Stone slide in the garden with hands. Features of creating an alpine slide with your own hands and photos of finished works

The rock garden is an original flower garden, ahead of traditional flower beds in popularity. Even a novice landscape designer will be able to clearly show himself in his arrangement, since this work opens up great scope for creativity. Do-it-yourself alpine slide is created for one season and does not need special care. It is only important to choose the right stones and perennials, which will take root even on poor soils and are undemanding to watering.

Where to begin

It is believed that a good start is half the battle. When creating an alpine slide in the country preparatory stage has more greater value. The external attractiveness of the flower garden for years to come depends on how competent the first actions will be.

Location selection

Many experts agree that the hill is the main decoration of any site - cultivated or preserved in its original, "natural" form. To accomplish this task, a place downhill:

should be visible from all corners of the garden;
be sunny, free from tall trees casting a shadow;
be located on the south side of the house or fence, if the slide is “tied” to any structure;
be protected from the winds.

A large alpine slide is best placed in the center of the site

A summer resident can work on a rock garden in any season convenient for him. However, experienced people recommend doing this early autumn until it's harvest time. In addition, during the winter, a flower garden usually settles naturally, and the gardener has a reserve of time to correct the defects found before planting plants on the hill.

Rock garden schemes

Landscape designers have developed many schemes that help the summer resident "see" the future structure, navigate the choice of material and plants, and "attach" the flower garden to the area.

The stones in these schemes are the main actors, depending on their placement, rock gardens are:

a rock (such slides are the steepest, the stones at their base are large, and the structures at the top are small);
mountain slope (solid boulders - at the top, below - stone scree);
terraced slope (arranged in the form of steps);
"Czech rolling pin" (thin slabs are buried in the ground with the end part);
a valley in the mountains (the composition is built horizontally, the location of the stones is free);
a ravine (the rock garden is arranged in a shell-like recess, using moss-covered boulders).

Tall plants can be located on the side of the rock garden

Alpine classics is the shape of the pyramid. Its highest point is most often located in the center of the flower garden, but asymmetry can make the composition more original. The schemes provide for the height of such structures from 1 to 3 m. If the rock garden is small (the base diameter is 1 m), then the height is also small - 20 cm on average.

High varieties of coniferous trees can be planted in the pyramidal center

What plants to choose

The rock garden scheme is usually supplemented with detailed recommendations on the selection of flowers and shrubs for its design.

You can go a more complicated way - choose the plants yourself, taking into account the design of the future slide, the features of the local climate, the type of soil in your area, and, of course, your own preferences. For rock gardens, it is customary to use perennial crops that:

undemanding to soil fertility and climatic conditions;
undersized and moderately growing;
not breeding "aggressively".

Since the emphasis is on slow-growing crops, voids may appear in the composition of "young rock gardens" that can be filled with annuals:

gypsophila;
marigolds;
purslane;
lobelia.

To fill the upper tier of the slide, the most persistent perennials are selected, since they will get the least amount of water and they will suffer from the wind more than other inhabitants of the rock garden. The famous mountain edelweiss is well suited for this role. It blooms in the second year after planting, and to maintain decorativeness requires regular transplants.

Evergreen iberis can be placed next to edelweiss, the snow-white buds of which bloom from May to June, and different varieties undersized carnations (grass, gray carnation), they delight one after another with their flowering throughout the summer. Purple rugs of creeping thyme look great in the upper part of the composition, attracting butterflies and bees with their aroma.

The record holder for endurance is young, an original plant from fleshy leaves collected in beautiful rosettes. He, too, will find a place at the top of the composition. Small gaps between stones are enough for the plant to gain a foothold in them for many years.

Young can take root in the most unassuming places

There are a lot of applicants for filling the zone of the middle tier, where representatives of the flora get more moisture, and the sun's rays are less burning:

styloid phlox - differs in a variety of colors, blooms in May;
cultural shaving - its buds bloom after the phlox, at the beginning of summer, in addition, the plant can bloom again closer to autumn;
Carpathian bluebell - blooms beautifully and for a long time, but is somewhat aggressive in reproduction, best suited for the western slope, where it behaves more restrained;
woolly cleaner - valued for its fluffy leaves with a silvery color;
Monetary sunflower - evergreen subshrub, white, pink and yellow flowers which bloom throughout the summer;
aster alpine - with beautiful large buds;
cotoneaster is an excellent ground cover plant;
stonecrop (several species) - forms a rich, lingonberry or yellow carpet.

At the foot of the rock garden, on its lower tier, there are plants that are more demanding on the presence of moisture: Indian duchenea (its fruits resemble strawberries), creeping tenacious, saxifrage.

The northern slope of the hill requires special attention, on which only plants that are absolutely not afraid of the shadow can feel comfortable. Experts suggest choosing Pozharsky's bell, Caucasian rezuha, Haller's corydalis.

Of the trees, preference in rock gardens is given to undersized coniferous species:

juniper;
mountain pine;
Canadian spruce.

All types of juniper have an exceptional decorative effect, which any gardener will appreciate.

Deciduous trees for alpine slides are practically not used, and experts recommend growing from shrubs:

Thunberg barberry - its height does not exceed 30 cm, flowering continues all summer, and red berries look very decorative in autumn;
evergreen boxwood - tolerates winter well under snow cover;
Japanese spirea is a spherical miniature bush with elegant foliage.

