Types of slides. Rock garden: the best design diagrams and an example of making it yourself

In magazines garden design Photos of alpine slides are very common. This is not surprising; this attribute is becoming increasingly popular.

The reason for this is its unusual shape and diversity color solutions. Such an “island” on the site helps to create an elegant and aristocratic atmosphere.

Rock garden in the landscape

The creation of alpine slides is beginning to gain momentum. Along with them, rockeries, which are a continuation of rocky gardens, are gaining popularity. Such garden attributes look good with ponds, rivers, bridges, paths, lanterns, etc.

As a rule, plantings on such objects do not require special care.

The main advantage of such projects is that you can make an alpine slide with your own hands, and without much expense.

Depending on where the slide will be located, it may take central place in design or to be an addition to any overall composition. This versatility allows this attribute to be used in any environment. The slides look quite organic and do not look alien.

How to choose a place?

Before you start creating a rock garden, you need to choose the right place for it. The best area will be one that is clearly visible from anywhere in the garden.

The slide will look good on open area, which will not be shaded by trees. This is especially important if there is a pond nearby; leaves from trees falling into it will quickly spoil the water. It is also important to choose a place where there will be no strong winds.

The slide configuration will need to be designed so that it accommodates necessary plants that are suitable for general style plot.

Slides can be combined well with different styles areas in which transitions from one zone to another are provided in the form of paths, rocky paths with lanterns and bridges.

Stones

Before you make an alpine slide, you need to choose the right stones. We will need rocks:

• Granite;
• Basalt;
• Limestone;
• Sandstone;

You should not use porous rocks; they absorb moisture well and will begin to deteriorate over time due to watering of plants and precipitation.

The shape of the stones is also of great importance - there is no need to choose round or acute-angled stones. As a rule, stones of the same type that have different shapes look best.

Place the stones on the hill in the most chaotic manner. The largest and heaviest boulders should be at the base.

If there are defects on the stones, they can be masked using the soil on which the plants will be planted. The most important thing is to achieve a natural look, so you should avoid industrially made boulders.

Plants

Due to the fact that the hill will be located in an open place, the plants on it must be resistant to constant sun and aridity. As a rule, miniature trees, shrubs, herbs and unpretentious flowers are planted on the hills.

Among the most popular crops are the following:

• Lavender;
• Geranium;
• Sedum;

Plants can be planted in small groups and they will do well. Here are some of them:

• Crocuses;
• Hyacinths;
• Miniature tulips.

In addition to flowers, you can plant conifers. They look beautiful all year round and harmonize well with bright and lush flowers:

• Pines;
• Junipers.

The best option would be to plant ornamental, perennial plants. They are not particularly demanding to care for and look good throughout the year. By choosing the right types, the rock garden will look beautiful all season long:

• Day-lily;
• Badan;
• Reed.

It is also important to take into account the height of the plants. If some species shade others, this should not affect their development. They should do well in the shade.

Flowers with the brightest bloom should be placed at the front of the composition.

So, most important rules Creating a rock garden is a matter of choosing the right place, stones and plants. It can be placed in almost any area.

Even if you don’t have a large suburban area, an alpine slide in your dacha will look great. It'll be neat decorative corner, which will easily surprise the neighbors.

Photo of an alpine slide

Alpine slide is a smaller copy of a mountainous area. Usually, in the central part of such a flowerbed, a cobblestone or several cobblestones are installed, which are a symbol mountain peak. Terraces are created on the slopes on which low-growing vegetation is planted.

In the natural environment, such areas are formed in the place where natural fractures of rocks appear. Under the influence environment a fertile layer appears on them, on which plants subsequently grow. To recreate such a mountain landscape in your garden or dacha, you need certain knowledge.

Suitable for such a large-scale structure as a rocky flower bed spacious plot. When building an alpine slide with your own hands, you should strive to ensure that the composition of vegetation and cobblestones looks naturally.

Video. Construction of an alpine slide

Making an alpine slide with your own hands

A hand-made alpine slide will decorate the entire local area. To decide on the design of your future rocky garden, you can study photographs of alpine slides. In order to create such a composition, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules and a certain order of work.

Step-by-step instructions for creating an alpine slide with your own hands

To begin with, determine the location. In order to do this, you need to pay attention to the lighting. An area that is illuminated for as long as possible is suitable for a rock garden. the sun. Also, the composition should be clearly visible from all sides.

