In alpine landscapes, plants of bizarre shapes and shapes are often found. A special place among them is 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 characteristics. In addition, the time of planting plants in open ground in various 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 is also important to consider when planning an alpine slide.

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 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 are open sunny places, green coniferous species are planted on any exposure of the hill, golden and variegated species prefer the western and southern ones, gray ones prefer the northern and eastern ones.

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 straight in the hole, and root collar- at ground level.

The landing pit is filled up with a soil mixture - leaf 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 rocky areas (5 - 6 m2), 1.5 m for large ones (more than 40 m2). Therefore, when choosing a coniferous assortment for alpine hills you need to take into account the estimated height of an adult plant. 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.

Creating an alpine slide is a fascinating process that requires not only imagination, but also attentiveness. Even one incorrectly selected plant can spoil the whole impression, breaking the harmony between the other inhabitants of the rocky garden. Therefore, you need to make the right choice from an extensive list of plants suitable for compiling an alpine slide composition.

To make the alpine slide look attractive throughout the season, you should select a place for planting plants, taking into account their flowering time and the principle of layering:

1. The top of the hill. It is more open to the sun's rays than the tiers below; therefore, it is rational to plant here plants that love sunlight and do not need in large numbers moisture.
2. middle tier- a place for plants that feel good in partial shade. Here, the average soil moisture, so the middle of the alpine hill can be called universal: milking most flowers here ideal conditions which gives you a wide range of choices.
3. The foot of the hill- logical ending landscape composition. The plants planted here should be combined with the rest of the rock garden and choose those that love moisture and tolerate shade. After all, most of the sun's rays will go to the neighbors from above.

To provide continuous flowering from early spring to late autumn, flowering plants should be selected according to the principle of rotation. Evergreen shrubs and dwarf trees will look great in winter, looking out from under the snow.

Creating an alpine slide is a fascinating process that requires not only imagination, but also attentiveness

Plant layouts in rock gardens

Before you start creating an alpine slide, you need to create a graphic scheme. It will reflect the general idea of ​​​​the composition, help to generate new ideas and even before planting the plants to find possible errors.

First of all, stones are designated. The largest should be at the base, and the rest should create a gentle slope so that there is room for soil and plant roots. You can experiment by coming up with terraces, sharp cliffs, a pond and other interesting solutions.

Here are a couple of examples of circuits:

1. spicy hill, on which fragrant flowers are located: oregano will occupy the top, heather, hyssop, monarda and medicinal sage will feel good on the middle tier, and basil, bright nasturtium and fragrant thyme will sit at the very base.
2. Coniferous hill: thuja, planted at the top, looks great surrounded by creeping juniper of the middle tier (you can use different types) and weeping cypress. The rock garden is completed by dwarf spruces or pines, the soil under which is disguised by a saxifrage carpet.

Each site owner has the opportunity to create a unique landscape slide design. After drawing up the scheme, you can start laying stones and soil, and then planting plants.

Gallery: plants for the alpine slide (25 photos)

What plants are suitable for an alpine slide (video)

Names and descriptions of perennial flowers for alpine hills

Perennials form the basis of the alpine slide. Therefore, their choice must be approached responsibly: the appearance of the composition depends on which plants will be chosen. You can introduce new colors and accents annually by planting annual plants.

Armeria maritime

A compact plant whose bushes form fluffy green cushions of narrow leaves. Above them rise numerous inflorescences (about 10), which are lilac balls. Outwardly, the armeria looks like a decorative bow. hardy plant, unresponsive to high humidity soil. Therefore, the armeria will feel good at the top of the hill or on the slope of the middle tier.

Dicentra exceptional

This plant is popularly called the "broken heart" for the original shape of the flowers. Usually dicentres are a large bush, but the Exceptional does not exceed 25 cm in height. It goes well with coniferous and creeping plants, so it will be an excellent highlight of the rock garden. The green-gray foliage of the dicentra is exceptionally similar to the leaves of a fern, and flowers in the form of disconnected halves of the heart can be white or pink.

Dicentra exceptional

gypsophila

The plant belongs to the clove family. It has an erect or creeping stem with a small number of small lanceolate leaves, crowned with panicle inflorescences with small white (rarely pink) flowers.

bulbous flowers

These are crocuses, daffodils, snowdrops and blueberries. They appear immediately after the descent of the tender cover, reviving the landscape in a spring way. For variety, you can plant varietal Greig tulips with beautifully shaped flowers reaching 30 cm in height, and Kaufman tulips.

gypsophila

rejuvenated

stone rose, as it is also called young, is distinguished by excellent endurance. At the same time, the plant is very beautiful: its fleshy angular leaves are collected in rosettes. They can be both quite miniature and up to 10 cm in diameter. The color of the leaves varies from gray-green to burgundy. A stone rose is suitable for decorating the slopes of an alpine hill. Looks spectacular young, growing in the cracks between the boulders.

Primrose

Primrose (popular name of primrose) is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its advantages: early flowering, variety of shapes and colors of flowers, pleasant smell. Primula is undersized (height 10–30 cm), when planted alone, it forms a small bush with leathery leaves and bright inflorescences that attract bees. If you plant primroses close to each other, you get a motley carpet.

Edelweiss

In the people, the plant is also called the mountaineer. It loves the sun and grows wild on the well-lit sides of mountains. Therefore, it will adequately take a central place on the hill - its top. In summer, edelweiss will surprise you with beautiful star-shaped flowers.

How to make an alpine slide with your own hands (video)

Creeping and ground cover plants for an alpine slide

Ground cover plants are an integral component of the alpine landscape on the site. They decorate the soil and make the slopes of the hill truly alive.

For example, this:

1. Antennaria(). undersized plant, whose peduncles do not rise above 15 cm. It has small leaves with a silvery tint and pubescence create a dense carpet on the ground up to 5 cm thick. Basket inflorescences white color, so the cat's paw cannot be called a bright plant that attracts glances. But it is very durable!
2. periwinkle. Forms an evergreen rug that blooms from May to September with delicate blue flowers scattered among leathery small leaves. Suitable for growing under the sun and on a shady slope: the plant is unpretentious to light.
3. Alpine dwarf low plant, forming a decorative turf, which does not exceed a height of 3 cm. In May and June, inflorescences up to 15 cm appear on it, which are brushes with numerous white flowers.
4. Saxifrage. One of the most popular ground cover plants. Their flowering time is in the middle of summer, and the color of different types differs: from snow-white to maroon. He loves light, so you need to plant on the western or southern slope of the alpine hill or closer to its top.
5. Aubrieta. Covers the ground with a lush carpet. It blooms profusely throughout the spring, and during this period it is covered with pink and purple flowers. It loves sun and loamy soils, although it grows well in any soil.
6. Awl-shaped phlox. A plant 15–17 cm tall, named for its narrow and pointed leaves at the ends. The shoots are densely covered with numerous inflorescences of pink, white or lilac color. Flowering begins in May-June, and it continues in early September.

On the same hill, several types of ground cover plants coexist if they are in harmony with each other. Given their flowering time, you can make sure that the soil is covered with a bright carpet from spring to autumn.

Ground cover plants are an integral component of the alpine landscape on the site

Shrubs for alpine slides

It is not recommended to use deciduous shrubs in landscaping alpine slides, because their leaves, stuck in the cracks between the stones, are difficult to remove, and the composition will look untidy. It is better to opt for small evergreen bushes.

