What flowers to plant on an alpine hill with seeds. What to choose plants for an alpine slide: photos and names What saxifrage can be planted on an alpine slide

Any garden or summer cottage area should have some special detail that distinguishes it from many others. Usually, some kind of picturesque corner acts as such an object, as a rule, decorated in the force of wild nature. The so-called alpine slides have long been very popular.

This is a kind of design solution created in the form of a sample of nature from the mountainous Alps: among the rocky soils and large boulders are representatives of the flora of this region. Consider how you can organize the construction of an alpine slide in a temperate climate and what plants need to be used for it.

Introduction

Typical view of an alpine slide

Rock garden with medium-sized plants

The place where the slide will be located is chosen in such a way that it can be clearly seen from different ends of the garden or plot. Most often, light-loving plants are used as plants on the slide, so it is necessary to think carefully about the lighting of this area.

Usually, when preparing places for a rock garden, they try to avoid shaded areas, as well as places located near buildings (especially economic ones). In addition, there should be as few "unnatural" objects as possible near the slide, such as automatic irrigation systems or lanterns, since the combination of wildlife and the achievements of civilization is a little discordant.

Plants for a rock garden can be selected based on two seemingly opposite criteria:

Plants of the alpine climate or as close to them as possible for the realization of the most authentic alpine landscape.
Free choice of plants, while using the "alpine" style of decoration with stones and boulders.

However, there is nothing seditious in using the latter method, since the purpose of creating an alpine slide is not so much a thorough repetition of the landscape, but rather the creation of a general mood and atmosphere.

To be quite frank, the vegetation of the mountainous Alps is rather scarce and not all "original" plants will look very good in a modern garden.

Therefore, they strive to find plants for the rock garden that give about the same effect, and do not have the usual external similarity.

Alpine slide, decorated in the form of a terrace

For example, heather in the wild is not a very attractive mountain plant in itself.... But using Gold Hayes instead of wild heather can significantly improve the experience of the site. On the other hand, using sage instead of heather will make the slide even more decorative, albeit at the expense of "similarity".

Typical schemes

The approach to the design of each individual garden or suburban area is an individual issue.... To facilitate the work of the owners of the sites, the designers have developed a number of standard solutions for the construction of a rock garden. Traditionally, for certain typical solutions, both the planting scheme and their composition have already been thought out.

One of the options

Of course, this does not mean that you need to stick to only any selected option with an accuracy of a centimeter, and choose only the indicated plants. At any time, the standard solution can be revised and the necessary changes can be made to it.

Consider the most popular ways to implement alpine slides.

Rock

One of the simplest and most unpretentious options... It is widespread because caring for it is simple and easy. At the same time, its construction requires certain skills and the presence of at least the basics of the art of an architect. It is a relatively steep structure, mainly consisting of boulders.

Their size changes depending on the height of the building. The higher the level, the smaller their size... At the very bottom are the largest and most massive boulders, in the middle - medium, and in the area of the top - the smallest. Currently, the so-called "Czech rock" is widespread - an alpine slide with many cracks in the stones.

An example of the implementation of the "Rocks"

The rock can often be decorated with various additional elements of the natural landscape, for example, small ponds... The use of artificial elements (figurines, casting, granite, etc.) is undesirable.

In such rock gardens, mountain plants are most often used. These are ferns, bells, fat women, etc. Of the larger plant forms, dwarf conifers (pines, thuja) or junipers are often used.

Mountain slope

A structure with a constant slope to either side... Such a slope is usually completely covered with small stones. Large and medium-sized stones can be used as separate elements or as a limiting structure, however, most often they are located at the very top of the slope.

It is considered a rather complex structure, because vegetation (in particular, trees) is not just a decorative decoration of the slide, but also a part of its structure. The role of trees is to support the talus structure with the help of the root system and prevent it from creeping under its own weight and from the action of weather factors.

From the point of view of aesthetics, it is an alpine highland. Most often, this design contains dwarf conifers (pines, spruces, junipers); their root system is perfect for these tasks. It is best to place an alpine slide on an already existing natural slope, although it is possible to create a similar structure artificially.

In addition to dwarf conifers and shrubs, creeping or cover plants are used in such rock gardens. You can use single plantings of both small and large mountain plants - from crocus to barberry.

At the same time, too obvious vertical accents are not used in such designs.- no tall trees and columnar and pyramidal plants.

Mountain valley

Such rock gardens are used to create landscape objects with natural stones. imitating a valley in the highlands. Their design is a horizontal, often almost flat surface with boulders of various sizes and shapes. They can be either part of some structures or randomly distributed over the area of the rock garden.

A distinctive feature of this implementation of the rock garden is the use of boulders of the same type, and best of all from one batch to create the effect of maximum naturalness. Vegetation for such a rock garden can use tree and shrub groups of different heights.

The use of relatively tall plants on such slides, although not encouraged, is quite acceptable.... Most often they are used around the perimeter as a hedge, but can be used as single plants.

In such cases, all possible forbs of mountainous terrain are most often used.... It is these designs that are preferred when organizing continuously flowering zones. Plants are selected according to flowering times and planted in such a way that beautiful and bright flowers are constantly present in the "mountain valley". Moreover, this can be done throughout the entire warm season (from early-flowering crocuses to late-flowering September).

The general background of such slides is most often either undersized ground cover or creeping plants., or stones covered with moss.

