DIY Alpine slide. Small and simple do-it-yourself alpine slides in the country for beginners, photos and diagrams Decorating an alpine slide with flowers

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WITH create an original landscape on the territory suburban area An alpine slide with stones at the dacha with your own hands will help: photos of which can be seen in this review. If there is an uneven surface or a ledge in your dacha, you can try to create a similar structure.Alpine slides are made in the form of mountainous slopes, rocky surfaces or plateaus. You can build a composition of unusual plants and stones of an original configuration on your own. At the same time, it can be given any dimensions and shapes.

Implementation example alpine slide with rocks

Do-it-yourself alpine slide projects with stones at the dacha, photos of which are presented below, are non-standard solutions. Exist useful rules when creating these objects, but the embodiment of ideas is only a creative approach.

There are two types of flower beds - rock gardens and rock gardens. This different ways arrangement of flower beds. Rockery is one of the classic types of garden. Most of the structure is occupied by stone. A mandatory element of a rock garden is a large stone or even several that symbolize a mountain peak.

Interesting fact! The birthplace of the alpine slide is Japan. It was in this country that they learned to create beauty and splendor in small areas due to a shortage of territories. In Europe, similar flower beds appeared in the 16th century. At the same time, intricate plants were transplanted from the natural conditions of the mountain environment.

To make an original alpine slide, the following conditions will be required:

• The presence of attractively shaped boulders and different sizes.
• The site should be located on a slope and have uneven terrain.
• It is necessary to form a proper drainage system. Crushed stone is used for this, broken brick or sand.
• A variety of plants are used and planted on slopes.

If possible, a do-it-yourself alpine slide with stones in the country, photos and types of which can be very diverse, should be isolated from the playground and. Such a facility should be located close to water supplies and recreation areas. You should not place the slide near flower beds with lush blooms.

Helpful advice! The height of the slide should not greatly contrast with the surrounding landscape. Colors, textures and shapes should be harmoniously combined with all the elements around.

Related article:

DIY Alpine slide. Step-by-step photos, drawings and competent planning of your own unique composition on your summer cottage. Recommendations from designers and some tricks in special material.

Varieties and styles of rockeries and alpine slides

A rockery is a simplified version of an alpine slide. An important difference is the absence of a hill. A do-it-yourself alpine slide with stones at the dacha, photos and views of which are presented below, requires constant care.

The following types of rock garden are distinguished:

• A popular option is a rocky hill, which is a small hill with scattered stones.

• A landscape rock garden combines a rocky plain, a rocky slope or a waterfall. It is suitable for any architectural structures.

• Special limestone is used to construct the terraced slope. Such an element consists of supporting walls.

• Rocks and cliffs are considered the original solution for a rock garden. They look great with hilly landscapes.

• The mountain slope represents an exact imitation of high mountain areas. In this case, plants are used in the form of pyramids.

• A mountain valley is considered an interesting and stylish composition.

• An alpine lawn is considered a stylish option. It can look like an alpine meadow between boulders standing at a certain distance.

• The composition of a forest ravine can be decorated with a spring or an artificial waterfall.

Options for an alpine slide with stones at the dacha with your own hands can be seen in the photo. IN different countries Such structures have their own characteristics.

When planning landscape design on a site, it is worth considering the following areas:

• Slide in english style decorated with many ornamental plants. The predominant quantities are cereals and conifers.

• Japanese buildings are decorated with lanterns and various bodies of water. In this case, source simulations can be used.

• IN Chinese garden The slide is covered with a large number of stones. The landscape is also complemented by water, which can occupy most of the site and stone bridges and islands.

• The Karelian style is characterized by the use of torn and chipped stones, which are laid in horizontal layers. The plants used are dwarf spruces.

Helpful information! Rockeries can be flat. With their help, the site is divided into functional zones.

Video: 50 examples of alpine slides for every taste

Installation stages

Previously, such structures landscape design were created in country estates by designers. Now you can use step-by-step instructions to create a beautiful object on your own site yourself.

Site selection

Work on creating a slide begins with marking the area. The location for the structure should be well lit and visible. A sunny south side of the site is suitable. It must be taken into account that a pile of stone blocks is not suitable for a small area. You should not place a rock garden along or against the background of fruit trees.

