What ornamental trees to plant on an alpine hill. Selection and placement of plants on an alpine hill. Dwarf plants for rock garden
Plants and stones are perfectly combined with each other, so it is worth allocating a small corner in your garden for rock garden. Some plants for Alpine slide, photos and their names, you will see in this article. Our selection will help you make the slide original and bright, it will the best decoration the entire area.
Do-it-yourself slide design (photo and diagram)
First of all, you should mark the contours of the future rock garden, remove weeds and sod. After that, inside these contours, you need to create a small recess in the ground and form the entire volume of the future rock garden. For this, not only large stones are used, but also crushed stone, construction waste, gravel. Lay the most first large stones, then small, covered with sand and soil.
When the soil layer settles, you need to fill all the recesses with the same soil, then additionally spread out a 20-centimeter layer of earth, your plants will grow on it. After that, all the remaining decorative stones are laid.
The finished hill is watered, the whole structure costs two to three weeks, or more, all this time you need to actively weed out. After that, they select plants for the alpine slide, look at the photos, write out the names of the varieties they like and purchase them in specialized stores. All plants are planted either in spring or early autumn, usually September. Planting time depends on what time you manage to prepare the basis for the rock garden.
Criteria for choosing plants for an alpine slide
Ornamental plants for the slide are selected according to certain rules, they are not difficult, you can master this simple science on your own. Above you see a photo - the design of an alpine slide with your own hands. The traditional classical approach provides for the presence of perennial plants on the hill, which grow wild in high mountain areas. These are undersized specimens, which have a small and compact bush, undemanding to soils and the presence of moisture. As a rule, these species are winter-hardy, they are resistant to gusts of wind. Examples are plants such as dryad, awl-leaved phlox, thyme (both creeping and ordinary, as well as alpine sapling. You will also see some flowers for the alpine slide later in the article.
Almost always on the hills there are undersized conifers, sometimes low deciduous, among which it is better to choose slowly growing varieties. Among the deciduous on the alpine hills look good:
- a low-growing variety of barberry, the fruits of which and colored bright leaves adorn the hill until late autumn;
- Japanese low quince;
- some varieties of cotoneaster.
Together with decorative stones they form the basis of the whole composition. However, recently on the alpine hill you can also meet annuals in which a long period flowering, steppe grasses and bulbous. The latter are very enliven slides in the spring and delight flower growers. These can be crocuses, snowdrops and lilies of the valley, decorative onions and daffodils, undersized varieties of tulips and cyclamens.
The most popular flowers for an alpine slide
We bring to your attention some names and photos of popular plants for an alpine slide (flowers are perennials).
Iberis
Iberis looks very good at the top of the hill, there are varieties that do not grow more than 10 centimeters in height. The plant blooms profusely with snow-white curtains in late spring or early summer.
edelweiss
The famous mountain flower, sung in the literature in the wild, grows on the depleted soils of the rocks. Such a plant on an alpine hill is the pride of the grower, especially since it is listed in the Red Book. However, it is quite possible to grow this flower on your own from ordinary seeds, and then propagate in the usual way(seedlings).
Edelweiss is sun-loving and does not tolerate shading, as in wild nature these plants grow on the tops of mountains. For better growth exotic flower you need to make a special depleted soil mixture with fine-grained sand and small pebbles.
So, when choosing perennial flowers for an alpine hill, you cannot ignore this beautiful specimen, which, moreover, can grow in one place for up to 20 years.
Young (stone rose)
This plant is similar to rosettes, which consist of fleshy thick leaves of various sizes and shapes. Different varieties differ in their colors. There are many species and varieties among perennial flowers for an alpine slide, rosettes are burgundy and silvery green, you can choose several different specimens at once. An unpretentious plant can adapt to any living conditions and take the most uncomfortable place, including the gaps between the stones, which is ideal for an alpine slide.
Armeria maritime
This plant is not afraid of either cold or drought, but does not like waterlogging. Small bushes can release ten flower stalks at once, which have spherical inflorescences. Armeria is also good because it blooms for a very long time, almost all summer, but we must not forget to remove the old inflorescences, otherwise it will wither.
carnations
Perennial carnations are very good on an alpine hill, by the way, in the wild they grow well in the mountains. This is probably why carnations of all perennial flowers for alpine hills are the most popular. Suitable varieties many, for example, grass, short-stemmed carnation, gray-gray, and also grayish-blue, which you go to in the photo above. Carnations are in full bloom summer season bright flowers, moreover exude a pleasant spicy aroma.
