Alpine slides are becoming increasingly popular in summer cottages. Anyone who was lucky enough to see what these hills look like in spring - bare stones, and between them small bushes of flowering plants, no doubt, will want to repeat such "Alps in miniature" on their own garden plot. To do this, you need to choose the right place and plants that will delight the eye and decorate the hill.

The choice of plants for the alpine hill is quite large, you can, of course, use ready-made planting patterns, but our today's article will be very interesting for creative individuals. Thanks to some tips, we will try to study and understand the features of growing the future inhabitants of the rock garden.

The planting of the slide is carried out from top to bottom, in this order we propose to consider tips on choosing plants.

The top of the Alpine hill

For the upper tiers of the alpine slide, sun-loving and drought resistant plants, since moisture at the very top of the rock garden practically does not linger. In such conditions, the following plants feel very comfortable:

• Iberis evergreen

The leaves are evergreen, oblong, dark green, shiny, up to 7 cm long. The flowers are white up to 1.5 cm in diameter. There are several options for planting Iberis: in the form of seedlings or seeds. If you buy seedlings, then they should have healthy shiny green leaves, as this indicator is a parameter of plant health.

• perennial carnations

Perennial carnations on alpine hills are especially good, firstly, they are unpretentious, and secondly, they do not require careful care - the main thing is that they are not “strangled” by weeds or plants planted nearby. But it is better to choose an open and sunny place for them, the upper tier of the rock garden will be just right.

• Alyssum rocky

Alyssum rocky is drought-resistant, great for growing on alpine hills. It easily tolerates frosts down to -10 degrees, and if it is well covered with snow for the winter, then in spring it will come out from under the snow green and ready for further growth. Pride this plant- these flowers are bright yellow color, such a carpet "hat" at the hill will not leave anyone indifferent.

• Edelweiss

This type of flower is a herbaceous perennial plant with beautiful foliage and beige and white flowers. Alpine edelweiss is somewhat reminiscent of daisies, this type of edelweiss develops well in stone, sandy soil with good drainage, which makes them popular for use in stone gardens.

• creeping thyme

Creeping thyme is a drought-resistant and winter-hardy plant, and these qualities are the minimum necessary for the plant to take root on an alpine hill. Under it, areas well-lit by the sun, closed from cold winds, with fertile, loose, neutral soil of light or medium texture, free from weeds, should be allocated.

middle tier Alpine slide

In the middle tier of the “stone garden”, the conditions are slightly different - less light, more humidity, which means that a completely different assortment of plants will take root here.

• Phlox subulate

The main advantage of the styloid phlox is that from March until the very frosts, its stems and petals retain a bright emerald green color, and during the flowering period, in late May - early June, the carpets of styloid phlox are completely strewn with flowers of the most various shades. Also, it should be noted the excellent winter hardiness of this plant.

• Aubrieta

Another suitable option for an alpine slide is a plant with the original name obrieta, its main advantage is that it hibernates with leaves. The flowers are small, but because of the profuse flowering, it gives the impression of a colored carpet, it can be purple, purple, rose-red, blue or white. Flowering is abundant and long.

• Pozharsky's bell

This bell forms a lush carpet of lilac flowers in the form of stars, the flowering is so plentiful that the leaves are literally not visible behind it. Pozharsky's bell grows rapidly and winters well. The plant grows up to 20 cm tall with large rounded, serrated basal leaves along the edges. Looks good next to large species cloves and saxifrage.

• Pulsatilla ordinary (sleep-grass)

The best place for shooting is an alpine hill, a rose garden or a flower bed with low perennials. The best option is areas with light shading, although it grows well on open places, the middle tier of the rock garden has all the necessary conditions for favorable growth sleep herbs.

• Astra alpine

This type of aster is also called alpine chamomile, it is a cold-resistant perennial, herbaceous or less often semi-shrub plant. Reproduction of this plant is possible in several ways: by seeds, dividing the bush, cuttings and shoots.

• Gentian

Another type of plant that takes root well in rock gardens is gentian, this flower is rather undersized, so that in combination with other plants, it will not stand out from the overall design.

The best place for planting gentian is the western side of the middle tier of the alpine hill.

The foot of the Alpine hill

At the base of the alpine slide, plants are planted that need moist fertile soil regardless of their lighting preferences.

• Duchenea Indian

Dusheniya is also called ornamental strawberries, the thing is that the flowers of this plant are very easy to confuse with the fruits of strawberries. The foot of the alpine hill is an ideal place for dusheniya, partial shade and a high level of humidity will help this flower become a real decoration of the rock garden.

• Liatris spikelet

Liatris prefers fertilized soils and bright places, in this regard, the foot of the rock garden is a wonderful place for this flower to grow. It is in such conditions that it is especially luxurious: numerous flower stalks sometimes reach 2 m, and the length of the inflorescence reaches 35 cm.