Helpful information! Designers advise placing the slide near a pond or next to a recreation area.

Preparatory work

Installation of an alpine slide with stones at the dacha with your own hands, which can be seen in the photo, requires the presence of high-quality drainage system. Depending on the planned dimensions of the structure, a pit is dug. To create the bottom layer, crushed brick or gravel is used. Then the sand is distributed. All layers are filled well with water. You can purchase soil for the structure or prepare it yourself. To do this, the soil mixture must be mixed with peat in a ratio of 3 to 1. Then a little gravel is added to the composition. First, drainage is done, and soil is laid on top.

Drainage system

Drainage is performed to protect against excess water. Heavy accumulation of water leads to poor plant growth and subsidence of stones. Crushed stone and pebbles are selected for the drainage layer.

Laying out stones

The stones are laid in tiers. In this case, large boulders are used to lay out the foundation. Smaller stones are laid out on top. To ensure stability of the composition, large boulders are buried two-thirds into the ground.

When installing stones, you should consider some parameters:

• The dimensions of the boulders are selected in proportion to the dimensions of the rock garden.
• The decor of the slide should look natural.
• The pile is made of stones of a certain type.

Do-it-yourself terraced alpine slide with stones at the dacha: the photo is made from rough terrain rocks. The stones are installed on the slope in the form of stone walls and have different lengths and shapes. Polished and smooth stones look good next to an artificial pond.

Helpful information! On a site with different levels, all elements are laid out evenly. When creating a flat structure, the stones are half deepened. Large stones are the central accent in the composition, and small ones are used to decorate the borders.

Plant selection

A combination of stones and plants will decorate the composition. Perennial flowers, conifers and wild grasses will help create a natural landscape. Plants are selected depending on location and general style registration First, the area of ​​the structure is compacted and watered, and then plants can begin to be planted.

Article

Kirill Sysoev

Calloused hands never get bored!

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

Alpine slide in the country

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

Rock garden design

The name itself indicates that the landscape design is reminiscent of the views of the Alpine mountains. The rock garden at the dacha should be a small copy of the area where gorges, rocks, plains, waterfalls and beautiful mountain plants are located. It is impossible to find two identical alpine slides, since each is the result of the invention of one person.

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

1. Rocks. They are made from ordinary stone boulders. Placed in areas located on slopes.
2. Mountain valley. You need large stones covered with moss or covered with bark.
3. Lawn. Perfect option for a flat area. Often this design is complemented by a mountain valley and rocks.
4. Ravine. Great for small crevices. Looks beautiful with a small artificial waterfall or pond.
5. Gorge. It acts as the main component of a landscape with several elements.
6. Stone garden. Performed on a flat area in the style of a Japanese garden.

How to create an alpine slide with your own hands

It cannot be said that creating an alpine slide with your own hands at the dacha is easy. Landscaping the hill should begin with choosing a place for the rock garden. To do this, certain conditions must be met:

• find open place so that the slide is visible from all sides;
• place the flower garden in a sunny, bright place, not shaded by trees;
• It is better to build a rocky hill and conifers in a space sheltered from the wind;
• high level groundwater reduced by drainage.

Alpine slide drainage device

How to make an alpine slide so that it is inexpensive? Do all types of work yourself, starting with drainage. To do this you need:

• pre-mark the future rock garden using pegs and a cord;
• dig a pit, which should be slightly larger in size than the rock garden, and the depth should be at least 0.8 m;
• fill the hole with pebbles, crushed stone or broken bricks to a height of 0.3 m, and fill each layer of backfill with water;
• pour 5-10 cm on top of the gravel layer sand and gravel mixture, which is also filled with water and thoroughly compacted;
• dug and cleaned soil is poured on top of all drainage layers;
• to lay the rock garden you need to wait until the drainage shrinks, and this will take 2-3 weeks;
• an alpine slide of stones, as a rule, begins to be created in the fall so that the soil settles naturally by spring.

