Decorative slides at the dacha. Creating a flower hill

Alpine slides in the form of a wall are quite popular both in Europe and among domestic gardeners. With a minimum occupied space, such rock gardens are exclusively decorative, and they also allow you to plant a significant amount of a wide variety of plants. Types of alpine slides 45 photo ideas beautiful design Let's look at it in this article.

Types of alpine slides - a stone wall is usually made of decorative artificial or natural stone. The most commonly used natural stones are limestone and sandstone. Not used to create a stone wall mortar, and the gaps between the stones are filled with a soil mixture, which allows plants to be planted in the vertical gaps between the stones.

There are two types of wall-shaped rock gardens: retaining and double-sided walls.

• A retaining stone wall provides a boundary for a deck or raised bed.
• Double-sided - an independent object consisting of two walls, the space between which is filled with soil. Photo of alpine slides in the garden:

Even a non-specialist can lay a retaining stone wall; just remember that the stones are laid with an approximately 10-degree slope back (this will allow plants to be better anchored), but to build a double-sided wall, it is best to invite a professional.

If the stone wall is planned to be higher than 30-40 centimeters, then it is best to plan a foundation in advance, with a height of 10-15 to 20-30 cm. Such a foundation is made of cement, but it is necessary to provide small drainage holes in it. Types of alpine slides photo ideas:

Types of alpine slides - stone wall

Unlike most other types of rock gardens, where the construction and planting of plants are spaced out over time, the stone wall is erected in every sense at the same time. For each plant (the cuttings of which must be prepared for planting in the ground), during construction, small vertical crevices are provided between the stones, where the plant is immediately planted. It is recommended to plant cuttings with primary roots - they take root better. The upper part of the wall can be left in the form of a raised flower bed and also filled with plants, or it can be paved with stones, between which plants are also placed. The shapes of alpine slides are different:

After completing the construction of the wall, it is watered very carefully, but abundantly. The high humidity regime is maintained until the plants are completely rooted. In some cases, it is appropriate to use a spray bottle to create a local regime of high humidity for one or more plants.

The optimal plants for placing them in a rock garden-stone wall are rhizomes and bells (shade-tolerant), cloves and thyme (thyme), phlox and sunflowers (sun-loving). Types of alpine slides photo:

Types of alpine slides - container rock gardens

A variety of container rock gardens have been the most popular among gardeners in Europe throughout the twentieth century, starting in the 1930s. First of all, because such rock gardens are extremely practical. They can be installed not only in suburban areas, but also in the courtyard of a city house, and even on the balcony. In addition, well-drained containers allow even the most demanding plants to easily withstand winter discomfort.

Anyone can make types of alpine slides with their own hands. For container rock gardens it is not necessary to use special containers. You can use used troughs or sinks. Preparing the container for use is quite simple: coat the outside with a protective mixture (one part each of sand, peat and cement), diluted with water, and inner surface the bottoms are filled with pebbles. If a used sink or bathtub is used as a container, then the drainage hole is filled with larger pebbles or ceramic shards, which would not interfere with drainage and at the same time prevent soil from being washed out of the container. Photo of alpine slides in the garden:

A soil mixture for rock gardens is poured on top of the drainage layer of pebbles, broken bricks or crushed stone (a layer of 2-4 cm is sufficient). After two to three weeks, when the soil has compacted naturally, soil is added to the container, after which plants can be planted.

Options for alpine slides - container rock gardens, unlike other types of alpine slides, have only one limitation on planting - this is the refusal of active ground covers. The fact is that such plants quickly fill the container and, at best, hang beyond its boundaries, and at worst, they crowd out all other plants and degenerate within one or two seasons. Types of alpine slides photo ideas for your site:

Container rock gardens are forms of alpine slides that require constant watering, and it is advisable to use water that has settled and heated by the sun. You need to water the container rock garden thoroughly until water begins to come out through the drainage hole in the bottom. This applies to the entire period of plant growth. As the weather gets colder, watering must be reduced to prevent freezing of wet soil and death of the plant root system.

If perennial plants are planted in a container rock garden, with the onset of cold weather it is advisable to cover them (with non-woven covering material, spruce branches, straw, reeds) and leave them until spring. If there is not enough snow, it is recommended to cover the container rock garden with snow manually. With spring warming, it is better to open such a rock garden as soon as possible, so that before moving into the soil, the soil is properly “ventilated” and dry. See photos of alpine slides in the garden:

Rock garden - enough new way decoration and arrangement of a personal plot, which has come to us to replace the classic front gardens with flower beds and flower beds. Organizing this paradise of nature in your summer cottage will not be difficult even for a novice florist who has only basic knowledge in the field. landscape design and crop production. Multi-tiered planting of bright flowers among stones, an artificial waterfall, beautifully decorated with evergreens ornamental shrubs can be perfectly combined in one place, creating a complete image of the site.

We make an alpine slide at the dacha with our own hands

When you see this picturesque corner with your own eyes, it seems that such a creation can only be created by resorting to the services of expensive landscape designers with extensive professional experience in this field.

We immediately hasten to dissuade you. Making a similar floral decoration with your own hands is the same simple task, as well as planting a flowerbed in front of the house in your own yard.

