Do-it-yourself Alpine slide - step by step instructions and photos. Do-it-yourself alpine slide (76 photos): step by step we create a complex element of landscape design

Decorating a backyard or summer cottage - there is nothing easier. You can break it with a variety of flowers that will delight their owners all summer. You can plant flowers along the garden paths or just near the house. And you can build an alpine hill to your own delight, to the envy of your neighbors. This object of landscape design is becoming more and more popular from year to year. For help, you can turn to professional designers, or you can build this miracle yourself. Each element should be thought out so that the alpine slide harmoniously fits into the landscape.

The rock garden will perfectly decorate any site, and you can place it on the territory of a different area. A small piece of the rocky surface of the Alps looks very good against any background. To create such a miracle on your site correctly and beautifully, you need to know a few nuances, otherwise it will have to be disassembled and the wasted time and money will be irretrievably lost.

Choosing a place for an alpine slide

First you need to choose a place to place the slide. You can use natural irregularities, you can use a flat surface. The most important thing is that there is enough sunlight, ideally in the center of the site.

If this is not possible and the personal plot cannot meet all the requirements, you should not be upset.

Next is the base. At the same time, approaches to the hill should be considered. Only garden tools are needed for the job. You will also need stones of different sizes, stone chips, drainage material, sand, fertile soil, seedlings of flowers and small shrubs.

To make the alpine slide look harmonious, you need to dig a shallow hole under it, its size is done on a scale of 1: 2, no more than a meter deep. Strengthen the bottom of the pit with a pillow of gravel, brickwork or other construction debris, and pour plenty of water and tamp.

In the central part, the drainage layer should be larger than at the edges. A ten-centimeter layer of sand is poured over it. Pour, tamp, where you need to add sand.

From above, cover with soil with a high clay content, it can be purchased at the store or mixed independently, the proportions of clay soil with peat are 4:1, add a little peat in a ratio of 5:1 to the soil. This stage is very important for the alpine slide, if the drainage is done incorrectly, then everything will spread and settle after a large amount of precipitation.

Stones are placed on top. Moreover, their size and number will depend on individual fantasies. The shape of the alpine slide can be both horizontal and vertical. It is advisable to use natural stones, avoid sharp chips. If flat stones are chosen for the rock garden, then they should be laid with one edge raised.

Choice of decorative elements

Stones are an integral part of the alpine slide. The sizes of the selected stones must be proportional. Huge boulders cannot be used in a small alpine slide. Stones need to be taken in different sizes, large stones are placed in the base, and smaller ones are placed on them.

For structural strength, large stones are sprinkled with earth. Stones must be of the same breed. Symmetry when laying stones will ruin the appearance of the alpine slide, they should look as natural as possible.

Harder stones will last longer. Soft stones, such as limestone, will become covered with moss over time, this will give originality and originality to the alpine hill. Pebbles are laid out from the bottom up, determining a place for each.

Large stones should be placed at the very bottom, it is advisable to place small stones at the top. Be sure to provide "pockets" for planting plants. The main rule at this stage is the stability of the stones (if necessary, they are additionally strengthened) and the asymmetric arrangement of all elements. An almost finished slide should be shed with water and, if necessary, add soil in sagging places.

Plants for alpine slides

Plants for slides need to choose a different flowering period. From early spring to late autumn, she will look playful.

Another rule is the location of plants. They cannot block rocks. Perennial small plants are better suited, they should be unpretentious. When choosing plants, it is worth remembering about seasonal changes.

It is customary to decorate the top of the hill with small trees or shrubs, it can be juniper, thuja, dwarf pine. Flowers that complement the composition better than natural origin, they can be found in the nearest forest, they should not be tall so as not to cover the stones.

Plants such as saxifrage, edelweiss, poppy, violet, cactus, spirea, cinquefoil are suitable for this. The main thing is that they get along with each other and withstand the conditions of your climate.

Plant in shallow holes, filling with soil with the addition of a small amount of very small stone. This will keep weeds from growing and help retain moisture.

50 examples of alpine slides for every taste

Alpine slide photo gallery

Alpine slide is a fashionable attribute of the arrangement of modern garden and park areas. Do-it-yourself rock garden device in the country: step-by-step photos, diagrams, selection of plants.

Choosing a place for an alpine slide

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

In landscape design, there are many styles of garden design, including elements of a desert landscape, rocky gardens, ponds and bridges, which must be in harmony with the erected 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 the services of a landscape architect. Having step-by-step photos and schemes for arranging the slide, it will not be difficult to do the construction of a rock garden with your own hands.

Alpine slide - preparation

First you need to determine the place on the site where the slide will be located. Perennial shrubs and trees should not grow nearby, which may over time shade the plants on the hill. A place open on all sides, accessible for viewing from all corners of the garden, must be dry. A high level of groundwater will adversely affect the durability and strength of the base of the slide. In this case, the groundwater level must be lowered using special drainage.