Stones for an alpine slide

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

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

Do-it-yourself rock garden - which plants to choose

For a rock garden, choose special vegetation. Flowers must be selected taking into account the timing of flowering, the proximity of different plants and other factors. How to properly make an alpine slide so that it pleases the eye with luxurious blooms not only in summer, but also in the autumn season? To arrange a beautiful flower bed, you need to select only low-growing plants that bloom alternately. Low coniferous specimens (dwarf pine, cypress, juniper) look beautiful and natural. For an accent, you can plant a couple of decorative evergreen shrubs (boxwoods, barberries).

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

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

The phased creation of an alpine slide requires a certain sequence of actions. When planning, it is taken into account that the rock garden looks most natural when its height does not exceed 1 meter. Alpine slide schemes make the tasks easier. Step-by-step instruction how to design a rock garden:

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

The price of creating an alpine slide with your own hands

All elements for an alpine slide can be easily selected from a photo from the catalog and ordered in the online store. The cost of such a purchase will be much higher than collecting natural elements on your own, but the rock garden will also look more harmonious. Initial estimate for the installation of an alpine slide from professionals:

Video: making an alpine slide with your own hands

The Alpine slide is a fashionable attribute for arranging modern garden and park areas. Making a rock garden at your dacha with your own hands: step by step photos, diagrams, selection of plants.

Choosing a location for an alpine slide

When choosing a place for an alpine slide, it is important to provide for the following conditions:

In landscape design, there are many styles of garden design, including elements of a desert landscape, rocky gardens, ponds and bridges, which must be in harmony with the built hill.

Making a slide with your own hands is most preferable when decorating a garden. By doing the work yourself, you can avoid the high costs of hiring a landscape architect. Having step-by-step photos and diagrams for arranging the slide, it will not be difficult to complete the work of constructing a rock garden with your own hands.

It is very important to do it right preparatory work so that the slide is stable

Alpine slide - preparation

First you need to determine the location on the site where the slide will be located. Shouldn't grow nearby perennial shrubs and trees, which can eventually shade the plants on the hill. A place that is open on all sides and accessible to view from all corners of the garden must be dry. High level groundwater will adversely affect the durability and strength of the slide base. In this case, the groundwater level must be lowered using special drainage.

Do-it-yourself drainage under an alpine slide (step-by-step guide).

Do-it-yourself alpine slide arrangement diagram

While natural shrinkage of the soil occurs, you can draw up a diagram, determine the location of boulders and stones on the hill, and select the type of vegetation for planting. To create a rock garden you will need:

• natural stones, including pebbles;
• coarse sand;
• ornamental plants and flowers, including miniature trees and shrubs;
• sphagnum moss.

Scheme: arrangement of an alpine slide

The diagram and detailed plan according to which the rock garden will be created must take into account that the construction of the slide is carried out at a height of 1 to 3 m.

Advice. If the height of the rock garden is over 1 meter, a slide core is required.

The Alpine slide is a very unusual element of the garden, changing its appearance several times a season.

Scheme: alpine slide in layers

Rock garden stones - choosing the right ones

Typically, when building a slide, natural rock stones are used: basalt, granite, sandstone, limestone, as well as rare rocks that are characterized by low porosity and strength. It is undesirable to use tuff, shell rock and dolomite to construct the slide. These rocks absorb water strongly because they are porous, so the stones quickly collapse.

Stones for an alpine slide must be durable and of different sizes

The shape and color of the stones are of great importance. You should avoid round-shaped stones, as well as excessively sharp-angled boulders. Stones of different colors look harmonious only on alpine slides of a certain type. Classic version Arranging a slide involves using stones of the same type, but of different shapes.

Scheme: deepening stones for an alpine slide

The stones are placed on the hill so that the edges in the viewing area have the most attractive shape. Stones with defects should be disguised by placing them in the most favorable way. Stones should be laid taking into account size and weight, ensuring the most harmonious appearance created slide. Stones should be placed randomly, in the most natural way, so it is better not to use stone blocks and artificial boulders made industrially.