It is clear that to create a multi-level alpine slide with an impromptu waterfall, which requires large stones and other material, more in-depth knowledge and experience in the construction of such structures will be required. But it’s quite possible to plan a small slide, consisting of one or two tiers, on your own; you just need to understand a little about the technology for creating such objects.

Important! When starting to develop the design of an alpine slide, it is necessary to take into account that the rock garden primarily imitates a rocky area of ​​the mountains. Therefore, the main material for its creation should be natural unprocessed stone and low-growing shrubs, which are in perfect harmony with each other in the wild.

Having your own pond in your yard is the dream of any summer resident

Characteristic features and varieties of alpine slides

We all remember from school that any mountain or hill, regardless of its size and height, has:

1. The top
2. Slope
3. sole

It is from these definitions that you should start when developing your own alpine slide project.

Alpine slides can be made in several variations, which will look like different areas of hilly and mountainous terrain. Taking into account all these design features, there are several options for alpine slides.

• rocky slope- has a characteristic rocky appearance, and consists largely of stones, among which only occasionally there are ornamental plants.
• mountain slope is a combined complex composition in which stones of various sizes are found. She's quite tall. For decoration, a variety of plants from the arsenal of low-growing and creeping crops are used.
• Terraced slope- has peculiar protrusions formed by retaining walls built at different heights. They differ in configuration and length.
• Hill of stones– this element of garden art is the most difficult to perform. Recreate a living corner wildlife It will work if you harmoniously combine large boulders with low-growing perennial plants.
• mountain gully- a place where large and small stones, slightly protruding from the ground, are surrounded by various plants that bloom almost all year round.
• Gorge- an incredibly beautiful composition of stones and plants that looks very impressive. This design is the most complex. When creating, natural differences in the territory are taken into account. They select a hollow and decorate the slopes picturesquely with stones in combination with ground cover representatives of the flora.
• Czech rolling pin- features a complex layered structure. It is a multi-stage hill made of vertically laid flat stones, next to which there is a rich world of vegetation.
• Valley in the mountains- looks similar to a mountain ravine. It is constructed mainly from large stones, partially immersed in the ground. They are complemented by asymmetrically arranged ornamental plants that bloom profusely for a long time.
• Alpine lawn- is the most original and very stylish stone composition, decorated with plants from the mountainous area. Assumes the presence of a fountain or waterfall.

Rockery - a real garden made of ordinary stones

An original idea - to create a quiet corner among the stones with a natural landscape

The Czech rolling pin is an excellent alternative to the classic alpine slide

How to make a rock garden at the dacha

Today, the alpine hill can be found in city squares, in summer cottages, areas near social institutions and rich farmsteads. If you choose stones and a variety of plants with taste, you will create an atmosphere of peace and luxury in any, even the most modest summer cottage.

If you follow the right technology for arranging an alpine slide, you can create such a unique landscape element with my own hands.

Sometimes this is not the easiest process. It all depends on your tastes and preferences. But no matter what type of alpine hill you choose, you must take into account that you should get a decent imitation of natural rocky areas where the dominant integral part are stones. They are complemented by low creeping and various flowering plants. The concept of “slide” defines the general shape, which represents a hill.

Preparatory stage

When starting activities to create an object, they first develop a detailed diagram, which is tied to the area, taking into account the existing landscape.

By making the diagram to scale, it will be easier in the future to determine the dimensions and calculate the number of stones that will be needed to create this object.

A place is selected taking into account several criteria:

• Sufficient lighting;
• Absence of large buildings and trees nearby;
• Removal from other bright ones decorative elements- lush flower beds, artificial ponds;
• Protection from prevailing strong winds;
• Open location approximately in the center of the area, providing good visibility.

Important! In the area allocated for the construction of an alpine slide, aquifers should not be located close to the surface. Excess moisture can harm plants.

Step-by-step stage of work

1. Having selected a site, the developed diagram is transferred to it on a scale. Mark the overall configuration with pegs and string. You can draw a boundary by pouring a path of chalk powder, ash or lime around the perimeter. After the breakdown, the site is cleared of debris and a pit is dug a little larger than the allotted area.
2. Next, remove the top soil layer up to 40 cm, removing the weed rhizomes in parallel. If the predominant soil on the site is heavy loam or clay, then arrange a drainage cushion using slag, crushed stone, and gravel. Construction waste, pieces of brick, and limestone are suitable. Drainage is necessary to protect the roots from rotting. It will prevent waterlogging and provide the necessary aeration. The minimum drainage layer is 30 cm.
3. If there are different types of material, then you need to pour them in layers, for example, crushed stone, pebbles, and then sand. Water the drainage with water and compact it.
4. The soil that was removed during the digging of the pit is cleared of rhizomes, debris, and stones. Add to it in equal volumes: wood shavings, sand, dry peat, crushed pine bark, humus. After mixing, place on top of the drainage layer. Leave the site for 3 weeks to allow the soil to settle.

Selection of stones for an alpine slide

The creation of an original image of an alpine slide depends on the competent selection of stones. It is recommended to use rocky materials that are not harmful environment because of the content heavy metals and do not acidify the soil.

The harmony of the stone scree will be achieved by the same type of stones, having different configurations and sizes. The breeds that have acquired irregular shape under the influence of water and wind.