Ephedra - the basis of the alpine hill
First of all, I want to highlight the most spectacular plants, for example, there is dwarf variety Norwegian spruce, it grows even in pots, and this is a real gem on an alpine hill. Weeping fir is also amazingly beautiful, it is dark green with a yellow tint, and its long branches bend down to the ground.
When creating an alpine slide, they often make a mistake: they use simply pruned trees of traditional tall conifers. If you carefully consider the photo on the design of the alpine slide with your own hands, then you will notice that there are only varieties of dwarf plants. All plants that should be big in the wild will try to be big.
Here are some types and varieties of dwarf conifers:
- Nevaki - japanese pine, which refers to real bonsai, is naturally dwarf. One of the varieties is pictured above. If you cut it, it will take any shape.
- Pine Nana, very fluffy dark green.
- Panderose pine, also very fluffy with huge needles, grows even without shelter, although it comes from warm places.
- Velda - creeping view pines, shoots grow only horizontally. It must be trimmed, otherwise it will take three meters in a circle.
You can't forget about creeping varieties, they are indispensable on the alpine slides.
So, if you want to create a truly spectacular slide, then look at the photo of flowers for the alpine slide, remember the names of the plants that you like and go ahead! You can create an alpine slide with your own hands without serious financial or time expenses, and it will not take up much space. The very process of its creation is very interesting, and the result exceeds all the wildest expectations.
What plants are needed for an alpine slide - video
The construction of a rockery or rock garden is a sure way to get a unique and extraordinary landscape. Having decided to decorate your possessions with a rocky garden, even before the start of its construction, figure out which plants for the alpine slide will be the most suitable, which flowers will make it bright and original. Find out which conifers the best way fit into the composition, how to arrange decorative greenery among the stones. Having understood this, you will create a unique corner on the site that you can be proud of.
Criteria for the selection of plants for rock garden
There are certain canons in the selection ornamental plants for a rocky hill. The classic option involves settling it perennials growing in the highlands. These are ground cover and undersized, with a compact bush, undemanding to soil, moisture, winter-hardy, resistant to winds.
Rock garden on the site
However, time makes adjustments, and lovers of rocky gardens have expanded the range of plants, including some inhabitants of forests, steppes and long-blooming annuals. Most often in rock gardens and rockeries are presented:
- Low-growing types of conifers and deciduous shrubs or varieties with a slow growth rate. They, along with stones, form the basis of the composition of the rocky garden.
- Creeping ground cover plants that fill the volume of the rock garden. Among them, it is desirable to choose varieties that do not lose their decorative effect after flowering has ended: for example, those with leaves with a specific color.
- Herbaceous perennials. Particular attention should be paid to those of them, the appearance of which resembles specimens growing in the mountains.
- Bulbous. They enliven the landscape in the first spring days, but after flowering, the aerial part dies off. Therefore, it is not worth allocating a separate place, they need to be planted along with the ground covers.
The combination of plants in the rock garden
When choosing plants for a rocky garden, be sure to take into account its location, lighting. "New settlers" of the alpine slide should receive the amount they need sunlight. Accordingly, in a rock garden open to the sun, light-loving species should be placed, and on a hill located in the shade or partial shade, it will be comfortable shade-loving.
Plants in rock gardens are combined in appearance
To the composition of the mini-Alps on suburban area was harmonious and decorated the garden, it is necessary to select neighboring plants with approximately the same growth rate. Otherwise, too actively growing shrubs and flowers will not allow less energetic neighbors to grow. In addition, the selected plants should be similar in terms of growing conditions, flowering period and match in appearance.
An example of an alpine slide
How to choose flowers for an alpine slide
It is difficult to imagine a rock garden without flowers. Carefully selected beautifully flowering perennials and bright undersized annuals give a special charm to this peculiar flower bed, and with it the entire site as a whole.
Rock garden centenarians - perennial flowers
When creating a rock garden on the site, there are several reasons to give preference to low perennials:
- They form dense thickets-clumps along the perimeter of the laid stones, bending around them, repeating the stone relief, partially hanging on the boulders. It looks inimitable, especially during the flowering period, since perennial flowers have a high density of inflorescences.
- Most perennials have a long flowering period (40-80 days) and after flowering retain their attractiveness due to the high decorativeness of the leaves.
- When caring for perennials, less labor is required: there is no need to renew plantings every year. Weeding is also facilitated - active perennials fill all the crevices between the stones with their roots, preventing weeds from developing. Yes, and weed seeds have too little chance of surviving in the dense shade of curtains.
- These flowers are drought- and frost-resistant, undemanding to the soil.
- Many species can bloom again at the end of the season if wilted flowers are removed in time and faded specimens are fed.
- Perennials can be propagated by dividing bushes, cuttings, seeds.