Other forms of rock gardens

Terrace decoration

The considered constructions represent, as it were, the basis for the construction of alpine slides. The rest of the designs in one form or another represent their variations.

These include:

Terraces- usually a gentle slope with a more clear breakdown into levels or steps.
Ravines- analogs of talus or rocks, but shaped in a vertical direction not up, but down. A narrow version of the ravine is called the gorge.
Stone wall- a rock garden, which is practically a vertical flower bed made of stone.
Mountain Creek- rock garden of any of the considered types, designed with the use of a directed stream of water flowing down a special channel. Often, at the foot of the hill, a stream flows into an impromptu pond.
Swamp- an alpine slide with waterlogged soil and plants corresponding to such soil. Option - the location of the pond in the center of the rock garden, but at the same time the pond is planted with marsh plants, and surrounded by mountain stones around the perimeter; the rest of the vegetation corresponds to the mountainous landscape.
Japanese garden- an attempt to combine a rock garden and a Japanese rock garden. Minimalism in plant selection and repetition of Japanese stone aesthetics.
Miniature slides- a complete composition, representing a kind of "do it yourself" set, extremely fashionable lately. It includes artificial replicas of stone and other materials, soil and plants, as well as a large plastic trough that can accommodate all this. Thus, you can make a miniature alpine slide in this trough, even in room conditions. There are various versions of artificial miniature slides, targeted at a wide range of customers.

As you can see, rock gardens have a large number of options for the implementation of that part of them, which belongs to inanimate nature. Plants inhabiting the alpine hill, in order to maintain the overall integrity and completeness of the composition, must be sustained in a certain style.

The main thing in it is the use of mountain plants or species that are as similar to them in appearance as possible. Consider the various groups of plants used in rock gardens, and also describe the characteristic representatives of a particular group.

Plants for rock garden

Cover plants

It would be a mistake to believe that there should be a bare stone on the lowest tier of an alpine slide.... Such reasoning will be appropriate for structures like the Japanese "rock garden" and, perhaps, that's it. It is unlikely that someone wants to allocate a lot of space in the center of the composition just to pave it with stones. This is not a city square.

Stones in rock gardens perform a dividing function, and large spaces between them need to be filled with something. Cover plants are the optimal solution for this - they evenly fill the lowest level of the slide composition, making it elegant.

The vast majority of cover plants are small flowers. Some do not possess them at all, but their foliage is decorative enough to be used as decoration on the lower levels.

The plant thrives on rocky soils, where most other plants are unable to survive. Growing, it is able to cover large areas of rocky and rocky surfaces.

Has many colors and shapes of petals. The flowering time also differs from late April to early fall. There are about 400 species in total, so you can choose a plant with almost any parameters.

Rezuha

Rezuha

Another name is arabis. It is considered one of the universal perennials for the slide.... In addition to its decorative properties, it is also a honey plant. It decorates the hill not only during flowering, since the leaves themselves are quite decorative.

Another name for this plant is stone rose. A patron very popular in the design of rock gardens. Has different colors and shapes. It is unpretentious in cultivation, thanks to the leaves, like in succulents, it is able to feed on the moisture accumulated in them for a long time.

The plant tolerates winter well, in addition, depending on the season, it can change color. In summer it is traditionally green, in autumn it can be red or burgundy.

Sedum

Sedum

There are two forms of this plant: herbaceous and artisanal. They have umbellate inflorescences and the whole range of petal colors. They grow equally well both on the sunny side and in the shade.

Bloom, depending on the variety, in summer or autumn... They reproduce very well, they are capable of covering large areas for several years, or even months, due to vegetative reproduction. In addition, sedum is capable of seed reproduction. In the absence of control from the owners, they are able to become a monoculture. Constant containment of overgrowth is needed.

Read also:

Sedum: species and varieties for growing at home and in the open field. Rules for planting and caring for a succulent plant (110+ Photos & Videos) + Reviews

Creeping and creeping

H and at first glance it may seem that there is no difference between cover and creeping plants. Indeed, both are on the lowest tier of an alpine hill, and both are undersized, both types, as a rule, have small flowers, etc.

But, in this case, we are talking about a fundamental difference. The overwhelming majority of cover plants are ordinary flattened bushes.... That is, where there is no opportunity for the location of the root system, there will simply not be a plant. And, therefore, in these places there will be nothing to cover the lower layer of stones.

Creeping plants, due to the fact that most of their shoots lie on the ground, are capable of covering much larger areas with their vegetation from one root than covering areas. This is especially important in rock gardens, due to the fact that, due to the large number of stones, the access of plants to the soil is significantly limited.

The second important advantage of creeping plants is the possibility of full or partial braiding by them of large boulders and other landscape objects. Similar techniques for the use of creeping plants allow you to get beautiful and unique objects.

A plant considered by many to be a weed. This is not surprising, due to the growth rate of its shoots, fantastic unpretentiousness and very fast reproduction rates in all available ways.

At the same time, periwinkle is one of the best creeping plants due to the large number of beautiful blue-violet flowers. The purpose of such plants in a rock garden is to braid with a green mass of cracks between stones and unsightly elements of the structure of the slide. In addition, many design options involve, for example, the use of large boulders completely entwined with plants.

Of all the periwinkles creeping with this task, the periwinkle will cope best of all.

A low-growing shrub with both straight and creeping stems. Leaves are round or oval. The height of plants rarely exceeds 30 cm. If the standing shoots are removed in time, the height of the thyme layer will be small. Flowering occurs in August and early September.