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

1. The drainage device begins with digging a pit, the dimensions of which are equal to or slightly larger than the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe hill. First, markup should be made with the installation of pegs and pulling the cord. The durability and strength of the slide structure depend on the degree of drainage reliability, so the depth of the pit should not be less than 0.8 m.
2. The excavated pit is covered in layers with crushed stone, pebbles or broken bricks to a height of at least 0.3 m. The backfill layer is spilled with water. Next, a sand-gravel mixture (5-10 cm) should be added over the gravel layer, which is also carefully spilled with water and compacted.
3. The soil taken out when digging the pit, previously cleared of debris, plant roots and stones, is added over the drainage layers. It is possible to start laying stones according to the scheme only after shrinkage of the soil. This will take some time, usually 2-3 weeks. More often, they begin to build a hill in the fall, leaving it for the winter to shrink the soil in a natural way.
4. The main supporting structure of the slide is laid out after the final shrinkage of the base. According to the planned plan for the construction of a rock garden, it is required to lay out the largest stones around the perimeter, while the required penetration of boulders into the ground is at least 60% of their volume. Smaller stones are placed so that precipitation cannot wash them away, otherwise the stability of the slide will be impaired. In addition, you need to monitor the harmonious combination of various stones stacked side by side. Between the stones should be left free space for planting ornamental plants.

Do-it-yourself alpine slide arrangement scheme

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

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

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

Advice. With a rock garden height of more than 1 meter, a slide core is required.

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

Stones for rock garden - choose the right one

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

The shape and color of the stones are of great importance. It is worth avoiding rounded stones, as well as overly acute-angled boulders. Stones of different colors look harmonious only on alpine slides of a certain type. The classic version of the arrangement of the slide involves the use of stones of the same breed, but different shapes.

The stones are placed on the hill in such a way that the edges in the viewing area have the most attractive shape. It is necessary to disguise stones with defects, arranging them in the most favorable way. Stones should be laid taking into account the size and weight, following the most harmonious appearance of the created slide. Stones should be placed randomly, most naturally, so it is better not to use stone blocks and artificial boulders made in an industrial way.

Do-it-yourself Alpine slide - selection of plants

The arrangement of an alpine slide, especially the selection of plants, requires additional knowledge about plant varieties and agricultural technology. Plants are selected depending on the type of slide. Rocky hill for sunny places requires certain, drought-resistant plants. The classic version of the rock garden provides for the planting of miniature trees and shrubs, perennial grasses and flower crops.

Perfectly proved themselves when planting in rockeries: fescue, lavender, rock beetroot, geranium, stonecrop, iberis, young, backache. Small-bulbous plants planted in small groups feel great on rocky hills: crocuses, scilla, miniature hyacinths, undersized tulips and hazel grouses. Small-bulbous plants bloom in the spring, when there are still few plants in bloom and the hill looks unpresentable. Everything changes when bright, blooming crocuses appear from under the snow.

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

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

The composition is based on miniature trees, especially conifers: spruces, junipers, cypresses, pines. These plants have a different crown shape and look great on an alpine hill.

Ornamental flowering shrubs used for arranging an alpine slide: rhododendrons, erica, blueberries and lingonberries.

Of the perennial crops, they perfectly complement the alpine hill: bergenia, astilba, daylily (undersized), drooping reeds.

Tip: when forming rockeries, preference should be given to decorative deciduous plants that retain their beauty even in the absence of flowers.

How to properly care for rock garden?

In the first year, it will be necessary to backfill the soil several times, which is washed out during irrigation and precipitation, and also, if necessary, to strengthen the stones. Watching various videos and photos made by professional landscape designers will help you get the job done right. The soil is poured neatly and compacted.

Plant care consists in timely watering, removing faded flowers, damaged leaves, pruning. During the season, plants should be fertilized with appropriate fertilizers several times. Do not use nitrogen fertilizers, they cause rapid plant growth, which should be avoided when planting on a hill.

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

Plants are watered carefully with a hose or watering can with a spray, while making sure that the soil does not erode.

It is desirable to strengthen loosened and falling stones.

If necessary, plants are treated with pesticides. Diseased plants that cannot be cured must be removed with the replacement of the soil at the place of their growth.

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

Alpine slides in landscape design

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

How to create an alpine slide from scratch: video

Alpine hill: photo

The rock garden is a rather labor-intensive construction, which involves excavation, therefore, competent planning and serious preparation. Get acquainted with the “pitfalls” of building an alpine slide with your own, which can spoil the impression of the result. Find out how to choose the right material and plants for a corner of wildlife 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 rockery and rock garden

It is not uncommon for a site owner to conceive a rock garden, draw a sketch, compare it with images found in magazines, and discover that he is going to build a rockery. To avoid confusion in concepts, let's figure out how rockeries differ from alpine slides.

The best stone flower beds give the impression that the human hand has not touched them.

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

Alpine slide styles

A rockery is a garden made up of stones, and often on a flat terrain. Large and small stones, gravel pads, waves of sand - each detail has its own sacred purpose. Single plants are maximally underlined. In Japanese rockeries, there may be no plants at all; in the European and English versions, species are planted from the middle lane.

