Coniferous rock garden. Coniferous plants and shrubs for rockeries and alpine hills
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According to the canon, both alpine slides and flat rockeries should be decorated with plants of exclusively alpine origin. However, in central Russia, they are, firstly, not so easy to find, and secondly, to grow.
Therefore, today we will talk about which plants and flowers are as close as possible to the "Alpines" in terms of decorativeness and drought and frost resistance, as well as how to choose plants for an alpine hill and rockery so that the composition is harmonious and remains beautiful all season.
10 principles for choosing plants for a rock garden
Principle 1. You need to decide on the types of plants at the design stage of a rocky garden
It is best to work out the composition options on checkered paper / graph paper at a scale of, say, 1:50 or 1:25. Or at least draw an approximate scheme for planting plants and stones, taking into account the size of their growth (see the example below).
1 - Mountain pine, 2 - Creeping thyme, 3 - Canadian phlox, 4 - Evers stonecrop, 5 - Gray fescue, 6 - Rocky alissum, 7 - Angustifolia lavender, 8 - Stonecrop prominent, 9 - Fragrant rue, 10 - Steller's wormwood. Note: the scheme of the alpine slide is shown without taking into account the flowering time of plants
Principle 2. The composition of an alpine slide or rockery is made up of at least 5 groups of plants
Group 1. Conifers
Mandatory elements of any alpine slide or rockery, because due to them the composition remains beautiful all year round, they give the rocky garden texture and mountain flavor. The main condition is that only miniature conifers with slow pace growth.
Popular plants: Dwarf spruce, mountain pine, creeping species juniper, thuja, cypress.
Alpine hill with conifers near the firewood shed 
Tip: Conifers on an alpine hill and in rockeries look good right next to the stones.
They also need to be short.
Popular plants: Cotoneaster horizontal, iberis, dryad, cinquefoil, barberry, ceratostigma, spirea.
Tip: Deciduous shrubs in an alpine hill / rockery are not very desirable, as they are required to clear the garden of fallen leaves.
Group 3. Herbaceous perennials
Perennials greatly simplify the care of a rocky garden, and therefore you cannot do without them, although most of the representatives fade by mid-summer.
Popular plants: Carnations, Carpathian bellflower, rocky beetroot, saxifrage, gravel, armeria, multicolor spurge, small-leaved hostas, bergenia, irises.
Group 4. Ground cover plants
Ground cover flowers are the backbone of the rock garden flora as they remain ornamental from early spring to late fall, are very unpretentious, grow rapidly and suppress the spread of weeds.
Popular plants: stonecrops, phloxes, jaskolka, alyssum, soapwort, cistus and many others.
Phlox subulate 
Group 5. Bulbous
Thanks to them, the alpine slide / rockery blooms from early spring.
Popular plants: Snowdrops, blueberries, chionodoxes, late tulip, pushkinia, birdman, autumn crocuses and colchicums.
Tip: Since after flowering, most of the bulbs completely disappear, they are not assigned a special place, but are planted along with the ground cover.
Principle 3. The composition of an alpine slide or rockery is made up in such a way that any flowering plants are constantly present in it
In a rocky garden, withering foliage is especially noticeable and it is not always possible to hide it behind the "neighbors". Therefore, to create an alpine slide or rockery, it is advisable to choose those plants that will bloom all summer or will retain the beauty of the leaves after flowering.
In this sense, it is very good to include annuals in the composition, which, although contrary to the rules, compensates for the lack of flowers after the bulbs and perennials have faded. The main thing is to choose creeping undersized varieties from small flowers. For example, it can be: alissum, tricolor violet, lobelia or erigeron Karvinsky.
Free alpine slide with petunias in the first row However, if your dacha has a lot of mixborders and flower beds, then a modest coniferous alpine hill or rockery from the middle of summer can, on the contrary, successfully set off a riot of colors and look fresh.
Principle 4. The basis of the flora of an alpine slide or rockery is ground cover plants
In order for an alpine hill or rockery to be picturesque and colorful, their flora should consist of 60-70% of ground cover plants. The rest can be allocated to other plants.
