Where to get stones for an alpine slide. How to choose the right stones for a rock garden The most suitable stones for constructing an alpine slide

Binding compounds 30.10.2023

Binding compounds

At their summer cottage, good owners arrange flower beds and alpine slides. When arranging them, questions arise. Where to get stones for an alpine slide is the main one.

An alpine slide is one of the elements of a dacha or house (Fig. No. 1). They can often be found on the property of friends and neighbors.

To create a slide of stones, you need to plan out all the work. Correct work is performed in several stages:

1 Search for an idea.
2 Preparing the site for creating a slide.
3 Installation of a drainage system at the selected location.
4 Selection and placement of stones.
5 Selecting suitable plants for the slide.
6 Preparing fertile soil and planting plants in it.

All these steps are very important to get good results. Each of them requires some time, especially the third. It can be considered basic. The period during which the slide will be in operation will entirely depend on the quality and correctness of the drainage construction. To build a drainage system, you can use sand and crushed stone left after building a house, small stones and debris.

Soil for plants is laid with careful compaction of the base, otherwise the slide will soon completely lose its shape. Peat, clay, and fine gravel are added to the soil. Plants chosen are unpretentious. They grow in wild forest conditions. These can be low-growing coniferous shrubs, winter-blooming plants, and mosses.

Material selection and installation

Where to get stones for an alpine slide is the main problem when arranging a garden. Stones can be of natural origin or artificial. They have different properties, sizes and breeds. An alpine slide should look like a complete work even without plants. Each rock garden should have its own highlight. The stones in the slide serve as foundation and decorative functions. The weight of stones is recommended 15-100 kg. These are mainly sandstone, granite and slate. Small pebbles are added to them, which perform a decorative function. This is just the external decoration of the slide. The stones are even painted different colors.

Granite is a stone with high hardness. He practically does not age over the years. Granite is painted in colors from gray to red. Flowers cannot grow on it, but it is irreplaceable as a fence for an alpine hill (Fig. No. 2).

Limestone is a popular stone used to create alpine slides (Fig. No. 3). It can quickly change its shape and color. Plants bloom well on the stone. Limestone grows overgrown with moss very quickly. Its corners are quickly smoothed out. Its disadvantage is that those plants that do not get along on calcareous soil do not bloom on limestone.

Sandstone is cheap and accessible. Its structure is porous and layered. Color - creamy gray and red. The stone absorbs moisture well and is able to store it for a long time. The chemical composition is neutral, capable of interacting with any plants.

Slate fits well into an alpine hill made of any type of stones. Its white, brown and gray tones harmonize perfectly with the landscape.

Artificial clinker bricks with rolled edges are also used for the construction of beds and alpine slides. It has high strength, a variety of shapes, and a wide color spectrum.

Dolomite is a strong, frost-resistant and durable stone of gray, white, yellow and brown colors. Rarely, transparent dolomite, translucent and pink is found.

For a long service life of a garden structure, stones must be laid correctly. Their size should correspond to the dimensions of the rock garden. For a large slide, larger stones are also needed. The largest boulders are stacked downwards, smaller ones - on top. This arrangement of stones will protect the slide from deformation. It is allowed to use several types of stones, but it is not recommended to take more than three.

The best version of the slide is one with 4-5 layers. Each layer can be sprinkled with soil or pebbles. The stones themselves should not be stacked too tightly. You need to leave room for living plants.

When constructing an alpine slide, you may encounter the following problems:

1 Where to find ideas? In living nature. Be careful when walking. You can see almost finished or almost finished slides.
2 Not happy with the color of the stones. It's quite normal. Stones can fade from year to year. You can simply tint them regularly with waterproof paints.
3 Natural stones do not suit you with their shape and size. In this case, you need to purchase artificial decorative products in the form of stones in special stores. There you can choose any color and shape.
4 You can’t find a place to install the slide. You should choose a place away from the road, in the sun. It’s good if there is a coniferous tree nearby.

