Content
Some summer residents instruct professionals to decorate their site, others try to embody creative ideas on their own. In any case, landscape design is not complete without the creation of picturesque areas, original combinations and unexpected solutions. The highlight of many projects is an alpine slide or rock garden.
Originally from the Mediterranean, combining all the features of the wild, such an exotic guest instantly transforms the entire look of the site. It creates a real sense of the presence of a piece of the Alpine mountains with rocks and lush vegetation among the compositions familiar to our eye.
Do-it-yourself landscape design is extremely exciting, beautiful and extraordinary. After all, even the author will not be able to repeat exactly the same solution. The right combination of plants and shrubs, organically laid stones - this is a rock garden. But at the same time, it is very important to plan it so that it does not look like an ordinary pile of stones among the green mass, but harmoniously fits into the rest of the landscape. Like any design element, the rock garden exists in various modifications.
Rock garden schemes differ in the principle of selection and placement of stones. We will try to focus on the most common ones.
Which rock garden to choose
As soon as a decision is made to create a rock garden on the site, the question immediately arises: "Which is better?" The most familiar variety is the Alpine Hill. Some even believe that these concepts are absolutely identical. But, there are much more types of rock garden. And it is very difficult to determine which one is better. Anyone will add beauty to the site, but which one is right for you, let's try to find out. Meet the smallest ideas:
Miniature or container rock garden
A very convenient view that can be arranged in any part of the site. To create it, any containers are suitable, except for plastic ones. Different types of troughs, a stump or a log, a stone with holes, an earthen vessel, even a walnut shell - everything will serve you well. Home designers do not have to limit themselves to get an original rock garden. After all, it turns out to be placed even where there is very little free space. A beautiful design and a competent selection of plants are all that is required. For such a rock garden, small stones and miniature plants are selected. Recommendations:
- it is advisable to take pebbles that are neat, well combined with the container;
- plants - slow growing or dwarf;
- be sure to use the laws of composition.
There is some difficulty in this, but you will definitely have to stick to the technology of the device. Otherwise, you can get just a set of stones.
Mosaic
Another type of rock garden for a small area. The costs for its creation are minimal, and the garden acquires much more charm, beauty and comfort. The main materials for the design of such a rock garden will be small pebbles. They can be solid or multi-colored. It all depends on the composition of stones and plants planned by you.
First, decide where the mosaic rock garden will be located. You will need a small area where you need to dig a hole.Its shape should repeat the conceived pattern, and the depth should be no more than 20 cm. The walls of the recess are reinforced with boards or asbestos cement. A layer of sand is first laid on the bottom, then crushed stone or gravel. The layers are tamped, poured with cement or other bonding mass. Now you need a little skill. Pebbles moistened with water must be pressed into this layer before the mass begins to solidify. After the drawing is completed, it is rolled with a heavy object.
Mini rock gardens help to save space while creating original slides, waterfalls and streams in a reduced size.
A larger version of the rock garden is
Alpine rocky or retaining wall
Very beautiful vertical rock garden.
Most often, this type is used in the construction of raised flower beds and terraced slopes. The manufacturing technology is identical to the construction of a retaining wall made of natural stone. At the time of masonry, cracks, niches or recesses are left in it. Unpretentious alpine plants that grow well with a minimum of soil are planted in these holes. You can take plants that are striking in their diversity, thyme, the moss family, rejuvenated, herbal carnation. If the size of the rock garden allows you to make niches more, then the choice of options increases - creeping junipers, dwarf shrubs. This is very important because the vertical element requires "active" decoration. And this must be done with the help of various plants, because the monotony in this case will not highlight the rock garden against the background of the site. The advantages of this type of rock garden:
- No special plant care required... Enough rare dressings with mineral fertilizers, while the solution is made weak in concentration.
- Ability to create stone walls of different sizes... If the height does not exceed 50 cm, then a foundation of flat boulders is sufficient for strengthening. A taller wall will require a gravel or concrete pad. In this case, each tier is lined with nutritious soil and the next row of stones is laid on it. With this method, concrete solution is not used. The plant roots have sufficient conditions for development and contribute to the strengthening of the alpine wall. To increase stability, you need to lay the stones inside the composition with a narrow part, while maintaining a slight slope towards the base of the rock garden.
Alpine retaining step
The height of such a rock garden is small, the project is made of natural stone, it looks very much like an ordinary step. The peculiarity of this species is the arrangement of plants. They are planted horizontally in a recess on the structure. The bottom must be equipped with drainage, then the soil is filled up, a stone composition is laid out and various plants are included in it. The result is a design that resembles a flowerbed-step, decorated with stones. It can be placed as a separate element, or it can be included in an ensemble with real steps. In this version, it will look like a continuation of the garden "ladder".
Alpine garden
This name was used to distinguish a composition from a group of plants called "Alpines". It is very much like a small garden in which stones give less emphasis than plants. There are few of them, but they are placed so that the rock garden does not turn into an ordinary flower bed.
Best of all, such a garden looks on a gentle plane or slope. There are a lot of design options for it - from mono garden to luxurious combinations. Such an alpine "flowerbed-garden" takes up little space, but it can perfectly emphasize the style of your site.
Rock garden
Another type of alpine garden, only made with a predominance of stones. In such a rock garden, a minimum number of plants are placed or, in general, do without them.The main condition is that plants should not distract attention, so trees and large shrubs are not used. The stones are selected according to the combination, the shape does not matter. The garden may contain large boulder stones, small and medium pebbles.