DIY Alpine slide - selection of plants

The construction of an alpine hill, especially the selection of plants, requires additional knowledge about plant varieties and agricultural technology. Plants are selected depending on the type of hill. A rocky hill for sunny locations requires specific, drought-tolerant plants. The classic version of the rock garden involves planting miniature trees and shrubs, perennial herbs and flower crops.

Example No. 1. Decorating an alpine slide with plants

They have proven themselves excellent when planted in rockeries: fescue, lavender, rock alyssum, geranium, sedum, Iberis, young, lumbago. Small-bulbous plants planted in small groups feel great on rocky hills: crocuses, scylla, miniature hyacinths, low-growing tulips and hazel grouse. Small-bulbous plants bloom in the spring, when few plants are still blooming and the hill looks unpresentable. Everything changes when bright, blooming crocuses appear from under the snow.

Example No. 2. Plants for alpine hills

To create a highly decorative slide, it is necessary to provide for planting perennial plants having different flowering periods. Then the slide will look unusual and decorative throughout the entire period. A riot of colors flowering plants will please the eye from spring to autumn.

It is especially important to consider the height of the plants used when planting in rockeries. Too tall specimens should not depress low-growing varieties, thereby influencing their full development. Bright plants should be placed in the foreground, in the viewing area.

The basis of the composition are miniature trees, especially conifers: spruce, juniper, cypress, pine. These plants have different shape crowns and look great on an alpine hill.

Decorative flowering shrubs, used for arranging an alpine hill: rhododendrons, Erica, blueberries and lingonberries.

From perennial crops perfectly complement the alpine hill: bergenia, astilbe, daylily (low-growing), drooping reed.

Alpine slide surrounded by lawn

Advice: when forming a rockery, preference should be given to decorative deciduous plants, which retain their beauty even in the absence of flowers.

How to properly care for a rock garden?

In the first year, you will need to add soil several times, which is washed away during watering and precipitation, and also, if necessary, strengthen the stones. View various videos and photos taken by professional landscape designers will help you complete this work correctly. The soil is poured carefully and compacted.

The soil should be evenly distributed between the stones

Caring for plants involves timely watering, removing faded flowers, damaged leaves, and pruning. During the season, plants should be fertilized several times with appropriate fertilizers. You should not use nitrogen fertilizers, they cause rapid growth of the plant, which should be avoided when planting on a hill.

Advice. Do not overfeed the plants on the alpine hill. Plants should not be overgrown.

Water the plants carefully using a hose or watering can with a sprayer, making sure that the soil is not washed away.

It is advisable to strengthen loose and falling stones.

Various small bodies of water will look very beautiful on an alpine hill

If necessary, plants are treated with pest control agents. Diseased plants that cannot be cured must be removed and the soil replaced at the site of their growth.

When replanting plants, you can use a special drug - epin - to relieve stress.

Alpine slides in landscape design

An alpine slide that does not require painstaking care will be a wonderful decoration for the entire summer cottage

The design of park areas increasingly includes the creation of decorative rock gardens. The rock garden serves as a continuation of the rocky gardens and is in perfect harmony with ponds, bridges, decorative lanterns, lawns and vertical gardening. Creating an alpine slide with your own hands on a summer cottage will perfectly decorate the area and add charm and variety to the landscape design of the area.

How to create an alpine slide from scratch: video

Alpine slide: photo

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 a garden plot and gives valuable advice. The author will analyze common mistakes, and at the end of the publication you will find a bonus: a large table with types and varieties of plants for alpine hills, features of caring for them and an indication of 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

An alpine slide, or rock garden, is a small architectural element garden plot, which is both a flower garden and a small architectural form at the same time. 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 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.

For decoration with plants, perennials, coniferous and deciduous shrubs and sometimes dwarf trees are used, but this is not always the case. In general, it is not typical for a classic rock garden to place 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 of 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 make a good slide of decent appearance, 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 it is better to plant perennial seedlings in the spring - this will make it easier to decide on the quantity and location of planting and replant if something happens. If the plants were purchased in pots, then there is no specific time for planting, since the root system is 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 begin to make the frame of a flower garden more than 30-40 cm high, arrange stones, then after the soil settles (about a month later, if it rains), you can confidently plant the plants and not be afraid that stones will creep or form hole.