Requirements for pebbles and cobblestones

A good rock garden should look a little like a mountain corner. If you decorate a home-made structure with some ornamental plants, it will take on the desired appearance. You can plant anything, but not ornamental plants made of glass or plastic. If bright plants with colorful flowers are chosen, then cobblestones can be used as a background. For dull and modest grasses, it is better to choose brighter stones. A smooth boulder is appropriate for flat areas. Sharp protrusions will highlight the beauty of the alpine slide. The basic requirements for choosing stones are as follows:

harmony;
strength;
compatibility.

A hill of stones should not stand out from the overall design of the garden. Stones should not be destroyed by careless blows of a tool during planting. The chemical composition of the rock should not destroy plants. Where can you get such stones?

On sale you can find magnificent specimens with a perforated structure (Fig. No. 4). Various plants can be planted in the holes. You can also purchase stones of other types here. But they can be collected independently in quarries and along river banks. Someone has granite or sandstone deposits nearby. There you can get everything your heart desires. Cobblestones of various types are sold by representatives of landscape organizations. They almost always have tuff, shell rock, sandstone and other rocks. Small specimens are available in pet stores.

Quarries can become a permanent supplier of materials for alpine hill equipment. Farmers and private farms can be of great help. Farmers often have boulders of various sizes that they do not need in their fields. They can be yours for little money, or even for nothing. Much remains in the piles of rubbish left after construction is completed. Buildings prepared for destruction are also a source of such material. Completely free materials are found along river banks, at railway construction sites, and on the sides of highways.

It is better to take stones in elevated places. It's much easier than lifting them up. When transporting them home, they are wrapped in burlap so that they experience less friction against each other.

Various kinds of flower beds in the garden have long become commonplace. Currently, alpine slides are becoming increasingly popular. This is a relatively new building. If done correctly, it will decorate the area for many years.

To create it you need to prepare several stones.

Stones for an alpine slide can be taken from different types or combined. Stones can be painted in any color. After installation and filling of fertile soil, flower, coniferous or herbaceous plants are planted. It is very good to create a small fountain or stream. Then, along with beauty, additional coolness will come.

Stone for alpine slide

The passion for building alpine slides is spreading more and more quickly among flower growers. Many of them follow a too simple path: they make a pile of earth and the first stones they come across and plant any low plants. It turns out something like a “dog’s grave” or, if you don’t like this comparison, then let it be a “raisin bun”. A real rock garden should look completely different. In this article we will tell you how to make an alpine slide - rock garden in the garden with your own hands.

Stone garden - what is its appeal? Anyone who has ever seen a rockery in bloom will answer right away: it is uniquely beautiful. The collection of alpine flowering plants, located on a skillfully arranged stone bed, presents a mesmerizing sight.

The Alpine hill allows the gardener to create a work of art in a very limited area (which is typical for most summer cottages). So it is no coincidence that summer residents began to enthusiastically collect stones around the area and build rock gardens.

The stone for an alpine slide is probably of paramount importance. It is unlikely that anyone will be able to answer what is more important here, the stone or the flowers. These two elements form a single whole in the rock garden. It is quite obvious that plants planted without taking into account their natural needs will suffer and wither.
Stones, in turn, consist of different rocks and have different acidity, fragility, ability to absorb moisture and weathering. Therefore, stones for an alpine hill must be selected taking into account the natural characteristics of the plants that you are going to plant on it.

And what is that stone that can be found on the side of roads and along the edges of fields in central Russia? Most often these are granite boulders brought to us in antediluvian times by glaciers. Only occasionally, rounded pieces of limestone and some other minerals are found among them.

Granite is not a very suitable stone for an alpine hill. It does not greatly affect the acidity of the soil and is non-hygroscopic, which leads to large differences in humidity in the rock garden. In addition, granite boulders have a rounded shape, which makes their placement very difficult. After all, it is difficult to build a vertical wall from pellets. And if you do, you will have to put too much soil mixture between the stones, which will negatively affect the ascetic plant species that are usually planted in stone gardens.

However, granite can be used to build individual elements of alpine hills and adjacent dry streams or the banks of reservoirs. It is there that the rounded stone looks quite natural, and the plants in such areas no longer need any special conditions. In addition, boulders are suitable for creating rock gardens from calcephobe plants.