For example, cotoneaster horizontal whose branches grow parallel to the ground. They are decorated with small leathery leaves, which acquire a crimson color with the onset of autumn. After flowering, small red berries appear, remaining on the branches all winter and giving the cotoneaster a special charm.

An interesting solution would be to use boxwood barberry. Its bush grows no higher than 50 cm, it represents a spreading crown of numerous branches. Very unpretentious plant well tolerated by frost and drought. Loves the light, but when grown in the shade retains its decorative properties.

In landscaping alpine slides, it is better to opt for small evergreen bushes

Dwarf plants for rock garden

Alpine slide- This is a repetition of the mountain landscape in miniature, so for naturalness you need to use small plants. large bushes will occupy half of the composition and divert attention from other inhabitants of the rocky garden.

You can use dwarf varieties of herbaceous plants(for example, annual marigolds or alpine aster). It is desirable that their height does not exceed 30 cm. And, of course, dwarf conifers are the regulars of rock gardens: spruce, pine, etc. Thanks to them, the hill really looks like a reduced copy of the alpine relief.

Ephedra for alpine hills

To create an alpine landscape, undersized species and varieties of conifers are used:

1. dwarf firs, whose height does not exceed 60 cm. They lend themselves well to shaping and require almost no maintenance. The shape of the crown in different varieties can be sprawling or pyramidal.
2. Juniper. Species look spectacular, the branches of which grow parallel to the ground. The needles of the plant often have yellow tint, and the branches are decorated with small cones. Juniper in the wild can be seen on the slopes of the mountains, therefore it is undemanding to the soil and grows well on stones.
3. thuja- a shrub or tree of a pyramidal shape, less often it is cut in the form of a ball.
4. Mountain pine "Pug" grows very slowly and by the age of 10 has a crown with a diameter of up to 50 cm, which allows planting a tree on an alpine hill. Green needles have a pleasant blue tint.
5. cypress: its decorative dwarf varieties will effectively decorate the rock garden slope. You can choose a bush with golden, silver or traditional dark green needles. And the Philifera cypress has hanging branches, which looks like a coniferous cascade.

Alpine Hill - a reduced copy of the highlands. Usually, in the central part of such a flower bed, a cobblestone or several cobblestones are installed, which are a symbol of a mountain peak. Terraces are created on the slopes, on which low-growing vegetation is planted.

In the natural environment, such areas are formed in the place where natural fractures of rocks appear. Under the influence environment appears on them fertile layer, on which plants subsequently grow. To recreate such a mountain landscape in your backyard or dacha, you need certain knowledge.

For such a large-scale structure as a rocky flower bed is suitable spacious plot . When building an alpine slide with your own hands, you should strive to ensure that the composition of vegetation and cobblestones looks naturally.

Video. Alpine slide device

Creating an alpine slide with your own hands

Alpine slide, made by hand, will decorate the entire local area. To decide on the design of your future rocky garden, you can study photographs of alpine slides. In order to create such a composition, you must adhere to certain rules and a specific work order.

Step-by-step instructions for creating an alpine slide with your own hands

First, determine the location. In order to do this, you need to pay attention to lighting. For a rock garden, a site is suitable that is illuminated as long as possible. sun. Also, the composition should be clearly visible from all sides.

1. Designation base contour(soles) slides and removal of the upper fertile layer to a depth of about 30 cm.
2. Device drainage system. The bottom layer can be made of gravel small size, pieces of brick or, in extreme cases, from construction debris. After that, a layer of sand about five centimeters thick is laid. A fertile layer of earth is laid on top of the sand. You can do without a drainage system if a slope with not too dense soil is chosen for arranging an alpine hill.
3. At this stage, start placement of stones And core erection slides. Of all the stones, the largest and most beautiful cobblestone is chosen. He will be the main one in the lower tier. The stone must be stable. To do this, you can add soil or gravel. The classic alpine slide in the country house consists of an odd number of tiers. Between these tiers, moist soil is laid, which must be well compacted.
   Tip: when laying stones, symmetry should be avoided. Between the stones, you can leave places for planting plants or group stones next to each other. It is also necessary to immediately determine the supporting stones on which it will be possible to stand when caring for vegetation. They should be sealed and fixed.
4. plant vegetation.

Alpine slide plants - selection rules

Building an alpine slide with your own hands requires knowledge and certain skills. This is especially true for the choice of vegetation. The first step is to decide on the color palette of the rock garden. After that, you should draw a sketch of the future rocky garden. To trace the color scheme, you need to decorate the sections of the slide with the appropriate colors. Only after that you can start choosing a plant for an alpine hill to the country.

Alpine slide with your own hands. A photo

look good low coniferous plants. You can also use small shrubs that bloom in spring and bear fruit in autumn.

Coniferous plants that are suitable for landscaping an alpine slide with their own hands

• dwarf spruce. This plant tolerates drought well;
• juniper. This unpretentious plant grows in its shape resembles a cone. Foliage - green;
• thuja grows in the form of a bush. In good light, it acquires a reddish-brown color;
• cypress- a plant with a golden apex and a dark green base.

Deciduous plants for an alpine slide

For landscaping an alpine slide with your own hands, you should not choose deciduous plant species. Since fallen leaves must be cleaned regularly so as not to harm other vegetation. For slides choose the following plants:

• cotoneaster horizontal. This shrub with a dense crown has dark green foliage in the warm season, and acquires a reddish tint by autumn. The plant blooms with small flowers;
• iberis. Semi-shrub that does not lose its attractiveness throughout the season. The flowers, collected in an umbrella-shaped brush, are painted in white, pink or purple. Later, in their place, fruits appear in the form of pods;
• dryad. A miniature shrub with large white flowers. The flowering period falls on July-August. Later, fruits of an unusual shape appear in their place. They look like fluffy balls.

Flowers for the Alpine slide

For the construction of a classic alpine slide with their own hands, low, creeping, "carpet" plants are used. It is best to give preference to perennials. The following flowers can be used for landscaping:

• carnation short stem. This low-growing, rich-flowering plant with narrow gray-blue-green leaves is unpretentious. Suitable for landscaping open sunny areas;
• beetroot rocky- perennial, the leaves of which are painted in a gray-green color. A feature of this plant is that its leaves remain green even in winter. In multi-flowered inflorescences-panicles are small bright yellow leaves;
• young- perennial plant with a wide color palette of leaves. They can be green, silvery, yellowish, pink, burgundy;
• saxifrage- traditional inhabitants of rock gardens. Flowering period - May-August. Five-petal flowers are painted in white, pink or yellow.

In order for the alpine hill in the country to please with its beauty every year, bulbous and bulbous flowers should be planted. To create a contrasting background, long-flowering crops are suitable. Also, a well-groomed lawn will be an ideal frame.

What to do if the alpine hill settles in the spring?

Sometimes an alpine slide, made in violation of the construction technology, can settle. There may be several reasons for this.

• Poorly matched plot or lack drainage. It is better to equip a rock garden on a natural hill or on a site with a slope. If the slide is located on loamy or clay soils, then it is necessary to make a drainage layer. For these purposes, gravel or stones can be used.
  Tip: It is not recommended to use construction debris for drainage. It is better to give preference to small pebbles or specialized drainage stones.
• Wrongly matched substrate, vegetation And cobblestones. For an alpine slide with your own hands, it is better to choose the following mixture of earth: compost, sand and peat in equal proportions.

