Do-it-yourself alpine hill from conifers. We select plants for rock garden

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, preserving all year round attractive look.

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, perhaps dwarf breeds. Creeping views look impressive. 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 is dwarf conifers having various forms of crowns: 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 large quantity 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. decorative stones in no case should they 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 be no higher than 1.5 m. 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 shape, 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 interesting element design 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.

Rock gardens cannot be imagined without conifers, but some gardeners go further and create compositions entirely consisting of conifers. The desire to use them is understandable - conifers for an alpine slide are simply ideal, they are decorative, unpretentious, retain an attractive appearance all year round and allow you to create a spectacular corner in the garden, even if there is not too much time to take care of the plantings. The main thing is to observe the naturalness and imitation of the natural mountain landscape.

Features of the construction of an alpine hill from coniferous plants

The advantages of the alpine hill of conifers include the fact that you do not need to select plants according to the timing of flowering and you can almost immediately make the hill the way you intended. Minus - coniferous seedlings are not cheap. A compromise option is to plant young plants, hoping that they will grow, but for now, decorate voids with stones or ceramic elements.

When planting conifers, you need to remember that they need space

Choosing a place, taking into account the conditions necessary for conifers

In all the photos of the alpine hill of conifers, it can be seen that it looks spectacular if you choose a place that is viewed from different sides, preferably sunny. Some types of spruces, pines and arborvitae tolerate shading well, but junipers will suffer from a lack of light. Plants with colored needles must be in the sun. When creating an alpine hill from conifers in the country, it should be borne in mind that most of these plants:

photophilous;
need space for normal development;
usually grow well on sandy-clay or even stony soils;
unpretentious, but do not like a high level ground water.

Unpretentious thuja will decorate any rock garden

Creating drainage and forming a slide

Since coniferous trees for the alpine slide do not like excess moisture be sure to do drainage. To do this, remove upper layer soil and cover the hill with crushed stone, pebbles, small construction waste. The height of the drainage is from 10 to 20 cm. The soil layer is poured on top and the laying of stones begins. The stones are laid parallel throughout the hill. First, choose a place for larger ones, then put small ones.

So that the hill does not warp, there should not be cases when the stone lies on the lower cobblestone with one end, and presses on the soil with the other. Coniferous trees and shrubs have developed large roots, so pits are made between stones for their planting. The voids are filled with soil. After the construction of the hill, you need to let the soil settle, so it is better to start planting after a while. Ideal option: in the fall - to build, and in the spring - to plant.

Combine different types hvoynikov - real art

What types of conifers are suitable for rock garden

For coniferous rock garden fit trees and shrubs small size or dwarf species. Creeping varieties must be present. Combination different shapes crowns and coloring needles creates interesting solutions. There is a green, bluish and yellowish shade of needles. Some are bright yellow in color.

Miniature cypress ideal for landscape compositions

Names and photos of the most suitable species

For middle lane from conifers for an alpine slide it is worth choosing:

thuja - plants with a dense crown, which tolerates a haircut well. Most of the varieties common in Russia come from the western thuja: Danica with light spherical crown, Filiformis resembling a cone, Golden Globe with yellow needles. Thuja propagates by cuttings, but it is better for inexperienced gardeners to buy a ready-made seedling;
cypress trees - fashion idea for rock garden from Europe (hedges from this plant are popular in Britain). Not all varieties are hardy. The easiest way to grow Lawson's cypress and pea. It is better to overwinter low plants that can hide under the snow. Cypress trees love to spray, but the water should not be icy;
spruces - many undersized varieties have been bred: dwarf - up to 1.5 m, mini-varieties - up to 1 m, micro-specimens - up to 30 cm. For example, the Albert Globe variety with a crown resembling a ball squeezed from above grows by 50 cm in 10 years. Very beautiful spruce Nidiformis with silvery needles. Attractive varieties canadian spruce with small gray needles and a pyramidal crown;
pines of all kinds are valued by gardeners. Dwarf and slow-growing varieties have been developed. Fluffy bushes of Scots pine Watereri or mountain pine Cobold with emerald needles fit perfectly into the landscape of rock gardens. The slow-growing dwarf Globosa Viridis reaches a height of only one meter and is suitable for small garden;
junipers of all kinds. Pyramidal plants are planted both singly and in small groups, creeping ones are arranged so that they have room to grow. They cover the ground and contrast with more high grades. In winter, many junipers need shelter with spruce branches.