- Perennial flowers of alpine origin are sun-loving, they develop poorly in shade and partial shade, and may die.
- high humidity Soil, especially the stagnation of water in it, "Alpines" do not tolerate - good drainage under their plantings is required.
Dense clumps of perennial flowers
You can get acquainted with some representatives of the vast world of rocky hill perennials by short descriptions and photo.
Popular perennial flowers for alpine hills
Edelweiss (vernacular name Highlander). A sun-loving mountain flower growing on poor soils of impregnable rocks will decorate the top of the hill and be your pride. It is listed in the Red Book, but you can grow the legendary flower yourself from seeds, then propagate with seedlings.
Edelweiss
rejuvenated. An exceptionally unpretentious plant with fleshy leaves collected in a beautiful rosette, for which it is sometimes called a stone rose. There are many types of youth, there are sockets different shapes and shades: from silver-green to burgundy. There are chameleon varieties that change color according to the season. A stone rose will strengthen the slopes of the rock garden, since it can take root in the narrowest gaps between the stones.
rejuvenated
Rejuvenated in a mini-rock garden
Alyssum(burachok) rocky. Drought tolerant, picky about availability sunny color. Small golden flowers, united in lush decorative inflorescences, bloom in May, adorn the garden for about 50 days, exuding a sweetish aroma. Faded inflorescences must be cut off. With proper care, it blooms again.
Armeria maritime. Highly resistant to cold, drought, reacts negatively to waterlogging. Compact bushes, produce up to 10 peduncles simultaneously with spherical inflorescences similar to inflorescences decorative bow. Flowering is long, almost throughout the season. Old inflorescences, like all long-blooming ones, must be removed in a timely manner.
Armeria maritime
Echinacea. Perennial with rather large, bright flowers, hardy, drought-resistant. Likes good lighting, prefers nutritious soil. It blooms from the second half of summer to September, replacing previously faded specimens.
Echinacea
carnations(grass, pinnate, alpine). All these carnations form clumps that can cover bald spots between higher neighbors, and bloom luxuriantly. The grass begins to bloom first of the perennials, and in mid-June, pinnate and alpine carnations join it.
Carnations: grass and pinnate
Annual and bulbous flowers for rock garden
Decorative perennials planted when creating a rock garden do not grow in one moment, some species bloom only in the second year. A rocky hill built in accordance with all the rules at this time looks, if attractive, then too strict, reminiscent of severe Mountain peaks. Perhaps someone will be satisfied with just such a composition. And those who wish to create a semblance of a multi-colored alpine meadow on the site will be helped out by annual flowers.
Annuals, together with bulbous flowers, will help the alpine slide to wake up to a bright life with the snow melting and blaze in the garden different colors the whole season. Bulbous for rock garden should be undersized and medium-sized. Say, gladioli on it will be clearly out of place. Suitable:
- blueberries,
- colchicums,
- snowdrops,
- muscari,
- crocuses,
- birdman,
- kaufman tulips.
Tulips Kaufman
Undersized annual flowers planted on an alpine hill will make it bright, attractive, help hide empty places, hide fading bulbs. Get to know individual rock garden annuals.
Dimorfoteka notched. It is a perennial by origin, but in Russia it is grown more often in annual culture, unpretentious, resistant to cold and drought. Among other inhabitants of the rock garden, it stands out with large inflorescences of sunny yellow and orange hues, blooms profusely and for a long time.
Dimorfoteka notched
haretail(lagurus). This is a decorative cereal that will add "naturalness" to a rocky hill. He loves the sun, light partial shade, requires regular watering, negatively relates to the slightest overdrying of the soil.
haretail
Brachycoma iberisoloista. Not particularly common yet, but deserves more. Light and heat-loving, watering requires only in drought. The soil for it needs light, dryish, but nutritious for greater decorativeness.
Important: Do not overdo it with the number of flowers, because you are recreating on your site not a flower bed, but a miniature fragment of mountains, and the role of stones in it is dominant.
Brachycoma iberisoloista
Blooming all summer annuals and perennials
Flowers are a wonderful gift of nature, and anyone who grows them wants them to caress their eyes and warm their souls all summer long. There are two possibilities for this:
- Pick up different species that bloom, replacing each other, during the season. Perhaps this is not an easy option.
- Choose according to your taste long-blooming representatives flora that decorate the site and delight in flowering all season.
Arenaria crimson
The latter include the above-mentioned armeria, iberisolist brachycoma, carnation-grass, notched dimorphotheca. But the list can go on and on. It is worth paying attention to the types of flowers presented below.