How to avoid flower bed shrinkage

• take into account the slope of the site and the type of soil;
• make a drainage layer and let the earth sag in time;
• for planting, choose vegetation with powerful rhizomes;
• correctly select vegetation, cobblestones and soil substrate;
• remove fallen leaves in time, dig up wilted plants, weed weeds.

Alpine hill of conifers

To create rock gardens, not only traditional "Alpines", but also coniferous plants can be used. For these purposes, pines, thuja, shooting juniper, barberry, gray or Japanese spirea, conic spruce are ideal. In the classic version, only shrubs and trees should not be present. They should grow there in small numbers.

Stones for alpine slides

For such rocky gardens, natural flat cobblestones of various sizes are suitable. original form. You should also give preference to stones with a heterogeneous surface, with all kinds of "inclusions", recesses in which you can plant moss or small plant. Limestones, boulders, sandstones, granite, slates look good.

Decorating an alpine slide with your own hands

Stones and vegetation are used to decorate the alpine slide. In order to properly arrange them, you must follow some recommendations, namely:

• laying stones begins from the bottom row, moving up;
• for the top of the composition, you must choose the most beautiful cobblestone;
• for each large stone, it is necessary to make a “foundation” of one to three flat stones;
• stones should be laid in such a way that their tops are parallel to each other;
• several stones should be stacked so that they can be walked on;
• after laying each row, a layer of earth is laid, which is well compacted and spilled with water;
• at the top of the hill they set the most beautiful cobblestone.

Rock garden and rockery: differences and similarities

Rock garden and rockery - two various ways flower bed devices. Rockery is a flower bed of stones, most of which is occupied by stones of the same breed. Cobblestones are stacked parallel to each other or in random order. Randomly placed stones imitate the natural environment. Vegetation is also present in rockeries, but in the form of a background that plays a secondary role. In an alpine hill, bright vegetation comes to the fore.

Alpine slide with your own hands. Video instructions

Video. Do-it-yourself Alpine slide

Alpine slide with your own hands. Video

Alpine hill with a waterfall. Video instruction

Alpine slides for many years have been an integral attribute of almost any suburban area. And even if you have a small area of ​​​​land, there will definitely be a corner for an alpine slide. It will be easiest to invite a professional landscape designer, but at the same time, creating a site design with your own hands is very exciting and interesting.

Since the alpine hill is a mountain landscape in miniature, then the plants should be selected appropriately, conifers will look especially good.

The first thing to do is to study the characteristics of conifers, their varieties, and select those that fit your criteria, that is, the height of the tree, the color of the needles, and the intensity of growth. Remember that taller perennials will grow in the background of the slide, which will require more moisture. So you need to think about watering them in advance.

by the most suitable plants for alpine slides are low and slowly growing trees: various conifers, spirea, cinquefoil, juniper, spruce, fir, pine, thuja. Herbaceous perennials are also good, which grow into a beautiful thick carpet. Among them can be both flowering and decorative species.

Since almost all the plants that are planted in the alpine hill are perennials, they all grow at different speeds, but at the same time rather slowly. In this case, it is best to dilute the planting of perennials with annuals, so that the height and density of plants can equalize in the first year and a half.

But be careful with the choice of annuals - many of them produce a lot of self-seeding seeds, which in the future can create problems in the form of unnecessary weeds. Such plants are well suited: undersized marigolds, gazania, sea lobularia. Before planting, carefully study the care and needs of plants so that they coincide with the main perennials.

Marigolds are undersized

Also, in addition to perennial and annual plants, stones and boulders of different sizes are used to create a slide, which are laid out according to the intended composition. Therefore, all plants are planted at a small distance from each other - somewhere around 20-30cm. Those places where there are no stones are usually covered with fine gravel.

If you have a small, rocky area (about 6 square meters), then the height of the plants for the slide should not be more than 50-70cm. For large plots with an area of ​​​​more than 30 sq.m. - the height of the crown can reach more than one and a half meters. Therefore, as we said earlier, you need to know in advance about such things as the growth of an adult tree in order to harmoniously combine all the plants on the alpine hill with each other.

Now we will analyze the features of some coniferous plants, the height of which in its final form does not exceed one and a half meters.

Dwarf species of mountain pine:

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

"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; the height of an adult plant is 0.5 m; diameter - 0.5 m; the color of the needles is greenish-blue.

Dwarf pine Winter gold

Dwarf species of juniper:

Chinese juniper - crown shape - semicircular; height - 0.7 m; diameter - up to 1.0 m; the color of the needles is green or bluish-gray.

Juniper scaly - crown shape - cushion-shaped, compact; height - 0.5 - 0.1 m; diameter - 1.5 m; the color of the needles is bright, silver-blue. Frost resistant variety.

Common juniper - crown shape - creeping; height - 0.2 - 0.3 m; diameter - 1.0 m; the color of the needles is green. Frost resistant variety.

Juniper Cossack - crown shape - pillow-shaped; height - 0.5 - 0.8 m; diameter - 1.5 m; the color of the needles is dark green or bluish-green. Frost resistant variety.

Lying juniper - crown shape - semi-creeping, dense; height of an adult plant - 1.0 m; diameter - up to 2.5 m; the color of the needles is green or bluish-gray.

juniper chinensis

Dwarf types of thuja:

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

"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. Frost resistant variety.

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

Thuja Hoseri

Dwarf species of spruce:

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

Norway spruce Little Gem

Finally, we would like to say that the most milestone in creating an alpine slide is its planning. After all, you will have to familiarize yourself with a lot of material regarding many plants before you can choose the ones you need. So take your time, think everything over, and think big, presenting a finished composition when your trees are 2-3 years old. And only after approving each plant, get to work. I wish you success!

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​3 main zones​

They include alpine slides, consisting of sharp stones and slow-growing plants, mainly wormwood, coniferous and cereal species.

"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.

Evergreens that harmoniously and naturally complement the rocky ensemble of the alpine hill:

tenacious - groundcover, rapidly growing under the influence of the sun.

Another point - when you form a composition of stones, periodically move away from the hill at a distance of 3-5 meters to assess its harmony and integrity.

When choosing a place to create a rock garden on your land, you need to consider that you are creating an accent designed to decorate your garden, therefore, you need to place an alpine slide in an open space so that it is a site with good visibility from all sides. As a rule, an alpine slide is broken in the center or on the edge of a grassy lawn. It is best to orient the rock garden to the south or southwest - this way it will be well lit by the sun and receive enough heat.

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Conifers in the landscape design of the garden

​For a coniferous design, you will need much more large stones than if you were creating a classic alpine slide. Also, in our case, it is not necessary to make a foundation, since conifers are not alpine plants, any relief can be used to place them. Plant coniferous plants between stones, but make sure that tall plants do not obscure the short ones. Give preference to miniature and slow growing crops. Fill the free space with pebbles, gravel or crushed bark. To keep the garden always neat, be sure to lay geotextiles under the backfill - this will help get rid of weeds. The conifers themselves, especially the miniature creeping forms, are planted according to the composition like flowering "alpines": so that over time they creep over the stones, form beautiful cascades. For such a "garden" you will need a lot of conifers, but the result is worth it.