Selection of stones

Suitable for slide equipment:

basalt;
sandstone;
granite.

These rocks are strong, with little porosity. Tuff and shell rock, which do not have similar advantages, are not suitable for rock gardens - they are easily saturated with water and collapse. Not suitable, already for decorative reasons, imitation of boulders and blocks industrial production devoid of naturalness.

As for the shape, stones with sharp corners and rounded are not the best way. The variety of breeds and colors within one rock garden is also not welcome (this usually does not happen in nature).

You can not lay the stones too tightly, this will not allow the plants to develop normally, especially those with branched roots.

How to make an alpine slide with your own hands - step by step instructions

On mistakes - learn. The most serious and, alas, common among beginners is that they are too lazy to make a reliable drainage system. As a result, the earth sank, and the hill almost leveled with the surrounding landscape. Water began to stagnate in the flower garden.

Here is what the procedure should be after the place for the rock garden is determined:

Make a markup for the pit, outlining its future boundaries with pegs and "enclosing" tapes. The area of \u200b\u200bthe pit should correspond to the size of the proposed flower garden or slightly exceed them. It is necessary to delve into the ground, also focusing on the parameters of the rock garden. If, for example, its length and width are 2.5 m, you should dig to a depth of 1 m.
Minimum depth even for miniature rock gardens - 0.8 m
At the bottom, pour drainage from crushed stone, pebbles, brick fragments and construction waste appropriate for the task. The layer (at least 0.3 m thick) should turn out to be even, and not in the form of a slide. It is spilled with water. Then lay another layer of drainage, sand and gravel, its thickness is from 5 to 10 cm. It must also be leveled, spilled with water and rammed.
On top of the drainage, pour out the earth taken out during the digging of the pit. But first, clean it of debris, plant roots.
Start the installation of stones in 2-3 weeks, waiting until the soil shrinks. The largest specimens are laid first, they must be securely buried in the soil.
Small stones are placed so that they cannot be washed out of the composition by heavy rains.
At the end of the formation of the hill with stones, proceed to landscaping work.
Plants should be planted according to the season.

small slide

Even a small slide looks decorative, while it takes very little space to arrange it. A one-sided slide is placed near the fence or wall of the house, a round one - in the center of the lawn or plot.

A miniature rock garden can have a stepped design. For its design, you will need stones of an unusual shape and color, very accurately selected plants with a long flowering period.

A small rock garden would be appropriate in a decorative flowerpot, which is installed on the terrace or porch of the house

Landscape designers recommend including a reservoir in the composition - even a tiny one, in the form of a small bowl imitating a lake, will make the hill more attractive. creative ideas when creating mini-rock gardens, they are generally welcome - they can, for example, be equipped in an old sink or basin.

In a slide with a waterfall or fountain, everything should look very natural. The most common version of the composition is an elevation created from three combined tiers, supplemented by a stream.

When making such a rock garden, it is important to take into account a number of nuances:

the place should not be too sunny, otherwise the water will quickly turn green under the influence of bright rays;
an absolute shadow is also not good, it will adversely affect the growth and flowering of plants;
close neighbors in the form of trees will not work either - their falling leaves will clog both the drain and the reservoir, and regular cleaning will be required.

Since water constantly flows down the hill, the design must be made reliably. If the height of the rock garden is 0.5 m, upper layer the soil will first have to be removed, replacing it with crushed stone.

It is also desirable to use geotextiles - modern inexpensive material, protecting against water erosion (in this case, heat-sealed, with a density of 250-400 g / m2, is suitable).

It is important not to overdo it with the choice of plants - if there are too many of them, they will cover the entire surface of the reservoir with leaves.

Under the waterfall 1 m high, prepare the foundation. Fill the hole dug to a depth of 20 cm with crushed stone to half its volume, lay reinforcement from iron rods (the parameters of the “windows” are 20x20 cm). Pull the intersections with clamps, then fill the contents of the pit with concrete - in 2 weeks the structure will turn into a monolith.

To create the effect of a waterfall, you need a pump (submersible model). Power is selected depending on the height of the waterfall.

A rock garden of this kind expands the choice of plants. It can be arrowhead, sedge, water chestnut, water lily.

Hill with a decorative pond

The depth of the reservoir, equipped near the alpine slide, averages from 0.8 to 1.5 m. The main tasks when creating a pond are to isolate its bottom and ensure water circulation.

To prevent the water in the pond from stagnating, a pump is installed at the bottom of the reservoir.

First, pour a 5-centimeter layer of sand into the dug pit, pour it with water and tamp it down. Lay a special insulating film along the bottom of the pond or purchase and install finished form, carefully sealing all the resulting gaps. Place stones near such reservoirs in the form of beads (sometimes in 2 rows), which will strengthen the banks and hide the edges of the insulating material. Of the plants for decorating the coastal zone, delphiniums, swamp irises, junipers, thujas are suitable.

One of the easiest ways to create an alpine slide pond is with a regular tire.

Such a pond will not take up much space, but will become central element landscape design

Features of care

A year after the arrangement of the rock garden, you may have to strengthen the stones on the hill. What needs to be done is to add soil, which will be regularly washed out by rains and during irrigation, until after a year or two it is completely compacted.

