Cheap dumps in landscape design. Mulching and decorative bedding

Decorative dumping is called bulk materials of different fractions used for mulching the soil. It can be small and coarse gravel, stone chips, shells, sand, pebbles, wood chips, pine nut shells, bark and decorative "stones" made of plastic or glass.

The use of various decorative fillings in the landscape can transform the appearance of your site. A number of decorative compositions - rockery or rock garden, Japanese landscape, landscape reservoir, sandy garden - are unthinkable without dumps. In addition, they can be used to create patios and paths, and for flower beds. Mulching the soil protects it from excessive moisture evaporation. And using multi-colored glass, colored decorative wood chips, sprinkling with rubble of different shades in the garden, you can achieve phenomenal effects.

Decorative organic fillings

Among these dumps, the most popular are cedar husks and pine bark.

First of all, the advantages of pine bark include a long service life: the bark does not rot for a long time (especially large fractions), does not burn out. Also, such a filling is an environmentally friendly material that fits into landscape compositions.

Wood chips and cedar husk are painted in different colors and thus provide a wide field for experimenting with coloring in the garden. Wood chips are stained with environmentally friendly paints. Of course, using colorful colored wood chips in the garden should be done with care: both the color of the mulch and the composition should be consistent with the environment.

Too bright colors of colored wood chips are inappropriate in landscape compositions. But a variety of colorings will allow you to create colored soft paths.

The indisputable common plus of these dumps is their low cost. These materials themselves are inexpensive, and some of them (wood chips, bark) are by-products of wood processing industries.

The main disadvantage is the relatively short service life.

Using organic dumps in flower beds, in circles of trees - wherever they are laid directly on the ground - it must be borne in mind that over time, the decaying bottom layer of mulch changes the composition of the soil. Most organic scraps acidify the soil. For some plants, this property of decorative fillings can also be an advantage - for example, for rhododendrons.

When laying decorative backfill on the ground, it is advisable to add a small amount of material every year - firstly, this will allow you to preserve the appearance, and secondly, it provides compensation for rotting.

Inorganic dumps

These dumps include crushed stone, gravel of different fractions, pebbles (sea and river), sands. Also, inorganic dumps include materials of artificial origin - plastic and colored glass (colored decorative "pebbles").

The advantage of inorganic screeds is primarily a long service life. Dumping from gravel does not crumble, does not change its appearance. Stone dumps require almost no maintenance. In addition, gravel filling protects the soil from overheating and does not retain water.

One of the main disadvantages of inorganic dumps is that it is very difficult to remove accumulated debris (tree litter) from them, therefore, it is better to place crushed stone paths and compositions with gravel dump away from trees. Over time, decorative inorganic dumps become silted, soil particles, seeds and sand can get into them. As a result, weeds appear on the covered surface. But they pop out easily.

The use of decorative fillings in the garden

Dumping is widespread in the design of patios and paths. But decorative dumps are also used as mulch in flower beds and for decorating tree-trunk circles near trees.

All types of fillings can be used to decorate the tracks. To form a path, it is necessary to dig a shallow pit, lay geotextiles, and then fill up the dump.

The best layer is 7 cm. Using the same technology, huge free spaces can be decorated with decorative filling. By combining decorative dusts of different colors and fractions, you can achieve beautiful effects. To add variety to the composition, you can add some expressive green plants.

For this, an incision is made in the geotextile, a plant is planted in the hole formed.

In addition, decorative fillings can be used as an element of various decorative compositions - to create "rock scree" in rockeries, on alpine hills and on the banks of a garden pond. Sometimes decorative fillings serve to accentuate certain specific plants.

Organic mulching can be a good option for gardening and planting perennials. It is known that immediately after planting they are traditionally losers for most of the perennials. If you plant them at a distance that is best for their further development, there will inevitably be land between the flowers.

But if you decorate these spaces, for example, with wood chips, then the "bare ground" will look part of the design idea, and your garden will take on a complete look.

1. We create thematic flower gardens, emblems and logos using the "stone carpet" technology (stone + binder = long-term service life).

2. We use the same technology to mount floor coverings indoors.

And also in the field of memorial construction.

3. We increase the aesthetic appearance and value of your suburban real estate with the help of a flexible landscape concrete curb. The curb is laid directly on site along any given path.