Despite the large number of species, they are all very similar to one another and there are no obvious differences in shape or color. The most common shades are purple and pink.

Plant of the Pink family. It is a semi-shrub perennial. The flowering period of the plant occurs at the beginning of summer. There are several flowers on the stem, and their total number is quite large. With a relatively loose planting, due to the flowers, the leaves are not even visible.

It is used mainly as a creeping plant, since the flexible stems are able to lie almost 20-30 cm on the ground before they raise flowers to the Sun. It spreads very quickly and requires regular growth restrictions.

In temperate climates, it is distributed almost everywhere. Dislikes both extreme cold and intense heat. It feels best in coniferous forests, therefore, in rock gardens, its planting next to conifers will be optimal. On the alpine slides, Fortune's euonymus is most widespread.

On the sunny side, euonymus grows in breadth much better than in height, which allows it to be used as a cover plant. However, it needs regular loosening of the soil, which slightly limits its use in rock gardens.

In addition, to retain moisture, it is advisable to mulch the soil under it. It is a poisonous plant. Care should be taken when working with roots and leaves.

Read also:

Two types are best suited for these purposes: juniper horizontal and Blue Forest grade. Both grow no more than 20-30 cm in height, but can grow up to a meter in width. They have green or gray-green needles; in winter, the color changes to burgundy.

They are undemanding to the composition of the soil, but they do not like excessive dryness of both the soil and the air. The first 2-3 years of life have a slow growth, but then they grow very much. In order for the plant to have dense branches, it should be cut off annually, primarily long shoots.

Tall plants (for upper levels)

The largest representatives of the rock garden flora, in fact, may not be present at it. These are either inhabitants of the boundary levels of an alpine slide, or special concentrators of attention, "catching" a glance of the visitor and then transferring him to the rock garden itself.

The boundary level means either the background of the rock garden, or the beginning of some structure inside it... If your slide does not aim to stand out strongly from the surrounding landscape, there is no particular need for them.

But what alpine landscape is possible without representatives, for example, conifers? In addition, you need to understand that a rock garden is not just a flower bed, the composition of which can be easily and quickly changed from season to season.

It is quite complex both in design and manufacture, and its life cycle is at least 5-7 years. Therefore, the selection of the main inhabitants of the rock garden must be made very scrupulously.

Slow-growing perennials are the ideal choice. Coniferous species have the advantage, since they help to solve two problems at once. First, they are natural representatives of rocky soils and mountainous landscapes. And secondly, most conifers have a high decorative effect and the ability to attract attention.

As an alternative to conifers, you can use either some kind of evergreen shrubs or trees., having some similarities with them, or some beautiful decorative perennials, suitable for growth or general impression produced.

It is an evergreen or deciduous shrub devoid of thorns. Treelike varieties of cotoneaster can often be found. It has medium-sized oblong leaves that change color throughout the year. In summer, the color of the leaves is dark green, in winter it is dark burgundy. The cotoneaster can grow up to 5 m, however, in most cases it is from 1.2 to 1.5 m.

Prefers slightly acidic soils, tolerates drought well... Due to its decorative effect, the cotoneaster can be used both as a single plant and as a group plant to create hedges. Having a developed root system, it can be used to strengthen a rock garden of the "slope" type. The cotoneaster blooms in June-July, and its fruits, which are red berries, appear by September.

The plant is slow-growing, but young shoots can grow significantly from season to season. Therefore, regular pruning is recommended to keep the plant looking good. Evergreens are pruned in mid-spring, and deciduous ones - at the end of winter, when there may still be snow and temperatures below freezing.

The creation of an alpine slide is a fascinating process that requires not only imagination, but also care. Even one incorrectly selected plant can ruin the whole experience, disrupting the harmony between other inhabitants of the rocky garden. Therefore, you need to make the right choice from an extensive list of plants suitable for composing an alpine slide.

To make the alpine slide look attractive all season long, a place for planting plants should be selected, taking into account their flowering time and the principle of tiering:

The top of the hill. It is more exposed to sunlight than the tiers below; therefore, it is rational to plant here plants that love sunlight and do not need a lot of moisture.
Middle tier- a place for plants that feel good in partial shade. Here the soil moisture is average, so the middle of the alpine slide can be called universal: milking most flowers here are ideal conditions, which gives ample opportunities for choice.
The foot of the slide- the logical completion of the landscape composition. 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 ensure 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.

The creation of an alpine slide is a fascinating process that requires not only imagination, but also care

Plants placement schemes in the rock garden

Before you start creating an alpine slide, you need to create a graphical diagram. It will reflect the general idea of the composition, help new ideas appear and find possible mistakes even before planting the plants.

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

Here are a couple of example circuits:

Spicy slide on which they are located: the top will be occupied by oregano, on the middle tier heather, hyssop, monarda and medicinal will feel good, and basil, bright nasturtium and fragrant thyme will perch at the very base.
Coniferous slide: thuja, planted on top, looks great surrounded by creeping juniper of the middle tier (different types can be used) and weeping cypress. The rock garden is completed by dwarf spruces or, the soil under which is masked by a carpet of saxifrage.