1. Designation base contour(sole) slides and removal of the top fertile layer to a depth of about 30 cm.
2. Device drainage system. The bottom layer can be made of gravel small size, pieces of brick or, in extreme cases, from construction waste. After this, a layer of sand about five centimeters thick is laid. A fertile layer of soil is laid on top of the sand. You can do without a drainage system if a slope with not too dense soil is chosen for arranging an alpine hill.
3. At this stage we begin placement of stones And erection of the core slides. Of all the stones, the largest and most beautiful cobblestone is chosen. He will be the main one in the lower tier. The stone must be stable. To do this, you can add soil or gravel. The classic alpine slide at the dacha consists of an odd number of tiers. Moist soil is placed between these tiers, which must be compacted well.
   

   Tip: when laying stones, you should avoid symmetry. You can leave spaces between the stones for planting or group stones next to each other. It is also necessary to immediately decide on support stones on which you can stand when caring for vegetation. They should be compacted and secured.

4. Plant vegetation.

Plants for alpine hills - selection rules

Building an alpine slide with your own hands requires knowledge and certain skills. This especially applies to the choice of vegetation. First of all, you need to decide color palette rock garden. After this, you should draw a sketch of the future rocky garden. To trace the color scheme, you need to decorate the sections of the slide with the corresponding colors. Only after this can you start choosing a plant for an alpine hill for your dacha.

DIY Alpine slide. Photo

Look good low coniferous plants. You can also use small shrubs, which bloom in spring and bear fruit in autumn.

Coniferous plants that are suitable for landscaping an alpine hill with your own hands

• dwarf spruce. This plant tolerates drought well;
• juniper. This unpretentious plant grows in shape like a cone. Foliage - green;
• thuja grows in the form of a bush. In good light it acquires a reddish-brown color;
• cypress- a plant with a golden top and a dark green base.

Deciduous plants for alpine hills

To garden an alpine hill with your own hands, you should not choose deciduous plant species. Since fallen leaves must be removed regularly so as not to harm other vegetation. The following plants are chosen for the slides:

• cotoneaster horizontal. This shrub with a dense crown has dark green foliage in the warm season, and by autumn it acquires a reddish tint. The plant blooms with small flowers;
• Iberis. A subshrub that does not lose its attractiveness throughout the season. The flowers, collected in umbrella-shaped brushes, are painted white, pink or purple. Later, fruits appear in their place in the form of pods;
• dryad. A miniature shrub blooming with large white flowers. The flowering period falls in July-August. Later, fruits of unusual shape appear in their place. They look like "fluffy balls".

Flowers for an alpine slide

To build a classic alpine slide with your own hands, use low, creeping, “carpet” plants. It is best to give preference to perennials. The following flowers can be used for landscaping:

• short-stemmed carnation. This low-growing, richly flowering plant with narrow gray-blue-green leaves is unpretentious. Suitable for landscaping open sunny areas;
• rock alyssum- a perennial whose leaves are gray-green. The peculiarity of this plant is that its leaves remain green even in winter. The multi-flowered panicle inflorescences contain small bright yellow leaves;
• looked younger- perennial with a wide color palette of leaves. They can be green, silver, yellowish, pink, burgundy;
• saxifrage- traditional inhabitants of rock gardens. Flowering period is May-August. The five-petalled flowers are white, pink or yellow.

In order for the alpine hill at the dacha to delight you with its beauty every year, you should plant bulbous and corm flowers. Long-flowering crops are suitable to create a contrasting background. Also perfect frame there will be a well-groomed lawn.

What to do if an alpine slide settles in the spring?

Sometimes an alpine slide made with a violation of construction technology can settle. There may be several reasons for this.

• Poorly chosen plot or lack drainage. It is better to arrange a rock garden on a natural hill or on an area with a slope. If the slide is placed on loamy or clay soils, then it is necessary to make a drainage layer. For these purposes, you can use gravel or stones.
  
• Incorrectly selected substrate, vegetation And cobblestones. For an alpine slide with your own hands, it is better to choose the following mixture of soil: compost, sand and peat in equal proportions.

How to avoid shrinkage of flower beds

• take into account the slope of the site and soil type;
• make a drainage layer and allow the soil to subside in time;
• for planting, choose vegetation with strong rhizomes;
• correctly select vegetation, cobblestones and soil substrate;
• timely remove fallen leaves, dig up wilted plants, weed weeds.

