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

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

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

Introduction

A typical view of an alpine hill

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 parts of the garden or plot. Most often, light-loving plants are used as plants on the hill, 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 household ones). In addition, there should be as few "unnatural" objects as possible near the slide, such as automatic watering systems or lanterns, since the combination of wildlife and the achievements of civilization is a bit dissonant.

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

Alpine climate plants or as similar as possible to realize the most authentic Alpine landscape.
Arbitrary selection of plants, while using the "alpine" style of decoration using 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 thereof.

To be completely frank, the vegetation of the mountainous Alps is quite 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 approximately the same effect, and do not have the usual external similarity.

Alpine hill, decorated in the form of a terrace

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

Typical schemes

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

One of the layout options

Of course, this does not mean that you need to stick to only some chosen option to the nearest centimeter, and choose only the indicated plants. At any time, the standard solution can be reviewed 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 widely used because its maintenance 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 varies 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 near the top - the smallest. Currently, the so-called "Czech rock" is widespread - an alpine hill with many cracks in the stones.

An example of the implementation of "Rocks"

The rock can often be decorated with various additional elements of the natural landscape, such as 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, bluebells, fat women, etc. Of the larger plant forms, dwarf conifers (pines, arborvitae) or junipers are often used.

mountain slope

A structure that has a constant slope in either direction. Such a slope is usually completely covered with small stones. Large and medium stones can be used as separate elements or a boundary structure, however, most often they are located at the very top of the slope.

Considered to be a rather complex structure, because the vegetation (in particular, trees) is not just a decorative decoration of the slide, but also part of its structure. The role of trees is to support the scree structure with the help of the root system and prevent it from spreading 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 in this design there are 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 design 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, in such designs, too obvious vertical accents are not used.- 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 the use of boulders of various sizes and shapes. They can be either part of some structures, or randomly distributed over the rock garden area.

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 that have different heights.

The use of relatively tall plants on such slides, although not welcome, is quite acceptable.. They are most often used around the perimeter as hedges, but can be used as single plants.

In such cases, most often all possible herbs of the highlands are used.. It is these structures that are preferred when organizing continuously flowering zones. Plants are selected according to the timing of flowering 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 warm season (from early flowering crocuses to late flowering Septembers).

The general background of such slides is most often either low-growing ground cover or creeping plants., or stones covered with mosses.

Other forms of rock gardens

Terrace decoration

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

These include:

Terraces– usually a gentle slope with a clearer breakdown by levels or steps is used.
ravines- analogues of talus or rocks, but formed in the vertical direction not up, but down. The 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- a rock garden of any of the types considered, designed using a directed flow of water flowing down a special channel. Often, at the foot of the hill, the stream flows into an impromptu pond.
Swamp- an alpine hill 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 along 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 the choice of plants and the repetition of Japanese stone aesthetics.
Miniature slides- a finished composition, representing a kind of DIY kit, extremely fashionable lately. It consists of artificial replicas of stone and other materials, soil and plants, as well as a large plastic trough that can accommodate it all. Thus, you can make a miniature alpine slide in this trough even at room conditions. There are various versions of artificial miniature slides, focused on 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 that relates to inanimate nature. The plants that inhabit the alpine hill, in order to maintain the overall integrity and completeness of the composition, must be designed in a certain style.

The main thing in it is the use of mountain plants or species that are as similar as possible to them in appearance. 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 assume that there should be bare stone on the lowest tier of the alpine hill. Such reasoning will be appropriate for structures like the Japanese "rock garden" and, perhaps, that's all. It is unlikely that anyone would want to take a lot of space in the center of the composition just to pave it with stones. It's not a city square.

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

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

The plant thrives on stony soils where most other plants cannot survive. Growing, it is able to cover large areas of rocky and rocky surfaces.

It has many colors and forms of petals. Flowering time also differs from late April to early autumn. In total there are about 400 species, 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 slides.. 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 very popular cover in the design of rock gardens. It has different colors and shapes. Unpretentious in cultivation, thanks to the leaves, like those of 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 shrubby. They have umbrella inflorescences and the whole gamut of petal color. They grow equally well both in the sun and in the shade.

Blooms depending on the variety in summer or autumn. They reproduce very well, they are able to cover large areas for several years or even months due to vegetative propagation. In addition, stonecrop is capable of seed reproduction. In the absence of control from the owners, they can become a monoculture. Continuous growth control is required.