Plants will also require care: treatment with Epin will be needed when planting seedlings (to relieve stress and better rooting), and in the future - pruning, removal of faded buds and dried leaves and top dressing (without using nitrogen fertilizers, provoking an active build-up of green mass). Watering is carried out using sprayers to protect the soil from erosion. Pest control may be required.

To save yourself from unnecessary weeding, before planting the plants, treat with some kind of herbicide (for example, Glyfor) and repeat it after a few weeks.

If the plant is seriously ill, it will have to be removed so that the infection does not spread to other inhabitants of the rock garden

Moss, often used in alpine compositions, requires special care. By the way, it is fixed on stones with the help of a mixture consisting of earth, kefir and sugar, mixed in a blender. It is applied to the stones with a brush. In order for the moss to take root, it is watered for the first 20 days.

In winter, plants, especially from the upper tier of the hill, need protection from the bright sun, so trees and shrubs in rock gardens are covered in advance with special agrofiber or ordinary burlap.

From frost and excess moisture, decorative crops are protected by boxes or structures such as huts. So that the ground cover does not suffer from decay, remove fallen leaves from the hill in the fall. It does not hurt to install a shield near the alpine hill, which will protect it from penetrating winds.

In landscape design, many interesting ideas and concepts. Many of them can be easily implemented on your site. One of the most beautiful ideas is the alpine slide. The graceful building is a composition that reproduces a mountain landscape, stones of different sizes are scattered on its slope and various plants, shrubs, flowers are planted, and one or more stones flaunt at the top, like a cherry on a cake. Below you can find information on how to build a beautiful alpine slide on the site of a private house or cottage.

Optimal time to createdesign

You can create an alpine slide with your own hands in a country house or plot at any time of the year, with the exception of winter. But landscape designers still recommend doing this fall, when there is still no rain and cold weather. Autumn construction has undeniable advantages: firstly, during the autumn and winter the earth will settle and the voids that have arisen can be corrected with a new mound of earth, and secondly, you can re-evaluate the composition and add new stones, remove or move old ones, and start spring planting of plants and flowers.

Location selection

Of course, you can put the structure with your own hands in any place convenient for you, but remember that the final result largely depends on the chosen place.

Exist general rules by choosing a place for an alpine slide, which will achieve maximum beauty and convenience:

A place with natural unevenness is ideal. This choice will help save energy and resources.
It is best to choose a place that is clearly visible, for example, the center of the site. This will allow you to admire the rock garden in different areas garden from different angles.
The slope should be placed on the south and east side so that the plants can receive the necessary sunlight and grow normally.
The place must be protected from strong winds.
You should not make a design against the background of buildings, fences, fences. The hill looks most advantageous and interesting against the background of vegetation and trees.
Various buildings, a swimming pool, a playground should not be nearby.
Also, do not place the composition next to trees, bright and lush flower beds, otherwise they will overshadow the rock garden and make it nondescript.
It is necessary to provide a place to which you can make comfortable paths.

Advice! If you do not have the opportunity to place a slope on the south or east side, then plant shade and moisture-loving plants that will be comfortable on the north side.

What stones to use

Stones are the basis of the alpine slide. At first glance, it seems that everything is simple, but there are some features in terms of choosing the right material.

The following stones are ideal for construction:

tufa (travertine);

granite;

sandstone;

limestone;

gneiss;

basalt.

But no matter which of the stones listed above you decide to use, you need to remember the following recommendations:

For the design, you need to choose stones of different sizes to imitate natural naturalness.
Also desirable are materials that are heterogeneous in structure and shape.
Install the stones securely so that they do not accidentally roll off.
Stones can be quite heavy in weight, so when creating a structure, you need to call relatives or friends for help.
Some landscape designers advise using material of the same breed, as similar as possible to each other in color, thanks to this, natural naturalness can be achieved. But this is not at all necessary, you can focus on your taste.

Many people often have a question about where to get stones to decorate a composition. You can buy stones in specialized construction stores, in markets, in garden centers.

What plants and flowers are suitable for an alpine slide

When choosing plants for decorating a composition with your own hands, you should be guided by these rules:

first of all, you should choose perennials;
they should be short, compact;
unpretentious and not capricious;
moderately growing;
if you are interested in the beauty of the design in winter period, conifers should be planted;
plant plants that bloom at different times, this will allow the rock garden to look beautiful continuously;
choose cultures that will coexist peacefully with each other.

Video: plants that are best used for an alpine slide.

Step-by-step instructions for creating a rock garden

Exist different schemes do-it-yourself rock garden devices. It is difficult to say which of them is better, because they are all interesting and attractive in their own way. Consider one of the instructions for creating an alpine slide using the most classic and popular scheme as an example.

Before you study the step-by-step instructions in detail, pay attention to the steps for creating an alpine slide with your own hands:

Planning (drawing a sketch, drawing up a diagram).
Selection of stone materials and flowers, plants.
Site selection.
Marking the future building.
Creation of drainage.
Stone laying.
Planting out plants.

Step-by-step instructions for creating an alpine slide will help any summer resident and gardener make a wonderful composition on their site. And now we can move on to a more detailed description.

Markup of the future design

Ideally, you need to make a sketch of the future composition. It will help you understand how well the place is chosen, and how organically the slide will fit on the site. Using a sketch diagram, you need to decide how much space the structure will take, what height it will have, and also roughly calculate how much material is needed - stones, substrate, sand.