1. Decorative colored rubble

With a quality guarantee for color fastness and paint integrity for 3 years and an actual service life of more than 6 years. That is how much time we are engaged in its production and we monitor the very first completed object. (fractions 2 - 4 mm, 5 - 10 mm, 5 - 20 mm)

2. Natural stone chips for "stone carpet" type coatings.

We sift, wash, calcine, pack, send. In general, we carry out all the necessary preparatory work with the material for its subsequent use when laying "stone carpet" coverings without hassle.

1. Garden plastic border "Geoboard".

Serves to separate various types of landscape coatings.

Attention. Unlike analogues, which are widely known in the Russian market, our border is produced in Europe. The border itself, as well as its end locks and ears, have extremely high elasticity and DO NOT BREAK from the word at all.

2. One-component binder for laying stone carpets

Service "Remote Project Wizard"- we will do all the preparatory work for you. What does it mean?

We will prepare preliminary sketches for your customer.

We will calculate all the necessary materials depending on the color palette of the composition with an error of up to 3%... This is extremely important when the material is ordered from far away and can save tens of thousands of rubles.

Let's draw layouts with 100% compliance with the drawing from those. tasks. With their help, you will hand over the object as well with 100% compliance.

We will provide detailed video instructions for performing each of the stages of work and provide remote control of their implementation.

If necessary, a visit to your facility is possible.

The use of dumps in the landscape - organic mulch, chipped or rounded small stones, sand, etc. - literally transforms the garden plot. They can be used very widely - from paving paths and patios to decorating flower beds. Where accuracy is especially demanded, you cannot do without them.

Mulching (and this is how the use of dumps of any kind is called) has a long history, its own traditions and laws. Every gardener knows about the beneficial properties of mulch: it helps to almost completely exterminate weeds; protects the soil from night frosts in the spring-autumn period and from deep freezing in winter (for example, in places covered with a nut shell it will be 10-15 cm, and in uncovered places - 20-25 cm or more); prevents overheating, drying out and caking of the surface layers of the earth. In addition, some dumps can serve as a source of necessary substances for the soil (for example, needles can, where necessary, increase its acidity), create a barrier for pests and stimulate the reproduction of beneficial microorganisms.

The principles for using dumps have changed significantly over time. Their transformation is spurred by both the emergence of innovative materials and the birth of new styles. And if, say, in formal gardens (French, Italian, Moorish styles) they diligently tried to get rid of weeds by mulching large areas, then in naturgarden gardens, on the contrary, they welcome the invasion of wild plants and use dumps in a completely different context and in limited quantities - for example to bring color to the garden palette.

All mulching materials are divided into organic and inorganic.

Colored decorative fillings are an invariable attribute of the design of alpine slides, rockeries, "dry streams" in Japanese gardens. With the help of bulk stone "mosaics", ornaments and panels, you can exclusively decorate the area of fountains, water cascades, the banks of miniature artificial ponds

Organic scraps

These include commonly used wood chips and bark, fallen needles, cones, pine nut shells, forest and marsh moss. This also includes peat, hay, straw and rotted leaves, but the difference is that they are no longer used for decorative purposes, but purely for pine nut shell benefits of the case - as a fertilizer, at the same time retaining moisture in the soil and eliminating the growth of weeds.

Organic fillings are a real find for those who want to save money while creating a beautiful and well-groomed garden at the same time. Hanks, technological chips, peat, shells, sphagnum - all these materials are either inexpensive in themselves, or are industrial waste from various industries, which also makes them quite cheap. And if possible, it is easy to collect coniferous litter, spruce, pine or cedar cones on your own while walking in the forest, and in any quantity.

Probably the most popular mulch option - Siberian pine and larch bark, so to speak, a by-product of woodworking enterprises. During the procurement process, the material is exposed to high-temperature exposure, due to which it does not contain pests, microbes, and impurities. It is especially good to use the bark for dumping all conifers, heathers, rhododendrons, ferns. The bark rots for a long time and may not lose its decorative properties for two to three years. Sometimes it is dyed using only natural pigments.

Receiving chips for dumping

Wood chips (sawdust, shavings) obtained from the trunks and stumps of trees. Like bark, it can be colored with organic dyes (color palette - from yellow to black), although it is very decorative in itself. It is an environmentally friendly material made most often from hardwoods. If in your arsenal of gardening equipment there is a shredder of plant waste, then chips for mulch can be made independently from tree branches cut during crown thinning.