The rockery drawing is based on the contrasts of the texture and size of the stones, while on the alpine hill the main characters are plants. The second basic difference - rock garden involves working with a deliberately uneven terrain, rockery is possible and planar.

Japanese-style rockery - focus on inanimate nature

We make an alpine slide with our own hands

When developing a rock garden plan, it is necessary to remember the main features of such landscape design structures:

• layering;
• the presence of open stone surfaces;
• the predominance of undersized plant forms;
• combination of contrasting views.

Scheme of 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 desirable to depict the project on a scale, as detailed as possible, from all sides and in color, and also to consider seasonal changes in the habitus and color of the plants planned for planting.

Carefully executed in color, the project greatly facilitates further work.

A simple alpine slide for beginners - possible difficulties

Having a simple scheme, it is not difficult to make an alpine slide from improvised materials with your own hands. However, any mistake made at the initial stage will lead to the fact that the composition will have to be rebuilt. To avoid this, consider the following issues:

1. Stagnation of water. The combination of factors such as a low-lying area, an abundance of snow and melt water, heavy rains and clay soil will quickly deprive the structure of decorativeness. Rock gardens are equipped with good drainage.
2. Soil settling. Before folding the hill, the soil is compacted under it, otherwise the stones will fall through, bend or even slide down the slope.
3. weeds. Alpine Hill will have to be protected from their penetration from two fronts: from under the soil and from the air. So that the rhizomes remaining at a depth do not let the sprouts up, 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. The sabotage of moles and shrews is prevented by a fine-mesh galvanized steel mesh, which is placed under the geotextile.

Graceful rock garden-flower bed

The effect of these negative factors is enhanced in the case of the arrangement of rockeries, the relief of which is more easily subjected to deformation. In particular, against weeds, experienced designers treat the soil with herbicides two to three weeks before planting.

Choosing a place 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 is useful to consider placing a convenient bench nearby under an awning or a dense tree crown.

Often, construction is started in order to hide the lack of relief: a ravine, a hill, a slope, the top of a moraine boulder peeping out of the ground, which cannot be dug out because of its size. The existing elevation difference will allow you to complement the rock garden with a stream and even a waterfall. The best neighbors of the rock garden in landscape design are open lawns and thickets of shrubs, the worst are metal fences.

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

Mini rock garden is relevant for small courtyards

How to choose and where to get suitable stones

Properly selected stones - the beauty and durability of the 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, limestone are rough, which allows mosses and lichens to cling to them, absorb moisture and gradually give 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 influences;
• slate - forms thin even tiles, great for creating deliberately careless stairs.

Large stones of beige tones are an excellent background for lush greenery

In nature, there are fragments of stones with uneven edges and a smooth surface - rolled by the sea or river. Fragments look natural on rock gardens, especially with pronounced traces of erosion. But if, according to the plan, a pond is provided, then its banks are allowed to be laid out smooth.

Excessive variegation disfigures the alpine slides, 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 styling.

You can buy stones in two ways. If there is a truck or a car with a trailer, the cobblestones they like are collected on the banks of the nearest river or in a quarry. It is easier, but more expensive, to order them with delivery to the site from organizations selling natural stone, or to negotiate with quarry workers, if there is one nearby.

Rock garden device

The device of a small rock garden and its construction

Before planting the plants, the rock garden should settle down, so do-it-yourself work on its creation is carried out in early autumn. Let's consider them step by step using the example of building a mini-rock garden with a height of about 1 m.

1. Pit. The soil is taken out from the contour outlined with twine to a depth of 30-35 cm. A metal mesh from burrowing animals and geotextiles are laid at the bottom.
2. Drainage. It is made of expanded clay, broken tiles or bricks. 10 cm of coarse sand are poured onto 10 cm of drainage and spilled with water to prevent the formation of cavities.
3. Lower level device. To prevent large elements from sagging, several rubble stones are placed on the lower tier, and the volume between them is covered with rubble. In this form, the hill is allowed to stand for about a month: during this time, the foundation stones will become stable.
4. Formation. The composition of the stones is laid out in accordance with the sketch, leaving gaps for the earth and roots. Soft rocks, such as shell rock and tuff, allow you to drill recesses of the right size in them for flower pots.
5. Composition of the earth mixture. The soil taken out of the pit is sorted out, removing weed rhizomes from it. Add equal shares of river sand, expanded clay and humus. Granite slide allows the use of peat, but if limestone is used, acid additives are avoided.
6. Filling with soil mixture. This operation is performed on each tier, carefully closing up the voids. It is necessary to water the earth 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 his life.

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

Video instruction for beginners

In order not to miss a single important moment, creating an alpine hill with stones in the country with your own hands, you can use the video instruction.

An experienced landscape designer who has decorated dozens of luxurious estates and ordinary summer cottages 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 rockery worthy of admiring glances.

The arrangement of plants has its own order: grasses should not be blocked by shrubs

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

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

Maximum naturalness

What to consider for a composition with a pond

If possible, 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 let water into the ground;
• for a pump that raises 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;
• periodically the pond will have to be cleaned, and drained for the winter.