Arenaria crimson. Exceptionally unpretentious, drought resistant flower with purple shoots. Ideal perennial for rock garden, able to grow on stones, sand. The height of the stems is up to 15 cm. Small asterisk flowers cover the bushes from early June to autumn.
periwinkle. It grows with an evergreen rug, feels equally good in the sun and in the shade, which is rare. Pleases with small blue flowers from late May to September. In warm autumn, flowers can be admired even in October.
periwinkle
Balkan geranium. A fragrant perennial that blooms in June and again closer to autumn. Bushes, 20-25 cm high, are decorated with carved foliage, turning yellow in autumn, sometimes reddening, often the leaves overwinter. It is noteworthy that this type of geranium has a branched rhizome, from which new rosettes of leaves depart, forming dense thickets. Grows equally well in moist soil and dry, in the sun and in the shade.
Balkan geranium
Rhodiola. Spectacular looking mountain perennial with healing properties. Likes the sun, moist (without stagnant water) nutrient soil mixed with gravel and sand. Blooms from spring to autumn.
Marigold. Charming unpretentious annual, striking variety of varieties. It begins to bloom with the beginning of summer and continues until frost. Heat and light-requiring, adapted to limited watering, does not tolerate stagnant moisture.
Marigold
Ground cover plants for rock gardens
If it is difficult to imagine an alpine hill in a garden without flowers, then it is generally impossible without ground covers. Stones, ground cover plants and conifers are the "three pillars" on which rocky gardens are held.
Advantages and disadvantages of ground covers
The ground cover representatives of the green kingdom have earned recognition from summer residents, because they:
- They are highly decorative throughout the summer (some even in winter), they bring originality and charm to the composition of the rock garden.
- Unpretentious, not particularly in need of care - saves time for other things.
- They cover the earth with a continuous living carpet, preventing it from overheating, drying out, weathering, thanks to which they are better preserved. useful material in the ground.
- Do not allow weeds to develop.
- Hardy, for the most part not afraid of shortages nutrients, cold and drought.
- Being planted on the slopes of an alpine hill during its creation, they strengthen the composition.
Important: By purchasing ground cover species Please read their specifications carefully. Many grow aggressively, categorically reclaiming territory from their neighbors, and not only weeds, but also your pets can survive. Such specimens should be planted at a distance from other inhabitants of the rock garden.
Ground covers on the slope of a rocky hill
The most common ground covers
A circle ground cover plants wide Many of them are creeping: spread by rooting mustaches, stepchildren. Others give many escapes, turning into fluffy rug, others grow in breadth with the help of surface roots. Meet some of the flora that can create spectacular living carpets in the garden.
Saxifrage. Almost an indispensable inhabitant of the rock garden, found in perennial and annual culture. Some saxifrage species prefer full sun, others partial shade, and all need high humidity. Graceful bushes are decorative, form a lot of rosettes, merging into dense rugs. They can bloom for up to 4 months (from May to August). Saxifrage easily propagated by rosettes, which must be separated after flowering.
Saxifrage
Arabis. One of best perennials for rock garden and garden. Honey plant with a rich aroma. Blooms during May-June decorative leaves, thanks to which it decorates the hill even after flowering. It blooms more magnificently in the sun, and grows stronger in the shade of the garden. It has an incredibly intensive growth, crowding out its neighbors, as, by the way, the saxifrage. Because of this, the layers have to be removed.
aubrieta. Ground cover perennial, elegant, profusely blooming. Creates " carpet covering» 10-30 cm high, up to a meter wide (depending on the species). In early spring, rock gardens are decorated with overwintered small leaves of shaving, which can be bright green, bluish, variegated. By May, the carpet is transformed, covered with innumerable small flowers, their color depends on the variety.
The flowering of obrieta lasts up to one and a half months. A faded carpet withers and looks sloppy. But if the shoots are cut off after flowering, this encourages the beauty to release new ones and re-bloom in the fall.
Delosperma profusely flowering. Charming ground cover annual. Likes heat, bright sun, frequent watering, well-drained poor soil. It blooms in the year of sowing, the flowers are pinkish-lilac, star-shaped.
delosperma
Dwarf shrubs and conifers for rockeries
If the construction of an alpine slide seems too laborious to you or there is not enough space for it, you can create a small rockery from conifers in front of the house, placing dwarf or undersized species spruce, juniper, pine, arborvitae. The arrangement of rockeries on a flat area does not require such serious costs. physical labor and funds, like the construction of a rocky hill, but in terms of decorativeness, rockeries are not inferior to rock gardens.
Rockery in front of the house
The choice of conifers for rockeries
In creating a decorative rockery, large and small stones play an even greater role than on an alpine hill, and should occupy at least half of the area of a rocky garden.
