially true when decorating an alpine slide with your own hands. small area. After all, the smaller the slide, the less opportunity there is to diversify its green decoration.

However, by following a number of rules, you can achieve the desired effect even in a small area:

How to make an alpine slide with your own hands (step-by-step photos)

An alpine hill is a wonderful decoration for any suburban area. The absence of patterns and templates in its creation gives scope for creativity, which makes each of them unique and inimitable.

Small for beginners

For those who are just mastering the creation of alpine slides, it would be advisable to practice building and decorating a mini rock garden.

Such slides are made as follows:

1. Drainage is arranged in the usual way. But for a small area, it is enough to dig a pit up to half a meter deep.
2. A large stone is installed in the center of the area chosen for the mini-rock garden. It needs to be dug a third into the ground and, if necessary, secured cement mortar.
3. Around the large stone that formed the base of the slide, smaller stones are laid out, the lower ones also go deeper into the ground.
4. Fertile soil is poured between the stones. Plants are planted both between and around stones.

Options for small alpine slides:

Photo: small alpine slides

Such a small alpine slide will look impressive on small area or perfectly complement a large rock garden.

With a pond

An alpine slide looks very impressive if a pond is included in its composition.

A small pond can be made even in a small area. This is exactly the case when you create an alpine slide with your own hands from scrap materials.

To create a pond, a large old tire from a truck or tractor is suitable - just dig it into the ground, lay a layer of polyethylene on the bottom, let the edges out and press it with stones.

After the edges of the tire are decorated, it will turn out small pond, goes well with the rock garden.

Can be used old bath- a pit is dug under it, drainage is laid and the bathtub itself is installed, the edges of which are also decorated. To change the water in such a mini-pond, just remove the plug from the bath and the water will go into the drainage.

For a larger pond, a pit is dug to a depth of one and a half meters.

The bottom is covered with sand to a depth of 30-40 cm, and several layers of polyethylene are laid on it.

The edges of this waterproofing extend outwards by half a meter and are decorated with stones. In such a pond you can grow plants such as water lilies, daylilies, calamus, and reeds.

The presence of hornwort and elodea is beneficial in any pond. Their task is not to decorate the pond, but to purify the water and saturate it with oxygen.

Stages of creating a pond:

Alpine slide with waterfall

The crowning achievement of skill in constructing an alpine slide is the construction of a waterfall. It is truly an impressive sight and well worth the effort.

Stages of constructing an alpine slide with a waterfall with your own hands:

• After determining the location for the slide, a pit for water is dug. The bottom is covered with sand and compacted;

Photo: water pit

• A water container is placed in the pit, and sand is poured between its edges and the edges of the pit. You can also use polyethylene, as when constructing a pond;

Photo: the bottom is covered with thick polyethylene

• drainage is laid in place of the future slide - broken brick, crushed stone or simply construction waste is poured into a dug shallow pit;
• from the soil removed from the pit, a slide is poured onto the drainage, on which decorative stones are installed, a cascade is formed for the future waterfall;

For strength, the stones must be fastened with cement mortar or foam, and the joints must be decorated with small pebbles.

• A pump is placed in the reservoir, the power of which depends on the height of the slide. The hose from the pump is carried to the top of the slide and masked with stones. The pump power cable is also brought out and connected to the power supply;

Photo: view of an alpine slide with a waterfall

• A rock garden with a waterfall requires careful maintenance - two to three times a year it is necessary to drain the water and clean the entire system. But the result obtained compensates for all the hassle of installing and maintaining a waterfall on your site.

Scheme of an alpine slide with a waterfall:

Photo: diagram of an alpine slide with a waterfall

From polyurethane foam

There is a rather exotic option for creating an alpine slide with your own hands. The size of this slide is more suitable as a stand for indoor plants.

This “homemade” slide is made from polyurethane foam and scrap materials. The basis for it are ordinary plastic bottles or banks. Polyurethane foam is laid out in several levels around several bottles.

The higher you go, the smaller the levels become, just like when building a real alpine slide. After the foam dries, it is given the appearance of stones using putty.

Then these “stones” take on the appearance of the real thing with the help of paint. natural material. And the final stage of turning ordinary polyurethane foam into an elegant home decoration is decorating with flowers and decorative elements - butterflies, figures of people and animals.