Bright fish in the mysterious water give the composition a special charm.

In the summer, Japanese koi carps look spectacular in the reservoir, but for them it will be necessary to create a wintering pit with a depth of at least 80 cm and aerate it after solidification on the ice surface.

Creating a reservoir bowl - how to avoid disappointment

They begin to make a reservoir simultaneously with a 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 bottom section intended for the installation of the pump should be deepened. At the same stage, an electric cable is connected to the pond to power the pump.

Waterfall scheme

It is advisable to place a pond from 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 facilitate the placement of stones on them.

The bottom of the pond is covered with a layer of sand 10 cm thick and carefully compacted. Geotextiles are first laid on top of the sand, and on top of it - 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 added dropwise to 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 - a great solution for a hilly area

Technical equipment and artistic decoration of the waterfall

A pump for a small waterfall is purchased with a power of 70 watts. It is installed in the basin of the 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 security of the connection to the electrical wire.

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

Pumping equipment is carefully camouflaged

The decoration of the waterfall is carried out with the help of rough flagstone, which prevents slipping on wet stone. Sometimes it is appropriate to use large ceramics in the decor, for example, an old jug, which can be slightly deepened when lying on its side.

The presence of water dust in the air will affect the selection of vegetation: ferns, mosses, bathing suits, 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 limestone in shade and texture.

Placement and combinations of plants

What plants are needed to decorate a garden composition

In order for the rock garden to always have a well-groomed appearance, plants are selected for it taking into account the time of their flowering. They should enter into the best time of life in turn and permanently create a joyful variegation. In this case, the appearance and range of colors will change with the seasons of the year. The general rule is this: the curtain 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 stage and direction of the slope. The northern part is populated with stonecrops, milkweed, violets, saxifrages. Iberis, thyme, alyssum, pike, cat's foot are ideal for the southern slope and peak. In the lower tier, it is allowed to land such favorites of landscape design as Tagetes, highlanders, and hosts.

Plant layout

To maintain the decorativeness of the rock garden all year round allows a bush of undersized juniper, whose elegant greenery will be emphasized by the snow that has fallen on the stones. When the flowers bloom again, this dark conifer will set off their beauty.

Plant selection

Alpine care

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

Preservation of attractiveness depends on the well-being of the plants settled in the rock garden.

1. Open areas, heated stones and free winds contribute to the drying of the soil, so alpine grasses need accurate, but systematic watering with a spray jet. The frequency of watering depends on the weather, but it should not be carried out more than once a day in order to avoid rotting of the roots.
2. At least once a month, the plants are fed with complex fertilizer, applying it under the root on moist soil and preventing the liquid from running down the slopes.
3. During the summer, dead shoots are cut out, monitored for the appearance of unwanted insects and their larvae, if necessary, add mulch, weed out weeds and remove wind-blown leaves. If the rockery contains crushed stone laid in waves or ridges, it will need to be corrected with a rake from time to time.

Wide expanses of open land mulch

Preparing for winter - how to protect the design corner

Before the onset of winter, care should be taken to ensure that the plants can survive the bad weather. Species for which the winter temperatures of the region are unacceptable are dug up and transferred to protected ground. The rest of the plants are covered with agrofiber - a material that does not allow damping. Ephedras wrap them completely and tie them over with twine.

To protect against wind and frost, the slide should be well covered with snow. The shields placed around will help to keep it: old doors, the remains of a profiled sheet and slate. In order not to spoil the aesthetics of a snow-covered alpine hill, you can weave special fences from wicker with your own hands.

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

Spring work - cleaning up the consequences of winter weather

The most large-scale work on the care of the rock garden is planned for the spring, since at this time of the year it will be necessary to restore the masterpiece after snowfalls, blizzards and an abundance of melt water. Usually it is found that some of the plants have died, some stones have slipped, and the whole structure is covered with unattractive rotten foliage. Carefully removing the covering material, perform the following operations in the spring:

• fan rakes remove dead plant residues;
• “escaped” stones are returned to their place;
• pour soil and mulch;
• plants that have wintered in the heat are planted and new ones are added.

At the same time, they draw conclusions about what mistakes were made in preparing the rock garden for winter, so that the upcoming cold season would not become so destructive.

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

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

We bring to your attention beautiful examples of design on the garden plot of alpine slides and rockeries. Of course, each of them is tied to a specific area, so when transferring the idea to your hundred square meters, you will have to make adjustments to the sketch.

Doing the design of an alpine slide with your own hands is worth it, if only because it reflects the character and mood of the author as much as possible. Rock gardens are unique, each has its own zest, unique pattern, inimitable compositional notes. Building a slide with your own hands is an amazing compromise between the severity of the garden and the indomitable riot of pristine nature.

No mercy for those who call a bunch of stones and earth a rock garden! Landscape designer Olga Kirillova reveals the professional secrets of creating a real alpine landscape in the garden and gives valuable advice. The author will analyze typical mistakes, and at the end of the publication a bonus awaits you: a large table with the types and varieties of plants for the alpine slide, the features of their care and an indication of the growth rate.