Shrubs and trees should be planted in it in small quantities and the composition should be supplemented with ground covers and flowers, with which it is also important not to overdo it. As on an alpine hill, first of all, it is required to plant trees and shrubs on the site.
For a small rockery, it is worth choosing undersized coniferous or dwarf species, the various shades of greenery of which will decorate the garden all year round. Their range is not particularly large.
The combination of conifers
dwarf spruce . They grow slowly, eventually reaching a height of 0.6 m, they tolerate the formation of a haircut well. The shape of the crown can have a pyramidal, sprawling. Coloring of needles from blue in seaside spruce to juicy green in Canadian spruce. They are unpretentious, require almost no maintenance. Being resistant to arid conditions, they are very suitable for rock gardens.
dwarf spruce
Junipers. They have a lot of decorative species, both creeping and standard. The needles are green, sometimes with a yellowish tint. Grow well on rocky soil, photophilous. Attractiveness to junipers is given by pretty, non-opening cones.
Junipers
mountain pine. There are several varieties. interesting dwarf pine Pug spherical shape. By the age of 10, the diameter of its crown reaches only 50 cm. The needles are greenish-blue. This variety of pine is undemanding to external conditions; it feels great in rock gardens and rockeries.
mountain pine
thuja. Shrub with a cone-shaped (some species with spherical) dense crown and delicate green needles. Under the bright sun, the greens sometimes turn red. Thuja can be cut, giving the desired shape. The shrub is unpretentious, cold-resistant, drought-resistant.
Thuja in rockery
Evergreen shrubs for rock gardens
Deciduous shrubs- unwanted inhabitants of rock gardens, where cleaning foliage is difficult. However, there is a group of evergreen small shrubs that do not shed their foliage and are very decorative. Here are the most popular ones.
Cotoneaster horizontal. In nature, it is an inhabitant of the mountain slopes. The shape of the bush is compact, with small dense foliage. The foliage is green throughout the year, turning purple in autumn. In May it is covered with inconspicuous pink flowers. The cotoneaster is very decorated with fruits that appear in autumn and last all winter.
Cotoneaster horizontal
Iberis evergreen. Low-growing (up to 50 cm) strongly branching shrub with dense foliage. It has a pleasant aroma, highly decorative. The first buds appear in May, blooms luxuriantly for 2 months, the flowers are white. Unpretentious, but does not tolerate shade and stagnant water. In drought requires watering. Likes sandy, rocky soil.
Iberis evergreen
Barberry evergreen(boxwood). Dwarf shrub, up to 50 cm high. Undemanding to the soil, loves the sun or partial shade. It is cold-resistant, but in too severe winter needs shelter. It blooms in May, but its main decoration is luxurious greenery.
Barberry evergreen
If there are not so many true "Alpines", then all the names of various plants that have found shelter in stone gardens cannot be listed. Choose according to your taste, taking into account the needs of green friends, their relationship with each other, follow simple agricultural practices, and your rock garden will be inimitably beautiful on suburban area or in the garden.
Today, the rock garden, which impresses not only with its beauty, but also with a wide variety of flowers and plants, has become a common element of landscape design. Such popularity is due not only to an unusual and very beautiful appearance, but also to a rather unpretentious care. Plants for an alpine slide, visually very enliven stone surface while maintaining the effect of the wild nature of the mountains.
Basic rules for plant selection
Create an alpine slide with your own hands, which can become a highlight, stylish element your his personal plot pretty simple. To do this, you should choose only those plants that meet the following criteria:
- for arranging an alpine slide, it is better to choose small, undersized plant species that will look harmoniously against the background of stones;
- the selection of plants should take place only if they are resistant to the characteristics of the soil and the climate of the area in which the alpine hill will be located;
- when choosing a place for planting a flower or shrub, be sure to consider required amount sunlight, which will allow the plant to develop well. So for light-loving flowers, territories that are completely open to the sun are suitable, and for shade-loving ones it is worth looking for places darkened by trees;
- wanting to create a single harmonious composition, select plants that are uniform in growth intensity. Taking into account this feature, it is possible to avoid an unpleasant situation when very fast-growing flowers and shrubs do not allow to break through and grow less active species plants;
- creating an alpine slide, it is important to adhere to the combination of plants with each other. They should not only be similar in appearance, but also match in terms of growing conditions, watering, flowering rhythm.
Types of plants for the alpine slide
There are a lot of flowers and shrubs suitable for arranging an alpine hill in the existing landscape design, but it is necessary to single out the species that are most suitable for such purposes. As a rule, it is undemanding, beautiful and plentiful flowering plants, capable of creating a unique charm inherent in an alpine hill.
Experts advise first of all to pay attention to the following types of plants.