Alpine slide made of conifers

To create rock gardens, not only traditional “Alpines” can be used, but also coniferous plants. Pines, thuja, shooting juniper, barberry, gray or Japanese spirea, and konica spruce are ideal for these purposes. In the classic version, only shrubs and trees should not be present. They should grow there in small numbers.

Stones for alpine slides

Natural flat cobblestones are suitable for such rocky gardens different sizes original form. You should also give preference to stones with a non-uniform surface, with all kinds of “inclusions”, recesses in which moss or small plant. Limestones, boulders, sandstones, granite, and slates look good.

Decorating an alpine slide with your own hands

Stones and vegetation are used to decorate the alpine slide. In order to position them correctly, you need to follow some recommendations, namely:

• they begin to lay stones from the bottom row, moving upward;
• for the top of the composition you need to choose the most beautiful cobblestone;
• for each large stone it is necessary to make a “foundation” of one to three flat stones;
• The stones should be laid in such a way that their tops are parallel to each other;
• several stones should be placed so that they can be walked on;
• after laying each row, lay a layer of earth, which is well compacted and spilled with water;
• The most beautiful cobblestone is installed at the top of the slide.

Rock garden and rock garden: differences and similarities

Rock garden and rock garden - two different ways flowerbed arrangements. A rockery is a flowerbed of stones, most which is occupied by stones of the same type. Cobblestones are laid parallel to each other or in random order. Chaotically placed stones imitate the natural environment. The rock garden also contains vegetation, but in the form of a background that plays a secondary role. In the alpine hill, bright vegetation comes to the fore.

DIY Alpine slide. Video instructions

Video. DIY Alpine slide

DIY Alpine slide. Video

Alpine slide with a waterfall. Video instruction

Many summer residents, when arranging their plots, install in the garden decorative element like an alpine slide.

It is an excellent decoration for a garden or park. The slide gives the dacha plot coziness, beauty and a sense of nature.

Choosing a place for the slide

When choosing a location for an alpine slide, you need to consider the following factors:

• The slide should be in the most visible place on the site so that guests and all family members can admire it.
• It should be in the sun, in places not blocked by trees.
• It is recommended to protect the alpine slide from contact with the wind.

When installing a slide, the landscape design of the site is also taken into account, on which a lot depends. When organizing an alpine slide yourself, it is best to refuse the services of an architect and do everything as you like and it will be inexpensive financially.

You can make such a slide yourself by studying many forums and articles on the Internet.

Start of installation of the Alpine slide

First of all, we decide on the location; do not allow the presence of trees, bushes and other vegetation near it. You also need to choose the location of the slide wisely. summer cottage.

It needs to be located where the soil moisture level is not very high, this may affect the quality of the slide. Humidity is controlled by using a drainage cover, which is poured under the hill and protects it from excess water.

Slide construction ideas

You need to schematically imagine the appearance of the alpine slide, the location of all the decorations. To build a slide you need:

• stones various types and shapes, for example - pebbles;
• sand, you can also use different ones (with or without pebbles);
• different kinds ornamental plants and flowers also look great dwarf trees;
• to create a forest atmosphere there should be moss;

From available tools and things you can create a work of landscape art. The Alpine slide will delight you with its appearance every day.

We choose stones to decorate the alpine slide.

To build such a decorative slide, he uses stones of various types. Usually they are stones such as: basalt, granite, sandstone.

Often, landscape designers and architects use stones of one specific type, as they look harmonious and are more convenient to work with.

When building a slide, stones must be laid scattered to avoid the same type of arrangement of stones, thereby giving the structure a natural look.

Industrially mined stones are not suitable for these purposes. They try to lay stones that have cracks or chips, hiding the defects so that they do not spoil the overall picture of the slide.

Arranging an alpine hill with flowers and plants

In order for the slide to have a pleasant and attractive design appearance, many varieties of vegetation are used during its construction.

Their numbers and types can be different, which the owners of their summer cottage like. When choosing them, you should pay attention to weather conditions, the type of plants that grow in that area, and many other factors.

And also, before purchasing plants or flowers, you need to contact a person with knowledge in botany, and it is recommended to contact landscape designers, only they have experience in this field.