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 an alpine slide (25 photos)

What plants are suitable for an alpine slide (video)

Names and Descriptions of Perennial Flowers for Alpine Slides

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

Armeria seaside

A compact plant whose bushes form fluffy green cushions of narrow leaves. Numerous inflorescences (about 10) rise above them, which are lilac balls. Outwardly, Armeria looks like a decorative bow. Hardy plant, poorly responsive to high soil moisture. Therefore, Armeria will feel good on the top of the hill or on the slope of the middle tier.

Dicenter exceptional

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

Dicenter exceptional

Gypsophila

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

Bulbous flowers

These are crocuses, daffodils, snowdrops and woodlands. They appear immediately after the gentle cover disappears, enlivening the landscape like a spring. For a change, you can plant varietal Greig tulips with beautifully shaped flowers reaching 30 cm in height, and Kaufman tulips.

Gypsophila

Rejuvenated

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

Primrose

Primrose (popular name for primrose) is a perennial herb. Its advantages: early onset of flowering, variety of shapes and colors of flowers, pleasant smell. The primrose is undersized (height 10-30 cm), when single planting 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

The people also call the plant a mountaineer. Loves the sun, and grows in the wild on well-lit mountain sides. Therefore, it will worthily take the 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 slides truly alive.

For example, this:

Antennary (). A low-growing plant, the peduncles of which do not rise above 15 cm.It has small leaves with a silvery tinge and pubescence, creating a dense carpet on the ground up to 5 cm thick. But it is very hardy!
Periwinkle... Forms an evergreen rug, blooming from May to September with delicate blue flowers scattered among the leathery small leaves. Suitable for growing in the sun and on a shady slope: the plant is unpretentious to light.
Alpine two-seed A low plant that forms 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.
Saxifrage. One of the most popular ground cover plants. Their flowering time falls in the middle of summer, and the color of different species differs: from snow-white to maroon. He loves light, so you need to plant on the western or southern slope of an alpine slide or closer to its top.
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. Loves the sun and loamy soils, although it grows well in any soil.
Subulate phlox. The plant is 15–17 cm high, named for the narrow and pointed leaves at the ends. Shoots are densely covered with numerous inflorescences of pink, white or lilac. Flowering begins in May-June and continues in early September.

Several types of ground cover plants coexist on one hill, if they are in harmony with each other. Given their flowering time, it can be done so that the soil will be 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 hills, because their leaves stuck in the cracks between stones are difficult to remove, and the composition will look untidy. Better to opt for small evergreen bushes.

For example, the branches of which 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 that remain on the branches all winter and give the cotoneaster a special charm.

An interesting solution would be to use boxwood barberry. Its bush grows no higher than 50 cm and represents a spreading crown of numerous branches. A very unpretentious plant that tolerates frost and drought well. Loves 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

An alpine slide is a repetition of a mountain landscape in miniature, so for naturalness you need to use small plants. Large bushes will take up half of the composition and will distract attention from other inhabitants of the rocky garden.

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

Conifers for an alpine slide

To create an alpine landscape, low-growing species and varieties of conifers are used:

Dwarf spruce, 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 spreading or pyramidal.
Juniper. Species look spectacular, the branches of which grow parallel to the ground. The needles of the plant often have a yellow tint, and the branches are decorated with small bumps. Juniper in the wild can be seen on the slopes of the mountains, so it is undemanding to the soil and grows well on rocks.
Thuja- a shrub or tree of a pyramidal shape, less often it is cut in the form of a ball.
Mountain pine variety "Pug" grows very slowly and by the age of 10 it has a crown with a diameter of up to 50 cm, which makes it possible to plant a tree on an alpine hill. The green needles have a pleasant blue tint.
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 Filifera cypress has hanging branches that looks like a coniferous cascade.

Today, a garden on stones, which amazes not only with its beauty, but also with a wide variety of flowers and plants, has become a common element of landscape design. Such popularity is due not only to an unusual and very beautiful appearance, but also to a rather unassuming care. Plants for the alpine slide, visually very liven up the stone surface, while maintaining the effect of the wild nature of the mountains.

Basic rules for the selection of plants

It is quite simple to create an alpine slide with your own hands, which can become a highlight, a stylish element of your personal plot. To do this, it is worth choosing only those plants that meet the following criteria:

for arranging an alpine slide, it is better to choose small, undersized plant species that will look harmonious against the background of stones;
the selection of plants should take place only if they are resistant to the characteristics of the soil and the climate of the area in which the alpine slide will be located;
when choosing a place for planting a flower or shrub, be sure to take into account the required amount of sunlight, which will allow the plant to develop well. So for light-loving flowers, territories that are completely open to the sun are suitable, and for shade-loving ones it is worth looking for places darkened by trees;
wanting to create a single harmonious composition, select plants that are uniform in terms of growth intensity. Taking into account this feature, you can avoid an unpleasant situation when very fast-growing flowers and shrubs do not allow less active plant species to break through and grow;
When creating an alpine slide, it is important to stick to the combination of plants with each other. They should be similar not only externally, but also coincide in terms of growing conditions, watering, flowering rhythm.

Types of plants for an alpine slide

There are a lot of flowers and shrubs suitable for arranging an alpine slide in the existing landscape design, but the species that are most suitable for such purposes most of all should be highlighted. As a rule, these are undemanding, beautiful and abundantly flowering plants that can create a unique charm inherent in an alpine slide.

Experts advise first of all to pay attention to the following types of plants.