So how to make an alpine slide or rock garden correctly? What is the alternative to free granite boulders? Look where they sell stones for alpine slides. In such places it is not difficult for a beginner to get confused. If there is a choice, it is better to choose a rock that has a clear layered structure of varying thickness (from 1 to 15 cm), which is porous, i.e. hygroscopic and has an uneven rough surface. It may be sandstone, shale or limestone.

Alpine slide stone, which has a layered structure, can be easily assembled into any configuration, creating comfortable seating areas for plants. Flagstone allows you to build both vertical vertical and even negative, slightly inclined walls for rocky plant species, as well as layered, stepped or almost horizontal compositions for meadow and scree plants.

The hygroscopicity of the stone is very important for an alpine slide. A stone that can absorb and release moisture acts as a battery, reducing the likelihood of the rock garden drying out in the summer heat.

The uneven, rough or even corroded surface of the stones gives the rocky garden a touch of naturalness and a certain age; moss quickly grows in the caverns, just like in natural rocks.

In some recesses on the shady surface of the rock garden you can plant or sow the most ascetic plants, for example, rock ferns.

Based on the above, the most suitable stone for an alpine hill should be considered limestone, and its variety with a layered structure and flat slabs. There is no doubt that shale and sandstone also have the right to become the rock that forms your alpine hill, because... their aesthetic properties more than offset their shortcomings.

An alpine slide is an interesting and attractive element of landscape design, the main component of which is an artistically arranged pile of stones. Where they can be obtained in the required quantities - this will be discussed in our article.

What is an alpine slide

Before you find out where to get stones for an alpine slide, you need to talk about such a wonderful element of landscape design as an alpine slide. You've probably come across a structure made of stones and plants in your neighbors' plots. With or without a pond, it is this design, called an alpine slide, that gives an indescribable charm that attracts our admiring gaze again and again.

Its creation consists of several stages, each of which in itself is very interesting when implemented.

Good idea.
We outline a suitable place for its implementation.
We are installing drainage there.
Stones. Their selection and installation.
Suitable plant species.
Suitable soil for planting them.

The main thing here is to take your time and calmly, responsibly and carefully approach each of the above points. Of all of them, the third is fundamental. It’s like the foundation of a house – the lifespan of the slide itself will depend on its proper construction. When constructing it, you can just use the remains of sand and crushed stone, as well as construction waste that remains from the construction of a house, garage or bathhouse.

It is better to compact the soil for vegetation immediately so that the hill does not sag and lose its shape. It can be mixed with peat and clay, small stones such as gravel. And when it comes to plants, it’s better to choose unpretentious ones that grow quietly in the forest of your region. Usually these are mosses, low coniferous bushes and winter-blooming plants.

Selection of material and its correct installation

Stones of both natural and artificial origin will fit here. Just take into account their different properties, characteristics and sizes. Even if not covered with vegetation, the alpine slide should have a finished look. The stones in it perform 2 functions - both decorative and fundamental. In terms of weight, it is preferable to weigh from 15 to 100 kg. As a rule, these are slate, granite and sandstone. Small things like pebbles are also useful for decoration. To add interest, the stones can even be painted in different colors with special paints.

Granite itself is very hard and durable. The years have no effect on him. Natural colors range from gray to red. You cannot plant flowers on it, but it is simply irreplaceable as a fence for a hill.
Limestone is convenient for flower growth, easy to process to give the desired size and shape, moss also takes root on it very quickly. The only negative is that plants that do not like calcareous soil are not friendly with it. In general, it is a common stone when constructing rock gardens.
Sandstone is just right for all plants; it perfectly retains and stores moisture due to its porous and layered structure. The color is cream-gray or red.
Slate is a universal stone that fits perfectly into any hill; because of its colors - gray, white and brown, it harmonizes perfectly with any plants and landscapes.
Dolomite is durable due to its strength and frost resistance. Its colors are gray, white, brown, yellow, and even transparent, translucent and pink dolomite is occasionally found in nature.
Artificial clinker bricks - durable, different in shape, with rolled edges and a wide palette of colors - are also in great demand in structures such as alpine slides.