• Saxifrage

Cushion-shaped saxifrages are originally inhabitants of mountains, all kinds of crevices, and vertical walls. Their rigidity, hard protrusions, scaly structure, bluish color or powdery coating are all adaptations developed to reduce evaporation and resist mountain solar insolation. Thanks to all these characteristics, saxifrages perfectly take root at the foot of the rock garden.

• The edge of the lawn is one of the most suitable places to create an alpine slide;

• Start filling the slide with various plants should always be from top to bottom;

• A very important part of the work on filling the alpine slide is the correct layout of the plants, if this part of the work is done correctly, then there will be much less worries with the plants;

• Another important task is not to overdo it with fertilizers, too fertilized soil will lose winter hardiness;

• The voids that were formed during the creation of the slide must be filled with clay-soddy soil;

• Watering is always better to start from the foot.

Many summer residents and lovers of landscape design give their preference to such a fashionable element as an alpine slide. It is ideal for people who do not have much experience in landscape design, but striving to create a beautiful and original flower garden that does not require special care and will look beautiful in the photo.

The ease in design and care of the rock garden is due to the fact that it is created from unpretentious perennial representatives of the flora, which grow slowly, feel comfortable even on the poorest soil and do not need regular watering.

Alpine slide will be an excellent decoration of the garden

Where to create a rock garden?

An alpine hill can be called a hand-made and ennobled bright spot of wildlife in the garden or in the country, which is sure to become a spectacular decoration in any landscape design. When choosing a place to create a rock garden, the following points should be considered:

1. Comprehensive review. The place should be clearly visible from all sides.
2. Sufficient quantity sunlight. It is desirable that the site where the alpine slide will be created is farther from buildings and trees with dense crowns so that a sufficient amount of sunlight falls on it.
3. South side. In the absence of non-shady areas, it is worth choosing the south side, as it is illuminated by the sun at the most favorable time for plants.

What time of year is ideal for creating an Alpine slide?

By and large, you can equip an alpine slide with your own hands at any time of the year at your own request. However, the most convenient and suitable time for this is early autumn.

Firstly, in early autumn, gardeners and summer residents are not busy harvesting and are not involved in preparing plants for the winter season, which means they have some free time. You can, without too much haste, completely immerse yourself in the creation of a rock garden, give free rein to your imagination and embody the most original and unusual ideas. An occupation of this kind allows not only to realize the hidden creative abilities for landscape design, but also to expand the boundaries of imagination and spatial vision.

Secondly, the flower garden, which was made in the fall, for winter period he will have time to give a natural draft and settle comfortably in the chosen place, taking into account all his inner life, not noticeable to the human eye. As a result, this will make it possible in the spring, before planting the plants, to correct all the flaws that will be visible at a glance. If the landing is planned for autumn, then it is better to start equipping the alpine hill in advance, a few months before the actual landing.

Basic rules for decorating a flower garden

Alpine slide must be located in a well-lit place

Professional designers have long been developed certain typical schemes to create rock gardens. They take into account all the features of the arrangement of the flower garden, starting with its location and ending with the plants that were chosen for planting.

For example, the ideal form for an alpine slide, which will be located in the center of the site and have an all-round view, is a pyramid. Its highest point is usually determined in the center of the flower bed. However, it is not necessary to observe such a geometry, as well as symmetry. The sides of the pyramid do not have to be exactly the same, this will only make the composition more interesting. On the slope, you can create a rock garden either single-level, parallel to the surface of the site, or with several tiers, the height of the constituent elements of which should decrease sequentially from the upper to the lower level.

When creating a rock garden with your own hands, it is important to consider that the effectiveness and originality of the final composition largely depends on the size of the elements of which it consists. The smaller they are, the more unusual and interesting the slide is perceived. Every time you change the angle of the view, you can enjoy a completely new view and constantly come across extraordinary discoveries in the rock garden that looks like a small wild forest.

As for the height of such a composition, it directly depends on the area occupied by the flower garden. The classical version assumes that with a meter in diameter of the base, the height of the mound above the ground should be approximately 20 cm.

Since for these flower beds the most undemanding and unpretentious plants are usually chosen for the composition and nutritional value of the soil, there are no strict requirements for the soil mixture. It is enough to clear the existing land on the site of weeds and debris, and then mix peat and sand with it in equal proportions. The finished soil mixture is poured in a hilly manner on the drainage. Having laid the stones, it is necessary to fill in the empty spaces that have formed between them. It is also important to get rid of any weeds, as they can interfere with the growth of seedlings.

Alpine slide can consist of two or more tiers

How to choose plants for rock garden

There are two possible options for selecting plants for a flower garden, which will be equipped with my own hands. The easiest way is to choose one of the available schemes with selected seedling varieties. These diagrams fill up the pages of horticultural magazines or similar sites on the Internet in large numbers. The second method will take more time, since you will have to independently study all the features in the cultivation of future rock garden representatives, taking into account the microclimate and soil on the site. However, the process itself will be more exciting and interesting.