Alpine slides are magnificent imitations of mountain reliefs, in which stones of different sizes are combined with plants characteristic of high-altitude landscapes. Despite the fact that rock gardens are, first of all, stone gardens, it is very difficult to imagine them without plants. It is the delightful drought-resistant, hardy and undemanding plant species that bring bright colors, touching contrasts, openwork textures to the alpine hills, enliven cold and gloomy landscapes with a unique variety of greenery and flowers. In addition to love for long dry periods, plants for an alpine slide should also take root well on poor stony soils, retain their decorative effect at least during the entire active garden season (and preferably all year). Of the large plants, perhaps most of all these requirements are met by such different, but delightfully decorative representatives of conifers.

Landscape design of coniferous plants (with a photo of hedges)

- a winter-hardy shade-tolerant plant with an irregular narrow crown, which can acquire a spiral shape, be in the form of a pyramid or column. Often has multiple tops. He loves loamy soil and grows about 5 cm a year.

​: top, middle and bottom. Each of them has its own design features and different conditions for the growth of flowers:

Garden design with conifers: border and heather garden

Northeastern parts of the rock garden

to the compositions

"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 spruce

Design from coniferous plants: forest corner and alpine landscape

Norway spruce and Canadian;

Fern - looks great at the foot of the alpine hill. After wintering, the rock garden is ready for planting in the spring. Usually, these are plants characteristic of the highlands of the Alps. Shrubs are planted first, then herbaceous plant species, and finally, ground cover "alpines". Plants for the rock garden should be selected in such a way that the hill looks spectacular at any time of the year, delighting the eye with the flowering of spring primroses, bright foliage of ground cover flora and evergreen conifers.

Alpine hill in the center of the green lawn will become the dominant element in the landscape design of your site

Design from coniferous plants: forest and garden

In the design of a garden of conifers on a slope, you can plant: juniper scaly, Chinese, Cossack, ordinary (different varieties), prickly spruce, gray spruce, conic spruce, bird's nest spruce, mountain pine, pea-bearing cypress, yew berry, thuja western , thuja spherical. Most of these plants need to be covered from the spring sun with lutrasil. The exception is prickly spruce. Mountain pine needs to be covered only in the first three years after planting.

The best conifers for alpine hills include miniature and dwarf forms of Canadian spruce, microbiota, mountain and Weymouth pines, junipers (rocky, Cossack, horizontal, scaly), Canadian hemlock, western thuja, Japanese yew. Let's get to know these 11 beauties better.​

Pseudotsuga Menzies

​Microclimate​

Shade-tolerant and shade-loving types are usually used, such as shade saxifrage, ferns, anemones and corydalis.

European style

Plot design with miniature conifers

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

Juniper Cossack, rocky or ordinary.

Primula - spring primrose.

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Types and schemes of the rock garden device

To plant a plant in the ground, a hole is dug between the stones, the bottom of which is strengthened with gravel, where the plant is then placed. After planting, the ground around is rammed and mulched with fine gravel.​

The terraced alpine slide will harmoniously fit into the natural relief of the garden

In order to design a site with dwarf-sized conifers, it is not necessary to buy them. You can not only buy original miniature conifers in nurseries, but also prepare them yourself.

• The mountain pine has surprisingly beautiful forms of a flattened airy crown with almost spherical “caps” of long straight needles. Among mountain pine varieties, there are both fast-growing and slow-growing, which are best suited for alpine slides. Mountain pines are selected according to the level of shade tolerance, decorative qualities, and maximum height. They tolerate drought well, do not need fertilizers, watering, shelter for the winter. A lot of varieties of mountain pine seem to be created for an alpine hill. For example, the surprisingly squat, not exceeding half a meter in height variety "Hesse" (Hesse) can boast of an unusual dark color of needles, and the creeping mountain pine "Mugus" (Mughus), even if it reaches one and a half meters in height, will not overload any ensemble with its light crown . An even higher variety "Columnaris" (Columnaris) loves the bright sun and is absolutely undemanding to the soil, taking root even where it is sorely lacking. Meter "Kobold" (Kobold) is also delightfully good in rock gardens, always looking original thanks to the bright green color of short needles. Of all the mountain pines, Humpy is better than others adapted to the lower tiers of an alpine hill, because this pine tolerates shading very well. - in appearance it is very similar to prickly spruce. However, due to the wax coating, it has a bluish tint and softer needles are somewhat randomly arranged, which gives the plant a unique “shaggy” look. Grows well in both sunny and shady areas. He loves loamy soils and grows by 4-6 cm a year. It requires regular prevention from fungal diseases.
• the top of the stone hill For
• These include the types of landscapes closest to us, where primacy is given to flowering slow-growing plants. They are selected in such a way as to ensure flowering in rock gardens throughout the garden season, constantly replacing each other and maintaining its unique appearance. "Nidiformis" - crown shape - nest-like, with a deep middle; height of an adult plant - 0.5 - 1.0 m; diameter - 0.8 - 2.0 m; needle color - dark green.
• Shrubs that form an intermediate tier between low trees and ground cover crops in rock gardens: Stakhis is an unpretentious plant with bluish fluffy leaves.
• Proper placement of plants will promote their growth and enhance the aesthetic sound of the alpine slide When laying the alpine slide, places adjacent to buildings and in the shade of massive trees should be avoided, however, shrubs or trees may be present in the background, at some distance create a background for the spectacular perception of the rock garden. Not bad when the rock garden is inscribed in the existing landscape land plot, located on a gentle slope or in a ravine, fitting into the natural elevation differences - lowlands and uplands of the site.
• They are bred using clusters of branches (they are called "witch's brooms") by grafting onto an ordinary conifer of the same species. Therefore, you need to find several such “witch brooms” in the forest, cut the cuttings. Another type of pine, the weymouth pine, does not exceed 1 meter in height, representing a charming sight due to its rounded crown and the finest silvery needles. It also feels great with light shading.
• For the design of the rock garden, it is also good for its abundance of sun, the highest temperature and low moisture content, so for this part it is better to select light-loving, drought-resistant species that do not require special care. In this case, a snow-white carpet of iberis, or a colorful masterpiece of perennial cushion carnations, which will fill your garden with a delicate pleasant smell throughout the summer, can be ideal in this case. watering and adoring the abundance of the sun.

Recently, they have become very popular

"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. ​

Choosing a place to stay

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

Hostas - grow in the form of rosettes of leaves of various colors - in white, blue, golden veins.

The center of the composition of the rock garden-conifer can be a dwarf weeping tree

Strive for the trees and shrubs in the background of the rock garden to be uniform in color. The motley background will distract from the whole perception of the alpine slide as an accent element of the landscape of the site.​

You need to graft in the butt: on the grafted branch and on the scion, make an oblique cut, connect the branches to each other, fasten tightly and cover garden pitch. Know that conifers are poorly grafted, in best case this will succeed with half the cuttings. As a result, you will get miniature conifers growing slowly growing - no more than 2 cm per year.