At independent choice plants, you risk simply destroying the plants. Also, when forming an alpine slide, you can use small ornamental trees. You need to use bright, saturated flowers that look great on the site, delighting with their beautiful appearance.

Proper care of an alpine slide

During the first year of using the slide, you need to take care of the plants, water them, feed them with fertilizers, and add soil as necessary.

When using the slide, it is not recommended to use nitrogen fertilizers for plants, as they accompany the active growth of plants. Plants and flowers need to be trimmed and dried leaves removed. When watering, you need to monitor the flow of water; it should not erode the soil.

Plants are also susceptible to pests, so they need to be treated. Stones that become loose over time need to be strengthened.

The use of alpine slides in the field of design

With the help of such slides, not only summer cottages and vegetable gardens are decorated, they are also used in the arrangement of parks and squares.

Alpine slides are also widely used in decorating aquariums and terrariums. The Alpine slide will not only transform the dacha plot, but will delight all guests with its beauty and create an atmosphere of nature and comfort.

Photo of an alpine hill at a summer cottage

An alpine slide created by yourself will help you decorate your garden plot in an original way and with a touch of individuality. Traditionally, it takes the form of a small hill made of stones, a mountain slope or a ravine, covered with a variety of flowers. It is worth noting that such compositions of stones and flowers are quite easy to create on your own, choosing the shape of the alpine slide to your liking.

History of alpine roller coasters

The origins of rock gardens lead to Japan. It was there, several thousand years ago, that beautiful rock gardens began to appear. The Japanese, who have always been very acutely aware of the shortage of free territory, wanting to surround themselves with beautiful flowers, came up with the idea of ​​planting them in any free areas. Also, the Japanese canons of beauty say that true beauty visible only in natural phenomena. Therefore, the amazing combination of dead, cold stone and tender, living plant helps create a true harmony of beauty.

In European countries, alpine slides began to appear only in the sixteenth century. At that time, they represented a certain area that was planted with wild flowers brought from the mountainous regions.

Today, the fashion for creating alpine slides has embraced a large number of countries And many people think about how to make an alpine slide with their own hands, on personal plot.

Rock garden and rock garden. Key Similarities and Differences

Quite often, even experienced gardeners confuse the concepts of rock garden and rock garden. And this is not surprising. Having enough big amount general characteristics, it’s hard not to confuse them.

A rock garden, like a rock garden, is a way of creating a flower garden, which is based on the use of stones and flowers.

But at the same time, the rockery - classic version a rock garden, the creation of which uses only one rock. The stones are laid out in a chaotic order or in parallel stripes. This approach helps create the visual effect of wild nature. Rockeries are planted with a variety of flowers, only in this case they act as a secondary element, forming a natural floral background.

Rock garden - a type of garden on rocks in which flowers and plants play main role. The variety of plant species, a riot of colors and unusual color combinations amaze the imagination and make you admire the alpine hill for a long time.

Creation of an alpine slide

With a competent approach to planning and carrying out all the activities to create an alpine slide at the dacha with your own hands, the arrangement will take only one day. So that the created beauty does not have to be redone or even dismantled, it is very important to adhere to certain rules when creating alpine slides.

The whole process step-by-step creation DIY alpine slide can be divided into the following stages:

1. We select a place to locate the rock garden.
2. Let's start creating a drainage system.
3. Selecting stones optimal size and let's start installing them.
4. We prepare the soil for planting plants.
5. Finally, we plant plants and flowers.

Let's look at the main stages of creating an alpine slide with your own hands in more detail.

Selecting a location

When deciding to create an alpine slide with your own hands, a novice gardener should very carefully and very critically examine the selected area. Of course, you can choose the right plants for any type of soil and location of the site. But it will be better if a spacious, well-lit area is chosen to create a future rock garden.

It is also very important to think in advance from what angle the alpine slide will be clearly visible. After all, you will certainly want to show such beauty to your friends and relatives.

When choosing a location to create a rock garden, pay attention to the type of soil. Sandy soil is the least problematic option for creating an alpine slide on it. Clay or oily soil requires additional measures before planting. As a rule, they involve creating a drainage system.

Creation of a drainage system

The indication for creating a drainage system is not only the type of soil. There are certain types of plants for which it is also not desirable for water to stagnate in the ground. For example, these include flowers growing in mountainous areas. To prepare the soil and avoid problems of water stagnation, experts recommend laying a certain base.