The selection of seedlings for the future alpine flower garden should be done very carefully, due to the fact that they will grow on it for more than one year, such as, for example, annual flowers in flower beds that can be easily transplanted or completely changed composition. A negligent attitude in this matter can lead to various alterations and death of seedlings. Selected plants for rock garden should have:

• unpretentiousness to climatic conditions and soil;
• short stature;
• moderate growth;
• non-aggressive way of reproduction;
• multi-year development cycle.

Also due to the fact that this flower garden is designed for year-round flowering, it is necessary to take into account the seasonality of all its inhabitants. Perfect for the spring season bulbous plants, for summer - almost all existing flowers, on autumn period it is worth planting colchicum, but in winter decorative coniferous trees will look perfect.

To design such a flower garden, it is better to stop your choice on:

• low-growing woody plants that are characterized by slow growth, for example, on spirea, cinquefoil or various conifers;
• ground cover or cushion-shaped herbaceous perennials that will cover the space between the stones like a picturesque carpet;
• flowering or ornamental deciduous species.

Due to the fact that the main composition of the alpine slide includes plants that grow slowly, at the first stage of creating a composition, a fairly large number of empty spaces appear between them. To eliminate this problem, you can resort to the help of annuals with minimal self-seeding. You can fill in gaps:

• purslane large-flowered;
• undersized marigolds;
• glazing;
• gypsophila graceful;
• marine lobularia;
• lobelia erinus.

The above annuals love sunlight and endure dry conditions. Because of this, they are ideal for creating rock gardens.

In addition, in the process of planting certain varieties of plants nearby, the following nuances must be taken into account:

1. Combination with each other in the external image. Species must match in height, texture, color of flowering and leaves.
2. The general rhythm of flowering and growth.
3. Similarities in growing and care conditions.

Plants for the alpine slide are selected based on the landing site

Upper tier

The features of the upper tier are that, being the highest area in the flower garden, it becomes that part of the composition where the minimum amount of moisture will fall, and where the most strong winds. As a result, plants that are tender and need moisture will not take root here.

Edelweiss is the flower that is best suited for the top tier. Seedlings are sold in stores, but you can also grow them at home. For this purpose, it is necessary to prepare a special box and place the seeds there. Then cover it with glass and leave it on the windowsill, preferably on the south side, then the seeds will be warm and receive enough light. This procedure should be done at the end of winter. Before planting seedlings in the spring, you should start preparing the soil. It is necessary to mix the earth with sand and gravel and pour it into the areas between the stones. This will create natural conditions. In the year of planting, Edelweiss will not bloom, but already in next year it will surely decorate your creation with its flowering. To keep it active annually, it should be repotted every 2 years.

Without a doubt, it makes sense to decorate the top of the composition with Iberis evergreen or Iberis sempervirens. The shortest and most beautiful variety of it is the Weisser Zwerg variety. It reaches a height of 8-10 cm, and flowering is represented by pure white flower beds. It blooms from May to June.

Edelweiss - beautiful and very delicate mountain flower, perfect for decorating the upper tier of an alpine slide

Perennial carnations living in the highlands are the best suited for the upper tier. For example, with the help of grass carnation (Dianthus deltoides), short-stem carnation (Dianthus subacaulis), greyish-blue or gray carnation (Dianthus gratianopolitanus), you can arrange compact bushes with bright small flowers that will be in the form of pillows. They bloom throughout the summer and will delight with their sweet aroma. Compositionally, they are in good agreement with Alyssum rocky (Alyssum saxatile).

You can also place creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) on top. Thanks to the honey smell, its lush rugs are lilac- purple many insects will fly in, including butterflies and bees.

Rejuvenated (Sempervivum) - the most unpretentious plant requiring minimal maintenance. It seems to be specially designed for the top of the flower garden, as it is able to survive in any conditions, occupying the least comfortable places, such as cracks between stones. It is a rosette, which consists of fleshy leaves, different in shape, size and color.

There are many varieties of youth for every taste and color.

middle tier

Color options for the middle tier

As we move to the middle tier, we observe an increase in humidity and a decrease in the amount of light. The soil used at this level is a turf-sand mixture. As a result of changing living conditions, it is necessary to consider which species are suitable for the middle of the hill:

1. Phlox subulate (Phlox subulata). It has a lush flowering, which is represented by many large bright flowers of blue, white or pink color. Phlox blooms in May.
2. Aubrieta cultural (Aubrieta x cultorum). It replaces the styloid phlox, blooming in early summer, and continues to delight with colorful flowers until July. Its flowering can be described as streams of flowers of purple, raspberry or pink color. plant with beautiful name also has a second flowering, although it is no longer as abundant compared to spring-summer. This usually happens closer to autumn. In addition to colorful flowering, cultural obrieta boasts wintering leaves, thanks to which it belongs to decorative types for any time of the year. In care, she needs regular and plentiful watering, but at the same time, an excess of moisture should be avoided.
3. Carpathian bell (Campanula carpatica). Unlike gentian, he is no longer picky, but he is distinguished by particular aggressiveness. If left unchecked, it can spread in all directions. At the first hint of ousting his neighbors, he must be "restricted in his rights." For such a plant, the western side is more suitable, since in such a situation the degree of its activity decreases.
4. Woolly Chistets (Stachys lanata). Its distinctive feature is fluffy leaves with an elegant silver color. Unusual leaves will go great with purple, blue and pink flowers the same phlox. Also, the cleaner loves the light and does not need in large numbers water.
5. Monetary Sunflower (Helianthemum nummularium). Prefers dry air and bright sun. The flowering of this evergreen subshrub consists of white, pink, red and yellow flowers. Pleases with its activity during the summer.

Woolly Chistets - an unpretentious perennial for an alpine slide

There are a number of colors that are sure to decorate any composition:

1. Alpine aster (Aster alpinus). She will bring bright saturated colors to the rock garden with her large-sized multi-colored daisies.
2. Armeria maritime (Armeria maritima). From its dense curtains, formed by narrow leaves, inflorescences of pink balls grow on long thin stems. Flowering time is June.
3. Stonecrops (Sedum). They are very fond of light and absolutely cannot stand when moisture stagnates, so only the southern slope is suitable for them. Otherwise, they are quite unpretentious. Famous flowers are famous for their wide variety of species. The most popular of them are Evers stonecrops (S.ewersii) and recurved stonecrops (S. reflexum). The first variety is gray-blue pillow-shaped bushes that appear in spring, and by the end of summer they are covered with a continuous floral carpet lingonberry color. The second variety has long curly shoots with narrow leaves, which have a golden yellow bloom in July.
4. Common lumbago (Rulsatilla vulgaris). It is characterized by pubescence of a silvery color and purple flowers of a fairly large size, but you can find its seeds with red and white flowering, sometimes there are terry shoots. It blooms in April. A transplant for this plant is fraught with illness, and sometimes death, so it should be planted immediately in a permanent place.
5. Geuchera (Heuchera). They are represented by a mass of varieties with modest flowering, but leaves of various outlandish shades.
6. Gentian (Gentiana). Being quite a finicky plant that adds a lot of care to care, it will give amazingly beautiful blooms of pure blue color. If we want the gentian to take root without problems, we can dig a large stone next to it, which will take excess heat from the ground and help retain moisture.

Geichera has many shades of leaves

Other types of plants

In addition to the chistets or the shoot, the middle tier of the alpine slide can be decorated with other types of silver-colored plants common in the alpine mountains. For example, Schmidt's lush wormwood (Artemisia schmidtiana) and three-vein anafalis (Anaphalis triplinervis).

If you want to create a dense plant carpet, then the subulate bryozoan (Sagina subulata) is ideal for this. In early and mid-summer, she will delight with white star-shaped flowers. Bryozoan is a moisture-loving plant, as a result of which it should be planted at the bottom, where moisture is retained.

Primroses - primroses (Primula vulgaris) have a wide time range of flowering, and also tend to differ in different colors. It depends entirely on the variety of seedlings. Mass planting of beautiful colchicum (Colchicum speciosum) will decorate the autumn composition with pink, purple and light lilac flowers.

Plants for the northern slope

On the northern slopes, the vegetation is in the shade most of the time, which is why there are not so many options for plants to plant on them, especially flowering ones. Among them:

1. Bell Pozharsky (Campanula poscharskyana). Pleases us with blue and purple flowering.
2. Caucasian rezuha (Arabis caucasica). Blooms in spring with white flowers.
3. Alpine (Arabis alpina). White flowering will decorate the rock garden in spring.
4. Corydalis Haller (Corydalis halleri). Starting in May, light purple, white or pink inflorescences bloom on it. In addition, it is decorative in other seasons. Lacy leaves are located in wonderful bluish-green thickets.

Pozharsky's bell can be planted on the north side of the alpine hill

For the northern slopes, the usual garden soil. As for the slopes on the western and eastern sides, due to less sun exposure to them, planting niches there should be filled with a sod-gravel mixture and a decent amount of humus added to it.

The lower tier or foot of the rock garden

At the foot of the alpine slides, such representatives of the flora are usually planted that require the most moisture, in accordance with their relationship to light. For example, Indian dushenia (Potentilla indica) is suitable for planting on the north side. In addition to yellow flowers, it will complement the composition with berries that resemble strawberries. Abundant flowering creeping tenacity (Ajuga reptans), which calmly tolerates shade and will feel comfortable on the lower tier of the northern slopes.