Hemlock is an amazing coniferous plant with a cone-shaped crown and thin hanging shoots, beautiful bark with deep furrows and scales. For alpine slides, representatives of Canadian hemlock are most adapted. In nature, it reaches a height of 60 meters, but decorative species often do not exceed one meter. This evergreen beauty has uniquely beautiful needles, flat, linear-lanceolate, with white veins or double color, creating a very lush twig. Strongly branched dwarf variety "Hussi" with densely set needles along the contours is similar to mountain pine. The inimitable variety "Jeddeloh" is also a dwarf hemlock with a rarely seen spiral arrangement of branches, a rounded crown and light green needles. "Minima" - amazingly openwork, emerald green, absolutely spherical in shape of the hemlock crown with small needles that create a unique pattern. Very similar to compressed into a dense uneven ball and hemlock "Minuta" with larger needles, densely located on lush twigs. Variety "Nana" (Nana), with its horizontal, wide branches, seems to be stretching shoots towards the viewer.

spruce varieties

Middle part of the hill

Sun-loving drought-tolerant plants are best suited. Bathing suit flowers can become a real decoration of the slide.

Czech rocks

"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. Dwarf forms of spruce Canadian or gray

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. Plants can be arranged into groups in two ways: 1) by contrast in shape or color; 2) by transitional forms, which, as it were, continue each other, creating dynamics of growth or decrease in composition.​

An effective solution for a rock garden in the form of a stone fence - a motley flower cover

Preparatory work for laying

It is important to know that a rock garden made of conifers can become a fairly unpretentious landscape design option when the stone composition is diluted with evergreen shrubs and trees.

A staircase leading up the slope can be beautifully complemented by an alpine slide that imitates a rocky landscape

Armed with patience and imagination, you can easily create a rock garden with your own hands. Let's look at how to properly plan and lay an alpine slide without the involvement of specialized specialists. Please note that the main component in the construction of a rock garden is a group of stones of various sizes, the “gray silence” of which is diluted with representatives of the flora characteristic of the alpine area - conifers, cover and saxifrage plants. By creating a rock garden in a country house or near a country house, you form a mountainous fragment of nature that resembles a natural one, therefore, stones and plants must be placed randomly, in a natural way.​

More than 60 species of a wide variety of conifers belong to the genus Juniper. All of them are united by light-loving, the need for a thick layer of drainage and watering once a month and leaves collected in whorls of three, resembling needles in young junipers, but scaly in adults. The juniper horizontalis is a low-growing species of juniper with needle-shaped needles, absolutely resistant and undemanding. The Adpressa variety with bright green needles grows very quickly, but Wiltonii, Prince of Wales and Glauca, which do not exceed 30 cm in height, differ bluish shade of muted emerald needles and grow more slowly, but do not like drying out. Various varieties of Cossack juniper are distinguished by a beautiful exfoliating crown and widely spread branches. The turquoise-green shade of the needles of the Rockery Gem, Nana, Cupressifolia varieties looks very original in a duet with stones, and the light-loving and drought tolerance of these junipers are combined with absolute winter hardiness. Dwarf forms of rocky juniper have incredibly beautiful lush bluish needles, an elegant ovoid crown shape, looser at the top than at the base. Representatives of this species grow very quickly. But scaly junipers grow more slowly, they have sharp, lanceolate needles with a beautiful grayish color.

(Serbian, Oriental, prickly, common), mountain pine, elfin cedar, Korean fir, larch, microbiota, hemlock, tuevik and many others.

It receives less heat and light, but it is more hydrated and it is best to use ramonda, phlox, lobelia erinus, crocuses and daffodils for its design.

The rock garden will always look great if you correctly agree on the timing of the flowering of the plants planted in it, allowing you to admire the change of colors and shades throughout the warm season, starting in spring, when the Carpathian bluebell, excellent tulip, saxifrage, narcissus, blueberry, Japanese quince, stonecrop, snowdrop, and until late autumn (gentian, cinquefoil, small-petal and yarrow).

, which are also called "layered" or "slotted" rock gardens. Their appearance is closest to natural and is perfectly used in the design of large gardens and estates. This type of design is unmistakable as it uses flat stones of varying sizes and thicknesses with nearly parallel surfaces that are placed under different angles to the ground and to each other, and in between they grow various alpine plants.

Creation of the main composition of stones

"Conica" - crown shape - conical, dense; height of an adult plant - 1.0 - 1.2 m; diameter - 0.5 - 0.7 m; the color of the needles is green. May be damaged by sunburn.

It is necessary to prepare a substrate for planting coniferous plants on an alpine hill according to their biological characteristics. In addition, the time of planting plants in open ground in 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 is also important to consider when planning an alpine slide.

Periwinkle and carnation - traditional inhabitants of alpine hills

When choosing a stone for a rock garden, you need to pay attention to its size, shape and surface features. Given that the rock garden imitates a mountain landscape, where the stones are polished by precipitation and winds, they have an incorrect, but natural form, for an alpine slide it is undesirable to use a rounded stone of river origin or stone scrap with sharp edges.​

The starting point for creating a rocky hill can be a rock garden diagram, drawn to scale, where you pre-plan the location of the stones and the planting of plants. If the rock garden is supposed to be placed in the depths of the garden, you need to consider the paths and paths leading to it.

Selection and planting of plants

The rock garden serves as a bright decoration of the garden, standing out against the background of a green lawn

Thuja western with an ovoid or pyramidal crown and scaly small needles grows very slowly. Dwarf forms do not exceed 1 meter in height and often do not have a pyramidal, but a spherical crown, representing one of the most visually massive plants for an alpine hill, resembling boxwood bushes from afar. The charming variety "Globosa Nana" (Globosa Nana) does not grow above 30 cm at all, representing an elegant, lush ball with the smallest needles, resembling long fur with a refreshing green color. Slightly larger "balls" offers a variety of "Danica" (Danica) with a yellow-green color of denser needles. All representatives of the western thuja can grow both in the sun and in partial shade.

Creeping and ground cover plants are excellent decorators for alpine slides, perfectly decorating the gaps between the stones, giving the slide an unimaginably picturesque look. Another plus in favor of these low, but surprisingly beautiful plants is the protection of the composition from drying out and weeds.

The lower tier of the rock garden

At the same time, the basic law of creating a slide is the inadmissibility of planting large plants next to small ones in order to avoid drowning and shading some species by others and hiding the beauty of stones under their lush foliage.

How to choose the right stone?

Plants belonging to the alpine flora are quite rare in garden plots and therefore are of particular interest to connoisseurs of garden art. Such species are practically not used for curb or lawn plantings, because they require a special position and rarely take root in the wrong place.

"Alberta Globe" - crown shape - cushion-shaped, dense; height - 0.5 - 0.8 m; diameter - 0.7 - 1 m; needle color - green.

Light-loving alpine plants that are planted on the southern slope of the alpine hill:

A good choice for rock garden would be limestone or sandstone. Dolomite is suitable - sedimentary rock, slate with a layered structure, basalt, travertine, calcareous tuff, light gneiss. A particularly valuable specimen for a rock garden will be a forest boulder overgrown with moss and lichen.