Juniper Dahurian

Coniferous plants for the alpine slide, the photos and names of which were given above, are suitable if you take specially bred dwarf varieties. To prevent them from growing, you need to pinch new sprouts and pruning in a timely manner. Fertilizers should not be abused. It is also undesirable to allow animals to "mark" the trunks of "babies". If this happens, rinse the affected area with water.

Alpine slides always attract attention with their beauty and unusual design. They not only complement landscape ideas, but also able to set the tone for the entire garden, and the quantity original solutions will help in the organization of individual projects that can satisfy the most demanding taste.

Alpine slide design and decoration

Having decided to make an alpine slide on your own suburban area, first you need to decide how it should look. The most popular today are:

Alpine slide with a waterfall
Alpine hill with a pond;
Alpine hill of conifers.

Having decided to start creating an alpine slide with a waterfall, you need to prepare the following components:

hoses;
Pump (high efficiency);
sealant;
Geotextile.

You can make an alpine slide with a waterfall yourself, it is only important to know a few basic steps:

Water should be brought to the top of the slide. This will require hoses;
Having finished working with hoses, they must be decorated with stones of different sizes;
The reservoir should be located below:
- Dig a pit;
- Place sand at the bottom, coarse is better;
- Lay geotextile on top;
- Put another layer of sand;
- The next layer is pebbles;
- Next are the big rocks.
When the work is completed, the resulting container must be filled with water;
Connect the pump;
Start system.

When arranging such an alpine slide, it is important to pay attention to the fact that the soil must have a special composition: ½ part of peat and ½ part of garden soil.

To organize an alpine slide with a pond, you will need:

Film (black);
Sand;
Large stones or cobblestones;
Stones for decor.

The sequence of actions for the device of such a slide is as follows:

First you need to dig a small pit;
Remove tree roots and other debris from the pit;
Next, you need to make special recesses around the entire perimeter of the pit;
Lay a black film on the bottom and decorate the perimeter with stones. For this, recesses are needed;
Soil is poured over the film, on which cobblestones will be laid;
Fill the pond with water.

Having decided to make a rock garden from conifers, it is important to know that such a design should look like it was created by nature itself, and you did not put your hands on it. For this reason, conifers are the most suitable plants. Alpine hill for some part consists of stones and cobblestones, and coniferous plants grow well in such conditions in natural nature. Best suited:

Fir subalpine;
Cossack junipers;
Pea-bearing cypresses;
Mountain pines;
Cedar salad bowls.

How to make an alpine slide?

The arrangement of alpine slides is not too complicated and such an object of landscape design can be done independently. You just need to know the sequence of actions. Below is an example of a classic alpine slide with several tiers of stones:

The first tier must be executed in the form English letter"V". At the bottom of each tier, large stones should be laid, which will play the role of key stones and prevent small stones from sliding and sliding down the slope. Each large stone around is sprinkled with earth so that it is more tightly fixed. After the completion of the device of the 1st tier, a part of the plants is planted;
 Each next tier is made in the same way - a little soil is added, leveled, stones are laid and plants are planted;

In order to properly compose an alpine slide, on each subsequent tier it is necessary to lay stones slightly smaller than on the previous one.

The top should be shaped like a pyramid. For this, stones are used small size, fix as close as possible to each other using the ground;
Then the entire hill needs to be sprinkled with soil a little more to provide additional fixation;
Then you can start planting the remaining trees. For this, it is better to choose conifers creeping plants various shapes and shades.

The work may seem simple enough, but first you will need to compile detailed diagram future design, as well as a plan for its device. If you are worried that you may not be able to do everything right, then it is better to contact a landscape design specialist.

When developing a scheme on your own, you need to remember that such structures can be arranged at various heights - from 1 to 3 meters. And when digging a foundation pit, it is important to consider that its height should not be less than 30 cm, since in the end it will shrink a little (about ¼ of its own height), which should not spoil the composition.

Alpine slide scheme includes:

Black pine;
Juniper "Gold Star";
Thuya "Teddy";
Barberry thunberg;
Five-leaf girlish grape;
Buzulnik toothed;
Plantain "Rubra";
Thyme;
styloid phlox;
Sheep.