The more correctly the stones are laid in the slide, the longer it will last. Naturally, we place larger stones at the very bottom; if the slide is supposed to be large, then there should be a lot of large stones. You can use several types of stones, but no more than three. Next, we lay the tiers with smaller stones, and do not fit them tightly to each other, but with intervals for the soil in which we will place the plants.

In total, 4-5 stone layers are optimal for a rock garden.

Questions may also arise during the construction of the slide, for example:

Where can I find a suitable slide? Yes, in wildlife, on a walk, for example, notice around you, and you may actually come across a suitable option right in the forest.
Where can I get the right colors of stones? It is normal for stones to fade over time due to exposure to the sun. Just take the desired waterproof paint and touch them up from time to time.

Neither the shape nor the size of the stones suits your idea of a rock garden - in stores of the relevant type you can find artificial products in the form of stones of the desired sizes, shapes and colors.

You can’t choose a suitable place to locate the slide - if on your site there is a bright place away from the roads, and there is also a coniferous tree growing nearby, then this is exactly the right place where you should place your rock garden.

What is required from stones and cobblestones

An alpine hill is a piece of mountain landscape in your garden. Therefore, when decorating, adhere to several rules - all plants must be natural, living, and not artificial. If you want to see bright flowers on it, then you need to combine them with cobblestones as a background. And if you like discreet herbs, then you need to select bright stones for them. For a flat and calm area, smooth boulders are suitable, but sharp edges will perfectly emphasize the beauty and add sophistication to your rock garden. In general, you should choose a good stone for the alpine slide that you make with your own hands. In general, stones must meet the following criteria:

be durable
be harmonious
be compatible with each other.

You can find interesting solutions on sale - original stones with drilled holes into which plants can be planted. You can also find stones of various types in stores. But you can also find them in nature, along the banks of rivers or other bodies of water. Perhaps in your area there are quarries where granite or sandstone is mined. You can purchase cobblestones of various sizes you need from landscape organizations; you can also buy tuff, sandstone or shell rock there. Small stones can be found in simple pet stores.

If there are quarries near you, then you can simply get hold of any stones there for free. There may be unnecessary and very disturbing stones on farm fields or collective and state farm fields; the owners will only thank you for getting rid of them! After construction, you can also find suitable specimens among the garbage. Dilapidated buildings or buildings ready for dismantling can also help you in selecting stones. Also look carefully at the sides of roads, railway tracks and on the banks of reservoirs; it won’t take you long to find the necessary stones there.

When transporting, it is better to wrap the stones in burlap so that they do not bump into each other and lose their desired appearance.

Needs - usefulness

A simple flowerbed on a plot is no longer comme il faut. But the alpine slide is much more interesting. With its appearance, your site will literally be transformed, even the landscape will visually change with the appearance of a piece of mountain beauty.

So, to summarize, stones can be combined from different rocks, painted in different colors, and plants can be planted after installing the stones and backfilling with fertile soil. A stream or a small fountain will only add color to the rock garden. Low coniferous plantings nearby will also enliven the situation.

Amazing in their originality, undemanding in maintenance, giving scope for imagination - this is a small part of the return that stone gardens on the site can bring. Their appearance remains attractive all year round, and the planted plants will complement the picture of a well-groomed place. Having worked on the creation once, you will admire the fruits of your labors for many years. Properly selected stones for an alpine slide are the key to the success and durability of your landscape creation.

Creating a mountain from rock is not an easy task. Despite its apparent simplicity, it is necessary to take into account many nuances that can become decisive in determining whether the result will be pleasing to the eye. Besides a challenge for creative imagination, a stone is a task that requires a purely physical solution. First you need to choose it correctly, then find a place where you can take it, where to put it, and then bring it to the site.

