Alpine coniferous hill what trees are needed. Do-it-yourself alpine slide photo and video step by step instructions

In alpine landscapes, plants of bizarre shapes and shapes are often found. Special place among them are occupied by coniferous plants. For an impromptu mountain landscape, any dwarf conifers are suitable - miniature pines, firs and spruces, as well as creeping, pillow-shaped arborvitae and junipers.

Emphasis on form

On an alpine hill, it is not necessary to plant coniferous plants too close to each other, otherwise the individuality of their forms is lost. There are two ways to arrange plants in groups:

1) by contrast of shape or color;

2) by transitional forms, which, as it were, continue each other, creating dynamics of growth or decrease in composition.

Agricultural technology for growing conifers on an alpine hill

It is necessary to prepare a substrate for planting coniferous plants on an alpine hill according to their biological features. In addition, the time of planting in open ground different coniferous species may also differ. Not all representatives of conifers prefer sunny places and put up with excessive soil moisture. Many of them prefer shelter for the winter, which, when planning Alpine slide is also important to consider.

JUNIPER

Juniper is planted on an alpine hill in early spring or September. Contrary to the recommendations of using container plants for planting in the ground at any time of the year, during the off-season, it is better to place juniper in a container on an alpine hill. So the root system will remain undamaged, and in the fall the plant can be transplanted to a permanent place. The distance between junipers and neighboring plants, depending on the form of growth, is from 0.5 to 1 m. The depth of planting depends on the clod of earth and the root system; for junipers, they usually prepare a planting hole 0.7 m deep and pour the earth to the desired volume.

soil mixture for juniper - sod land, peat and river sand (2:1:1).

Fertilizer for juniper is applied in the spring - nitroammofoska - 30 - 40 g / m2.

Locations on the hill - open sunny places, green coniferous species slides are planted at any exposure, golden and motley prefer western and southern, gray - northern and eastern.

Juniper care includes 2-3 times watering per season, and spraying in the evening once a week, mulching the soil with peat.

Juniper in rock garden

FIR

Dwarf firs are planted in a permanent place in an alpine hill in April before the shoots begin to grow or in September after the formation of apical buds. The recommended distance to a neighboring plant is 0.5 m. The depth of the planting hole should be such that the root is in the hole in a straight state, and the root collar is at ground level.

falls asleep landing pit soil mixture - leafy earth, peat and sand (3: 1: 1).

If the plant is planted in the spring, then top dressing with complex fertilizer is necessary.

Locations on the hill - penumbra, northern or eastern exposure.

Fir care includes regular watering, providing air humidity, and mulching the soil with peat. In winter, it requires shelter not so much from frost damage as from burns from the winter sun.

Korean fir "Cis"

SPRUCE

Soil mixture for spruce - leafy soil, acid peat and river sand (3:2:1).

When planting, complex fertilizer is applied.

Locations on the hill - sun, partial shade, any exposure.

Spruce care includes watering once a week, 10-12 liters per plant, soil mulching with peat. In winter, it requires shelter from sunburn.

Gray spruce "Nana"

PINE

They are planted in a permanent place in March, the planting depth is 0.8 m. The root neck remains at ground level. In no case should the root be bent during planting.

Soil mixture for pine - sod land and river sand (2: 1). If necessary, add 250 g of lime to the pit.

Locations on the hill - the sun, any exposure.

Pine care includes watering 2 - 3 times per season in the amount of 15 liters per tree. You can slow down the growth of shoots and increase the density of the crown by pinching the buds.

Assortment of conifers for alpine hills

The height of coniferous plants for an alpine hill should not exceed 0.5 - 0.7 m for small stony areas (5 - 6 m2), 1.5 m for large ones (more than 40 m2). Therefore, when selecting coniferous assortment for alpine slides, the estimated height of an adult plant must be taken into account. Below is a list decorative forms that do not exceed 1.5 m.

Dwarf forms of thuja western

"Danica" - crown shape - spherical; height of an adult plant - 0.8 m; diameter - 0.8 m; the color of the needles is dark green.

"Little Dorrit" - crown shape - spherical; height of an adult plant - 0.8 m; diameter - 0.6 m; the color of the needles is dark green. Winter-hardy variety.

"Hoseri" - crown shape - spherical; height of an adult plant - 0.5 m; diameter - 0.6 m; the color of the needles is dark green. Winter-hardy variety.

Dwarf forms of mountain pine

"Mughus" - crown shape - shrubby, spreading, sometimes creeping; height of an adult plant - 1.5 m; diameter - 0.6 m; the color of the needles is dark green.