Alpine hills, photo gallery

By entrusting the work to professionals, you can get very beautiful design solutions. Here are some of them:

Alpine slides:

In the photo, the second stage is the installation of stones and backfilling with fertile soil
Mini alpine slides:
Rockeries and alpine slides:

Video

Decor such as an alpine slide requires not just an idea, but the ability to combine plants and their colors. If you don’t want to experiment, refer to the video instructions for building a beautiful alpine slide:

Alpine slide is perhaps the best component of landscape design. Such a solution will not only please the owners of the summer cottage, but also their guests, and the quiet murmur of water will bring peace and a sense of satisfaction.

Conifers for rock garden are especially valuable for creating a composition.

They help to cover construction defects - after all, it is not always possible to successfully dock terraces, pick up and naturally lay stones. In addition, columnar varieties visually increase the height of rockeries and stones near which they are planted, while rounded varieties emphasize the volume of the garden. Finally, the conifers on the hill serve as an excellent backdrop for any composition. You can use the same types of coniferous plants for any type of garden, you just need to choose more or less dwarf varieties. Even for miniature rockeries, you can find many forms that do not rise above 30 cm.

For coniferous plants on the lpiyskaya hill, several general rules concerning care and growing conditions:

They develop best on moderately rich slightly acidic loams. They prefer loose soils, take root on heavy and clay soils for a long time.
Most are photophilous, but tolerate shading.
Ephedra are drought-resistant, but during the period of active growth, take care to provide them with sufficient moisture.
Transplant in early spring before the start of growth. Keep in mind that varietal forms take root much easier than species. Transplant adult specimens only after preliminary pruning of the root ball.
It is not necessary to feed. Fresh organics are not allowed.
Propagate by layering (creeping forms) and cuttings. Optimal time for these procedures - early spring, before bud break. Most species can be propagated by seeds. The range of conifers depends on the size of the garden, but even when creating large compositions, it is better to take slow-growing varieties with a dense crown.

Below are photos and names of coniferous plants for the alpine hill, tested over the years, the most stable in the Russian climate.

First of all, coniferous plants such as, and are suitable for rockeries.

Spruce - Picea in the photo
Needles of all shades of green, gray

Spruces are unpretentious and frost-resistant. Any dwarf varieties are suitable for rockeries. Cultural forms have various types of crowns, needles of all shades of green, gray and even golden yellow.

Norway spruce
European spruce

Serbian spruce varieties (R. omorica) are also good.
Spruce Serbian

Gray spruce in the photo
Canadian spruce in the photo

Columnar varieties of spruce with gray, or Canadian (P. glauca) are beautiful, but burn on spring sun: Be sure to shade them.

See photos of such conifers on an alpine hill:

It has many dwarf varieties with dark green, bluish-blue or golden needles, divided into three groups:

These photos show rockeries with conifers:

For rocky gardens, choose not large natural forms, and dwarf slow-growing varieties with dense crowns.

The most frost-resistant varieties of juniper:

For example, J. horizontalis ‘Plue Pygmy’, J. virginiana ‘Grey Owl’, J. sabina ‘Blaue Donau’, J. communis ‘Berkshire’.

Admire how beautiful the alpine hill with conifers is in these photos:

Fir - Abies

Most species are unpretentious and hardy, but if last year's growth is poorly matured, it can burn in the spring in the sun. Suitable for rockeries dwarf varieties with a dense crown have balsam fir, or black (A. balsamea), and Korean fir (A. kogeapa).

Pay attention to the photo - for rockeries from conifers, varieties with a spherical, wide-pyramidal and flattened crown are especially valuable:

Pine - Pinus

For rockeries, dwarf varieties descended from northern or highland species are suitable.

The view provides ample opportunities for experimentation: there are varieties with a narrow pyramidal, spherical, flattened or exotically curved crown, with green, blue and even golden needles.

Dwarf varieties with a dense crown are suitable for rockeries.

However, even this hardy plant for good development you will have to provide sufficient moisture and fertile garden soil- on poor dry soils, the branches of the thuja will be rare, with faded needles.