For alpine slides, limestone, noble, granite, and sandstone are most often used. You can use travertine, reminiscent of marble, forest boulder, basalt, dolomite. A good option is serpentinite, quartz, jasper.

It is impossible to make a beautiful alpine slide on a site without stones. To find decent specimens, it is advisable to contact the nearest quarry. During transportation, it is taken into account that the weight of the stone can vary from 15 to 100 kg. Natural cobblestones have an interesting structure, among which there are stones with a heterogeneous surface structure, having grooves and various interesting inclusions.

Porous rocks such as tuff and shell rocks are not recommended, as they absorb moisture and quickly collapse. The color scheme of the stones and their shape play a role. Less commonly used are specimens with a round shape. It is also not recommended to use boulders with big amount sharp edges.

Laying stones

After the base has settled, the most important stage begins - laying the stones. It is carried out according to a pre-planned plan.

1. At the first stage, it is necessary to lay out the perimeter of the base from the most massive stones. For reliability, they are buried almost 60% into the ground. This will then allow you to place smaller specimens so that they will not move from their place even under the influence of heavy rainfall.
2. Referring to the diagram, leave gaps where vegetation will be placed in the future. Soil is laid on each layer, which is then compacted and watered. The top of the hill is the most colorful conical boulder.
3. During the placement of stones, constant control is carried out to ensure an aesthetic view from all sides. It is necessary to place cobblestones with defects in the inner layers of the structure, leaving the most advantageous specimens in terms of color and shape in the visible areas.

The finished structure is assessed from the point of view of acquiring integrity, being perceived visually at any distance as harmonious natural object. Having finished laying, leave the slide for three weeks so that the stones are finally fixed in place.

Having a beautiful and harmonious landscape design at your dacha is the dream of every housewife

Plant selection criteria

The choice of vegetation is determined by the specifics of the type of alpine slide being created. This activity is carried out at the stage of developing a general scheme after studying photographs and descriptions of the created objects.

First of all, the predicted color palette, according to which seeds or seedlings of plants belonging to several groups are purchased. If the rocky hill is located in a sunny place, then drought-resistant plant varieties are selected for planting.

Many variants of alpine hills require the presence of miniature tree and shrub species, as well as various flower crops and perennial herbs.

Solemnity and elegance are brought to the design conifers. Among their assortment, low-growing varieties are selected.

• Dwarf spruce- valued for its good resistance to dry seasons.
• Thuja- attracts attention with a beautiful crown, which under the sun's rays takes on a reddish tint.
• Juniper— has juicy greens, a cone-shaped compact shape. It is unpretentious to environmental conditions.
• Cypress- demonstrates high resistance to frost. Decorates any landscape with a crown, the top of which has a golden color, and the base is painted dark green.

From deciduous trees, choose varieties that do not shed their leaves for a long time.

• Cotoneaster horizontal- is distinguished by a thick crown, which by autumn changes its green color to a reddish tint.
• Iberis- this subshrub is attractive in all periods. Its charming flowers are pink, white, and purple.
• Dryad- is a miniature shrub, covered with large white inflorescences from mid-summer. In autumn, fruits appear that resemble fluffy balls.

As they say experienced summer residents— there can never be too many green plants in the garden

Flowers for an alpine slide

Flowers for an alpine hill are selected from an assortment of creeping low plants. Preference is given to perennial varieties. The following varieties are recommended.

• Carnation short-stemmed- is an unpretentious plant with abundant flowering preferring sunny places.
• Rock alyssum- the leaves of this perennial preserve green color even in the winter season.
• Rejuvenated- the leaves of this perennial plant have a variety of colors - silver, green, pink, yellow, burgundy.
• Saxifrage- refers to plants traditional for alpine hills. Its flowering continues throughout summer season. The color of the flowers has a pink, white or yellow tint.

Among the stones, lavender, geranium, lumbago, sedum, and fescue also look excellent. By harmoniously combining these plants on the site you can create a real masterpiece.

The natural restraint of the stones is wonderfully set off by bulbous flowering plants, which are placed in small groups. These include hyacinth, crocus, tulip, hazel grouse. These plants bloom in spring. Thanks to their bright buds, the colorful rock garden immediately takes on a presentable, picturesque appearance.

When selecting perennial flowering species, it is necessary to take into account that they must have different flowering periods. This will allow the alpine slide to look like a bright, original object for a long period. The height of each type of vegetation is taken into account.

Low-growing varieties should not be shaded by taller specimens. Bright flower crops are placed closer to the front edge, providing a good viewing area.

Low shrubs - blueberries and lingonberries - are often used to arrange alpine hills. Drooping reeds, bergenia, and daylilies are good additions. Herbaceous plants serve as a decorative background. They allow you to fill the remaining voids after early flowering plants have already withered.

Important! When planning the location of vegetation, take into account that ground cover varieties will help prevent erosion of the slopes. Therefore, a place is selected for them on the inclined surfaces of the slide.

Waterfall - will add even more beauty to landscape design

Carrying out landing

Tree and shrub crops are planted first. The best option for their placement there is an area near large stones, which are laid out along the edge of the hill. Aged enough long distance these plants.

When planting in a designated area, dig a hole suitable in size for the dimensions of the roots, at an angle. Install the seedling, carefully straighten the roots, pour in the soil mixture and carefully compact it.