Rock garden-ravine
It will help out well if artificial lowering of the soil is necessary. Such a rock garden is placed in a recess, the edges of which are reinforced with dug stones. They are arranged in the form of a slide, played with varieties of moss, an artificial waterfall or stream.
This option looks very decorative and original. A kind of ravine can be considered rock garden - gorge... It differs in that it is located between the hills. Allows you to beat the composition with light, if you create walls of different heights from stones.
Alpine slide
The most famous and popular option.
However, not everyone knows that it takes a certain area and knowledge to create it. In a small area, the slide will create a feeling of cumbersomeness. In addition, it refers to multi-layer and volumetric structures. Making a rock garden in the form of a slide requires knowledge of the technology of the device of such design objects, the ability to combine types of stones and plants.
In addition to the above types, you can often see the following rock gardens on the site:
- Mountain slope... The rock garden imitates a high-mountainous region. Large stones are at the top, small ones at the base. Plants are taken high-mountainous.
- Valley... Such a rock garden composition is placed horizontally, includes stones of any size in a free arrangement. Plants of different types.
- Lawn... Stylish but difficult to create composition. Can be part of a valley, slope or hill. A feature of the alpine lawn is that it is equipped exclusively with wild species of plants growing in high mountain conditions. Among them - carpet saxifrage, edelweiss, dwarf hyacinth, creeping willow.
We start construction
Making a rock garden with your own hands is an exciting and very creative action. The basis for creating rock gardens are schemes. They are carried out to scale, carefully planning the location of stones and planting sites. When placing a rock garden in the depth of the site, at the same time take into account the location of the paths leading to it. The place is chosen with good lighting and background. The surrounding trees and shrubs will do great for him.
If there is a place with a natural relief on the site, this is a very good option. It is good to place a rock garden next to a pond or a skillfully designed path.
The rock garden device includes several stages. According to the drawn diagram, the rock garden is marked on the site. The optimal width of the rock garden is no more than 100 cm. If you make it much wider, then it will be problematic to care for the plants in the central part. The site is being prepared a little larger than the planned rock garden. The main stages of construction:
- Preparation of the soil and drainage system of the rock garden to remove moisture... Choose a sunny day. The top layer of soil is removed and freed from weeds, roots, debris. At the bottom of the recess, a layer of small fragments of brick is laid, then sand and at the end - rubble. Now the cleaned soil is returned, after having mixed it with peat, lime and sand.
- Stacking stones... From the total number, stones are selected that are necessary in shape and size. An imitation of a mountain landscape can be provided by sandstone or limestone, dolomite, travertine, basalt, forest boulders with overgrown moss or lichen. It is better not to use rounded stones, broken with a sharp edge. A few large stones will give more originality to the rock garden than a pile of small ones.The stones are of the same type - this is very important! First, several stones are placed around the perimeter of the site. This will protect against soil erosion.
- Rock garden site decoration... At this stage, they create a slope or level the surface - the actions depend on the selected type of rock garden. The stones are laid out naturally in the form of a terrace, cliff, plateau or gorge. The most difficult ones will require the efforts of several people. For a large stone, you need to prepare a hole in order to lay it. Then add earth and rubble under the base, tamp it carefully. In the intervals between the stones, soil is poured, but space is left for the planting mixture. For its preparation, they take crushed stone or broken stone, turf soil, peat or high-quality humus. The ratio of parts is one to one. The needs of the plants must be considered, so it may be necessary to add sand to the mixture.
- Planting plants... Be sure to consider the degree of plant proliferation. Check the data for each plant before planting. It is necessary to find out the requirements for watering, nutrition, illumination, soil composition. An important aspect is the flowering time. You should not combine plants that will create decorativeness in only one period. Look for plant species with different flowering times.
Some tips for planting:
- tall plants are not placed on top of the rock garden;
- coniferous "dwarfs" are not combined into groups;
- ground cover plants are placed near stones to enable them to grow on them;
- in the rock garden, bulbous and ground cover crops are well combined.
Before planting plants, the soil is well watered. First, the plants are placed between the stones, then, outlined for the terraces and pockets. The remaining space is covered with small stones and watered again.
How to care
The rock garden needs not only to be formalized, but also to provide it with competent care. It includes:
- Watering... Be sure to consider the plant's need for moisture. It is best to have a watering schedule for each plant group.
- Loosening and mulching... It is carried out in the areas of the rock garden free of stones.
- Cleaning and shaping... This stage is especially relevant in the autumn. Fallen leaves must be removed. Overgrown shrubs and trees - cut off, insulate if necessary. Spring activities include pest control, soil compaction. Sometimes it is necessary to wash the stones, remove the earth from them.
In order for the rock garden to please the owner for a long time, you need to carefully select the plants. Some do well in the sun on top of a hill or rock, others like a little shade between rocks. Choose appropriate crops depending on the soil composition in your area.
This will help make the rock garden bright and well-groomed. The reference books indicate the time of flowering, the height of the plants, the need for lighting. This will make it possible to select species for landing on the southern or northern side of the rock garden.
The most important condition is don't be afraid to experiment! Use more familiar plants, stones available near the site, read the advice of professionals and create your own unique rock garden from beautiful stones and plants.