Brachycoma iberisoloista
An annual plant with a bright, attractive color and good resistance to low temperatures and a long absence of moisture. The height of an adult plant reaches 25 cm. In order for the brachycoma to take root and develop well, choose a sunny area with soft soil for it. It's better to plant it in early spring by sowing seeds directly into the ground. The first flowering of brachikoma begins already at the beginning of summer, and delights with its beauty until August.
Wanting to prolong flowering until late autumn, the plant should be planted a little later, at the end of May. Don't forget about good watering young bushes. With the growth of the plant, the amount of moisture must be significantly reduced, watering the brachicoma only on very hot, dry days.
Dimorfoteka smoky
This flower grows in South Africa. Therefore, it is very important for him to have a large number bright sun. However, it is worth noting the good tolerance low temperatures. mature plant reaches a height of 35 cm. Dimorphoteka blooms large beautiful flowers yellow or orange color, which allows it to be very noticeable against the general background of the alpine hill.
Ready seedlings must be planted in open ground at the end of spring. The first shoots can already be observed after seven days, but active flowering will begin no earlier than two months later. Depending on the surrounding climate, the shrub can delight with flowers until the end of summer.
The finest feather grass
This is a representative of the Mexican flora. Tolerates well harsh winters. In the wild, feather grass begins to bloom only in the third year, but a cultivated plant planted on an alpine hill pleases with flowers in the first year of planting. The feather grass blooms, as a rule, all summer. This type of plant grows and develops best in acidic soils, in a sunny area with a good drainage system. You can plant flowers for an alpine slide called feather grass by dividing an already adult plant or by sowing seeds.
Attention ! When choosing a feather grass for an alpine slide, remember that this is a rather large plant, reaching a height of half a meter, and a trunk diameter of -30 cm.
Violet horned
These are amazingly beautiful flowers for an alpine slide, which attracts with its two-tone color. It is also worth noting the unpretentiousness of the plant. Violet grows well in any soil, both in the shade and in the sun. Violet is sown with seeds in early summer. It blooms for a very long time, from the first months of summer until late autumn.
Nolana is weird
This creeping flower creates beautiful carpet, which can become an ornament of any garden. It is planted in mid-spring, when the soil is already warm enough. The plant does not tolerate well high humidity, so you need to be extremely careful in watering. The best environment for active and healthy growth is moderately moist soil and bright sun. It will also not be superfluous to periodically fertilize the flower with nitrogen fertilizers.
Armeria maritime
The flower stands out against the general background with elegant flowers of red, pink or white. The plant is quite unpretentious in care, does not require annual planting and any special conditions for growth. The most optimal soil option for armeria is sandy or stony soils with an acidic environment. As a rule, armeria begins to bloom only in the second year after planting.
Alpine forget-me-not
undersized, biennial plant for an alpine slide called "Alpine Forget-Me-Not" it has a very active and early flowering. The first inflorescences can be seen already in early May. Forget-me-not has many varieties. Among them, you can choose the plant whose color you would like to see on your alpine hill. This flower is very fond of the sun, but it is very resistant to winter frosts. The flower is best planted in small groups. Forget-me-not seeds are planted in the middle or late autumn. So the first flowers will bloom in the spring.
Edelweiss alpine
This is a true representative of the mountain flora. Likes sun and plenty of water. This perennial flower for an alpine hill, it can reach a height of up to 30 cm. It is sown with seeds. The first flowers appear at the end of summer and amaze with their soft fluffy leaves soft beige. Considering that edelweiss leaves have a light silver tint, this combination gives a very beautiful result.
Aubrieta cultural
The plant is unpretentious, perennial, grows well and develops on sandy soils. Even without bright colors pink, lilac, lilac, shaving looks like an ornamental plant. Flowering does not last long, about a month, after which the shaving is pruned. It is worth noting that the sown seeds do not need to be sprinkled with earth. To grow, they need solar energy. Traditionally, shaving is planted around the perimeter of an alpine hill or used as decorative element for stone slides.
Astra alpine
This American flower thrives on stony soils in full sun. It is quite unpretentious, blooms from May to June. Flowers are medium sized, purple, pink or white. The plant is propagated by cuttings or division of the bush. New seedlings of asters should be planted at a distance of 20 cm from each other.
Geichera
Despite the fact that this species is distinguished by a wide variety of representatives, not flowers, but the leaves of the most different colors, it attracts gardeners. Heuchera gets along well with various types flowers and shrubs. She does not require special conditions for growth.
Heuchera pouring is a variety of colors and shades. It is they who attract with their appearance, since the flowers of the plant do not differ very much. large sizes and have an expressionless White color. The flower propagates by seeds or division of rhizomes. Growing geyhera is simple and easy. It grows on any soil, does not require frequent watering and tolerates temperature fluctuations.