The availability of material is another argument in favor of creating a rock garden with your own hands, and following simple rules will make the process of decorating a site a pleasant experience.

Video: Alpine slide made of polyurethane foam

DIY rock garden options:

Video: Making an alpine slide with your own hands

Nowadays it is very fashionable to have an alpine slide at your summer cottage. The fact is that this design pleases the eye of a person who likes to relax after work in the country, for example.

As a rule, alpine slides are created with the help of professionals. Obviously, this is a good way to get a quality alpine slide. But you need to keep in mind that the work of professionals will be expensive. Therefore, more and more often, many summer residents create rock gardens on their own. In fact, there are no difficulties in the work. In two days you can create an excellent alpine slide with your own hands. You just need to know some of the subtleties of the work.

The Alpine slide is created in several stages. So, first, a suitable place on the site for it is selected. Then we create a drainage system. As soon as these works are completed, we lay out the stones and pour in the earth. At the final stage, plants are planted. And now we will tell you in detail about each stage of the work.

For the alpine slide, a place is chosen that is noticeable at the entrance to the site. It is important to have a lot of light. Stones and plants need to be placed so that everything looks extremely natural. A shaded area is not suitable. The Alpine slide is created for everyone to see. In addition, you need to choose as level a place as possible.

In order for the alpine slide to always have a beautiful view, you need to create a foundation so that the structure does not sag. AND drainage system helps with this. So, we dig out the pit. The depth of the pit can reach two meters. For drainage we use sand, gravel or crushed stone. But you can't use sawdust. Finally, we lay out the soil and compact it.

The stones for the alpine slide are laid out in tiers. We place the largest boulders at the bottom, and small stones at the bottom. The smaller the alpine slide, the smaller the stones should be. Proportions are respected in everything.

It is noteworthy that there is no specific scheme for placing stones on an alpine hill. The main thing is to do everything so that you like it. The rest is nothing. Any design will be considered correct. It is best to use homogeneous natural stones so that the alpine slide seems natural. An alpine slide should be beautiful even without plants. The stones are laid out in such a way that plants will be planted on the hill. Use fertile soil.

The soil on the alpine hill is prepared independently. You can use peat, black soil, clay, organic fertilizers, sand and much more.

It is important to choose the right plants for your alpine slide. An important condition is unpretentiousness. In addition, it is necessary to use only plants that are found in the wild. This way the alpine slide will look as natural as possible. You can even buy evergreen bushes that will delight you all year round.

DIY Alpine slide for beginners

An alpine slide can be up to three meters high. It can be very difficult to build. In eastern culture, alpine slides have existed for more than three thousand years. The construction came to Western countries not so long ago from China and Japan.

Finally, an important condition for this is maximum proximity to natural nature. Only natural stones are used, which are laid out not strictly, as when building a house, but more chaotically.

Today on the Internet you can find many schemes of alpine slides for different areas. There are simple designs, as well as complex slides that a professional can clearly create.

You can always hire specialists who will create a masterpiece called an “alpine slide” on your site. The design, first of all, should please not only you, but also guests who may come to the dacha or Vacation home. Caring for a small slide will be easy. As a rule, the same work is performed as on. Plants are fertilized, watered, and replanted on time.

• How to arrange a flower garden and flower bed at your dacha with your own...

It is impossible to imagine the landscape design of an individual or summer cottage without picturesque corners intended to decorate the garden and so pleasing to the eyes of their owners. A “highlight” that can instantly transform the appearance of a garden landscape is an exotic guest for our latitudes, originally from the Mediterranean - an alpine hill created in the form of an island wildlife Alpine mountains, made of rock with bright splashes of lush vegetation. We invite you to figure out how this design works.

Types and diagrams of a rock garden

Armed with patience and imagination, you can easily create a rock garden with your own hands. Let's look at how to properly plan and lay an alpine slide without involving specialized specialists. Please note that the main component in the construction of a rock garden is a group of stones of various sizes, the “gray silence” of which is diluted with representatives of the flora characteristic of the alpine area - conifers, cover plants and saxifrage plants. By creating a rock garden in a country house or near a country house, you are creating a mountainous fragment of nature that resembles a natural one, so both stones and plants need to be placed in a chaotic, natural way.