Principle 5. The flora of the alpine hill / rockery should not be too diverse
From a large number of assorted flowers and leaves, the composition can become too colorful and artificial, the stones will be lost against such a background, and in fact they should be the main focus of any alpine slide or rockery. Moreover, if we consider that most of the rocky garden is occupied by ground covers (ideally, about 1 square meter of area should be allocated for 1 species), then there will be very little space left for the rest of the plants. So, for example, for an alpine slide with an area of 10 sq. 6-8 meters of plant species will be enough.
Plants in a rocky garden should not interfere with each other and obscure their surroundings. Principle 6. All plants, including conifers, should be undersized
For flowers and shrubs, the optimal height is up to 60 cm (during flowering). It is better to use conifers only those that grow up to 1.5 meters and grow very slowly (say, 3 cm per year).
The height of all plants should be commensurate with the stones. Creeping plant species should be selected for small and low stones, and tall and lush conifers, shrubs and perennials can be planted next to large boulders and boulders.
By the way, with the help of plants, you can visually increase the height of an alpine hill or rockery on a slope by planting conifers on top, or, conversely, balance the elevation by planting tall plants at its foot.
Principle 7. Plants in rock gardens / rockeries should be unpretentious
To take care of the rock garden to a minimum, avoid actively growing ground cover and deciduous shrubs, and also plant more perennials and conifers.
Separately, we will talk about ground cover. Some of their species grow so quickly and actively that in one or two seasons they can hide most of the garden under their carpet, including large stones. Correcting the situation will not be easy. Therefore, when planting such plants, for example, sapling, phlox or stonecrop, firstly, be prepared to periodically cut off the excess, and secondly, take preventive measures - protect the plant with border tape or plant it in a wide container to prevent the spread of unwanted rhizomes. And, of course, do not use fertilizers.
Principle 8. Consider the impact of stones on the soil
Plants that prefer slightly alkaline soil should not be planted near granite and basalt. And next to limestone, on the contrary, you can not plant plants that need acidic soil.
Principle 9. An important factor in plant selection is the duration of illumination of a rocky garden during the day
Here are the lists of plants for a semi-shady and sunny rocky garden.
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Badan and styloid phlox in a shady rockery Principle 10. The flora of a rocky garden should match the style of the site
If the house and plot are decorated in traditional style, then plants for rockeries and rock gardens should be selected diverse, with a large number of flowers and in a multi-color range.
But for modern dachas And country houses monochrome or contrasting compositions with a large number of mosses, conifers, evergreen shrubs and perennials, bulbous and even succulents are best suited.
10 average rating: 4,20 out of 5)
Currently, rock gardens have gained immense popularity, which are now used to decorate gardens and plots.
Let's look at which coniferous plants can be used for a home alpine slide. For this purpose, they are just perfect - very spectacular, decorative, retaining an attractive appearance all year round.
It is impossible to imagine a modern alpine hill without coniferous plants. Some prefer to create compositions that are almost entirely composed of their conifers. This allows you to simulate a unique and natural mountain landscape.
In addition, coniferous plants aromatize the air and make it healing.
The advantage of conifers is also that they do not need to be selected according to the timing of flowering. The slide will turn out as planned, almost immediately and looks bright and fresh almost all year round. But seedlings of coniferous plants are not so cheap. Although you can do this - plant young plants, they will grow over time, and empty seats decorate, for example, with some ceramic elements or stones.
For the design of rock garden it is best to use small trees and shrubs, possibly dwarf species. Creeping views look spectacular. You can combine different shapes of the crown and the color of the needles. There are needles green, bluish and even bright yellow.
Coniferous plant groups
Before buying plants for decorating an alpine slide, it is advisable to carefully consider the future composition. The choice is wide enough.
There is dwarf conifers having various forms of crowns: flat, spherical, ovoid, creeping and conical.
- coniferous plants with ovoid or cone-shaped crowns are planted in the middle part or at the base of the alpine hill.