• A bench lost in the depths of the garden, surrounded by a wild corner of nature from the Alps, can be a great place for a secluded holiday
• Depending on the principle by which stones are selected and placed, rock gardens are of the following types:
• The dwarf Canadian spruce also seems quite voluminous due to the dense crown, which creates the effect of splendor and massiveness of the plant. The needles are located extremely densely, creating an almost carpet texture of a cone-shaped crown. She is quite unpretentious, but needs protection from strong wind(it can not be planted on the leeward side of the rock garden) and watering during a long drought. In the open sun, burns often form on a dense and lush crown, so a spruce growing at the foot of an alpine hill will feel better. Gray varieties of Canadian spruce require more active watering than ordinary grassy greens.
• These cultures include:
• usually highly humid and least sunlit. Light coolness and partial shade reign here, therefore, to decorate the foot of a stone hill, it is best to choose shade-tolerant plants that love abundant watering, such as ferns, bathing suits, shady saxifrages, corydalis. Often, for greater resemblance to the Alpine mountains, the lower part of the hill is planted with coniferous plants.
• In a general sense, a rock garden is a collection of undersized and graceful species growing on a flower garden among a well-visible stone composition, and this must be taken into account when planning it.
• It is very important to create exactly the right composition that will allow alpine plants to feel comfortable and delight the eye for many years.
• Dwarf forms of junipers
• JUNIPER

Adonis is a perennial with bright colors.

To form an alpine slide, it is necessary to select a stone of different sizes - from huge boulders to fine gravel

• It looks spectacular when a stony winding path or a dry stream of small stones crosses an alpine hill, and nearby there is a bench or a grotto with a bench, from where you can admire the result of your landscape creativity.
• rock
• The evergreen microbiota is a magnificent tracery ground cover shrub resembling a creeping juniper. Its thin, branched branches are arranged in strict tiers one above the other, creating an amazing pattern of scaly or needle-shaped needles. It grows very slowly and even in the garden will not exceed 2 meters, and on an alpine hill, most likely, it will be limited to a meter height. It can be planted anywhere in the rock garden. Its long, almost horizontal branches, reminiscent of bright green lace, stretching over the stones, echo the fronds of ferns, linking together conifers and other plants of the alpine hill.
• Zvezdovka
• If you have a flower bed, then you can organize drip irrigation from plastic bottles with your own hands.
• In order to choose the right culture for your rock garden, there are several
• Alpine slides are placed, usually focusing on south side and on
• Lying juniper "Nana" - crown shape - semi-creeping, dense; height of an adult plant - 1.0 m; diameter - up to 2.5 m; the color of the needles is green or bluish-gray.

Juniper planting on an alpine hill is carried out in early spring or in 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. The soil mixture for juniper is turf, peat and river sand (2: 1: 1). Fertilizer for juniper is applied in the spring - nitroammofoska - 30 - 40 g / m2. Locations on the hill are open sunny places, green coniferous species are planted on any exposure of the hill, golden and variegated species prefer the western and southern ones, gray ones prefer the northern and eastern ones. Juniper care includes 2-3 times watering per season, and spraying in the evening once a week, mulching the soil with peat.​

Atsena - does not lose foliage in winter, and flowers after flowering take the form of red needle balls.

An excellent choice for an alpine slide is sandstone - a layered stone of light beige tones

• The rock garden looks great in tandem with a small lake, overgrown with reeds and water lilies
• - a steep alpine hill with dominant large boulders at the base, surrounded by medium and small stones located closer to the top.​
• Yew is one of the most beautiful slow-growing representatives of the coniferous family. For an alpine slide, you can use a dwarf Japanese yew. His amazing irregular shape the crown with strong widely spaced shoots will not exceed a meter in height, and despite the fact that it grows very slowly, it will not exceed 60 cm for many years. The dark green needles of this yew densely cover the shoots. Yew, unlike many other conifers, will need additional watering.
• - decorative beautiful plant with bright toothed leaves and small umbrella-shaped flowers forming a yellow-green carpet. Each flower is framed by an asterisk of five green leaves, which gives the plant a surprisingly attractive look.
• Ecowool is an excellent material for warming various buildings, but it also has its drawbacks. Read more here.​
• rules

most sunny areas

• Juniper Chinese "Echiniformis" - crown shape - semicircular; height - 0.7 m; diameter - up to 1.0 m; the color of the needles is green or bluish-gray.
• Juniper in rock garden
• ​Decorative bow - large leaves combined with long vertical arrows with a spherical color.
• Stone options for rock garden device:
• A rock garden with a pond looks very harmonious, especially if it is a slightly swampy reservoir with characteristic moisture-loving plants planted along the coast. An interesting solution to designing a pond can be planting a large tree or bush. conifers on a tiny "patch" of land adjacent to the water. This technique will visually expand the boundaries of the site.
• Scree or mountain slope
• Coniferous trees in landscape design are used as widely as deciduous trees. They help to create the atmosphere of a real pine or spruce forest, not only decorating the garden plot, but also filling it with an incomparable aroma. In addition, the use of conifers in landscape design also improves the atmosphere of the site, because these trees have useful bactericidal properties.
• Dryad
• Evergreen conifers always give the rock garden some naturalness, imitating forests at the foot of the Alpine mountains, surrounding it with lush greenery and emphasizing the beauty of flowering species. Alpine hill with coniferous plants looks harmonious and beautiful. At the same time, trees and shrubs retain the attractiveness and style of the slide even in

Which will help in choosing the most successful solutions.​

​taking into account the long-term prospect of no shadow in the future. Types of masonry can be quite varied and depend on the type chosen, but the most commonly used

• Common juniper "Green Carpet" - crown shape - creeping; height - 0.2 - 0.3 m; diameter - 1.0 m; the color of the needles is green. Winter-hardy variety.
• FIR

Iris is a perennial bulbous plant with orchid-like flowers.

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Coniferous plants for the Alpine slide

White-green quartz - a fragmented stone, smoothed in fragments, ranging in size from 20 to 60 centimeters, mined in the Orenburg region;

Emphasis on form

Rock garden, created from huge boulders in combination with a small waterfall, will truly decorate your garden

Agricultural technology for growing conifers on an alpine hill

- a rock garden with one slope, where the overall stones are closer to the top, and a small stone scattering at the base.

You will receive photos of coniferous plants in landscape design, as well as recommendations on how to design a garden with conifers, on this page.

- the most beautiful alpine woody plant. It has small (2-3 cm) dark green leathery leaves on top and covered with light gray villi on the bottom leaves on low petioles, which makes it especially decorative look. The stems of the dryad are creeping, and this allows it to penetrate into the most inaccessible places and decorate them with its presence. Cold season
For the harmonious design of the slide are best suited: vertical installation Juniper Cossack "Tamariscifolia" - crown shape - cushion-shaped; height - 0.5 - 0.8 m; diameter - 1.5 m; the color of the needles is dark green or bluish-green. Winter-hardy variety.
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. The landing pit is filled up with a soil mixture - leaf 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. Lavender is an evergreen shrub with a small purple color. Milky quartz - a stone with an uneven rough surface from 30 to 70 cm, mined in the Urals;
An effective accent of an alpine slide combined with a pond can be a small waterfall falling from an artificial gorge or stone wall. mountain valley Conifers in landscape design are beautiful in themselves and perfectly complement compositions with other plants, besides, taking them as a basis, you can create wonderful groups in which they and only they will be the main characters.