Mulch from bark and wood chips is poured in a layer of 5-10 cm around the plants, leaving a small distance free to the stems for air circulation. First, you should remove the weeds and loosen the ground. If a layer of geotextile is used, then you need to remove the sod, select the top layer of soil (to a depth of 10 cm for flower beds, 20-25 cm for trees and 15-20 cm for shrubs) and embed complex fertilizers in the loose soil of the bottom. Then the site is leveled, lightly tamped, geotextile is laid and mulch is laid. It is recommended to install a low, but solid border along the border of the dump - this way it will not spread beyond the limits of the trunk circle or mixborder and gradually litter the lawn.

If the plot is sunny, the layer of mulch can be quite thick, but in those places where there is always a shadow, it is better to do the filling thinner - otherwise water will stagnate under it for a long time and the roots of plants will begin to rot

Pine nut shell

Excellent mulch is obtained from shells of pine nuts. This filling contributes to the development of beneficial microflora in the root system of plants, prevents soil erosion, has good moisture and air permeability. Since the shell contains substances such as lignin, phytoncides, flavonoids, it does not rot and decompose for a long time and retains its decorative effect for five years, you just need to add a fresh portion of the material from time to time, and in the spring, gently loosen it over the surface with a rake.

In flower beds, the entire space between plants is covered with shells. Sod is removed under shrubs and trees (within a radius of at least 50 and 80-100 cm, respectively), the soil is dug to a depth of 20-30 cm, compacted a little and mulch is covered with a layer of 7 to 15 cm.After that, so that it is not scattered by the wind, the shell must be spilled with water and trampled slightly.

In the spring, when cleaning the site after winter, decorative fillings should be renewed: they are slightly loosened, leveled and, if necessary, add a fresh portion of the material. First of all, organic mulch requires this, since in three to four years its lower layers rot, and it sags

Decorative dumping of the trunk circle

The disadvantage of the shell is that it is an excellent food for rodents and birds, which will attract them to planting. The decorative properties of organic dumps often make one forget about the caution of their use, and yet all of them, in one way or another, change the properties of soils. For example, peat, needles, pine and especially spruce cones affect the agrochemical characteristics of the soil - as agronomists say, they acidify it. Therefore, they can only mulch those plants that benefit from increased acidity - in particular, these are any conifers, heathers, rhododendrons, hydrangea, blueberries - or use them in combination with fallen leaves, hay, ash. In addition, together with coniferous litter and cones, fungal diseases (rust, root rot, etc.) can be brought to the site, and they can easily spread from mulch to garden crops. Pre-treatment of the mulching material with fungicidal preparations will help protect against this.

From shells, tree bark and chips, you can not only make decorative dumping on flower beds, beds and tree trunks, but also create a soft coating on recreation areas and paths-paths in the depths of the garden. This process is not particularly laborious. It is necessary to remove 10-15 cm of the top layer of soil, compact the base well and fill it with mulch. If the soil moisture is high here, it is better to first arrange drainage in the form of a gravel cushion 5-10 cm thick, and then fill it on top of it.

Properties and approximate price of various organic fillers

Inorganic dumps

The most common inorganic granules are gravel, pebbles, crushed stone (stone chips), sand. Expanded clay, due to its unassuming "appearance" and literal weightlessness (easily washed off with water), is used more for drainage, and not for decorative purposes, however, if you show your imagination, and he can contribute to creating the image of the garden.

Inorganic backfill options

Other inert materials may also be present in small quantities on the site - for example, shells, glass pebbles (artificial soil) popular in aquaristics, plastic granulate or painted (with environmentally friendly paints) bottle corks. True, their use should be limited by considerations of common sense and, above all, safety: it makes sense to do such dumps in high flower beds, be sure to surround them with a fence and assign them the role of some accents rather than background coverage.

Inorganic dumps are good because they have a long service life, are not blown by the wind and are not washed away by rains, and do not affect the composition of the soil in any way. However, they also have their drawbacks - it is difficult to remove small debris from such coatings, and in addition, they do not accumulate water. The exception here is sand, which perfectly retains moisture, thereby creating a favorable microclimate at the surface of the earth.

