Rock garden is a fairly new way of decorating and arranging personal plot, which came to us to replace the classic front gardens with flower beds and flower beds. Organize this paradise 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, artificial waterfall, beautifully played 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 yard yourself.

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.

Have your own own pond in your yard - the dream of every 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. You can recreate a living corner of wild nature if you harmoniously combine large boulders with low-growing perennial plants.
• mountain gully- a place where large and small stones, protruding slightly from the ground, are surrounded by various plants, blooming almost all year round.
• Gorge- incredible beautiful composition made of stones and plants, which 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 slide can be found in city squares, on 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.

Subject to competent technology arrangement of an alpine slide, you can create such a unique landscape element with your 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 different kinds 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 due to the content of heavy metals and do not oxidize 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. Boulders with a lot of sharp edges are also not recommended.

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 a 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 options for 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 hue.
• 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 hardwood 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. His charming flowers have a pink, white, purple color.
• Dryad- is a miniature shrub, covered with large white inflorescences from mid-summer. In autumn, fruits appear that resemble fluffy balls.

As experienced summer residents say, 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 remain green 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.

Selecting perennials flowering species, it is necessary to take into account that they must have different periods flowering. 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 sown lawn grass. 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.

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 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 photos of beautiful design ideas will be discussed in this article.

Types of alpine slides - a stone wall is usually made of decorative artificial or natural stone. From natural stones the most commonly used 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. Top part the walls can be left in the form of a raised flower bed and also filled with plants, or 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:

On top of the drainage layer of pebbles, broken bricks or crushed stone (a layer of 2-4 cm is enough) soil mixture for rock gardens. 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 planted in a container rock garden perennials, 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:

A rock garden is a rather labor-intensive structure that requires excavation therefore, proper planning and serious preparation. Get to know the “pitfalls” of building an alpine slide that can spoil the impression of the result. Find out how to choose the right material and plants for a wildlife corner in the garden, and what difficulties you should take care of in advance. Learn the rules of care that will help preserve the composition for many years.

What is a rock garden and rock garden?

There are often cases when the owner of a site conceives a rock garden, draws a sketch, compares it with images found in magazines and discovers that he is going to build a rock garden. To avoid confusion in concepts, let’s figure out how a rock garden differs from an alpine slide.

The best stone flower beds give the impression that no human hand has touched them

A rock garden is an artificial rocky hill, laid in tiers and planted with continuously flowering herbs and low shrubs. The classic slide is decorated with plants from Central Europe (Alps, Carpathians), although there is a Japanese version that involves planting Far Eastern species, and even a Mexican one with cacti.

Alpine coaster styles

A rockery is a garden made of stones, often on a flat topography. Large and small stones, gravel areas, waves of sand - each detail has its own sacred purpose. Single plants are emphasized as much as possible. In Japanese rockeries there may be no plants at all, in European and English versions species native to middle zone.

The design of a rock garden is based on contrasts in the texture and size of the stones, while on an alpine hill the main characters are plants. The second basic difference is that a rock garden involves working with a deliberately uneven terrain, while a rock garden can also be flat.

Japanese-style rockery - emphasis on inanimate nature

Making an alpine slide with your own hands

When developing a rock garden plan, you need to remember the main features of such landscape design structures:

• tiering;
• the presence of open stone surfaces;
• predominance of low-growing plant forms;
• combination of contrasting views.

Scheme of a terraced composition

When determining the length and width of the composition, a ratio of 5:1 is usually used, the height is taken from 1 to 3 m, while remembering that the size of the rock garden should be in harmony with the dimensions of the site. It is advisable to depict the project in scale, as detailed as possible, from all sides and in color, and also think through seasonal changes habit and color of plants planned for planting.