Then flower crops are placed and lawn grass is sown. After planting is completed, watering is carried out. They start pouring water from above. As it flows down, it saturates the entire surface of the slide.

Important! There is no need to place delicate rosette flowers next to ground cover crops. It is recommended to plant bulbous plants in some kind of limiter, the role of which will be played by a bucket with a cut out bottom or a large jar. This will prevent these plants from spreading over large areas.

Alpine slide care

In the first year, you should carefully inspect the alpine hill and, if necessary, add soil, which may be washed out after watering or rain. Also strengthens unstable stones.

Further care involves timely watering, pruning dry buds, damaged leaves, and broken stems. Feeding is carried out approximately once a month.

Do not use nitrogen types of fertilizers, so as not to cause strong formation of green mass. Also, when watering, it is necessary to ensure that the soil is not eroded. For these purposes, it is recommended to use a regular watering can.

Having noticed signs of diseases, immediately spray the plants with appropriate preparations and also treat them against pests.

The Alpine slide harmonizes wonderfully with various landscape design objects. It decorates the territory, makes it attractive and original. Brings the charm of a mountain landscape and serves as a place to relax after difficult everyday life.

Alpine slide. What a romantic name! It literally emanates freshness and you can even smell the emerald green grass that covers the mountain slopes. The atmosphere of pristine pure nature can be successfully recreated in a summer cottage. And the rock garden will help with this - original composition from stones and plants, which is Lately very actively used by landscape design masters.

Features of the alpine slide

We can say that alpine coaster projects are absolutely unique design solutions. Exist general rules their arrangement, but now the embodiment of the idea is completely creative activity. An endless number of interesting variations can be created from the same set of starting materials.

A mandatory attribute of a rock garden is a large stone (one or several). This is a symbol mountain peak. And its conventional slopes are planted with low-growing shrubs and plants that are most suitable for the mountain climate.

One should not naively believe that a pile of stones and vegetation growing between them can lay claim to the proud title of an alpine hill. Arranging such a landscape composition will require a lot of effort, financial investments and flights of imagination. To make it look natural and harmonious, space is needed. The larger the scale, the more organic, as if in a natural environment.

From the history of the rock garden

Japan is considered to be the birthplace of stone gardens. Proto-rock gardens began to be built there a thousand years ago. On the islands of the Land of the Rising Sun there has always been a shortage of free land - this is probably why they liked to create beauty in small areas. According to the Japanese canons of beauty, true value is found in natural phenomena. The combination of the hardness of the stone and the delicacy of flowers creates an unusually enchanting duet of true beauty.

IN European countries Alpine slides appeared only in the 16th century. Back then, strange plants transplanted from their natural mountain environment were grown in such flower beds. The fashion for them came to Russia in the 18th century. Today, many gardeners are wondering how to build an alpine slide with their own hands on their own site. After all, this is a very unusual decoration for any summer cottage.

Rock garden and rock garden: similarities and differences

Very often there is confusion between these two concepts. Let's figure out why. Rock garden and rock garden are two different types of flower beds. More precisely, two methods (or principles) of arranging a flower bed. In both cases, stones and plants are used.

However, a rock garden can be called a stone garden in the classical sense. The predominant part of such a composition is occupied by stone. Moreover, only one breed is used.

The stones are laid out in parallel strips or in random order. This chaotic technique allows you to create the illusion of a natural environment. The rock garden is also supplemented with vegetation, but here it acts as a background and plays a secondary role.

In a rock garden, flowers and grass are always in the foreground. They attract the eye with a variety of colors and surprise with a combination of opposites.

How to choose plants for a rock garden

We have already said that it is better to plant on an alpine hill unpretentious plants. In that decorative corner In the garden, flowers that do not require careful care will look most harmonious.

After all, the mountains have a harsh atmosphere, and each individual stem has to fight for its place in the sun. Under gusts of wind or the blows of heavy rain, only strong plants survive, which are able to fight for their own existence. When planning to set up a rock garden, think about what flowers and shrubs you would like to decorate your dacha with.

If you want to refresh the appearance of your flower bed every year, plant annuals. And to get a stable result, give preference to perennial herbs with bright colors. Also think about the changing flowering seasons, because some plants please us earlier, others later.

Here are a few specific examples. These plants for the alpine hill are literally created by nature itself:

A symbol of the Alps that fits perfectly into the Russian landscape. This perennial is frost-resistant; it does not mind any cold. Edelweiss lines the slopes of the alpine hill with mats, the diameter of which reaches 20 cm. It blooms in June-July.

There are several species of this humble plant. Absolutely unpretentious, securely attached to any soil with its creeping stems. When exposed to sunlight, sedum leaves become brighter, as if they are tanning. It can be used to decorate the edging of a rock garden, since it destroys weeds within the radius of its “mat”.

The most popular inhabitant of alpine hills. Its fleshy leaves themselves will decorate any flower bed, and its light purple flowers can compete in modest beauty with many of their relatives.

In spring, these cute rugs are literally covered in small flowers. The plant prefers dark areas and even covers stones with its green networks.

An ideal perennial for the alpine hill of the buttercup family. People call it sleep grass. One of the first to bloom in early spring. Drained soil is favorable for lumbago; in such conditions it actively grows.