If you are confident in your abilities - do not be afraid of strict criticism from a specialist, do as your heart tells you, based on the practical recommendations received. Moreover, some rules can be neglected, but some must be followed. Strictly, critically, to the point - this is the article that we bring to your attention.

Alpine hill in the country

An alpine hill, or rock garden, is a small architectural element of a garden plot, which is both a flower garden and a small architectural form at the same time. Roughly speaking, on an artificially created small hill there is a flower garden with stones and sometimes water elements. A hill can be created in absolutely any shape and size, but, in my opinion, it is fundamentally wrong to create a miniature-sized structure in the corner of a flower garden and call it an alpine hill. We'll talk about this a little later.

Almost every customer of mine asks to allocate a place for an alpine slide on his site, as this is a very common, although not cheap element of gardening. But, as the years go by, landscape designers, adhering to modern trends and guided by their own experience, try to use it as little as possible in their gardens, despite the fact that amateur gardeners insist on originality, uniqueness and the need for a slide in their plots.

In this article, I do not want to praise this form of site gardening so zealously, as the authors of other articles on the same topic do. I would like to talk with you about real things and real situations that you may encounter during and most importantly - after the implementation of the alpine slide on your site.

Variety of alpine slides

Each alpine slide is unique. There will not be a single stone and not a single plant that will be located in it in the same way. Of course, in their structure, all rock gardens are approximately similar, but they are often used to play with certain elements of the garden: stairs, retaining wall, uneven ground, a pond or a key beating on the site. Since the situations on the sites are always different, then the slide at each garden will have its own character and its own unique atmosphere.

For decoration, plants use perennials, coniferous and deciduous shrubs and sometimes dwarf trees, but this is not always the case. In general, the placement of coniferous trees and shrubs is not typical for a classic rock garden, but in order to preserve the decorative effect of a flower garden as long as possible, this rule can be neglected.

All plants should be frost-resistant and undemanding to watering. It is desirable to select slow growing plants, then you can spend less time controlling the growth of planting zones.

Do it yourself or trust the designer?

This is what real alpine landscapes look like:

Beautiful, isn't it? Probably, everyone, admiring such landscapes, is ready to feel the frosty clean air with an admixture of sweet aromas of flowering plants. Of course, most gardeners want to get closer to the beautiful or bring the beautiful closer to themselves near their home, therefore, inspired by such photographs, a person who has no experience in creating begins to draw diagrams and plan where this structure will be located on his site.

Here's what happens in the end...

It doesn't seem like an inspiration to me. Of course, we have limited land plots and financially we are often not ready to spray, but why do such flower beds look so strange? A pile of land clogged with stones and randomly scattered plants cannot become the PEARL of your site. In my circle of friends among landscape designers, we call such alpine slides “dog graves” ... Please don’t get angry, those who still like this, but not beaten in any way, a small mound that has appeared among the lawn or at the corner of a flower garden, lined with pebbles and flowers with which it is not associated with anything else. Look again at the shapes of the slides shown in the photo above, at their location on the site - you should never do this!

Creating an alpine slide is really an extremely laborious process. Without the experience of creation, it is insanely difficult to make something with taste. I remember when I created my first slide… Now I can’t even look without tears. It is important to take into account absolutely every stroke, the stones to be used, their location, the height of the embankment, the location on the site, the placement and abundance of plants on it.

In addition, this is not a cheap pleasure, if you do everything at once. On the most unattractive-looking flower garden, depending on the size, a self-taught owner can spend from 50,000 to 150,000 rubles. If you make a good slide of a decent appearance, then you need to count on an amount above 300,000 rubles (at least in the Moscow region).

The larger the flower garden, the more natural it looks, more natural and is not associated with anything bad. But, of course, the larger the size, the significantly more expensive.

Should I do it myself or trust the designers? Looking at what gardeners get, I still recommend contacting a designer who has PRACTICAL experience in creating alpine slides. It will not be much more expensive, if not for the same money that you yourself would spend, but it will look like it should, and not how it turns out ...

How to build an alpine slide with your own hands

When is the best time to start making an alpine slide

The construction of an alpine slide begins with the selection of a place on the site. It should be protected from the wind and slightly shaded.

The slide itself can be done at any time you like during the entire summer season, but with the time of planting the plants you will have to decide in advance. If you are going to sow some perennial species with seeds, then most often this is done in the fall, but it is better to plant perennial seedlings in the spring - it will be easier to determine the number and place of planting and transplant if something happens. If the plants were purchased in pots, then there are no specific planting dates, since the root system is formed and does not suffer during transplantation.

As I said above, it is extremely important to organically fit the rock garden into the surrounding area so that it does not look like a randomly formed pile. To do this, be prepared to use a solid area. It’s good when the garden smoothly flows into an alpine hill, that is, as you approach it, stones and similar plants begin to appear more and more often, this will connect and balance the transition.