- And pillow-shaped or rounded, lower forms fill the space between them.
- At the base are creeping plant species.
To achieve the best decorative effect, do not overload the composition with a large number of plants. It is also not advisable to plant coniferous plants at a short distance from each other. In this case, the beauty of forms will not be visible, and as a result, individuality may be lost.
It is better to use contrasts of color or shape. decorative stones in no case should they be completely obscured by greenery. Only in this case you will get a beautiful and original alpine slide, a real decoration of your garden.
coniferous plants, which are used for decoration, should not be higher than 1.5 m in height. If the slide is up to 10 m², the plants should be even lower, up to 80 cm.
Currently, you can find a large list of dwarf conifers that are just perfect for decorating a slide.
Prickly spruce Herman Nau
Most beautiful in spring, summer, autumn. This dwarf Christmas tree reaches a height of only 60-70 cm. It has an amazing bluish-steel color of the needles.
Serbian spruce Karel
Resistant to urban conditions, tolerates air pollution and smoke. This is a small dwarf coniferous shrub with a spherical or cushion-shaped crown.
Fir mountain Compacta
One of the most beautiful varieties dwarf trees.
Cotoneaster hybrid Coral Beauty
Most beautiful in summer and autumn. A low creeping shrub with numerous small coral-colored berries will strengthen the slopes of the alpine hill.
Cotoneaster Dummer Eicholz
Most beautiful in autumn. A low-growing shrub, perfect for strengthening alpine hills and slopes. It has bright red berries and an indescribable autumn color of leaves in orange and orange-red tones.
Stephanandra incised Crispa
Most beautiful in autumn. It is used due to the graceful crown and decorative foliage. It is especially attractive in autumn, when the leaves are painted in lemon, pink and even red colors.
Barberry thunberg Maria
Charming shrub of a columnar form, characterized by a rich yellow color in summer and intense orange in autumn.
Potentilla shrub Tangerine
Nice shrub with flowers of a very original copper-orange color. Valued for its decorative coloring.
Juniper scaly Honnethorp
The amazing needles of this "dwarf" allows you to decorate any corner of the site and enter interesting element design when creating contrasting landscape compositions from plants of various architecture.
Juniper scaly blue Carpet
The name of this juniper speaks for itself - it has very beautiful silver-blue needles. Decorative all year round.
Juniper scaly Loderia
A very picturesque strictly vertical juniper, known for its bluish-green color that practically does not lose its color all year round.
Canadian hemlock Nana
A low growing, slow growing shrub. Sheared at any time of the year.
thuja Western Little Champion
Valuable ornamental variety. If you plant thuja along the path, you get a very beautiful border.
The top of the Alpine hill can be decorated with spruce or thuja, cover the middle layer various varieties juniper, and plant a saxifrage and dwarf conifers at the foot of the hill. This composition looks very beautiful and elegant from any side.
Creating a rock garden on the site is a very, very exciting activity, in which all your efforts will definitely pay off with a spectacular, bewitching landscape of a natural mountain landscape.
Rock gardens cannot be imagined without conifers, but some gardeners go further and create compositions entirely consisting of conifers. The desire to use them is understandable - conifers for an alpine slide are simply ideal, they are decorative, unpretentious, retain an attractive appearance all year round and allow you to create a spectacular corner in the garden, even if there is not too much time to take care of the plantings. The main thing is to observe the naturalness and imitation of the natural mountain landscape.
Features of the construction of an alpine hill from coniferous plants
The advantages of an alpine hill from conifers include the fact that you do not need to select plants according to the timing of flowering and you can almost immediately make the hill the way you intended. Minus - coniferous seedlings are not cheap. A compromise option is to plant young plants, hoping that they will grow, but for now, decorate voids with stones or ceramic elements.