"Gnom" - crown shape - shrubby, dense, spherical; height of an adult plant - 1.5 m; diameter - 1.5 m; the color of the needles is dark green.

"Mors" - crown shape - shrubby, spherical; height of an adult plant - 0.5 m; diameter - 0.5 m; the color of the needles is greenish-blue.

"Winter gold" - crown shape - shrubby, spherical; height of an adult plant - 0.5 m; diameter - 1.0 m; color of needles - in summer - bright green, in winter - golden yellow. Winter-hardy variety.

Dwarf forms of Norway spruce

"Little Gem" - crown shape - spherical-flattened; height of an adult plant - 0.5 m; diameter - 0.5 - 0.7 m; color of needles - light green.

"Nidiformis" - crown shape - nest-like, with a deepened middle; height of an adult plant - 0.5 - 1.0 m; diameter - 0.8 - 2.0 m; the color of the needles is dark green.

"Will" s Zwerg "- crown shape - narrow-conical, dense; height of an adult plant - 1.0 - 1.2 m; diameter - 0.4 m; needle color - young - pale green, old - dark green.

"Echiniformis" - crown shape - cushion-shaped, compact; height - 0.2 - 0.6 m; diameter - 0.4 - 0.8 m; the color of the needles is green.

Gone are the days when gardeners were mainly engaged only in beds, greenhouses and greenhouses. Today, many are addicted to creating on their own land plots beautiful and original flower beds because they want to receive aesthetic pleasure. Alpine slides have become very popular, with which gardens are more and more often decorated. At the same time, mountain plants and dwarf forms are widely used. conifers, which allow you to admire the greenery of the flower garden all year round. In the article, we will consider which coniferous plants to choose for an alpine slide.

Building compositions

For the design of rock gardens, there is a rich selection of miniature conifers with a variety of different forms crowns - conical, spherical, flat, creeping, ovoid, cushion-shaped. Therefore, before you buy plants for an alpine slide, you need to think carefully about the composition, especially since seedlings of coniferous dwarfs are not cheap.

The best decorative effect is achieved by a single arrangement of vertically growing plants with cone-shaped or ovoid crowns. The dominant plant is planted at the base of the hill or in its middle part. The space between them is filled with lower rounded or cushion-shaped forms. The basis of the rock garden are creeping ground cover species.

When creating an alpine slide with your own hands, do not overload it big amount plants, otherwise they will lose their individuality and the beauty of the forms will not be visible. When arranging groups of conifers, you can play on the contrasts of shapes and colors, or make a gradual smooth transition from one form to another. Stones, which are also decorative elements, should not be completely obscured by greenery. As a result of all efforts, the slide should look like a miniature natural landscape.

The choice of conifers for the alpine slide

Since the alpine hill is a non-monumental structure of immense size, the plants must also be selected so that their proportions correspond to the size of the flower garden.

Another condition that must be observed when choosing plants is their ability to grow in a given area and in a given climate. The gardener must learn everything about seedlings - what kind of soil they prefer, how they relate to light and shade, moisture and drought, how they get along with their neighbors, how quickly they grow and increase their mass.
Dwarf coniferous plants are ideal for placement among the rock garden stones: pines, spruces, junipers, thujas. The fact that they grow very slowly, only 3-5 cm per year, turns a big plus. This circumstance makes it possible to preserve the decorative effect of the composition for a long time.

Types of dwarf conifers

Dwarf pines, some species

Such pines look spectacular in rock gardens. Basically they are low shrubs, which are not afraid of the winds, have frost resistance, and unpretentiousness in care, which is very attractive for use in landscape designs.

For these plants, you need to choose places well lit by the sun and acidic soils with good drainage. Pines planted on alkaline soils begin to turn yellow. In such cases, gypsum is added to the soil.
There are about a hundred varieties of these ornamental evergreens. North American pine became the progenitor of varieties Arctis having a conical crown, blue Chappewa, TuckersDwarf and Compacta pines with rounded crowns, varieties Uncle Fogy and Pendula with weeping branches, creeping shrub Schoodic, Wisconsin with a lush cushion-shaped crown.
Very elegant low-growing cultures derived from weymouth pines. They have silvery thin and long needles, collected 5 pieces in a bunch, curly cones of light Brown color and dense crown. These trees endure shade and cold, they are great for decorating the north side of the hill. At the miniature Pumila varieties globular crown, Macopin has an extensive conical crown, Nana blue needles. The smallest is 50 cm pine Secret.
The most common in horticulture are two types with mountain pinusmugo, one of which includes dense creeping shrubs with very long needles (Mops, Varella, MiniMops, Ophir). And another species includes dwarf plants with short needles and a dense dense crown. (Gnom, Kobold, Pumilio, Hesse).