I recommend not to make artificial sharp borders of the flower garden. If on one side the rock garden limits the path, then extend its part on its other side. On the other hand, it is not necessary to lift the ground strongly and lay large boulders, a few strokes are enough to complete the composition. If the alpine slide, bounded by the path, is quite large, then it is not necessary to extend it on the other side.

When we drew a diagram of the location of the flower garden on the site and a planting diagram, I would also recommend making a flowering diagram. You decorate all the views selected and located on the diagram with the color of their main decorative effect in May, June, July and August. You will be surprised how clear it becomes where to plant, what to exclude and what to add to your rock garden for permanent decoration. Otherwise, it may turn out like this: your flower garden was green, then it bloomed all at once in the summer, and after that it began to fade with bald patches and locally lose its decorative effect.

How to start building an alpine slide

The construction itself begins with the calculation of the volume of the required material in cubes. If you need to create a fairly large level of a flower garden with terraces, but you want to save money, then you can lay inverted layers of turf as a base. They dug up a pillow with weeds where they get in the way and put them in the skeleton of an alpine slide - two useful things at once.

After we fall asleep according to the intended form of the earth. Try to keep it as natural as possible. In nature, round or oval mounds look alien ... The line of the flower garden should be landscape and dynamic.

Based on the situation, you should very carefully calculate the required volume of imported soil and stones so that you do not have to buy more, overpaying for delivery.

How to calculate the volume of materials for an alpine slide?

For large perennials, it is good if the fertile layer of the soil you pour is 15 - 30 cm. It can be less, but the less, the worse the plants will grow. If the area of ​​our flower garden is 50 m², and the thickness of the poured soil is 30 cm, then we order 15 m³ of fertile land. This is approximately one car. For the form itself, the skeleton, where we use turf or waste land, there is no approximate calculation. This will depend on the shape and height of the desired embankment. Rubble stone (fraction up to 50 cm) for such an area will also be enough 10-15 m³ (one truck).

While I was writing this article, one gardener asked me a question: Is it necessary to create a drainage layer of sand and gravel at the base of the slide?

I answer everyone who asked the same question: you can create a layer if there is nowhere to put an extra penny. In practice, there is simply no tangible difference. The only thing is, if during the construction of a house on your site there are heaps of spoiled earth with rubble, sand and stones, you can use them at the base, or arrange a slide directly on them (to save money and labor costs).

What tool will you need to create a rock garden

The best tool in creating an alpine slide is five workers ... But seriously, the construction of a flower garden frame with the placement of stones is an extremely laborious process that you can do alone only if you want to overstrain. The larger the boulders, the more picturesque they look, but it is extremely difficult to arrange them.

In addition to the heroic workforce, you will need shovels, gloves, rubber boots, pegs with thread for lining the form and a rake.

How long does it take to build an alpine slide

Depending on the funds and desire, as well as the start time of work on the alpine slide, construction may take no more than a year.

If in early spring you start making a frame of a flower garden with a height of more than 30-40 cm, arrange stones, then after the soil settles (about a month later, if it rained), you can confidently plant plants and not be afraid that the stones will crawl or form hole.

If the height of the rock garden is small, then plants can be planted immediately after the base is constructed.

What to look for so that the slide retains its beauty for a long time

Probably the most important thing to really pay attention to is the plants that will be used in your alpine slide. Namely, the abundance of species and their number per square meter.

I understand that there are a lot of plants suitable for her and they are all so cool that I want to use them as much as possible. BUT! Only large groups of the same species will look harmonious and natural. After all, we are creating an alpine landscape, and there plants, untouched by man, have grown over the years, forming indescribable carpets. These are the carpets we need to create.

If we use ground cover plants, then it is worth taking only a few species, but a lot, organizing a carpet or a basis for a future carpet. When we add simple perennial bushes, we add them locally and a little so that they grow quietly in the area allotted to them and do not outweigh the composition. Coniferous shrubs and undersized trees will look great. They will be the basis for year-round decoration.

If at the initial stages you do not overdo it with the thickening of planting, then in the near future you will not have to urgently plant them. I often encounter such a problem as an excessive excess of plants in the flower beds of customers. Of course, almost always the owner wants to have a visually completed and finished element of the garden, but there is no understanding that literally in the second year the plants begin to grow and stifle less aggressive species that get lost, wither and eventually spoil the overall look. We have to dig, turn up the entire planting, damage the established plants and look for a new seat for the vacant ones. In addition, this is an overpayment for planting material, and even wealthy people do not need extra expenses at all.

How to choose stones for rock garden. Laying stones for an alpine slide

Don't turn your rock garden into a rockery or a pile of rough-hewn cobblestones! Very often I meet people who go too far with stones. They are available in a wide variety of colors and shapes on the market. So beautiful, already salivating, and, of course, I want to decorate the site with them as much as possible.

Illustrative examples of enumeration of stones.

A large number of stones will look good on large areas with a corresponding transition of the site into a rock garden.