When planting conifers, you need to remember that they need space Choosing a place, taking into account the conditions necessary for conifers
In all the photos of the alpine hill of conifers, it can be seen that it looks spectacular if you choose a place that is viewed from different sides, preferably sunny. Some types of spruces, pines and arborvitae tolerate shading well, but junipers will suffer from a lack of light. Plants with colored needles must be in the sun. When creating an alpine hill from conifers in the country, it should be borne in mind that most of these plants:
- photophilous;
- need space for normal development;
- usually grow well on sandy-clay or even stony soils;
- unpretentious, but do not like the high level of groundwater.
Unpretentious thuja will decorate any rock garden Creating drainage and forming a slide
Since coniferous trees for the alpine slide do not like excess moisture be sure to do drainage. To do this, remove upper layer soil and cover the hill with crushed stone, pebbles, small construction waste. The height of the drainage is from 10 to 20 cm. The soil layer is poured on top and the laying of stones begins. The stones are laid parallel throughout the hill. First, choose a place for larger ones, then put small ones.
So that the hill does not warp, there should not be cases when the stone lies on the lower cobblestone with one end, and presses on the soil with the other. Coniferous trees and shrubs have developed large roots, so pits are made between stones for their planting. The voids are filled with soil. After the construction of the hill, you need to let the soil settle, so it is better to start planting after a while. Ideal option: in the fall - to build, and in the spring - to plant.
Combine different types hvoynikov - real art What types of conifers are suitable for rock garden
For coniferous rock garden fit trees and shrubs small sizes or dwarf species. Creeping varieties must be present. Combination different shapes crowns and coloring needles creates interesting solutions. There is a green, bluish and yellowish shade of needles. Some are bright yellow in color.
Miniature cypress ideal for landscape compositions Names and photos of the most suitable species
For middle lane from conifers for an alpine slide it is worth choosing:
- thuja - plants with a dense crown, which tolerates a haircut well. Most of the varieties common in Russia come from the western thuja: Danica with a light spherical crown, Filiformis, resembling a cone, Golden Globe with yellow needles. Thuja propagates by cuttings, but it is better for inexperienced gardeners to buy a ready-made seedling;
- cypress trees - fashion idea for rock garden from Europe (hedges from this plant are popular in Britain). Not all varieties are hardy. The easiest way to grow Lawson's cypress and pea. It is better to overwinter low plants that can hide under the snow. Cypress trees love to spray, but the water should not be icy;
- spruces - many undersized varieties have been bred: dwarf - up to 1.5 m, mini-varieties - up to 1 m, micro-specimens - up to 30 cm. For example, the Albert Globe variety with a crown resembling a ball squeezed from above grows by 50 cm in 10 years. Very beautiful spruce Nidiformis with silvery needles. Attractive varieties canadian spruce with small gray needles and a pyramidal crown;
- pines of all kinds are valued by gardeners. Dwarf and slow-growing varieties have been developed. Fluffy bushes of Scots pine Watereri or mountain pine Cobold with emerald needles fit perfectly into the landscape of rock gardens. The slow-growing dwarf Globosa Viridis reaches a height of only one meter and is suitable for small garden;
- junipers of all kinds. Pyramidal plants are planted both singly and in small groups, creeping ones are arranged so that they have room to grow. They cover the soil and contrast with higher varieties. In winter, many junipers need shelter with spruce branches.
Juniper Dahurian Coniferous plants for the alpine slide, the photos and names of which were given above, are suitable if you take specially bred dwarf varieties. To prevent them from growing, you need to pinch new sprouts and pruning in a timely manner. Fertilizers should not be abused. It is also undesirable to allow animals to "mark" the trunks of "babies". If this happens, rinse the affected area with water.
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Alpine slide is a fashionable attribute of the arrangement of modern garden and park areas. Do-it-yourself rock garden device in the country: step by step photos, schemes, selection of plants.
Choosing a place for an alpine slide
When choosing a place for an alpine slide, it is important to provide for the following conditions:
In landscape design, there are many styles of garden design, including elements of a desert landscape, rocky gardens, ponds and bridges, which must be in harmony with the erected hill.
Making a slide with your own hands is most preferable when decorating a garden. By doing the work yourself, you can avoid the high costs of the services of a landscape architect. Having step-by-step photos and schemes for arranging the slide, it will not be difficult to do the construction of a rock garden with your own hands.