Sand- the most accessible material, widely used in the improvement of adjoining territories. In addition to the usual quarry sand, washed and sifted river sand, quartz (white and tinted with safe polymer dyes in all colors of the rainbow), calcined, intended for children's playgrounds, sandpits and the creation of beach areas is sold. A quality product does not contain impurities and has a homogeneous structure with the declared particle fraction (up to 1 or up to 3 mm).

The main advantage of inorganic mulch is durability, unchanged appearance and no need to care for it

The size of stones used as backfill varies from 2 to 70 mm.

River and sea are especially popular with buyers. pebbles, but it is relatively expensive and not available everywhere. However, the modern market offers its artificial counterpart. Moreover, this is not a polymer in its pure form, but a material that also contains natural components - quartzite, marble, gypsum. A wide color palette and the ability to imitate rare and even unprecedented rocks in nature are achieved thanks to coloring pigments.

Unlike rounded pebbles, gravel can be either smooth, rounded or angular. Natural shades - pinkish, beige, blue - make it attractive enough for use in landscape design. Often, gravel bedding is included in a composition made from different types of stones.

Even at the design stage, you need to think about: will the planned composition withstand annual climatic changes? You can invest a lot of money in a high-quality project and special effects, but, for example, the usual spring flood will mix with the soil or simply wash away the expensive stone dump in the coastal area of a pond or stream. The solution in this case may be the use of a special gravel film. If you lay out the coast with such material, then in the spring all the gravel will remain in the same place, despite the sharp change in the water level.

The broadest decorative potential is possessed by stone chips, which is made from a wide variety of rocks - marble, granite, limestone, quartzite, solar goldstone, spotted emerald serpentine, multi-colored felsite, etc. The material is obtained by crushing, therefore the stones have an irregular shape and sharp chips, however, subjected to mechanical grinding - tumbling, they become completely smooth. On garden plots, tumbling crumb is preferable to untreated crushed stone, as it will not injure a child, injure a dog's paws, or puncture a bicycle tire.

One of the main functions of stone fillings is covering the blind area and footpaths, and not only minor ones, as is the case with organic mulch, but also lying in the front part of the garden. (For the entrance of cars, it is better to lay a rigid slab or concrete canvas: cars slip on a loose surface, it is difficult to clean from snow and ice.)

We meet each new summer season with new ideas and new plans. And at the same time, we want to get the maximum result with a minimum of opportunities. For example, on the territory of a summer cottage, a flower bed is an irreplaceable decoration. And we with zeal and desire take up the work. But what about weeds? There is a solution - these are crushed stone beds that combine bright flowers and multi-colored (or monochromatic) decorative crushed stone around them. In addition, our flower bed can be of any shape and color!

Advantages of the new material

Pebbles are formed during the decomposition of rocks, and are rolled in water (sea, river, stream). Round stones contain impurities that affect their durability. They are crushed industrially and sizes are selected depending on the purpose of use: decorative or construction. Various sizes can be used, ranging from 1-3mm. and ending with 40-70mm .. Usually, for greater expressiveness both for the flower bed and for the garden, decorative crushed stone of various sizes is selected. But for the path, small stones are used: the smaller, the more convenient it is to walk on them.

It is a cheap and environmentally friendly material that has a number of indisputable advantages:
Covering the soil layer, it does not interfere with air exchange, so the root system does not suffer.
Crushed stone is beautiful and looks good in any weather.
Doesn't require any special skill in application.
You can decorate any unsightly area of the garden or flower garden.
Good in compositions, for example, with moss, glass, metal, wood.

We try to keep up with the times, using new, unusual forms of garden design. The use of rubble and gravel in landscape architecture is becoming more and more popular.

How to use decorative crushed stone?

The garden now has no problem areas: empty and useless, waterlogged, shaded. We close them with rubble, and not necessarily of the same size, you can add medium and large stones. And small colored rubble will give an unusual look to the paths branching among the trees in the garden. Here you need a layer of 5-8 cm.

It is impossible to create an alpine slide without it. Without stones and rubble, the slide will "lose" its external color and will look uninteresting. And the closed space between the plants makes the slide an element close to natural conditions. The bottom of the decorative reservoir, decorated with blue rubble, will give it a special, slightly fabulous look. You can bring large boulders that will protrude from the water.

You want to create a Japanese-style garden - no problem. Stone is an important part of Japanese design. There are "gardens of emptiness" completely laid out of stone. Large stones are scattered without a special system, depicting islands and mountains, and they cover the ground with small rubble. The "rock garden" also needs care, but it is special.