Assortment of conifers for alpine hills

Diascia
, making it a green island against the backdrop of an empty garden. Thus, the design
various types of l
Flat stones maximally rotated by the larger surface to the south.
Juniper scaly "Blue Carpet" - crown shape - creeping; height - 0.3 - 0.8 m; diameter - 1.5 m; the color of the needles is intense blue. Winter-hardy variety.
Korean fir "Cis"
Rejuvenated - small sockets of fleshy leaves of light green color.
Sirpantenite - a stone of silver or green color, 25-45 cm in size, mined in the Caucasus, 15 rubles / kg;
Using a pre-created rock garden device plan, start laying it out by marking the selected site - determine the diameter of the slide, its height and the location of large accent stones. The height of the slide is calculated based on the diameter of its base - 1 m of the base is equal to 10-20 cm in height. The height of the rock garden is optimally within 0.5-1.5 meters.​
- a horizontal rock garden composition with boulders, medium and small stones located in a free manner. Pay attention above to the photo of the design of coniferous plants: you can form a picturesque hedge from them, which will play the role of a garden partition - to separate garden areas.
- A magnificent creeping plant, which is very popular among gardeners due to its green foliage, creating a dense juicy carpet decorated with an abundance of arcuately drooping bright orange open small flowers collected in inflorescences.
The lower part of the rock garden

​tuber and tuber crops
​In this arrangement, the stones store heat and the plants have minimal competition for root development and sunlight.​
Juniper scaly "Blue Star" - crown shape - cushion-shaped, compact; height - 0.5 - 0.1 m; diameter - 1.5 m; color of needles - bright, silver-blue. Winter-hardy variety. Natalia Vysotskaya, dendrologist, Ph.D. -X. Sciences. Source: Planting a Garden
FIR
The combination of cover plants with saxifrage and primroses creates a harmonious plant composition of rock garden
Elbrus - gray or beige stone 20-90 cm in size, 11 rubles / kg;
​Create a diagram of an alpine slide, indicating its dimensions and placement of the main elements of the composition
Terraced slope
Miniature conifers will allow you to create a border along the path. Creeping varieties will become the basis for an alpine garden, which will only need to be supplemented with stones, gravel and individual flowering "alpines".

How to choose plants for an alpine slide: useful tips

The variety of creeping and ground cover plants for rock gardens is so great that it will take several volumes just to list them. Among them are such plants as brunner, rezuha (arabis), succession, daisy, tenacious, cat's foot (antennaria), anafalis, cuff, etionema (winged stalk), arundinaria (bamboo), acena, bergenia, periwinkle, euonymus, budra (glechoma ), buharnik (cholkus), viola, pansies, gentian, gentian, ramonda, saxifrage, yaskolka, soapwort, styloid phlox, iberis and many others.

Undersized coniferous crops are always very advantageous. (galanthus, crocuses, scillas, irises); The disadvantage of this type of flower garden

1. See also: Coniferous plants for the garden, Coniferous plants for the garden: rules for constructing compositions and Coniferous plants for the garden: protection measures in spring and winter Spruces are planted in a permanent place in April or September. The recommended distance to a neighboring plant is 0.5 - 0.7 m. The depth of the planting hole is 0.5 m. The soil mixture for spruce is 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. Arabis is a perennial ground cover plant that blooms in May and late autumn.
2. ​“Petrified tree” made of oblong yellow-beige quartzite with veins, size 20-50 cm, 16 rubles / kg; Form the slopes of the alpine hill so that one of them is flatter and oriented to the south​ ​ - this type of rock garden is organized on a gentle slope in the form of small steps supported by large boulders.​
3. Plant several types of pines (it is better to choose miniature forms), and heathers and ericas next to them. In this case, you get a new form of design with coniferous plants - a heather garden. Perennial plants are most often grown in rock gardens, which makes it easier to care for them and makes it possible to enjoy the beautiful alpine landscape almost all year round, and flowering from early spring to late autumn. In rock gardens practically
4. rosette crops is a large consumption of stones and the need to use stone mulch to retain moisture and better development the underground part of plants, as well as to prevent the germination of weeds. Recently, the so-called alpine hills or rock gardens have become very popular in landscape design - a rocky design site, as close as possible in appearance to the mountain and planted with mountain slow-growing (no more than 2 cm in year) representatives of vegetation.

Gray spruce "Nana"

Bluebell - has abundant color from July to October.

Jasper green and red, size 20-60 cm, 12 rubles / kg; Many are wondering how to make a rock garden resistant to natural destruction processes under the influence of wind, ground water and precipitation? It is best to start arranging the rock garden in the fall and carefully prepare the foundation for it. Soil preparation, prior to the creation of an alpine hill, consists in clearing the site and removing the top layer of soil to a depth of 20-30 cm. Forest ravine If you grow edible mushrooms, for example, oyster mushrooms, then its “plantation” can be made decorative, supplemented with snags, wild forest flowers and plantings of coniferous trees. They should be classic "forest", without exotic forms. The choice of perennials is very large. You can note such masterpieces of nature as:

never use leafy plants (rejuvenated, cuffs, orostachis); The range of colors for stone slides is very wide and allows you to combine alpine and subalpine species with their counterparts from forests and steppes, for example, bulbous, low coniferous and fern. In this case, special attention must be paid

There are several PINE Crocus - corm plant, primrose.

Green serpentine - a stone 20-80 cm in size, 19 rubles / kg; Before laying the rock garden, form a drainage layer to drain water- such a rock garden is located in a shell-like recess, decorated with massive boulders overgrown with moss.

Conifers in the design of the garden are the best fit for creating a forest corner: in the center of the lawn or a large "module" in the paving, plant a classic spruce or pine, as an option - blue spruce or mountain pine. Around make a "carpet" planting of garden or wild lilies of the valley.Ramonda

, because the foliage falling in autumn pollutes the hill, and it is almost impossible to clean it from the space between the stones. Moreover, this situation contributes to the processes of decay and the development of various diseases in a humid microclimate at the bottom of the hill, which will lead to the death of other "inhabitants" of the rock garden. Based on this, coniferous crops are always in priority, receiving in addition favorable conditions growth.​ bud-covering flowers harmonious relationship

Types of rock gardens Planted in a permanent place in March, planting depth - 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. Muscari is a bulbous plant resembling a hyacinth.

Quartz "Rainbow" - a yellow-brown stone, 10-70 cm in size, 11 rubles / kg;

This deepening is necessary for the drainage device - the removal of water from the rock garden, for which it is covered with gravel, expanded clay, crushed brick or construction debris to a height of 10 cm. A 5-centimeter layer of coarse-grained sand is poured on top, then a 15-centimeter layer of soil, on which, subsequently, stones are laid and plants are planted.

rocky wall

Look at the photo: - incredibly similar to violet. Delicate and delicately smelling, it will perfectly enliven any rock garden. It is very unpretentious, loves slightly shaded areas, therefore it is preferable on the northwestern slopes, coloring them from May to early July in a light lilac color.Today there is a huge variety of different coniferous plants, for any size and illumination of a rock garden from dwarf sun-loving pines , firs, larches and junipers to shade-loving fir, cypress and thuja. And for very shaded places, you can choose hemlock and yew.

Design harmoniously

(cloves, thyme, sedums, daisies, bluebells, periwinkle, St. John's wort);

• Their size and speed of growth, placing accordingly, determining its shape (horizontal, located on a slope or resembling a small mountain or hill), style and choice of vegetation: The height of coniferous plants for an alpine hill should not exceed for small rocky areas (5 - 6 m2) - 0.5 - 0.7 m, for large ones (more than 40 m2) - 1.5 m. Therefore, when choosing a coniferous assortment for alpine slides, one must take into account the estimated height of an adult plant. Below is a list of decorative forms that do not exceed 1.5 m. Dwarf forms of western arborvitae
• Mylnyanka - grows in limestone rocks, alpine perennial. Sandstone - a stone of an arbitrary rounded shape of sand or gray color, with a size of 30-90 cm.​
• When arranging a terraced rock garden, a large stone is laid at the base of each tier- This is a rock garden, formed mainly from a flat-shaped stone, folded in the form of a low curb.
• Conifers in landscape design are ideal for imitating a high-mountain landscape. To create this composition, add several mountain pines of different heights with spirea, erica, veronica, make a backfill of white pebbles.