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! They will look harmonious and natural only large groups one type. 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 on initial stages 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 complete and finished item 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 general form. 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, and even wealthy people do not need extra spending.

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 area into a rock garden.

But if you set out to create an alpine landscape on the site small sizes, we forget about the impossible beauty and the same 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 more rapid loss 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.

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

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

In the desire to stand out and transform the territory, summer residents use various techniques, one of which is a rock garden. We will look at the best device diagrams and examples of DIY creation in this article. Arranging your country cottage area With love and imagination, we always strive to bring individuality to its design.

Rock garden device or what is it?

This element of landscape design is of Mediterranean origin; it not only pleases the eye, but also sets the tone for the entire site. One alpine slide, built in the right place, can radically change and decorate even the smallest and most modest garden. What is a rock garden? This is a so-called fragment of wild nature, artificially recreated by human hands.

Alpine slides are laid out from various stones, most often rocks, and decorated with appropriate plants and flowers. Today rock gardens are popular all over the world. According to the designers' plans, all kinds of compositions are created from stones and plants of all sizes and modifications.

Rock garden, photo:

To build a rock garden on the territory, competent designers are often invited. Their services can cost you quite a lot. This is not surprising, because a successful and attractive final result depends entirely on proper adherence to all stages. The process begins from the development and design of the structure design, selection of plants. Often the entire composition is recreated in advance in 3D format, in computer programs.

But even taking into account all the nuances, you can create a rock garden on your own site with your own hands. If you look at it in detail, there is nothing super complicated in this process. All stages will be described below, and the rest depends on your imagination and taste preferences in choosing plants.

Very often, the two concepts “rock garden” and “rock garden” are mentioned in the same semantic connection. Despite the fact that both landscape techniques are similar in execution style, there are still differences.

Rock garden and rock garden - their difference, first of all, is in the main emphasis of the composition. In rockeries, these are stones that are laid out on a flat surface. Any place on the site is suitable for creating a rock garden, but for a rock garden you need an area that is well lit sun rays. When constructing a rock garden, stones, flowers, shrubs, small coniferous trees and other decorative compositions are used. Simply put, a rock garden is a structure made of stones and plants, a rock garden is decorative imitation rocky area, so-called stone flowerbed, rock garden.

How to make a rock garden - choosing a location

This is the very first point of the plan - first you need to choose a place that will always be in the spotlight, with good review from any side. In addition, it should be illuminated by the sun most of the day, so the south side of your site is most suitable for implementing the plan. The most suitable place is the center of the lawn. However, depending on the situation and the presence of other garden elements, a rock garden can be built on the edge of the lawn, near the entrance to the gazebo, near a fountain, artificial pond or path. The main requirement is good lighting.

Rock garden in the center of the lawn, photo:

An alpine slide or rock garden should not be placed in the shade of trees or bushes. These plantings may well create a background, the main thing is that they colorful colors did not distract attention from the rock garden. In this case, it is preferable to choose plain plants for the background.

If your site has elevation changes, slopes or convexities, then this situation can be successfully overcome with the help of an alpine slide. It can be located in/on natural lowlands or hills of the landscape.

If you decide to do everything yourself, then even more so you should first draw your future rock garden on a piece of paper, the diagram of which will clearly demonstrate the placement of stones, a list of plants, and the shape of the overall composition.

The most popular types of alpine slides:

1. “Mountain Valley” - chaotically but thoughtfully “scattered” stones. Large boulders, medium-sized stones, as well as very small cobblestones are located on flat surface. Heather, ground cover plants, wormwood, meadow bells, and edelweiss look great in the company of stone blocks and boulders.
   
2. “Forest ravine” - the entire structure is located, as it were, in a recess; to give a greater ambience, large stones covered with moss are placed along the edges of the “ravine”. Dwarf coniferous trees and so-called mossy (ground cover) plants (pilea mossy small-leaved, mossy crassula, saxifrage, etc.) are also used.
   
3. “Rock” - looks great on natural steep slopes; the largest boulders are located at the bottom, which are surrounded by medium ones; closer to the “top” the stones for the rock garden become smaller. In this way, a mini-rock is created, in the surroundings of which conifers, junipers, dwarf varieties of ferns and those plants that usually grow in the mountains look good. A variation of this design is the “cliff” rock garden.
   