Read also:

Stonecrop: types and varieties for growing at home and in open ground. 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 located on the lowest tier of the alpine hill, 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 possibility for the location of the root system, there simply will 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 cover ones. 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 of large boulders and other landscape objects. Such methods of using creeping plants make it possible to obtain beautiful and unique objects.

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

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 rock gardens is to braid the gaps between the stones and the unsightly elements of the slide design with a green mass. In addition, many design options involve, for example, the use of large boulders completely entwined with plants.

Of all the creeping ones, the periwinkle will do the best.

A low growing shrub with both straight and creeping stems. Leaves are round or oval. Plant height rarely exceeds 30 cm. If 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 each other and there are no obvious differences in shape or color. The most common shades are purple and pink.

plant of the rose family. It is a semi-shrub perennial. The flowering period of the plant falls 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 the flowers to the Sun. Spreads very quickly, requires regular growth restrictions.

In temperate climates, it is distributed almost everywhere. He does not like both extreme cold and extreme heat. It feels best in coniferous forests, so in rock gardens it will be optimal to plant it next to coniferous ones. On the alpine hills, Fortune's euonymus is most widely used.

On the sunny side, the 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 preserve moisture, the soil under it is desirable to mulch. It is a poisonous plant. Care must be taken when working with roots and leaves.

Read also:

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

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

Tall plants (for upper levels)

The largest representatives of the rock garden flora, in fact, may not be present on it. These are either residents of the boundary levels of the alpine hill, or special attention concentrators, “catching” a quick glance of the visitor and then transferring him to the rock garden itself.

The boundary level is understood as either the background of the rock garden, or the beginning of some kind of 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 kind of 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 should be done very scrupulously.

The ideal choice in this case would be slow-growing perennials. Coniferous species have an advantage, as they help to solve two problems at once. First, they are natural representatives of rocky soils and mountain 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 evergreen shrubs or trees., having some resemblance to them, or some beautiful decorative perennials, suitable for growth or general impression.

It is an evergreen or deciduous shrub, devoid of thorns. You can often find tree-like varieties of cotoneaster. 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. Cotoneaster growth can reach 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, cotoneaster can be used as a single and as a group plant for creating hedges. Possessing a developed root system, it can be used to strengthen the rock garden of the "slope" type. 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, to maintain the plant in proper appearance, regular pruning is recommended. Evergreens are pruned in the middle of spring, and deciduous - at the end of winter, when there may still be snow and negative temperatures.

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

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

The top of the hill. It is more open to the sun's rays than the tiers below; therefore, it is rational to plant plants here 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 average soil moisture, so the middle of the alpine hill can be called universal: for most flowers, the conditions here are ideal, which gives ample opportunities for choice.
The foot of the hill- the logical conclusion of the landscape composition. The plants planted here should be combined with the rest of the rock garden and choose those that love moisture and tolerate shade. After all, most of the sun's rays will go to the neighbors from above.

To 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.

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

Plant layouts in rock gardens

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

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

Here are a couple of examples of circuits:

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

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

Gallery: plants for the alpine slide (25 photos)

What plants are suitable for an alpine slide (video)

Names and descriptions of perennial flowers for alpine hills

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

Armeria maritime

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

Dicentra exceptional

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

Dicentra exceptional

gypsophila

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

bulbous flowers

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

gypsophila

rejuvenated

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

Primrose

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

Edelweiss

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

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

Creeping and ground cover plants for an alpine slide

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

For example, this:

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

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

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

Shrubs for alpine slides

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

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

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

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

Dwarf plants for rock garden

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

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

Ephedra for alpine hills

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

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

Today, the rock garden, which impresses 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 unpretentious care. Plants for an alpine slide visually enliven the stone surface, while maintaining the effect of the wild nature of the mountains.

Basic rules for plant selection

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, you should choose 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 harmoniously 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 hill will be located;
when choosing a place to plant a flower or shrub, be sure to consider the amount of sunlight needed to 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 growth intensity. Taking into account this feature, it is possible to avoid an unpleasant situation when very fast-growing flowers and shrubs do not allow less active plant species to break through and grow;
creating an alpine slide, it is important to adhere to the combination of plants with each other. They should not only be similar in appearance, but also match in terms of growing conditions, watering, flowering rhythm.