- an alpine hill should be equipped on a hill, the slope of which is located on the southeast or southwest side;
- the height of the alpine slide should be commensurate with its area;
- it is necessary to equip drainage system. For this upper layer the soil is removed to a depth of at least 25 cm. The pit is covered with rubble or slag, which forms a drainage layer;
- soil for planting should be fertile. For this removed wound the earth must be mixed with clay and fertilizers;
- large stones are best placed in the center, and small ones around the perimeter;
- do not ignore weeds, they must be promptly and immediately removed. To do this, carry out manual weeding or process weeds. special solutions herbicide.
Conclusion
Alpine slides need care and a competent approach to arrangement. Only in this way, the alpine slide will delight you and your loved ones with beautiful flowers almost all year round. Do not be afraid to show imagination, sometimes the results can be unexpectedly pleasant.
You can watch a detailed video tutorial on creating an alpine slide in the video
It's hard to imagine today modern garden without an alpine slide. It is the alpine slide (or its other name - the rock garden) that gives the garden originality, completeness, and, where necessary, the feeling of a changed landscape. All this is due to successful combination ornamental plants, flowers, trees and stones.
At the first stage of creating an alpine slide, the location and possible decor should be determined. Next, you will need stone boulders of various sizes and shapes, chosen at your discretion.
Also, to change the level of the slide, drainage should be prepared, which lies in the very center. As a drainage, you can use special materials, and ordinary fallen leaves and small twigs. From above, the drainage is covered with soil and decorated with boulders and stones in the way you like best.
The main thing, do not forget: both the earth and the drainage will settle, so the height of the alpine slide itself will become lower than it was when laying.
After the slide is ready, the process of its "settlement" begins. Here your imagination should not be limited to absolutely nothing. The richness of the flora today has reached its climax, so you will not have any difficulties with choosing plants for the slide.
A good addition to the alpine slide can be paths paved with flat stones, plaster sculptures and the like. However, if you planned to arrange in an alpine slide or a small waterfall resembling a miniature natural mountain river, then you cannot do without expert advice.
Moreover, you should follow the advice during the planning of the slide, and not after its completion, otherwise you will have to destroy part of your own work. Of course, if you created a slide a long time ago, and now you decide to supplement it with bubbling water, this is another matter.
In order for the alpine slide to fulfill its purpose, it must be built taking into account certain rules. Not every plant is suitable for a rock garden, so careful selection is necessary, taking into account the timing of flowering plants, the possibility or inadmissibility of a joint neighborhood, the duration of flowering, and many other factors.
If all the landing conditions are met correctly, then the alpine slide will delight with beautiful and luxurious flowering all summer, and possibly autumn.
For this to happen, it is necessary for planting a slide to choose those plants that begin to bloom in turn. Thanks to this, the rock garden will constantly change and have a picturesque and well-groomed appearance.
To create alpine slides, for the most part, undersized plants are chosen. These are, for example, cinquefoil, salvia, low-growing varieties of nasturtium, spirea, daisies, primroses and many others.
In addition, slowly growing tree-like or, again, undersized coniferous specimens are planted on the hill, but a couple of them are added to create accents. large plants or shrubs.
In order for the alpine slide to become a decoration of the garden not only in summer, but also in winter, coniferous species should appear among the plants. Juniper and dwarf pine are well suited for this.
In addition to ornamental plants, medicinal herbs can also be planted on an alpine hill, then it will also become a home doctor. For this, thyme, rosemary, chamomile, sage and other similar plants are very well suited.
In addition, before landing, it is necessary to take into account the cardinal directions. This is done so that all types of plants can take root well and gain strength, since some of them, due to the fact that they need a significant amount of sunlight, prefer to grow only on the south side.
Unpretentious or shade-loving plants grow well in the northern parts of the rock garden. And flowers such as bluebells, crocuses and chrysanthemums do well everywhere.
Thus, if you make very little effort and follow all of the above recommendations, you can create a real creation in your garden.
What plants are needed for rock garden?
Constructing a rock garden on the territory on your own, it is very important to know how to correctly and successfully choose plants that will not only look great, but also long time enjoy your bloom. Plantings should be not only diverse, but also well adapted to the climatic conditions of the suburban area.
When choosing plants for, one should not deprive attention of carpet and undersized plantings, which will become the basis and background of the finished rock garden.
When choosing green spaces, be sure to take into account the weather and climatic conditions to which the site where the alpine slide will be located is exposed. Plants should have enough sunlight, moisture, heat and fertilizer.