It is very important to do it right preparatory work so that the slide is stable
Alpine slide - preparation
First you need to determine the place on the site where the slide will be located. Should not grow nearby perennial shrubs and trees, which may over time shade the plants on the hill. A place open on all sides, accessible for viewing from all corners of the garden, must be dry. High level groundwater will adversely affect the durability and strength of the base of the slide. In this case, the groundwater level must be lowered using special drainage.
Do-it-yourself drainage under an alpine slide (step by step guide).
Do-it-yourself alpine slide arrangement scheme
While natural soil shrinkage occurs, you can draw up a diagram, determine the location of boulders and stones on the hill, select the type of vegetation for planting. To create a rock garden you will need:
- natural stones, including - pebbles;
- coarse sand;
- ornamental plants and flowers, including miniature trees and shrubs;
- moss-sphagnum.
Scheme: arrangement of an alpine hill
Scheme and detailed plan, on which the rock garden will be created, should take into account that the construction of the slide is carried out at a height of 1 to 3 m.
Advice. With a rock garden height of more than 1 meter, a slide core is required.
Alpine slide is a very unusual element of the garden, changing its appearance several times during the season.
Scheme: alpine slide in layers
Stones for rock garden - choose the right one
Usually, when building a slide, natural stones of rock are used: basalt, granite, sandstone, limestone, as well as rare rocks characterized by low porosity and strength. It is undesirable to use tuff, shell rock and dolomite for slides. These rocks highly absorb water, as they are porous, so the stones quickly collapse.
Stones for an alpine slide must be durable, of different sizes
The shape and color of the stones are of great importance. It is worth avoiding rounded stones, as well as overly acute-angled boulders. Stones of different colors look harmonious only on alpine slides of a certain type. The classic version of the arrangement of the slide involves the use of stones of the same breed, but different shapes.
Scheme: deepening stones for an alpine slide
The stones are placed on the hill in such a way that the edges in the viewing area have the most attractive shape. It is necessary to disguise stones with defects, arranging them in the most favorable way. Stones should be laid taking into account the size and weight, following the most harmonious appearance of the created slide. Stones should be placed randomly, most naturally, so it is better not to use stone blocks and artificial boulders made in an industrial way.
Do-it-yourself Alpine slide - selection of plants
The arrangement of an alpine slide, especially the selection of plants, requires additional knowledge about plant varieties and agricultural technology. Plants are selected depending on the type of slide. A rocky hill for sunny places requires certain, drought-resistant plants. The classic version of the rock garden provides for the planting of miniature trees and shrubs, perennial herbs and flower crops.
Example #1. Making an alpine slide with plants
Perfectly proven when planting in rockeries: fescue, lavender, rock beetroot, geranium, stonecrop, iberis, young, backache. Small-bulbous plants planted in small groups feel great on rocky hills: crocuses, scilla, miniature hyacinths, undersized tulips and hazel grouses. Small-bulbous plants bloom in the spring, when there are still few plants in bloom and the hill looks unpresentable. Everything changes when bright, blooming crocuses appear from under the snow.
Example #2. Plants for an alpine slide
To create a highly decorative slide, it is required to provide for a landing perennials having different periods flowering. Then the slide will look unusual and decorative throughout the entire period. Riot of colors flowering plants will please the eye from spring to autumn.
It is especially important to consider the height of the plants used when planting in rockeries. Too tall specimens should not oppress undersized varieties, thereby affecting their full development. Bright plants should be placed in the foreground, in the viewing area.
The composition is based on miniature trees, especially conifers: spruces, junipers, cypresses, pines. These plants have different shape crowns and look great on an alpine hill.
Ornamental flowering shrubs used for arranging an alpine slide: rhododendrons, erica, blueberries and lingonberries.
Of the perennial crops, they perfectly complement the alpine hill: bergenia, astilba, daylily (undersized), drooping reeds.