For ten years of the life of the form Brepo, Marie Bregeon and Pygmaea grow only up to 50 cm. They have a compact rounded shape. Extraordinarily beautiful cone-shaped stunted Alpenzwerg pine. It grows no more than 2.5 meters in height. It has dark green needles, which at low winter temperatures turn slightly golden at the tips, so in winter it seems that the tree glows.

To dwarf varieties pines retained their miniature size, it is necessary to periodically pinch the central growth buds and growing shoots, and also not to abuse fertilizers. Otherwise, the plants will grow, and the crowns will become loose.

Types of dwarf firs

In the catalogs, undersized spruces are divided into semi-dwarf spruce with a height of up to 3 m, dwarf - up to 1.5 m, mini-grades - up to 1 m and micro-grades growing up to 30 cm. The forms of crowns are conical or pyramidal, spherical and cushion-shaped.

The real finds for rock gardens are mini-spruces that grow to a height of up to 50 cm in ten years and have wide crowns. These forms include Port Alberta Globe (AlbertaGlobe), with a crown diameter twice its height.
The most popular are undersized e whether Nidiformis (Nidiformis), Echiniformis (Echiniformis). The latter has a slightly flattened shape and silvery needles.
The well-known forest beauty common spruce (Piceaabies) served as the ancestor of many undersized decorative forms. A spruce shrub with a nest-shaped crown is popular Nidiformis (Nidiformis), growing only up to 40 cm in height, and having a chic light green crown, reaching up to 1 m in diameter.

Little Gemm (LittleGem) has a dark green crown smaller than the previous spruce. It can be formed into a spectacular standard tree and grown in a rock garden or in a container.
The graceful shape of a narrow cone has a dense crown WillsZwerg (Will "sZwerg). This plant grows just over one meter in height. It is interesting in that the young growing needles are much lighter than the old ones. Therefore, the Christmas tree seems to be playing different shades green color.
Dwarf forms were also obtained from the species of prickly spruce (Piceapungens). One of them is excellent Glauca Globosa (GlaucaGlobosa). Its conical crown mainly grows not in height, but in width. It has elongated needles of a bluish color, slightly sickle-shaped. Very unpretentious. Well suited for creating compositions in a rocky garden.
For growing in rock gardens, dwarf forms of Canadian spruce, which have bluish bluish needles, are perfect: Conica (Conica) with a pyramidal crown Laurin (Laurin), Dwarf (Gnom).

Semi-dwarf spruce Daisy White (DaisyWhite) grows up to 2.5 meters in height and differs from all the others in soft yellow young needles, which change their color to green by summer. Its dense pyramidal crown will look spectacular in rock gardens, surrounded by more low plants with rounded crowns.
For spruces, fertile, well-drained soil is preferable, giving an acidic reaction. They do not tolerate stagnant water in the ground. Sunny places or light shade are best suited. To give more decorative bushes can be trimmed.

Tui in rock gardens

In nature, arborvitae are conical evergreen trees of the cypress family, having a dense symmetrical crown, and having a fragrant smell. They bloom imperceptibly. The needles are not needles, but flat, elongated scales adjacent to each other. Plants are easily and painlessly cut. Therefore, they are successfully used for decoration of flower beds and hedges.

Low-growing arborvitae, which retain their decorative effect all year round, are perfect for growing in alpine hills. In addition, most varieties are frost-resistant.
Most wide use in the regions of Russia received dwarf forms thuja western. This tree is not too capricious, it is winter-hardy and long-lived. IN natural conditions there are still thousands of years of age.
With dwarf slow-growing forms of western thuja, lovers are happy to decorate their rock gardens, for example, with a spherical shrub Danica. Its light green crown in 10 years grows in diameter to only 40 cm.

The rock garden thuja western will look original in the role of soloist Filiformis (Filiformis). The tree has a dense crown in the form of a wide cone. It grows up to one and a half meters in height and has long weeping shoots.
Grade Globoza (Globosa), on the contrary, has a rounded spherical gray-green crown, reaching 1 m in diameter. It is recommended to use it as an element of compositions. And here is a spherical Golden Globe (GoldenGlobe) has a smaller crown, but it has golden yellow needles.
An ovoid crown will look unusual in the composition Woodwardii, growing up to 40 cm wide and having light green needles.