Perhaps there is a right to say that different kinds saxifrage (Saxifraga) - the most universal flowers in relation to the world. Forming small bushes resembling silvery small pillows, the panicled saxifrage (Saxifraga paniculata) releases a white-pink flowering from them in June, which is located on long stems. After the first autumn frosts hit, the shadow saxifrage has an unusual red tint. In spring, a dense carpet of white and pink inflorescences of saxifrage soddy (Saxifraga umbrosa) covers dense light green flower beds.

One of the elegant and eye-catching decorations at the foot of the southern slope can be spikelet liatris (Liatris spicata). In July, he will attract attention, thanks to the shaggy spike-shaped inflorescences.

Saxifrage Arends "Peter Pan"

Nuances in the placement of bushes, conifers and dwarf trees

You need to start planting an alpine hill with woody and tallest herbaceous plants. The background or the foot of the rock garden is best suited for them. They will also look great next to massive boulders. It is advisable to plant bushes and conifers without adhering to any symmetry.

Low-growing perennials that form beautiful curtains can be allocated places, both below and closer to the upper tier. For their visual separation, stones or taller plants can be used.

Properly planted deciduous shrubs and conifers usually do not need special care. The only thing that may be required is sheltering and tying some of them for the winter. This can be done using burlap or a special cover. Representatives of the flora, which grow slowly, are undemanding to the soil and the presence of moisture, and molding pruning is well tolerated by them.

Among the most popular and often found shrubs in rock garden compositions, the ground cover cotoneaster is the leader. It remains decorative even in winter - and all due to its rich red berries. Also, some evergreen and deciduous species can boast of their decorative effect. Their dark green, glossy foliage will brighten up your flower garden even after a frost. One of these evergreen decorations can be Fortune's euonymus. Creeping along the surface of the earth, it will picturesquely frame the stones with its leaves, which have a white or yellow border. Dark green conifers serve as an ideal background for it. And he does not require special works when growing.

However, not all conifers fit into the rock garden composition. It is advisable to give your preference to the following dwarf slowly growing representatives of the flora:

• juniper horizontal, virgin or Cossack;
• mountain pine;
• ate prickly;
• spruce, for example, its widely famous variety"Little Jam";
• spruce Canadian Konik;
• weeping and small-sized varieties that resemble blue spruce pseudo-hemlock;
• ephedra tuevik for its picky and decorative effect, which is achieved through variegated twigs.

A good option for a do-it-yourself stone slide with flowers in the country can be already familiar varieties of firs and pines that grow in an ordinary forest. It is important to pinch them in a timely manner, cut and remove young shoots. Such care procedures lead to an increase in growth, which, in turn, turns the conifer into a dense ball. In addition, it will not be difficult for conifers to give the desired shape.

Choosing plants for an alpine slide is an exciting and painstaking task. Of course, you can use ready-made schemes, which are published in abundance in gardening magazines or on the Internet, but it is much more interesting to study and understand the features of growing future rock garden residents yourself. After all, who, besides you, knows what kind of microclimate is in your area, or what kind of soil you can actually provide to your plants. Alpine Hill is not a flowerbed with annuals, which can be easily transferred or radically change the composition of flowers on it. A rock garden is a rather complex object in garden design, its life is designed for more than one season, so you need to approach the process of selecting an assortment for it in a balanced and competent manner. Otherwise, all kinds of alterations and death of plants cannot be avoided.

Ideal plants for an alpine hill are considered to be low-growing and slow-growing woody plants (, cinquefoil, various conifers) and ground cover or cushion forms of herbaceous perennials that form picturesque rugs and curtains among stones. It can be both flowering species and decorative foliage.

Woody and comparatively tall herbaceous plants planted in the first place, placing them either in the background of the slide, or at its base. Such plants look most harmoniously next to large boulders, try to avoid possible symmetry when planting. Low perennials, forming picturesque curtains, are planted both at the base and closer to the top of the hill, visually separating them with taller forms of plants and stones.

Since the assortment of plants for an alpine slide usually includes slow-growing species, at the first stage the appearance of many bald spots between plants is inevitable, at first you can fill empty places with annuals that give a minimum of self-seeding. This includes large-flowered purslane, undersized marigolds, gazania, graceful gypsophila, sea lobularia, erinus lobelia - all these summer plants are sun-loving and drought-resistant plants, so they will easily “fit into the team”.

When planting any varieties and species nearby, it is necessary to take into account the “community of interests” - they must be combined with each other not only in appearance (height, texture, color of flowers and leaves), but also coincide in the rhythm of flowering, the rate of development and growth, the similarity of conditions for cultivation.

The top of the Alpine hill

The upper tiers of the Alpine slide as a rule, more than others are open to sunlight, but moisture lingers there less than in other parts of it. Therefore, only sun-loving and drought-resistant plant species are planted there.