Shrubs and flowers are also suitable for rock gardens:

• juniper (various types),
• dwarf barberry,
• Japanese spirea,
• aquilegia,
• alpine aster,
• viola horned,
• crocus,
• Phlox awl-shaped.

By combining different types of plants, you can create alpine slides whose design will be absolutely unique. Here it is important to create the effect of a mountain atmosphere due to multi-tiering. For example, this arrangement of shrubs and flowers can claim the title of classic.

An ideal place for arranging a rock garden

Having decided to build a rock garden, try to critically examine your hacienda. Of course, a flower garden can decorate any corner of it. But in this case, it is necessary to choose a spacious area that is well illuminated by natural rays.

It is also important to think about how the future alpine flower bed will be viewed. After all, you will probably want to show such beauty, created with your own hands, to your guests.

When choosing a location, consider the nature of the soil. On sandy soil, setting up an alpine slide will be less problematic, since it can be laid out directly on the ground. But for clay or oily soil it will be necessary to carry out additional work– prepare drainage.

The indication for site drainage is not only the nature of the soil. Mountain plants do not like it when water stagnates, and to avoid this, experienced designers recommend making a special base for the rock garden. You need to remove the top soil cover, but you shouldn’t go deeper than 30 cm.

You can make not a solid pit, but several holes. Then fill them with crushed stone (construction waste, broken bricks, and fine gravel work well as options). Then sand is poured in, with earth on top. Each layer of base must be watered and allowed to dry.

Soil mixture and stone placement

To form the rock garden mound itself, it is necessary to prepare a specific mixture. Mix clean soil, coarse sand and crushed humus in equal proportions.

By the way, to alpine slide in the garden was really as natural as possible; use the soil that the mole brings to the surface as soil. Such black mounds are often found in forest plantations and abandoned areas. In the cross-sectional diagram of the rock garden, you can see a mound of soil mixture.

It is marked yellow. As a rule, the height of the slide is on average 1 meter. Using this picture as a guide, you can create a multi-tiered flower bed using several stones.

After the drainage is completed and the mound is formed, you need to take a break from construction work. Two to three weeks should pass for all layers to slowly compact and shrink. The stones are arranged in tiered order. They should create the illusion of rock coming to the surface.

To achieve this, you need to bury them into the ground at least a third. This way you will get the amazing effect of meeting strength and tenderness, which is symbolized by stone and flowers.

The size of the tiers decreases from bottom to top, according to the principle of a pyramid. At the bottom point of each individual tier, a massive stone should be laid so that the structure is strong and small stones do not roll down the slope. When making alpine slides with their own hands, amateur designers create an odd number of tiers. Schematically, the placement of stones looks like this:

The figure shows that stones should not be laid symmetrically, because in the natural environment we do not observe such geometric accuracy. The space between them will be occupied by flowers, so try to leave enough distance. An alpine picture will look organic if you use stones that are similar in texture and color.

Construction of the rock garden peak

There are two options for designing the top of an alpine hill. In the center of the composition you can place the largest, most massive stone. This simple technique will protect the rock garden from erosion of the soil under the influence of precipitation. Or arrange the peak with several not big stones. They can be placed tightly next to each other, and you can also build a pyramid.

Decoration with vegetation

The labor-intensive process of creating an alpine slide ends with magic. How else can you call that amazing action when a mound of earth is “populated” plant life! This procedure can be carried out both in spring and autumn, right up to frost. First you need to add soil mixture and carefully plant shrubs or flowers. Here you should be guided solely by the rules of your own taste; everyone sees the color scheme of the rock garden in their own way.

Finally, I would like to note that, like a flowerbed, an alpine hill cannot be decorated with artificial accessories. For example, glass or plastic, as well as various garden figurines, will simply not be appropriate here. Remember that a flower garden in this style is designed to create a natural mountain atmosphere. Stones and plants are completely self-sufficient decorative elements in this case, and do not at all require a variety of tinsel.

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 of mountain plants and 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

They mainly use coniferous plants 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 base - 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 on garden plot alpine slide, you should familiarize yourself with their types. This will make it possible to arrange everything as competently and thoughtfully as possible.

Photo 12 - Exterior by Huettl Landscape Architecture Photo 13 - Project 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 type of landscape elements that stand alongside alpine slides 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 quite an 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 irregularities in the area, there is no better place 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 - Landscape design author 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

The first large boulders 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 arrange it, pour in inner space 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 make fastenings using polyurethane foam or cement mortar;
7. remove excess building materials;
8. we mount 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.

Currently, there are many ways to decorate a summer cottage, making it unique. You can use curly trimmed bushes, rare plants, paths originally lined with stone, flower beds with various color combinations. All this has long been familiar to experienced summer residents. However, there is a popular option for dacha landscape design - an alpine slide.

Peculiarities

An alpine slide or rock garden is landscape composition, recreating the mountain landscape. In its center, at a certain height, there is a stone or several stones, and along the slopes there are platforms (terraces) with specially selected plants and flowers, mainly from the Alpine mountains. This kind of object can become the “star” of both a large garden and a small summer cottage. The basis of this element is the combination of stones with mountain plants.

