Alpine slide
Creating an organic relationship when designing a rocky area of any shape with other elements of the garden is the main task in this article, we will consider the creation of an alpine slide. For a rock garden, the choice of a point of view is of great importance, the correct choice of stones for an alpine slide – their breed, texture and shape, as well as the use of the effect of perspective.
Stones for an alpine slide are necessary only for those that have a weathered (aged) surface, covered with moss or lichen. Do not forget that some types of lichens require bright sun, and many mosses prefer shade and moisture-loving. The conditions of natural growth of plants must be preserved in the case of transferring the stone along with the plants growing on it for an alpine slide.
Plants for rock garden
The success of the do-it-yourself alpine slide created will depend largely on the accompanying vegetation. Ground cover species are the basis of the plant assortment: they are unpretentious, have long and early flowering, and they grow rapidly. On the alpine slides made with their own hands, thyme, shaved, yaskolka, iberis, various stonecrops, saxifrage, rezuha, styloid phlox, soapwort, which fill the cracks and cover the voids, look great, and they also quickly give the whole composition colorful, forming multi-colored rugs. However, these plants should not be released from control: when planted on fertile soil, they rapidly and aggressively conquer new territory, thereby displacing more «peaceful» neighbors.
What plants are more suitable for an alpine slide? First of all, those are planted, which in an ordinary flower garden can simply get lost and be crushed by powerful neighbors. Also, such plants are understood to mean those that can develop worse due to inappropriate moisture and low soil nutrition. Hence, it is not surprising that such plants are best kept in a rocky garden. These include, in particular, undersized bulbous ephemeroids. They are the very first to bloom between stones in spring. Grouse, crocuses, bulbous irises, and dwarf bows are also suitable. Since mid-June, the empty place after their wilting, again, can be taken by the foliage of other plants that has grown by this time.
Undersized shrubs
Low-growing shrubs, for example, various heathers and horizontal cotoneaster, as well as decorative forms of conifers – junipers, decorative pine, thuja, will serve as an effective decoration for any do-it-yourself alpine slide..
Perennials
You should not forget about beautifully flowering perennials, among which you can choose varieties and species that are suitable for growing in a rocky garden. For example: Chinese astilbe, reaching a height of 15-25 cm, which blooms with compact paniculate, mauve-colored inflorescences in mid-July, or exceptional dicentra, which is no more than 20-30 cm in height and blooms from mid-May to early August pink flowers collected in racemose inflorescences, as well as perennial flax, gypsophila, various primroses, gravilat and many other plants.
Bulbous flowers for rock garden
The early spring flowering of bulbous plants cannot be neglected. Crocuses and snowdrops will be the first to bloom on the created alpine slide with their own hands with the appearance of the first warm rays of the sun, then woodlands and chionodoxes will appear. We definitely recommend planting the species Greig and Kaufman tulips, as well as daffodils, which revitalize the rocky landscape with the bright sparkles of their flowers..
Rock garden materials
In order to make an alpine slide in the country, various rocks are used, which differ in their effect on vegetation and origin. The most valuable stones for an alpine slide are considered «warm» stones – shell rock, tuff (trafertin), dolomite, limestone and sandstone. Air and water permeable, with a porous structure, layered sedimentary rocks, the soil is slightly alkalized and goes well with most plants. Their only drawback is their relative fragility..
Igneous rocks are very decorative in appearance and are widely used in landscape design. Diorite, gabbro, granite, diabase, basalt in contrast to sandstones and tuffs. But, unfortunately, when creating an alpine slide with your own hands from such material, the choice of plants must be approached with special care, since this «cold and dense stones: near them the soil is slightly acidic. Plus, chipped lumps tend to be slow «aging», therefore, they do not fit well into the surrounding landscape. Metamorphic rocks such as quartzite and shale are very similar in their properties..