The most beautiful alpine slides with conifers are presented in these photos:

Rules for the care of shrubs in rockeries

Deciduous woody plants are used in rockeries much less often than conifers, since only a few of the most unpretentious and compact species are suitable for rocky gardens in the temperate zone: evergreen magonia and boxwood, dwarf varieties of barberries, almonds, cinquefoil, daphne, spirea, stefanander, cotoneaster.

Common to them are following rules care:

Transplant in early spring, before bud break, or in late summer - early autumn, after the annual growth is woody. Before transplanting in adult plants for two years, cut the roots several times according to the diameter of the crown to form a compact earthen ball.
Reproduction by seeds is individual for each species, but in most cold stratification causes seed germination.
Vegetative reproduction is varied. The most simple reproduction is horizontal layering. For better rooting, make an incision or constriction of the bark at the place of the dig.
Most shrubs are easily propagated by cuttings. The best cuttings- growth of the current year.
Sanitary pruning and crown formation should be carried out in early spring, before the juices begin to move, and in autumn, after growth has ended. Beautiful flowering shrubs prune immediately after flowering.

by the most suitable shrubs for rockeries are barberry, boxwood and spirea.

Thunberg barberry - Berberis thunbergii

Graceful shrub, completely strewn in early summer yellow flowers, which turn into red berries by autumn. Height is not more than 150 cm, there are dwarf varieties that do not rise above 30 cm. Extremely unpretentious: sun-loving, but tolerates shade, drought-resistant, but tolerates waterlogging. It is frost-resistant, but in snowless cold winters the crown freezes.

It lends itself perfectly to a haircut, although it is not necessary - the plant looks compact on its own. Particularly valuable are dwarf varieties with golden, variegated or purple leaves.

Evergreen boxwood - Buxus sempervirens

Dwarf evergreen tree, one of the few frost-resistant evergreen deciduous plants. Dwarf varieties wintering under the snow are best suited for rockeries. The main condition for normal growth is dry, well-drained soils. The nutritional value of the soil and its density are not too important, but fertile loam is preferable.

It is shade-loving, but shoots ripen better in the sun and winter more successfully.

One of the most beautiful views kind. Dwarf varieties are especially good, forming almost spherical bushes covered with small green, golden or purple leaves. "Dwarfs" bloom almost all summer. Winter-hardy, but in very cold winters they freeze slightly.

To prolong flowering and crown formation after the first flowering, spend light pruning. 'Golden Princess' is slightly larger than 'Little Princess' so it can be trimmed more.

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

Choosing a place for an alpine slide

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

In landscape design, there are many styles of garden design, including elements of a desert landscape, rocky gardens, ponds and bridges, which must be in harmony with the erected hill.

Making a slide with your own hands is most preferable when decorating a garden. By doing the work yourself, you can avoid high costs for the services of a landscape architect. Having step-by-step photos and schemes for arranging the slide, it will not be difficult to do the construction of a rock garden with your own hands.

It is very important to do it right preparatory work so that the slide is stable

Alpine slide - preparation

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

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

Do-it-yourself alpine slide arrangement scheme

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

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

Scheme: arrangement of an alpine hill

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

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

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

Scheme: alpine slide in layers

Stones for rock garden - choose the right one

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

Stones for an alpine slide must be durable, of different sizes

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

Scheme: deepening stones for an alpine slide

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

Do-it-yourself Alpine slide - selection of plants

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

Example #1. Making an alpine slide with plants

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

Example #2. Plants for an alpine slide

To create a highly decorative slide, it is required to provide for a landing perennials having different periods flowering. Then the slide will look unusual and decorative throughout the entire period. Riot of colors flowering plants will please the eye from spring to autumn.

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

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

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

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

Alpine hill surrounded by lawn

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

How to properly care for rock garden?

In the first year, it will be necessary to backfill the soil several times, which is washed out during irrigation and precipitation, and also, if necessary, to strengthen the stones. View various videos and photos taken by professional landscape designers will help to complete these works correctly. The soil is poured neatly and compacted.

The soil should be evenly distributed between the stones

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

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

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

It is desirable to strengthen loosened and falling stones.

Various small reservoirs will look very beautiful on the alpine hill

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

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

Alpine slides in landscape design

An alpine hill that does not require painstaking care will be a wonderful decoration for the entire summer cottage

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