When you decide on the shapes and boundaries of the composition, you can markup. To do this, it is best to use a thick rope or make markings using lines from some material (for example, sand, crushed chalk).

Site preparation

If the soil at your chosen place is sandy, then the drainage base can be omitted, but in other cases, drainage is indispensable.

Creating a drainage base includes the following steps:

It is necessary to make a recess in the chosen place of at least thirty centimeters (optimally 50 cm) and fill the pit with drainage material ( optimum thickness drainage - 10 centimeters, and if the soil is very dense, then the layer can be made thicker). Crushed stone, broken brick, stones of moderate parameters, gravel are ideal.
On top of this layer, it is recommended to pour sand with a thickness of about 5 centimeters.
After that, the material needs to be slightly compacted and covered with excavated soil to the level of the rest of the earth. But before laying the soil, it is imperative to clear it of weeds.
Then it is necessary to water this place abundantly so that the earth subsides.

The drainage layer will protect the site from moisture stagnation, provide normal air permeability in the soil. Thanks to this, plants will be able to develop and grow normally, delighting with their beauty.

Installation of stones

Now you can proceed to the installation of stones. The ideal shape for an alpine slide is pyramidal. Stones are laid in tiers (as a rule, from three to six tiers). That is, you need to lay stones in tiers like a pyramid to simulate a slope.

The following sequence of work should be followed when arranging stones:

1) First, the largest stones are laid. It will be better if you bury them a little in the ground (for maximum reliability and naturalness).

2) Then the space between the installed boulders is filled with soil. As a soil, you can use a mixture of garden soil, peat, sand (mix in the same ratio).

Important! Stones should not be laid too tightly, otherwise there will be no room for plants and the normal development of their root system. Between the stones must remain free space filled with earth.

3) After that, you need to fold the second row of stones, which is smaller in size than the first row, and also fill the empty space with soil. Please note that in order to make a rock garden slope, it is necessary that each subsequent row becomes smaller than the previous one.

4) After you have installed required amount rows (and the required number is determined by your desires), you should complete the top of the composition - you can install one large or several not very large stones on top.

Consider the classic schemes for creating an alpine slide and the location of stones:

Note! It is recommended to pour water over the structure after laying each level. This must also be done after planting vegetation.

Video: instructions on how to make an alpine slide with your own hands.

planting

There are several excellent options for planting plants, for sure everyone can find perfect option for your cottage or garden. To make a real alpine slope with your own hands, you should choose the right plants.

Below you can explore some popular planting patterns on an alpine hill and choose best option for myself:

How to care for rock garden

The rock garden will delight you with its beauty and elegance only with proper and timely care. Otherwise, an exotic corner will turn into a bulky structure with overgrown weeds and withered plants. The following steps will help you avoid this:

Proper watering . After planting, generous watering should be done for the first 7-10 days. In the future, it is necessary to water in a timely manner as necessary, depending on the characteristics of the planted crops. This must be done carefully so that the water pressure does not expose the root system.
Weeding. The presence of weeds can disrupt the whole aesthetics of the composition, "steal" the necessary substances in the soil from the planted plants and suppress their growth. Therefore, you need to regularly eliminate weeds.
Mulching. As a mulching material, you can use tree bark, peat, sawdust. Mulch saves optimal humidity in the ground, helps to prevent the growth of weeds.
Stone Care. Over time, the destruction of stones is possible, because they crack, crumble. It is not recommended to allow the complete destruction of the material on the structure, because this can provoke damage to the roots, subsidence of the soil. Simply replace damaged stones with new, intact material.
Top dressing and fertilization. In order for plants to grow normally and delight in lush color, it is sometimes necessary to feed them. But do not abuse the top dressing.

Video: how to weed in rock gardens.

Tips to help you create the perfect rock garden

In addition to the basic instructions and features of the choice of stones and vegetation, there are other features of creating a rock garden. When designing a composition, pay attention to the following recommendations:

It is not enough just to arrange an alpine slide in a country house or a plot of a private house, it needs to be regularly looked after so that it does not lose its beautiful and neat appearance. Read below to learn how to properly care for a rock garden.
Do not strive for symmetrical, ideal forms, stone structure will look more lively and interesting with natural irregularities and asymmetries.
A very good solution for arranging an alpine slide with your own hands - do next to her small playground for relax. You can place a table, several chairs on it and enjoy your vacation with your family or friends while drinking delicious tea.
Don't overdo the stones. If there are too many of them, the whole emphasis will be on the stones, which will break the whole concept. Flowers and stones should look natural and harmonious together, so be careful.
If you want to make a large structure, then you can take large stones, but if you want to make a small and compact slide, then it is appropriate to use a small size material.
The alpine slide with an artificial waterfall, stream, lake looks great. If you have the opportunity, you can create an artificial reservoir.

The photographs show a wonderful example of an alpine slide with a pond:

Photo gallery for ideas and inspiration

Visual images can help us decide what we want to see on our website. suburban area. Therefore, before making a composition with your own hands, it is recommended to study photographs of different rock gardens, they will help form the final idea and become a source of inspiration.

Before you build an alpine slide, evaluate the conditions of the site.

The main criteria for choosing a location and type of a rocky garden are the relief, the level of groundwater and the degree of illumination. It is difficult to change them, so it is better to use the existing conditions rationally.