Types of plants for the alpine slide

There are a lot of flowers and shrubs suitable for arranging an alpine hill in the existing landscape design, but it is necessary to single out the species that are most suitable for such purposes. As a rule, these are undemanding, beautiful and abundantly flowering plants that can create the unique charm inherent in an alpine hill.

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

Brachycoma iberisoloista

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

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

Dimorfoteka smoky

This flower is native to South Africa. Therefore, it is very important for him to have a large amount of bright sun. However, it is worth noting the good tolerance of low temperatures. An adult plant reaches a height of 35 cm. Dimorphoteka blooms with large beautiful flowers of yellow or orange, which allows it to be very noticeable against the general background of an alpine hill.

Ready seedlings must be planted in open ground in late spring. The first shoots can already be observed after 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 well. 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 in the first year of planting. The 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 adult plant or by sowing seeds.

Attention ! When choosing a 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.

Violet horned

These are amazingly beautiful flowers for an alpine slide, which attracts with its 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. Violet is sown with seeds 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 makes a beautiful carpet that can be a highlight in any garden. It is planted in mid-spring, when the soil is already warm enough. The plant does not tolerate high humidity very well, so you need to be extremely careful in watering. The best environment for active and healthy growth is moderately moist soil and bright sun. It will also not be superfluous to periodically fertilize the flower with nitrogen fertilizers.

Armeria maritime

The flower stands out against the general background with elegant flowers of red, pink or white. The plant is quite unpretentious in care, 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 short, biennial plant for an alpine slide called "Alpine Forget-Me-Not" is very active and early flowering. The first inflorescences can be seen already in early May. Forget-me-not has many varieties. Among them, you can choose the plant whose color you would like to see on your alpine hill. This flower is very fond of the sun, but it is very resistant to winter frosts. The flower is best planted in small groups. Forget-me-not seeds are planted in the middle or late autumn. So the first flowers will bloom in the spring.

Edelweiss alpine

This is a true representative of the mountain flora. Likes sun and plenty of water. 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 edelweiss leaves have a light silver tint, this combination gives a very beautiful result.

Aubrieta cultural

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

Astra alpine

This American flower thrives on stony soils in full sun. It is quite unpretentious, blooms from May to June. Flowers are medium sized, purple, pink or white. The plant is propagated by cuttings or division of the bush. New seedlings of asters should be planted at a distance of 20 cm from each other.

Geichera

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

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 inexpressive white color. The flower propagates by seeds or division of rhizomes. Growing geyhera is simple and easy. It grows on any soil, does not require frequent watering and tolerates temperature extremes well.

an alpine hill should be equipped 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 necessary to equip the drainage system. To do this, the top layer of soil is removed to a depth of at least 25 cm. The pit is covered with rubble or slag, which forms a drainage layer;
soil for planting should be fertile. To do this, the earth removed from the wound must be mixed with clay and fertilizers;
large stones are best placed in the center, and small ones around the perimeter;
do not ignore weeds, they must be promptly and immediately removed. To do this, carry out manual weeding or treat weeds with special herbicide solutions.

Conclusion

Alpine slides need care and a competent approach to arrangement. Only in this way, the alpine hill will delight you and your loved ones with beautiful flowers almost all year round. Do not be afraid to show imagination, 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 well chosen, 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) conditions for the growth of various crops; 3) their compatibility.

Plant selection principles

Traditionally, rock gardens were planted with alpine perennials. They have the best features:

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

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

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

Perennials for alpine slides are propagated by seeds, cuttings, dividing bushes.

Creeping plants and flowers (most of them perennials) have similar advantages. Propagated by mustache, shoots, superficial roots. But they have a minus - aggressive growth, other crops are clogged.

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 for have one more plus: you can sow different ones every year, the design will change from season to season. A number of annuals have a long flowering period, thanks to which the rock garden looks elegant from spring to autumn without additional efforts from the owners.

In the middle lane, in addition to high-mountain species, some forest and steppe cultures are used.

What plants are suitable for a slide:

undersized coniferous shrubs and trees (, thuja, etc.). Conifers zone the object in summer, and in winter they serve as its only decoration;
deciduous shrubs. Mostly evergreens are suitable - they do not shed leaves that will have to be harvested;
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 covers. You should not allocate a separate sector for them, because after flowering the stems die and a bald spot forms in this place.