The rock garden serves bright decoration garden, standing out against the green lawn

Depending on the principle by which the stones are selected and placed, rock gardens come in the following types:

• Rock- a steep alpine hill with dominant large boulders at the base, surrounded by medium and small stones located closer to the top.
• Scree or mountain slope– a rock garden with one slope, where large stones are located closer to the top, and a small stone scattering at the base.
• mountain valley– a horizontal composition of a rock garden with boulders, medium and small stones, arranged in a free manner.
• Terraced slope– rock garden of this type organized on a gentle slope in the form of small steps supported by large stone blocks.
• Forest ravine– such a rock garden is located in a shell-like recess, decorated with massive boulders covered with moss.
• rocky wall- This is a rock garden formed mainly from flat stone, folded in the form of a low border.
• Separately, I would like to highlight the latest fashion trend – rock garden “ Czech rolling pin“. We wrote a separate article about him -.

Sometimes an alpine slide is called. In fact, a rock garden differs from a rock garden in the selection of stones - when laying it, not only rocks are used, but also river boulders round shape or large pebbles.

An original solution for decorating a fence could be a rock garden in the form of a rocky wall made of layered stone

Choosing a location

When choosing a place to create a rock garden on your plot of land, you need to take into account that you are creating an accent designed to decorate your garden, therefore, it is necessary to place the alpine slide in an open space so that it is an area with a good view from all sides. As a rule, an alpine slide is laid out in the center or on the edge of a grass lawn. It is best to orient the rock garden to the south or southwest - this way it will be well lit by the sun and receive a sufficient amount of heat.

An alpine slide in the center of a green lawn will become a dominant element in the landscape design of your site

The terraced alpine slide will harmoniously fit into the natural topography of the garden

When laying an alpine slide, it is necessary to avoid places adjacent to buildings and in the shade of massive trees, however, shrubs or trees may be present in the background, at some distance, to create a backdrop for the spectacular perception of the rock garden. It’s not bad when the rock garden fits into the existing landscape land plot, located on a gentle slope or in a ravine, fitting into the natural differences in elevation - lowlands and hills of the site.

Strive to ensure that the trees and shrubs in the background of the rock garden are uniform in color. A colorful background will distract from the integral perception of the alpine hill as an accent element of the landscape of the site.

The staircase leading up the slope can be beautifully complemented by an alpine slide that imitates a rocky landscape

The starting point for creating a rocky slide can be a diagram of a rock garden, drawn to scale, where you will first plan the placement of stones and planting. If the rock garden is supposed to be placed in the depths of the garden, you need to think through the paths and paths leading to it.

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

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

The rock garden looks great in tandem with a small lake overgrown with reeds and water lilies

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

A rock garden created from huge stone blocks in combination with a small waterfall will truly decorate your garden

An effective accent of an alpine slide combined with a pond can be a small waterfall falling from an artificial gorge or a stone wall.

Step-by-step stages of arranging a rock garden

Preparatory work for laying

Using a pre-created rock garden plan, start laying it by marking the selected area - determine the diameter of the slide, its height and the location of large accent stones. The height of the slide is calculated based on the diameter of its base - 1 m of base is equal to 10-20 cm of height. The height of the rock garden is optimally within 0.5-1.5 meters.

Create a diagram of an alpine slide, indicating its dimensions and placement of the main elements of the composition

Shape the slopes of the alpine hill so that one of them is flatter and oriented to the south

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

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

This recess is necessary for drainage - drainage of water from the rock garden, for which it is filled with gravel, expanded clay, crushed bricks or construction waste to a height of 10 cm. A 5-centimeter layer of coarse sand is poured on top, then a 15-centimeter layer of soil, on which stones are subsequently laid and plants are planted.

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

When preparing a site for a rock garden, pay special attention to weeding to get rid of perennial weeds such as wheatgrass, which, when germinating, can destroy the slide from the inside. It is advisable to additionally treat the area for planting the rock garden with herbicides.

Creating a basic composition of stones

Start creating a composition of stones by laying large blocks at the base of the alpine hill

A composition of stones is the basis of any rock garden. It is important to select stones of the same type, but of different sizes, for the entire hill - several large boulders, medium and small stones. Provide flat stones - they will serve as a kind of steps for movement when caring for the alpine slide. You need to start laying stones from the bottom up - from large to small, grouping and distributing them. It would be a mistake to lay the stones in a regular manner, maintaining equal distances between them. Rock garden stones should be placed randomly, as close as possible to the natural mountain landscape.