A carefully executed project in color makes further work much easier

A simple alpine slide for beginners - possible difficulties

Having a simple diagram, it’s not difficult to make an alpine slide with your own hands using scrap materials. However, any error made on initial stage, will lead to the composition having to be rebuilt. To avoid this, consider the following issues:

1. Water stagnation. A combination of factors such as a low-lying area, an abundance of snow and melt water, heavy rainfall and clay soil, will quickly deprive the building of its decorative effect. Rock gardens are built with good drainage.
2. Soil subsidence. Before building the slide, the soil underneath is compacted, otherwise the stones will fall through, tilt, or even slide down the slope.
3. Weeds. The Alpine hill will have to be protected from their penetration from two fronts: from under the soil and from the air. To prevent the rhizomes remaining at depth from sprouting upward, the bottom of the pit is covered with geotextiles. If the seeds are carried by the wind, the weeds are pulled out by hand.
4. Burrowing animals. Sabotage by moles and shrews is prevented by a fine-mesh galvanized steel mesh, which is placed under geotextiles.

Elegant rock garden-flower bed

The effect of these negative factors is enhanced in the case of arranging a rock garden, the relief of which is more easily subject to deformation. Particularly against weeds experienced designers two to three weeks before planting, treat the soil with herbicides.

Choosing a location for an alpine slide

To obtain the maximum aesthetic effect, the rock garden on the site is formed in such a place that it can be viewed from at least three sides. It would be a good idea to consider placing a comfortable bench nearby under an awning or dense tree canopy.

Construction is often started in order to hide a lack of relief: a ravine, a hill, a slope, the top of a moraine boulder peeking out of the ground, which cannot be dug out due to its size. The existing height difference will allow you to supplement the rock garden with a stream and even a waterfall. The best neighbors of a rock garden in landscape design are open lawns and thickets of bushes, the worst are metal fences.

The grasses of alpine meadows, accustomed to living without forest canopy, are sun-loving and require full lighting. Rockeries can also be placed with light shading, but then the species composition of the plants must be corrected.

Mini rock garden is relevant for small courtyards

How to choose and where to get suitable stones

Properly selected stones mean the beauty and durability of a rock garden. Each breed has its own special qualities, on which its resistance to precipitation and winter freezing depends. The most popular breeds are:

• shell rock and limestone are rough, which allows mosses and lichens to cling to them, absorb moisture and gradually release it to plants, but are destroyed by acid rain and become polluted;
• sandstone – has a beautiful layered structure, slightly weathered;
• granite and basalt are massive, almost impossible to process with home tools, but they are resistant to any impact;
• slate - forms thin, even tiles, great for creating deliberately careless stairs.

Large beige stones are an excellent background for lush greenery

In nature, there are fragmented stones with uneven edges and smooth stones - rounded by the sea or river. Debris looks natural on rock gardens, especially with pronounced signs of erosion. But if the plan provides for a pond, then its banks can also be lined with smoothies.

Excessive diversity disfigures alpine hills, so it is recommended to limit yourself to one or two types of rocks. The largest boulder forms the center of the composition; the rest will complement the landscape, provided there is a balance between orderly and chaotic placement.

There are two ways to purchase stones. If you have a truck or car with a trailer, collect the cobblestones you like on the bank of the nearest river or in a quarry. It’s easier, but more expensive, to order them with delivery to the site from organizations that sell natural stone, or negotiate with the quarry workers, if there is one nearby.

Rock garden arrangement

Arrangement of a small rock garden and its construction

Before planting the plants, the rock garden must settle, so work on creating it with your own hands is carried out in early autumn. Let's look at them step by step using the example of building a mini-rock garden about 1 m high.

1. Pit. Soil is removed from the contour outlined with twine to a depth of 30-35 cm. metal mesh from burrowing animals and geotextiles.
2. Drainage. Made from expanded clay, broken tiles or bricks. 10 cm of coarse sand is poured onto 10 cm of drainage and spilled with water to prevent the formation of cavities.
3. The device of the lower tier. To prevent large elements from sagging, several rubble stones are placed on the lower tier, and the volume between them is filled with crushed stone. In this form, the slide is allowed to stand for about a month: during this time, the foundation stones will gain stability.
4. Formation. The composition of stones is laid out in accordance with the sketch, leaving gaps for soil and roots. Soft rocks, such as shell rock and tuff, allow you to drill holes in them of the desired size for flower pots.
5. Making an earthen mixture. The soil removed from the pit is sorted out, removing weed rhizomes from it. Add equal shares river sand, expanded clay and humus. A granite hill allows the use of peat, but if limestone is used, acidic additives are avoided.
6. Filling with earth mixture. This operation is performed on each tier, carefully filling the voids. It is necessary to water the soil with a spray jet, otherwise the water will wash it out of the recesses.