The process of arranging an alpine slide gives boundless scope for imagination. But there are a number of rules that you need to follow so that your creation lasts a long time and looks good all the time:

plants for an alpine hill should be selected taking into account the illumination: in direct sun - photophilous, if an alpine hill 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 high-growth crops do not clog the rest;
choose plants that require the same care;
all cultures are undersized, flowers are medium-sized;
flowering time is different so that the slide is elegant all season;
not too high demands on the composition of the soil (after all, they have to grow on stones);
elements of the composition should be harmoniously combined.

If you prefer alpine slide, you can limit the floristic component to conifers alone. And in a small amount: 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 selecting plants, consider the characteristics of the soil and the chemical composition of the stones. Some types of stones tend to leach or deoxidize the soil. This should not damage the vegetation cover.

Types and invoices

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

Perennial:

edelweiss (otherwise mountaineer) grows on rocky mountain ground, photophilous. Propagated by seeds and seedlings;
young (stone rose). There are many types that differ in the shape and color of the outlet. Some varieties change color depending on the season;
alyssum (or beetroot). Drought-resistant, photophilous, with a sweet smell. Inflorescences of small golden flowers. It blooms in May, the color lasts more than a month and a half. In autumn, the plant may bloom again;
maritime armeria. Drought-resistant, sensitive to waterlogging. Spherical inflorescences, like an ornamental onion. 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 clusters, flowering is lush. The grass blooms first, the rest - in the second decade of June;
crimson arenaria. Non-capricious, drought-resistant. Stem up to 15 centimeters long. It blooms all summer with small flowers in the form of stars;
periwinkle. Grows in any light, blooms all season. Flowers small blue;
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;
soddy pike (meadow). Inflorescence in the form of a panicle. Grows in spring and autumn;
soldanella (snow bell). Whimsical, loves volgly soil without waterlogging. Propagated by dividing the bush. Color - white or blue;
whorled asparagus (asparagus). There are spherical varieties. Small white flowers, red berries.

Annuals:

notched dimorphotheca. Drought-resistant, cold-resistant. 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, painfully reacts to dryness;
brachycoma iberisoloist. Light-loving and heat-loving plant. You can water only when there is no rain for a long time. The soil is suitable dried, but nutritious;
. The flower is unpretentious, photophilous and thermophilic. Many varieties. Blooms from early summer to frost.

Ground covers:

. There are annuals and perennials. Moisture-loving, prefers sun or light shade. It blooms all summer, propagated by rosettes (they are removed after the plant has faded). Aggressive (easily crowds out neighbors);
arabis. Honey plant, strong aroma. It blooms in May-June, after flowering it also looks good due to decorative leaves. In the sun, the color is more magnificent, in shaded conditions, the growth of the root system is stronger. Grows aggressively;
obrieta. Perennial with abundant flowering. Forms a carpet up to 30 centimeters high, up to a meter wide. Leaves overwinter. Small flowers appear in May. Blooms up to 1.5 months. If then the shoots are cut off, it will re-bloom in the fall;
delosperma profusely flowering. Annual flower. Sun-loving, loves hot weather and abundant watering. The preferred soil is poor, but with good drainage. Star-shaped flowers, pinkish lilac;
woolly stakhis ("sheep's ears");
wormwood Schmidt;
thyme (creeping thyme);
host;
evers stonecrop;
ayuga (creeping tenacious);
acena buhan.

Bulbous:

colchicums;
blueberries;
snowdrops;
crocuses;
muscari;
tulips Kaufman;
birdman.

sage;
monkey grass;
heather (sparrow buckwheat);
goose foot;
rosemary;
spikelet liatris;
fescue;
red cuff;
lagurus (haretail);
live-bearing sheep;
maned barley;
fescue Gauthier.

Coniferous trees and shrubs:

dwarf firs. Unpretentious, drought-resistant. Christmas 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 species, 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 cone-shaped. 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:

cotoneaster horizontal. Small dense foliage is green all year round, turning crimson in autumn. In May, flowers appear, small pink. The fruits ripen in autumn and persist until spring;
iberis evergreen. The height of the bush is up to half a meter, it branches strongly, 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. It is necessary to water in a drought;
barberry evergreen. 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 not only please the eye, but also be 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 they continue to bloom throughout the season.