The stone composition forms a single whole, harmoniously proportionate in shape, size, and color of the material. It is not always easy to achieve a balance between all components the first time. It should be borne in mind that an overly overloaded landscape looks depressing and awkward. Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary expenditure of time and effort, we will consider the main points that will help you quickly and relatively easily cope with the material.

Important! A geological collection is good for a museum, but not for a garden plot. Therefore, give preference to stones of the same type, belonging to a general type.

Whatever material you choose, it should look natural. You can achieve this in two ways:

Same format. Select the main stones so that they look together as a whole, as if Mother Nature’s hands worked on them, and not yours;
Structure. Spongy or porous (limestone, sandstone, shale, tuff) absorb water better. This means that the alpine hill will not only be durable, but also bloom, delighting with greenery longer even in drought. The rest of the rocks (marble, basalt, granite) are appropriate in a garden with a hotter climate, like a desert climate - there are a maximum of sun-loving plants here.

Types of stones

Almost any natural rock can be used as rocks for alpine slides. The choice of their color and size depends entirely on your taste and imagination. If external signs are a subjective factor, then structural features, interaction with the soil and the ability to absorb water impose their own limitations.

When creating various decorative landscapes, stones have been used for a long time, since the combination of them and plants always...

Having decided on the location for the rock garden, the number and characteristics of future plants, you must correlate these data with the surface characteristics of the material. This option is suitable if you are moving from plan to implementation with freedom of choice. If, on the contrary, you first have stones, and you have to proceed from the already set parameters, then it is useful to find out what these guests “love”.

Despite their outward unpretentiousness, they can also be capricious, demanding that their preferences be taken into account. Let's take a closer look at what each of them represents.

Granite

A hard, heavy stone that can be difficult to cut without special tools. But it is also impenetrable to precipitation and wind. This is a plus given its durability, but will be a minus for the surrounding soil system. It is at risk of flooding and excessive humidity. Take this into account when planting plants, giving preference to moisture-loving ones, and arrange a drainage system. Granite is also good in a variety of shades - from white, pink to blue, green and even black.

Slate

A common sedimentary material based on clay and quartz. Forms thin slabs, smooth and flattened. And it is formed due to groundwater deposits that are layered on top of each other. Found in abundance in river basins. Its color is mostly gray, but can be black, brown, or green.

Sandstone

Its neutral pH level makes it an excellent companion to other alpine rocks and most plants known in our region. Sedum, saxifrage, cloves, and juveniles will take root here without any problems. Despite its porosity, sandstone does not deteriorate so quickly when exposed to natural factors.

Limestone

One of the most attractive materials. But it is absolutely not suitable for plants that need an acidic environment, such as heather and rhododendron. Soils with high acidity suffer from its presence, quickly becoming alkalized. Small cells in the limestone quickly fill with all kinds of vegetation.

Shell rock

The name itself suggests that shells are the main component. By making indentations in several places (which is not difficult, given the softness of the material), you will create mini-pockets for planting plants. It is desirable that their roots are short, like succulents. Due to its use in aquariums, you can choose a suitable specimen in pet stores.

Tuff, travertine

Tuff
Travertine

Spongy, light and soft stones. They are created from calcium carbonate, which precipitates during spring floods. Suitable for non-flowering plants with an unremarkable appearance. They are easy to handle due to their relatively light weight. The cellular structure absorbs moisture like a sponge. Therefore, it is preferable to place them in a sunny place where drought is a common occurrence.

Clinker brick

Its remains after building a house are suitable for laying out on a hill. It is better to break solid rectangular pieces into several small irregular pieces. By laying them out in layers, you can vary the color from beige, terracotta to brown.

Expanded clay, pebbles, crushed stone, gravel

Expanded clay
Pebbles

Crushed stone
Gravel

Gravel is suitable for covering the area near plants and coniferous trees, mulching the soil near them. The space between the boulders is filled with small pebbles, creating a smooth flow around the “top”. Expanded clay and crushed stone, being neutral in shade, will cope with this task quite well. In addition, due to their porous structure, they will perform an additional drainage function.

Considering proportionality, play with the contrast of color and size - bright, multi-colored pebbles or gravel in rich shades look good near large boulders of dark colors. And stones that glow in the dark provide additional illumination after sunset.