4. “Mountain Stream” is an alpine slide accompanied by an artificial waterfall or an imitation stream. Instead of water, colored decorative crushed stone (dry stream) can also be used. Bergenia, primrose, ferns, and irises look appropriate next to such a design.
   
5. “Lake” - here, as in the case of the “ravine”, the natural depression of the soil on the site can be used. In another case, a small ravine is manually dug out and an artificial reservoir is built. Often the “bottom” of such a hollow is covered with decorative crushed stone that imitates water. This type of rock garden is especially good for wetlands; marsh and moisture-loving plants feel very good in such an environment. Rounded stones are placed along the edges of the “lake”, which are partially dug into the ground. For greater persuasiveness, you can use wood fragments (driftwood) and moss.

If you are planning to build an alpine slide in the very center of the garden, then take care of the path to it in advance and, for example, install a bench nearby.

A mini rock garden is created when your capabilities are limited by the size of the territory. With a creative approach and imagination, even a small composition of plants and stones can become the highlight of your dacha. Also included under the concept of “mini” are container, so-called portable alpine slides.

These are small compositions that imitate a full-fledged rock garden, only they are placed in large flower pots or decorative containers. For their arrangement, small plants and flowers are selected, as well as miniature stones and wood fragments. A well-made mini rock garden will decorate a gazebo or staircase, attic, or porch. It can also be used as an element of a flower bed or a large garden rock garden.

Rock garden in miniature, photo:

Rock garden stones, how to choose

The basis of any rock garden, the main building element, is stones.

To create alpine slides you will need stone material of various sizes. Your task is to recreate a natural mountainous landscape in a reduced format, so large boulders, streamlined cobblestones, and stones with sharp corners(imitation rocks). Of course, you can buy stones designed specifically for these purposes; they are sold at appropriate retail outlets for landscaping products. But it is much more interesting to assemble the entire composition yourself, especially since stones can be found anywhere if you try: in a field, by a river, in a forest.

A rock garden is a corner of wild nature at your dacha, so you will need stones of large, medium and small sizes. Also, do not pass by flat stones - with their help it is convenient to separate boundaries, create steps, cascades.

If we go into detail, the most the best material For the construction of an alpine hill, cut sandstone, mountain dolomite, basalt, layered slate, porous Tiburian stone, travertine, gneiss, red pebbles of different fractions, and steppe crane stone can be considered. When you find yourself on the river bank or in the forest, pay attention to the moss-covered boulders. They will cost you completely free and will be an excellent material for creating a rock garden.

When choosing rocks for your rock garden, keep in mind that some of them, such as limestone, can have an effect on the soil (alkaline reaction). In such cases, the soil is slightly acidified so that certain types of plants feel comfortable. But landscape design experts unanimously give their preference to sandstone. It is suitable for working on any type of soil, does not deteriorate and does not change its appearance over time.

The classic technology for laying stone material for an alpine slide looks like this: larger stones are placed below, and the higher, the smaller. Their location should not be strictly verified; deliberate negligence, one might say chaotic, will create a natural effect of the natural landscape.

Rock garden “Lake”, photo:

Stages of creating a rock garden with your own hands

Landscape architects believe that there are 4 main directions for creating alpine slides:

• European style is the most common, especially in the vast expanses of our homeland. The decoration uses plants that bloom in different time and replace each other. Thus, the set goal is achieved - the presence of flowers throughout the season, an attractive appearance of the rock garden. Moreover, all selected plants are characterized by slow growth.
• When designing an alpine slide in the English style, preference is given to rocks with sharp corners. Attention is focused on active use dwarf conifer varieties.
• The Japanese style in the design of rock gardens is characterized by minimalism and laconicism. The plants are mostly small, there are not very many of them, the stones are also modest in size and streamlined in shape.
• The Czech style is the use of layered stones of different sizes, which are installed edgewise. The entire structure is laid as if in steps, rows of stones are located one after another. Plants are planted in the spaces between the rows.