Brachycoma Iberisoliferous

An annual plant with a bright, attractive color and good resistance to low temperatures and long absence of moisture. The height of an adult plant reaches 25 cm. For a brachycoma to take root better and develop well, choose a sunny area with soft soil for it. It is better to plant it in early spring by sowing seeds directly into the ground. The first flowering of brachicoma begins at the beginning of summer, and delights with its beauty until August.

Wanting to extend flowering until late autumn, the plant needs to be planted a little later, at the end of May. Do not forget about good watering of young bushes. As the plant grows, the amount of moisture should be significantly reduced by watering the brachicoma only on very hot, dry days.

Dimorphoteka smoky

This flower is native to South Africa. Therefore, it is very important for him to have a large amount of bright sun. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that it is well tolerated at low temperatures. An adult plant reaches a height of 35 cm. The dimorphoteca blooms with large beautiful flowers of yellow or orange color, which allows it to be very noticeable against the general background of an alpine slide.

Finished seedlings must be planted in open ground at the end of spring. The first shoots can already be observed in seven days, but active flowering will begin no earlier than two months later. Depending on the surrounding climate, the shrub can delight with flowers until the end of summer.

The finest feather grass

This is a representative of the Mexican flora. It tolerates harsh winters. In the wild, feather grass begins to bloom only in the third year, but a cultivated plant planted on an alpine hill pleases with flowers already in the first year of planting. Feather grass blooms, as a rule, all summer. This type of plant grows and develops best in acidic soils, in a sunny area with a good drainage system. You can plant flowers for an alpine slide called feather grass by dividing an already mature plant or sowing seeds.

Attention ! When choosing feather grass for an alpine slide, remember that this is a rather large plant, reaching a height of half a meter, and a trunk diameter of 30 cm.

Horned violet

These are amazingly beautiful flowers for an alpine slide, which attracts with their two-tone color. It is also worth noting the unpretentiousness of the plant. Violet grows well in any soil, both in the shade and in the sun. The violet is sown by seed in early summer. It blooms for a very long time, from the first months of summer until late autumn.

Nolana is weird

This creeping flower creates a beautiful carpet that can be a decoration for any garden. It is planted in mid-spring, when the soil is already warmed up enough. The plant does not tolerate high humidity very well, so you need to be extremely careful when watering. The best environment for active and healthy growth is moderately moist soil and bright sun. Also, it will not be superfluous to periodically feed the flower with nitrogen fertilizers.

Armeria seaside

The flower stands out against the general background with graceful flowers of red, pink or white. The plant is quite unpretentious to care for, does not require annual planting and any special conditions for growth. The most optimal soil option for armeria is sandy or stony soils with an acidic environment. As a rule, armeria begins to bloom only in the second year after planting.

Alpine forget-me-not

A low-growing, biennial plant for an alpine slide called "Forget-me-not Alpine" is distinguished by a very active and early flowering. The first inflorescences can be seen already at the beginning of May. Forget-me-not has many varieties. Among them, you can choose the plant whose color you would like to see on your alpine slide. This flower is very fond of the sun, but at the same time it is very resistant to winter frosts. The flower is best planted in small groups. Forget-me-not is planted with seeds in the middle or late autumn. So the first flowers will bloom in the spring.

Alpine edelweiss

This is a true representative of the flora of mountainous regions. Loves the sun and abundant watering. This perennial flower for an alpine slide can reach a height of up to 30 cm. It is sown with seeds. The first flowers appear at the end of summer and amaze with their soft fluffy leaves of a delicate beige color. Considering that the leaves of edelweiss have a light silvery hue, this combination gives a very beautiful result.

Aubrieta cultural

The plant is unpretentious, perennial, grows well and develops on sandy soils. Even without the bright colors of pink, lilac, lilac, the aubriet looks like an ornamental plant. Flowering does not last long, about a month, after which the shaved is pruned. It is worth noting that the sown seeds do not need to be covered with earth. They need solar energy to grow. Traditionally, obrieta is planted along the perimeter of an alpine slide or used as a decorative element for stone slides.

Alpine aster

This American flower thrives on rocky soils in bright sunshine. It is quite unpretentious, blooms from May to June. The flowers are medium in size, purple, pink or white. The plant propagates by cuttings or by dividing the bush. New sprouts of asters should be planted at a distance of 20 cm from each other.

Heuchera

Despite the fact that this species is distinguished by a wide variety of representatives, not flowers, but leaves of various colors, it attracts gardeners. Geichera gets along well with various types of flowers and shrubs. It does not require special growing conditions.

Heuchera pouring is a variety of colors and shades. It is they who attract with their appearance, since the flowers of the plant are not very large in size and have an expressionless white color. The flower propagates by seeds or by dividing rhizomes. Growing Heuchera is simple and easy. It grows on any soil, does not require frequent watering and tolerates temperature changes well.

an alpine slide should be built on a hill, the slope of which is located on the southeast or southwest side;
the height of the alpine slide should be commensurate with its area;
it is imperative to equip the drainage system. For this, the top soil layer is removed to a depth of at least 25 cm. The pit is covered with crushed stone or slag, which forms the drainage layer;
the soil for planting plants must be fertile. For this, the ground removed from the wound must be mixed with clay and fertilizers;
it is better to place large stones in the center, and small ones around the perimeter;
do not ignore the weeds, they must be removed promptly and immediately. To do this, hand weeding is carried out or weeds are treated with special herbicide solutions.

Conclusion

Alpine slides need care and a competent approach to the arrangement. Only in this way, the alpine slide will delight you and your loved ones with beautiful flowers almost all year round. Don't be afraid to get creative, sometimes the results can be unexpectedly pleasant.