In this form, the rock garden will have to survive the first winter in its life.

The finished slide is left to winter. In the spring, if necessary, they correct it and begin decorating with plants.

Video instructions for beginners

In order not to miss a single important moment when creating an alpine slide with stones at the dacha with your own hands, you can use the video instructions.

An experienced landscape designer who has decorated dozens of luxury estates and ordinary dachas, will tell and show how:

• get by with a minimum of material, money and hard work;
• do not make mistakes when laying blocks and planting flowers;
• properly care for the rock garden so that the decorative effect does not disappear over time.

Video: Instructions for building an alpine slide

Using the instructions, even a beginner will turn the shortcomings of his site into a rock garden or rock garden worthy of admiring glances.

The arrangement of plants has its own order: herbs should not be blocked by bushes

Alpine slide with a waterfall - a duet of water and mountain landscape

The highest aerobatics of mastery in relation to stone structures that imitate natural ones is the combination of rock garden and water in landscape design. The rustle of streams or slowly floating along a stream yellow leaf adds European romanticism or Eastern philosophy to the composition.

Maximum naturalness

What to consider for a composition with a pond

If it is possible to add a pond or even a waterfall to the rock garden, you will have to take into account the following nuances:

• the bottom of the reservoir should not allow water to pass into the ground;
• for the pump that lifts the water, you will need to lay an electrical wire;
• when selecting plants, the difference in humidity along the banks and at the top is taken into account;
• The pond will have to be cleaned periodically and drained in the winter.

Bright fish in mysterious water give the composition a special charm

In the summer, Japanese koi carp look spectacular in the reservoir, but for them you will have to create a wintering hole at least 80 cm deep and aerate it after it hardens on the ice surface.

Creating a reservoir bowl - how to avoid disappointments

They begin to make the pond at the same time as the slide in order to immediately remove the soil from under both objects. At this stage, the depth of the pond is determined, which rarely exceeds 30 cm: a shallow pond is easier to clean, and the pebbles at its bottom become especially expressive. The section of the bottom intended for installation of the pump should be deepened. At the same stage, an electric cable is connected to the pond to power the pump.

Waterfall diagram

It is advisable to place the pond in the northeast of the hill so that it is in its shade for several hours every day, otherwise the water will bloom too quickly. It is better to leave the walls with a slope, this will make it easier to place stones on them.

The bottom of the pond is covered with a layer of sand 10 cm thick and compacted thoroughly. Geotextiles are first placed on top of the sand, and on top of it is a waterproofing film made of butyl rubber, the service life of which is 20-30 years. For reliability, the edges of the film should protrude 30-40 cm beyond the pit. Subsequently, they are buried in the ground, but by the time the bowl is filled with water, the edges of the film are left free.

Rock garden with a pond – perfect solution for hilly area

Technical equipment and artistic decoration of the waterfall

A pump for a small waterfall is purchased with a power of 70 W. It is installed in the bowl of a reservoir on a special stand to minimize contact with bottom silt. The device itself, as well as the hoses that take in water and push it out, are masked with stones. Be sure to check the safety of the connection to the electrical wire.

By this time, the slide should be laid out to the point from which the water begins to fall. The ejector hose is brought to this point, hiding its tip among the stones.

Pumping equipment is carefully camouflaged

Decoration of the waterfall is carried out using rough flagstone, which prevents slipping on wet stones. Sometimes it is appropriate to use large ceramics in decoration, for example, an old jug, which can be slightly buried when lying on its side.

The presence of water dust in the air will affect the selection of vegetation: ferns, mosses, bergenia, and bergenia will take root near the mirror of the pond. Potted specimens also look good if they are planted in wide flowerpots, reminiscent of flagstone in color and texture.

Placement and combinations of plants

What plants are needed to decorate a garden composition?

To ensure that the rock garden always has a well-groomed appearance, plants for it are selected taking into account their flowering time. They must enter into the best time life alternately and permanently create joyful colorful flowers. In this case, the appearance and range of colors will change along with the seasons of the year. The general rule is this: the clump of any plant should not grow rapidly and thereby suppress neighboring species.