To do this, it is necessary to remove the top layer of soil. Then the recess is filled with crushed stone, or, as an economical option, with small construction waste or fragments of brick. The backfill is covered with a layer of sand and then earth. After the last layer of earth is filled in, the whole thing is well watered and left alone for a certain time to dry.

Advice ! For best performance efficiency of the drainage system, it is good to use limestones, which have excellent air permeability.

Laying stones

Once created drainage system, the process of laying stones begins.

When choosing the size of stones, you need to remember that the more compact the future rock garden, the smaller size there should be stones. For an alpine slide large sizes Boulders are perfect, and for a small rock garden - small flagstones.

There is no specific pattern for laying stones when creating a rock garden. The only thing that a designer must adhere to is the principle of naturalness and natural location.

Attention ! There is no need to adhere to any diagrams or drawings when creating a rock garden. A little carelessness will make the alpine slide the closest to the natural wild look.

Another nuance that needs to be taken into account when selecting and laying stones is that you should not use several types of boulders on one hill at once. As a rule, in nature, rock gardens consist of one rock. Advantage should be given only to natural materials. A rock garden usually has several tiers. In order for the alpine slide to really have beautiful view, it should attract the eye even without flowers. These are the kind of rock gardens that are created by real professional craftsmen.

Granite has very rich colors and a bright pattern, so they need to be laid in such a way that there is no feeling that a granite memorial is being erected instead of a hill.

Sandstone is very easy to process. Therefore using this feature You can independently give it the desired shape, according to your taste and idea.

When laying the tiers of an alpine hill, do not forget that soon living plants will be planted on it. Therefore, each tier must be covered with layers of moist, fertile soil. The stones should not be packed too tightly.

Advice ! Naturalness and the greatest resemblance to wild nature can be achieved if, when creating a rock garden, you alternate large and small stones.

Selecting soil for plants

It is quite difficult to imagine an alpine hill without living plants. Therefore, for planting them, it is worth thoroughly preparing fertile soil. It is quite possible to do it yourself. The composition of soil for rock garden plants includes: clean clay soil, peat and gravel. Ratio clay soil and peat is 3:1.

The soil is laid only in the place where the flowers will be planted. As a rule, crevices and spaces between boulders are used for these purposes. Sometimes soil is poured directly onto bare rocks.

Advice ! Moss and lichen make the alpine hill closest in appearance to wildlife. Favorable environment limestone is used for the growth of these types of vegetation.

Choosing plants for the rock garden

Plants for creating a rock garden are selected based on the following criteria:

1. Unpretentiousness. This feature provides a guarantee for the owner of the future rock garden that he will not have to constantly treat diseased plants and plant new ones. A flower garden on rocks should look as close to wild nature as possible, which means that human factor in creating a rock garden should be kept to a minimum.
2. All plants should tolerate not only sunny summer, but also a cold winter.
3. Flowers are selected in such a way that they can grow freely next to each other.
4. For the top point of a rock garden, small shrubs are most suitable. As a rule, these are deciduous trees or pine needles. In order for the alpine hill to delight with its beauty all year round, it is advisable to use both shrubs.

   Advice! Of the coniferous species, juniper, thuja and mountain pine are most suitable. Among deciduous species, you can choose cotoneaster.

5. As for flowers, their choice is similar to the selection of shrubs.

When planting vegetation, pay attention to their height. There is no need to place tall bushes on the top of the mountain. Also, do not plant tall plants among small stones. The stones should not be completely covered with plants at all.

The choice of plant assortment depends entirely on what rocks are used for the rock garden. For plants with light leaves, dark stones will be the best background, and for plants with dark green leaves, stones of light shades will be the best background.

Types of alpine slides

There are several types of alpine slides, in landscape design, created with your own hands, which are very similar to various areas of the mountainous terrain:

• Rocky cliff. This is a pile of smooth, rather large boulders, with a minimum of any flowers in niches and crevices.
• Hillside . This is a rather complex composition, made up of stones of various sizes, around which there are many small plants.
• Mountain valley. This is an area that is made up of stones protruding from the ground, surrounded by a large number of flowering plants.
• Gorge. This is the most difficult to implement, but perhaps the most beautiful type of rock garden. It can be placed in a natural excavation, covering the slopes with stones and planting plants suitable for the landscape design.