Alpine hill surrounded by lawn
Tip: when shaping rockeries, preference should be given to decorative deciduous plants that retain their beauty even in the absence of flowers.
How to properly care for rock garden?
In the first year, it will be necessary to backfill the soil several times, which is washed out during irrigation and precipitation, and also, if necessary, to strengthen the stones. Watching various videos and photos made by professional landscape designers will help you get the job done right. The soil is poured neatly and compacted.
The soil should be evenly distributed between the stones
Plant care consists in timely watering, removing faded flowers, damaged leaves, pruning. During the season, plants should be fertilized with appropriate fertilizers several times. Do not use nitrogen fertilizers, they cause rapid plant growth, which should be avoided when planting on a hill.
Advice. Do not overfeed plants on an alpine hill. Plants should not be overgrown.
Plants are watered carefully with a hose or watering can with a spray, while making sure that the soil does not erode.
It is desirable to strengthen loosened and falling stones.
Various small reservoirs will look very beautiful on the alpine hill
If necessary, plants are treated with pesticides. Diseased plants that cannot be cured must be removed with the replacement of the soil at the place of their growth.
When transplanting plants, you can use a special drug, epin, to relieve stress.
Alpine slides in landscape design
An alpine hill that does not require painstaking care will be a wonderful decoration for the entire summer cottage
The design of park areas increasingly includes the creation of decorative rock gardens. Rockery serves as a continuation of rocky gardens, perfectly harmonizes with ponds, bridges, decorative lanterns, lawns and vertical gardening. Creating an alpine slide with your own hands on suburban area, perfectly decorate the territory, bring charm and variety to the landscape design of the site.
How to create an alpine slide from scratch: video
Alpine hill: photo
Gone are the days when gardeners were mainly engaged only in beds, greenhouses and greenhouses. Today, many are addicted to creating on their own land plots beautiful and original flower beds because they want to receive aesthetic pleasure. Alpine slides have become very popular, with which gardens are more and more often decorated. At the same time, mountain plants and dwarf forms of conifers are widely used, which allow you to admire the greenery of the flower garden all year round. In the article, we will consider which coniferous plants to choose for an alpine slide.
Building compositions
For the design of rock gardens, there is a rich selection of miniature conifers that have a variety of crown shapes - conical, spherical, flat, creeping, ovoid, cushion-shaped. Therefore, before you buy plants for an alpine slide, you need to think carefully about the composition, especially since seedlings of coniferous dwarfs are not cheap.
- The best decorative effect is achieved by a single arrangement of vertically growing plants with cone-shaped or ovoid crowns. The dominant plant is planted at the base of the hill or in its middle part. The space between them is filled with lower rounded or cushion-shaped forms. The basis of the rock garden are creeping ground cover species.
- When creating an alpine slide with your own hands, you should not overload it with a large number of plants, otherwise they will lose their individuality and the beauty of the forms will not be visible. When arranging groups of conifers, you can play on the contrasts of shapes and colors, or make a gradual smooth transition from one form to another. Stones, which are also decorative elements, should not be completely obscured by greenery. As a result of all efforts, the slide should look like a miniature natural landscape.
The choice of conifers for the alpine slide
- Since the alpine hill is a non-monumental structure of immense size, the plants must also be selected so that their proportions correspond to the size of the flower garden.
- Another condition that must be observed when choosing plants is their ability to grow in a given area and in a given climate. The gardener must learn everything about seedlings - what kind of soil they prefer, how they relate to light and shade, moisture and drought, how they get along with their neighbors, how quickly they grow and increase their mass.
- Dwarf coniferous plants are ideal for placement among the rock garden stones: pines, spruces, junipers, thujas. The fact that they grow very slowly, only 3-5 cm per year, turns a big plus. This circumstance makes it possible to preserve the decorative effect of the composition for a long time.
Types of dwarf conifers
Dwarf pines, some species
- Such pines look spectacular in rock gardens. Basically they are low shrubs, which are not afraid of the winds, have frost resistance, and unpretentiousness in care, which is very attractive for use in landscape designs.