Glowing stones

Where to buy stones

Local quarries and quarries are a constant source of replenishment. Their number is limited by your budget and free space on the site. To look for material that is not typical for your region, go to garden centers. A wide selection of different sizes is complemented by decorative features.

There are several accessible places where you can get stones for an alpine slide. You can get the breed you need there relatively inexpensively:

Farms and private farmsteads - farmers often want to remove unwanted stones from their fields or gardens. Or the new owners redo the layout of the site, which now has no room for boulders. True, the choice will be limited and you will have to take what you have, but it will be cheaper or completely for nothing. Also pay attention to construction sites, because there is a lot of waste of different textures that will be quite useful to you. In addition, houses about to be demolished are often rich in rare raw materials. Before destroying them, you can find something worthwhile.
Old mines and quarries are a treasure trove for stone hunters. First make sure that the place is safe and that there are no traces of chemicals used in the development process left on the rock. There are restrictions on territorial grounds, because It is not necessary that there are abandoned mines near your site. In addition, the material you need is not always available there.
Rivers and beaches are a natural environment, so the stones here are little susceptible to erosion or damage. For the most part, they are small in size, but natural and free.

Or you can make them yourself, like the authors of these videos:

When transporting, you will protect the material from shocks and shocks if you cover it with a tarpaulin or hemp bag fabric. It can soften the friction of stones against each other during transportation. It is advisable that you take the rock from a slope or hill, because it is easier to lower them down than to climb uphill with them. You will also need a cart and a crowbar to move them around the area.

Mountain landscapes have always attracted people with their simple and natural beauty. Being on a mountain plateau or standing on…

Installation of stones

Measure the width and length in order to first make depressions in the ground into which the rock should fit. Large boulders are installed first to give the slide a structure. Then add a medium and smaller size next to each other for visual harmony between all parts of the composition. By deepening each stone a third of its size into the ground, you can achieve even greater naturalness. Avoid placing them simply on the surface of the ground, as they are too conspicuous and have a forced appearance.

Important! Don't forget that it is better to install three large stones for an alpine-style slide than ten small ones. Large quantities of fine material create a cluttered appearance and are not effective.

Regardless of the quantity, try to keep them distributed in your area. A rock garden is a reflection of nature in miniature, so boulders and pebbles that are rarely found in your area will seem out of place. The stone should not show obvious signs of erosion due to weathering. Also avoid built-up moss or lichen. It is easier to find clean material without them than to remove unnecessary vegetation later.

Some experts strongly recommend installing the rock like icebergs, i.e. vertically, sharp edge up. This is done so that as many sides as possible are visible. Such placement creates the illusion of mountain peaks, the type of which alpine slides are created.

The top does not have to be in the center; you can move it to the edge. The main rule is that it should be clearly indicated. And from it, smaller and lower stones spread out around, like circles on water. Moreover, you can make two peaks at once, depending on the amount of material and available space.

Small pebbles with sharp edges have one advantage, a purely practical one - they make it difficult for slugs and snails to access succulent leaves.

An alpine hill is not just a way to highlight your site, literally elevating it. Stones in the garden give it a well-groomed look, making an ordinary landscape look like a work of garden art. Their size, shape, solidity, color and texture add a new dimension to the landscape - durability and sustainability.

The Alpine slide is a fashionable attribute for arranging modern garden and park areas. Making a rock garden at your dacha with your own hands: step-by-step photos, diagrams, selection of plants.

Choosing a location 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 built 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 hiring a landscape architect. Having step-by-step photos and diagrams for arranging the slide, it will not be difficult to complete the work of constructing a rock garden with your own hands.

It is very important to carry out the preparatory work correctly so that the slide is stable.

Alpine slide - preparation

First you need to determine the location on the site where the slide will be located. Perennial shrubs and trees should not grow nearby, which could over time obscure the plants on the hill. A place that is open on all sides and accessible to view from all corners of the garden must be dry. A high groundwater level will adversely affect the durability and strength of the slide base. 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 diagram

While natural shrinkage of the soil occurs, you can draw up a diagram, determine the location of boulders and stones on the hill, and 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;
sphagnum moss.