You can watch a detailed video tutorial on creating an alpine slide in the video

The main component of the rock garden is vegetation. If the plants for the alpine slide are successfully selected, no more decor is needed. And for this it is necessary to determine three things: 1) what shrubs, herbs and flowers are used for the alpine slide; 2) the conditions for the growth of various crops; 3) their compatibility.

Plant selection principles

Traditionally, rock gardens were planted with alpine perennials. They have the most suitable characteristics:

undersized plants;
ground cover;
compact;
not too demanding on the composition of the soil;
drought-resistant;
windproof;
winter hardy.

These plants for the alpine slide are the main crops today. Their advantages:

does not need to be planted annually;
form dense clumps, leaving no room for weeds. Weeding is required less frequently than annual crops;
with timely feeding and removal of faded heads, most plants can bloom again in the fall.

Perennials for an alpine slide reproduce by seeds, cuttings, dividing bushes.

Creeping plants and flowers (most of them are perennial) have similar advantages. They reproduce by whiskers, shoots, superficial roots. But they have a minus - aggressive growth, other crops are hammered.

The disadvantage of most perennials is that they do not bloom in the first year after planting. Therefore, now many owners combine them with annual crops. Annuals have another plus for them: you can sow different ones every year, the design will change from season to season. A number of annuals have a long flowering period, due to which the rock garden from spring to autumn looks elegant without additional efforts of the owners.

In the middle lane, in addition to alpine species, some forest and steppe crops are used.

What plants are suitable for the slide:

undersized coniferous shrubs and trees (thuja, etc.). Conifers zone the object in the summer, and in winter they serve as its only decoration;
deciduous shrubs. Evergreens are mainly suitable - they do not shed leaves, which will have to be removed;
ground cover (creeping) occupy most of the hill;
herbaceous crops for the alpine slide are perennial, preferably mountainous;
bulbous. They are planted along with ground cover. You should not allocate a separate sector for them, because after flowering, the stems die and baldness forms in this place.

The process of arranging an alpine slide gives boundless scope for imagination. But there are a number of rules that must be followed in order for your creation to serve for a long time and look good all the time:

plants for an alpine slide should be selected taking into account the illumination: in the direct sun - light-loving, if the alpine slide in the shade - shade-loving;
the required amount of sun should be in all plants, including very undersized and recently planted. The composition should be selected so that crops with high growth rates do not overwhelm the rest;
choose plants that need the same care;
all crops are undersized, flowers are medium-sized;
flowering time - different, so that the slide is elegant all season;
not too demanding on the composition of the soil (after all, they have to grow on stones);
the elements of the composition should be harmoniously combined.

If you prefer an alpine slide, you can limit the floristic component to conifers alone. And in a small amount: the traditional rockery is a Japanese rock garden, vegetation is generally not welcome there. So an alpine hill of conifers is a great option for ascetics and lazy people.

Important: When choosing plants, take into account the characteristics of the soil and the chemical composition of the stones. Some rocks tend to leach or deoxidize the soil. This should not damage the vegetation.

Types and textures

Let's name the most popular plants for rock garden.

Perennial:

edelweiss (aka highlander) grows on rocky mountain soil, light-loving. Propagated by seeds and seedlings;
rejuvenated (stone rose). Many types differing in the shape and color of the rosette. Some varieties change color depending on the season;
alissum (or beetroot). Drought-resistant, light-loving, with a sweetish odor. Inflorescences of small golden flowers. Blossoms in May, the color lasts more than one and a half months. In the fall, the plant can bloom again;
armeria seaside. Drought-resistant, sensitive to waterlogging. Globular inflorescences like ornamental onions. Blooms all season;
echinacea. Photophilous, demanding on the soil. Flowering time - July-August. Bright large flowers;
three types of carnations: grass, alpine, pinnate. They grow in clumps, lush flowering. The grass is the first to bloom, the rest - in the second decade of June;
arenaria crimson. Non-capricious, drought-resistant. Stem up to 15 centimeters long. Blooms all summer with small flowers in the shape of stars;
periwinkle. It grows in any light, blooms all season. Small blue flowers;
balkan geranium. Bushes 20-25 cm, grows in any light and humidity. Carved leaves turn red or yellow in autumn;
rhodiola. Sun-loving, loves damp (without waterlogging) nutritious soil. Blooms all summer;
sod pike (meadow). Panicle-shaped inflorescence. Grows in spring and autumn;
soldanella (snow bell). Whimsical, loves wet soil without waterlogging. Propagated by dividing the bush. Color - white or blue;
whorled asparagus (asparagus). There are globular varieties. Small white flowers, red berries.

Annuals:

dimorphoteca notched. Drought-resistant, cold-resistant. It blooms luxuriantly and for a long time. Large inflorescences of yellow and orange flowers;
lagurus (haretail) is a cereal ornamental plant. Sun-loving, loves abundant watering, reacts painfully to dryness;
brachycoma Iberisoliferous. Photophilous and thermophilic plant. Watering can only be done in the absence of rain for a long time. The soil is dry, but nutritious;
... The flower is unpretentious, light-loving and thermophilic. Many varieties. Blooms from early summer until frost.