Consider the external features of plants

Another important feature of evergreen conifers is the variety of various crown shapes, its color and appearance. They can be in the form of narrow pyramids or balls, they can creep along the ground, have an arrow-shaped shape or look like candles, and color shades from dark green to blue and yellow provide the landscape designer with a huge field for a creative flight of fancy.

Pay attention to climate change

Low and creeping conifers

Consider the size of plants and rock garden

For example, such mountain species as antenaria, obrieta, awl-shaped phlox, grains are preferably cultivated on

The structure of the rock garden

​In​ "Danica" - crown shape - spherical; height of an adult plant - 0.8 m; diameter - 0.8 m; needle color - dark green. Sedum (sedum) - rosettes of succulent leaves with lemon color.

1. If limestone is used to create a rock garden, then the soil poured between the stones will have an alkaline reaction unsuitable for some plants, so the soil will have to be acidified. When preparing the site for the rock garden, pay special attention to weeding to get rid of perennial weeds such as wheatgrass which, when germinating, can destroy the slide from the inside. It is advisable to additionally treat the site for laying the rock garden with herbicides.
2. Or a group of junipers and thujas at some distance from each other and complement the composition with large boulders. - during the flowering period, it fills the air with a sweet honey smell and turns its place of growth into a bright yellow carpet. It goes well with other colors and allows you to create picturesque paintings in rock gardens.​
3. In rock gardens use(junipers, boxwood, mountain pine).

top tiers

Japanese style

What plants to choose?

Coniferous cultures for a stone slide

"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. Scylla - primrose with blue inflorescences. Shade-tolerant alpine plants that are planted on the northern slope of the rock garden: Start creating a composition of stones by laying large blocks at the base of an alpine hill Czech rock

The composition "coniferous forest" is easy to make. Tall conifers of various types can be planted as an "island" at the border of the site, near the fence, and at their foot they can be filled with gray pebbles. Orieta Undersized and dwarf species of conifers

When choosing the type of rock garden and flower crops for it, it is necessary to take into account the color scheme, flowering time and texture of plants and combine them with the selected stones, their shape, location and shades.

Having the name "plateau", and it is good to plant the slopes with a variety of sedums, stonecrops and ground cover species of flora (survival, sapling, carnation, ground cover phlox), which helps to preserve the shape of the hill from erosion.

The main attention is paid to the beauty of the stones (usually rounded), while the vegetation itself fades into the background and occupies the minimum possible space. “Hoseri” - the shape of the crown is 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 Violet is an unpretentious plant that blooms almost the entire warm season.

• Astilba - blooms in July, has small pink flowers collected in pyramidal inflorescences. A composition of stones is the basis of any rock garden. It is important to choose stones of the same type for the entire slide, but of different sizes - several large boulders, stones of medium and small size. Provide flat stones - they will serve as a kind of steps for movement when caring for an alpine slide. You need to start laying stones from the bottom up - from large to small, grouping and distributing them. It will be erroneous to lay the stones in a regular way with equal distances between them. Rock garden stones should be placed randomly, as close as possible to the natural mountain landscape.​
• ​“. We wrote a separate article about him - you can read it here.​ Finally, you can create a whole coniferous garden. To do this, use as many conifers of different types, shapes, heights, with different shades foliage. Combine cultures according to the classical laws of garden compositions.​
• - an evergreen perennial blooming with magnificent flowers of lilac, purple and pale pink. This is a rather capricious culture and requires special treatment and care for it. He likes a temperate hot climate and fertile land, often with curved trunks, close to species growing in the natural Alps:
• It is necessary to take into account the climatic features of the region and the soil, and select plants in accordance with these conditions, however, visually resembling a mountain landscape. The foot of the hill K

Creeping and ground cover species

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

Phlox is a carpet plant with a small pink color.

• Badan is a perennial from the saxifrage family with bright green fleshy leaves and raspberry inflorescences. When arranging an alpine hill, the stones need to be buried a little into the soil
• Sometimes an alpine hill is called a rockery. In fact, rockeries differ from rock gardens in the selection of stones - not only rocks, but also rounded river boulders or large pebbles. Apply special effects - for example, bouquet planting, or plant plants close to each other. Such a composition is perfectly complemented by ceramic figurines, stones - boulders and pebbles, dumping from decorative bark. But such gardens are usually not decorated with flowers. However, it is acceptable to place some spring bulbs here to revive the "garden" in the spring. Bushes will look good remontant strawberries. You can also lay a dry gravel stream, decorating it with a decorative bridge.
• Among the perennials for the rock garden, one can also list spring adonis, aquilegia (catchment), armeria, alpine aster, prostrate veronica, thyme-leaved veronica, wolfberry, or daphne, carnations, Dalmatian and Dalmatian geraniums, creeping gypsophila, gentian, dwarf iris, saxifrage, bluebells , cat's paw, cotoneaster, cypress, crocuses, euphorbia, forget-me-not, different kinds ferns, wormwood, primrose, and many others. Juniper medium

The size of the plants should be proportional to the rock garden being created. That is, it is necessary to choose low, compact plant species. For example, for a small stone slide, herbaceous flowers and low shrubs such as heather, gentians, cereals. Tall arborvitae, dwarf pines and junipers look great when creating large alpine compositions, which most often have a tiered structure.

Perennial plants for rock gardens

You can beautifully decorate with ephemeroid bulbs - muscari, chinodox, crocuses, tulips. Low shrub and wood species (Japanese quince, creeping cotoneaster, junipers and dwarf varieties of pines) are perfect as background species.

English style

• "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. An interesting move in the design of the rocky path is the combination of wooden steps and rock garden
• Periwinkle - the owner of shiny dark green foliage and blue 5-petal flowers. When laying an alpine hill, the stones are buried to 1/2 or 1/3 of their height, and then, additionally fall asleep fertile soil, which consists in equal parts of sod land, peat, humus and sand. After the sinuses between the stones are sprinkled, the earth is rammed and watered with a spray stream so that the soil is not washed out. It is not recommended to plant plants immediately after arranging the composition of stones - the hill should be given time for about 2-3 weeks so that it settles down and sinks a little. It is best if the hill survives the winter, and in the spring it is already time to start planting.
• An original solution for decorating a fence can be a rock garden in the form of a rocky wall made of layered stone As you can see in the photo, conifers in landscape design can be located not only in groups, but also turn the entire territory into a coniferous garden - this is a great alternative to the usual alpine slides. Arrange plantings on both sides of the garden stairs. Follow her steps from natural stone- sandstone - or reinforce them wooden blocks treated with an antiseptic, and inside make a mound of fine gravel. A garden staircase can lead to a house, a gazebo, a recreation area, or simply to a picturesque bench on a hill. On both sides of the stairs, picturesquely lay out large stones - boulders - and smaller stones according to the same principle as in the case of alpine slides.
Alpine slide photos What to choose a walk-behind tractor or a walk-behind tractor