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

When laying an alpine slide, the stones are buried to 1/2 or 1/3 of their height, and then additionally filled up fertile soil, which includes equal parts includes turf soil, peat, humus and sand. After the gaps between the stones are covered, the earth is compacted and watered with a spray jet so that the soil is not washed away. It is not recommended to plant plants immediately after arranging the composition of stones - the slide should be given about 2-3 weeks for it to settle and sag a little. It is best if the hill survives the winter, and in the spring you can start planting.

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

Selection and planting of plants

Having overwintered, the rock garden is ready for planting in the spring. Typically, these are plants characteristic of the highlands of the Alps. First, shrubs are planted, then herbaceous plant species, and finally, ground cover “alpines”. Plants for a rock garden should be selected in such a way that the slide looks impressive at any time of the year, delighting the eye with flowering spring primroses, bright foliage of ground cover flora and evergreen conifers.

To plant a plant, a hole is dug in the ground between the stones, the bottom of which is reinforced with gravel, where the plant is then placed. After planting, the ground around is compacted and mulched with fine gravel.

Proper placement of plants will promote their growth and enhance the aesthetic appearance of the alpine slide

The center of a coniferous rock garden composition can be a dwarf weeping tree

It is important to know that a rock garden made of conifers, when the stone composition is diluted with evergreen shrubs and trees, can be a fairly unpretentious option for landscape design.

How to choose a suitable stone?

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

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

To form an alpine slide, it is necessary to select stones of different sizes - from huge blocks to fine gravel

An excellent choice for an alpine slide would be sandstone - a layered stone of light beige tones.

Stone options for creating a rock garden:

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

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

Plants for planting in rock gardens

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

• Astilbe - blooms in July, has small pink flowers, collected in pyramidal inflorescences.
• - a perennial from the saxifrage family with bright green fleshy leaves and crimson inflorescences.
• Periwinkle has shiny dark green foliage and blue 5-petaled flowers.
• Tenacious is a ground cover plant that grows quickly when exposed to the sun.
• Fern - looks great at the foot of an alpine hill.
• - spring primrose.
• Stahis – unpretentious plant with bluish fluffy leaves.
• Hostas - grow in the form of rosettes of leaves of various colors - with white, blue, golden veins.

An effective solution for a rock garden in the form of a stone fence - a variegated flower cover

Periwinkle and carnation are traditional inhabitants of alpine hills

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

• Adonis is a perennial with bright flowers.
• Acena - does not lose foliage in winter, and after flowering the flowers take on the appearance of red needle-shaped balls.
• Decorative bow - large leaves combined with long vertical arrows with a spherical color.
• Iris is a perennial bulbous plant with orchid-like flowers.
• Lavender – evergreen shrub with a fine purple color.
• Juveniles are small rosettes of fleshy leaves of light green color.

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

Universal plants for alpine hills:

• Arabis is a perennial groundcover that blooms in May and late autumn.
• Campanula – has abundant color from July to October.
• Crocus is a corm plant, primrose.
• Muscari is a bulbous plant that resembles hyacinth.
• – grows in calcareous rocks, alpine perennial.
• Sedum (sedum) - rosettes of succulent leaves with a lemon color.
• Scylla is a primrose with blue inflorescences.
• Violet is an unpretentious plant that blooms almost throughout the warm season.
• Phlox is a carpet plant with small pink flowers.

An interesting move in the design of a rocky path is the combination wooden steps and coniferous rock garden

Evergreen plants that harmoniously and naturally complement the rock ensemble of the alpine hill:

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

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

• Almond;
• Russian broom;
• Spiraea japonica;
• Red-leaved barberry;
• Euonymus;
• Heather;
• Cotoneaster horizontal;
• Bloodroot.

Forest boulders overgrown with lichen located on the shore of a reservoir - original idea for decorating a rock garden

Caring for a rock garden involves weeding, removing dried inflorescences and rare watering. The alpine hill is fertilized with phosphate and potassium fertilizers, but not often - only to prepare for winter. To protect against frost in winter time plants are covered with shavings, spruce branches or burlap. When snow falls, snow cover is constantly maintained on the hill to help the plants survive the winter.