Sometimes it makes sense to plant plants in pots

The second factor influencing the choice of flora is the tier and direction of the slope. The northern part is populated with sedums, spurges, violets, and saxifrages. Iberis, thyme, alyssum, pike, and cat's paw are ideal for the southern slope and summit. In the lower tier it is allowed to plant such favorites of landscape design as tagetes, highlanders, and hosta.

Plant placement scheme

A low-growing juniper bush, whose elegant greenery will be emphasized by the snow that has fallen on the stones, allows you to maintain the decorative appearance of the rock garden all year round. When the flowers bloom again, this dark conifer will highlight their beauty.

Plant selection

Alpine slide care

A rock garden requires less attention than, for example, a flower bed or bed, but you shouldn’t forget about it either.

Maintaining attractiveness depends on the well-being of the plants planted in the rock garden.

1. Open areas, heated rocks and free winds tend to dry out the soil, so alpine grasses need gentle but systematic watering with a spray stream. The frequency of watering depends on the weather, but it should not be done more than once a day to avoid rotting of the roots.
2. Plants are fed at least once a month complex fertilizer, introducing it at the root along the moist soil and preventing the liquid from flowing down the slopes.
3. During the summer, dead shoots are cut out, unwanted insects and their larvae are monitored, mulch is added if necessary, weeds are pulled out and leaves blown by the wind are removed. If the rockery contains crushed stone laid in waves or ridges, it will need to be adjusted from time to time with a rake.

Wide spaces open land mulch

Preparing for winter - how to protect your design corner

Before the onset of winter, care should be taken to ensure that the plants can survive bad weather. Species for which winter temperatures in the region are unacceptable are dug up and transferred to protected soil. The remaining plants are covered with agrofibre - a material that does not allow damping. The conifers are completely wrapped in it and tied on top with twine.

To protect from wind and frost, the hill must be well covered with snow. Shields placed around will help to hold it: old doors, remnants of corrugated sheets and slate. In order not to spoil the aesthetics of a snow-covered alpine hill, you can weave special fences from willow twigs with your own hands.

The pond located at the rock garden is drained or several children's rubber balls are thrown into it, which will absorb the pressure of the ice. The pump and hoses are removed and stored in the house.

Spring work – cleaning up the consequences of winter weather

The most extensive work on caring for the rock garden is planned for spring, since at this time of year it will be necessary to restore the masterpiece after snowfalls, blizzards and an abundance of melt water. It is usually discovered that some of the plants have died, some stones have slipped, and the entire structure is covered with unattractive, rotten foliage. After carefully removing the covering material, perform the following operations in the spring:

• remove dead plant debris with a fan rake;
• return the “escaped” stones to their place;
• add soil and mulch;
• Plants that have overwintered in the warmth are planted and new ones are added.

At the same time, conclusions are drawn about what mistakes were made when preparing the rock garden for winter, so that the upcoming cold season does not become so destructive.

In order for a rock garden, rock garden or other stone and flower arrangement to become a genuine decoration of a country estate, follow three golden rules:

1. Divide the volume of the slide into zones to create a plateau, scree, rock, staircase. This will allow the eye to never get tired when contemplating an object.
2. Avoid excessive variegation. 3-4 different-sized spots of color look ideal on a dense green background of ground covers.
3. Do not buy flashy, tacky jewelry made of ceramics and plastic.

We present to your attention beautiful examples designing alpine slides and rockeries in the garden plot. Of course, each of them is tied to a specific area, so when transferring the idea to your hundred square meters, adjustments will have to be made to the sketch.

It’s worth designing an alpine slide with your own hands, if only because it maximally reflects the character and mood of the author. Rock gardens are unique, each has its own flavor, unique design, inimitable compositional notes. Building a slide with your own hands is an amazingly powerful compromise between the severity of the garden and the indomitable riot of pristine nature.

If there is a ledge or unevenness in your dacha, plot or garden, make an alpine slide.

Firstly, such a flowerbed is very beautiful; within a year its rocky cliffs will be covered with a continuous carpet of lovely pads of flowers, herbs and mosses.

Secondly, the construction of the rock garden itself - a most exciting activity. Here you need to think through everything: where to plant coniferous shrub, what stones and perennials to choose so that the colored carpet in the middle of the rock scree plays with colors all year round.