Irreplaceable colored natural stone in complex landscape compositions, and, of course, in flower beds. Here it is laid out in a layer of 2-4 cm. Decorative crushed stone does not require constant maintenance, and the space filled with it remains clean and looks aesthetically pleasing. In addition, dyes do not lose their juiciness and brightness for a long time, they are harmless to the external environment and its inhabitants. Therefore, after harvesting it, the site can be used by planting any plants on it.

Crushed stone can be painted by yourself

You can choose the color you are interested in yourself. Used acrylic and alkyd paints, paint spray enamel in a can.

First, the pebbles need to be rinsed well.
Paint on one side and wait until dry.
Paint on the other side and also wait for the paint to dry.
It is not necessary to apply a thick layer of paint, but if the rubble turns out to be dim, then the process will have to be repeated.

This method is suitable when painting a small amount of stones. If you need to paint a lot of pebbles, then pour it into a large container, and pour the paint on top and mix it properly (you can use a concrete mixer for this purpose).

Decorating with streamlined pebbles

Of course, crushed stone on a flower bed looks unusual, but why not try streamlined pebbles? Then we need a large container, cement and paint. We carry out everything in stages:

We fill the container with a third of the crushed stone, add paint, mix thoroughly.
Then we pour water into the crushed stone, twice as much in volume as paint.
Add cement (determine the amount yourself), mix everything. Then pour out the remaining pebbles and mix everything again.
Stones completely painted over with cement are laid on a mesh or polyethylene until they are completely dry. When the process is completed, you can see that the stones have become more streamlined and painted over well. They can be used in the same way as decorative crushed stone.

Creating a flower bed using rubble (complicated version)

Let's try to create a new generation flower bed using modern technologies. In our work, we will need 2 types of geotextile mulching cloth, devices for fixing it, a special membrane from weeds, containers for planting flowers, decorative crushed stone of various colors and sizes.

We must prepare a place for a flower bed: give it the desired shape, build a fence, making a stock for the height. It depends on the gravel layers and the height of the landing containers. Then you need to spread the first layer of the canvas as protection from the remaining weeds and their seeds. It is cut and laid as a continuous covering or overlapping (up to 10 cm.), Fixed with needle-like decomposable clamps. When fixing the canvas at the fence, metal clamps are used.

Holes are cut in the cover and recesses are dug out for soft containers of the required shape. Subsequently, they are filled with soil and plants are planted in them. They will separate the vegetation area from the gravel layer and protect the roots from pests. You can start to fill in the first layer of gravel, which is 2/3 of the thickness of the fence. Its main role is drainage and drainage of rainwater. If the flower bed is planned at the foundation of the house, then a groove of rubble is created to drain water.

The second layer of garden geotextile will serve as a filter between the gravel layer below and the decorative crushed stone on top. A decorative layer of crushed stone is poured onto it. It is advisable to wash both gravel and crushed stone. Geotextiles should not be noticeable, so we use crushed stone of different colors and sizes. Everything is ready: you can fantasize and create your own unique drawing of the composition.

Creating a flower bed using rubble (simple option)

This method is simple and does not require any special skills. You just need free time and a desire to experiment. The flowerbed is already ready and a variety of flowers or flower arrangements grow on it. It is necessary to remove weeds, take a bedding from rubble of a certain or neutral color and fill up the space around the flowers. A layer of crushed stone is laid by 2-3 cm. There should be no ground gaps. And as a final chord - creating a homemade or store-bought border.

But this method also has its drawbacks. Over time, crushed stone mixes with the ground and does not look so beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. Then the flower bed will have to be slightly renovated. At the end of the season, the crushed stone can be collected, washed and reused the next year.

Modern garden: minimum costs and maximum decorative effect

Advantages of crushed stone and gravel gardens:

The area planted with plants and in need of care depends on the wishes of the owners.
Compositions and sizes are also selected individually: you can refine any corner of the existing site.
A garden using gravel and crushed stone can be created by yourself, since the creation technology is quite simple.
To create such a garden requires a minimum of financial costs.
Plants mulched with flower rubble will look decorative almost anywhere in the garden.
There is no need for constant loosening and watering, which makes gardening less laborious.