A real decoration of the top of the hill can be iberis evergreen(Iberis sempervirens), its most beautiful variety ‘Weisser Zwerg’ is one of the shortest representatives of its species - no more than 8-10 cm in height, white curtains of iberis, blooming in May-June, will envelop the peak like a snow cover.

Iberis evergreen

If you can get fresh seeds (they germinate better) lumbago ordinary(Pulsatilla vulgaris), then do it, because it will give your alpine slide a special charm and even some mystery. The plant has a silvery pubescence, and large purple flowers usually appear in April. However, today in the flower market you can find both red and white flowers, and there are even terry varieties. The backache should be planted immediately in a permanent place, since it is very sick during transplantation and may even die.

In addition to the lumbago and the cleaner, there are many more pretty "Alpines" of noble silvery shades, such as fluffy tender wormwood schmidt(Artemisia schmidtiana) or three-veined anafalis

Wormwood Schmidt

Anafalis three-veined

Bright rich colors will add to the rock garden aster alpine(Aster alpinus), blooming with large daisies of different shades. And grace and elegance do not hold (Armeria maritima), which forms dense curtains of narrow leaves, from which long thin peduncles with pink balls of inflorescences appear in June.

Western and eastern slopes of the Alpine hill receive not so much sun as the southern middle and upper tiers. Here, the landing pockets are filled with soddy-gravelly earth with a fair amount of humus.

A wide variety of varieties are geuchera (Heuchera) which ones to plant depends on your personal preferences and overall colors. After all, it is the leaves of the most bizarre colors that are the main decoration of the geyhera, and its modest flowers only complement the gloss of an already spectacular appearance.

Fans of struggling with difficulties can be advised to plant a picky gentian (Gentiana) with its amazing pure blue color, which, although it will add to your worries, but in the case of a "successful cooperation" will repay you amazingly beautiful flowering. To help you settle down better on your slide, dig a large stone near its landing site - it will accumulate excess heat from the soil and at the same time retain moisture.

Carpathian bluebell (Campanula carpatica) not as capricious as gentian, but rather aggressive and can spread in different directions if given free rein. Better put it on western slope He's not very active there.

Carpathian bell

Thick carpeting gives bryozoan subulate(Sagina subulata), which bears white star-shaped flowers in June-July. Bryozoan is quite moisture-loving, so it is planted closer to the lower tier, where more moisture is retained.

Bryozoan subulate

Don't forget the primroses - primrose(Primula vulgaris), which, depending on the species and variety, can have both different colors and different flowering periods. For primrose, the northeast side will be the most suitable. And rare for autumn pink, pale lilac and purple colors will add , the mass landing of which will become a real decoration at the foot of the hill.

Primula vulgaris

Colchicum beautiful

For filling north side of the hill Ordinary garden soil, in which most flowers grow, will do. Shadow dominates here, so the choice of plants, especially flowering ones, is significantly limited.

Pozharsky's bell(Campanula poscharskyana) is very shade-tolerant, and its bluish-lilac flowers “spread” among the stones in bizarre streams.

Pozharsky's bell

Rezukha Caucasian(Arabis caucasica) and alpine(Arabis alpina) will add light on the north side with its profuse white blooms in spring. BUT Corydalis Haller (Corydalis halleri) blooms its light purple, white or pink flowers in May, but it is also decorative at other times, as it forms pretty bluish-green thickets of lacy leaves that create a light effect.

Corydalis Haller

The foot of the Alpine hill

The foot of the northern slope can decorate dushenia indian(Potentilla indica), which not only blooms yellow flowers, but also decorates itself with berries similar to strawberries. Here you can plant tenacious creeping(Ajuga reptans), which is not afraid of shading and blooms profusely.

Duchenea Indian

tenacious creeping

At the base of the alpine hill plant plants that need moist, fertile soil, depending on their light preferences.

In terms of light-loving, an almost universal plant is saxifrage(Saxifraga) and its various species. Saxifrage paniculata(Saxifraga paniculata) forms graceful compact bushes in the form of silvery pads, from which white-pink flowers appear on long peduncles in June. Shaxifrage shady in autumn, after the first frosts it acquires an unusual reddish tint. BUT soddy saxifrage(Saxifraga umbrosa) forms dense light green clumps that are covered with a dense cloud of pink or white flowers in spring.

Important color accent at the foot of the hill can put liatris spikelet(Liatris spicata) planted on the south side. In July, when the first hairy spiky inflorescences appear, liatris undoubtedly attracts everyone's attention to the rock garden.

Liatris spikelet

Of course, this is far from a complete range. alpine plants, which can be used in rock garden design, and in the future this list will be updated. But you can take it as a basis and make your own, in addition, various woody decorative forms, suitable for an alpine slide, ornamental cereals, bulbous and such a large group of plants as conifers, which means that the conversation is not over.

In our store you can purchase from private collectors and large agricultural firms. On sale there are always seeds of gentian, backache, carnations, bluebells, primroses and other interesting humpback (and not only!) species, both introduced into culture long ago and taken out of their habitats and introduced to garden conditions.