And thirdly, if the soil at your dacha is poor, sandy or rocky, and is completely unsuitable for organizing other types of flower beds, then alpine hill plants in such conditions, on the contrary, will develop normally and bloom well.

Types of rock gardens

There are several options for rock gardens, which repeat their appearance in different areas of the mountainous terrain:

• rocky cliff - a pile of almost bare large boulders with a minimum of plants in niches and “pockets”;
• mountain slope - a complex high composition of stones different sizes and with a wide variety of creeping and low-growing plants;
• valley in the mountains - large stones, partially protruding from the ground, surrounded by abundantly flowering ornamental plants;
• gorge is the most difficult to implement, but also the most spectacular type of rock garden, which can be placed in a natural hollow, framing the slopes with stones and planting representatives of rock flora.

Choosing a location for an alpine slide

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

1. Open location - the slide should be visible from all corners of the garden.
2. The rock garden is located in a bright, sunny place, not shaded by tall trees.
3. It is better to build a rocky hill in a place isolated from the wind.
4. Depending on the design of the territory in a single style, it is planned to plant certain types of vegetation in the rock garden.

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

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

Basic rules for arranging an alpine slide

Designed by professional designers long ago standard schemes arrangement of an alpine hill, taking into account all the smallest nuances associated with its location and the desire to plant certain plants:

• If the rock garden is located in the center of the site, it can be viewed from all sides, then its shape should resemble a pyramid with the highest point in the center of the composition. This design does not necessarily have identical sides and the top point in the middle of the rock garden. The less symmetry is maintained, the more interesting the composition turns out;
• A rock garden on a slope can be either single-level, parallel to the surface of the slope, or multi-level, reducing the height of elements and plants from a further point downwards;
• The smaller the size horizontal elements– the more original the visual perception of the slide, the more interesting it is to look at it, each time encountering a completely new view, just by changing the viewing angle. A properly equipped alpine slide (photo) should resemble a wild forest, constantly surprising with new discoveries.

Its height depends on the area occupied by the slide. IN classic version per meter of approximate diameter at the base there should be about 20 cm of height above the ground.

What stones should you choose for an alpine slide?

Stones for an alpine slide, first of all, perform a decorative function, but various breeds have different degrees of fragility, different degrees of moisture absorption, so it is better to have an idea about some of the properties of stones in order to make the right choice. The most common materials used today to create alpine slides are limestone, sandstone and granite.

If you want to plant bright flowers, it’s better to choose a stone neutral color- it will play the role of background. When using plants that are not particularly expressive, select bright stones - against their background the plants will look more expressive and contrasting. When there is a pile of stones different breeds There is a risk that the slide will turn into a pile of cobblestones; use stones of similar shapes and similar colors.

The height of the hill also matters - stones with sharp corners are more appropriate for a high embankment, while rounded stones are more suitable for a flat composition. Layered sandstone looks good in a water rock garden. The slide on your site should look harmonious without disturbing the unified style.

What plants should you choose for an alpine slide?

You need to select plants for a rock garden based on your own taste and imagination, but taking into account the general style and location on the site.

There are several basic rules to follow:

1. It is imperative to take into account such aspects as:

• Climate;
• Soil type;
• Soil and air humidity.

2. Initially, you need to draw up a diagram and carefully consider the location of each type of plant. An important aspect is lighting. Plants may not tolerate full sun or shade;

3. Another fact that will play a significant role is the size of the plants. It should be calculated according to the size of the rock garden;

4. It is important to remember that alpine slides are not made up of plants alone. They should not only be “diluted” with stones of various types and sizes, but you can also arrange a waterfall, pond, etc.;

5. You cannot “overdo it” with the number of flowers, since an incorrectly calculated number of plants can lead to the fact that one species can crowd out the others if it grows too widely.

Brighter specimens are given more attention. They should be planted more separately.

Once again we draw your attention to the fact that the alpine hill should bloom all year round, so the seasonal plants are the following:

• In spring – bulbous plants
• In summer - most of the existing flowers
• Autumn - Colchicums
• In winter – decorative coniferous trees

How to make an alpine slide at your dacha yourself

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

Step-by-step instructions on how to design a rock garden:

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

DIY Alpine slide at the dacha

A thoughtful and stylish landscaped area with luxurious flower beds and rock gardens is the pride of the owner. The design of the territory is especially impressive if the alpine slide is made with your own hands. After all, most people are sure that only a professional designer can do such work. But in fact, with a little time, desire, as well as plants and the necessary materials, you can create an interesting rock garden.