The best for a rocky garden is an area with light sandy soil. The site is poured, the sod is removed with a 20 cm layer of soil, carefully digging and removing the roots and rhizomes. The site is moistened and left for 10 days for the remaining roots to germinate.

Dig up the site with the addition of baking powder, carrying out drainage of the soil.

The soil is compacted and the site is covered with geotextiles. The sheets must be joined together. The area is covered with rubble 5-10 cm thick, in which holes are dug, filling them with earth and planting plants. In landscape design, stone chips, crushed stone of several colors, sea pebbles, shells are used. At the same time, the desired color and size are selected.

Planting plants in the flowerbed and in the garden

First, a design project for the placement of plants is created. Shrubs are planted in the designated places. When they take root, carpet plants and perennials can be planted. Daylilies are best planted in clumps. Single landings do not look so advantageous, they lie down from rain and wind. At the end, the seeds of annual and biennial crops are sown, which are subsequently renewed by self-sowing. Annuals are sown in early spring, and biennials - in June, which guarantees flowering next year.

The varieties chosen for a garden with gravel and crushed stone should be drought-resistant and at the same time decorative. It is necessary to pay attention to the biological characteristics of plants, to the cycle of their development, so as not to create additional difficulties for ourselves later.

Mahonia holly attracts attention throughout the year with its shiny dark green leaves, yellowish flowers and bluish berries. Host varieties decorate the area with wide leaves. They may not be replanted for several years. Irises, daylilies, ferns are also unpretentious. Plants with silvery leaves look beautiful on rubble: gray fescue, purse, wormwood, lavender, cineraria, cloves. Among shrubs, cotoneaster and gorse are more often grown, among cereals - blue fescue.

The uniqueness of the new material

Despite the simplicity and availability of decorative rubble, any flower bed will become unusual and a little fabulous if the flowers are surrounded by light rubble. It is this background that emphasizes the different color schemes. Colors can be different, there is always the opportunity to experiment. Flowerbeds, paths, garden paths will be practical and original. Rubble next to the pool and fountain - and you are on the seashore. Decorative crushed stone allows the designer to carry out the most daring projects that can be admired over and over again.

If you are still pondering whether it is worth trying to create a flower bed using decorative rubble, then think about which is better:

Weed the weeds all season.
See withering plants that need frequent watering without mulching material.
It is constantly spent additionally on organic fertilizers and seeds, or just add a bucket of rubble.

Think and create your own unique floral patch using decorative rubble.

Natural or artificial bulk materials used for mulching the soil can be used as decorative backfill. Decorative dumping is used in landscape design quite widely: when erecting rose gardens, alpine slides, decorative ponds, Japanese stone gardens, to decorate garden paths and flower beds. By combining different types and colors of backfill, a stunning decorative effect can be achieved. In addition, mulching is beneficial for the soil, it protects the soil from excessive evaporation of moisture.

Varieties of decorative dumping

In this section, we have collected the most popular fillings that are most often used in landscape design.

Wood scraps

Most often, pine bark and cedar husks are used in landscape design. Dumping from tree bark is an environmentally friendly material that does not rot for a long time, and also does not lose its color under the influence of sunlight. Pine bedding fits perfectly into any design project. The second undoubted plus of this material is economy, since pine bark is a by-product of the woodworking industry.

Tree bark can be used in its original form, but most often it is given color with special environmentally friendly dyes. When using colored peels, you should be careful: the wrong shade will not decorate your garden, but will lead to the opposite effect. Colors that are too bright may not blend in with the overall style of the gardens.

You need to understand that any wood dumps have a shorter service life than artificial ones. Sooner or later, the material will have to be replaced with a new one, and it is also necessary to add a new layer of bark every year. In addition, wood scraps make the soil more acidic over time. Consider this when choosing plants for the garden, for example, rhododendrons just need acidified soil.

Organic wood screed is lightweight and can be easily carried by the wind. Therefore, along the edges of the decorated area, a low finish is needed, for example, from stones or a side for a lawn. This will help prevent the wind from transferring the material onto the grass.

Not only bark, but also other organic materials, for example, pine nut shells, as well as a mixture of peat and sand, can be used as natural dumping.