- For these plants, you need to choose places well lit by the sun and acidic soils with good drainage. Pines planted on alkaline soils begin to turn yellow. In such cases, gypsum is added to the soil.
- There are about a hundred varieties of these ornamental evergreens. North American pine became the progenitor of varieties Arctis having a conical crown, blue Chappewa, TuckersDwarf and Compacta pines with rounded crowns, varieties Uncle Fogy and Pendula with weeping branches, creeping shrub Schoodic, Wisconsin with a lush cushion-shaped crown.
- Very elegant low-growing cultures derived from weymouth pines. They have silvery thin and long needles, collected 5 pieces in a bunch, curly cones of light Brown color and dense crown. These trees are resistant to shade and cold, they are great for decoration. north side slides. At the miniature Pumila varieties globular crown, Macopin has an extensive conical crown, Nana blue needles. The smallest is 50 cm pine Secret.
- The most common in horticulture are two types with mountain pinusmugo, one of which includes dense creeping shrubs with very long needles (Mops, Varella, MiniMops, Ophir). And the other kind is dwarf plants having short needles and a dense dense crown (Gnom, Kobold, Pumilio, Hesse).
- For ten years of the life of the form Brepo, Marie Bregeon and Pygmaea grow only up to 50 cm. They have a compact rounded shape. Extraordinarily beautiful cone-shaped stunted Alpenzwerg pine. It grows no more than 2.5 meters in height. It has dark green needles, which at low winter temperatures turn slightly golden at the tips, so in winter it seems that the tree glows.
In order for dwarf pine varieties to retain their miniature size, it is necessary to periodically pinch the central growth buds and growing shoots, and also not to abuse fertilizers. Otherwise, the plants will grow, and the crowns will become loose.
Types of dwarf firs
In catalogs stunted spruces subdivided into semi-dwarf with a height of up to 3 m, dwarf - up to 1.5 m, mini-varieties - up to 1 m and micro-varieties growing up to 30 cm. The forms of crowns are conical or pyramidal, spherical and cushion-shaped.
- The real finds for rock gardens are mini-spruces that grow to a height of up to 50 cm in ten years and have wide crowns. These forms include Port Alberta Globe (AlbertaGlobe), with a crown diameter twice its height.
- The most popular are undersized e whether Nidiformis (Nidiformis), Echiniformis (Echiniformis). The latter has a slightly flattened shape and silvery needles.
- The well-known forest beauty common spruce (Piceaabies) served as the ancestor of many undersized decorative forms. A spruce shrub with a nest-shaped crown is popular Nidiformis (Nidiformis), growing only up to 40 cm in height, and having a chic light green crown, reaching up to 1 m in diameter.
- Little Gemm (LittleGem) has a dark green crown smaller than the previous spruce. It can be formed into a spectacular standard tree and grown in a rock garden or in a container.
- The graceful shape of a narrow cone has a dense crown WillsZwerg (Will "sZwerg). This plant grows just over one meter in height. It is interesting in that the young growing needles are much lighter than the old ones. Therefore, the Christmas tree seems to be playing different shades green color.
- Dwarf forms were also obtained from the species of prickly spruce (Piceapungens). One of them is excellent Glauca Globosa (GlaucaGlobosa). Its conical crown mainly grows not in height, but in width. It has elongated needles of a bluish color, slightly sickle-shaped. Very unpretentious. Well suited for creating compositions in a rocky garden.
- For growing in rock gardens, dwarf forms of Canadian spruce, which have bluish bluish needles, are perfect: Conica (Conica) with a pyramidal crown Laurin (Laurin), Dwarf (Gnom).
- Semi-dwarf spruce Daisy White (DaisyWhite) grows up to 2.5 meters in height and differs from all the others in soft yellow young needles, which change their color to green by summer. Its dense pyramidal crown will look spectacular in rock gardens, surrounded by more low plants with rounded crowns.
- For spruces, fertile, well-drained soil is preferable, giving an acidic reaction. They do not tolerate stagnant water in the ground. Better fit sunny places or light shadow. To give more decorative bushes can be trimmed.