A piece of the Alps on a summer cottage

The Alpine slide at the dacha is becoming an increasingly popular decorative element, even for small ones. personal plots. After all, beautiful stone elevations look impressive and fit perfectly into any stylistic design of the space. Any alpine slide is a unique design object. There are certain rules for its creation, but the style, size, and features of the slides depend directly on the taste and creative idea of ​​the creator. Probably, even if you use step-by-step photos to create an alpine slide with your own hands, two different designers will get different final options.

The base is stone. But not all piles of stones with vegetation growing among them are called alpine slides. There must be aesthetic appeal and harmony. There are several types of rock gardens:

DIY alpine slides - where to start?

Before you start directly creating a rock garden, you need to prepare for such work. After all, just based on photos, alpine slides in landscape design can be created quickly and easily with your own hands. The creation process is usually preceded by careful preparation, which includes several stages:

1. We select a place for placement. The choice may fall on an uneven surface or a flat area if there are no natural irregularities. The size of the rock garden depends on the size of the plot. But it’s better if you can find a spacious and bright place to create a landscape design element.
2. Sketch a sketch of the future rock garden. To do this, you can use a photo of alpine slides in the countryside, created by yourself. The sketch will help you ultimately get the result you originally expected.
3. Buy everything necessary materials to create a slide. It is better to prepare stones, soil, plants and other decorative elements immediately so that work does not stop due to a lack of one or another component.

When choosing a location for the future rock garden, try to choose favorable angles. Such beauty cannot be hidden from everyone, it is important to show it off!

Choosing stones and plants for the rock garden

Any alpine slide in the countryside is created with your own hands from several basic elements:

How to make an alpine slide yourself?

So, everything is ready to create a beautiful rock garden. The most difficult thing remains - completing the slide on your own. In order for the result to soon delight you with its beauty, you need to follow simple recommendations:

When placing large boulders, be sure to leave some space between them, as the planted plants will need space to develop their root systems.

The best time to start creating an alpine slide with your own hands is in the fall. The soil will settle over the winter, so in the spring it will be possible to fill up the voids that have arisen and plant plants. A competent approach will allow you to create a beautiful alpine hill in your garden.

Master class on creating an alpine slide - video

Secrets of successfully creating an alpine slide

Everyone has it landscape designer There are certain secrets that help him create stylish, spectacular and unique elements when decorating a garden or park area. But all these nuances can be used by beginners. Just in the photo, a do-it-yourself alpine slide for beginners seems like a simple and laconic structure. In reality, it consists of selected elements, well-planned placement and several subtleties that help achieve a stunning appearance.

To make the first rock garden you created with your own hands look great, we share a few secrets of its harmonious appearance:

1. To create a hill, it is better to choose stones of the same type. Only in this case it is possible to achieve a natural appearance of the slide.
2. The size of the stones should correspond to the area of ​​the rock garden. How larger size alpine slide, the larger boulders can be used.
3. When choosing plants, preference is given to evergreen and low-growing species. In this case, the hill itself will not be lost in a few years behind the lush greenery of overgrown flowers and shrubs.
4. They look ideal among stones, as well as cover and creeping species. Flowering plants It’s better to choose small flowers that won’t distract all the attention.
5. It is better to plant plants in small holes and cover them with soil and small stones. This will help prevent weed growth.
6. Plants should be placed so that they do not block stone embankments.

Despite the fact that grass and flowers should not block the stones, in a rock garden the vegetation is always in the foreground.

The choice of plants to create an alpine slide gives room for imagination, because this element of landscape design allows for a riot of colors, a variety of varieties, even a combination of opposites. Alpine slides imitate rocky areas, which are diverse in nature. The main thing is that the slide has a realistic appearance, and how steep, rocky and flowery its slopes will be depends only on the author’s imagination. And it is precisely this versatility that lies the very “zest” that has made alpine slides so popular in modern gardens.

We create an alpine slide ourselves - video