Conclusion

Never add artificial decorative items when creating alpine slides. Thus, you can destroy all the natural beauty that the combination of stone and living plant is designed to create. After all, an alpine hill is created precisely so that the unique atmosphere of the mountains is present on the plot.

When creating an alpine slide, one of the most important stages is the choice of plants. We will find out which plants are best to use when creating an alpine slide in the next video.

Alpine slide, rock garden... This design has several names, but this does not change its essence. When there is a need to tidy up an uneven and completely unattractive area, an alpine slide comes to the rescue.

There are at least two reasons to make such a structure yourself:

1. It's incredibly beautiful. Just imagine - in just a year, rocky ledges and uneven areas will be covered with a lovely carpet of herbs and flowers.
2. It's exciting. When you arrange flower garden independently, the field for imagination is almost limitless. Of course, you will need to think through every little detail, from the choice of stones to the location of planting coniferous shrubs. These chores are pleasant and will give you only positive emotions.

By the way, there is a third reason that will make you think about building a flowering hill. This is the soil. When the soil is poor and consists mainly of sand or stones, organize any other type of flower garden, even visual video extremely problematic. It’s another matter if the dacha plot is planted with flowers and shrubs in the same “ alpine style

" Even in difficult conditions, flowers will develop well and delight you with their aromas.

Stone gardens were first built in Japan. The first “ancestors” of modern rock gardens appeared there 1000 years ago. Due to the scarcity of land, the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun have learned to create beauty even in small areas.

If you follow the Japanese canons, then the real value of being should be sought in nature. When a hard, absolutely dead stone and a delicate, living flower are harmoniously combined on one piece of land, a real duet of enchanting beauty is created.

8 varieties of rocky flower beds

• Before we tell you about the main secrets of arrangement, we advise you to decide on the type of flower garden. In total, there are eight main varieties of alpine slide:
• Rock. This is a traditional option, the surface of which has natural breaks.
• Mountain slope. A difficult combination that involves the installation of large blocks of stone, as well as a huge number of coniferous trees.
• Mountain valley. Several groups of stones are placed in a chaotic order.
• Terraced slope. Retaining walls have different heights.
• Forest ravine. There must be a spring or an artificial waterfall on the territory of the slide.
• Rocky wall. A small mound is being built, the stones are laid asymmetrically.
• Czech rolling pin. Its hallmark is the layered masonry of stones. Alpine lawn. Perhaps the most stylish option arrangement. Involves planting a variety of wild plants

, most of which can only be found in the mountains.

Important subtleties of designing alpine slides

Don't forget that 10 stones and 5 plants between them is not an alpine slide. It’s another matter when the composition vaguely resembles a real mountain landscape; it consists of squat bushes, perennials and properly selected stones.

• So, what nuances do those who are planning to make an alpine slide with their own hands need to know about?
• Isolation from the playground is required.
• Proportionality relative to the area of ​​the site.
• Distance from flower beds that bloom especially luxuriantly and brightly. Location in the most illuminated places, next to a water source. If it is impossible to implement the second point, take care of creating additional points
• glaze.

Maximum resemblance to a mountain landscape. square meters will be quite enough. The main thing is that it corresponds to the general concept landscape design.

Step-by-step guide to setting up a rock garden

Any construction works begin with the preparation of tools and materials. In our case, this is a tape measure with a cord, several identical pegs, a shovel and a crowbar, a garden trowel (the one with a long handle), regular scissors and a ladle for scooping out soil, and a watering can.

The materials will be as follows: sand, crushed stone and stones of the same type, turf and gravel, peat. You will also need a little humus so that the plants are well established, soil, limestone.

• Break up the area allocated for the alpine hill at the dacha and draw contours along the entire perimeter. A tape measure, a cord, an instructional video and pegs will help you. Clear the area for the flower bed, remove the top layer of soil with a diameter of 35-40 cm. Without exception, all weeds are well weeded and removed.