Rock garden today is the main competitor of gypsum sculptures and garden beds, discounts and mixborders, which won’t surprise anyone for a long time. Currently, rocky slides are extremely popular among owners of summer cottages. This is explained both by their beauty and spectacular appearance, and by the opportunity to create your own corner, unique in design and atmosphere, which will delight the eye all year round.

Main difficulty When creating a mountain landscape on a summer cottage, the need lies in the need to artificially reproduce natural spontaneity. After all, where conditions for the growth of plants are formed at the site of fractures in rocks, there is no symmetry, and in order to repeat this in your garden, you need remarkable imagination and skill, as well as the artistic taste of the author of the composition.

At the same time, the rock garden should not stand out too much from the general landscape, but on the contrary, it should fit harmoniously into it.

Sometimes an alpine slide is mistakenly called a rock garden, but it's not the same thing. A rockery is a structure made of stone, crushed stone and other materials (from English word rock – stone). There are two main differences between a rock garden and a rock garden. Firstly, a rock garden is an imitation of a mountain landscape, while a rock garden can be located either on flat surface, and on an inclined one - on any one that the landscape design master will come up with and create. Secondly, any plants can grow in a rock garden, not just alpine ones (and in a Japanese rock garden there should be only stones), which is convenient in climatic conditions other than mountain ones.

Where to place it?

When choosing the best place to place an alpine slide, you need to take into account a number of conditions.

• Natural relief. If there are slopes or small ravines on the site, you can use them to arrange a rock garden, avoiding unnecessary waste of time and effort.
• The rock garden should be visible from any corner of the dacha, which means it needs to be located in an open place not blocked by trees. The absence of trees will help avoid the need to clear the hill from fallen leaves in the fall.
• Lots of sun because it's high mountain plants love light. It is desirable that the sun illuminates the object in the first half of the day. The more shadow falls on the hill, the longer it will take to dry out after the rain. Although this problem can be solved - you need to plant fern species nearby.
• Limited amount of water and rocky soil. Excess moisture is harmful to alpine plants.

Landscape designers recommend placing rock gardens on eastern or western slopes, because mountain plants feel best there. You can place the hill on the northern slope, but then you need to use shade-loving and moisture-tolerant crops. It is also important to maintain a balance between colors and stones. You can place a rock garden near the house, but not too close to the wall because of the possibility of snow falling off the roof, or in the center of the site. It is not advisable to place a slide against the background of a fence. A different background is needed, for example, in the form of a hedge. Near big trees It’s also not worth creating a rock garden, since the tree will overwhelm it with its size.

Of course, there is no need to place the slide next to greenhouses and beds. It will not look aesthetically pleasing and will not fit into the landscape. The rock garden is designed in that part of the site that is intended for relaxation, where the owners can enjoy its attractive view and recuperate next to it.

A neat lawn can complement the foreground of a rock garden. It will also serve as a frame if located around the slide. A beautiful continuation of the slide can be a flower garden with the same plants or a rocky embankment small size. It is impressive when a pond is built at the foot of the hill into which a small cascade or stream flows from the slope.

True, to make it, you will need much more effort and money than for a regular slide, but the result will justify all the costs.

Preparation

Before you start doing anything on the site, you need to imagine the future rock garden, regardless of whether you are planning a high hill with a waterfall or a small rocky garden. To prevent common mistakes, you can use diagrams for beginners. In order to make a slide project with your own hands, you need to make a drawing and draw up a rough plan.

It must take into account:

• position on the site, placement of other objects near the slide;
• shape;
• size;
• the presence of a reservoir, its type and boundaries;
• layout of stones, their size, shape, breed;
• planting.

As initial stage work, you need to prepare an area measuring 1.5x2.5 m. All weeds are removed from the selected area: for example, bindweed, sow thistle. The most suitable soil for arranging a slide is sandy soil. If the soil is clayey, drainage is not required, but if the soil is excessively wet, then groundwater drainage is indispensable.

To do this, you need to dig a hole at least 30 cm deep (depending on the planned height of the future rock garden). The more reliable the drainage, the more durable the slide will be. The first 10 cm should be covered with crushed bricks or gravel. You can use expanded clay for this purpose. The next 5 cm is a layer of coarse sand that needs to be leveled. Each layer must be watered. Next, the soil that was previously dug up is poured in and compacted tightly along the entire perimeter of the future rock garden.

To avoid intensive growth of weeds, it is recommended to pass the soil through a screen mesh before filling.

Laying of stones begins only after the soil has settled, that is, after 14-20 days. The rock garden has several terraces, usually their number varies from 3 to 5. Each tier is laid out around the perimeter with large stones, after which the gaps are filled with soil, which is compacted. Next they move on to designing the next terrace. If the ground sags, it is necessary to fill the resulting voids with a substrate. If the rock garden has paths, they are laid out at the same time.

It is best to equip the slide in the fall, as natural shrinkage will occur in winter. It is also good to treat the soil with weed killers - subsequently it will be much easier to care for the plants. There is an opinion that the best solution for designing a rocky garden is one that is carried out without any construction work.

Thus, it remains possible to painlessly make adjustments to the design if necessary.

To select the types of flora for arranging a rock garden, additional knowledge and skills will be required. Options for shrubs and flowers are selected depending on the type of hill. If it is rocky and located in a sunny place, then light-loving, drought-resistant crops are needed. In order to create a classic alpine slide, you need both low species and perennials - herbs and flowers. In addition, you need to know that not all types of plants “get along” with stones and are suitable for placement on a hill.