In gardens located in warmer regions, forms obtained from thuja orientalis with fan-shaped needles are grown. These forms include golden yellow Aura Nana (AureaNana) with an ovoid crown, dark green columnar Justinka (Justynka). These varieties are not demanding on soil fertility, but do not withstand severe frosts.

Selection of junipers

A huge number of varieties and types of junipers puts gardeners in front of a difficult choice. These plants can have crowns that vary in shape and color. The shape of the crown can be cone-shaped, creeping pillow-shaped, sprawling, columnar. The needles can be golden yellow, green of different tones, silver-blue. And the shape of the needles themselves can be different - scaly or subulate.

The natural distribution area of these plants is almost endless - they are found in both northern and tropical regions. Junipers are unpretentious, can grow on any soil, do not put forward too high requirements for light and humidity, and tolerate winter cold well. For gardeners, this is just a godsend.
The most widespread for the creation of rock gardens are dwarf and creeping forms of Cossack juniper (J.Sabina): sprawling green shrub Tamariscifolia (Tamariscifolia), white-motley Variegata (Variegata), blue-green Rocker Jam (RockeryGem).

Of junipers horizontal interesting variety Andora Variegata (Andorra Variegata) only up to 40 cm high and with a wide cushion-shaped crown. Its unusualness lies in the variegation of needles: in summer it is bright green with white speckles, and in winter it acquires a purple-violet hue. A beautiful blue carpet creates a creeping grade Blue Forest (BlueForest). Its shoots directed upwards give the crown additional volume. Blue Ship (BlueChip) considered the most elegant creeping variety. A dense silver-blue carpet of its shoots low temperatures becomes purple.
In the solo role on the hill can be dwarf forms of medium-sized juniper. For example, grade Gold Coast (GoldCoast), growing up to 1 meter in height and up to 2 meters in width. This plant is decorative with its spreading golden yellow rounded crown. The same parameters are Gold Star (GoldStar) but he is more resilient. Variety Mint Julep (Mint Julep), on the contrary, it has a bright green weeping crown, reaching up to 2 m in diameter.

Junipers are planted in rock gardens, given the vastness of the future crown. Green varieties are placed on either side of the hill, golden yellow - it is better to land on the western or southern side, and silver and gray - on the northern or eastern slope.

Today, a fairly extensive range of dwarf conifers suitable for placement on alpine slides is offered for sale. Evergreen conifers enliven the site in autumn, winter and spring, while deciduous shrubs and trees are at rest. The variety of shapes, textures and sizes of prickly beauties allows them to harmoniously fit into different landscapes.

Currently, rock gardens have gained immense popularity, which are now used to decorate gardens and plots.

Let's look at which coniferous plants can be used for a home alpine slide. For this purpose, they are just perfect - very spectacular, decorative, retaining an attractive appearance all year round.

It is impossible to imagine a modern alpine hill without coniferous plants. Some prefer to create compositions that are almost entirely composed of their conifers. This allows you to simulate a unique and natural mountain landscape.

In addition, coniferous plants aromatize the air and make it healing.

The advantage of conifers is also that they do not need to be selected according to the timing of flowering. The slide will turn out as planned, almost immediately and looks bright and fresh almost all year round. But seedlings of coniferous plants are not so cheap. Although you can do this - plant young plants, they will grow over time, and empty seats decorate, for example, with some ceramic elements or stones.

For the design of rock garden it is best to use small trees and shrubs, possibly dwarf species. Creeping views look spectacular. You can combine different shapes of the crown and the color of the needles. There are needles green, bluish and even bright yellow.

Coniferous plant groups

Before buying plants for decorating an alpine slide, it is advisable to carefully consider the future composition. The choice is wide enough.

There are dwarf conifers with various crown shapes: flat, spherical, ovoid, creeping and conical.

coniferous plants with ovoid or cone-shaped crowns are planted in the middle part or at the base of the alpine hill.

And pillow-shaped or rounded, lower forms fill the space between them.
At the base are creeping plant species.

To achieve the best decorative effect do not overload the composition with a large number of plants. It is also not advisable to plant coniferous plants at a short distance from each other. In this case, the beauty of forms will not be visible, and as a result, individuality may be lost.

It is better to use contrasts of color or shape. In no case should decorative stones be completely obscured by greenery. Only in this case you will get a beautiful and original alpine slide, a real decoration of your garden.