But if you set out to create an alpine landscape on a small plot, we forget about the impossible beauty and the same impossible high prices. We buy an ordinary rubble stone of large fractions and place it in groups on a flower garden and a little on the site. As you understand, it is possible to guess where all the stones will lie only approximately, so we focus on the spot.

If you are going to create a beating spring with a stream on your alpine hill, then you can use fine gravel or rubble to fill the gutter. Materials should be used only similar in structure. Otherwise, it will look foreign, beat in the eyes.

If you use a rounded flat stone or flagstone, then, as you understand, this will go against the alpine theme.

Near the spring, it is good to create an imitation of a rockfall: large rubble stones interspersed with rubble rubble of large and medium fractions. Thus, it is possible to make the transition from large stones to filling the gutter of the stream.

Plants for an alpine slide

For landscaping an alpine slide, you can use annual, perennial, cereal plants, as well as coniferous and deciduous trees and shrubs. Of course, trees in this case mean dwarf compact forms.

All plants selected for rock garden should be undemanding to moisture and frost-resistant. Since you are creating an artificial hill, you should be prepared for faster moisture loss and weathering. It is best to protect plantings from the north side to protect them from cold northerly winds.

When using any plant in an alpine hill, special attention should be paid to its growth rate and aggressiveness. Since we need to create a harmonious and more or less diverse carpet of plants that would look neat, we should limit the growth of "aggressors" by digging a plastic or metal edge around the growth zone so that we do not have to thin out the plantings later.

Some use decorative mulch to fill gaps among freshly planted perennials, trees and shrubs while they are growing, but I recommend planting annuals. Mulch is washed out pretty quickly and spoils the whole look, and with the help of annuals, you can diversify your flower garden with different colors for the first couple of years.

Steps to create an alpine slide on the site

And now let's put it on the shelves what you have to do if you decide to build an alpine slide on your own.

1. We create a plan-scheme for the location of an alpine hill on a site with a calendar of flowering plants.
2. We calculate the amount of required materials: earth, stones, plants and seeds, as well as other materials (in case a stream, fountain, spring, etc. will be created).
3. We mark the future flower garden with pegs, adjust the shape in place.
4. We create a skeleton of a slide from an inverted turf or soil spoiled during the construction.
5. Laying large boulders.
6. We pour the soil to give the final shape of the flower garden.
7. Water and let the water soak in. We are waiting for shrinkage if the rock garden is high.
8. If you are making an artificial cyclical stream, then we lay a PVC hose or pipe on the side of the gutter. We also hide the wiring of the backlight and the pump in a black corrugation or HDPE pipe.
9. We lay geotextiles (or used advertising banners) in those places where there will be a stream chute and a bowl at the source of a spring or fountain.
10. We add soil in places where the earth has sat down.
11. Pour small stones or rubble rubble.
12. Planting plants and watering.

Assortment of plants for the alpine slide

When choosing plants for an alpine slide, it is most difficult to determine their types and varieties. After all, they have different needs, growth rates and sizes.

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

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

Today, in landscape design, along with flower beds, ridges and plaster sculptures, they are widely used rock gardens. They serve as a decoration for rich estates, dachas, city gardens, squares, they are also arranged near offices and restaurants.

Thanks to the ability to correctly select cobblestones and plants, you can create a zone of luxury, beauty and peace even on the smallest piece of land near the country house. From the article you will learn how to make such a section of the garden with your own hands step by step according to the scheme.

Place selection

When choosing a place, it is necessary to take into account the following nuances:

Landscape designers prefer to use this particular decor option, compared to others.

• It should be an open space, visible from all sides of the garden.
• The rock garden is arranged in a sunny place, on which the shadow from the trees does not fall.
• Rocky - Must be planted in a wind-sheltered area.
• The territory is decorated in the same style, so plants choose certain types.

Landscaping provides for many different styles of garden design in the country, for example, desert landscape elements, gardens, ponds and bridges, they must fit aesthetically into the design.

Garden decoration is better to build yourself. Since this can significantly save on the services of a landscape designer. Instructions with diagrams and step-by-step photos will allow you to do the work yourself without much hassle.

And once again about the choice of location

Such an alpine design can be done by yourself on the estate.

First you need to determine the territory on the site. Trees and perennial shrubs should not grow nearby, which over time can form a falling shadow and thereby cover the planted flora from the sun. open area must be visible from all sides of the garden and be dry. If the groundwater in the country is located close, this will negatively affect the durability and strength of the base of the structure. In this case, the groundwater level must be lowered; for this, landscape design is used special drainage.

Step-by-step instructions for a drainage device

Where to start building such a garden section if the groundwater level is high:

The use of large cobblestones will significantly transform the landscape design.