Groundcover:

... It happens one-year and long-term. Moisture-loving, prefers sun or shade. Blooms all summer, multiplies by rosettes (they are removed after the plant has faded). Aggressive (easily displaces neighbors);
arabis. Honey plant, strong aroma. It blooms in May-June, after flowering it also looks good due to the decorative leaves. In the sun, the color is more magnificent, in shaded conditions, the growth of the root system is stronger. Grows aggressively;
shaved. Perennial with abundant flowering. Forms a carpet up to 30 centimeters in height, up to a meter in width. Leaves overwinter. Small flowers appear in May. Blooms up to 1.5 months. If you cut off the shoots later, it will bloom again in the fall;
Delosperm is profusely flowering. Annual flower. Sun-loving, loves hot weather and abundant watering. The preferred soil is poor but well-drained. Flowers in the form of stars, pinkish lilac;
woolly stachis ("sheep's ears");
wormwood Schmidt;
thyme (creeping thyme);
host;
stonecrop evers;
Ayuga (creeping tenacious);
acene of a loaf.

Bulbous:

crockery;
woodlands;
snowdrops;
crocuses;
muscari;
Kaufman tulips;
poultry farm.

sage;
monkey grass;
heather (sparrow buckwheat);
goose foot;
rosemary;
spikelet liatris;
fescue;
red cuff;
lagurus (haretail);
viviparous sheep;
maned barley;
Gaultier's fescue.

Conifers and shrubs:

dwarf spruce. Unpretentious, drought-resistant. Fir-trees grow up to 60 centimeters, grow slowly. The shape of the crown is pyramidal. Can be shaped with a haircut. Colors - from blue (seaside spruce) to deep green (Canadian);
... There are many types, there are creeping and standard ones. The color of the needles is green, yellow-green. Juniper is photophilous, grows well on stones;
mountain dwarf pine Pug. The shape of the crown is spherical, in ten years it grows to half a meter. The color of the needles is greenish blue. Unpretentious;
thuja. The crown is dense, spherical or conical. Can be shaped with a haircut. The needles are light green, under the sun it can turn red. Unpretentious, drought-resistant, cold-resistant.

Evergreen deciduous shrubs:

the cotoneaster is horizontal. Small dense foliage is green all year round, turning crimson in autumn. In May, small pink flowers appear. Fruits ripen in autumn and last until spring;
Iberis is evergreen. The height of the bush is up to half a meter, strongly branches, the foliage is dense. Nice smell. It blooms for two months, the flowers are white, appear in May. The preferred soil is rocky or sandy. Photophilous, sensitive to waterlogging. You need to water in a drought;
evergreen barberry. Height up to half a meter. Blooms in May. Light-loving, undemanding to the soil. In severe frosts, it needs shelter;
fan maple, euonymus, spirea.

Tip: If you want your slide to be not only pleasing to the eye, but also beneficial, do not neglect medicinal plants - thyme, sage, rhodiola, chamomile, etc.

Choice by flowering time

If an important part of your composition is flowers for an alpine slide, you need to choose them so that flowering continues throughout the season.

Seeds of crops for early spring are planted in the fall:

snowdrop;
dwarf tulips;
dwarf daffodils;
primrose (stemless primrose);
mouse hyacinth;
sleep-grass (anemone, lumbago);
spring-worker;
crocuses;
alpine violet;
scilla;
Adonis;
pushkinia;
corydalis.

What flowers bloom in late spring:

Iberis (peppercorn);
the bell is dark;
Carpathian bell;
dicentra nodule;
shaved;
gypsophila;
catchment area (aquilegia, eagle);
subulate phlox;
alpine gutchinzia.

Summer flowers for rock garden:

Indian strawberries;
gentian;
herbal clove;
saxifrage;
alpine forget-me-not;
sunflower (heliantemum);
splinter.

Plants blooming in autumn:

dwarf chrysanthemums;
autumn crocus;
Chinese;
alpine aster.

Landing features

Since there are no moisture-loving (for example, tropical) plants on the alpine slides, waterlogging of the flower bed should be avoided. Quality is a must. It is also important to protect the sown seeds and roots from rodents (moles, shrews), and the entire building from weeds. To do this, before laying the stones, three mandatory steps are performed:

lay a metal mesh on the bottom (from rodents);
geotextile fabric (against weeds);
a drainage layer is poured: 10 cm of crushed stone and 10 sand.

The stones themselves are placed at intervals, which are covered with earth - otherwise the plants will have nowhere to put down roots. After the masonry has settled, you can plant the plants. When placing, observe the following rules:

large shrubs are not planted near small stones;
distribute crops so that they do not overlap each other with sunlight;
large areas of the stone must remain open, otherwise it is not a rock garden;
plants with different growth rates are not placed next to them;
on the northern and eastern slopes, shade-tolerant plants are planted for an alpine slide;
in the south, west and at the top - light-loving and drought-resistant;
slow-growing conifers for an alpine slide (juniper, etc.) are planted near large stones, far from each other, at the base of the masonry.

Layout - tiered:

at the foot - moisture-loving and shade-resistant (young, saxifrage, decorative grasses, various types of mosses);
higher, less whimsical plants (phlox, primroses, lumbago) can be planted on an alpine slide;
the top - light-loving drought-resistant: Iberis, creeping thyme, alissum, edelweiss.

The boundaries between the tiers are stones or rows of tall plants.

The Alpine Hill perennial mix can be purchased at a specialist store. The ready-made decorative mixture "alpine slide" has already been selected according to the principle of species compatibility.