On a sunny, drained site with uneven terrain, you can build a rocky garden of any style.
On a shady area with uneven terrain, almost any style of rockery is also possible. The only difference will be the range of plants used. In such a garden, it is desirable to plant forest plants: ferns, orchids, tricirtis, smilacins, hooves, highlanders, etc.
A small hill can be used for a rocky slide. (A hill is a small hill with stones placed in a "natural disorder").
If the area is waterlogged, do not drain it. It is more reasonable to create a semblance of a small pond or swamp with a stone exit along the banks. For such gardens, it is not difficult to pick up spectacular moisture-loving plants: hostas, irises, primroses, saxifrage, marigolds, etc.
To make an alpine slide on a flat area as high as possible, you will have to import soil, think about tying it to the terrain. It is better to choose a type of flat garden that imitates a mountain valley, or build a small hill.
The steep slope allows you to create a terraced garden or a complex combined rocky garden with rock ledges, terraces, cascades and a stream.
deep hole or drainage ditch convenient for the construction of rock garden type "ravine". Combining a ravine with a rocky hill will visually enlarge the rockery.

The next thing to consider before making an alpine slide with your own hands is what materials you will need.

Do-it-yourself stones and other materials for an alpine slide (with photo)

Stones for the alpine slide - very important element future landscape. In such gardens, the main advantage of the stone is naturalness, so the old stone is valued more than recently mined, with fresh chips. It should be remembered that not all rocks suitable for construction and for plant life.

Most suitable stones for an alpine slide built by one's own hands, it is layered limestone and calcareous tuff. These are warm, water and air permeable stones, and plants settle near them with great pleasure.

Sandstones are also good: they are beautiful and also breathable. Their only drawback is their fragility, therefore sandstones containing lime are most valuable: they are not only suitable for plant life, but also durable.

Basalt and volcanic tuff are very beautiful in shape and texture. Blocks of these rocks are excellent for creating terraces and strengthening slopes. Wonderful imitations of weathered rocks are obtained from volcanic tuff.

These photos show what stones are required for an alpine slide built by oneself:

Try not to use stones of different breeds, otherwise the garden will turn out to be too colorful, heterogeneous.

Granites and gneisses are beautiful, but be aware that the soil near them acidifies easily!

In addition to stone, the construction of an alpine slide will require related materials.

Crushed stone of various sizes, dolomite or granite, is the best material for drainage. The base of the rockery is drained with large gravel, with a smaller fraction - individual seats (holes and terraces). The smallest granite crushed stone is an indispensable material for mulching the soil in places not covered by plants and for backfilling under cushion plants that are afraid of waterlogging. Granite crushed stone (pellet) processed by a glacier is excellent for backfilling the bed of streams and the bottom of reservoirs, for paving the bottom of terraces in rockeries-cascades.

Coarse gravel is also used for drainage, granite is considered the best. Lime-containing gravel (for example, dolomite) is mixed into the soil with plants that require alkalization. Sand is used to drain and loosen the soil. Sand is better to take coarse-grained - it contains a minimum of salts.

Here you can see a photo of the materials needed to build an alpine slide with your own hands:

Horse peat is highly acidic, so it is added to earth mixtures for plants that need acidic soil. Peat is good as a mulching material and to cover places not occupied by plants. When mixing 1 part of peat and 3 parts of coarse clean sand, the best substrate for cutting plants is obtained.

Most mountain plants prefer slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soil. Only succulents can grow on sandy soils; plants of mountain meadows require high-humus soil, but in rocky and high-altitude species, too rich soil leads to discoloration and loss of compactness. The best substrate for growing most mountain plants is slightly acidic or neutral medium loam, not rich in humus.

How to make an alpine slide on a garden plot with your own hands (with photo and video)

The device of the alpine slide is a small hill on which stones and plants are placed. Before you make a rock garden with your own hands, first create a drainage base.

From gravel, crushed stone or a mixture of gravel and sand, pour a hill and give it the shape of a future slide. Keep in mind that the soil will settle and the slide will be about 1/4 lower.
Pour sand over the base with a layer of about 20 cm.
Give the base two months to shrink.
After this period, pour a layer of earth about 30 cm thick on the base.

Add the rest of the soil gradually, as the stones are laid.

look step by step photos do-it-yourself drainage devices for an alpine slide:

STEP #1
STEP #2

STEP #3
STEP #4

STEP #5
STEP #6

Place the stones in the following order:

Dig the largest stones into the ground at the foot of the hill, they will fix its contour and become the base of the lower terraces.
Fill the space between the stones and the drainage base with earth. The first tier of the terrace is ready.
Now lay the stones from the bottom up the slope. All large stones should rest either on a drainage base or on a foundation. Foundations can be made from stones that are not of artistic interest. Dig a hole, pour a drainage base; lay the foundation stones on top and sprinkle them with soil. Lay the main stone on top of the foundation.
Small stones can be laid without support.

To make the stones look natural and at the same time seats are formed between them, follow the following rules:

Dig stones with a wide base flat down, laying a foundation under them.
To make an alpine hill in the country with your own hands, install stones that have a smooth beveled edge so that this bevel faces the top of the hill. The result will be holes - "pockets" with earth, convenient for planting.
Stones split into two parts are used to create narrow slit-like holes. Place a spacer stone in the gap and add additional drainage.