• First you need to dig a pit with an area equal to the size of the slide or a little more. The preliminary stage is marking with the installation of pegs, on which the cord is strengthened and stretched. Reliable drainage will become the basis for the durability and strength of the structure, so the depth of the pit must be made at least 0.8 m.
• Crushed stone, pebbles or brickwork are poured into the finished pit in layers to a minimum height of 0.3 m. The backfill layer must be poured with water so that it settles. 5–10 cm of sand and gravel mixture is poured over the gravel, then it is also watered with water and carefully compacted.
• When digging a pit, soil was formed, which must be freed from debris and cobblestones, and then laid out on the created drainage. They are laid according to the scheme only after the soil shrinks. To do this, wait about 2-3 weeks. Usually they begin to create it in the fall, leaving the natural shrinkage of the soil for the winter.
• The base support structure is created after the final shrinkage of the base. According to the planned laying out plan, it is necessary to install the largest cobblestones around the perimeter, while the stones are buried by 60%. Smaller ones are located taking into account that precipitation does not erode and thereby jeopardize the stability of the structure. It is also necessary to constantly select stones for their harmonious combination with each other. Between them, you should leave an interval for planting decorative sprouts.

​Device diagram

While the soil is shrinking, you can draw up a design scheme, work on locating boulders, and select the right vegetation for planting. How to make a design with your own hands in the country? To do this, stock up:

• Natural boulders, including pebbles.
• Large sand.
• Ornamental sprouts and flowers, in particular, miniature trees and shrubs.
• Moss-sphagnum.

Click to enlarge.

Construction scheme using boulders and perennials.

The scheme and plan of the site must take into account the height of the construction, which is located at a height of 1 to 3 meters.

Important! If the rock garden is conceived above a meter, you need an additional device in the form of a core.

The alpine structure is an unusual element of the garden, as it changes its appearance several times during the season.

Selection of stones

Various variations of use in the design of various cobblestones.

As a rule, natural rock stones are used for construction: granite, limestone, basalt, sandstone, rare rocks of low strength and porosity are added to them. Dolomite, shell rock, tuff are not used for the device. Since they absorb water very much due to porosity, which is why they quickly collapse.

Of great importance is the shape and color of the boulders. Do not use rounded boulders, as well as overly acute-angled ones. Boulders of different shades look good only in a certain type of rock garden. The classic style involves the use of stones of the same breed, but of different shapes.

The stones are arranged so that the edges look the most advantageous when viewed. Defective boulders are masked, positioned in a special way. Stack them up according to weight and size, while making sure that the appearance of the created slide remains harmonious. The boulders are arranged randomly, imitating natural conditions, so it is better not to resort to blocks and artificial boulders made in an industrial environment.

What plants to choose

Representatives of the flora can be very different, but it is best to use perennials.

The creation of an alpine structure, as well as the selection of sprouts for it, requires special knowledge about varieties of greenery and agricultural technology. The selection is based on the type. For example, drought-resistant varieties are suitable for such a slide in a sunny area.

Classic rock garden provides for the growth of dwarf trees and shrubs, as well as perennial herbs and flowers.

Feel great in rockeries:

• lavender,
• fescue,
• geranium,
• iberis,
• lumbago,
• sedum,
• young.

• grouse,
• dwarf tulips,
• crocuses,
• miniature hyacinths,
• scylla.

They become early spring decoration when there is still a little color, and it looks unpresentable. The first brightly blooming crocuses that emerged from under the snow change the situation.

To create an alpine hill of high decorativeness, they plant perennials with different flowering periods. In this case, it will retain its presentability for a long time. The brightness of the colors of blooming flowers in this case can please the eye from early spring to late autumn.

During planting in rockeries, the height of each representative of the species should be taken into account. Very tall varieties should not inhibit the full development of undersized ones. Bright specimens are placed in the foreground with a large overview.

The basis of the composition miniature trees, coniferous varieties with different crown shapes look especially good:

• pines,
• cypress trees,
• junipers.

For the arrangement of rock gardens in design are often used ornamental flowering shrubs, such as:

• Erika,
• cowberry,
• blueberry,
• rhododendrons.

They are complemented by perennial crops:

• astilbe,
• drooping reed,
• badan,
• dwarf daylily.

Rules for the care of rock garden

During the first year, it will be necessary to add soil more than once, since it is washed out during precipitation and irrigation, and also if it becomes necessary to strengthen the stones. Photos and videos on the topic, made by landscape designers, focus on the correct execution of work. The soil is carefully poured, after which it is compacted.

Care behind green plantings consists in regular watering, pruning, removal of dried flowers, damaged leaves. Fertilize several times a season. Do not use nitrogen, as it causes vigorous growth, which should be avoided when planting in rock gardens.

Important! On such a design, representatives of the flora should not receive excess nutrients, because in connection with this they lose all their decorative effect.

Watering is carried out using a hose or a watering can with a fixed sprayer, while it is necessary to ensure that the soil does not erode.

If the stones loosen or fall out, they should be strengthened.

Sometimes it is necessary to treat plants from pests. Sick specimens without the possibility of their treatment are removed with the replacement of the earth in the place of their growth. When transplanting, you can use a special drug - "Epin" it relieves stress.

Thus, the design of park areas increasingly involves the creation of decorative alpine slides. Rockery continues gardens, goes well with ponds and bridges, vertical gardening and lawns. An alpine slide created by your own hands will be an excellent decoration of the territory, add charm, and add variety to the landscape design of your summer cottage.