If we take as an example the creation of a solid “correct” rock garden, then the whole process will consist of several points following each other.

Let us summarize the stages of construction of this structure into a single scheme:

1. At the first stage, the future alpine slide is designed, many examples are viewed, the required dimensions are calculated, and a plan is drawn.
2. They decide on the choice of stones, purchase them at points of sale or use their own material.
3. A drainage “cushion” is being prepared for the rock garden; it will support the top layer of soil and remove excess moisture. At the site of the future structure, a small depression is dug, approximately 60-70 cm. The size of the rock garden is supposed to be, and the pit is dug of this width. A layer of crushed stone or crushed bricks (30 cm) is placed on the bottom, then sand is poured (also 30 cm), and water is poured on top.
4. Next, clean (without plant debris and debris) soil is poured on top of the sand. Ideally, its composition should be suitable for future plants. The layer of soil should be approximately 80-100 cm, keep in mind that it will still settle in 10-15 days.
5. The next stage is stones for the rock garden and their placement: laying out slides, walls, and any other planned stone structure. How to lay stone material was described above (large ones at the bottom, small ones at the top). All parts must be stable, the stones are buried in the soil and reinforced with smaller fragments. Plots of land are left between them for planting
6. The choice of plants and flowers must correspond to the artistic design and character of the alpine slide.

Plants are selected based on the composition of the soil at the site of the rock garden, their reaction to sunlight, while the climatic features of your region also play a significant role.

Small rock garden at the dacha, photo:

Plants for rock garden

By and large, the choice of plants depends on your taste; the choice of color and size is entirely determined by your preferences. The main thing is that everything should look harmonious, taking into account the rapid growth of neighboring representatives. The most popular and favorite plants for alpine hills are conifers (including dwarf ones), ground covers, heather crops, fern plants, and small trees. More drought-resistant species that feel comfortable in the sun should be located on top of the structure. At the foot of the rock garden you can plant small shrubs(dwarf spirea, almond, barberry, Kyus broom), miniature trees, lush flowering species.

Plants for rock gardens should be low-growing - this general rule. Large representatives should not be placed for the reason that they will simply crowd out their short “neighbors,” create unnecessary shadows, and disrupt the harmony of the composition. Various bulbous, tuberous, rosette plants and junipers have proven themselves well. Groundcovers include dryad, starwort, diascia, brunnera, soapwort, etionema, and arabis. Shade-tolerant plants include ferns, saxifrage, hosta, stachys, bergenia, astilbe, periwinkle, corydalis, primrose, anemone.

The range of plants for decorating alpine slides is very wide, it is simply unrealistic to list everything, so the most creative and enjoyable part - landscaping - falls entirely on your shoulders. When choosing sun-loving representatives, pay attention to the swimsuit, helianthemum, adonis, irises, lavender, acena, antennaria, phlox. Decorative onions, aubrieta (aubretia), edelweiss, gentian, aquilegia, Eliot's calla, oreganum, sunflower, erigeron are very attractive. Universal plants with an unpretentious character are bells, crocuses, ramonda, soapwort, violet, cinquefoil, sedum, scylla, phlox, muscari, liatris.

Helianthemum in the design of a rock garden, photo:

Primrose (1), aubrietta (2), tenacious (3), woodworm (4), periwinkle (5), photo:

Bottom line

An alpine slide should be cared for in the same way as any other flower bed. It is necessary to remove faded and dried plants, periodically loosen the soil, remove weeds, and water. Top dressing of the soil is carried out mainly before the arrival of winter. With the arrival of cold weather, the rock garden can be covered with wood shavings and tree branches coniferous species or special covering material. When snow falls, it is advisable to form snow mounds on rock gardens, this will help the plants survive the frost.

Such elements of landscape design have their own philosophy, based on the individuality of execution. No matter how many alpine coasters there are in the world, each of them will be unique. If you decide to make a rock garden at your dacha, best schemes devices and an example of DIY, for example, from your neighbor, will still differ from your version. A competently and thoughtfully designed composition that imitates the natural landscape is a unique flavor of the Alpine mountains in your dacha, and also made with your own hands.