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A simple flower bed in the country is a thing of the past. It is much more interesting to create an alpine slide. It is based on beautifully and correctly laid pebbles that can be painted in any color. A stream or fountain will add color to the composition. From the article you will find out which stones for the alpine slide are best suited, and where to get them.
What is an alpine hill
A rock garden is a mountain made of rocks, decorated with flowering, herbaceous or coniferous plants. It is made artificially, but should have the most natural appearance.
Alpinaria are divided into the following varieties:
- stony groan;
- forest ravine;
- slope-terrace;
- mountain valley;
- ospi;
- ladder.
Large stones are used to base the structure, while small ones are placed closer to the top. It is recommended to take flat, as well as square or rectangular specimens, oval ones are used infrequently. Preference is given to angular shapes resembling rocks.
Video “Alpine slide, made by hand”
From this video you will learn how to build a beautiful alpine slide with your own hands.
Stone types
To make an exquisite element of landscape design with your own hands, you need to choose stone material of the same format and structure. It is permissible to use both cobblestones and flagstone. Sandstone, shale, tuff and limestone absorb water well, so the rock garden will be durable and always blooming.
Granite
It is a heavy and fairly hard stone. It comes in white, blue, pink, green and black. When processing such material, you will need to use special tools. Granite resists wind and moisture well. In this case, the soil system will be at risk of flooding and high humidity. When using granite as a material, it is recommended to plant moisture-loving crops and arrange a drainage system.
Sandstone
Sandstone is available and cheap. Due to the neutral pH level, the stone is successfully combined with other varieties and most plants – juvenile, saxifrage, carnation, sedum. It has a porous and layered structure, while being resistant to the influence of natural factors. The color is red, pinkish, creamy gray, beige or brown.
Slate
This sedimentary material based on quartz and clay forms thin, smooth, flattened slabs. Its formation is due to the deposition of groundwater, layering on top of each other. Slate is found in river basins, more often gray, less often green, black and brown. This stone goes well with other rocks, in the rock garden it looks as natural as possible.
Shell rock
Shell rock is used for aquariums and is sold in pet stores. This material consists of shells, has a soft structure, which allows you to create mini-pockets for planting plants (preferably succulents) by making recesses in several places.
Pebbles
Bright and multi-colored pebbles are successfully combined with large boulders of dark colors, as well as gravel of saturated colors. Playing on the contrast of color and size will create an interesting composition. Pebbles also serve as additional illumination for the rock garden after sunset.
Brick
Clinker bricks of an oval or irregular shape are sometimes used to decorate a rock garden; it is better not to use a rectangular one. Brick should be laid out in layers, you can use material of various shades – the color varies from beige, terracotta to brown. The finished structure will be quite durable, and to create it, you can use the bricks left after the construction of the house.
Travertine and tuff
These materials have a light, soft and spongy structure. They are formed from calcium carbonate that precipitates during spring floods. The cellular structure absorbs moisture well, so the rock garden is best placed in a sunlit area. Travertine and tuff are both pleasant to work with because of their relatively light weight. As a decoration of the composition, non-flowering plants with an unremarkable appearance are used.
Where to get
You can collect material of any kind on your own in rivers and on beaches. The pebbles located there are not too large, but natural and free, and also little susceptible to damage or erosion. You can replenish stocks of materials in old mines and quarries. You should first make sure that there are no traces of chemicals that could be used during development. Such places are not always available near the summer cottage, and there may not be suitable specimens there.
We advise you to visit farms and private farmsteads. Often the right types of material can be found in houses preparing for demolition. New owners can redo the layout of the site and give boulders cheaply or for free.
If you do not want to look for the material yourself, you can buy it in stores. Here you will be offered interesting solutions. For example, specimens with pre-drilled holes in the planting material. You can buy cobblestones, as well as tuff, sandstone or shell rock, from organizations specializing in landscape design. If you need small specimens, look for them in regular pet stores.
General rules for installing stones
The creation of a rock garden involves several stages: choosing a place, arranging drainage, selecting and laying material, choosing soil and planting plants.
One slope of the structure should be gentle. Before starting laying, you need to make a recess up to 30 cm in size, where expanded clay and coarse sand should be placed. It is better to start with large pebbles, arrange them randomly without gaps, sprinkling each “floor” with a layer of earth, thus creating the illusion of a mountain landscape. A rock garden of 4-5 such “floors” is preferable.
After installation and backfilling of the soil, crops are planted, selected to your taste. If you wish, you can actually build a rock garden from wheel tires at your summer cottage, using them instead of stone. Tires can become the basis of a design with a reservoir and a waterfall, which will also decorate any landscape.