Seeds of crops for early spring are planted in autumn:

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

What flowers bloom in late spring:

iberis (pepper);
dark bell;
Carpathian bell;
dicentra clobuchkova;
shaving;
gypsophila;
catchment area (aquilegia, orlik);
subulate phlox;
Gutchinsia alpine.

Summer flowers for rock garden:

Indian strawberry;
gentian;
clove grass;
saxifrage;
alpine forget-me-not;
sunflower (helianthemum);
yaskolka.

Plants that bloom in autumn:

dwarf chrysanthemums;
autumn colchicum;
Chinese;
alpine aster.

Landing features

Since moisture-loving (for example, tropical) plants are not found on 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 (from weeds);
pour a drainage layer: 10 cm of crushed stone and 10 sand.

The stones themselves are laid at intervals, which are covered with earth - otherwise the plants will have nowhere to take root. After the masonry has settled, plants can be planted. When placing the following rules are observed:

large shrubs are not planted near small stones;
distribute crops so that they do not overlap each other with sunlight;
large areas of stone must remain open, otherwise it is not a rock garden;
do not place nearby plants with different growth rates;
shade-tolerant plants are planted on the northern and eastern slopes for an alpine hill;
in the south, west and at the top - light-loving and drought-resistant;
slow-growing conifers for alpine hills (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 (rejuvenated, saxifrage, ornamental grasses, different types of mosses);
higher, you can plant less whimsical plants (phloxes, primroses, backaches) on an alpine hill;
top - light-loving drought-resistant: iberis, creeping thyme, alissum, edelweiss.

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

A mixture of perennials "alpine slide" can be purchased at a specialized store. Ready-made decorative mixture "alpine slide" has already been selected according to the principle of species compatibility.

You will collect some plants near the house - 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 ground. 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 cups of kefir into a jar.
Grind the moss, pour the glass into the same jar.
Mix.
Apply the solution with a brush on the rock garden stones.

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. You need to carefully compose floral compositions, study the characteristics of different species - 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 land. The combination of rough stones and delicate flowers has a bewitching effect. Today on our website about we will consider which ones should be used plants for alpine hills- photo and titles. First, consider the basic principles for selecting flora for this rocky flower garden.

Principles for selecting plants for an alpine slide

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

Unpretentiousness. This is important, because not all ornamental plants can 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 for an alpine slide will not work, as they will hide the main composition. This is not to say that all plants should be the same, but oversized ones 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.
Region matching. No matter how much someone would like 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 flower bed will eventually be empty.

Interesting!

In the photo, a well-designed alpine slide

Perennials for alpine hills: photo with names

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

In the photo, edelweiss is a symbol of mountains.

In the photo it was young - a frequent resident of the Alpine hills

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

Pictured is a charming pushkinia flower

Saxifrage - the name of the plant was due to the ability to actively develop among the stones

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

Deciduous and coniferous shrubs: photos and names

Small pretty 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 place accents. What will do?

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

The height of coniferous shrubs for 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 group of conifers will ensure the aesthetics of your flower bed even in winter.

In the photo juniper

Upper tier. Here it is necessary to plant plants that are especially fond of the sun and drought, and also calmly endure the winds. For example, edelweiss, iberis, cloves, thyme, young, 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 bear in mind that the conditions on the south side of the hill are significantly different from the conditions on 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 to build an alpine slide can affect the composition of the soil, for example, increase its acidity.
In the center of the rock garden there must be a drainage layer. For it, you can use small twigs or pebbles.
This moment should also be taken into account: large plants cannot be planted near small stones.
Many medicinal plants - chamomile, sage, rosemary, thyme - grow well in a mountainous landscape, so you can plant them in a certain area of the rock garden and thereby use it not only for beauty, but also for body benefits.

In order for rock gardens to look as natural as possible, it's important to choose one design style and stick with 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 slide, and small and medium ones are placed over its entire surface. imitating mountain slope, on the contrary, it is necessary to place small pebbles at the bottom, and large ones at the top. mountain valley formed by a chaotic arrangement of stones of different sizes.

making out terraced slope, steps are made from boulders. forest ravine- this is a recess created from huge stones. rocky wall created from flat boulders assembled 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 over the 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 moving in space. Treat yourself to a piece of the mountain range - build an alpine hill in your backyard!

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