• When the site is completely ready, it is necessary to lay a gravel bed. To do this, gravel, slag and construction waste are mixed and backfilled. A layer of 10 cm will be quite enough. This drainage is extremely important for plants. It protects roots from waterlogging and prevents stagnation groundwater, guarantees excellent aeration. In places where the soil is too dense and does not drain water well, this cushion can be made thicker. There is no worse enemy for an alpine slide than wetland.
• How to make an alpine slide if the drainage layer is laid successfully. The granite cushion is supplemented with sand (5 cm thick), filled with water and compacted.
• Turf soil, which is sold in any nursery, is mixed with sand and perlite, wood chips and pine bark. You can add a little small crushed stone, crushed peat and humus to this mixture. The proportions are approximately the same; you are allowed to take a little less fertilizer.
• The prepared soil mixture is scattered over the entire surface of the hill, and the relief of the rock garden is formed. All “cliffs” and “tops” are modeled manually, regardless of whether we are talking about the construction of a slide in a garden, a summer cottage, or in any other area.
• When the last layer of earth is filled in, you can begin laying stones. Under each pebble there is a “pillow” made of river sand. We will talk about the choice of stones in more detail.

Rock garden stones: which ones to choose?

To make your exotic flower garden beautiful and durable, select stones in advance that do not “give” to the earth heavy metals, do not oxidize it. Freshly mined pebbles are much worse than those that have already been cut by wind and water. The scree should have a similar structure, and if you find the same ones, it will be ideal. The video instructions remind you that the size of the stones may vary.

The real “classics”, thanks to which you can build an alpine slide yourself, are natural granite and decorative sandstone, sometimes organic limestone. Alternatively, try boulders and dolomite, basalt, jasper (rare), quartz and serpentine.

Never collect stones from meadows and fields - it is better to purchase them from a quarry. The weight of stones can vary significantly, ranging from 10-15 to 100 kg. For example, if you want to build a stone flowerbed with an area of ​​150 x 300 cm, you will need about a ton of stones.

We continue our work with the alpine slide. Laying always starts from the foot. Then you follow up and gradually move from larger stones to smaller objects. The core of the slide is formed first. To do this, you need to choose the largest boulder and prepare a hole in the ground for it. To achieve stability, you can reinforce it with crushed stone.

Clear distances and geometric harmony are not your choice. How to do the installation yourself? Avoid precise lines, because in nature, stone blocks are scattered in a chaotic manner.

During the laying process, gradually bury the core of the composition and other stones. The sinuses are filled with soil for the rock garden and watered with a stream of water. This is where you will plant your plants. To emphasize the top of the mountain, we recommend placing a conical boulder at the top. As for the flower garden itself, it is better to start working with plants after 2-3 weeks. During this time, the stones and earth will settle properly.

Beautiful flowers for a slide are the key to an effective design

Since the climate in our country is quite unstable, the plants planted must be hardened and hardy. They shouldn't be afraid strong wind, no temperature fluctuations, no high atmospheric pressure. There are 5 main characteristics that plants must have:

• Absolute unpretentiousness.
• Small growth.
• Low growth rate.
• The propagation method is simple and affordable.
• The development cycle is necessarily multi-year.

Ground cover representatives of the flora that have a powerful root system, it is better to plant on a slope. This way the alpine slide will not erode too quickly.

Small bushes and dwarf trees are the first to be planted. It is recommended to allocate the most spacious areas for them. But it is not advisable to place them on the top of the slide or the bottom. The edges of the slide, next to large stones, are the optimal place. If you make it a rule to plant coniferous shrubs and dwarf trees as described above, they will require minimal care. Unless in winter, during severe frosts, they will need to be covered with burlap or wrapped in a special cover.

How to properly make an alpine slide using moss? Surely, you have seen how owners of personal plots decorate their garden or dacha with a hill covered with moss. You too can use this simple element of landscape design.

Clean the moss cushion from the soil, mix it with a blender and sugar (2-3 spoons) and 200 g of kefir.

You will get a homogeneous mass. Apply it to large and small stones using a brush. The plant will quickly take root - just remember to moisturize it for three weeks.

Instead of a conclusion

Don’t believe people who convince you that you can build a rock garden at your dacha in just one day. Naturally, such information has nothing to do with real facts. Unless it will be the most common version of a small alpine slide. And even then, it was made in a city apartment, and not in a large garden.

Do you want to do everything correctly so that you don’t have to redo it later? Nothing could be simpler. Follow the recommendations that you may have read above. Provide good drainage and cover it with soil. Ideally, the entire range of work is best carried out in two stages. The base of the slide is formed in the fall; flowers and stones are best planted and laid in the spring.