When choosing your combination of crops for planting on rock garden terraces, it is better to give preference to those that meet the following criteria:

• beautiful appearance;
• low varieties of shrubs and trees;
• low maintenance requirements;
• thermophilicity.

Carpet, small-bulbous, rosette, and tuberous groups of plants are best suited for these purposes. The basis for the design of the slide are small trees, mainly conifers, such as pine, thuja, cypress, juniper. If speak about flowering bushes, then lingonberries, blueberries, almonds, broom, and rhododendron are perfect for decorating a rock garden.

It is impossible to imagine a rock garden without flowers. Perennial plants with beautiful flowers will make any garden unique and stylish. Considering climatic features Russia should not limit itself only to alpine high-mountain plants. In some cases, the presence of crops that live in the forest, steppe or even on the sea coast will be appropriate on a rocky hill. There is even a Mexican version of a rock garden with cacti. Alpine edelweiss and awl-shaped phlox, Carpathian bell and saxifrage and many other types of plants can decorate a rock garden.

Along the edges and in certain areas of the rock garden, low-growing and ground cover crops are planted: primroses, ferns, periwinkle, lavender, and bluebells.

Concerning deciduous plants, then there are some difficulties with them. The main thing is to avoid planting deciduous species, because this can create unnecessary problems with flying around and subsequent harvesting of leaves. Moreover, fallen leaves not only spoil the aesthetic appearance of the slide, but can also harm other plants. Therefore, when choosing deciduous crops for decorating a rock garden, it is better to pay attention to evergreen representatives of this type, such as iberis, dryad or cotoneaster.

If you want an alpine hill to begin pleasing the eye in early spring and bloom all summer months until late autumn, you need to include bulbous species in its design: snowdrops, crocuses (regular and late), tulips, scillas, pushkinia, colchicum. An expressive background for plants with a short flowering period will be created by their long-flowering “brothers”: for example, Atlantic poppy or bluebell.

Choosing stones

There are many varieties of rock gardens, and they all have one thing in common: they are an artificially created mini-copy of a mountain landscape. The stone embankment imitates a plateau, merging into a sequence of terraces, and above them there are stones designed to represent mountain cliffs. It is best to arrange a rock garden natural stones related to rocks: basalt, sandstone, limestone, granite, and other durable and low-porosity rocks. It is not advisable to work with shell rock, tuff, or dolomite. Since these rocks are porous, they quickly absorb moisture, as a result of which they are susceptible to rapid destruction.

It is important to consider what the appearance of the rock garden will be. It is best to think about this point already at the stage of drawing up the project. In addition to the site, the rock garden should be in harmony in style with the house. If the house is made of wood, then the shape of the slide should be softer. A high-tech house will allow you to play with form - for example, use it in decoration geometric figures, such as cubes, prisms, spheres. An alpine slide will look most elegant if it has a bright dominant element. It could be a large original stone, an interesting tree, a stream or an unusual flower.

It should be clearly visible from any side, since it is thanks to it that the design looks complete and the landscape looks like a single whole.

It is also possible that the rock garden does not have the main accent that attracts attention. So, if you plan to plant bright flowers, then it is better to take stones in neutral tones so that they act as a background. If the plants are inexpressive, then it makes sense to choose interesting, bright stones. If you combine different types of stones, there is a high risk that the rock garden will look like a pile of randomly thrown stones, so it is better to take samples that are similar in color and shape.

Most often, the following rocks are used to build a slide:

• white-green quartz;
• marble chips white;
• milky quartz;
• quartzite petrified wood;
• both green and red jasper;
• rainbow quartz;
• sandstone.

If limestone is used for the foundation of a rock garden, an alkaline reaction in the soil between the stones is possible. This soil is not suitable for some types of plants and needs to be acidified. You can acidify the soil, for example, with sphagnum moss or leaf compost. In order to create a small rock garden measuring approximately 2.5x1.5 m, you need about 2 tons of large, heavy stones. Each stone individually must weigh at least 12 kg. This is necessary for the stability of the structure. Some slides can even use boulders weighing 100 kg.

The color of the stones and their shape are extremely important. Too round or, conversely, sharp-angled ones will not work. As for the stones different color, then they look proportional only in rock gardens of a certain type. In the classic method of decorating a rocky garden, it is assumed that similar stones are used different sizes. The largest of them are laid out along the perimeter of the slide, often at the bottom - they are suitable for framing. For better adhesion to the ground, they are dug into the soil approximately 60%.

The stones on the tiers of the slide must be positioned so that their visible edges look perfect. Stones with defects are laid in such a way as to hide the defects. There must be intervals between the boulders, which are subsequently filled with plants and flowers. The stones must be laid taking into account their size and weight, as naturally as possible, trying to recreate the natural randomness.

Laid out with stones required amount tiers of slides. In order to decorate the top, the most interesting stones in size and shape are selected. The terraced shape will allow you to direct the flow of water from the hill in the right direction and prevent erosion of the soil, as well as divide the hill into areas suitable for growth various types plants.

If the rock garden project includes a stream or waterfall, then a hose or pipe should be secured and disguised at the top, and a pump should be installed at the foot or in the reservoir itself, which will regulate the pressure of the supplied water.