You will collect some plants near your home - in the field, in the forest. Landing should be carried out in accordance with the recommendations for each specific species.

Part of the composition can be planted with moss. How to grow it:

Collect moss in the forest, clear the rhizomes from the earth. It should be taken from a tree if there are wooden fragments in your composition. In order for moss to grow on stones, you need to collect it from the stones.
Pour two glasses of kefir into the jar.
Grind the moss, pour the glass into the same jar.
Mix.
Apply the solution with a brush to the rock garden stones.

The moss will take root within a month and a half. During this period, it needs to be watered and fed with mineral fertilizers.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many important nuances. If in doubt, it is advisable to consult with professionals. It is necessary to compose floristic compositions, to study the features of different species very carefully - then your slide will delight you for many years.

The construction of a rock garden is an opportunity to bring a piece of the mountain landscape to your flat piece of land. The combination of rough stones and delicate colors has a mesmerizing effect. Today on our website about we will consider which ones are worth using plants for the alpine slide- photos and titles. First, we will consider the basic principles of the selection of flora for this rocky flower garden.

Principles for the selection of plants for an alpine slide

When creating a flower bed with your own hands, it is important to choose such plants that will harmonize with each other and get along well next to each other. For a rock garden, representatives of the flora are suitable, having the following characteristics:

Unpretentiousness. This is important, since not all ornamental plants are able to grow among stones. In addition, if some of the plants need frequent and abundant watering, then the rest, which form the basis of the mountain landscape, may suffer from this.
Compactness. Huge flowers and bushes are not suitable for an alpine slide, as they will hide the main composition. This is not to say that all plants should be the same, but too oversized should be avoided.
Slow growth. You should not plant bushes, flowers and herbs in the rock garden, the names of which are included in the list of rapidly growing plants (yaskola, sedum). In this case, these plants can crowd out the rest, which will kill the main idea.
Compliance with the region. No matter how much someone wants to plant an exclusive ornamental plant on their rock garden, there is no point in doing this if the climate of this area does not suit him. This will only lead to the fact that the place in the flowerbed will eventually be empty.

Interesting!

In the photo there is a well-designed alpine slide

Perennials for an alpine slide: photo with names

Below we have selected for you numerous photos of plants ideal for a rock garden. The basis of such a flower bed should be perennials. Pay attention to the photos posted with the image of perennial plants most suitable for this type of flower garden.

In the photo, edelweiss is a symbol of the mountains

The photo is young - a frequent inhabitant of the Alpine hills

Plantain is the name of a plant familiar from childhood, which is often found in rock gardens.

In the photo there is a charming flower of Pushkinia

Saxifrage - the plant got its name due to its ability to actively develop among stones

In the photo there are miniature carnations for an alpine slide

In the photo, a plant known as a spice is thyme.

Annual plants for rock garden: photos and names

Annual plants are rarely used in the design of alpine slides - mainly to fill voids, where perennials should grow over time. You can use the most common light-loving and not too demanding on moisture plants.

Deciduous and coniferous shrubs: photos and names

Small cute bushes can also become part of an alpine slide, but on one condition - there should not be many of them. Just a few pieces are enough to create accents. What will fit?

A plant called cotoneaster favorably complements the design of the rock garden

The height of coniferous shrubs for a rock garden should not exceed 70 cm, only on a very large rocky hill you can plant a coniferous plant up to 1.5 m. They are best planted at the foot of the hill. Representatives of the coniferous group will ensure the aesthetics of your flower bed, even in winter.

Mozhevelnik in the photo

Upper tier. Here it is necessary to plant plants that are especially fond of sun and drought, and also calmly tolerate winds. For example, edelweiss, iberis, carnations, thyme, rejuvenated, juniper are suitable.

Middle tier. Here the choice of plants is very wide, since this place is moderately lit by the sun and not too dry. It is important to take into account that conditions on the south side of the hill are significantly different from conditions from the north.

Lower tier... In this place, it is better to plant plants that love shading and high humidity. For example, coniferous shrubs, saxifrage, corydalis, cinquefoil are well suited.

Important reminders:

It should be borne in mind that some types of stones that are often used for the construction of an alpine slide can affect the composition of the soil, for example, increase its acidity.
There must be a drainage layer in the center of the rock garden. For it, you can use small twigs or pebbles.
The following point should be taken into account: large plants should not be planted near small stones.
Many medicinal plants - chamomile, sage, rosemary, thyme - grow well in a mountain landscape, so you can plant them on a certain area of the rock garden and thus use it not only for beauty, but also for the body.

In order for the rock gardens to look the most natural, it is important to choose one design style and follow it. What are we talking about? For example, creating a rock garden in the form rocks, large boulders are placed at the base of the hill, and small and medium boulders are placed along its entire surface. Imitating mountain slope, it is necessary, on the contrary, to place small pebbles at the bottom, and large ones at the top. Mountain valley is formed by a chaotic arrangement of stones of different sizes.

Making out terraced slope, steps are made of boulders. Forest ravine is a depression made of huge stones. Rocky wall is created from flat boulders collected in the form of a curb.

So, we examined the most suitable plants for an alpine slide, the photos and names of which you found in the article. All of the listed representatives of the flora have been tested for years as residents of the rock garden, so you can safely choose from them to your taste. Do not hesitate, you will get an excellent slide of stones and plants, which will catch the eye and give a feeling of movement in space. Treat yourself to a piece of the mountain range - build an alpine slide on your personal plot!

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