Coniferous plants that are used for decoration should not be higher than 1.5 m in height. If the hill is up to 10 m², the plants should be even lower, up to 80 cm.

Currently, you can find a large list of dwarf conifers that are just perfect for decorating a slide.

Prickly spruce Herman Nau

Most beautiful in spring, summer, autumn. This dwarf Christmas tree reaches a height of only 60-70 cm. It has an amazing bluish-steel color of the needles.

Serbian spruce Karel

Resistant to urban conditions, tolerates air pollution and smoke. This is a small dwarf coniferous shrub with a spherical or cushion-shaped crown.

Fir mountain Compacta

One of the most beautiful varieties dwarf trees.

Cotoneaster hybrid Coral Beauty

Most beautiful in summer and autumn. Low creeping shrub with numerous small coral-colored berries will strengthen the slopes of the alpine hill.

Cotoneaster Dummer Eicholz

Most beautiful in autumn. A low-growing shrub, perfect for strengthening alpine hills and slopes. It has bright red berries and an indescribable autumn color of leaves in orange and orange-red tones.

Stephanandra incised Crispa

Most beautiful in autumn. It is used due to the graceful crown and decorative foliage. It is especially attractive in autumn, when the leaves are painted in lemon, pink and even red colors.

Barberry thunberg Maria

Charming shrub of a columnar form, characterized by a rich yellow color in summer and intense orange in autumn.

Potentilla shrub Tangerine

Nice shrub with flowers of a very original copper-orange color. Valued for its decorative coloring.

Juniper scaly Honnethorp

The amazing needles of this "dwarf" allows you to decorate any corner of the site and enter an interesting design element when creating contrasting landscape compositions from plants of various architecture.

Juniper scaly blue Carpet

The name of this juniper speaks for itself - it has very beautiful silver-blue needles. Decorative all year round.

Juniper scaly Loderia

A very picturesque strictly vertical juniper, known for its bluish-green color that practically does not lose its color all year round.

Canadian hemlock Nana

A low growing, slow growing shrub. Sheared at any time of the year.

thuja Western Little Champion

Valuable ornamental variety. If you plant thuja along the path, you get a very beautiful border.

The top of the Alpine hill can be decorated with spruce or thuja, cover the middle layer various varieties juniper, and plant a saxifrage and dwarf conifers at the foot of the hill. This composition looks very beautiful and elegant from any side.

Creating a rock garden on the site is a very, very exciting activity, in which all your efforts will definitely pay off with a spectacular, bewitching landscape of a natural mountain landscape.

Today it is difficult to imagine a 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 created thanks to a 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 various sizes and forms of your choice.

Also, to change the level of the slide, drainage should be prepared, which lies in the very center. Can be used as a drain 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 choose for the most part undersized plants. 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, you can plant on an alpine hill medicinal herbs, then she will also become a house 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 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?

When 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, it is imperative to take into account the weather and climatic conditions that the site where the alpine hill will be located is subject to. 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 appearance and flowering of the alpine slide. Plantings should harmonize with each other in size, color, growth rate, flowering time.

Since the rock garden is being built on long term, plants should be selected as annuals and perennials. 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 of personal plots know how important it is to keep their territory in order and clean. Everyone tries to bring a little bright colors and greenery that will transform a 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.

A rock garden is one of the most spectacular ways to decorate a garden, but its construction requires careful planning and a thoughtful choice of stones and plants. The latter are especially important, as they enliven the composition and make it unique. Let's look at how to choose plants for an alpine slide.

A rock garden is an area filled with stones at one or more levels, with plants growing in between. Such a slide can be both impressive (1.5-2 m high) and miniature (only 40-50 cm).

To arrange such a flower garden with your own hands, first of all you need to choose the right place. It should be well lit and beautiful. It is more expedient to place a round hill in the center of the garden, a one-sided one can be adjacent to a fence or a house. The rock garden next to the pond looks good. If it is not there, you can dig a small reservoir next to the slide itself and even supplement the composition with a waterfall or fountain.

Step-by-step instructions for creating a rock garden:

Remove weeds from the selected area. If on site ground water lie close to the surface, it is necessary to lay a drainage layer of 30-40 cm.
Install the first circle of massive stones with a ring. They must be unprocessed, of the same type, but of different sizes. Suitable granite, sandstone, limestone, slate.
Inside the circle you need to make an earthen mound. To increase the height, you can use clay shards and a safe construction garbage, such as boards, broken bricks.
Lay the top stones. Drive them in deeper so that they cannot roll or fall.
Fill the spaces between the stones with a mixture of garden soil, sand and peat.