The main advantage of the slide is not height, but proportionality. The smaller its size, the more thoughtful the composition should be. To avoid symmetry, combine narrow and wide tiers, protruding and concave terraces.

The range of plants for - slides includes dwarf varieties, barberries and spireas; juvenile, stonecrop, primrose, bluebells, saxifrage, grains and many other species.

To better understand how to make an alpine slide, watch this video:

>Rockery, located on a gentle natural slope of a hill or in a ravine, looks very impressive.

To make an alpine slide with your own hands in a country house with uneven terrain, proceed as follows:

A drainage base for such a rockery is not required.
Form the slopes first by skimming the loose soil down to the level of the firm ground.
At the base of the slope, horizontally dig in a massive stone 1/2 -1/4 of the height.
Dig in all the following stones, moving up the slope, 1/2 or 2/3 of the height, depending on their size.
Fill the space between the slope and the stones with the excavated earth - as a result, you will get horizontal terraced areas for planting.
If the stones are similar in shape and size, do not place them next to each other or at the same distance from each other.

As shown in the photo, when building an alpine hill in the country with your own hands, stones can not only be dug in, but also laid:

Set the most massive at the bottom as a support. Pour soil on them, on top of which lay stones of the next tier, and less stable ones - on the main ones.

All stones are set very tightly. Blocky boulders are good - dug into the ground, they form not only terraces, but also reliable steps. It is undesirable to use narrow and elongated stones - they are only suitable as supports placed under rounded stones for their greater stability. An effective technique is the convergence of several stones leaning against each other - this creates a convenient slit-like hole.

The video "Alpine Hill with your own hands" demonstrates how to arrange rockeries on a natural slope:

Construction of a retaining wall for an alpine slide

For a steep slope, the best solution is rockery, formed by a system of terraces and retaining walls. various heights and length. The wall is erected by either dry masonry or mortar masonry. Layered limestones are especially good for construction - they are easy to work with and best suited for plant life.

The wall must be durable and strong, so put a foundation under it. To do this, take the more powerful plates and dig them into the ground almost entirely.
Lay out the wall in the usual way brickwork: the plates lie in a checkerboard pattern, the top row covers the gaps between the bottom plates. If any slab is larger than the stones lower tier, then it must be balanced by supporting stones dug under it.
When building an alpine slide, lay each next row indented from the previous one so that the wall is not vertical, but with a slope - this will add stability to it.
Having finished laying the next row, pour the earth between it and the slope and compact it, thus securing the entire structure. Add drainage if necessary.
To arrange seats in the masonry, do not lay the stones directly on top of each other, but make earth layers between them. The best soil for them - half-ripe meadow sod. Such interlayers serve not only as a place for rooting of plants, but also as shock absorbers, softening the deformation of the plates in frost and heat.
The slabs with side notches do not completely cover the slabs of the bottom row, and gaps form between the rows. Pour earth into such a gap and plant small or young plants in the resulting "pocket". Do not forget that adult plants are planted during construction, as the next tier is laid.
So that the earth does not spill out of the cracks between the stones and the roots are not exposed, caulk the cracks with sphagnum.

These photos show how to make a retaining wall for an alpine slide with your own hands:

The choice of plants and combinations of their planting in such a garden is very diverse. One of options do-it-yourself alpine slide devices - a combination of dwarf woody plants planted on the terraces and cascades of creeping plants descending from the walls.

Plant rocky plants in the gap between the masonry or in earthen "pockets": dwarf ferns, ampelous bells, beetroots, grits, young. Creeping woody ones look very impressive. On the edge of the terrace formed by the wall, descending sedums, wormwoods, windbags are placed.

For the device of a rock garden, created by oneself on the slope of a small ravine, the most acceptable combination of bush and horizontally growing coniferous and shade-tolerant forest ferns, various kinds crow, kupen, etc. against the background of naturally overgrown mosses. The rockery ravine looks spectacular only when the plants are planted not too every specimen or group.

In a wet area, you can create a spectacular rockery that imitates a pond surrounded by stones.

In a swampy place, simply dig the soil to a shallow depth - most likely the hole will fill with water. On a land plot, you will first have to make a small pond.
Pour soil along the edges of the reservoir, form low mounds out of it.
Dig large, glacier-rolled granite boulders into the shore so that they are significantly “drowned” in the ground.
Plant the center of the pond with marsh plants: marsh calla, three-leaf watch, cereals. Place moisture-loving plants along the edge, plant the rest between the stones on the shore.

As shown in the photo, when arranging an alpine slide with your own hands near a sunny pond, narrow-leaved irises, brunners, buzulniks, valerian, marigolds, loosestrife, some, daylilies, violets, etc. look spectacular:

Water cascade, mountain stream - elements of landscape rockeries or independent artistic compositions. Water running between the stones is a spectacular, but inappropriate use, a very insidious design technique. Incorrectly calculated proportions or an incorrectly chosen location can make the composition look ridiculous and even absurd. A cascade of reservoirs with a stream and a waterfall looks logical and natural only on the slope of a large rockery or with proper use of terrain features. It is very important that the structure is not bulky and does not look artificial, therefore, freshly mined stones are not suitable for creating a cascade. Look for examples of natural forms, preferably with water-smoothed edges.