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 due to successful combination ornamental plants, flowers, trees and stones.

At the first stage of creating an alpine slide, the location and possible decor should be determined. Next you will need stone boulders 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. As a drainage, you can use special materials, and ordinary fallen leaves and small twigs. From above, the drainage is covered with soil and decorated with boulders and stones in the way you like best.

The main thing, do not forget: both the earth and the drainage will settle, so the height of the alpine slide itself will become lower than it was when laying.

After the slide is ready, the process of its "settlement" begins. Here your imagination should not be limited to absolutely nothing. The richness of the flora today has reached its climax, so you will not have any difficulties with choosing plants for the slide.

A good addition to the alpine slide can be paths paved with flat stones, plaster sculptures and the like. However, if you planned to arrange in an alpine slide or a small waterfall resembling a miniature natural mountain river, then you cannot do without expert advice.

Moreover, you should follow the advice during the planning of the slide, and not after its completion, otherwise you will have to destroy part of your own work. Of course, if you created a slide a long time ago, and now you decide to supplement it with bubbling water, this is another matter.

In order for the alpine slide to fulfill its purpose, it must be built taking into account certain rules. Not every plant is suitable for a rock garden, so careful selection is necessary, taking into account the timing of flowering plants, the possibility or inadmissibility of a joint neighborhood, the duration of flowering, and many other factors.

If all the landing conditions are met correctly, then the alpine slide will delight with beautiful and luxurious flowering all summer, and possibly autumn.

For this to happen, it is necessary for planting a slide to choose those plants that begin to bloom in turn. Thanks to this, the rock garden will constantly change and have a picturesque and well-groomed appearance.

To create alpine slides, for the most part, undersized plants are chosen. These are, for example, cinquefoil, salvia, low-growing varieties of nasturtium, spirea, daisies, primroses and many others.

In addition, slowly growing tree-like or, again, undersized coniferous specimens are planted on the hill, but a couple of them are added to create accents. large plants or shrubs.

In order for the alpine slide to become a decoration of the garden not only in summer, but also in winter, coniferous species should appear among the plants. Juniper and dwarf pine are well suited for this.

In addition to ornamental plants, 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 of sunlight, prefer to grow only on the south side.

Unpretentious or shade-loving plants grow well in the northern parts of the rock garden. And flowers such as bluebells, crocuses and chrysanthemums do well everywhere.

Thus, if you make very little effort and follow all of the above recommendations, you can create a real creation in your garden.

What plants are needed for rock garden?

Constructing a rock garden on the territory on their own, it is very important to know how to correctly and successfully choose plants that will not only look great, but also delight with their flowering for a long time. 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 plantations, 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 exposed 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 the appearance and flowering of the alpine hill. Plantings should harmonize with each other in size, color, growth rate, flowering time.

Since the rock garden is 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 is trying to bring some bright colors and greenery there that will transform the modest landscape design.

An excellent decorative object is an alpine hill, which is a heap of stones and plants that can become a real pride and decoration of any site.

What is an alpine slide and what plants are suitable for it - expert opinion

Read about everything here.

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Roses in garden design are used so often that they are leaders among all flowering plants in the preparation of landscape compositions. These "flower queens" are used to decorate flower beds and borders, hedges and arches. In our time, perhaps, it is impossible to meet a single summer cottage without a rose garden. And some of the most advanced gardeners even equip pink streams on their plots.

Seeing the photos of roses in landscape compositions presented on this page, you will surely get inspiration to create your own. garden compositions with roses.

Roses should be in every garden! Due to the variety of species and varieties, roses are indispensable in garden design. You can devote the whole garden to these flowers, and it will be interesting, memorable and varied. This is one of best plants for mono-flower beds, flower beds - "collections". Roses allow you to create many combinations, various compositions, combined with trees, and, of course,. They look spectacular paired with stone, wood, forged metal, concrete and even colored glass.

Rose flower beds can be of any design and shape. You are not limited in your choice of crops - roses look amazing in any environment, whatever they are: tall or low, ground cover or climbing.

Pay attention to the photo of roses in the flower garden: climbing varieties will help decorate an obelisk or figured support.

Rosary (monoflower) at their summer cottage

Most spectacular option- create a rose garden at the summer cottage (a mono-flower garden dedicated to only one culture - the rose). It can be compiled based on various principles: choose exactly one variety for planting or organize a flower garden - a "collection" by combining roses of different varieties together. You can bet on flowers of the same color or mix a bright "cocktail" of colors.

As you can see in the photo, a rose garden in a summer cottage can be assembled from flowers different types: for example, from hybrid tea, miniature and ground cover roses. Such a mono-flower garden will be “designer”, because it is a real sculptural group with a height difference, lined up horizontally and vertically, a difference in shapes and textures. Such a rose garden on the site can be placed in the front part of the garden.