Tui in rock gardens
In nature, arborvitae are conical evergreen trees of the cypress family, having a dense symmetrical crown, and having a fragrant smell. They bloom imperceptibly. The needles are not needles, but flat, elongated scales adjacent to each other. Plants are easily and painlessly cut. Therefore, they are successfully used for decoration of flower beds and hedges.
- Low-growing arborvitae, which retain their decorative effect all year round, are perfect for growing in alpine hills. In addition, most varieties are frost-resistant.
- The most widespread in the regions of Russia are dwarf forms thuja western. This tree is not too capricious, it is winter-hardy and long-lived. IN natural conditions there are still thousands of years of age.
- With dwarf slow-growing forms of western thuja, lovers are happy to decorate their rock gardens, for example, with a spherical shrub Danica. Its light green crown in 10 years grows in diameter to only 40 cm.
- The rock garden thuja western will look original in the role of soloist Filiformis (Filiformis). The tree has a dense crown in the form of a wide cone. It grows up to one and a half meters in height and has long weeping shoots.
- Grade Globoza (Globosa), on the contrary, has a rounded spherical gray-green crown, reaching 1 m in diameter. It is recommended to use it as an element of compositions. And here is a spherical Golden Globe (GoldenGlobe) has a smaller crown, but it has golden yellow needles.
- An ovoid crown will look unusual in the composition Woodwardii, growing up to 40 cm wide and having light green needles.
- In gardens located in warmer regions, forms obtained from thuja orientalis with fan-shaped needles are grown. These forms include golden yellow Aura Nana (AureaNana) with an ovoid crown, dark green columnar Justinka (Justynka). These varieties are not demanding on soil fertility, but do not withstand severe frosts.
Selection of junipers
A huge number of varieties and types of junipers puts gardeners in front of a difficult choice. These plants can have crowns that vary in shape and color. The shape of the crown can be cone-shaped, creeping pillow-shaped, sprawling, columnar. The needles can be golden yellow, green of different tones, silver-blue. And the shape of the needles themselves can be different - scaly or subulate.
- The natural distribution area of these plants is almost endless - they are found in both northern and tropical regions. Junipers are unpretentious, can grow on any soil, do not put forward too high requirements for light and humidity, and tolerate winter cold well. For gardeners, this is just a godsend.
- The most widespread for the creation of rock gardens are dwarf and creeping forms of Cossack juniper (J.Sabina): sprawling green shrub Tamariscifolia (Tamariscifolia), white-motley Variegata (Variegata), blue-green Rocker Jam (RockeryGem).
- Of junipers horizontal interesting variety Andora Variegata (Andorra Variegata) only up to 40 cm high and with a wide cushion-shaped crown. Its unusualness lies in the variegation of needles: in summer it is bright green with white speckles, and in winter it acquires a purple-violet hue. A beautiful blue carpet creates a creeping grade Blue Forest (BlueForest). Its shoots directed upwards give the crown additional volume. Blue Ship (BlueChip) considered the most elegant creeping variety. A dense silver-blue carpet of its shoots becomes purple at low temperatures.
- In the solo role on the hill can be dwarf forms of medium-sized juniper. For example, grade Gold Coast (GoldCoast), growing up to 1 meter in height and up to 2 meters in width. This plant is decorative with its spreading golden yellow rounded crown. The same parameters are Gold Star (GoldStar) but he is more resilient. Variety Mint Julep (Mint Julep), on the contrary, it has a bright green weeping crown, reaching up to 2 m in diameter.
Junipers are planted in rock gardens, given the vastness of the future crown. Green varieties are placed on either side of the hill, golden yellow - it is better to land on the western or south side, and silver and gray - on the northern or eastern slope.
Today, a fairly extensive range of dwarf conifers suitable for placement on alpine slides is offered for sale. Evergreen conifers enliven the site in autumn, winter and spring, while deciduous shrubs and trees are at rest. The variety of shapes, textures and sizes of prickly beauties allows them to harmoniously fit into different landscapes.
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