The cascade for the alpine hill on the site is a stepped system of terraces. The steps of the terrace are fixed with monolithic blocks or made of stone, by analogy with the walls lined with dry masonry. Each of the terraces can become a pool or its imitation, and the walls holding it can become waterfall ledges or their imitation.

The photo shows that during the construction of an alpine hill on the site, the area and height of each of the terraces can be different:

The water cascade is built in the following sequence.

Form earth terraces and steps on the slope. To achieve a natural composition, alternate steps of different sizes and heights.
Dig the bowls of the pools the right sizes. If you want to see the bottom, make the bowls no deeper than 30 cm. If you plan to plant water lilies (nymphs), the depth should be at least 50 cm.
Align and smooth the sides of the bowls.
Soften the pool bed with sand or peat.
Lay a special film on the bottom of the pools to hold water. Leave a margin of film of 20-30 cm around the edges.
Fill with water to check the level.
To mask the film, lay stones or slabs on top.
Rib the edge of the film over the edge of the pool.
Cover the cascade with stones and slabs, masking the film; vertical steps (waterfall rifts) lay out using the dry masonry method.
Fill the bottom with rounded pebbles.

See a photo of how to build a cascade on an alpine hill with your own hands:

You can create a fast stream with waterfalls only with the help of powerful pumps. One of the most difficult moments in the construction of a cascade is to calculate water balance. We should not forget about saving water - it is unacceptable to arrange a water cascade without installing a circulation system.

Along the banks of the cascade, species that live in the coastal zone naturally look: Siberian and Japanese irises, cereals, primroses, marigolds, ferns. Carpet plants and mosses descending to the water look beautiful.

A dry cascade for an alpine slide in a garden plot is an imitation of a water flow. Just as with the construction of the water cascade, create a system of steps and terraces. The plane of each terrace should be visually compressed from the sides by walls or large stones- only in this case will there be an illusion of a downward flow. The imitation effect is enhanced with a single style solution for all terrace planes. Cover the planes with rubble or pebbles, plant carpet plants or pave. The best solution is to pave the terraces with rounded cobblestones, and plant carpet plants along the edges of the terraces, which will go down, moving from one terrace to another and causing a visual sensation of a stream flowing along the steps.

This video shows how to make a dry cascade on an alpine slide with your own hands:

Different parts of the alpine slide, erected on the site with their own hands, can be connected together by stairs. When building stairs using the dry masonry method, observe the following rules:

Start construction by laying the bottom step.
All steps for stability must be based on foundations. To create an alpine slide with your own hands, slabs, bricks, stones can serve as foundations.
Foundation plates, in turn, install on a sand and gravel base. It is both a drainage and a “cushion” on which the slabs lie softly and stably. It can be neglected only on sandy soils. For even greater reliability, pour a ten-centimeter layer of sand or a mixture of sand and cement in a ratio of 1: 7 between the foundation and the step.
According to the correct technology, when creating an alpine slide with stairs, lay each subsequent slab based on the previous one. Place foundation stones under the back of each of the slabs, and the steps will hold each other.
If you plan to drop off between steps ground cover plants, lay the plates at a distance of 5-10 cm in isolation from each other. The steps of such a ladder rise 10-15 cm above each other.
The platforms, which turned out in place of the missing feet, form a transition from one flight of stairs to another. Tiled paths are laid according to the same principle. Plates are placed either close to each other or at a distance of 5-10 cm from one another. A “cushion” is required, which creates stability: the bottom layer is 20 cm of gravel, the top layer is 10 cm of sand or a mixture of sand and cement in a ratio of 1: 7.

These photos show alpine slides with stairs in the garden:

At the end of the 20th century, another type of rockeries appeared - "rolling pins". These rocky gardens, as a rule, are small in size and represent a new modification of the alpine slides. The fashion for such compositions came from the Czech Republic. "Rolling pins", in comparison with traditional terraced rock gardens, have many advantages. The main undoubted advantage of creating such alpine slides is the seats that are comfortable for rocky plants - vertical crevices that make up these rock gardens. In such narrow and deep places, plants are very comfortable, especially those that have taproots. In vertical crevices, there is never stagnant water, which is so dangerous for mountaineers, but there is always enough air to allow plants to successfully winter even in severe frosts. Another important advantage of the "rolling pins" is the relatively small weight of stone slabs, compared with stone blocks, from which other types of rockeries are most often built.

The best stone for the construction of do-it-yourself rock gardens is flagstone - limestone, sandstone or shale. Of course, it is possible to build "rolling pins" from split dolomite or other flatly chipped stone, but the visual quality of the composition and its comfort for plants will be completely different.

The construction of the "rolling pin" is carried out by the method of vertical dry laying of slabs. Construction begins with the installation of powerful edge plates, which are partially dug into the ground for stability or fixed with metal pins. All plates of the "rolling pin" are installed with support on the previous ones, close to each other - plane to plane, leaving minimal gaps for planting. It is desirable to make some of the slots relatively wide, but only in the upper part of the "rolling pin", since at a depth of 5-10 cm below the soil surface, the plates must be installed tightly. In this way, when creating a rock garden-"rolling pin", do-it-yourself tiered-vertical seats are formed, intended for planting plants that do not have a deep root system, but require good drainage. As a rule, these are carpet plants of the saxifrage type. At the time of construction, the cracks are clogged with earth and small gravel. When installing plates, the planes of their outer faces can coincide with neighboring ones and form single layered areas, or they can act as ridges, creating shadow pockets.