Video "Alpine hill with your own hands"

This video demonstrates in detail the process of building a rock garden, and also describes the rules for choosing and planting plants.

Plants for planting

Previously, in such compositions, it was precisely alpine plants, but now the list of valid options has grown significantly. Consider the most popular of them.

Ephedra

Coniferous plants give the hill a special atmosphere.

Mountain pine - evergreen perennial with a dense fluffy crown. The needles are located on small shoots. For a small slide, dwarf spherical varieties 50-70 cm high are used, for example, Winter gold and Mors. For a large rock garden fit varieties up to 1.5 m tall, for example Mughus and Gnom.

Evergreen juniper shrub - photophilous, drought tolerant and adverse conditions plant. Due to its unpretentiousness, it is suitable for beginner gardeners. Purifies the air, sometimes used in cooking. Leaves are needle-shaped, scaly. The crown, depending on the species, can be sprawling, creeping, columnar, cone-shaped. Suitable for small hills varieties Green Carpet and Andorra Variegata are 70 cm high. On average, tall varieties will harmoniously look rock gardens: Blue Star, Gold Coast, Gold Star.

Thuja, depending on the species, can be a tree or a shrub. The needles of the plant are scaly, light in young plants, dark green in adults. The plant is photophilous, but in the hot midday hours it needs shade. Thuja care necessarily includes pruning. For small slides, spherical varieties Danica, Little Dorrit, Hoseri are suitable. For large slides, the Elwangerlana Aurea variety is often used.

The crown of spruce is cone-shaped. The color of the needles depends on the species, so it can be dark, light, bluish. For growing in the country, it is better to choose frost-resistant and unpretentious varieties: ordinary, Serbian, Canadian and prickly. For small slides, Little Gem, Echiniformis varieties are used, for large ones - Conica, Nidiformis, Will's Zwerg.

ground covers

Ground cover plants do not just decorate the hill - they protect the soil from drying out, prevent weeds from developing and help to fix the composition. In addition, many of them are flowering.

Most species can be planted on slides of any size.

Saxifrage - r asthenia, which May be single or perennial. Blooms from May to August. Bush s form a dense carpet.Flowers can be blue, white, red, pink, yellow. hardy and unpretentious plant, well propagated by rosettes.

M young - with ucculent, better known bycalled stone rose.Dense leaves form a rosette, which And Depending on the species, it can be green, pink, burgundy or crimson. Rosettes reproduce vegetatively, fill up fairly quicklythe space allotted to them.

Aubrieta - m perennial a plant that creates a dense, profusely flowering carpet up to 30 cm high. Flowering begins in May and lasts 5- 7 weeks.

Both flowers and leaves look decorative.arabis, which blooms in May-June. In the sun more buds appear, and in the shade grow faster there are withdrawals. flower growth need to be controlled.

blooming

Bright flowers contrast beautifully with both the roughness of the stones and the monochromatic background of the greenery of coniferous plants. Usually they serve as the main decoration of the slide.

The following options are suitable for all types of rock gardens.

Carnation grass reaches a height of 10-15 cm. It blooms from late June or early July to mid-autumn. The leaves are small, elongated. Flowers up to 1.5 cm, can be white and red.

periwinkle flowers small, blue, and the leaves are thick, bright– green. Flowering continues t all summer until late autumn. The plant is unpretentiousto illumination, well transfers the sun and a shade.

Marigolds - I'm bright about mid-years and ki, which are bloom from early June until frost. Exists big number varieties of different shades.

Roses in rock garden with look unusual, but very elegant. Usually require solo landing. A good background for them are coniferous plants and decorative elements. in nye cereals. For slides, creeping and miniature varieties are often used, including floribunda.

In addition to the listed plants, herbs can also be planted on the hill, including those that usually grow in the garden: rosemary, thyme, etc.

You can also grow moss on the rocks. To do this, it must be crushed and mixed with kefir, then the resulting composition should be applied with a brush to the stones.

Basic rules of care

For the first time after planting, plants need frequent watering. If the soil sags, add it.

Adult coniferous plants are usually watered 3-4 times per season, flowers - once every 7-10 days. For watering it is better to use special devices with moisture diffusers- a jet of water can wash away the soil. top dressing mainly in the spring, during the period of active growth.

Trim as necessary ground cover plants so they don't crowd out their neighbors.

As you can see, you can build a stylish rock garden even in a small yard. You can either recreate the given examples of seating patterns, or change something in the composition or arrangement of plants.