Scheme: arrangement of an alpine slide

The diagram and detailed plan according to which the rock garden will be created must take into account that the construction of the slide is carried out at a height of 1 to 3 m.

Advice. If the height of the rock garden is over 1 meter, a slide core is required.

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

Scheme: alpine slide in layers

Rock garden stones - choosing the right ones

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

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

The shape and color of the stones are of great importance. You should avoid round-shaped stones, as well as excessively sharp-angled boulders. Stones of different colors look harmonious only on alpine slides of a certain type. The classic version of arranging a slide involves using stones of the same type, but of different shapes.

Scheme: deepening stones for an alpine slide

The stones are placed on the hill so that the edges in the viewing area have the most attractive shape. Stones with defects should be disguised by placing them in the most favorable way. Stones should be laid taking into account the size and weight, ensuring the most harmonious appearance of the created slide. Stones should be placed randomly, in the most natural way, so it is better not to use stone blocks and artificial boulders made industrially.

DIY Alpine slide - selection of plants

The construction of an alpine hill, especially the selection of plants, requires additional knowledge about plant varieties and agricultural technology. Plants are selected depending on the type of hill. A rocky hill for sunny locations requires specific, drought-tolerant plants. The classic version of a rock garden involves planting miniature trees and shrubs, perennial herbs and flower crops.

Example No. 1. Decorating an alpine slide with plants

They have proven themselves excellent when planted in rockeries: fescue, lavender, rock alyssum, geranium, sedum, Iberis, young, lumbago. Small-bulbous plants planted in small groups feel great on rocky hills: crocuses, scylla, miniature hyacinths, low-growing tulips and hazel grouse. Small-bulbous plants bloom in the spring, when few plants are still blooming and the hill looks unpresentable. Everything changes when bright, blooming crocuses appear from under the snow.

Example No. 2. Plants for alpine hills

To create a highly decorative hill, it is necessary to provide for the planting of perennial plants that have different flowering periods. Then the slide will look unusual and decorative throughout the entire period. The riot of colors of flowering plants will delight 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 inhibit low-growing varieties, thereby affecting their full development. Bright plants should be placed in the foreground, in the viewing area.

The basis of the composition are miniature trees, especially conifers: spruce, juniper, cypress, pine. These plants have different crown shapes and look great on an alpine hill.

Decorative flowering shrubs used for arranging an alpine hill: rhododendrons, Erica, blueberries and lingonberries.

Perennial crops perfectly complement the alpine hill: bergenia, astilbe, daylily (low-growing), drooping reed.

Alpine slide surrounded by lawn

Advice: when forming a rock garden, you should give preference to decorative deciduous plants that retain their beauty even in the absence of flowers.

How to properly care for a rock garden?

In the first year, you will need to add soil several times, which is washed away during watering and precipitation, and also, if necessary, strengthen the stones. Watching various videos and photos taken by professional landscape designers will help you complete these jobs correctly. The soil is poured carefully and compacted.

The soil should be evenly distributed between the stones

Caring for plants involves timely watering, removing faded flowers, damaged leaves, and pruning. During the season, plants should be fertilized several times with appropriate fertilizers. You should not use nitrogen fertilizers, they cause rapid growth of the plant, which should be avoided when planting on a hill.

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

Water the plants carefully using a hose or watering can with a sprayer, making sure that the soil is not washed away.

It is advisable to strengthen loose and falling stones.

Various small bodies of water will look very beautiful on an alpine hill

If necessary, plants are treated with pest control agents. Diseased plants that cannot be cured must be removed and the soil replaced at the site of their growth.

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

Alpine slides in landscape design

An alpine slide 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. The rock garden serves as a continuation of rocky gardens and harmonizes perfectly with ponds, bridges, decorative lanterns, lawns and vertical landscaping. Creating an alpine slide with your own hands on a summer cottage will perfectly decorate the area and add charm and variety to the landscape design of the area.