As shown in the photo, during the construction of such alpine slides on the site with their own hands, all open spaces are covered with pebbles of the main rock:

Often, a “rolling pin” built according to all the rules looks strange and defiant, because it does not fit well into the overall composition of the garden.

Most often this is due to the fact that the vertically standing extreme slabs of the composition protrude unnaturally from the ground, which makes the “rolling pin” look like a strange ridged stone hill. It’s better not to start construction with the installation of vertical slabs, but to dig powerful horizontal support blocks into the base, and only then proceed to install the slabs obliquely and vertically. Such a composition is interpreted by me as an artistic miniature of a dilapidated rock. This idea is especially important for those who already have a traditional terraced rock garden, which needs an addition in the form of a modern component - a rolling pin.

Advice for beginner builders is to practice building a "rolling pin" on a sandy pile of small stone tiles, which will allow you to master the technology of building a rocky slide without physical effort and develop an option that is most suitable for your garden.

Only very compact and densely pillow-shaped mountain plants can become inhabitants of the "rolling pin". Such a composition makes it possible to grow the rarest rock species - miniature gentians and bluebells, physoplexis, edryanthus, cyananthus, porphyrion saxifrages, levisias, super-compact species of arenarii, minuartia, carnations, rock ferns and other prestigious collection plants. Extraordinarily good on the "rolling pins" are super-dwarf varieties of conifers, which not only brighten up and diversify the composition, but also become a natural shade for capricious highlanders.

Look at the photo of rock gardens - "rolling pins" created by your own hands:

Alpine slides in the form of a wall are quite popular both in Europe and among domestic gardeners. With a minimum of occupied area, such rock gardens are exclusively decorative, besides, they allow planting a significant amount of a wide variety of plants. Types of Alpine slides 45 photo ideas beautiful design consider in this article.

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

There are two types of rock gardens in the form of a wall: these are retaining and double-sided walls.

A retaining stone wall is the boundary of a terrace or raised flower bed.
Bilateral - an independent object, consisting of two walls, the space between which is filled with soil. Photo of alpine slides in the garden:

Even a non-specialist can lay out a retaining stone wall, just remember that the stones are laid out with about a 10-degree slope back (this will allow the plants to be better fixed), but for the construction of a two-sided one, it is best to invite a professional.

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

Types of alpine slides - stone wall

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

After the construction of the wall is completed, it is very carefully, but plentifully watered. Mode high humidity persists until full rooting of plants. It is appropriate in some cases to use a spray gun to create a local regime of high humidity in relation to one or more plants.

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

Types of alpine slides - container rock gardens

A variety of container rock gardens throughout the twentieth century, since the 1930s, were the most popular with gardeners in Europe. First of all, because such rock gardens are extremely practical. They can be equipped not only on suburban areas, but also in the courtyard of a city house, and even on the balcony. In addition, well-drained containers make it easy for even the most demanding plants to tolerate winter discomfort.

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

Over the drainage layer of pebbles, broken brick or crushed stone (a layer of 2-4 cm is enough), the soil mixture is poured for rock gardens. After two to three weeks, when the soil has compacted naturally, the soil is poured into the container, after which plants can also be planted.

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

Container rock gardens are forms of alpine slides that need constant watering, and it is desirable to use settled and sun-warmed water. It is necessary to spill the container rock garden carefully - until the water begins to exit through the drainage hole in the bottom. This applies to the entire period of plant growth. With a cold snap, watering should be reduced to prevent freezing of wet soil and the death of the root system of plants.

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

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

A piece of the Alps at their summer cottage

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

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

Do-it-yourself Alpine slides - where to start?

Before proceeding directly to the creation of a rock garden, you need to prepare for such work. After all, only from the photo do-it-yourself alpine slides in landscape design are created quickly and easily. The creation process is usually preceded by careful preparation, which includes several stages:

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

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

Choosing stones and plants for rock garden

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

How to make an alpine slide yourself?

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

When placing large boulders, be sure to leave some space between them, as the planted plants will need space for the development of the root system.

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

Master class for creating an alpine slide - video

Secrets of the successful creation of an alpine slide

Everyone has it landscape designer there are certain secrets that help him create stylish, spectacular and unique elements when decorating a garden or park area. But all these nuances can be used by beginners. It is only in the photo that the do-it-yourself alpine slide for beginners seems to be a simple and concise structure. In fact, it consists of selected elements, well-planned placement of them, and a few subtleties that help to achieve amazing results. appearance.

To make the first do-it-yourself rock garden look great, we share a few secrets of its harmonious look:

To create a hill, it is better to choose stones of the same breed. Only in this case it is possible to achieve a natural appearance of the slide.
The size of the stones should correspond to the area of the rock garden. How larger size alpine slide, the larger boulders can be used.
When choosing plants, preference is given to evergreen and undersized species. In this case, the hill itself will not be lost in a few years behind the lush greenery of overgrown flowers and shrubs.
Look ideal among stones, as well as integumentary and creeping species. flowering plants it is better to choose with small flowers that will not distract all the attention.
It is better to plant plants in small holes and cover them with earth with a small stone. This will help prevent weed growth.
Plants should be placed so that they do not block stone embankments.

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

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

We create an alpine slide on our own - video

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