How to make an alpine hill with your own hands + photo

In the event that you decide to give your country landscape a particularly picturesque and original look, make an alpine slide on it, which can be a real surprise for your guests. In the article we will tell how to make an alpine slide with your own hands in the country, and also give photos and video instructions.

Choice of a suitable place

Plan of the alpine slide

The construction of rock garden should be started with competent selection of a place for it. It is recommended to proceed from the following considerations:

• the place of the planned placement of this garden design element should be located on the sunny side;
• it should be removed from the buildings (i.e. located in a picturesque corner of the garden, for example);

An important condition for good performance of the alpine slide is the quality of the soil at its location, precluding the proximity of groundwater.

Marking and preparation of drainage

Preparation of drainage

After selecting places under the hill, you can start marking the site, produced in accordance with the previously selected dimensions. At the end of the markup, it will be necessary to prepare the ground for the rock garden, which should be a reliable protection against heavy rains and seasonal floods.

For this purpose, a ditch about forty centimeters deep must be dug around the perimeter of the marking. The bottom of such a pit is filled with a specially prepared drainage mixture, which can be used as the remains of construction debris (crushed stone, pebbles, broken brick). Then all this is filled up with a layer of sand with a thickness of about 5-10 cm, and above it is covered with several layers of fertile soil containing mineral nutrient mixtures. The soil should be well loosened and weeds and roots should be removed from it.

The basis thus formed should be allowed to stand for several days, during which all its layers will settle and gain the strength necessary to perform subsequent work.

Selection and laying of stones

Laying alpine slide stones

At that time , while the base of the slide shrinks, you can proceed to the selection of stones for it. The right combination of stones of various sizes and shapes will allow you to create a rather original and at the same time natural looking alpine slide. It does not require too many of them, as an excellent composition can sometimes be created from 5-6 large stones (plus several small ones).

Construction of rock garden

Before laying, lay out all the stone blanks and select the most beautiful and original in shape. Preference should be given to stones from valuable natural material (granite, limestone or boulder stones, for example). Different types of limestone are considered the most suitable option for a hill; sandstones and slates will look good on it. All operations are recommended based on the following considerations:

1. It is best to lay boulders in several tiers, with small gaps between the individual stones, which later can be covered with earth and planted with dwarf trees, for example. The very bottom of these intervals can be laid out with a small “battle” that impedes the growth of weeds.
2. In the course of laying, the largest stones are first exposed, which bury about two thirds in the ground. This will allow you to securely fasten them in the ground, and also create the illusion of naturalness of the resulting composition. It is recommended to lay the tracks around the hill from small flat stones or from chipping of a suitable shape.
3. It is also necessary to monitor the fact that there is enough free soil between the stones for planting in it.

The hill will look more natural if you make the composition asymmetric, that is, with a slight deviation from the geometrically correct shapes.

Planting flower beds

Planting

When building an alpine slide , due attention should be paid to the selection of suitable plants that can give it an attractive appearance. Very good in such a landscape will look stunted plants, covering the ground with a solid colorful carpet. In this case, be sure to take into account the refinement of their foliage and the beauty of the inflorescences themselves.

Ordinary snowdrops or violets will look perfect on an alpine background, and only a few will give them saffron, phlox, narcissus, primula or forget-me-not. It is also allowed to plant on a hill single plants like juniper, barberry or heather.

Care for the rock garden

Watering the rock garden

Competent care of the hill suggests her timely watering, and also regular processing (loosening) of the soil.Particular attention should be paid to watering during the growth and flowering of planted plants. In the fall, the hill requires special care, which consists in cleaning dried leaves and plants, as well as pruning overgrown shrubs. Separate samples of plants should be insulated for winter.

Spring care is associated with the tamping of the soil and the protection of flowers from harmful insects. At the same time, you can fertilize the soil with the help of special mineral mixtures.

Video

In the following video you will learn how to make an alpine slide for a beginner:

Photos

Typical flowers for alpine slides

Structure

Round rock garden

Mountain plants

Designer rock garden

Design of rock garden

Large rock garden

Rock garden at the pond

Rock garden at home

Terraced rock garden

With green plants

With small stones

With carpet plants

With mountain flowers

In the garden

Alpine Hill with a fountain