Stone filling

Stone or inorganic fillings include the following materials:

Crushed stone - crushed stone chips of grant, marble, limestone, shale, etc .;
Gravel - small stones of various shapes with sharp or rounded edges;
Pebbles - small rounded stones; river pebbles are often used in landscape design;
Expanded clay - oval porous stones obtained by firing low-melting clay;
Sandstone - coarse, non-uniform gravel;
Quartzite is a beautiful stone with sharp edges;
Slate - flat plates with a relief;
Serpentine - a gray-green stone with sharp edges, looks especially impressive after rain;
Shungite is a matte black stone with sharp edges;
Stone chips - small granules of stones of various breeds, marble is especially popular;
Sand - microscopic marble or quartz stones;
Seashells, artificial or natural;
Rubber mulch is the cheapest option;
Artificial stones of various colors, sizes and shapes.

The most commonly used landscape design is gravel. This is not only a decorative, but also a functional dressing; with the help of gravel, steps are often made, the entrance to the site. It is also widely used for decorating ponds and alpine slides. Gravel can be of various shapes and colors (black, green and gray). Due to its weight, gravel is not wind-carried. In addition, this material helps to retain heat in the underlying soil layer.

Granite chips are highly resistant to mechanical stress and temperature extremes. The color varies from gray to pink, depending on the composition of the breed. Granite chips shine beautifully in the sun. For the arrangement of sports or playgrounds, it is better to use granite screenings, these are smaller stones with round edges.

Stone fillings have an unlimited service life; they do not need to be replaced or renewed. This type of garden decor requires almost no maintenance other than cleaning. Therefore, if you do not have enough time to care for the garden and you cannot afford the services of a gardener, do not place decorative bedding near deciduous trees. If you do not remove fallen leaves from the dump, they will form humus, which will allow weeds to germinate.

Rubber mulch is one of the most affordable non-organic materials. Rubber mulch is highly resistant to weeds, mold and mildew growth. In addition, it is a very soft material, so it is widely used in the arrangement of playgrounds.

The use of broken glass in landscaping should not be avoided. Contrary to stereotype, shattered glass has rounded edges. This material does not absorb moisture at all, so all the water that gets on the sprinkle flows into the soil.

Decorative functions

Garden bedding is widely used in landscape design, here are the main ways to use it:

Decor for garden paths;
Decoration of flower beds and flower beds;
Decoration of the edges of the garden pond;
Dry stream;
Trunk circles near trees;
Alpine slides
Painting pictures on the ground;

The imagination of a landscape designer or site owner can invent other ways to use sprinkles.

Benefits for plants

The use of dumping in landscape design serves not only to decorate the garden, but also to normalize the microclimate. The soil under the backfill layer is less susceptible to temperature fluctuations, in addition, the decorative layer prevents moisture evaporation from the soil surface. In addition, the soil under the mulch layer does not form a crust, which means that there is sufficient aeration in the soil. Therefore, if the roots of plants lie under the dump, then they are in comfortable conditions, which ensures better growth and flowering.

Instructions for use

Most often, garden dumps are used in the design of paths and flower beds. In this case, the laying of the dump does not provide any particular difficulty, and can be done independently:

Determine the places where the dump will be placed and develop a plan;
Dig a shallow trench or hole (about 7 cm);
Lay geotextiles or an ordinary film on the bottom, but at least 7 millimeters thick;
If necessary, make cuts in the geotextile or film and plant plants in them; holes must be pierced in the film for water drainage;
Fill the groove with decorative filler.

Tips from landscape designers:

Do not under any circumstances cover the root collars of plants;
It is best to apply sprinkling in spring, in April or May, when the soil has already warmed up and filled with moisture;
Before starting work, clear the surface of the site from weeds and debris.

You can combine dusts of different colors and shapes with each other, achieving striking effects. m. of soil, you will need about 25 kg of wood filling or 50 kg of stone. The use of organic backfill does not require geotextile or film, it can be placed directly on the ground.

Follow-up care

To maintain the decorative fill in proper condition, three procedures must be carried out regularly:

Cleaning the surface from debris;
Getting rid of sprouted weeds;
Renewal of organic bedding.

Periodic performance of these actions is necessary so that the decorative surface does not lose its aesthetic purpose.

Conclusion

Backfill applications can be found in almost any landscaping project. Using this material will help you add new touches to the look of the garden. The decorative effect of sprinkling will be especially noticeable in spring and autumn, when there are no bright colors in the garden yet. A wide range of materials will help you find the perfect solution for any project, and the ease of installation will allow you to do the work yourself.