Planting schemes

When planting plants for a rock garden, it is important to carry out all work in a certain sequence and in strict accordance with the diagram. Then arranging a rocky garden with your own hands will not take much time and effort. There is an opinion that with a well-thought-out plan, it is possible to make an alpine slide in just one day. First you need to select the green elements of the system. Alpine perennials are most often used as a base: for example, fescue, lavender, geranium and others, which gradually grow over time, forming a green cover.

It looks extremely picturesque.

To achieve a visual effect, it would be correct to plant plants with different flowering periods on the hill, arranging them in groups that have a shape close to round. Then the rock garden will delight its owners from early spring until late autumn. It is better to combine vegetation so that dim and low specimens of flora are grouped, and the most spectacular plants are located separately, attracting attention. On a hill with several terraces, plants are planted in tiers.

• The most drought-resistant plants are planted on the top tier of the rock garden. This is where the most sunlight gets, and moisture from the soil quickly evaporates. Ground cover flora representatives are most suitable for this purpose.

• The middle part of the slide is best decorated with plants that love both sun and moisture and can easily tolerate shade. On the rock garden terraces, the soil moisture is higher, so the choice of species suitable for decorating this part of the composition is much wider. Plants that easily tolerate shade and love soil saturated with moisture are planted at the foot.
• Dwarf trees (both coniferous and deciduous) and shrubs should be planted first, allocating the largest areas for them. It is not advisable to place them on the “bottom” of the rock garden. The best place to plant upright dwarf plants in the composition - near large stones installed at the edges of the hill at some distance from each other. After the shrubs, herbaceous species are planted, and ground cover plants complete the planting.

It is also important to consider the duration of flowering of plants, climatic conditions in the region, the compatibility of plants with each other. If you correctly arrange annual and perennial plants in the area of ​​the rock garden, then it will look attractive all the time, while the owner will be able to supplement the composition with new species every year.

There are seven types of rock gardens:

• rock - a surface with natural fractures;
• a mountain slope on which there are conifers and boulders of considerable size;
• Czech rolling pin, the main characteristic feature of which is layered stonework;

• a forest ravine in which a spring or artificial waterfall flows;
• slope with terraces;
• rocky wall - a low hill with randomly scattered stones;
• a gorge with groups of asymmetrically located stones;
• an alpine lawn planted with wild crops growing mainly in the mountains.

Decor

It may seem that the location of rock gardens is only permissible in well-lit areas, but this is not so. If you choose the right flowers and shrubs, then it is quite possible to arrange a hill in the shade. Then the composition will imitate not the highlands, but the mountain forest zone. Any terrain is suitable for a shady garden: flat, gorge, terraced, or tiered. Each of them can be beautifully played out, creating a cozy corner on the site. You can decorate such a rock garden with large stones and natural driftwood. You can make a path from crushed stone, gravel or mulched bark.

To design a shady rocky garden, a larger selection of plants is provided. You can use not only alpine mountain crops, but also those grown in traditional flower beds, such as lilac, hydrangea, elderberry, and viburnum. Phlox, peonies, mint, primrose, and daylily also tolerate partial shading. However, you still don’t need to go overboard with flowerbed perennials. Firstly, they are much looser and larger than their mountain “brothers”, and secondly, they grow too actively, covering stones and ground cover plant species. As a result, the composition ceases to look neat and loses its attractive appearance.

If a balance is maintained between mountain and flowerbed flora species, a shady garden can decorate the area while being easy to care for, since the plants that fill it are less whimsical and demanding than heat-loving crops growing in the sun.

Important emphasis

To ensure that the rock garden pleases its owners not only during the day, you can install lighting around it. Then, when evening comes, it will look even more impressive. It is best to use flashlights for these purposes. solar powered, since their installation does not require cable laying or electricity. The battery is charged throughout the day and illuminates the area at night. You can place light sources around the perimeter of the rock garden, or you can illuminate the terraces. In this case, only the imagination of the garden owner can serve as a limiter.

If a pond is adjacent to the slide, then one or more waterproof battery models can be installed in it, depending on the size and shape of the reservoir.

A good idea for the area adjacent to the slide would be a bench located in the shade. You can design it however you like: make it from a single piece of wood or buy a wicker garden one. It is also appropriate to decorate the bench decorative pillows, place an additional source of lighting so that you can sit with a book in the evening. You can go further by building a platform next to the rock garden, on which sun loungers and a table will be placed, and make a gazebo. If there is space, you can even arrange sofas and create a relaxation area. It all depends on the wishes of the owner and the size of the site. The main thing is that the rock garden and the area next to it are in harmony in size, color and style, complementing each other.

If the size of the site allows, then several flower beds can be laid out next to the rocky hill, and the same plants that decorate the hill will grow on them. This will add additional volume and scale to the composition. Such an ensemble will look especially good on a large, spacious area.

It is important to understand that each of the rock gardens made independently is unique. With a little effort, you can create a real “diamond” in your garden. In addition, decorating the slide can be done by the whole family. So, in addition to an impressive result, you will receive a lot of positive emotions from joint creative work.

Children of any age will be able to contribute to the arrangement of the rock garden, and parents will once again have the opportunity to spend time with their children.