It is also very important to pay attention to the intensity of growth and branching of plantings, as this can spoil the appearance and flowering of the alpine hill. Plantings should harmonize with each other in size, color, growth rate, flowering time.
Since the rock garden is built for a long time, plants should be selected both annual and perennial. First of all, you need to take care of planting ground cover plants that will help to densely cover the surface of the earth.
Landscape designers recommend that when choosing plants for a rock garden, take into account the size and color of boulders that will form the basis of a decorative object. In order for the rock garden to look harmonious and not overloaded, the stones should be laid asymmetrically and loosely. You can fill the bare gaps between them with undersized plantings.
In addition, plants should be planted in tiers, the top should be the tallest and most lush species, while with each subsequent circle, the height and size of the plantations should be reduced. In order for the rock garden to function all year round, the hill can be decorated with coniferous and evergreen plantings.
Perennial plants for alpine hills - photos and names
In order to make it easier to choose plants for an alpine slide, we present you the most popular ones with names in two languages and photos.
Anemone - Anemone
Alyssum rocky - Alyssum-saxsatile
Alyssum white Badan – Bergenia
Periwinkle herbaceous - Vinca-herbacea
Marigolds – Tagetes
White Perfection - Musky Malva - Malva moschata
Cornflower mountain - Centaurea montana
Veronica - Veronica
Monetary loosestrife - Lysimachia nummularia
Carnation - Dianthus
Carnation stunted 
Geranium - Geranium
loosestrife - Lythrum salicaria
Dicentra - Dicentra
Tenacious - Ajuga
tenacious creeping St. John's wort - Hypericum
Iris - Iris
Round-leaved saxifrage - Saxifraga rotundifolia
Kotovnik - Nepeta
Lavender narrow-leaved - Lavandula angustifolia
Potentilla - Potentilla
Potentilla Nepalese -Potentilla nepalensis
Lupine - Lupinus
Rejuvenated - Sempervivum
Euphorbia - Euphorbia
Euphorbia bordered (bride) Peony - Paeonia
Purslane garden - Portulaca oleracea
Multi-colored purslane on an alpine hill Primula - Primula
Rudbeckia - Rudbeckia
Sedum - Sedum
Amethyst eryngium - Eryngium amethystinum
Amethyst eryngium Sleep Grass - Pulsatilla
sleep-grass Yarrow - Achillea
Thyme - Thymus
Violet - Viola
Phlox subulata - Phlox subulata
Phlox subulate Chistets - Stachys byzantina
Oenothera Missouri - Oenothera missouriensis
Jaskolka - Cerastium
Yaskolka 
Many owners personal plots know how important it is to keep their territory in order and clean. Everyone is trying to bring some bright colors and greenery there that will transform the modest landscape design.
An excellent decorative object is an alpine hill, which is a heap of stones and plants that can become a real pride and decoration of any site.
What is an alpine slide and what plants are suitable for it - expert opinion
Read about everything here.
This year, a long-awaited building appeared in our country house - an alpine hill. Since they made it late, almost just before the frosts, the "settlement" of plants was postponed to spring. Tell me, what can be planted on an alpine hill? The wife definitely wants at least one coniferous crop, and also flowering bushes.
Alpine slide is a popular element of landscape design, which is gaining more and more popularity in recent years. It not only decorates the site, but also gives it the most natural look. A variety of plants, from flowering to groundcover, surrounded by rocky rocks look very impressive if you choose and combine them correctly. Before deciding what to plant on an alpine hill, you should read the general recommendations.
Some tips for plant placement
First of all, for an alpine slide, only those crops that can grow in the local climate should be selected. It is better if flowering plants replace each other, blooming in turn. Particular attention should be paid to undersized and neighboring flowers. It is important to consider growth rates so that neighboring, higher and faster growing crops do not oppress compact plantations of "slow" bushes.
When planting perennials in the free space between them, annual flowers can be placed - they will hide empty areas under them until the perennials grow.
An excellent choice for an alpine slide is dwarf conifers. Their year-round green branches will become the main "chip" of a rocky flower bed, especially if you combine species with different shades(juniper, thuja, cypress).
In the intervals between conifers, undersized crops or carpet crops can be planted.
The principles of tiered filling of the slide with plants
When choosing crops for an alpine slide, it is necessary to take into account the fact that they will not grow on flat surface, which means that lighting and moisture will be received unevenly. Visually, the slide can be divided into three tiers: top, middle and foot.
In order for all plantings to have the opportunity to develop, each “floor” should be populated with its own plants, based on the following principles:
There can be a lot of options for creating beautiful compositions, the main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise the plants will be cramped. Show your imagination and create your masterpieces.