Garden compositions with roses: border of roses

A border of roses can be planted near either a garden staircase, along a recreation area, gazebos, or a “dry stream”. You will get a kind of mini-hedge, only unlike the hedge, roses in the border are planted at large intervals, and you can, if you want, alternate them with other plants, for example, herbaceous perennials or bright annuals.

Hedge and arches of roses (with photo)

A rose hedge is spectacular and always appropriate. Pay attention to the photo of the hedge below - only high shrub varieties are chosen for its manufacture, best of all one variety:

Plant roses close to each other. Do not forget that these landings must be formed.

As you can see in the photo, rose arches are almost always made in the form of a gazebo. To do this, you need to build four 4 arches parallel to each other, decorate each with climbing roses. Flowers will cover the supports with a lush carpet. Under the arches of roses, you can put two benches opposite each other.

Rose solitaire. Roses will look especially beautiful in single plantings. Places for this kind of planting, choose the most noticeable, near the "strategic" objects of the garden, so that the rose can show its beauty to the maximum. Think carefully about what kind and variety better fit for your venture. especially beautiful single landings roses on the lawn, in places of difference in relief levels, next to large stones.

standard rose- a plant of exceptional beauty, and is planted only to decorate the front area, in other parts of the garden it is better to use roses with a natural bush shape for them.

Roses in vertical gardening

Vertical gardening of roses involves the use of climbing varieties. The supports must be strong, and their configuration can be any:

arches,

tapestries,

obelisks,

pergolas,

curly structures.

Arches and obelisks entwined with roses are especially beautiful, they can be put "just like that", as an accent.

A spiral support-spiral made of strong wire decorated with roses is beautiful - it allows you to create the effect of "three-dimensionality", besides, it is very practical - it is easy to manufacture, and in the cold season, roses are not removed from such a stand, they are removed with it into a shelter.

Another spectacular option is a support in the form of a large forged "umbrella", which is easy to buy. In general, supports made of any material can be used for roses - these versatile flowers are combined with various textures and shapes. You can also create an "invisible" tension wire support - for example, to decorate building facades with roses.

Design of a flower bed of roses and an alpine hill of roses

To create an alpine mountain from roses, use ground cover and miniature flowers - with them, the rock garden will immediately become "author's", exclusive.

Among the stones, miniature varieties will look great, and a ground cover rose can “descend” from a hill. Use varieties with bright flowers, combine them with white decorative gravel.

A rock garden can be arranged using roses alone - an unusual, but beautiful solution, and for some garden styles - just a godsend. Let's say you want a baroque garden with an alpine slide. But the "classic" slide does not go well with this style. The way out is a "slide" using roses or from roses alone.

A container garden of roses can be placed on the patio, recreation area, terrace, barbecue, gazebo. Containers can decorate the steps of the garden stairs. For this purpose, use miniature roses and floribunda roses. Be aware that all varieties, except climbing ones, can be planted in modules among paving or podiums.

You can combine in one design a flower bed of roses with a path, which will be bordered around the perimeter with a floral border. The Alpine Hill will also be dedicated to the rose: contrary to the canons, in addition to the Alpines, it will contain many miniature and ground cover varieties.

Pink stream and pink slope

Pink streams and pink slopes are another decorative technique in landscape design. You can arrange "dry" streams, as well as "dry" cascades and waterfalls, combining planting ground cover roses with large stones, pebbles and decorative gravel.

Decorative bridges will look good over such streams. Streams and waterfalls of roses are beautiful in combination with hidden lighting, as well as with decorative low lanterns in the form of a ball or luminous columns.

Miniatures with roses. To create miniatures, plant roses in separate groups, combining them with various shrubs, decorative leafy perennials and flowers. For these compositions, you can use stone, ceramics, forged elements, garden decorations, garden sculpture, mirrors, glass and other decorative elements.

Ground cover roses can be used to decorate steep slopes, making "blooming" slopes.

Roses in the landscape compositions of the garden (with photo)

Choose planting material different types and varieties. Roses are appropriate for any landscape and zoning of the site, their skillful seating will emphasize the originality of the idea. Arbor, pergola or screen will be covered climbing roses, and at its foot there will be a rose garden-collection with a sculpture.

Look at the photos of roses in landscape compositions with stone - this combination looks extremely impressive! A stream will flow down the slope from such an alpine hill, flowing into a small pond. And if you want, it will be a “dry” stream of ground cover roses, decorated with a decorative bridge. In the "rock garden", on a "clearing" of white gravel, plant your most beautiful exhibits.

Arrange containers with beautiful roses everywhere. As an accent, you can demonstrate to everyone the standard culture. Add to the general ensemble those perennials and annuals that will make up a worthy retinue of the "queen of flowers": plants with variegated and silver foliage, gypsophila, delphiniums, phloxes, lilies, decorative bows, hosts, actinidia,.